He collected beautiful things.Rare things.Ripped them out of their natural environment and preserved them in all of their dead splendor.The problem was I wasn’t beautiful. I was all of the hideous and ugly realities of the world packaged into one broken human being.He came to kill me.That was his business.Death.He ripped me out of my natural environment, the prison I’d created, and locked me away … I’d created, and locked me away with all of his beautiful dead things.
I hated him.
I still hate him.
But if I was given the choice and the ability to leave this cage, come back to life, I’d stay dead.
In all of my hideous splendor.
Because my murderer can only possess dead things.
And I can only be possessed by someone more broken and ugly than me.
more
First of all, I want to say this was my first novel by Anne Malcolm and it DEFINITELY won’t be my last. This book has a storyline that lures you in with its darkness and intrigue. Anne without a doubt, hooked me with this story and these characters. All aspects of this book are like NO OTHER. Now with that being said, this book won’t be for everyone. If you’re wanting fluff, swoon-worthy moments and a love that will have u craving to have that type of love This is NOT the book for you. It’s dark. It’s raw. It’s violent. It’s got both an anti – hero and what a was label an anti – heroine in this story. Their “love” for each other is toxic, violent, ugly but yet all – consuming. And I put quotations on love because love isn’t quite the word I would use to describe whatever they have for each other. They undeniably were meant and created for each other. Without a doubt. It’s indescribable for me. All I can say is even at the end of the book, I didn’t know if they loved each other more than they hated each other. They truly would still end the others life, if it was what was best for them. It was THAT kinda toxic, unhealthy relationship. It was like no other I’ve read.
BIRDS OF PARADISE had me reading late into the night and waking up early to read more. I really enjoyed it for story that Anne was trying to deliver. She really nailed the darkness within this story. All I have to end with is I wish there was MORE to the END. It was too abrupt and open-ended IMO. Anne left us readers with our own imaginations as to what was going to happen next for these two characters as far as their “relationship” and the destruction they plan to do. I really wanted to read about that revenge! Other than that, I liked the book.
4 stars
What can I say about this book?
I saw the cover pop up on my newsfeed on Facebook and I was instantly attracted to it. The intense synopsis only added to my interest. I was so excited to get into this one because I really did not know what I would be reading. There was so much mystery attached to the synopsis.
There is two elements about this book I need to talk about: the book itself and the writing. I’ll start with the book.
We’re presented with a situation where “Oliver”, a Russian hitman enters Elizabeth’s home to kill her. Unlike probably every other human on Earth, she is blase about it and takes it all in. She reveals she had the ultimate worse marriage and assumes this is just her husband finally officially getting rid of her. Oliver doesn’t, he leaves, but he returns to collect her a few days later.
And that’s really it. She is living with him for the rest of the book. For Oliver (who we soon learn his real name), she was a fascinating creature at first that he lied about killing, so he was planning on keeping her to look at until he tired of her. For Elizabeth, she went along with it and just bided her time.
In her time there, as much as they didn’t talk for a while, eventually human nature takes over and that’s exactly what happens. Cruelty turns into more and more becomes a romance. But what really fascinated me with this book is that it wasn’t *that* book. The dark book where the girl reforms him. No. She wanted to die basically. Understood that she wasn’t truly living. So when he was saying mean but true things, she liked it and accepted it. It’s really hard to describe this book because so far it sounds like a BDSM book. I wouldn’t call it that though. I would call it: two people with dark souls are made for each other. They both understand how love changing people is dumb and neither wants that. He doesn’t want to make her (traditionally)happy. For him, it’s all about keeping her alive so she can be with him. For her, it’s having someone understand her darkness. COmbine them and you find a couple who fell in love.
I full-on love these characters. Elizabeth is so depressing, but so interesting. And “Oliver” was truly it for me. While most of the book is told in her POV, we do get a decent amount of chapters told by him. I loved his POVs. I think with all the mystery floating around, especially in the beginning, it gives a fantastic insight. Later in the book, I had doubts about his feelings so his chapters just confirm that he isn’t a liar. He is really the true, dark, intense character books like these need.
