Let's all take a moment to consider that my friend just lost her m/m virginity to a guy being (view spoiler)[ raped with a gun (hide spoiler)].

Yes.

I know...

This may therefore be our first and last m/m buddy read, but at least it will make a good story. Eventually.
Now Silvio. He has a solid fan base here on Goodreads. So I was surprised that for my taste he's a little too... "Gay", you say? Well, I would never accuse a gay character in a gay book of being too gay. And I know he's a ruthless killer too, but his pretty boy fem More...

A tasty, twisted morsel. I'm hungry for more. On to Vol 2!
Love Silvio: "That's why I don't belong to anybody. I'm not following their f**king rules."

Silvio now


Silvio as a young boy


Silvio about to kill your ass. RUN!!!
More...

Intriguing Introduction to the Dark Soul Series!!!
Stephano Marino is a Mafioso made man with a problem. He's about to go to war and he needs help. So he turns to Gianbattista Falchi, aka Battista, a retired consigliere. Battista, provides help to Stephano in the form of "Silvio".


Silvio is Battista's second in command. He's his heir, his sicario, and his lover. He's beautiful, feminie, and deadly. Silvio is also a killer. Dangerous and souless.

Battista


The details of Battista and Silvio's relati More...

~~~

No Spoilers-

Mr. Voinov has once again caught me by surprise. Dark Soul 1 was not what I was expecting and I should know better, by now, than to have any preconceived notions regarding what Voinov has written. Honestly, I kept putting this read off as I wasn't interested in reading a story about the mafia. This isn't a book about the mafia. This is a story about onions.

Yeah, yeah I know the onion/layer analogy is over used but still, it is a good one to describe this book. The characters are m More...

Damn...my first m/m and it's this. Not that I'm complaining. It was pretty damn hot. And Silvio...*drool Mmm...I think it's pretty clear I'm not thinking straight right now. I was actually pretty weirded out when I found out that I liked some of the screwed-up scenes but oh well, it was a good, short, hot first m/m read so I'm kinda happy. Not at all the reaction I was expecting from myself after reading this.

I received the whole collection from NetGalley for review so this will be short - I will post a full review when I've read all the volumes.

I loved this. At first, I felt a little lost - we're plunged straight into a large mafioso scene where everyone is waiting for someone important to die. I kind of felt like I'd missed the first chapter - I really struggled to follow what was going on.

But - it didn't last and I loved Stefano's curiosity about Silvio like some kind of exotic butterfly. The stor More...

The only reason I’m not giving Dark Soul five stars is because it’s part of a series. These stories aren’t delivered like traditional stand-alones (at least this one isn’t) so I don’t have the whole picture yet.

The first thing that you realize when you start reading this is that you’re not at the beginning of the story. Or rather, you are at the beginning of the part of the story the author chose to give you. And you have to figure out lots of details by yourself. The author doesn’t facilitate t More...

Status update: 50% read...

Silvio for Anna (Bananas!):




@100% I'll do a review as soon as possible, but just put it this way, I'm hooked on Silvio and can't wait to read the next book.

DARK SOUL VOL. 1 / REVIEW COMPLETED AUGUST 31, 2012

Yet the most disturbing feature was that little smile playing around Silvio's lips, a smile that didn't reach anything else in his face. It was knowing, that smile, full of dark awareness no boy that age should have.



I was not eager to read this series but I'm glad that I gave it a go. Dark Soul Vol. 1 is rather intense and features intriguing and complex characters.

When Stefano meets Silvio for the first time…

(…)"I didn't catch your name."
"Th More...

4 1/2 stars

Mafia stories aren’t really my thing. What I know about the mafia was picked up from the Godfather movies that my husband made me watch as payback for forcing him to sit through Hellraiser and The Exorcist for the first (and last) time. I still think he got the better end of that deal. I wanted to get that out of the way and admit that I was fully expecting to find this story to be, well, not exactly to my taste and as striking and seriously gorgeous as the cover was, I put off readin More...

Danger: yes
Mindgames: yes yes
Lust: yes yes yes
Beautiful character: oh yes yes yes yes yes
A dark, mafia, conflicted, steamy and sexy story.

If you could touch, taste, and smell the colors blue, purple, and black it would be the essence of this book.

Love, love, love it.

This is the Aleksandr I fell in love with originally.

I think I might be purring.

Well there he goes again. Mr. Voinov taking me places I know I should not be comfortable in, and not just making me love it, not just love it, oh no no...I'm going to be craving more of this.

This place that Voinov has created, it's deadly, it's dangerous, it's fueled with desires that are just on this side of frightening...And yet it's sedate, civil, formal. Men like Stefano and Gianbattista, I mean just because they are criminals and killers, it does not mean they aren't gentlemen.

I loved that More...

I wanted to pause and quote so much if this first story, but I couldn't stop reading to do it! I'm tempted to post tons of spoilers, yet I'll refrain and just say: if you like mafia tales, mixed with gun-rough m/m, heartfelt emotion and a touch of suspense...pick this short but eventful book up!

You're welcome...in advance... ;)

First things first, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. It is exactly how I'd pictured Silvio.


Since this book is the kick off to this series and therefore can't be read as standalone( it pretty much ends with a cliffhanger), it doesn't feel fair to critique the book at length. All I'll say is that it is a promising start to what is hopefully a great series. Dark and immensely twisted are par for the course for Voinov's books and this one certainly doesn't disappoint. Set in the dangerous world of More...

This is now a Dear Author Recommended Read. They gave it an A-/B+ review:

http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...

DABWAHA finalist:

