Raphael (Deadly Virtues Book One)

Raphael is the first full length novel in the Deadly Virtues Series. Read Fallen: Genesis first it tells you the beginning of how these seven boys become who they are now. I knew going in I was in for one deranged read, but holy I wasn’t prepared for how insane it was. I like how this author writes her warped stories, she draws you into a dark, erotic, sit at the edge of your seat read, and doesn’t let you go till you get to the end. I can’t wait to read what she has for us in the next book.

Raphael!! You’re a sadistic, crazy mutherfuxker a beautifully broken twisted psychopath but you’ve woven that string of yours tightly around my heart.

Although these books are Super Dark they are still very emotionally charged reads. The harrowing pasts of The Fallen will literally slay you wide open.

It’s impossible not to read these books and not feel sympathy for a bunch of psychologically damaged ruthless killers.

The story just flowed perfectly, keeping me glued to the pages. I gasped out loud and squirmed in my seat the entire time but I loved every minute.

These Fallen are going to fuxking ruin me, they already have but I’ve a feeling we ain’t seen nothing yet. It’s a scary thought but thrilling at the same time.

Tillie Cole has brought her A Game with this series. It’s everything I love in a Dark read.
Delve into the Darkness and Fall for The Fallen you won’t regret it.

OMG… I dont even know where to start and seriously I can’t tell you!!!

Firstly let me just say that if you didn’t think Tillie Cole was an amazing writer then I suggest you read this book. It is freakishly detailed and descriptive. Which i loved. I sat and read every little detail of this book that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. If you didn’t fall in love with these characters in the prequel you will definitely fall in love with this book.
From the moment Raphael met Maria he knew she was the one, his fantasy come to life. In the beginning its a bit slow but because its the first book in the series it will definitely have you wanting more at the end of this book. You get to see little bits of the other Fallen which will definitely wet your appetite. I wish I could go more into detail, but I know if I start typing I wont finish until I have told the whole story 🙂

Tillie Cole after finishing Raphael I am ready for the next one please!

WOW! I don’t even know where to start. This book is dark and gritty. It’s twisted and intense. It takes you on a journey that will blow your mind, and you will certainly never forget. This dark unconventional romance was superbly written, and it pulled me in from the very beginning. It is one of those books that you will need to clear your schedule for because once you start, you won’t be able to stop. This all-consuming story tells a tale of injustice, depravity, psychological fear and physical violence. It’s sick and twisted, and I absolutely loved it!

The Fallen are a group of young boys that we are first introduced to in the prequel. You really need to read that one first to fully comprehend everything that transpires here. It’s been ten years since the seven Fallen escaped Purgatory at the Holy Innocents. A place where they endured horrific abuse at the hands of the Brethren. Catholic priests who are both corrupt and evil. That justified their actions by claiming these boys were demon possessed and needed their souls cleansed.

This book is Raphael’s story. At a young age, he witnessed a terrible tragedy that caused him severe mental anguish from which he never fully recovered. He was then placed at the Holy Innocents where he was deemed evil and sent to live in Purgatory. With the help of his band of brothers, they escaped this hell and all live together under the rule of Gabriel. They are allowed to feed their addictions, but the rules ensure that innocents are not to be harmed. But what happens when his deepest and darkest fantasy crosses his path? Everything spirals out of control in a whirlwind of events that will have you entranced and furiously turning the pages.

This dark, twisted and haunting tale was so brilliantly written. The well developed plot evokes an array of incredible emotions. Yes, it’s indeed dark, but there’s more to the story than just the darkness. It’s a story of hope and redemption. It is a story about a second chance at life and finding peace. A story about the power of love and how it helps to calm the soul. I loved every single second of this book! It’s magnificent! Fans of this series will definitely not be disappointed. If I could, I would give it ALL. THE. STARS because that’s just how great it is!

Before you dive into Raphael remember you MUST read the prequel The Fallen: Genesis This will give you a the back story you need understand why the Fallen are who they are.

For the first full length novel in the Deadly Virtues Series, Tillie has started off with a Bang! Now I normally despise the third person narrative, it has just never sat well with my book nerd self. That said, the way Tillie writes this series I hardly noticed it is written in third person at all. I didn’t feel I missed out on any inner monologues, it was descriptive and clear which character I was following at that moment in the novel.

The story is actually a lot more involved in the romance aspect than I expected it to be. I thought it would be more on the psychological thriller side with the plot points; however I was pleasantly surprised and the romance weaved through the story from very early on, serving as the catalyst to the main plot elements regarding the brethren, which drove the story along.

