Holy hell

This author sure knows how to write dark and depraved while still giving a story about hope and vengeance. This was brutal. Yet, it was also cleansing. I loved that Dany found away, albeit through an unlikely hero, to destroy the thing that had her tethered to hell. Her journey with Dante was intense. They both had backstories that were hell. Yet, they each had a higher purpose.

As always, this author left me in awe. Even as gruesome as this story was, there truly was something amazing about watching these two beat the odds and rise up as victors instead of victims. ( )

It's like a car crash - you know you shouldn't look, you might not like what you see, but the pull is too strong to ignore it. You might miss something.

I'm reviewing Crescendo by Lana Sky. Here's my thoughts:

^^ Woah! Now, I'm no prude by any means, but this has an unbelievable amount of swearing, abuse, and all sorts of possible emotional triggers. It's clearly not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Although, it's classed as a fantasy romance it's not a 'normal' romance by any means; think dark, erotic, Mafia angels and demons with literally no holds barred. Honestly, I cannot stress enough how this author has absolutely no limits when it comes to writing erotica aimed to shock.

^^ Do I like it? I'm saying yes, but I'm torn. This book is causing a
storm, but I'm not sure its for the right reasons. Readers are shocked -- they've read nothing like it before -- readers are giving the author lots of kudos for daring to be different, but I wasn't hugely impressed with the actual story.

^^ It is well written, using different character viewpoints, and I'm sure the author will do very well from this series, but it's not really for me. I didn't find a clear antagonist, the main characters' toxic relationship I felt was a bit repetitive.

^^ Yet after saying all that, this book does have something. Maybe it's because it is intriguingly different? Or it just the author is good at drawing her characters out kicking and screaming in such an intense and twisted way? It's like a car crash - you know you shouldn't look, you might not like what you see, but the pull is too strong to ignore it. You might miss something.

Overall: I'm giving this three stars, which comes out as an 'It's Okay'. Underneath al
l the violence, torture, blood and guts, it's a slow read and the action, I'm afraid, only really comes out at the end.

Disclosure: I was given a copy by the author and Xpresso book tours, in exchange for my unbiased opinion, as always! ( )