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The Dark Side #3
Two Kingdoms
I'm getting a little tired of completing my goals, only to have the bar raised too substantially for me to transition at a productive pace...
I started off as a sad little ghost with an impossible crush on four really hot, Gothic guys with some attitude problems. Now I'm The Apocalypse, they're the Four Horsemen, and Lucifer is my fucked up daddy. Now my additional goals look like this?
Goal #9: Make a deal with the Devil without getting cheated, manipulated, or tricked.
Goal #10: Make my boys love me and take over the world...okay...so maybe just that first part. That second part sounds like it could take too much ambition, and I just don't have the drive for that.
Goal #11: Make cookies.
Goal #12: Call dibs on my favorite color.
Goal #13: Find out if my siblings or my father killed me and my boys...
**Sexual Content
**Dark humor
**Reverse Harem
**Language warning
I started off as a sad little ghost with an impossible crush on four really hot, Gothic guys with some attitude problems. Now I'm The Apocalypse, they're the Four Horsemen, and Lucifer is my fucked up daddy. Now my additional goals look like this?
Goal #9: Make a deal with the Devil without getting cheated, manipulated, or tricked.
Goal #10: Make my boys love me and take over the world...okay...so maybe just that first part. That second part sounds like it could take too much ambition, and I just don't have the drive for that.
Goal #11: Make cookies.
Goal #12: Call dibs on my favorite color.
Goal #13: Find out if my siblings or my father killed me and my boys...
**Sexual Content
**Dark humor
**Reverse Harem
**Language warning
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2018
3060 people are currently reading
7096 people want to read
About the author
Kristy Cunning
14books5,683followersKristy Cunning always loves a good laugh, and lives and breathes the emotions of the characters she becomes attached to.
Though she came from a family of musicians, she has zero abilities with instruments; she sounds like a strangled cat when she sings; and her dancing is downright embarrassing. Just ask anyone who knows her. Her creativity rests solely in the written word. Her family is grateful that she gave up her quest to become a famous singer.
�
Kristy Cunning is one of the pen names C.M. Owens writes under.
Though she came from a family of musicians, she has zero abilities with instruments; she sounds like a strangled cat when she sings; and her dancing is downright embarrassing. Just ask anyone who knows her. Her creativity rests solely in the written word. Her family is grateful that she gave up her quest to become a famous singer.
�
Kristy Cunning is one of the pen names C.M. Owens writes under.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,467 reviews
August 1, 2018
She truly has no idea the power she holds over us
So...what I really loved in the first two books (especially the first book) were:
1. The smut
2. The humour
3. The anticipation of finding out who these four guys are and who the ghost girl is
I think these three things that I loved were somehow lost in this third book:
1. The smut had been almost not existent.
2. The humour was forced and
3. I have already found out who these 5 people are more or less
I wanted a new direction, maybe a few more secrets, a twist � definitely a good twist was needed. Something to keep me invested in their story. Instead I got:
1. A large number of devil's games that were not that interesting.
2. An evil devil's family that was barely described.
3. Lots of hell's politics who felt like fillers.
4. A new enemy. What is a point of having a new enemy in the end of book 3, when there is only one book left?
5. A few dirty angels. Not beautiful. Not funny. Not scary. Not important.
So, yes I was a bit disappointed. I love these four boys. I wanted more things about them :(
Anyway, I will still read the next book
So...what I really loved in the first two books (especially the first book) were:
1. The smut
2. The humour
3. The anticipation of finding out who these four guys are and who the ghost girl is
I think these three things that I loved were somehow lost in this third book:
1. The smut had been almost not existent.
2. The humour was forced and
3. I have already found out who these 5 people are more or less
I wanted a new direction, maybe a few more secrets, a twist � definitely a good twist was needed. Something to keep me invested in their story. Instead I got:
1. A large number of devil's games that were not that interesting.
2. An evil devil's family that was barely described.
3. Lots of hell's politics who felt like fillers.
4. A new enemy. What is a point of having a new enemy in the end of book 3, when there is only one book left?
5. A few dirty angels. Not beautiful. Not funny. Not scary. Not important.
So, yes I was a bit disappointed. I love these four boys. I wanted more things about them :(
Anyway, I will still read the next book
November 1, 2018
So much disappoint. It reminded me of school.
(Wait. Why are there clowns as the pall bearers....ooooh, like the clowns that screwed us over in the group projects at school? Well played, internet. Well played.)
Just like those group projects, this book took me through the Stages of Group Project Grief:
Stage 1: Excitement! This will be fun! I have high expectations that can't possibly be met.
Stage 2: Confusion.. Why is this not going the way I thought it would? Why isn't it as fun as it should be? What's going on?
Stage 3: Depression.. My hopes are dashed, this isn't fun, just a lot of work for me. Maybe I'm just not meant to have nice things. FML.
Stage 4: Acceptance. Okay, I can't get out of this - I'm in too deep. Maybe the next one will be better.
Lesson learned:
Trust no one.
