Cold-Blooded Creatures: A Dark MMF Romance

by Arisa Villar

In my city, your best chance at survival was living in the slums.
But luck didn't stay with me for long.

A fighter.
I had sacrificed my morals to earn my freedom in Ilasall. Yet my victory was short-lived. Two men running the world outside my city dared to steal me. Utter assholes. My pleas to leave didn’t affect them, and my threats only curled their lips. But deals were my specialty, so I made one. My body in exchange for their people.

A leader.
My mornings carried three kill, protect, or punish. Selfishness be damned, I deserved to take. Her flaming eyes drew me in like a moth, and his scars called out to me. She was a wicked creature with deadly ambitions. He was a broken man who coaxed my sins out. But I was the king of our chess match. And everyone bowed to me.

A sinner.
Following him was my job. Catching him staring—a bonus. But it all had changed when they came for us. He grew ruthless, and I, insane. Learned that torture had a flavor. I thought that was it for me. I was wrong. Luring vicious smiles out of her and toying with his head turned out to taste better than scarlet dripping down the blade of my favorite knife.

"You taste like addiction."

You can find the full list of sensitive topics discussed and tropes on the author's arisavillar.com.

Genres: Dark Romance, M M F, Found Family, Dystopia, Dark, Why Choose, Fantasy

636 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2025

About the author

Arisa Villar is an author of dark romance and dark fantasy. Since she discovered the dark side of literature in her university years, she hasn’t stopped exploring it. From sweet romances to erotic horror, she reads it all.

And because her particular fixation has decided to land on the more…questionable stories, she writes accordingly. Or in other words, the more unhinged and spicier the story, the happier the author.

Currently, she lives in the corner of Europe, in a small country called Lithuania. Although the winters can get a little bit cold there, she always has a spicy book in every room to warm up.

Instagram: @arisa.villar
TikTok: @arisa.villar
Threads: @arisa.villar
Facebook: Arisa Villar

Reviews

[TheConnieFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This dark dystopian romance novel took me on one wild ride! This is a why choose romance and it is the first book in The Bleeding Souls Duet series! It is pitch black dark, adventurous, tense, mysterious, sad and hopeful. I really love reading dark romance stories and I will say that this one is definitely at the top of the list! This was a medium to fast paced read, where the characters are strongly developed. This is both plot and character driven. The two main male characters are morally grey, while the female protagonist is strong and powerful.

I enjoyed the complex power dynamics and the found family in this book! My favorite character was Kali, the female protagonist. Kali endures so much, yet she still remains strong, bold and determined! I really liked the multiple points of views and the dystopian setting. This book had amazing world building! This book leaves on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait until the next one comes out! The world building, characters and amazing storyline was perfection. I rate this 5 out of 5 stars!

This is a dark romance book, so be sure to check out the trigger warnings before reading it. Thank you to the incredible author Arisa Villar for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. This novel gave me the book “Game of Thrones” vibes!

This book is expected to be published on October 16, 1025!

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

dark fantasy • MMF • morally gray

This book was dark, twisted, and unapologetically intense. It had all the hallmarks of a gritty, morally gray fantasy romance that lures you in with danger and refuses to let go. The writing is vivid and atmospheric, pulling you deep into Ilasall’s brutal world of power, survival, and desire.

The story follows a fierce FMC who’s hardened by her past and thrown into the hands of two dangerous men who rule outside her city. The kidnapped-to-lovers setup, bone-carver MMC, and psycho energy gave this book a raw, visceral feel that fans of dark romance will appreciate. The MMCs are feral in all the right ways, possessive, violent, and obsessed. The MMF dynamic added an interesting layer to the tension.

At times, the story felt like chapters skipped over important information and didn’t fully flow from one scene to the next. I found myself wanting a smoother transition between moments, especially when it came to character development and emotional depth.

The chemistry was scorching, but I wanted a bit more connection behind the chaos. Still, the worldbuilding was creative, the dialogue sharp, and the morally gray themes were executed with boldness.

