Gena Showalter has created a fascinating world for the Immortal Enemies series, and as I typically suggest with any fantasy, I would advise starting with the first book to get all the layers of this world and its inhabitants. Speaking of, the characters are developed, and even though this is a fantasy world, they feel real. Obviously, they're quite colorful and not at all believable in most cases, but the author does a great job of making them feel believable. There's a good deal of angst in this one, and the story is a little dark, which works well for the storyline and characters. I'll stay away from the details, so I don't spoil anything. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed Ruthless and I'll be interested to see what this author does next.

3.5 stars

I was so looking forward to Viori’s story. Where had Kaysar’s little sister disappeared to all those years ago? How did she survive on her own when she was so young, scared, and unprepared for the world? We get those answers in this story. With those answers we see why Viori aka Vee is untrusting, quick tempered, and unforgiving. We also learn that Kaysar is not the only one that has been searching for her, there is a fae named Micah who has also been obsessed with finding Viori for a very long time.

There is a lot to learn about both Viori and Micah in the beginning of the book. It’s all interesting and all things I wanted to know and eventually needed to know. Yet, somehow, the first half of this book crawled by for me. The duo obviously has a very strong connection and the chemistry is extremely well written. Maybe that was actually the problem, though. There were a lot of almost moments for them and it was hard for me to believe they wouldn’t give into that pull after a while.

Vee is a tough pill to swallow. Like I said before, it’s understandable once you know the things she’s been through. Micah is almost as stubborn as Vee, and almost as untrusting. It made it very difficult for these two to connect on an emotional level since they both have such high and thick walls up. The bits where they let one another in and actually shared were delightful and warm.

Even with it’s slow start, I still really enjoyed this story. The last half was fully engaging. I’m totally enamored with this world and cannot wait to see what happens next.

Micah is a fae king, brought to power through war and his ability to tame violent beasts. He will stop at nothing to reclaim his lost lands and has his found family of soldiers to help him. The beautiful Viori de Aoibheall can sing monsters to life and had grown up in the forest as a result. When she wanders into his camp, she's not prepared for him or the instant connection between them. Unfortunately, her brother is Micah's greatest enemy, putting them at odds no matter the cost.

Ruthless is the second book in the Immortal Enemies series, but I missed the first novel, Heartless. That doesn't really matter, as this is a paranormal romance and we get enough back story on our main characters in the beginning of this book. I do wonder if the first book explains the shift between fae and mortal realms because Viori getting described as a Disney princess threw me. I get the visual, it's great, but when that came in an otherwise fantasy setting, I mentally came to a hard stop. It does later mention travel and various states in the US, so that would explain it. So just a warning if like me you missed book one!

The book is written with a lot of quick, fragmented sentences, making it move very quickly. In the timeline of the book itself, everything moves very rapidly as well. Viori believes that her brother hates her, and wants to make it up to him by stopping Micah from fighting with him. She's also attracted to Micah. I understand the quandary, but her behavior is so erratic and her motivation keeps flip-flopping, so I have a hard time taking her seriously. As someone ostracized since early childhood, I understand Micah and his motivation, though he comes across as a very capricious king. His enemies are just as bad. Maybe as fae they're supposed to be so mercurial, but I found that difficult to connect with. I do like the world-building here, the story behind it, and how love does shine through in the end.

Thank you to the publisher, HQN, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>Ruthless</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


The Gist

Well, I have done it again. They say all things come in threes. And this little hiccup of mine has certainly repeated itself three times.

You wonder what this might be? I shall no longer keep you in suspense: I signed up to read the sequel of a story before I had a chance to read the first book.

Hence, my clueless and agitated state of mind.

So, once again, I cannot really comment on the characters that much, or anything other than the quality of writing, because I didn’t do my research properly.


The Details

From what I could gather, I have come to the conclusion that this one requires the reader to remember the first book very well, because it sort of jumps right into the story. I think.

I found the writing style very clumsy. I assume it was meant to come across as mysterious and a little lyrical. Unfortunately, it felt anything but.

I mean, I’m not one to use quotes in my written reviews, but take a look at this:

“Momma screamed in silent agony.”

I’m confused. Is the agony silent, because it’s from an unknown source? Or does she mean she screams silently while being in agony.

My literary studies training has my fingers itching to write a 10-page essay on what this could or should mean and how it accomplished or failed to do so. I really feel there is more to it, but who knows. Maybe the author just wanted to sound extra dramatic and descriptive.

