152 woke in a real bed and things slowly came back to her senses. And was told by a young scarred female that she was in the High Mona suite. That Master had ordered it but the name Master Arziani sent a shock to 152s heart., but she wasn’t sure why master frightened her so much. But she trusted her instincts which told her to fear the Master. 152 was in the Blood Pit and the her Chiri who was hers was the lowest type of slave and told her 152 had been brought back to the Blood Pit for six weeks. The slave told 152 she was panicking that she felt she couldn’t breath and that it was the drugs. 152 had been weaned off one dose of drug- monebi drug and she had been subjected to it for years. Then the chiri told her you were with Mistress Argiani for a long time and had not been in the Blood Pit. The Master had called her back. When the Master called her home he ordered 152 off the monebi and put onto the High Mona formula. Then the chiri said she had been assigned as 152s. Then she said 152 was Masters personal consort and would no longer be with other men the Master only. Then 152 asked about the last High Mona and the chiri said she had been killed as she had been disobedient . The Master had put her to death publically in the pit. The pit was where the Masters fighters have their matches. 901 was Masters champion. No one has been able to bring him down. 901 keeps to himself and values his privacy as he feels that os all he has. Master wants to break 901 as he will not slow down before he wins and the Master has ordered him to. Master decides to use 152 to break 901.
I didn’t enjoy this, it just wasn’t for me. I am not into slavery of any kind or even reading about it. I must have chosen this by mistake. It is not a choice I would normally make. Or see myself making. I am sure someone else will enjoy this. This book just wasn’t for me.

Best book in the series!! I don’t know how Cole does it but every book gets better. The characters get mor dynamic. The storyline sucks you in and refuses to let go. One of my top ten of all time series. Can’t wait for more!

I am a fan of Tillie Cole and also this series. Book two and three are one of my favourites, so when I had the chance to read this story I obviously took it. But now it pains me to say that I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the previous two books. The plot is a bit repetative and the tourtured hero theme did make me skimm a few pages. There was a lot of violence, drug abuse and rape in this book but that was to be expected, since that is this whole series theme. I did enjoy the slow burn and development of the main characters relationship and the ending was really sweet. I don't know if this is the authors last book for this series but I would love to see Maya's story and how she found love. In the epilogue we do get a hint of what happened to her but I want the full circle of her story. I was also happy about the Master's demise and the end of his rule. It was about time someone put him out of business. We get both main charaters POV but also Luka's and that was really great. So all in all, it's a great story but I wouldn't recommend you read the full series in a row, since the plot is a bit repetative and might take away some joy of reading these stories.

"This was the end, but . . . . . . It could also be a beginning."
The Blood Pit is still running as usual and Master Arziani is still playing with people as toys in his Personal Hell . This time he is obsessed with this beautiful girl and makes her his High Mona. 152 is sweet, innocent and totally drug hazed. She now belongs to the Master who subjects her to unthinkable abuse to keep her in line. She meets 901 in Blood Pit and then in a sadistic game , is given to him to play with " whore out to an animal "
901 is an undefeated champion who fights and kills to earn his Master money. But as fate would have it, they fall in love. Exactly Not what the Master wanted. And so torture becomes a new routine for them.
This book is number 4 in the series and I got a sense of Dejà Vu. But the best part is the end . The clans coming together is the most fitting conclusion .
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and it gave me closure !

DNF.

I am so sorry. I typically really enjoy Tillie's books, but I just could not connect with this one.

I did not leave a review on any platform.

My first Tillie Cole book and certainly not my last. I read that this book could be read as a standalone, so I didn't read the first three in the series. I had received a free copy from the publisher and figured I would just read it to get a feel for the author's writing style and not bother with the first three books. Well, I kind of wish I had read the others. From what I can tell, I think all the characters are interconnected. And the way this book ends, well, I think I can say with confidence that it gives closure to all three books, but it almost seemed that the closure was intended more for book one than Riot. Don't get me wrong, there was definitely closure to this book, but it just seemed like the focus was on Raze more than 901. If I had read the first three books, I'm not so sure that I would have really cared. But because I read it as a standalone, it just felt a little odd to me. Clearly this is no fault of the author.