Raphael and Maria’s romance is unconventional, it’s haunting, yet fulfilled, it holds immense purpose physically and spiritually to both parties and cements the bond amongst The Fallen brotherhood even more. Reading the character evolution throughout the story was fascinating. Having Gabriel’s viewpoint on the relationship was a clever element from Tillie, it allowed the reader to step back from the intensity and see the bigger picture.

As the novel progresses, I was hooked and could not put it down, the pace progressed well for me and I felt as though there was always something undulating as Raphael & Maria’s actions caused ripples in the seemingly calm waters that built and built creating some pretty big waves!

The last few chapters of the book blew me away! I had the biggest grin on my face, I yelled, I fist pumped the air and I balled my eyes out for a good 10 minutes at a scene that was beautifully written, hauntingly sensual and an act of complete selflessness and surrender of one’s soul that I just want to re read and re read.

Everything about this story just fed all my dark and twisted book nerd needs, I can’t wait for the next book in the Deadly Virtues series and after seeing more of our Angles of the Fallen I am becoming a little obsessed with Diel and staking my claim on that one #mine

OMG! WOW just WOW! Where does Tillie get her ideas from… this series is just incredibly dark, gritty and feeds my thirst for twisted, depraved and off the scale black! I was on tenterhooks throughout… this book had me in its vice like grip from the very first page… The story Raphael is unique and that’s what keeps this authors books interesting… the corrupt religious themes that run through them have never been done to this degree before. Its fresh, with so many books out there it becomes harder and harder to find stories that haven’t been done before… Tillie will always be a one click author for me.

This author writes dark, but this surpasses everything of hers that I have read so far… This series depicts a group of boys for one reason or another find themselves in Holy Innocents, a church like commune for orphaned children. Anything involving religion and children is corrupt in my eyes and Tillie feeds my soul.

You must have read The Fallen : Genesis as there is vital background information that you will need to understand before attempting to read book 1. If you have and you thought that was disturbing, wait until you meet Raphael… he has taken this to a whole new level. Its a chilling psychological tale of terror and violence.

Raphael (Deadly Virtues #1) is hauntingly good and it’s darkness at it’s finest!! This book is a perfect example as to why Tillie Cole is the queen of dark romance. I devoured Raphael within a matter of hours!!

I was heavily engrossed as the storyline is unique, wicked and twisted in the best way possible. Raphael is not for the weak or the faint hearted. It has really dark moments with a compelling storyline that brings emotions to a world where these feelings just do not exist. I was so entranced and overwhelmed with a rollercoaster of emotions that made my heart break, my heart stop and my eyes welled with tears. I thought I knew what to expect going into this book however once again, Ms. Cole outdid herself by writing a brilliant masterpiece.

Raphael (one of the seven members of The Fallen) who’s heart is black as night and Maria with her angelic and innocent heart really challenged me. The more I read, the more I knew these two broken souls who suffered so much tragedy and pain, were destined to be together.

Trust me when I say, you need this sinfully beautiful book in your life. I’m highly anticipating reading the next stand-alone in this series.

One of the things I appreciate the most about Tillie is the fact that I can pick up one of her books and know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I’m getting something “out of the box” and “to the edge of my comfort zone, maybe even further”.

“She would be the saint to his sinner. The light to his dark. The chastity to his lust.”

This book takes place 10 years after the end of The Fallen: Genesis, you MUST read that one first or you will be lost while reading this book. I loved that we got that prequel novella. It made this book so much more than it is. I couldn’t put this book down, I binge read it in one day.

“Two broken souls entwined.”

I adored the guys in the novella, but I fell in love with them in this book. Their relationship with each other is something that makes your heart smile. Raphael never really caught my eye in the novella but with this one, he became one of my favorites – I loved him. Maria was everything he didn’t know he needed. She has so much strength, so much love, she was phenomenal.

“He wanted to be her God. He needed to be her everything”

This book scared me, shook me, wrecked me, and then it healed me. It was so much more than I anticipated. I will be forever “shook” by Tillie, she never ceases to amaze me with her talent. I don’t know how she does it, and I don’t want her to stop. If you are even a little bit of a dark romance fan, you need to get this, and get it now! There is light in the darkness of this book, love amongst all the hate and violence, and redemption for someone who didn’t know they wanted it. These two broken souls found their other half, and The Fallen showed how strong they could be for one another. I am on the edge of my seat for more from this series.