(Wait. Why are there clowns as the pall bearers....ooooh, like the clowns that screwed us over in the group projects at school? Well played, internet. Well played.)
Just like those group projects, this book took me through the Stages of Group Project Grief:
Stage 1: Excitement! This will be fun! I have high expectations that can't possibly be met.
Stage 2: Confusion.. Why is this not going the way I thought it would? Why isn't it as fun as it should be? What's going on?
Stage 3: Depression.. My hopes are dashed, this isn't fun, just a lot of work for me. Maybe I'm just not meant to have nice things. FML.
Stage 4: Acceptance. Okay, I can't get out of this - I'm in too deep. Maybe the next one will be better.
Lesson learned:
Trust no one.
March 8, 2019
Look, I have been, up to this point, patient. Nay, downright forbearing. But this is too much!
This is a novel with one heroine and four devoted lovers - so why is there so much goddamn tongue-wagging (and not the kind you’d expect?!)
I am stuck with a whole cacophony of characters that just like to hear the sound of their own voices over and over again as they explain, in a nonlinear and purposely-confusing way, a nonsensical balance system, long lists of purities and impurities and thousands upon thousands of years of contradictory mythical lore spanning back to the creation of time.
Look, I don’t like to tell anyone how to do their job but I checked the social contract inherent in the genre and found this series to be in violation of the mandatory number of illicit sex scenes to be expected.
Easily 75% of this book is long series of conversations I don’t care about. Because the world building makes it clear that whilst an apocalypse can happen, it’s possible for heaven and hell to literally slam shut the gates and ride out catastrophe as the big bad gets loose. And whilst it’s possible that later down the line, the big bad could cause issues for hell - the real emergency isn’t there! None of the characters would be caught up in the initial slaughter so the end of the world feels pointlessly dramatic.
Also, and I can’t stress this enough, what is even the point of Jude?!
This is a novel with one heroine and four devoted lovers - so why is there so much goddamn tongue-wagging (and not the kind you’d expect?!)
I am stuck with a whole cacophony of characters that just like to hear the sound of their own voices over and over again as they explain, in a nonlinear and purposely-confusing way, a nonsensical balance system, long lists of purities and impurities and thousands upon thousands of years of contradictory mythical lore spanning back to the creation of time.
Look, I don’t like to tell anyone how to do their job but I checked the social contract inherent in the genre and found this series to be in violation of the mandatory number of illicit sex scenes to be expected.
Easily 75% of this book is long series of conversations I don’t care about. Because the world building makes it clear that whilst an apocalypse can happen, it’s possible for heaven and hell to literally slam shut the gates and ride out catastrophe as the big bad gets loose. And whilst it’s possible that later down the line, the big bad could cause issues for hell - the real emergency isn’t there! None of the characters would be caught up in the initial slaughter so the end of the world feels pointlessly dramatic.
Also, and I can’t stress this enough, what is even the point of Jude?!
August 12, 2018
What the hell went wrong?
I loved Four Psychos and Three Trials and I was really looking forward to this. I re-read the previous two books, cleared my schedule (which isn’t easy these days) sat back and started reading.
I really can’t believe I’m saying this but I was bored. I found this book dull, unbelievably dull and tedious.
Where was the originality and spark from the previous books?
I actually consider it an achievement that I finished it. I nearly quit so many times only sheer stubbornness kept me going.
I didn’t even consider reading the bonus scene and I normally love bonus scenes and epilogues.
I’m not sure what to put in this review, it was a whole load of telling and talking and telling and talking and ...
Unless the reviews for the final book are outstanding then I’m out and I’m gutted.
July 14, 2018
I need more damn it!! 😭
February 22, 2020
�1.5
I expected reverse harem sub-genre to be with more sex scenes and not a lot of talk of� honestly, I have no idea because I lost interest. Nothing much changed since the first book. The characters are still underdeveloped and even the main character that I found interesting in the first book became irritating. I was highly annoyed with the balance talk that was probably mentioned on every page. I skimmed the last 30% and won’t be finishing the series.
I expected reverse harem sub-genre to be with more sex scenes and not a lot of talk of� honestly, I have no idea because I lost interest. Nothing much changed since the first book. The characters are still underdeveloped and even the main character that I found interesting in the first book became irritating. I was highly annoyed with the balance talk that was probably mentioned on every page. I skimmed the last 30% and won’t be finishing the series.
June 26, 2022
So good
Will review later
.
.
.
It's later.
*4.25*
A little disappointing but still amazeballs.
I do wish there was just a bit more of a coherent explanation about the balance. I mean, I get it.
It is confusing to Paca and everyone else too, but shit man...
Some shit is going to go down in the next book.
I just hope there is a bit more of the 4 and Paca. Not just Ezekiel and Gage. Although... I did love it :)
Can't wait for the next book. Hopefully it doesn't take as long to be released as this one. I don't know if I can handle it.
**
We have a release date!!!
JUNE 29TH!!!!
.....
.....