Tillie Cole wrote beautifully. She sucked me in immediately and I could not put this book down. I'm pretty sure I neglected my kid for a few days just so I could read this damn book! And boy was it amazing. The characters were perfect - the villain, character development, the action, love, passion, sex, conflict... ugh it was all just so perfect!!! I think the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because at times it was a little hard for me to follow all the characters and how their stories played into this book - again, I wish I would have read the first 3 books. I will take this as a learning experience and be sure I read all books in a series if they are interconnected. It's true what they say: "Although this can be read as a standalone, to get the full experience it is recommended that you read all books in the series" or some similar warning. Regardless, I can't wait to read another of her books. Well done!

We won't be posting a review for this one as it was a did not finish

Be still my heart. This was SO. GOOD.

This was a bittersweet ending to one of my favorite series. Tillie Cole has, yet again, made me fall in love with another one of her scarred & beautiful broken souls.

901...so powerful, sweetly protective, deliciously possessive, I need this man in my life. I couldn't get enough.

I absolutely loved this story about a weapon-wielding, scarred and tattooed man who was deprived of any type of love. Caged like an animal, whose only purpose was to fight.

The passion I could feel while reading this book was addictive. This was another amazing story by this author and is a perfect example of why I adore her writing. The feels...they're in here, and they will rock your world.

I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect ending to this amazing series. I highly recommend it!

This book was incredible.
I seriously could not have asked for a better end to the series.
Tillie Cole writes violence and twisted psyche into pure love.

I seriously just loved it.

I loved reading about all other characters (Luca, Kisa, Valentin, Zoyz, Zaal & Talia) from the previous books.
So, if you are into some good old dark romance, full of suspense, this one is for you.
I highly recommend it!

Tillie Cole has won me over with these intense crazy twisted worlds that she has created in this series and others. She proves she can write across many types of stories and still have me sporting heart eyes. There’s so much packed into the pages of this book and if you haven’t read the other in the series first I highly recommend it because you wont want to miss one moment in this world or with these characters.

It’s Dark Mafia Romance at it’s best, dingy and dirty and perfect in every way. You’ll not want to put this book down, it’s full of edge of your seat action, and deep characters that will suck you in. It’s a brilliant ending to a series, one that I’ve loved from book one. 901 and 152 story isn’t one to be re-told in a review either it’s one to experience by reading so I highly recommend that you pick it up and get to devouring it today!

I really think this book would have been a better experience for me (or even better) if I had read some or all of the books in the series that came before this one. I did not read the other books in the series and there is a really complex underworld involved in this book. There is a lot of information about the complex underworld as well as characters who I believe were featured in other books. In fact, I think 152 was introduced in another book about her brother. Because I didn't have the background on the context of the setting of the book and didn't know a whole lot about all the other characters, I found parts of this book to be disorienting. That's on me for not reading the other installments. And this is not a criticism of the book or me telling you not to read it. It's more me suggesting that because this book was good, you read the other ones first and don't be like me and try to start the series here.

So here's what I gathered from jumping in midstream: 901 is a...fighter in what is called the Blood Pit. The Blood Pit is located in this complex underworld that is run with an iron fist by "Master." In addition to the brutal fighters who make up the blood pit there are women called Mona who are basically sex slaves to the fighters and the guards who keep the fighters housed. There is one "high Mona" who is the personal sex slave to Master. 152 is selected to be the High Mona. At the same time, Master is trying to figure out 901's weakness. Even though 901 fights in the Master's pit he can't be controlled because he doesn't fear death. He also can't be controlled because he has no attachments and no weaknesses. Master figures out that 152 has caught 901's eye. In a way that I can't really describe for you (it was a little sci-fyish, Master forces 901 and 152 together.

The book sets up a really weird environment for a romance but it worked. 901 wants nothing to do with 152 at first because he knows that attachments to women have done other soldiers in. 901 finally gives in to...save 152 in a way...You just have to read it. From there, 901 discovers how much he has in common with 152. Their chemistry is ridiculous and instead of weakening him, 901 discovers the power to really be free through love. It was all kind of amazing to watch happen. I will warn you (if you have not read other Tillie Cole books), there is non-consensual sex, abuse and lots of violence. This book is not for the faint of heart. But for all you tough love romance readers, this will hit the spot. Just read the other books first.