http://dabwaha.com/2013/03/10/2013-fi...

I know I'm going against most of the reviews, but at this time, I am unable to give this novel a rating. As I usually find I really like Alek's novels, I'm a little surprised to find myself in this position. I suspect it has to do with two foibles I have that are rather unhappily combined here. First, I have never really enjoyed short stories as they usually lack the character development I crave, and second, I am mostly uncomfortable with the SM portion of BDSM. As Aleks is a master of the unde More...

Before I started reading the Dark Soul series I already knew I'm keen on dark, wounded souls. After finishing SF I thought Vadim is my absolutely top of the list dark guy, but I should have known better. Silvio is not Vadim, no, he won't ever be, but his dark soul intrigued me right from the start.

Anima nera..


The powerful, scillful writing of Aleks Voinov kept me on my toes. He shoved me right into the book and I had no other choice than to witness everything up close.

Stefano, who first seems t More...

More of my reviews and ramblings at PANTS OFF REVIEWS


I find it a lot harder to write a review for a book that I really love, an easier to write for those that I just like. I am in quite a predicament, because I have stronger feelings than love for this book (if that’s even possible). Counterpunch was my first book by the author and I thought ‘there is no way freaking way his stuff can get anymore awesmazing’. I can eat my freaking words, because Dark Soul is incredible, viciously sexy, and absol More...

I'm riveted. Both Silvio and Stefano are intrigiung characters. I need more.

________
Why did that send a tingle through his body? What was it about Spadaro that made Stefano want to hit him, kick him, even shoot him? Why did he want to hear the man groan in pain? Why did that turn him on?
Power. It had to be the power.


"Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power." --Oscar Wilde ^_^

This series, is so un-bloody-believably brilliant that I devoured each and every one of the books back to back! I could not put them down.

Because of this I will do a review as a whole on Dark Soul Vol. 5 I have also rated the series as a whole rather than individually.

Edit:
I changed to 4 stars, I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed Stefano's inmediate attraction to Silvio, I like instant crushes like that :)

That was so short! and maybe, because of it I couldn't really get into the story, the characters, it was hot and love anything mafia related, it calls to me, maybe is my Italian side :) but when I read I like to feel connected to the characters, mostly I like how a book makes me fall in love with them, I didn't feel that with Silvio and Stefano, maybe at More...

Damn! This is not even the kind of MM books I like! I like my romance more old fashioned, more predictable. I don't like reading about BDSM either, unless it is very light. But I don't care! I loved this book! It took me places.

The characters? They are original, well very well crafted, intriguing, and likeable.

The plot? Gripping.

The dangerous mafia world? Exciting.

The writing style? Honest.

I hope it is a long series.

Don't read this if you are in the mood for something sweet and predictable More...

3.5 stars

I think this book and author were too overhyped for me. I was expecting fireworks and crazy chemistry and sizzling heat. I was mildly disappointed. I began and finished the first book pretty confused about the mob story that is supposed to be happening. I'm confused about Stefano's mafia goals. I'm not confused about his chemistry with Silvio and where that will lead- very excited about that! I'm going to keep reading and hope it gets even better. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but I w More...

this book is just two chapters of a obviously much longer story. two very edgy, hot, and fascinating chapters. a gun? i bet ty grady might like that? he likes guys with guns.

catamite: a boy kept for homosexual practices

kobold: a familiar spirit that haunts houses

padrino: godfather

ti prego: i beg you

prego: please have this...be my guest

Really enjoyed the 1st instalment to this book but I'm not going to rate or review until the end
On to book two...

Great read! First installment of three. Stefano is a made man who meets Silvio at the house of a mutual associate who is on his death bed. The attraction between them is instant but the consequence of homosexuality in their world could very plausibly lead to death.

Stefano has never explored his attraction to men before Silvio who oozes sex and danger. Silvio advances toward Stefano leave him unbalanced but in the perfect position to take exactly what he wants. This story has great tension! Littl More...

I haven't read many of Voinov's books, some shorts is all. There is a real gritty edge to the characters that lend real authenticity to them and the story. The rough world, characters, and sex don't bother me and I enjoy the difference from other books I've read recently. The build up of the world and settings for such short stories is well done. There wasn't the info dump that many books give, but there was the gradual introduction of it that sucks you into the world. This was a fascinating rea More...

Silvio.....

"...more like a siren or succubus, as deadly as he was tempting."

He is extremely mysterious, dark, dangerous and sexy. He's also an assassin. I ABSOLUTELY loved his character!!! There's no confusion for him he knows what he wants and one way or another he will achieve his goal.

Stefano...

He is a mob boss. He's also dark and sexy but CRAZY confused and uncertain after he meets the deadly Silvio.....have I told you I REALLY like Silvio, I may have repeated myself sorry;)



Silvio and Stefan More...

Wow. Just...wow.

I am tempted to leave it there, but I can never say something with three words if I could use a hundred.

Typical Voinov, really. Perfectly plotted, perfectly paced, taut writing. Deep, rich characters. Small, well-proofed, well-edited, professional package. The volume comprises two shorter episodes, each as perfect as the other. I loved the fact that the kink in this was real, and disturbing. That things start out hot, then go too far. That there is real danger to the characters, More...