Will review later
.
.
.
It's later.
*4.25*
A little disappointing but still amazeballs.
I do wish there was just a bit more of a coherent explanation about the balance. I mean, I get it.
It is confusing to Paca and everyone else too, but shit man...
Some shit is going to go down in the next book.
I just hope there is a bit more of the 4 and Paca. Not just Ezekiel and Gage. Although... I did love it :)
Can't wait for the next book. Hopefully it doesn't take as long to be released as this one. I don't know if I can handle it.
**
We have a release date!!!
JUNE 29TH!!!!
.....
.....
June 23, 2021
Not the best of the series but still fun! Things just get a bit convoluted here, but I still love our gang.
March 26, 2021
After reading the last book in the series I had to go back and add a comment to this review.
Don’t give up on the series! Even if this part is boring as hell, hang on because the fourth book is better than the first two and the ending is perfect, tieing the series just right.
My original review is below.
This was a huge disappointment compared to the first two books. It just seemed to drag on and on, without anything really happening. No humor, no spark, and most importantly no pace whatsoever. Honestly, it was so drawn out it seemed to stand still.
Apart from the interaction between Paca and the Devil, the whole book just seemed tedious. The angels are the biggest assholes, and I’m definitely rooting for the „evil� team, but we still don’t know enough and the entire third book feels just like an interlude between the first two parts and the ending.
I’m going to read the next one because I want to see the end, but my enthusiasm for this series dropped waaay down.
Oh, and for those of you who choose this series hoping to read a reverse harem book, don't bother. Honestly, apart from the fact that the main characters happen to be one girl and four boys who sort of like each other, this in no way classifies as RH book in my opinion. It's a Paranormal Fantasy novel and should be viewed as such. No hot scenes, not even flirtation ones if that is what you were hoping for.
Don’t give up on the series! Even if this part is boring as hell, hang on because the fourth book is better than the first two and the ending is perfect, tieing the series just right.
My original review is below.
This was a huge disappointment compared to the first two books. It just seemed to drag on and on, without anything really happening. No humor, no spark, and most importantly no pace whatsoever. Honestly, it was so drawn out it seemed to stand still.
Apart from the interaction between Paca and the Devil, the whole book just seemed tedious. The angels are the biggest assholes, and I’m definitely rooting for the „evil� team, but we still don’t know enough and the entire third book feels just like an interlude between the first two parts and the ending.
I’m going to read the next one because I want to see the end, but my enthusiasm for this series dropped waaay down.
Oh, and for those of you who choose this series hoping to read a reverse harem book, don't bother. Honestly, apart from the fact that the main characters happen to be one girl and four boys who sort of like each other, this in no way classifies as RH book in my opinion. It's a Paranormal Fantasy novel and should be viewed as such. No hot scenes, not even flirtation ones if that is what you were hoping for.
November 5, 2018
This book confused me or I stopped paying attention. There are a lot of options to that. All I know is each time someone talked about balance and what the five of them were created to do, all I heard was
There was too much of that in this book and not enough of the funny times. I’m still interested in book 4, but this one was underwhelming.
There was too much of that in this book and not enough of the funny times. I’m still interested in book 4, but this one was underwhelming.
July 14, 2018
I didn't like this one as much. I feel like this is just book 2 recycled at a slower pace. The whole premise of this book is finding out who killed Paca and it takes forever to find out.
The entire book just felt like a filler while we wait for the last book. I am still curious to see what happens so I will be waiting for the next one.
The entire book just felt like a filler while we wait for the last book. I am still curious to see what happens so I will be waiting for the next one.
July 8, 2020
It hurts to write this review. I struggled reading this.
Book 1 and 2 were amazing!
This one just fell..flat.
I wanted more of an emotional connection with the four men and Paca, not some moment where one of the boys were struggling to say I love you.
Book 1 and 2 were amazing!
This one just fell..flat.
I wanted more of an emotional connection with the four men and Paca, not some moment where one of the boys were struggling to say I love you.
December 5, 2019
This was another great addition to the series and here we join Paca as she is now called or Apocalypse if you want the full bad-ass name and her four horsemen.
So here we see our girl struggling with her origins and her place in their life and also rather envious of her boys bond.
She feels disconnected and slightly adrift from them initially here, she also feels they're holding all the cards and keeping secrets again.
But as she starts to come into her own power the bond here really does snap into place connecting them more as a unit and the five start to become one.
This was action-packed and reveals more of the past with plenty of revelations.
one observation though the whole balance thing was a tad confusing for me it was mentioned far too much in my opinion.
Despite that above gripe, I am looking forward to the final stretch very much with this now.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
June 30, 2018
I loved this story because of its hilarious crazy heroine.
What did I get?
A heroine who has gone from crazy funny to boring crazy.
A plot that trudges on at a pace a turtle could outrun.
Too many explanations. Too many. This whole book was about Paca finding herself through 1001 conversations.
Not enough happened.
What did I get?
A heroine who has gone from crazy funny to boring crazy.