Tillie, Tillie, Tillie...

You did it again, chick!

Ms. Cole never fails to snag my attention and heart with one of her "broken and scarred" souls. I love Raze, something fierce, but Ilya… Ilya stole my heart—hard. I didn't think it was possible for another to replace my first true love of her writing. But to my surprise, Riot blew Raze out of the water (at least in my humble opinion).

I’m not going to pull any punches here, this book is ominous and gut wrenching in theme. You’ll learn rather quickly, our main characters were nothing more than chess pieces, designed to move about the board at the whim of one devious and repugnant individual. Objects used to satisfy the need for dominance and masochism. FYI, there are NO BOUNDARIES Master won’t cross to achieve his ultimate goal; breaking and controlling the mind/spirit of all those deemed beneath him.

With that, I introduce to you entities 901 and 152 (otherwise known as Ilya and Inessa). Captives/slaves with no names, no past, and a stature that determines their level of hospitality, "profession," and terrorism.

I absolutely adored Ilya, even in his “a#@h&%e” stage. His pain, hatred, brutality, and rage flowed off the pages effortlessly, taking me for one hell of an aggressive ride. To see such a virile man taken to his knees over an emotion he had never in his life experienced and tried so abhorrently to deny was heartbreaking. His struggle to accept what most take for granted brought tears to my eyes. To see him struggle with right versus wrong, with want versus obligation was eye opening, to say the least. To learn that underneath this savage killer lied a compassionate soul made my heart beat just a tad bit harder.

Than there was Inessa (152), who showed me that no matter what your lot in life is, strength and bravery come in all shapes, sizes, and mindsets. Never once throughout this journey did I view her as weak. Her vitality was shown, not told, in spades. Each time I thought there is no way in hell she will survive much more, she proved me and everyone else wrong. The amount of courage and tenacity, even when she had almost nothing left to give, was powerfully inspirational.

I've never met such an absolute perfect for each other couple. They often left me breathless. Their inflexible and complex battles one in the same. Their strengths and weaknesses a testament to their dynamic substance, as individuals and as a couple. With each passing threat and ultimatum, I felt everything this couple felt. The details and emotions so intricate, palpable and vivid. I didn’t feel the need or want to be a fly within those cell walls or inside the pit. Cole made sure that I was right there with them, experiencing the same emotional turmoil.

If you like dark, twisted, and gritty reads then this is the book (series) for you. Ilya and Inessa aren't dark in the sense of a psychological mind f@#&, but they're a tangled web of sacrifice, violence, and violation (body, mind, and soul). Their story is one of lost identity, self-worth, and freedom/independence. Their world is a bleak and shocking way of life consisting of bloodshed, degradation, and animosity. Yet underneath it all, Tillie Cole manages to shed a glimmer of light; a sliver of humanity among a world where friendship, compassion, and affection is nonexistent. Riot was a testament of nature versus nurture. A classic case of instinct versus external forces.

Will sacrifice or survival rule their impulses? Will Ilya and Inessa be brought to heel or will love conquer all? It’s only a matter of time before we find out whether emotion or affliction is the name of the game.

This was brutal, dark, gritty and wonderfully written. Love is possible between two persons in the worst of situations. This was an amazing ending to the series! I've loved it from the very beginning. My emotions were all over the place. Everything ties up nicely.

Riot is the gripping conclusion to the Scarred Souls Series. It was so exciting and I was glad to finally read 901 story and wow what a story it was. Amazing read!!