Lastly, the writing. I have read a lot of books with fantastic writing and a lot with fantastic writing that is basically poetry. This is neither. I wouldn’t call this book poetry because I didn’t think it was possible for such words to be placed together to form such sentences, therefore it’s never been seen before and has no name. I wish I recorded some examples, but really if you need a hint of her writing, read one random page through the book. You’ll get it. Sometimes, I had to remind myself to pay attention to the story because I got so wrapped up in her words. Other times, I had to re-read a line simply because I wanted to, or because I got so wrapped up in the words used that I didn’t think about what it was conveying to me.
This is the first book I have read by this author, and it definitely will not be the last. I need to read more by her!!
What an introduction to Anne Malcom’s work. Birds of Paradise tells of a dark, twisted, hauntingly beautiful, dare I say romance that can exist only among the most broken of people. This is not my typical read, yet the synopsis pulled me in immediately.
Malcom’s characters are so well developed. The author has an incredible gift with words. This book has so many brilliant quotes that evoke so much emotion that at times I found myself stopping, just to let the words sink in.
I really don’t want to give too much away with this book, because I genuinely feel that it’s best going in somewhat blind here and just allowing the story to unfold. Be aware though, as I said, this is a dark, twisted read and may not be suitable for everyone. That said, I personally thought it was a phenomenal read. One of my top reads this year for sure. I only regret that it took me so long to discover it and it’s author.
This is the first novel I have read from Anne Malcom, and ever since have been binge reading her other works. She has quickly fallen into my top author’s category. If you’re looking for something a little different, a little dark, a little beautiful, a little heart wrenching, and with a whole lot of emotion then this book is definitely for you. I highly recommend checking it out.
I finished this book last night, sat there for a good hour, trying to formulate words to do a review but my brain failed to compute! So I went to bed, can’t say I slept because I didn’t, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! This book literally stripped me bare, every last emotion scattered seven ways Sunday.
This is no fairy tale, at times it’s a difficult read, but it’s hauntingly beautiful. Anne Malcolm has totally blown me away with this book! Again, I need a golden button where I can give this book more than Five Stars!
I cannot recommend this book enough, it’s dark, it’s intense, it will drag you into the pits of hell but it is worth every second, every tear!
Birds of Paradise is my first Anne Malcom novel and wow…what an introduction. This book was so not what I was expecting. It was dark and heavy yet gripping and engrossing.
This novel is not for everyone as there are lots of triggers present in this story however in a strange and unique way this book will have you glued to your seat from start to finish.
This is not your typical romance, and it was unlike anything I have ever read. The story is raw and violent, with well-developed characters who are damaged and complex. It was so well written and original that you will be left thinking about it long after you are finished reading.
This page-turner was a phenomenal read. Definitely worthy of more than 5 stars I would highly recommend it.
This book is something that is so different and dark. It is good and leaves you asking what the hell did I just read? And leaves you hoping Ann will write a sequel
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2354013411
I devoured it…I know the end was the end, but I can’t help but want more. Elizabeth has been ground down to nothing and believes she is broken to the point of never being able to have any semblance of a normal life. The flashbacks of what she went through were brutal and left little to the imagination (insert some type of trigger warning here)…Christopher was the worst kind of husband – I hated him. Lukyan was a complete enigma and I’m sooooo glad the author wrote dual POV. Talk about one hell of an anti-hero. The book is dark, depressing at times and full of so much sorrow. If that’s something that doesn’t scare you off then pick it up and read it. Go in blind. You won’t regret it.
My favorite book this year! Anne and her words are wonderful! In the mood for a dark tale, this is right up your alley!