A plot that trudges on at a pace a turtle could outrun.
Too many explanations. Too many. This whole book was about Paca finding herself through 1001 conversations.
Not enough happened.
poly-tbr
May 1, 2018Expected publication: June 29th
Four Psychos ★★★★�
Three Trials ★★★★
Four Psychos ★★★★�
Three Trials ★★★★
Read
March 28, 2019Mixed feelings! Is it the book or is it me?
*chews over rating*
*chews over rating*
July 17, 2018
Did not blow me away like books 1 and 2 did
I'm a bit let down to be honest. Firstly I wish I had re read book 2 so I would have been in a better position to pick this back up again. It jumps in right where the second left off and it took a while to get back into the characters and remember what had happened before.
Paca is still the same smart-mouthed hilarious antihero we know and love. She comes out with some real cracker one liiners in this and I wanted to highlight and share them all.
"I need a handbook: How to Sync Mensies with Your Harem."
“The only Rafael I know is green, wears a pointless red mask on his eyes, and is a hero in a half shell,�
"Cain is officially my new favorite sibling. I recant that when he reaches down and scratches his balls with a firm look of concentration on his face. Man, with the effort he’s putting into that, they must really itch� I just threw up in my mouth."
Her inner musing were both hilarious and infuriating at the same time. They regularly interrupt the other dialogue and made some already confusing explanations about "balance" even more difficult to follow.
“She’s really easily sidetracked,� I point out to them. “That’s rather annoying.�
This wasn't the only problem I had following what was going on. I think I took some stupid pills because I could just not follow it
“I’m sick of the games. Someone needs to tell us what the fuck is going on,� Jude bites out
Yea you and me both Jude! Games on top of games, balance, purities and impurites, Hells throat/nose/belly/other body part- it just lost me at some points. Lamar in particular went off on confusing explanations. Like she has no guilt but she does have regret...whats the bloody difference and who cares
Onto the harem itself. What a backward slide that was. I thought they had sorted out the problem the secret keeping and the mistrust ... or maybe I haven't remembered this correctly? It was like starting from square one again.
“It takes so much to get you guys to be nice to me. It’s hardly worth the effort,� I say through strain, trying to lighten the pitiful stares"
Well being so vain and all Paca I'm not sure why you are bothering? The horsemen are complete jerks for most of this. They don't have many redeeming qualities apart from being not wanting you to get hurt - which is like the bare minimum level of caring!
The "favourite" picking which I loved became tedious and overdone in this one.
Didn't mean for that to get so ranty. Its out of my system now.
It was still hilarious and it author even made fun of the annoying parts. At least she acknowledged things like the favourite picking "the bar was set pretty low" or "one orgasm and I'll be favourite again". So it wasn't all bad
I hope that was the dud book of the series and we can get back to the excellence that was Four Pscyhos and Three Trials.
Maybe publishing this under a different name made her loose her mad skills?
Are we sure they are same person...
I'm a bit let down to be honest. Firstly I wish I had re read book 2 so I would have been in a better position to pick this back up again. It jumps in right where the second left off and it took a while to get back into the characters and remember what had happened before.
Paca is still the same smart-mouthed hilarious antihero we know and love. She comes out with some real cracker one liiners in this and I wanted to highlight and share them all.
"I need a handbook: How to Sync Mensies with Your Harem."
“The only Rafael I know is green, wears a pointless red mask on his eyes, and is a hero in a half shell,�
"Cain is officially my new favorite sibling. I recant that when he reaches down and scratches his balls with a firm look of concentration on his face. Man, with the effort he’s putting into that, they must really itch� I just threw up in my mouth."
Her inner musing were both hilarious and infuriating at the same time. They regularly interrupt the other dialogue and made some already confusing explanations about "balance" even more difficult to follow.
“She’s really easily sidetracked,� I point out to them. “That’s rather annoying.�
This wasn't the only problem I had following what was going on. I think I took some stupid pills because I could just not follow it
“I’m sick of the games. Someone needs to tell us what the fuck is going on,� Jude bites out
Yea you and me both Jude! Games on top of games, balance, purities and impurites, Hells throat/nose/belly/other body part- it just lost me at some points. Lamar in particular went off on confusing explanations. Like she has no guilt but she does have regret...whats the bloody difference and who cares
Onto the harem itself. What a backward slide that was. I thought they had sorted out the problem the secret keeping and the mistrust ... or maybe I haven't remembered this correctly? It was like starting from square one again.
“It takes so much to get you guys to be nice to me. It’s hardly worth the effort,� I say through strain, trying to lighten the pitiful stares"
Well being so vain and all Paca I'm not sure why you are bothering? The horsemen are complete jerks for most of this. They don't have many redeeming qualities apart from being not wanting you to get hurt - which is like the bare minimum level of caring!
The "favourite" picking which I loved became tedious and overdone in this one.
Didn't mean for that to get so ranty. Its out of my system now.
