“Welcome, ladies, the next few weeks will decide your future. But before all that, let me introduce you to my son, Nicholas. To one of you, he’ll be a future husband. To the rest, a nightmare who will haunt your dreams for whatever time you have left.” Born into privilege, Victoria Hamilton has endured a life of opulent captivity. Disallowed to associate with any men outside her kin, she … her kin, she ventures beyond her gilded cage vicariously, through the art books she adores and the adventures of her dear friend, Tamara. Nevertheless, this staid existence has left her naïve and wildly unprepared when Victoria is finally allowed to debut into society…a debut unlike any other, with no place for the weak.
The arrogantly debauched Nicholas Cavendish, Earl of Lullington, knows he must marry on his thirtieth birthday to inherit his controlling father’s dukedom. The five women selected for him will undergo depraved trials no genteel woman should ever be made to suffer. But for Nicholas, what begins as a means to an end quickly becomes a matter of the heart, thanks to one woman—the brave, beautiful and achingly innocent Victoria.
Sentiment and secrecy make for poor bedfellows, with the Cavendish family legacy being the biggest, most dangerous secret of all. And despite all she’s endured to win her place by his side, Victoria may find Nicholas is truly the one in need of saving.
Book Two – Tainted Reason available January 2019
Book Three – A Father’s Insistence available April 2019
For more information and blurbs both books can be found on Goodreads.
A. Zavarelli rated it FIVE STARS
I have so little time to read anymore but when I do I love a good dark romance. Legacy of Succession was dark romance at its best. Anna Edwards gave us a chillingly twisted read that I couldn’t stop thinking about even when I put the book down. The characters haunted me and had me questioning their fates all the way up until the very end.
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For my first read from Anna Edwards, this book sure blow me away!
Secret royal society. Bachelor gone twisted. Ages of taboo and super forbidden tradition. In the end, this so call aristocrats are just slavery for women and sex traficking.
Definitly gonna be checking out more from Anna Edwards!
WOW! Anna Edwards
This is the first dark story! for this Author
I absolutely love dark reads so I was really looking forward to reading this book and it didn’t disappoint it was so well written dark & twisted a great storyline. It had me hooked from the start and left me wanting more at the end.
I loved the characters which Anna made come alive I felt for Nicholas and Victoria. I wanted a happy ending for them after all they had to go through. You will have to read the book to know if that happened.
This is a brilliant book I highly recommend.
Can’t wait for the next book.
1/2 Stars
I was in a bit of a quandary with “Legacy Of Succession” because as much as I devoured this in one sitting; I also hated it as much as I loved it.
I read some extremely dark depraved fiction; but for some reason, this story actually made me feel very uncomfortable and itchy at times within my own skin.
I think maybe it was because it was some kind of psychological as well as physical torture and centre stage of this freak show stood Nicholas, the future Duke and supposed hero of the hour.
I could never quite get my head around how he could participate; his good reasons aside; in the abuse and mishandling of these poor unfortunate women.
I did get his reasonings; but to me, they really didn’t make that much sense; blaming Victoria for not just accepting her fate blindly; so he could then save her; by choosing her; was frankly insulting to the poor girl.
Especially as she had no idea going in what she had been preparing for all these many years.
Victoria didn’t have the luxury of hindsight; unlike Nicholas; no matter how abhorrent he found the circumstances he was now in; he had been groomed for his role and station from a young age;
“You may have known you would become a monster, but I had no idea I would become your victim.”
The callous disregard for the collateral damage traumatised and broken along the way.
People are not disposable even when held to a much higher purpose.
It’s that age-old argument; kill a few to save the many.
And I stand firmly in Victoria’s court here.
So I did actually struggle with the actions of Nicholas; no matter how much he later redeemed himself; I couldn’t quite let go of his previous participation in the depraved antics of the society he had been born into
Bit of a dilemma for me that one; one that I had a slight issue overcoming.
Victoria; Oh my I adored this girl; sheltered and cosseted behind a persona of privilege and wealth.
