Review: Corrupt Kingdom by Ava Harrison
Cyrus Reed is a ruthless man controlling a kingdom that's as corrupt as he is. He's had to do monstrous things to get where he is today, to obtain the revenge he needs, to take down the man he seeks. He's not one to allow anyone to distract him from what he wants, not one to let light into the dark that is his empire, his soul. Then a beautiful ray of sun stumbles into his life, throws him off kilter and his world is never the same after.
Ivy's a pawn in her father's game, so when Cyrus takes her, she never even imagines the real Cyrus will become her everything. She'll do well to guard her heart, though, because Cyrus is as ruthless and cold as he's reputed to be, and he's damaged beyond almost repair. When vengeance is the primary goal, anyone can be used to achieve it, even a ray of sunshine to a dark man.
Except perhaps Cyrus didn't take Ivy to obtain the vengeance he seeks. He knew she was about to be handed over to someone even worse than he is, he may be the leader of the criminal underworld, controlling its inhabitants' fortunes and amassing one of his own, but what the Butcher does is not something even Cyrus can condone, and Ivy's light calls to his darkness. So he takes her and he aims to keep her. She's his and he'll do whatever it takes to protect her from someone even worse, someone Cyrus just so happens to want to take down. So he'll keep his Sun and keep his dark heart intact. Right?
I loved Corrupt Kingdom. Dark anti-heroes, villains, what have you, can be even more fascinating than purely good characters, and Cyrus is beyond fascinating. He's got darkness in his soul for sure, but he's not irreparable, especially once he becomes entwined with Ivy. I love how Ivy really got him, could see through to the goodness inside of him, but that he didn't completely change, rather just allowed some of her light to lighten some of the heaviness inside him. Ava Harrison always writes layered, interesting characters, but I truly think Cyrus is her most interesting, most complex, most lovable character yet. Thank God she gave him a woman his equal, someone to love all of him just the way he was.
ARC via author.
Cyrus Reed is a ruthless man controlling a kingdom that's as corrupt as he is. He's had to do monstrous things to get where he is today, to obtain the revenge he needs, to take down the man he seeks. He's not one to allow anyone to distract him from what he wants, not one to let light into the dark that is his empire, his soul. Then a beautiful ray of sun stumbles into his life, throws him off kilter and his world is never the same after.
Ivy's a pawn in her father's game, so when Cyrus takes her, she never even imagines the real Cyrus will become her everything. She'll do well to guard her heart, though, because Cyrus is as ruthless and cold as he's reputed to be, and he's damaged beyond almost repair. When vengeance is the primary goal, anyone can be used to achieve it, even a ray of sunshine to a dark man.
Except perhaps Cyrus didn't take Ivy to obtain the vengeance he seeks. He knew she was about to be handed over to someone even worse than he is, he may be the leader of the criminal underworld, controlling its inhabitants' fortunes and amassing one of his own, but what the Butcher does is not something even Cyrus can condone, and Ivy's light calls to his darkness. So he takes her and he aims to keep her. She's his and he'll do whatever it takes to protect her from someone even worse, someone Cyrus just so happens to want to take down. So he'll keep his Sun and keep his dark heart intact. Right?
I loved Corrupt Kingdom. Dark anti-heroes, villains, what have you, can be even more fascinating than purely good characters, and Cyrus is beyond fascinating. He's got darkness in his soul for sure, but he's not irreparable, especially once he becomes entwined with Ivy. I love how Ivy really got him, could see through to the goodness inside of him, but that he didn't completely change, rather just allowed some of her light to lighten some of the heaviness inside him. Ava Harrison always writes layered, interesting characters, but I truly think Cyrus is her most interesting, most complex, most lovable character yet. Thank God she gave him a woman his equal, someone to love all of him just the way he was.
ARC via author.
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