It was still hilarious and it author even made fun of the annoying parts. At least she acknowledged things like the favourite picking "the bar was set pretty low" or "one orgasm and I'll be favourite again". So it wasn't all bad
I hope that was the dud book of the series and we can get back to the excellence that was Four Pscyhos and Three Trials.
Maybe publishing this under a different name made her loose her mad skills?
Are we sure they are same person...
April 8, 2024
Love reading a book and grinning almost the entire way through 😁👏
It’s a captivating story with lots of funny banter 👌.
While navigating games, politics, and secrets, the group of five tries to remember their past and get answers to some crucial questions. Finally, uncovering the truth about her death and that of her 4 horsemen brings a little satisfaction but raises even more questions. Excited to see how this all ends in the next one 👀
It’s a captivating story with lots of funny banter 👌.
While navigating games, politics, and secrets, the group of five tries to remember their past and get answers to some crucial questions. Finally, uncovering the truth about her death and that of her 4 horsemen brings a little satisfaction but raises even more questions. Excited to see how this all ends in the next one 👀
January 25, 2022
I waited until I finished the series to rate it because it is one story told in 4 books. You cannot start reading this series in the middle - have to start with book 1 because they flow one into the other and each ends on a cliffhanger. I was glad that they had all been published bc I am pretty sure it would have pissed me off if I had to wait to keep reading it ---- I am the kind of reader that either loses interest if I have to wait too long or forgets too much and then gets annoyed that I have to catch back up :)
I don't want to get into plot bc it would be a spoiler for anyone who hasn't read it, but I will say that one of the members of the RH drove me a little crazy with his attitude - it lasted much longer than it needed to, imo.
This one was at least much steamier than the first 2, please and thank you. And the pages really flew by as I wanted to see what reveal would come next.
Plot --- 3/5
Main Characters --- 3/5
Supporting Cast --- 3/5
Steam Level* --- 4/5
Violence --- yes but nothing domestic
Language --- for sure
POV --- 1st (h)
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
I don't want to get into plot bc it would be a spoiler for anyone who hasn't read it, but I will say that one of the members of the RH drove me a little crazy with his attitude - it lasted much longer than it needed to, imo.
This one was at least much steamier than the first 2, please and thank you. And the pages really flew by as I wanted to see what reveal would come next.
Plot --- 3/5
Main Characters --- 3/5
Supporting Cast --- 3/5
Steam Level* --- 4/5
Violence --- yes but nothing domestic
Language --- for sure
POV --- 1st (h)
*Note that steam level is not a rating so much as a how hot was it: 0/5 - clean; 1/5 - mild (nothing descriptive); 2/5 - 3rd base action/1 home run; 3/5 - now we're getting somewhere (a couple of full-on steamy scenes); 4/5 - yes please! (erotica territory); 5/5 - they did EVERYTHING in this one, y'all
April 13, 2021
this is a reverse harem story with a paranormal side told in four novellas and even though I (sort of) enjoyed the first one and (at least partially) the second one, I gave up 87% into the third one and have no desire to go back to it� I’m gonna give the first two books in the series 3 stars and the one I DNFed 2 stars� I’m gonna be honest, I’m not exactly sure why this one didn’t work for me� the writing style was ok, not great, but entertaining enough for me to want to continue� but the more we got into the series, the more I realized that things are not really changing / progressing� I mean, yeah, we learn a bit more about our characters and their story / connection, but things never really move forward with their dynamics� also I felt like more and more paranormal things were thrown at us haphazardly, without an actually good explanation and I just kept getting more and more confused� and even though they are not very long, I read them more and more slowly, until I realized I just don’t care� don’t care about the characters or how the story will end, so even though I had very little of the third installment left, I couldn’t make myself finish it� I think it might be an enjoyable read for a lot of people, but it was definitely a miss for me...
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
July 18, 2018
Meh just meh. There was not much heat between Paca and the boys... Also Paca was kind of annoying in this book and why the hell takes she all the shit from everyone around her she is the fucking daughter of the devil. And the game which who is her fav also gets kind of old if you mention it every few pages.
And where the fuck is the Kai we love...
And where the fuck is the Kai we love...
November 17, 2022
I can’t tell if these books are getting shorter or if i’m so into the ridiculousness that I’m binging them at record speed??
Can we take a second to appreciate how stupid funny this book is? 🫢😂 Pls I find myself laughing out loud at the most random things.
Can we take a second to appreciate how stupid funny this book is? 🫢😂 Pls I find myself laughing out loud at the most random things.
June 21, 2023
4.25 stars... Still addicted... but...
I needed more smexy times with the Hs, the guys angered me, and unnecessary OW drama had me rolling my eyes...but I still read it in less than a day. (two years ago the ow drama irritated me; I wonder how I'd feel today 🤣.
The book leaves off from where book 2 ended and we continue to see and get revelations as to what’s going on with Paca and the four Horsemen. We find out who killed her and why it was done. I honestly felt like I was getting so much information thrown at me that I needed to pause once in a while to make sure that I understood what was going on. I have to say, I really do like Lucifer. Although he's evil, the devil, he's still Paca‘s dad and I see how vulnerable he becomes when it comes to her. She really IS his favorite!
