With this series I feel I've read the same book four times. Riot is well written, and has an interesting story, and plot. While it's not word for word the same, and a lot of series/romances kind of follow the same pattern, with this series I felt it more.

Young boy was kidnappen to become an underground fighter. Cold, ruthless, scarred, everyone fears him. Enter a girl with a dark/abusive past as well. The champion fighter falls for her, and she sees beyond his scary exterior. Que "we want freedom", and they find a way to break out. Happily ever after begins.

The fighters, and the girls blur together, evil guy is cruel, and has to die.

While I certainly enjoyed Riot, I even emailed the publisher saying I loved it, which I did while I was reading it. That was my first reaction. A day later the story has sunk in, and I've come to realize that it wasn't spectacular to me.

As a fan of Tillie's writing, I liked this series. If you like darker fighter stories, this series will appeal to you. It just didn't blow me away.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

*****5 KNOCKOUT Stars*****
Where do I even being with this story; Tillie Cole really knows how to work my emotions gets me to cry every time. This series is one of my favorite hands down. Since the first book I was captivated by the modern day gladiators (slaves) conditioned to be fighters, cold-stone killers.152 has been brought to service her new Master; but 152 can’t remember where she was before but she knows she should scared and fears what's to come. 152 learns she the Master “High Mona” now and the new drug she given is nothing like the one she was given before; this drug will have her begging for release and she remembering things from her life before being taken away and a boy she can’t fully remember and a man in a collar controlling him. 901 is the Master unstoppable champion in the blood pit with no weakness; 901 has spent 21 years of his life in this hell becoming the fighter and being submitted to his Master drug to control him. 901 only way to rebel against his Master is not fight the way he told and never taking a mona when his Master sends them to him as prizes. Master always finds a weakness to get what he wants from his fighters but 901 weakness might break Master and kill 901. When 152 is showed her new home and the blood pit by Master 901 attention to 152 does not get noticed by Master. The first time 901 see’s 152 it’s the first time he ever wanted something and he knows that it can also be used as a weakness but he knows he could never have 152 she the Master High Mona and does not want a weakness for Master to use against him. Since 901 continues not to follow Master orders 901 punishment is 152 she ‘given’ to 901 as a prize for him being champion fighter and 901 can’t turn her away Master’s orders. 152 can’t understand what she did wrong being Master High Mona why is she being given to 901. Can 152 and 901 survive Master twisted game? Will 152 remember who the little boy is or the man with collar? Can 901 find happiness with 152? Will 901 and 152 ever be free from Master? Can they be more than just numbers, more than a fighter, more than High Mona?

*****ARC from NetGalley for review*****

We are back in the dark, twisted world of the Scarred Souls series, with more of 152, Inessa, and we are introduced to 901. This book carries on right where the 3rd book ended.

What a raw, heartbreaking, gritty story of forbidden love amongst the bloodshed that is this series.

I could feel the fear, the pain, the emotion leap off the page and crush around my heart like a vice. From the first word to the last, I was on an emotional rollercoaster as our slaves fought for each other, fought against the Master (who is just pure evil), fought for freedom.

I loved that we got the guys and their gals from the first 3 books. None of their stories has been easy, but Riot turned things up a few notches.

Ms Cole has quickly become a favourite author for my darker reads, and can't wait to see what she brings us next.

RIOT: Tillie Cole fast became one of my most favourite authors, there’s nothing she can’t write, she can go light to dark in the blink of an eye, or then she’ll throw you for a loop and set you on an emotional ride of epic proportions, all her books are unique, gripping, gritty, emotional and Riot is no different. This author knows no bounds when it comes to delivering us all exactly what we crave, need, want, seek it's given to us.

