Red. by London Miller

July 20, 2016 Lily Book Review 0 ★★★★★

Red. by London Miller
Series: Den of Mercenaries #1
Also in this series: Celt., Nix., Calavera.
on April 30, 2016
Genres: Suspense
Pages: 261
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Welcome to the Den...
Seven years ago, Niklaus "Red" Volkov was offered an opportunity, one that would give him the ability to even the score with the Albanian mobsters that had tortured him for days and took the life of the only girl he'd loved.
But that gift came with strings...
Molded into the perfect soldier, Niklaus joined an elite group of mercenaries, loyal to a mysterious man known only as The Kingmaker. He willingly paid the price for means to fulfill the vendetta that plagued him each day.
Vengeance was all he knew...
And death was all he lived for...
Until it wasn't...
Until her...

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

Red. is the story of a man by the name of Niklaus. The connection to the previous series alluded me in the beginning. Nothing seemed to add up. The main reason was the initial setting took me by surprise as it was outside of the Bratva. Feeling fairly cocky, I thought I could predict the storyline, but then a sudden plot twist brought me down to earth with a thud. It reaffirmed this was exactly the kind of genre I anticipated and how everything was connected. What shocked me was the violence and cruelty dealt out to innocent people. What impressed me most about Red was the way the story held me when I doubted anything could make me forget.

Red. is determined to seek revenge for the atrocities he was forced to endure and witness. It’s about being taken from all you have known and then introduced to a lifestyle totally abhorrent to you. Then given a choice to take a path, that can’t erase the past but with a promise to seek out payment from the perpetrators who have made him the man he has become.

There are three game changers in this story as well as including other characters from the story of the Volkov Bratva series. Trust is the major focus from beginning to the end of every relationship that includes Niklaus. The main characters, Reagan and Niklaus both have family and work related issues that test their ability to trust. Both of them exert caution and care in all aspects of their lives, but when it comes to each other, it’s a different story. They both fear their attraction to each other at various times, and it leaves them vulnerable in ways neither is prepared to risk facing.

Normally I like to share my likes and struggles at the end of my reviews, but I can’t think of what I can share without spoiling the story for others. My choice then is to share that despite reading one of the most horrific heartbreaking scenes I’ve read in a story (and I’ve read a few), this is by far still a 5-star worthy beginning to a new series. I finished this book eager to read Celt’s story which is coming out very soon, and I am beyond curious as to hear about the life he has kept so well hidden.