God of Fury (Legacy of Gods #5) by Rina Kent

 

Rating: ★★★★★ 

"To the ones who scream in silence" - Rina Kent

• Title: God of Fury
• Author: Rina Kent
• Publisher: Blackthorn Books LLC
• Publication Date: 12/6/2023
• Pages: 522
• Type: Standalone (Book 5)

• Plot: ★★★★★
• Spice: ★★★★☆
• Tropes: MM, Obsessed Hero, Hurt/Comfort, Mafia/Organized Crime, Enemies to lovers, Opposites Attract

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Trigger Warning: Mental Health Issues: depression, borderline personality disorder, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm. Also, on page descriptions of a minor's sexual assault, suicide attempt, and violence.

God of Fury is an M/M romance that follows Brandon and Nikolai and is a part of the spin-off series from their parents' books (Royal Elite and Throne Duet). Niko sees Bran first and wants to mess with him. You know, bring a little chaos to his neurotic world. Meanwhile, Bran wants to live his life as planned. So what if he has control issues a mile long? He likes his routine to remain on schedule. However, their plans quickly changed despite what either of them thought they wanted. 

I truly loved this book. It was a pleasant surprise for me as it was my first MM romance book. God of Fury contains many triggers and on-page discussions of various traumas but was written very tastefully. Originally, I was not going to read this book, I read the first book of this series and it was a bit hard for me to get through (a good book just hard to relate to some characters, still recommend it). However, that book introduced Niko and Bran and I couldn't forget about them. Considering this has become one of my favorite books, I am very glad I took a chance. Standing ovation to Rina Kent, this was an emotionally charged and beautiful book that believers in true love would appreciate. Honestly, I never questioned their feelings for each other (though they did) but I did question their timing. I wasn't sure if either of them were ready or even able to be in a serious relationship. However, by the end of the book I knew they were exactly where they needed to be. This book was raw and dirty but also so healing. Being on this journey with these characters reminded me that love isn't perfect or easy. But if you both try hard and fight your demons, then with time love can restore you.  

 “It's not a competition. I can be yours while you're mine.”

My favorite thing about this book is the timing of everything. This wasn't a quick "he falls first", Wham Bam, and it's over. Instead, this book took us on an emotional journey towards the truth and love. Love wasn't natural or easy for them. Also, I appreciated that the author gave us details gradually. It let me be in the moment processing my emotions along with the characters. This style of writing allowed me to see their love for each other, especially when they were unable to express it out loud. When the BIG plot twist dropped you truly felt Niko and Bran's heartbreak. Ultimately, the written timing truly allowed you to experience every happy and distressing moment of their relationship. Making their Happily Ever After feel so powerful and deserving.  

 “Now, you listen to me, motherf*cker." I wrap a hand around his throat. "You don't get to hide from me and demand to know me. You don't get to bury yourself six feet deep and think you can still read me like a book. If I'm splitting myself open for you and allowing you to see parts of me no one else is privy to, you need to do the same. You owe me that f*cking much.” 

My main con of this book is that the main couple was in an unintentionally toxic relationship. For example, there were intentional and unintentional instances of violence and intense co-dependency that weren't addressed, just accepted. If a friend of mine was going through what either Bran or Niko experienced through the majority of the written relationship, I'd tell them to leave. Like seriously change your name and get out! What made things even more frustrating was reading both characters' perspectives and knowing things would be different (and safer) if they both were able to open up and be honest. However, it is understandable to not be comfortable doing so when you are still surviving your trauma or have a significant mental health diagnosis, as both characters do.     

 “I love you, lotus flower, and that means I'll be by your side during all of your battles with your demons. I'll kill them for you if you let me. I'll listen to them if you want me to. But I'll never leave you,  so you're stuck with me.” 

Ultimately, I loved this book! It was rough reading about their trauma and experiencing the negatives of their relationship with each other. However, reading and experiencing their happiness was beautiful. I truly believe this book brought me a bit of healing and will continue to bring others if you give their rollercoaster relationship a chance. Once again, this book has significant triggers, but if you are comfortable with them, then I definitely recommend this book to you.