Each book within this series just seems to get it’s hooks into you even more, book by book, tortured soul by tortured soul. Each man has been raised in the pits, each man is more scarred than the previous one, a little more lost, a little more fearless. BUT 901 is different, he may not know his name, or age, he may not be scarred or broken within, like his predecessors but he has a drive within himself to not show weakness, to be undefeated, to show weakness is to love and he's not having

"I bore no gratitude whatsoever to my master for condemning me to this hellish life. That I bore no gratitude for being drugged and forced to fight as a kid. That I bore no fucking gratitude to the male who bestowed on me a life of solitude, where having feelings toward someone else made you weak." - 901

In Riot we are introduced to 901, twenty one years of his life has been subjected to living in the Blood Pits, where only the toughest of the toughest survive, he’s one of the most feared, undefeated most prized fighters and is owned by Master Arziani, whose challenge is to find 901’s weakness and he may have found it in 152 'The High Mona' who has been sent to service her Master, and one of the most beautiful females 152 has ever seen, though he tries not to show it, he's captivated by her as soon as he claps eyes on her.

901 has pushed every boundary known to mankind, his master struggles to control him, and now he's set on finding a weakness.
Females were a distraction from the most important thing in this place...Staying alive.

Now she's thrust into 152's cell on lock down, a bracelet that shoots venom through her system can only be relieved through intercourse, and will shoot into her veins at any given time. And now it's up to 152 to help her or she will die.

"He was the most intimidating male I had ever encountered. And I was trapped in his cell. Completely alone. In the unwelcome company of a killer. And there was absolutely nothing I could do". - 152

To love is to get you killed and these two have witnessed this first hand, no matter how they strive to fight their growing feelings it's inevitable.

God this book slayed me with the feels, it has such a feel of Spartacus to it, very similar storyline, fight to the death. A race against time to stay alive.

If you've not read this series I highly highly recommend it. Each book in my opinion just gets better and better.

***5 ‘You are in my scarred soul’ Stars***

From how Ravage ended and knowing that 152 was a Mona, sex slave, I knew that this one would be hard to stomach, not that the previous three were, but this was the first time we would be in the mind of a female slave and if you thought Raze, Reap and Ravage were dark and disturbing you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Tillie Cole unapologetically went balls to the wall with Riot, proving once again why she is not only one of my favorite authors, but one of my favorite dark romance authors out there.

It was hard not to bleed for 901 and 152. Both were taken by the Wraiths at a young age and through drugs and fear molded into what Master Arziani wanted them to be. 901 is the Champion of the Blood Pit and 152 is one of the most beautiful of all the Mona. Both are coveted by Arziani because they, in his delusional mind, are a physical representation of his Godhood. What he doesn’t see is the inner strength that simmers in both of them that, if ever let to boil over could lead to his downfall. The thing with these two is that underneath the layers of protection they had to cast over themselves to survive were two people with amazing hearts that deserved to get out of that hell hole by any means necessary.

As with the previous books, there is a kind of insta-lust that happens between the characters that hits them both and then they are off and running towards their HEA, but of all the couples I felt that 901 and 152 were so evenly matched that it made absolute sense to me that they would end up falling in love with each other. They may be used in different ways, but they both live the horror of it every day and in each other they find a soulmate who will understand exactly what they went through and what they had to do to survive.

With this being the last book in the series, to say shit hits the fan is an understatement, but the end result is absolutely satisfying. Luka, Zaal and Valentin play critical roles in the book as do their women, Kisa, Talia and Zoya and I loved what was shown to us in the epilogue. I will reiterate, Riot is dark, brutal, crazy and chock full of triggers, but it’s all worth it in the end, if you can suspend reality for a few hours. Also, this is not a standalone, don’t start here. Go back and read from the beginning so you can truly appreciate this brutal world and how love can grow in it. The fact that this is the last book is bittersweet for me. Raze was my first introduction to the world of Tillie Cole and I was hooked, so to say good-bye to these characters is difficult, though I do give Ms. Cole mad props for not dragging the storyline out unnecessarily, but at least I can console myself with the fact that there are audiobooks so I can dive back into the crazyness whenever I need a fix, especially of Raze/Luka.

My favorite so far in the series. The three champions were such great unwitting heroes in this story and I loved the pinnacle scene.