So it has taken me a week to write this review, I just could not think of what to write that could honestly do this book any justice on how fantastic it is. Having said that I still don’t believe it will. I did not want this book to end, as I was reading I kept looking at how far I had read and kept wishing and hoping that the percentage would magically change so I hadn’t read as much as I had. This book is dark and gritty but at the same time it is so well written that even though there is cringeworthy moments you were never put off. I want no I NEED more of Lukyan and Elizabeth. Well done Anne Malcom for a FANTASTIC book, Birds of Paradise will most definitely stick with me for a long while. Sorry can’t say much more as I do not want to give away any spoilers as this book must be read with a clear and empty mind to be able to enjoy it.
Absolutely loved this book! My extent with reading dark romances only go so far and I can honestly say that Anne Malcom is the second author I’ve read a dark romance by…I think. I feel like dark romances tend to be a bit harder to write because authors truly have to go THERE to make it work. After reading this one, it’s evident that Anne Malcom has this down like the back of her hand.
So before I go on,please take note that this is a dark romance with pretty heavy topics. It’s not for everyone, if you absolutely don’t like dark romances, you will struggle with reading this.
Back to the review. OK, so I don’t even know where to begin with talking about the characters. The hero, who has a couple of names you’ll have to discover on your own, and the heroine were just so different than what I usually read. They are characters that you have to personally read about or you might not actually like them. It confused me to try and explain them to someone, but in my mind it all made complete sense. Their lives aren’t pretty and bears so much darkness and pain.
But they manage to work their way through all of that to somehow find their version of a happy ever after. With the hero’s twisted and dark persona, there’s also this raw and gritty beauty to it. It’s very haunting, but despite all of that, there is the vulnerable side to him that he hides away so well. But with Elizabeth in his world, you see pieces of that wither away… In its own dark and twisty way.
Elizabeth’s story is definitely a tough one to get through as you learn about all the horrible and traumatic things she had to endure. It’s absolutely unimaginable and tragic. From the beginning, she’s a shell of a person suffering from fear and pain, but can you blame her? She has dubbed herself an agoraphobic and ‘he’ will have none of that, so he tries to break her.
This book had me hooked the entire time, Anne Malcom’s writing is pure perfection. She captured the dark and gritty tone so effortlessly. Her writing said so much more than what was written on the page, so poetic and deep. It was hard not to get lost in all of it.
But I will say, that I was hoping a bit more with the plot. I felt like they were just going in circles around each other most of the time. However, it didn’t keep me from devouring this one.
Other than that, absolutely loved this and can’t wait to read more from Anne. I’m hoping we get more from these two, I wanna know where life will take them next.
Highly recommend to dark romance fans!
I need more. This was an awesome book. Very intense. I got lost in the dark world that Anne Malcom created. When I had to take a break from the book to do real life things () the characters never left my thoughts, could not wait to get back to see what would happen next.
I absolutely loved this book. This was a delicious, delicious dark read. Amazing!
I’m so glad that in the end I decided to read this book because while the cover blew my mind the synopsis itself didn’t revealed much about the book to go on. But really the first and foremost thing that captivated me in this case was the writing style. I read books from Anne Malcom before so she wasn’t a new discovery for me and I liked her style but this was the first time when it actually sucked me in with the first sentence. The flow of the story, the pacing, the lightness, the beautiful symbolism and metaphors it littered paint such a vivid picture, it was a delight to read it. And although this book is not for everybody due to the darker plot, in its own category it’s a masterpiece.
The storyline is definitely on the darker side and not just sexually speaking, there is plenty of violence, aggression, murder, torture and rape as well other than the two main character less than conventional sexual preferences. But all of this is wrapped up into one big bundle in such a way that it’ not overwhelming. I really enjoyed the book, but while the story is steamy and intense in my opinion it lacked a bit of excitement/action maybe drama as well. It is mostly about the main character journey to become someone who can live in the dark and dangerous world and it also ha s a lot of musing about life in general. But as I said the excitement level is pretty low, there are a couple of scenes where things heat up but nothing major and some of them don’t even happen in the present but they are memories.
