The follow-up to Kit Rocha’s bestselling BEYOND series…Gideon’s Riders, Book OneLieutenant Ashwin Malhotra is a Makhai soldier—genetically engineered to be cold, ruthless. Unfeeling. His commanding officers consider him the perfect operative, and they’re right. Now, he has a simple mission: to infiltrate Gideon’s Riders, the infamous sect of holy warriors that protects the people of Sector One.… holy warriors that protects the people of Sector One.
He’s never failed to execute an objective, but there’s one thing he didn’t anticipate—running into Dr. Kora Bellamy, the only woman to ever break through his icy exterior.
When Kora fled her life as a military doctor for the Makhai Project, all she wanted was peace—a quiet life where she could heal the sick and injured. The royal Rios family welcomed her like a sister, but she could never forget Ashwin. His sudden reappearance is a second chance—if she can manage to touch his heart.
When the simmering tension between them finally ignites, Kora doesn’t realize she’s playing with fire. Because she’s not just falling in love with a man who may not be able to love her back. Ashwin has too many secrets—and one of them could destroy her.
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I always thought dystopian romance wasn’t my thing, but I’m starting to reconsider that stance. I was in the mood to be transported, and I had read a couple (fantastic) books in the Beyond series. This adjacent world looked promising.
Wow. The set-up of both Sector One and of the complications of the romance between Ashwin and Kora is just fantastic. Gideon’s sector runs very differently than O’Kane’s, which adds another layer to the already complex world. None of the details about Sector One felt like wallpaper; rather, the scenes uncover more elements in the complicated game of chess that Ashwin and Gideon play for Ashwin’s true loyalty – with Kora at the center.
But for me, the most compelling piece of the story is Ashwin’s very real struggle with his genetically engineered cold nature and the risks of “destabilization” as he falls for Kora once again. Love, love, loved it.
Okay, let’s be honest. If you follow me on any of my social media, it’s clear that I’m obsessed with the Beyond Series by Kit Rocha. The entire series is so gripping and heartfelt, and I might have shed a tear when I finished Book 9. What would I read next?
Well, no worries, fans of steamy, amazing, dystopian romance! Ashwin is the first book in the Gideon’s Riders series, the spin-off of the Beyond Series that takes place after **spoiler alert** Dallas, Lex and their ragtag team of awesomesauce save the world.
Ashwin is a super-soldier, genetically modified to fight, devoid of feeling. Or, so he thinks. Kora is an extremely empathetic physician, out to heal everyone she can. They met years ago, but Ashwin, convinced he couldn’t feel emotion, pushed his feelings away. When they’re thrown together on the same compound, he’s forced to confront Kora. Man, it’s intense and so, so good. If you love an angsty romance story with a whole heap of steamy love scenes, then grab this one up. You won’t be disappointed. Can’t wait to read the rest of the Gideon’s Riders series!
Kit Rocha never disappoints! Ashwin was the strong protective hero of my dreams. His backstory as an emotionless genetically modified soldier was fascinating, especially because he has such a great connection with Kora, even if he didn’t fully understand it. Kora is a healer and an emotional one at that. I really loved the juxtaposition of their personalities and what they needed to overcome. I’m so intrigued by how this sets things up for the series and I can’t believe I haven’t had a chance to read the next two books yet.
Loved it! This series is a spin off of the O’Kane’s BEYOND series, which was also a wonderful read. Honestly, once you start This series you will not stop. Each story reels you further into the world of the O’Kane’s and it becomes an addiction. Save yourself time and get the complete box set. It made it so much easier to continue reading on.
Ashwin’s story was well written and creative. The author really brought life to the characters. I am looking forward to reading the next books in this series.