I haven’t fallen down in days. That may not seem like much, but my God, it’s such an accomplishment. Being made to stand and kneel repeatedly while he performs his rituals is exhausting and I’m pretty sure that the welts on the bottom of my feet are ready to pop. My knees. They’re bruised, covered in dry blood and cuts; but I won’t fall down. I can’t fall down; that means he wins again and I get … wins again and I get put down in the oubliette.
Being in the dark never scared me, being alone was something I used to cherish until he took me.
I just want to find the light now. I want to find the warm place that he tells me so much about; the place where he says all of this pain will make sense.
I won’t fall down again.
I can’t.
Not before I find my peace in the light. I have to do it soon because I’m not sure how much more I can take.
Miserere mei sunt.
more
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around everything I read in this book. This is one of those stories where you keep thinking, “Ok, this is the worst that it’ll get”, but as you read the next chapter, you realize that it can always get worse.
Yolanda has brought us to the darkest depths of the…hell, I don’t even want to say human psyche.
Pater is evil, in the darkest form. No fear, no worry, everything in his life is going exactly as he planned. His child-wife, Jocelyn, wants nothing more than to save her “children”, and will sacrifice herself to make it happen.
But Pater doesn’t want her life in sacrifice, he just wants to control her.
And the ending will leave you reeling.
Yolanda has created a male lead that I don’t see anyone siding with.
This book just gives you a glimpse into the world of Pater. There’s not much character development for Pater, Jocelyn, Eloy, or Vaughn but I feel like there will much more to come in the next books.
The underlying element that this book has me transfixed on his CULT. I love that. There was a certain scene that gave me the chills and could really begin to understand how crazy Pater/Luke is, and what he’s capable of.
Hopefully he can stay a good daddy, in books to come!
While I knew I was in for some taboo darkness, I wasn’t expecting this. The sense of dread that builds throughout is fantastic. I read the boxset (I think) so am now finding all the bits of side parts of this world and the characters and continually am going WTF. I was originally thinking I was going to give 4.5 stars but considering I’m literally seeking out the universe following this, I can’t not give it 5.
Recommend if you have no triggers and like dark and taboo.
Yolanda does it again. This book had me completely enthralled from its first few lines. The way events unfolded kept me guessing the entire time. There weren’t breadcrumbs to follow that lead to me the outcome. When things were revealed I was completely shocked.
The mind is a fickle thing. It’s easy to play games and trick your sense of reality. You can be scared of things that aren’t even real. Intimidated by the idea of a threat over the actual threat itself. These are the games that Pater uses to keep his family whole.
There is so much I want to say but I don’t want to give anything away. This story is best read with no spoilers. You need to go into it with an open mind and be able to embrace the dark. If you’ve read any of the authors other books you know what I mean by dark.
But if you are still set on learning some of the trigger they are noted in my Goodreads (name: vxhexn_reads) review since I cannot hide them here.
I’m trying to figure out what the fuck I just read. Pater is so sick and twisted. You just don’t know how far he will take it. Joce was ready to end it but she couldn’t because of Eloy and Vaughn. It was so heart breaking to watch. She had to be the “mother” to her “sons”.
The ending still shook me. Even though I knew… I knew… something was coming. I just didn’t know how big with Pater. I won’t be describing the ending because I believe the reader needs to find out for themselves.
Are you ready to enter the world of Pater? Will you survive in the oubliette?
I don’t even know where to begin or how to put my thoughts into into words because….. HOLY FREAKING MINDF*@K!!! Chapter after chapter so many twists, turns and jaw-dropping moments were unveiled that as much as I wanted to stop reading I couldn’t. I was so consumed by this story that I couldn’t put this book down, I had to know what was to come, what would happen to the kids, to Jocelyn and let me just say nothing could have prepared me for those final few chapters! This is not an HEA, it’s not for the faint at heart, it will definitely have you wondering what is wrong with you to even be reading it. You just can’t stop once you start and further down the rabbit hole I go….. on to Cinere!
3-star editing, ++5-star story
As an editor and proofreader, it’s very rare that I give a book 5 stars if it is inundated with typos. The storyline has to be beyond exceptional, so good that I’m able to ignore the punctuation errors and other mistakes that always distract me. The INFERNO series is one of those very rare exceptions! Main character Pater is the definition of a sociopath who stays true to character from start to finish. There is no unrealistic Stockholm Syndrome happening here, just graphic, detailed, disturbing abuse!!! I loved every book in the series – it is definitely my favorite by Yolanda Olson!!!
Yes: Although it isn’t necessary to understand this book or the rest of the series, I loved the prequel, SPARKS, and recommended reading that first!!!
Wow! Once again, Yolanda delivers an intense, quick-paced read. I was enthralled, unable to put the book down. I have never met a villain that I loved to hate than Pater, and hated to love. And I really felt for Jocelyn. This is definitely in my top 10 favorite books, and I highly recommend it.
4.5 Stars
Jocelyn lives in a highly controlled world where one man’s depraved rules dictate her existence. Pater requires complete obedience and Jocelyn is willing to sacrifice for her family.
“He knows too much, sees more than I think he does, and he’ll stop me when he feels I’m getting ready to strike.”
Narrated from Jocelyn’s POV, the plot unfolds systematically to reveal the insidious dynamic in which she lives. Though Jocelyn tries to appease Pater, each interaction is perilous due to his mercurial nature.
Going into this story, I was expecting a descent into the abyss and the author certainly delivered with blurred boundaries and several squeamish scenes. Knowing the limitations placed upon Jocelyn’s knowledge, her choices, as well as those of Vaughn and Elroy are understandable.
As far as Pater, he is in a category of his own and I was morbidly curious to see what he was going to do next. Though I enjoyed being on edge, I would have liked a bit more about Pater’s background. That said, I have confidence the author will expose more as the series continues.
Inferno is a horror story about survival and absolute sacrifice. This book would appeal to those looking to delve into a dark chasm of aberration.
I think this is the first time a book made me utterly speechless. I have no words for this book (okay maybe a few). It’s dark , deeply upsetting, horrifying, disgusting, and all-around nauseating. There is no true meaning behind this novel and I can’t even begin to understand what it’s purpose in the book world is. Perhaps for its shock value? I don’t know. Read below for an explanation (as best I can come up with) about this book with major spoilers.
MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW
As I mentioned, this is a disturbing read. I have an open mind and I’ll read just about any kind of romance book, but this is NOT romance, and I was misled. This is a story about a father raping his daughter (repeatedly) and making her his “wife”. He’s abusive, horribly abusive, and as sick and twisted as they come. The “heroine” also has two brothers who she’s made to “mother” even though she’s only their sister. They too, are abused by their father. Is that the plot? Pretty much. There’re some shocking murder scenes, too much incest to count, and even bestiality (I wanted to vomit). The ending is just as horrible as the rest of the story as all the sudden she has a daughter with her father, and she’s made to live in a dungeon/well while the father/husband raises their daughter. That my friends, is how it ends.
There is NOTHING redeeming about this book. There are no plot twists that make everything seem okay. This is just a book about a girl who is horrifically abused by her father and then made to basically die in a well when she’s no longer needed.
Will I read taboo romances? Absolutely! Especially when the stories have actual PLOTS. But this was just a rambling of abuse. I don’t get it. I will definitely read the second book to see what (or if) anything happens, but I highly doubt it will. Good thing it’s only a novella! Stay turned for that review.
Why did I give a book 2 stars when it’s Clearly one I had major issues with? Because it was a quick read and I actually finished it despite my misgivings. I understand authors work hard for their books and I appreciate it, but this one just wasn’t for me. I don’t even know how to define it in a genre!