She is everything enviable to those that would covet her position.
But the reality of her life is really just a gilded cage, and when Victoria discovers what she has been moving towards her entire life; well let’s just say this girl is not prepared to lay down the good fight.
Fiesty, opinionated and stubborn shes going to fight her fate till the bitter end; taking down any enemies that stand before her savagely.
On the one hand, I was worried for her ultimate safety here; but on the other, I was screaming.
YOU GO, GIRL, kick them where it hurts!!!! extremely vocally from the sidelines.
She was one strong girl that was determined not to accept her fate meekly.
“Legacy Of Succession” was told in dual POV and seems to be the start of a new series.
I am very much interested in reading The next story as it involves Nicholas’s autistic brother; William.
A subject very much close to my heart as my own son is on the spectrum himself.
As a character, I really adored William and can’t wait to read more about him and his life.
There was also a variety of diverse secondary characters here; the majority were evil personified.
I can count on my own hands the people here; that were worth something significant in value.
and that number never went into double figures; that’s for sure.
Got to say “Legacy of Succession was certainly chocked full of truly reprehensible individuals.
So moving on, this was a story I raced through; in some ways, I was worried to put it down in case I was to chicken to pick it back up; so I finished in one readathon sitting.
Please do be aware, before starting this; that this book deals with some extremely dark situations.
If this is at all a trigger for you please do avoid; you have been warned.
If you like a walk on the dark side occasionally; then this one should tick all your boxes.
I ummed and awed as I said previously, but this was so well written and addictive I decided to push with my gut and go with a higher rating; despite my ill-ease at times within this narrative.
This is a story that definitely pushes your boundaries to the extreme.
Thank You to the Author for providing me with an ARC of “Legacy Of succession” of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
This was pretty dark and a little graphic. So readers beware. There were many ups and downs to this book. I felt the good outweighed the bad. There were times I felt a little disconnected with the characters. But It was hard not to love these characters individually. Victoria is a strong headed person. She will stop at nothing to do what she feels is right. Even if that means putting her life in jeopardy. Nicholas was given a shifty hand as a kid. But now that he is grown up the last thing he wants to be is like his father. He doesn’t want to pass down what he was taught as a kid. He has to make some pretty tough choices along the way and you can’t help but to feel for him. I felt as if the majority of the ‘sexy’ scenes were just a tease. A tease to make you want to read the rest of the book. To find out if any of that sexual chemistry is finally, let out.- By Vanessa
Legacy of Succession is a dark twisted, fantastic read that had me captivated from page one. Loved the chemistry between Nicholas and Victoria and how no matter how much they fought it they were meant to be together. This author really knows how to pull the reader into the story taking you on quite a journey. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. If you are looking for a great book to read you need to check this author out because her books are amazing!
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I picked up this book but it left me completely speechless at first, then angry at some of the characters and then happy with the way things turned out. My emotions totally went through the wringer in this one.
4.5 stars
Review by Amy W.
Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night w/ Books Blog
I have no doubt my gravestone will read, ‘Here lies, the honorable Victoria Hamilton. She died of boredom, but at least, her reputation was intact.’
I had never read any of Anna Edwards work prior to this, but I just had to get my hands on this book. The synopsis, the cover, I was drawn in. Legacy of Succession promised to be my kind of read, and it did not disappoint.
No man will dare go against the society. Nobody of rank within it ever has, and nobody ever will. Money, it’s the one thing we all crave, and we’d even sell our daughters just to get it or, in this case, to keep it.
Victoria was raised in seclusion. Her only friend has been away at university and is due to come back soon. Victoria has just turned 21 and can’t wait to, with daddy’s permission, have a little fun. But all her dreams go up in smoke when she arrives at Oakfield Hall and realizes joining society may be the death of her.
“You may have known you would become a monster, but I had no idea I would become your victim.”