The guys are still not in it to win it with Paca😑. Like, they should be worshiping her, because not only does she continue to save them, but she will literally die for them and do anything to keep them alive. Yes, maybe she is selflessly selfish or selfishly selfless, but it all works out to be a balance, which is why she's SO important. She’s a lot smarter, more logical, and a retainer of small information and details compared to her siblings, which is why Lucifer appreciates her even more. She was tasked with killing the epitome of evil, Jahl, and somehow knew that she needed to die in order to be strong enough to do this. But when she did this, she caused a lot of pain and suffering, especially with the four Horsemen, her men, which forced the hand of others to balance them out. In book 4, she’s going to have to figure out how to defeat Jahl while maintaining the balance that the world needs or else she will self detonate, which will cause chaos.
The guys irritated me a lot. Bringing in this woman, Chloe, just to add a rift and maybe a small complication was so unnecessary!!! I don’t even understand the point of her? See, in book 2, we got Lake, but she was killed, which is fine! Also, she killed Paca and the boys ended up appreciating her more after she came back to life, which ended up working out. That was a turning point for their relationship, and that was also when they accepted her and realized that she wasn’t there to kill them. But in this book, why are the boys still hesitating? I don’t get it... there needs to be some major groveling from some of these men in the next book! LOL.
We don’t get much steam in this book 😒. This is RH right? Maybe book 2 spoiled me with the last smexy scene and gave me high expectations, but we got none of that in this book. We got a few scenes, but not nearly enough! The ones that do appear were 🔥🥵👀😅🙃...yup... they were good 😉.
I’m hoping we get the closure we need in book 4. I’ll be starting that in a bit!
⚠️ safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/omd
-sharing (it's RH)
-OW appears for NO REASON and just got me mad at the guys, especially cause they didn’t worship Paca ON THE SPOT in front of the hussy🙄
-eh we see some deaths happen (two illusions/memories got me emotional)
I still highly recommend this book... I have high hopes for book 4
I needed more smexy times with the Hs, the guys angered me, and unnecessary OW drama had me rolling my eyes...but I still read it in less than a day. (two years ago the ow drama irritated me; I wonder how I'd feel today 🤣.
The book leaves off from where book 2 ended and we continue to see and get revelations as to what’s going on with Paca and the four Horsemen. We find out who killed her and why it was done. I honestly felt like I was getting so much information thrown at me that I needed to pause once in a while to make sure that I understood what was going on. I have to say, I really do like Lucifer. Although he's evil, the devil, he's still Paca‘s dad and I see how vulnerable he becomes when it comes to her. She really IS his favorite!
The guys are still not in it to win it with Paca😑. Like, they should be worshiping her, because not only does she continue to save them, but she will literally die for them and do anything to keep them alive. Yes, maybe she is selflessly selfish or selfishly selfless, but it all works out to be a balance, which is why she's SO important. She’s a lot smarter, more logical, and a retainer of small information and details compared to her siblings, which is why Lucifer appreciates her even more. She was tasked with killing the epitome of evil, Jahl, and somehow knew that she needed to die in order to be strong enough to do this. But when she did this, she caused a lot of pain and suffering, especially with the four Horsemen, her men, which forced the hand of others to balance them out. In book 4, she’s going to have to figure out how to defeat Jahl while maintaining the balance that the world needs or else she will self detonate, which will cause chaos.
The guys irritated me a lot. Bringing in this woman, Chloe, just to add a rift and maybe a small complication was so unnecessary!!! I don’t even understand the point of her? See, in book 2, we got Lake, but she was killed, which is fine! Also, she killed Paca and the boys ended up appreciating her more after she came back to life, which ended up working out. That was a turning point for their relationship, and that was also when they accepted her and realized that she wasn’t there to kill them. But in this book, why are the boys still hesitating? I don’t get it... there needs to be some major groveling from some of these men in the next book! LOL.
We don’t get much steam in this book 😒. This is RH right? Maybe book 2 spoiled me with the last smexy scene and gave me high expectations, but we got none of that in this book. We got a few scenes, but not nearly enough! The ones that do appear were 🔥🥵👀😅🙃...yup... they were good 😉.
I’m hoping we get the closure we need in book 4. I’ll be starting that in a bit!
⚠️ safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/omd
-sharing (it's RH)
-OW appears for NO REASON and just got me mad at the guys, especially cause they didn’t worship Paca ON THE SPOT in front of the hussy🙄
-eh we see some deaths happen (two illusions/memories got me emotional)
I still highly recommend this book... I have high hopes for book 4
July 3, 2018
I didn't like this one as much as the other two but I still enjoyed it enough. It felt like it was missing something.
This book was more focused on the ins and outs of hell and figuring out who killed Paca.
I hope the next book is more like the first two books because I loved both of them.
