Review: Raze by Tillie Cole (Scarred Souls #1)
“Kisa…” he whispered, rolling my name on his tongue, and I froze, praying he would say something else. I know you. I remember you. You’re the girl I was designed to love, my God-given match, my solnyshko. But he didn’t. Instead, he inhaled a deep breath and said, “Why do I feel like I’ve known you all my life?”
He was prisoner 818, a killing machine at the top of his game, taking life after life as he was programmed to do. He has no memory of who he was or how long he's been a fighter trained to kill. When the opportunity to escape comes about, he takes it and makes his way with a name, location, motive, and action ingrained in his mind: Alik Durov, Brooklyn, New York, Revenge, Kill. He is single-minded in his quest...until he meets Kisa Volkova. Not only does he rescue her from an assault, but he soon discovers that she's the fiancée of the man he wants vengeance from. With the name Raze, he wants Alik's death by his hands, but he also wants Kisa, who he feels has always been his. Being together could cost them both their lives, but the connection between the two is far greater than either could have ever guessed possible.
Raze is the first novel in the Scarred Souls series from and is my very first read by bestselling author Tillie Cole. This took me into a dark and intriguing world filled with death and revenge but there was this sliver of light that brought with it love, hope, and redemption. It's easy to figure out who 818 really is and who was involved in trapping him the prison that made him into the monster that he became. When Kisa Volkova connects with him and begins to see the only boy she's ever loved, suspicions are confirmed and the story comes into even much sharper focus. Pieces of the puzzle that is Raze begin to slide into place, especially when his memory starts to return in disjointed bits. Both Raze and Kisa feel that sense of familiarity whenever they're in the other's presence, almost as if they found their way back to one another.
The story is very graphic and descriptive, to the point that it's quite easy to picture everything going on in your head. There are various forms of violence and abuse that Raze has had to endure for twelve years, and the violence continues as he transitions from 818 to the death match moniker he has given himself. But it isn't just Raze who experiences continuous brutality, whether minor or not, because Kisa is in the hands of a fiancé who doesn't think twice about how he treats her inside or outside of sex. Alik Durov is evil incarnate and there's no hardship at all when it comes to hating him. Raze wants his revenge, and cheering him on his quest may feel a bit demented but whatever Raze has planned for Alik is well-deserved, after the lives he destroyed throughout the book. "Good riddance to bad rubbish" is apt for him.
My heart broke time again when Raze was trying to make sense of his memories because you could see how desperately he was trying to grasp at whatever straws he could. Kisa was like an anchor and a beacon that he sorely needed. The story is told from both of their points of view and there are flashbacks that show how almost idyllic Raze's life was prior to the betrayal and unwarranted treatment he received for a dozen years. There may be triggers in different parts of the story, so be cautious about those before heading into the book. I will, however, highly recommend you not only add this book to your to-be-read list but that you actually go and get a copy to read right now or as soon as humanly possible. This isn't your typical cage fighting romance nor is it the usual mafia-type love story. Raze is much more. Five-plus stars. ♥
Date Read: 05 November 2015
Learn more about Tillie Cole here.
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