Lord above, this is one dark and twisted book. I absolutely love the idea of the society, I do not love the society calm your tits! I just like the idea behind it. This story was unique and I enjoyed meeting each character along the way. There were a few unexpected moments where I was surprised so and so did what they did, but also greatly relieved because yeah it needed to happen. Victoria was not a shy and meek character like you would expect from her background, she was unapologetic and stood up for what she believed in. Nicholas, what to say about Nicholas. He is a grade A a hole to the highest degree. But oh so hot! Plus, he can be sweet when he wants.
I was a fool to believe he might have kindness in him. He’s lost–lost to the devil that is his father. I’m going to die. I’m twenty-one years old, a baby, and my life’s over.
I fell in love with a few of these characters, Nicholas of course, Victoria most definitely, but also Reggie and William. I am hoping that at some point we get to know what happened to Joanna and get to finally meet Theo. But before any of that we get book two and it is William’s book and OMG I am so excited!!! From the first mention of William I was praying that he would be a character I would get more of, but really Anna, December???? I don’t know if I can wait that long!
If you like dark and dirty romances then you need to pick this one up!!
A very dark, raw and disturbing read. There is a lot of pain and drama in this book. It features very intense scenes of abuse, humiliation and torture. So be warned if these are triggers for you or just a huge turn off. Nicholas and Victoria must survive archaic family traditions, rules of a barbarous secret society and horrifying situations. It is a page turning, jaw dropper of a book. This book stuns with its complexities, shocks you with it’s rawness, and moves you with hope because if love can blossom in these conditions, it proves that there is always hope for love. I can’t wait for William’s story!
OMG. This may not be the twistiest of twisted stories I’ve ever read, but it has plenty of twists and turns of its own. It’s really just wow. It was surprising and really got under my skin.
Nicholas is the heir to the Duke of Oakfield. He’s got to follow a tradition in choosing his wife, whether he wants to or not. It’s a terrible tradition, but he’s trapped.
Victoria has spent her 21 years stuck languishing in her father’s house. She’s rarely left the house and her only friend is the maid’s daughter. When her father suddenly appears and tells her it’s time for her to take her place in society. Victoria is very excited to finally get a chance to experience life, right until she finds out exactly what’s going to happen.
I LOVE Victoria. I can’t even emphasize how much I love her. She’s strong, feisty, brave, and really not afraid to fight for anything. She has no problem with telling everyone exactly what she thinks of them and their actions. There are going to be some very sorry people when Victoria is done, I think. I went back and forth on Nicholas. Sometimes I liked him, sometimes I didn’t. He struggled a lot, and I enjoyed seeing what was going on in his head while he struggled with what was going on. This book really needed the dual POV, I can’t see how it would’ve worked with just a single POV, and I’m glad I didn’t have to.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Anna Edwards has proven herself to be a versatile and capable writer who consistently amazes me with her stories, and this one is the icing on the dark and deliciously decadent cake!
Gritty and raw, it grabs you in its claws and seems to drag you back in time without even moving and inch from the day and age you reside in.
I loved how well the author builds up the tone and setting for this story. There is an overhanging threat that sent chills down my spine, the darkness blending smoothly with the romance.
The occasional slow pace was agonisingly perfect, and then there was urgency that had me chewing my lip and the words blurring from reading so fast in my need to know what was going to happen.
Victoria and Nicholas were an interesting couple, each tormented and torured in different and unfathomable ways. The connection between them swift and full of a fire that can’t be easily extinguished.
This is one my favourite Anna Edwards novels by far!
It is a hard book to write a review about.
I actually really liked the story in itself. It was dark and i thought the book was original. It was different. I enjoyed reading about the trails and the background and the twist and turns of the story.
I liked Nicholas. he was put in a difficult position and so torn with helping his brother, staying true to himself and doing what was right and doing his duty.
Willam was also a great characters and I loved his intelligence and his heart.
Victoria was a character I had a lot of trouble with. She just didn’t know when to stop. I loved that she was strong and full of fight, but she never thought about things before reacting. i just wanted to yell at her to stop and think. I just got annoyed with her.