The only reason I gave the book 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because I would have loved to see more about the characters past and even a little bit into their future. Because maybe the book has its own charm with the slower and calmer pace but based on the snippets we get their past is pretty damn interesting and also if I’m being completely honest the books ends right when things start to get exciting.
Other than the two main characters there are few to none secondary characters but it didn’t bothered me because the story didn’t require their presence. I personally loved Oliver/Lukyan. He is a cold blooded killer, a pragmatic and calm. There is not one kind or sweet bone in his body and I liked that he didn’t soften up with falling in love. He stayed the same. I loved when he randomly started to state facts about birds and such. His character just worked, it is simple but not shallow. Yeah, I loved him.
“…..In fact it would be near impossible to find a person not touched with horror in their lives. Some are just brushed, others grazed, while a lot are stabbed, burned, filled with it.”{………}” So that isn’t special, nor is it an excuse to give up. Because there are two options after horror. You survive. You don’t. Two, that’s it…….” – Lukyan to Elizabeth
Well, Elizabeth wasn’t my favorite character personality wise but she is so well developed and the changes she goes through during the story while putting herself back together is amazing, she had silen strength coursing through her. Thou I found it strange that despite her upbringing she was softer that you would expect. What really caught my attention about her was her calm demeanor in the face of death and danger. She handled things so matter of fact in the beginning and now after reading the book I understand why she was like that but when I started the book it was something that stood out for me.
“No, you made you like this, a voice said. You are in control of how you respond to other people’s action”- My favorite line in the entire book
I adored this book and devoured it in one sitting. There is no relationship or any kind of real drama in it, it is a flowing story discussing quite heavy topics without hiding the ugly truth. But I will admit a couple of times I found Elizabeth thoughts a bit too wandering and stretched thing, where it was kind of hard to concentrate on reading, however it can be because I was reading it in the middle of the night and was pretty sleepy.
I’m out of breath right now. My chest is heavy. My arms are numb and my mind is blown! I have never read anything like this from this author before. The cover had me shivering, the blurb awakened my darkest desires but this story, this story, it transcended me into a beautifully dark yet ugly world. The wording was spectacular, it drew me in, it spoke to me. It was written and executed so beautifully you could literally feel all the emotions, the pain, the love, the darkness oozing off the pages.
I’m somewhat of a dark romance connoisseur so I’ve been through a lot. I thought this would just be your typical dark romance. But this one, it goes deeper. It caused me to think a lot. Caused me to stop and process what was happening in the book, around me and in my life as a person. This book will change you, if it doesn’t wreck you, this book will have you questioning your insanity. The characters are as complex as they can get and somehow, thrust together by fate they compliment each other wickedly. I definitely want more from this story. I didn’t want it to end like that. I wanted their story to continue on forever, or at least until more blood was spilled. Ugh, such an amazing book, I couldn’t put it down! Definitely recommend this book! Anne Malcom
A dark, crazed and flawlessly written dark romance that’ll never let you go…
What the hell just happened? I went in expecting just another dark romance and I’ve come out with my soul rattling around inside me. Birds of Paradise isn’t my first Anne Malcom read and it won’t be my last, but if it were…I would keep going back to it again and again. Here’s the thing—I’ve now read this book twice, because after the first time I was a bit like whoa, ain’t that a bit of a head screw? And I don’t mean head screw in the usual sense of the word, well…kinda, because there is definitely some of that going, but what I mean is that there was a lot to take in and a lot of heavy topics. I am quite an emotionally grounded person, but I have to admit that I was on the brink of insanity with this one. And again, I don’t say that lightly…there is nothing light about this story and I actually struggled to give it the five stars it deserves because of how on edge and uncomfortable it made me feel in my own skin. I mean that in a good way because Ms. Malcom’s writing is nothing short brilliant. Phenomenal. That on its own deserves five gazillion stars.