This is I believe the last book in the series and though at times this book was slow in certain spots, overall it was a good story. This one focuses on mostly still on the fighting and the fact that 152 is still under control and not free like her brother from the previous book. Now you are introduced to fighter 901 who is the top fighter and one who walks into the circle and really less than a minute later walks out with his opponent dead. Now the master of gulag has decided to give him a Mona. 152 is the Mona that is given to him and he does not want her. What he wants is to be left alone, but she is now locked up with him at night and gone during the day. These are the scenes that make this book. The story between 152 and 901 are touching once you get to that point. First he does not what to be touched, when he finally allows it he begins to want her, but he thinks she is only with him because of the drugs that are being given to her and her being forced every night into his cell. Really though after the first night she is not really being forced just acting. The story of the two of them becoming together is what makes this and all of the previous books. The blood pits is where this begins and ends and really for these books it is a good way. When you are taken back to New York they are still working on a way find where 152 is and when they do they the former fighters, and one assassin must return to the pits and finish the plan. This story has fighting, grit, passion, sex, compassion, and even some hope. The best part for me after the story was over was the epilogue which put everything together. A very good book and series.

How do you review a book that is everything? It's heartbreaking, meaningful, gripping with so many feels. Its mind blowing beautiful. These characters.... geez, I am totally in love with them all. All the way to the start of the series, they have my heart. Their stories tug at my heart and through most of it I'm a blubbering mess.

This is 901 and 152's story. 901 is a champion fighter that's never lost a fight. Stolen from an orphanage as a child he knows nothing but fighting. Never having a weakness, never until her 152.

152 is a mona, her only purpose it to please. She is used to get 901 to do as he is told. She never expects to fall in love with him or to ever be free.

Riot like the others in the series is absolutely beautiful. The writing... wow, it's flawless. The way Tillie tells it you feel as though you are there. I hung on every word and cried many a tears. I am so in love with this book and these characters it's a definite must read.

Riot by Tillie Cole was a rollercoaster of a ride. One I was not prepared for. I must admit I did not read the books prior to this one, but will do so as soon as possible. I am all about dark romances and this one was dark, disturbing and heartbreaking.

152 was stolen and raised to be a subservient pleasure slave. She suffered so much and endured torment that most would not survive. She is the Master’s whore and is drugged to ensure she meets all his needs and expectations.

901 is a top fighter in the pits. He is strong and apparently fears nothing. And that is the problem. He needs to be controlled. But how do you control a man who fears nothing? The Master gifts you 152 and though he fights the connection at first, he eventually wants to help her.

901 accepted his fate long ago. He hates the man who controls him, but learned long ago there are some things cannot be changed. But all that changes when he meets 152. The Master finally found a way to control and break 901. Can they survive the horrors the Master inflicts?

This was such a different type of story, but it pulled me right in with angst, suspense, slaves and fighters. Add in forbidden love and a slow burn and you are captivated. I enjoyed this book. 901 was not your typical hero, but considering all he survived, you wanted him to come out on top.

This was great! Couldn't put it down! Some parts kind of put me off but I loved the hero! Dark and fierce and completely sexy! This was fast paced and sometimes gruesome. Also hot as a volcano! This book is definitely not for the faint of heart but it is worth it! Can't wait for more!

I'm a huge fan of this series, I like how dark and twisted it is yet still a love story.

Her pairing of couples are always spot on 901 and 152. 901 is a disobedient warrior who does want he wants which infuriates his master. His master needs him to be compliant so he needs to find a weakness, his high mona 152.

The pairing of 901 and 152 despite their circumstances they find mutual understanding I found it sweet and romantic how they have each other back, how they lusted for each other.

She writes the best sex scenes, they're fuck scenes that turn into make love moment, erotic but romantic.

I love this series because it's a different way to see love and romance.

The brotherhood and the partnership.

Oh. My. God.
This book. I thought it couldn't get any better, but it did. The whole way through, I could not stop reading. Tillie has just created this amazingly messed up world.
152 and 901 are just heartbreakingly beautiful and haunting.
I am still processing this story...
Wow!

I was enjoying Riot, the 4th and final book in the Scarred Souls series, up until about 25%. I liked that the female lead (#152) was also a prisoner in this world. It was a refreshing change for a series that was getting quite repetitive. We see 152 become groomed as the main interest to the head master. At the same time we learn about 901 who is the master's best fighter. The master is trying to find 901's weak spot so he can fully control him. Now in the past control was obtained through the drugs/hormones they give the fighters. But that's not what happened this time. Instead, for some reason, the master gave his coveted female to the fighter in order to break him and gain total control.