Legacy of Succession is the first in a new series from author Anna Edwards. For the first of a series, it’s a fantastic start.
It follows the story of Nicholas, Earl of Oakfield as he prepares to follow the path that has been laid out for him by his fore fathers, it’s his legacy. By his 30th birthday, he will be married and take over from his father as Duke. It’s not quiet as simple as that, there’s a whole lot more that has to be done before he claims his new title.
Victoria Hamilton, has lived a priviledged life – anything she wanted, she got; apart from freedom. The one thing she wanted the most, she couldnt have. She wasn’t allowed to go out without supervision, her father made sure of it. The one time she is left without her father, there’s no guarantee that she’ll ever go home.
A dark story that’s full of secrets, lies and betrayal. With a blossoming romance that doesn’t seem possible at first. It’s twisty with a few shocks thrown in there, that you don’t see coming at all. The author has done a fantastic job and I can’t wait for the next part of this series.
Legacy of Succession is an extremely dark romance. I urge readers who do not enjoy a dark erotica to read the book description carefully before picking up this book. That being said, let’s jump into my review.
Nicholas has been prepared his entire life for the legacy of succession that would take place on his 30th birthday. His mother had been a victim of the trials as has many before her. While Nicholas wants no part of what’s to come, he doesn’t see a way out of playing his part.
Victoria was born into a life of luxury, but kept extremely sheltered by her father never knowing why . . . until he hands her over to the Oakfield Society. She’s thrust into rituals hundreds of years old meant to keep women subservient and the ruling class completely in control. While she may have been sheltered, however, she is not pushover. She’s fierce, willful, stubborn and extremely intelligent. And, she’s not going to bow down to anyone no matter what the cost.
As Nicholas is forced to do things against everything he believes in, he falls more and more for Victoria. It’s up to him to make she wins the trials so together they can try to change the Society once he is in control . . . if only they can survive!
This book . . . it’s a book I hated to love. I struggled with just how dark the content was. The trials are truly corrupt and cringe-worthy. Most of the male characters in the book feel women hold no worth other than to be used to sate their sexual needs. I also couldn’t stop reading because I was compelled to find out how things played out. This was read in one sitting because I couldn’t find a place I felt comfortable stopping at. There were also some characters, that while trapped by their position, were not dark and wanted to end what was happening, including Nicholas, his brother, and their faithful butler.
I was amazed at VIctoria’s strength and determination throughout . . . it was easy to see why Nicholas would choose her. I had a bit of a harder time with Nicholas who played along with what was happening . . . I understood his reasons, but wanted him to act more and quicker. Brother William was a brilliant surprise and I am thrilled to know his story continues with the next book.
Legacy of Succession is truly a dark read, but the suspense and characters will enthrall you if this is your type of book. 4 stars.
I finished this book last night and can honestly say it was one of those I simply could not put down! I wanted to read it every chance I got! I am a fan of Anna Edwards, having read all of her work so far, and I believe Legacy of Succession is now my favorite of her books! I went into this one blind- not reading the blurb- and was pulled in right from the very first few chapters. Nicholas comes across as a playboy at the very beginning. He’s celebrating his birthday and seems happy, but there’s an underlying sadness to the joyous occasion. Then we meet Victoria, a sheltered young woman who longs to get out from under her father’s thumb and see the world. I was on the edge of my seat as this story progressed, anxious to see what would happen between these two characters and how they would handle the life that was chosen for them. The plot is completely original, with characters you love and despise, and each chapter leaves you begging for more! I’m so glad I got the chance to read this book – it’s definitely going on my all-time favorites list!!
Every now and then a book comes along that just blows you away. It’s the kind that plays over and over in your mind, persisting long after that last page is read. This is the magic Anna Edwards has created.
Cringe inducing moments? Check. Sizzling chemistry? Definitely!
Anna Edwards definitely brought the twisted and depraved that’s like a sinful dark pleasure. Just the way I love it! The beauty of this dark read is it wasn’t afraid to really embrace the darkness but used restraint, there was nothing unnecessarily added.
