Did not notice this was by the same author as walk for me (that book was problematic regarding ableism) and this one is yet again disappointing. Calling it a DNF at 29%, skimmed the rest.

Insta lust, love and everything. The mmc ‘saves’ her from groping hands as she more dead than alive stumbles into a bar. He's a doctor, so in order to see her injuries he strips her of the only thing she's wearing right there in the middle of the bar. This is just the first time of him taking liberties because he is ‘helping her’. For example, they do a 🍇 kit test on her while she's half sedated without consent and she wakes up… I'm not shy of morally grey or dark romance. Not even from non-con. But this mmc is characterised as sweet and caring. As a good doctor. All the while he's constantly steamrolling over her, wanting to make her his within a day. Talking to her about bdsm and being her dom to help her speak while she's terrified (because he thinks she's been trained).

“I’m not like him. I have the same…urges?” Christ, that sounded wrong even to his ears and, by the way she recoiled, it didn’t strike Jenna the right way either. “Urges is the wrong word. I’m a Dominant, Jenna, and believe me, it would take me a while to explain the differences between who and what I am, what I need, and the steps I take to ensure that any woman in my company leaves happy, and the piece of shit who’s done God knows what to you.” Jenna paled. “I can be your Dom, Jenna. I stepped away from that world because…because I needed to. But if stepping back into that role, if giving you a definitive order to speak, helps you out of this mess, then that’s what I’ll do. I promised to help you, baby.”

Another line from the book: “It might be the man who did this to you believes himself to be a part of a particular lifestyle. BDSM. Bondage, domination or discipline, sadism and masochism.” He felt her stiffen and took her hand in his. “I think he took the domination or discipline part too far. Not to mention the sadism,” he added in a mutter. “I think he’s just a sadistic bastard who abused you because he could.” I believe the author is trying to highlight the differences between the bdsm lifestyle and literal abuse but it is done and worded very poorly.

Someone as injured and traumatized as her (there's a scene were she's hiding, curled up against a wall, sucking her thumb), can in no way consent to any aspect of a dom/sub, daddy/little girl relation. Regardless if it's sexual of nature or not. Though this is mentioned, the way all of this is explained and used, makes bdsm sound like a unwilling prop and the mmc his interest in it like wild urges he cannot contain. His dominance is portrayed like a third physical entatity in the room (and no it's not paranormal or omegaverse, these are regular old humans).

The brother of the mmc is a dick but them fighting in front of her until they're bloodied just highlight the immaturity of these men. Some of the medical stuff didn't make any sense. Her trauma reactions are inconsistent. This book is a whole truckload of no.

“So they created the Trials of Ascension. Every decade, those with gifts were gathered, tested, broken down, and rebuilt in the gods' image. A few would ascend to join the pantheon. The rest would die, their power reclaimed by the Aesymar.”

"What if I failed at the one thing Sulien still expected of me—this simple reliability, this quiet competence that seemed to be the only currency I had left to offer him? The constant mental calculations exhausted me more than any physical labor ever could."

"I'm the Warden of the Damned," he corrected. "Souls are elegant. Refined. Corpses are... messy. I only raise the dead when absolutely necessary. When the situation is truly dire."

The twins Thais and Thatcher's battles and trials to survive and have vengeance are gory and deadly. Yes, very deadly to all that try to become gods, but they were also very entertaining 😅. Not every book grasps my attention and curiosity, this one did.

I would say the romance is not the main driver, but a very important factor that changes the twins's fate.

The 🍆 was interesting at times, some shadow playing for all the "shadow daddy" people and the "good girl" girls. I don't belong to both factions, so it was ok. There are several scenes for you to enjoy it. Plus a forbidden mentor-mentee relanshionship ;)

Many say this book spoils Riftborne and Duskbound, and is so true. You can start with this book, but you will want to read Riftborne and Duskbound right after, knowing some critical plot answers. Have that in mind ♥️ This book was far better than Riftborne and Duskbound, which makes me believe that the third book will be amazing 🤔