Other than that, I was completely lost with this story. I kept skipping ahead and going back trying to find answers to the questions that would have been answered, if I had read the first book.


The Verdict

Overall, please take note: It is always better the read the first book in any series and to do research properly. Otherwise, any reader will feel as clueless as me.

[ BLOG TOUR ] Thank you to HQN Books & NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

[ 4.5 stars ] Honestly, in the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be the book for me, but, wow, I actually liked "Ruthless." It was a somewhat dark, wicked, tragic, and emotionally driven story. Some parts were good. Some parts had me shaking my head so hard at the multitudes of poor decision making. Be that as it may, I kind of liked "Ruthless."

Gena Showalter has created a ruthless world of the fae, which makes someone like Micah stand out not only because he is a chimera but also as one of those rare fae who is honorable and loyal with a huge capacity to love. Chimeras - fae with two glamaras - are destined to lead a lonely existence as outcasts. It also doesn’t help that when others are near him (in particular, I think) that they feel like their skin is actually peeling off. This shunning and dislike still doesn’t make sense to me. Despite that, Micah has a deep desire to be loved, be worthy of love, have a family, and a place to call home. So he is willing to sacrifice himself and his personal happiness time and time again for the sake of others and maybe have a smidgen of what others take for granted. Micah is a romantic and mostly a good guy who suffers a lot throughout the story.

Meanwhile, you have Viori who trusts no one but her children (the infamously feared and monstrous belua) who she’s sung to life in times of need. It’s an interesting power that also causes her to sleep off the effort and sometimes open portals to the human world. Viori has survived many centuries alone from a very young age. Factor in several key traumatic incidents and her behavior, lack of empathy, and mistrust becomes easily understandable and heartbreaking. I disliked the way she treated Micah at times, but I also understand why. And this adds a lot of great tension between the characters and with the central situation at hand (a looming end to a ceasefire). Where Micah sought love, Viori profoundly believed she wasn’t deserving of love and maybe not even forgiveness even if she did achieve her goal of rectifying a past mistake.

I couldn’t see it at first but Micah and Viori were made for each other. Their relationship spans countless centuries, so when they meet again there’s an instant physical attraction. A powerful lust that Viori tries to hide and Micah wants to finally embrace. I liked the way their relationship built, although those exasperating moments of poor decision making by Micah were difficult to contend with. Half were based on pure lust (shaking my head so hard); however, others were based on heart. While there’s no annoying miscommunication between them (thank goodness), we do have omissions of truth with potential ramifications as devastating as their trauma-filled pasts. This relationship takes time to develop due to many internal and external obstacles. I was unsure about where things would go, but was increasingly becoming invested in what was taking place. Ultimately, I was satisfied and happy with the resolution of the story.

"Ruthless" was a well-told story. It had morally gray characters that I was often ambivalent yet completely empathetic about that I kind of ended up liking in the end. The plot gradually drew me in until I was enthralled. The ending had a touch of sadness but also a glimmer of hope for a better tomorrow. On the whole, "Ruthless" was a good read and I want to read more by Showalter.

This is the first book i read by Gena Showalter and was expecting a paranormal romance with an interesting world building and a romance.
I got a fantasy featuring a romance with some grim-dark moments since the first pages
As in the best grim-dark characters are damaged and flawed, a lot of them seem to be beyond redemption, and their character arc is what make this a paranormal romance and not a violent and bloody fantasy story.
It's not easy to like Viori as her power is unusual and can cause a lot of damages. Micah is a strong character and I like to learn his backstory.
There's some madness, a lot of anarchy, and a very interesting cast of characters. Not always likeable but interesting.
There's also betrayal and a lot of negative emotions in this story and I'm curious about what will happen in this series as there could be some interesting twists.
I think this is one of those book that can be appreciated by both dark fantasy and paranormal romance lovers.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to HQN and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book was a disappointment for. me.

I usually enjoy Gena Showalter's books and dark paranormal stories but, I just did not like or connect with any of the characters.in this book. I even order the first book from the library to see if maybe I missed something in the first book in the series, but I didn't like that one either.

Another hit from Gena! I've never read a Showalter novel that I didn't like, and this is no exception. Micah and Viori are the new power couple! Can't wait for the next book in this fascinating new world!