The depth of characters and overall storyline just staggers me. There were no one dimensional characters to be found in the book. It truly felt like I could walk right into the world she created.
Don’t expect to put this book down. It kept me on the edge of my set the entire time with all of the suspense. It grabbed me from the first few pages and didn’t let go until the book finished.
Highly recommend!
I love dark romance, but this one was just ok. It was an odd contrast of what felt like naïve teenage romance (even though the characters are both older), and what sometimes felt like plot elements that were included for pure shock value. I do find the plot idea intriguing and there’s lots of potential there, but the story could use some polishing.
As for the narration, it did not do this story any favors, unfortunately. It also gets a 3 star rating. She spoke clearly, but could have put a bit more feeling behind it.
Quick & Dirty Details:
– Dark Enemies-to-Lovers Romance
– FMC 21yrs, MMC 29yrs
– Steamy
This is book 1 in Anna Edwards’s Dark Sovereignty series and WOW – what a way to start a series. This can be read as a stand along but after listening I can not wait to see what will happen next! This is Victoria and Nicholas’ story and I can’t say too much without giving away this incredible storyline. Both come from wealthy and privileged families but raised for different reasons. A well written and very dark romance – I loved the strength of Victoria’s character and Nicolas trying so hard to do the right thing but feeling so conflicted. A captivating read from start to finish – I can’t wait for more! Narration was wonderfully done – Loved the accent and smoothness -everything flowed perfectly!
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
*this review is based on the audio version of this read
**Review of the audiobook**
STORY: 4 Stars
PERFORMANCE: 2 Stars
OVERALL: 3 Stars
STORY
Following generations before him, Nick’s, “legacy of succession“ is to take over for his father, the Duke, on his 30th birthday. There are numerous traditions leading up to Nicholas selecting his wife, yet Nicholas isn’t as coldhearted or cruel as his sadistic father, so he doesn’t enjoy the torture placed on the women forced into the competition to be his bride. Plus there’s the more feisty candidate named Victoria who has caught his eye…
For me this book felt like a dark historical romance, probably because of the aristocratic, pompous way the characters spoke. I am personally not a fan of historical romance, so that was a negative for me. However, there is no denying that, as always, Edwards is incredibly talented, yet again producing an innovative, sexy story. Yes, there are other stories out there with similar premises, but there are twists, turns and curveballs in this story that you will not see coming!
PERFORMANCE
I listened to the Audible audiobook narrated by Sarah Dawes. I am so disappointed to say that her performance greatly impacted my enjoyment of this audiobook. In my experience, when a female narrator reads for both the male and female characters, she at least makes an attempt to deepen or alter her voice when male characters are speaking so listeners can differentiate between genders. Although Dawes did do this with several characters, demonstrating her versatility and a penchant for accents, for some reason she did not alter her voice for the male main character. Because of this, there were many scenes where I struggled to discern who was speaking, leaving me feeling confused and wondering which character had said what. She also mispronounced PLAIT, and there were some strange noises made during the production. For example, I could hear clicking (like the closing of a water bottle) between some scene and chapter changes.
This is a very dark story. Plenty of trigger warnings are advised. The basis for The Oakfield Trials is depravity, mistreatment of women and power.
There are some shining lights. Victoria is fierce and stubborn. William is kind and naively inappropriate but also protective in his way. Nicholas wants to do what’s right for his brother and those in his care but he struggles with how to best protect them.
I also enjoyed the audiobook. The narrator’s voice is soothing which is appreciated for such dark and demeaning acts that are portrayed.
This is most assuredly a dark romance. There are “trials” that the girls must pass. They’re described as deadly, and psychologically damaging. I’ve read some books with serious, historical torture devices. So, that’s basically what I’m thinking. But, it’s not. I mean, yes, there is one pretty hefty torture device, but that’s it. So, it wasn’t as dark as I was hoping for. But still a good story with good characters.