"I wondered why the hell Master had given her to me. He was obsessed with her."

Huh? Me too 901, me too.
It just doesn't make sense that he would share her. [ Or that 901 would be battling with his subconscious about being with her when he is purely living off his most basic impulse, his id. (hide spoiler)] And after that I couldn't connect to the story any more. I read and sometimes skimmed the rest of the book feeling quite detached.

At times the author's writing would pull me back into the story. But the story's construction was just too full of holes.

****An Advanced Copy of this book was obtained from St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin through Netgalley****

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

I had big plans before I started this. However, I ended up reading it sober. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t hit right out of the ol’ ballpark for me. Or maybe I just channeled my former non-porn reading self.

Before anybody goes all apeshit and tells me I read this wrong, allow me to state for the record that I have read two others in this series and even though the first didn’t really work for me much at all, the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1732092978?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1">other I liked berry berry much</a>. I will totally own up to the fact that a lot of the problems I had with <i>Riot</i> were mine and not the book's. But let’s start with the positives.

The covers. This whole series is nothing but #sploosh when it comes to the fronts.

I love this world hardcore. It’s oh so very Thunderdomey and I get all <s>moist</s> excited just thinking about all these sweaty Russkies fighting to the death.

This one also had a plot. It made for less of the sexuals, but it tied everything together quite well. The story here was about 901 and 152. If you’ve read this series before, you’ll know that the characters are prisoners of an evil “Master” and known only by assigned numbers. 901 is the best fighter in the Blood Pit, 152 is the Master’s number one whore. In an attempt to break 901’s spirit and make him obedient, the Master gifts him with 152 so he will develop all the feels and have something he’s afraid of losing. (There’s also stuff with the former featured players from the previous books in the series, but I don’t do the spoilsies.)

So there you have it. Now let’s talk about how I read this wrong because it’s far more entertaining than when I read things right.

First, 152’s official job title was called the “mona” – which my mind constantly replaced with "Moana." Good Christ brain, that’s a child FFS! It made the pervy good time nearly impossible to achieve.

Second, to prove a sober brain is a horrible brain, I also thought of the Master as a shirtless Putin the entire time I was reading . . . . which was hilarious, but I’m fairly certain that wasn’t really the reaction Tillie Cole was going for.

Third, although 901 was clearly described as a giant blonde, as soon as a leading male is described as a giant who is twice as broad as the average petite leading lady I want to cast him as either Jason Momoa or The Rock. Again, that would be great if I had not just watched Central Intelligence with the boychild – thus making 901 be: Fat Robbie.

And then there was the sexytimes. Why did the term “channel” get brought back in to play?????? Channel does not conjure good imagery. At all. More like a hot dog in a hallway.

Anway, this ended up being just okay for me. If I would have gone with my gut instinct and read it while loaded it probably would have been 5 Stars and my husband would be a much happier camper too. At least he scored some jambalaya out of the dead for Mardi Gras weekend.

<I>ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!</i>

My rating is not just for this book, which was brutally epic, but for the Scarred Souls series as a whole. I don’t know where the idea came from for Tillie Cole to write a book about blood pits and gulags but it was brilliant.

With numbers in place of names for the main protagonists, the characters can get a little misleading at times but you soon fall into accepting these people by their numeric pseudonyms. This story features 152, a girl taken from a Russian orphanage into Georgian slavery. Now Arziani’s High Mona, she serves him and only him, but when Arziani needs a way to break the will of his champion fighter, 901, he does so by forcing him to take 152 on a nightly basis.

152 is fitted with a drugged bracelet which causes her indescribable pain until she is relieved of her suffering by 901. 901 resists Arziani’s intention to try and find his ultimate vulnerability but he struggles when he witnesses the pain and suffering experienced by 152. Deciding to take away her pain and to not become attached, 901 tries in vain to ignore his growing feelings for 152.