This book was more focused on the ins and outs of hell and figuring out who killed Paca.
I hope the next book is more like the first two books because I loved both of them.
December 25, 2019
Now I'm getting curious!
May 20, 2021
I lost interest when it became too ridiculous
July 8, 2018
3.5 stars
grrr... accidentally just deleted all my notes instead of pasting them here for review, so I will have to just wing it now
Overall, I am loving the story and worldbuilding for THE DARK SIDE series. It is interesting and different, in a genre that often struggles to get out of the familiar paranormal rut. The complexity of the delicate balance between heaven and hell and how the two interact is fascinating and has been very well developed by CM Owens (writing as Kristy Cunning).
Unfortunately, this has also been an area that has been a bit frustrating for me. I feel too much time has been spent detailing all the ways the balance is important, and all the intricacies of the purity and impurity system and balance. Less can often be more in describing systems like this to the reader. Only just enough for the reader to understand what is happening and why is necessary, plus perhaps a few additional details that are critical to the character or the plot. Anything more feels a bit "look at all this complex worldbuilding I have done!" to me. If all the detail is to be shared, perhaps an appendix would be better?
On the plus side, I have absolutely loved the guys. Gage, Kai, Jude and Ezekiel are interesting, sexy, dominant and pretty much everything I like in an alpha male love interest, but without succumbing to the usual stereotypes. That was very well done. I am not sure I feel there has been a ton of character development for them, but I suppose that is a little harder than usual with the unique backgrounds and world in THE DARK SIDE.
On the MC side, again the huge strength is also the biggest weakness in the series for me. Paca is a hilarious, snarky, fun and strong heroine. I enjoy her character and love her interactions with the guys. She is a large part of what makes the series fun. However, for most of the last book and a half, I have found her to be more irritating than enjoyable. And I think this is because her snark and the humor has been taken too far. Again, a little bit goes a long way. I am starting to feel smacked in the face with the snark now and it is taking away from the story progression.
Let's call it "filler snark". The series probably would have been half the length without so much random snark and distracted inner monologue. If she actually communicated with people (even half the time) and asked questions, the story would have progressed much faster. It felt like the snark was a plot device to keep the mystery going.
Bottom line? Enjoyable series and worth reading, but I am not sure it is a favorite for me. Jury's out until I read the final book ONE APOCALYPSE.
UPDATE PROGRESS NOTES:
96.0% "LMFAO
81.0% "OMFG that scene made me snort my latte! Wet leather in the sweatpants she fashioned for Jude, indeed! LMAO"
76.0% "Oh holy crow... how much time are they going to spend blathering on about the frickin' balance? This is getting seriously tedious. And I'm sorry but I can't possibly buy the lame excuse that Paca is only incapable of focusing and of shutting the frack up because too much serious gives her migraines and makes her nose bleed. Flimsiest of plot devices :/"
50.0% "You know, it has occurred to me... if Paca just stopped the utterly ridiculous, nonstop, self-indulgent, snarky inner monologue and actually talked to people, communicated, and asked questions... this whole series would have been half the length. It is starting to drive me nuts that instead of actually talking to anyone, she rambles on inanely. (As with the meeting here with her family)"
45.0% "LMAO "Dun! Dun! Dunnnnnnnnnn!"
44.0% "LOL okay, the aftermath of the battle in Hell's Heart was hilarious. One of the few times in this book Paca's snark did slide over into irritating."
33.0% "God, I feel for these poor guys. She is giving me a headache too."
30.0% "And this may just be the quote that defines half the last book and much of this one so far! Grrr�
12.0% "LMAO!
1.0% "Aaaand we're clearly starting right off with the not-so-fun Paca-being-stupid again. *sigh*"
grrr... accidentally just deleted all my notes instead of pasting them here for review, so I will have to just wing it now
Overall, I am loving the story and worldbuilding for THE DARK SIDE series. It is interesting and different, in a genre that often struggles to get out of the familiar paranormal rut. The complexity of the delicate balance between heaven and hell and how the two interact is fascinating and has been very well developed by CM Owens (writing as Kristy Cunning).
Unfortunately, this has also been an area that has been a bit frustrating for me. I feel too much time has been spent detailing all the ways the balance is important, and all the intricacies of the purity and impurity system and balance. Less can often be more in describing systems like this to the reader. Only just enough for the reader to understand what is happening and why is necessary, plus perhaps a few additional details that are critical to the character or the plot. Anything more feels a bit "look at all this complex worldbuilding I have done!" to me. If all the detail is to be shared, perhaps an appendix would be better?
On the plus side, I have absolutely loved the guys. Gage, Kai, Jude and Ezekiel are interesting, sexy, dominant and pretty much everything I like in an alpha male love interest, but without succumbing to the usual stereotypes. That was very well done. I am not sure I feel there has been a ton of character development for them, but I suppose that is a little harder than usual with the unique backgrounds and world in THE DARK SIDE.