I found the plot to be extremely poignant, I’ve never experienced a plot that is so emotionally detached or even devoid of emotion that reels me in like this story did. I know that some people will struggle with it because it is one of those where the feels are in between the lines and not easy to get to, but if you like to be buried deep within a story, this is for you…if you can handle a poop tonne of very sensitive and harrowing topics. I don’t want to go into it too much because this is a story that you need to go in blind into and completely submerge yourself in its deep, dark waters. Warning, you may drown. You may never break the surface again, because even after reading it the second time I am struggling. Also, I did not realise how many of the little things that built up to the big things that I missed in my first read. I think I was so lost that I just didn’t consciously take it all in. And, I have to say that my second read was just a brutal as my first and with the twists being just as soul shattering. Going back to the emotional detachment that I mentioned before, I feel that it is such a clever and cunning way of keeping the reader at arms length from the characters so that you can see the bigger picture, but at the same time it allows you to see every single string that winds around them throughout the story.
I felt that t he characters themselves weren’t easy to get to know, and I loved that because it really reflected how broken and scarred they were. It really allowed you to see just how damaged and how deep they were hurting. However the deeper into the story you go the more you get to understand how their cogs work. You begin to fall in love with two people that you probably never even thought love was possible. That emotional detachment tricks into a false sense of security of your heart being safe, but slowly the emotion and the feelings assault you and drag you deeper, until you feel like you’re suffocating with how you feel about both the heroine and the anti-hero. And you know what I loved even more, was how innocent their dark love for each other was. They don’t strive for something perfect, but they make the imperfect and the ugly something beautiful and awing to witness.
Birds of Paradise is by far one of the best dark romances I have ever read. Yes, it needs warnings…well, not that any kind of warning will ever prepare you for it, but… And you know what? I’m not even a warning kind of girl. I like the element of surprise. I like that adrenaline rush and that emotional choking sensation you get from it. But this story is deep and it’s reckless…brutish. It takes no prisoners when it comes to how it obliterates you mind, heart and soul. Everything around me ceased to exist and I just could not put it down. The pace is delicious, the tension is overwhelming and I can guarantee that if you are a lover of dark romance this is the book to read this year. It’s raw, gritty and dark. It’s crazed and it has bite. It’ll grab you and never let you go. You will be incapable of walking away flawlessly put together.
The minute I read the blurb to Birds of Paradise I knew I needed to read it. I love dark stories and there was something almost darkly poetic about Anne Malcom’s words. Lukyan and Elizabeth were one of the most complicated people I have ever read. There was a darkness within them both and they both seemed to feed off one another. I absolutely loved this story. It was equally heartbreaking, uplifting, disturbing and sexy. I was consumed from the beginning and never let up once. This was absolutely brilliant.
Without giving away ANY spoilers, I can honestly say this was more of a psychological thriller versus a dark novel. Yes there was a villain but the question of who he/she was is up for discussion. At the heart of the book the main thing I felt was key was the idea of rebirth and becoming the person you were always meant to be as a result of life’s tragedies. In this story Lukyan was drawn to Elizabeth – a resilient yet wounded bird of a woman who took all of life’s licks and has been broken since. She in turn was drawn to Lukyan and his honest coldness and cruelty and the monster he wasn’t hiding inside.
Gah!! This novel was just so amazing and beautiful and honest in its depiction of two people who have never been in love but who know that they see a mirror image of their soul in one another. He taught her how to want to live and survive and she taught him how to love. I just loved this story and the play of what beauty was. This was seriously fantastic! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
Ok, so I just noticed that when I log into bookbub from Facebook, it takes me to a different account than when I sign on through regular safari internet. I have no idea how that even happened but I’m going to have to check both accounts and transfer my reviews from one and the other, lol.