Whilst 901 fights and 152 suffers at the hands of Aziani, 152’s brother, Valentin, works with Luka and Zaal to rescue her and to once and for all end Arziani’s tyranny. Valentin, having killed Arziani’s sister, still has a score to settle and is more than relishing the task of bringing down Arziani and thus freeing those held in captivity, including his sister.

With one last battle on the horizon, Luka, Zaal and Valentin head to Georgia in order to rescue 152. Inessa, 152, and Ilya, 901, know nothing of their pasts, apart from their names revealed to them by Inessa’s chiri, Maya, but 152 dreams of a man with scars on his face but until she comes face to face with him she has no idea that it’s her long lost brother.

This series may sound unusual, and it is, but it is also a powerful story of love, survival and hope and one highly recommended, especially if you love your romance stories with a hard and unyielding edge to them.

3.5 stars

This book was about survival of the fittest and leading by example! While I liked this book slightly more than Raze, I wasn't expecting that sci-fi erotica/ fantasy-ish/ twilight zone feel of the story. Overall, I enjoyed the last fifteen percent of this book most and the epilogue was fitting. It was great to get Luka's insight and watch this cast of characters come full circle! Favorite stand-out character? Maya!

I loved reading this author's Hangmen series and was drawn to this series as a result. I look forward to reading more from Tillie Cole!

Riot by Tillie Cole
Scarred Souls #4

In a place where a person is just a number and is expected to do as they are told without question two people manage to defy the odds, live, love and survive. These two people are Inessa - #152 and Ilya - #901.

Both were taken from childhood and trained to become what Master Arziani and his sister determined their future would be. Inessa was to be a whore and Ilya became “Pit Bull” the to-the-death-fighter dominating the Blood Pit. Both managed to survive by focusing, suppressing much and getting on with the life they were forced into.

When this story begins Master is trying to break #901 and he has brought #152 in to be his Mona (personal sex slave). With a twisted mind and no limits to his machinations, predations and predilections Master is definitely someone you don’t want to be on the wrong side of.

While #’s 901 and 152 are suffering there are three men working to find and free Inessa. One is her brother, Valentin - # 194, who promised he would return for her. With Luka (818) and Zaal (221) a plan is devised to infiltrate, overthrow and put an end to Master and his games. A bloody bloody plan that spills quite a bit of blood!

I loved the strength of the characters – all of them – throughout this series. In this book we have a couple enduring but never giving up. They find strength in themselves, in anger, in revenge, in helping those around them – wherever they can. We find men who become closer than brothers who understand one another as no one else can. We find women that love men who have done unspeakable things but can see their core of gold. In this book there were also three other characters that made an impact: Maya (000) - young, scarred, serving others; #140 – a gladiator that loved and lost and fought and dreamed of revenge; and #667 – another pit fighter who finally had enough.

I am thankful to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

What a conclusion to the series! I am glad I went back and read the other installments because I would have been lost.

This whole series has been heartbreaking. Men and women that were so evil to make people their slaves for sport and sex. Evil just dripped from the pages. Then the heartbreaking results and the fit to be free. It is amazing how the author fits in a touching romantic love story admist the pain and evil. The woman are just as strong as the men, no of course they are stronger.

Great series sorry to see it end. It does have violence and rape so if you are uncomfortable with that you may want to skip it.

Received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. (less)

Will you ever be free? What do you do when you wake up in a nightmare and you know that this is your prison until the day that you die? Inessa knows that she has been in this awful place before but she has no memories, she doesn't even have a name anymore she is just a slave as all the others that live in the pit. She is now the Master play thing and he is a cruel man that loves to have everyone bow down to him. She can't understand why he chose her over other woman and she knows that this is the last place she will ever live.
Llya has been the greatest warrior in the pit, she has no other memories, all he knows is to fight til the death, no ne has ever beaten him but that is all about to change as the master is going to use someone that he has come to care about for his own pleasure.
Will they ever escape this madman or will they both lose their lives before knowing freedom. There is help on the way as former fighters are on the way to save Inessa and they will stop at nothing to kill the master and save as many people from that hell as possible. Can they get there in time or will it be too late? What another great book in the series.

Interesting and thought provoking, but I had a little trouble connecting with the H/h.