There is nothing kind about fae in this Immortal Enemies universe. Micah who showed up in the first book of this series is now better explained. I felt pity for him earlier. Now after hearing his story, I feel great sorrow. This title is more in reference to the author than the characters. Ms. Showalter is ruthlessly brutal to her characters and I just want to wrap Micah up and protect him. There is a meme running around about taking characters from authors to protect them... I feel this meme with this book.

Micah's past is filled with cruelty and danger. I honestly don't know how he survived. When he creates a kingdom of the Forgotten, it is impressive and his intent is noble. When it is stolen by Kaysar and his nutty queen, "Cookie", he does what he needs to do to get it back. For those who have not read the first book, this book may not make as much sense. What I can say is, had I read this book first and then read Heartless, I would have rated Heartless even lower. I loathe Kaysar and Cookie makes me even crazier with hate. These two asshats cause so much destruction and the good they create? Nothing with good intentions. For some reason, these two havoc creators, they embody a new saying - "The road to heaven is paved with bad intentions". Because seriously, what Kaysar and Cookie do to Micah is reprehensible and not cool.

Not only does Micah get screwed by Kaysar, Viori, Kaysar's missing sister is just as bad. This female should have been put down just like people put down mad dogs. Although, truth be told, I don't agree with putting down mad dogs. Mad people are worse than mad animals . . . any day of the week. Viori is impulsive, immature, petulant, and selfish. Other than Micah in this universe, there seems to be zero, I mean ZERO good characters in this universe. The carelessness in how Viori treats life that she didn't create is incredible. Her inability to communicate because she is a centuries old CHILD is frustrating. The only redeeming thing about this See You Next Tuesday is her ability to create life. Her "children" are adorable even if they are misunderstood monsters. She is not good enough for him and I have no idea why he is so stuck on her.

Pretty much everyone stabs Micah in the back. For him to be so gentle at times and with a heart of gold is unfathomable. Why is he still so amazing? I love him of all the characters in this universe. He is the only redeeming one and his story is one of angst, loss, pain, and betrayal. I highly doubt he will live a happily ever after at the rate he's going. This paranormal romance is recommended to readers who enjoy dark stories with anger, fury, and injustice.

I can't believe it took me this long to read this author , so she's a new to me author as well as a new to me series , in fact I have the first one to read as well . While usually I 'm ok with reading a series out of order , with this one I would say you definitely need to read the first book which is Heartless, but over all I did enjoy this one. It has a lot of what I like in my books , magic, steamy romance , monsters , need I say more .plus I loved the interaction between the characters and see their magic as well as their world and themselves come to life before my eyes.

The mysterious Viori (aka, the more than slightly feral sister of Kaysar) puts in an appearance and she's pretty wild. Literally. Having lived a life without a whole lot of non-monstrous contact, she's not exactly civilized. Which is actually okay with Micah because he's not exactly civilized either.

As it turns out, Micah is also VERY taken with her. Having seen her briefly years before, he's never forgotten the beautiful sleeping woman surrounded by monsters. Given that his dual abilities make those around him extremely uncomfortable, he doesn't hold out a lot of hope that anything can come of them in the long run, BUT...Viori surprises him. She might hiss and scratch and threaten to do bodily harm on a daily basis, but she doesn't shy away from him like most do.

That said, theirs is not an easy path. Micah is the slayer of the things Viori creates. She's also the sister (although it takes her a looooong time to admit it to him) of his current greatest enemy. They're working against each other half the time and they don't even realize it.

Until, you know, they do.

More than a few monsters, a little betrayal here and there (okay, actually, there's more than a little), kings and queens who are slightly unhinged, magic, unexpected alliances, and a whole lot of steam. *thumbs up*

Absolutely delicious story! Micah and Vee were just meant for each other. The story was just enthralling and so original. I feel like I should have read the first in the series but it didn’t take away from the story at all. Masterful storytelling at its best! Four stars!

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review! I will definitely be adding this to my shelf!

I was very excited about diving back into the Immortal Enemies world. This is definitely one of Gena Showalter’s darker series where pain, torture and suffering seems to be regular. I wouldn’t recommend this to the faint of heart, especially since there’s a lot of angst thrown in as well.

However, if you’re like me and like a good, engaging read, then I think you’ll enjoy this book. It wasn’t my favorite of the series, but there’s no question that there was a lot of details in this book. Showalter is a natural storyteller, so no story ever seems too farfetched or unrealistic. She breathes life into her characters by exploring various emotions, usually dealing with their pasts before giving them a passionate romance worth remembering.

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys darker Paranormal Romances that focuses on the characters.