WOW! WOW! WOW!!! This book was crazy good. It was DARK, it was GRITTY, it was INTENSE, it was RAW, it was MESSY, it was UGLY, and it was BEAUTIFUL! Phenomenally perfect. 55 highlights… I couldn’t stop. Absolutely EVERYTHING Anne created in this book was masterfully written. “I want you to be ugly,” he continued, watching the knife as he used it to play with tendrils of my hair. “Anyone can be beautiful. It’s so common. Effortless. Empty. I need you to be ugly so I can be too. I need to see your ugly because that’s the only thing I want. That’s real. That, I can possess.” This book is going to keep you on your toes, your heart will go into constant heart palpitations and doubled with anxiety. You’re going to dive in, expect one thing and come out with something else in all of its ugly beauty. You will try to guess the plot, don’t. Anne Malcom knows how to keep you guessing. There were certain twists there, I had to take a moment to myself and regroup before I continued. Things coming out of left field that had me in a state of shock, mouth gaping open, with a flashing #MindBlown above my head. There are certain authors that have a hard time pulling you in and pull out certain emotions with really tragic and dark moments. Some just can’t get the proper feelings, actions, words to truly have the reader experience the same motions as the characters. This is NOT the case with Anne Malcom. I promise, you will feel EVERYTHING the main heroine feels. You will go down with her, you will lose the fight with her, you will get stronger with her, you’re going to experience everything with her as if you were her. Anne Malcom will take you on this ride as not as an outsider looking in, but as a part of the story itself. There is so much beauty in all the ugliness in the world and this book will say it all. I can’t say enough how much I loved this book. Loved absolutely every single little and big thing about it. Get the book, read the words, experience this dark rollercoaster, and fall in love with everything that is Ugly/Beautiful. #BestDarkReads2018 “The rarest of all the remarkable things are the ugliest and most broken of things. They can only be possessed in death too[…]But there is more than one version of a corpse. Some can be stuffed and preserved and put into frames. Others can walk, talk, and breathe[…]Which one are you going to be, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth knows how death feels even before she dies. Physically. She’s already lifeless inside and her happiness robbed by the people who were supposed to love her. She never cared. Nobody cared. Until Him.
He was hired to end her life. Honestly, putting a bullet in her head now would be easier for his target to escape the sh*t hole she’s in. Problem is, he changed his mind.
First of all, I HAVE NEVER READ ANYTHING LIKE THIS! Well, in romance that is. Anne Malcom’s writing style is extraordinary and something that you don’t get to read so much these days. It’s like I time-traveled to those times when words in books were so profound, I needed my dictionary’s help.
Exquisitely written, gut-wrenchingly painful, and poetic.Anne Malcom will push her readers to limits they think they won’t ever cross. After a couple of chapters in, this book suddenly turns into a literary drug I want to consume to answer the questions in my head.
Birds of Paradise is a gift to readers. This is the kind of book we live for. It’s something everyone should experience may you be into dark or not, because it’s a masterpiece. It breaks the boundaries and offers something heart-stopping and captivating.
If dark reads do not bother you and an eloquent writing is what you’re craving for at the moment, I highly, like REALLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND you read BIRDS OF PARADISE.
Birds of Paradise has a unique angle. The birds are an interesting addition.
He is a collector and a killer.
She is a broken woman with little to live for.
In their twisted world, it works for them.
I had a hard time connecting with these two. I completely understood where her issues were coming from but there’s little to no light shone on his skeletons. I think the hardest part was that there was nothing tethering me to the page. It had such great potential but it fell flat. It comes across like a Tarantino film- all these possible angles to really deepen the story but it stays all blood and guts instead.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
If you are looking for something different and dark this read is for you. Definitely a unique story that has grit and twists that’ll keep you wondering how it’ll play out until the end. Not a typical read as these two extremely broken characters find survival in ugly. A departure in her writing style that shows diversity. “You’ve lived your life in pain and suffering, and you know nothing else. But it does not define you.” If this genre is your cup of tea, I highly recommend this book.