The Scarred Souls journey started with Raze and ends beautifully with Riot.  The beginning was mysterious, dark and violent.  The ending was just as mysterious, darker and even more violent but at the same time it was also perfection.  Tillie wraps up the entire series in a beautiful,  f**ked up bow and I loved every single minute of this journey.  I live for this genre in books and in movies.  If shit is being blown up and bad guys are being pummeled, I. AM. IN.  I can't even begin to describe her writing style, it's perfection if you ask me.  Her descriptions, the way her words flow, it makes you feel like you're in the book with these people and feeling what they feel.  You're probably thinking, "Well duh. All books should do that to you."  Nope.  Not me.  I mentioned in one of my other reviews that there are different levels for me within the pages of a book.  I either feel like a fly on the wall just watching the story unfold or I feel like I AM the hero/heroine and I'm IN the book, feeling everything or just listening.  I know that sounds weird, but that's the best way to describe it.  With Riot, I was in it and I loved it.  I can't say it enough.
152/Inessa, has just become the highest of monebi's to one of the most ruthless villain's that I have ever come across.  Her memories are in and out and doesn't remember who she is or who the man is in her dreams that promises to free her from the pits of literal hell.  She hangs onto hope even if it's just a sliver.  That's all she has to go on and while reading the story, it may not seem like enough but it is.  She endures the ugliest of all things ugly yet still is strong enough to hold on and fight for that little bit of hope.  A hope that I honestly didn't even think would happen for her.
901/Ilya, the prized fighter. The loner. The caged animal that finally let his emotions through with Inessa, was one of the most beautiful things that I've ever read and that is the God's honest truth.  He's a fighter in more ways than one and proved that in everything that he did and does for himself and for her.  This was seriously just so f**ked up but in THE BEST WAY.  The way Tillie makes you FEEL while reading all these books is everything.  You're uncomfortable, nervous and just a glass case of emotion.  While Ilya and Inessa completely captured my heart, it was Inessa's chiri that stole the damn show for me.  I know this was the end of the road for these boys but shit, the whole time I was getting to know the chiri, I was like, "I want more of HER story." The courage that she shows in assisting both Ilya and Inessa is seriously admirable.  She has the "I ain't got shit to lose" attitude but also hangs on to a thread of hope that one day she'd be free. If you're going to do any clicking today or tomorrow, it NEEDS to be The Scarred Souls series.
Welcome to your new binge read. If you're into dark romance, even just a little bit.  You will absolutely LOVE this series.
Fun fact: My blogging partner, Quinn, refers to Tillie as Tillie "Motherfucking" Cole anytime we talk about her. Tillie is clearly Sisterhood approved and an automatic one clicker.  Again, if you're going to do any clicking today, it needs to be this series.  STAT.

Riot by Tillie Cole
4 stars

Let me start out by saying, If you have issues with reading about torture, nonconsentual sex and/or abuse of children you may want to be cautious reading this book as it contains all of these. The author's skill at telling this story from the voices of the slaves softens the impact of the horrible subject matter.

My heart went out to 152 and 901 as the story developes and the Master throws them together with drugs making it impossible not to have sex in order to manipulate 901. 901 is a warrior in the arena who has never lost a battle. In fact, he so quickly and decisively kills his opponent that the blood thirsty crowd of onlookers are not quite satisfied and the Master grows more and more angry at 901's defiance in not drawing out the battle. 152 is the Master's latest "Mona" or slave whore. She is drugged up and remembers very little of her life and also cannot stop her body from wanting all the abuse from whomever she is servicing. Now the Master has her exclusively but . . . Well you will have to read the book to know the outcome. Just know that the riot the title suggests is coming and is a grand finally to this book.

I did like this book in spite of the subject matter because the character development is so well written that I simply had to keep reading to be sure that they all survived this horror that was their life. I was silently cheering at the end when all the masters . . well I almost gave that away didn't I. . . If you can handle the subject matter, I think you will enjoy this book.

I was given this book to read by Triple A book blog in exchange for an honest review.
Diana

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

The Scarred Souls series is out of this world. I have to take my hat off to Tillie Cole for daring to be different! This series is not a cookie cutter series but a fully emotional experience that shows you how people living in the worst conditions imaginable can somehow find love and security in a world where everyone is out to hurt you.

I loved every second of not only this series... but this book. I waited patiently for this book to come out and when it did... I was not disappointed.

152 and 901 are beautiful souls that survived after being taken hostage. When they meet their world stops and their lives are in worse conditions then ever before.

The real question is ...can love really conquer all things? Will they survive long enough to see where things can go? Read and find out!

Tillie Cole has a way with her words.She can captivate you and hypnotize you.She can easily make you feel like you are a part of her stories.This is what happened to me with this one.The beginning was a little bit slow but after that wow...I'm impressed.This one was a perfect dark romance!