On the MC side, again the huge strength is also the biggest weakness in the series for me. Paca is a hilarious, snarky, fun and strong heroine. I enjoy her character and love her interactions with the guys. She is a large part of what makes the series fun. However, for most of the last book and a half, I have found her to be more irritating than enjoyable. And I think this is because her snark and the humor has been taken too far. Again, a little bit goes a long way. I am starting to feel smacked in the face with the snark now and it is taking away from the story progression.
Let's call it "filler snark". The series probably would have been half the length without so much random snark and distracted inner monologue. If she actually communicated with people (even half the time) and asked questions, the story would have progressed much faster. It felt like the snark was a plot device to keep the mystery going.
Bottom line? Enjoyable series and worth reading, but I am not sure it is a favorite for me. Jury's out until I read the final book ONE APOCALYPSE.
UPDATE PROGRESS NOTES:
96.0% "LMFAO
It’s like howler monkeys crawled up a gorilla’s ass and had a dinosaur baby that fucked a radioactive Godzilla…and had an even worse baby. If any of that makes sense.88.0% "And that would be because, once again, you haven't thought this all through and just knee-jerk reacted and ran off. Alone. Again. Grrr"
81.0% "OMFG that scene made me snort my latte! Wet leather in the sweatpants she fashioned for Jude, indeed! LMAO"
76.0% "Oh holy crow... how much time are they going to spend blathering on about the frickin' balance? This is getting seriously tedious. And I'm sorry but I can't possibly buy the lame excuse that Paca is only incapable of focusing and of shutting the frack up because too much serious gives her migraines and makes her nose bleed. Flimsiest of plot devices :/"
50.0% "You know, it has occurred to me... if Paca just stopped the utterly ridiculous, nonstop, self-indulgent, snarky inner monologue and actually talked to people, communicated, and asked questions... this whole series would have been half the length. It is starting to drive me nuts that instead of actually talking to anyone, she rambles on inanely. (As with the meeting here with her family)"
45.0% "LMAO "Dun! Dun! Dunnnnnnnnnn!"
44.0% "LOL okay, the aftermath of the battle in Hell's Heart was hilarious. One of the few times in this book Paca's snark did slide over into irritating."
33.0% "God, I feel for these poor guys. She is giving me a headache too."
30.0% "And this may just be the quote that defines half the last book and much of this one so far! Grrr�
“I wouldn’t be standing here listening to you endlessly ramble about things I haven’t asked about if I had any other way of gathering information,� I point out. “It’s unbearably tedious.�25.0% "Yep, 'cause you are pretty stupid if you haven't realized what you did to them was even worse than what you have been bitching about them doing to you, Paca. *sigh* Think it will actually sink in this time? Not holding out a lot of hope here."
12.0% "LMAO!
Just as I start agreeing with them, they change their minds?7.0% "Yep. Nor am I. The only thing I have come up with is: YOU ARE AN IDIOT! That's why."
Those moody sons of bitches. I think being moody is secretly their balance, despite all that other drivel about leashing emotions that Gage was going on about in the third trial.
I need a handbook: How to Sync Mensies with Your Harem.
"I'm not sure why I went in so damn determined I could handle that."5.0% "Holy crow. Now she is going to blame the guys for not stopping her idiocy? When they had NO DARN CHOICE because she sent them out of hell and they had no way back in without her? GAH!"
1.0% "Aaaand we're clearly starting right off with the not-so-fun Paca-being-stupid again. *sigh*"
May 25, 2025
3.5/5 �
It was truly an experience to finish this in one sitting!!!
A lil boring but extra bonus points for the reveal of that story of why they were all killed. It was fun! Also I hate hell 😭 like the whole mid cups where they meet Rafael and the stuff he does to them was seriously HORRIFYING. It's like this harem can't catch a break before something HORRIBLE happens to them. A wild ride for sure.
On to the next book. I really hope the next book got more romance cz pls I need them to communicate as people in a relationship 😭 I need them together!!!
It was truly an experience to finish this in one sitting!!!
A lil boring but extra bonus points for the reveal of that story of why they were all killed. It was fun! Also I hate hell 😭 like the whole mid cups where they meet Rafael and the stuff he does to them was seriously HORRIFYING. It's like this harem can't catch a break before something HORRIBLE happens to them. A wild ride for sure.
On to the next book. I really hope the next book got more romance cz pls I need them to communicate as people in a relationship 😭 I need them together!!!
March 17, 2024
3.75 ⭐️
This book is just as good as the first two. I don't have much to say except that at one point I found it a little long, it lacked speed. So I got a little bored at a certain point.
I really like the fact that Keyla/Paca is strong and becoming more and more so.
Regarding the male characters it's hard to have a favorite, Jude remains last on the other hand.
This book is just as good as the first two. I don't have much to say except that at one point I found it a little long, it lacked speed. So I got a little bored at a certain point.
I really like the fact that Keyla/Paca is strong and becoming more and more so.
Regarding the male characters it's hard to have a favorite, Jude remains last on the other hand.
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