If you like your romance bloody, spicy, and morally complex, this one might be your kind of chaos, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

[Jesse Lemire · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dark romance and obsessive MMC vibes were there, but I felt disconnected with the rest of the story.

*ARC REVIEW*

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5 🌶🌶🌶

Tropes
✅️Dystopian
✅️Forced Proximity
✅️Obsessive MMC's
✅️MFM (Some MM scenes)
✅️Dark Romance
✅️Found Family

Triggers
☑️Death
☑️Torture
☑️Attemped Sexual Assault
☑️Misogyny
☑️Forced Breeding
☑️Loss of Loved One
☑️PTSD

Kinks
✴️Bondage
✴️Collar
✴️Spanking
✴️ Threesome
✴️Voyeurism
✴️Exhibitionism
✴️Blood Play
✴️Gun Play
✴️Pain Play

First, thank you, Arisa Villar, for the opportunity to be part of your ARC team!

Interesting Dystopian concept. The fertile population is at a dangerous low, so the population is divided by green and black bands. Green are for fertile and black are sterile. Green banded women are treated like possessions, and each child they birth promotes their male match higher in their social structure.

The FMC is Kali, a black banded woman who vows to bring down their corrupt system and save her friend Alora. But is captured by Gedeon, the leader of a rebel compound, before she can execute her plan.

However, once we get to Gedeon's compound, the story just plateaus. Way too many characters are introduced. Readers only need a small handful of supporting characters to flow with the story. Everyone else just becomes faceless and fades into the background.

To be honest, not much happened in the 500+ pages.
Once Kali becomes comfortable at Gedeon's compound, it's just an infinity loop of Kali begging to launch an attack against Ilasall and Gedeon saying they aren't prepared...over and over again.

Don't get me wrong, Gedeon and Zion's obsession with Kali is pretty hot. Gedeon's got that delicious Daddy Dom energy, and Zion is the psycho pretty boy with a blood kink. Kali's fiesty no-one-owns-me attitude just ignites their addiction to her.

Their compound also has a club called Vice, which is supposed to act as a low-key BDSM club. A lot of the other residents are very open with their sexuality, which Kali finds out pretty quickly after walking in on some couples when she first arrives.

I will give points for the creative brutality in torture techniques. Gedeon's obsession is carving bones, and Zion's knife skills are unparalleled, carving up victims in such a way that maximizes pain but doesn't lead to death.

Gedeon's retort to some guy touching Kali is golden...
"I will pluck the bones out of your fingers, one by one, and make a necklace out of them. I will use a paintbrush to color them with your blood and then watch you gift it to her as your apology."

Haha, damn. ❤️‍🔥🔥

Overall, I liked the dark romance, but the plot lost its focus, therefore losing my interest. Will I continue to the second book? Eh, probably not.

[Kylie Weigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect mix between Divergent and The Handmaids Tale.

A dystopian world that controls every aspect of a woman's life. A world that erected walls to keep the population confined and condemned; making women the sole slave to the wrath of man. A world that uses women to rebuild a fleeting and dying population. At the brute end of the having no autonomy, Kali has made decisions to survive, betraying the one person that she held near to her heart. In the world of Ilasall, you are a green or a black; those colors define the place and treatment you recieve in the walls of the city of hell itself. Learning that the only form of currency was her body and deals made in the dark, Kali was able to lay beneath the stars outside the walls of her cage - one night, she realizes she is not alone but she wasn't scared. The figure remained distanced and watched, always there in the shadows when she would slip out of Ilasall and take in the night sky. Until one night bearing news that her escapades will cease, she screams into the void as if that will wake her from her nightmare and then on a whim she decides to confront the figure and he made the perfect target to her own internal wrath and pain. Demanding his intention, his name, why he is there; she ends up pinned and at the hands of a hungry man but she didn't fear it, she accepted the intrusion; afterall this was likely her last night of freedom. After succumbing to the touch of the stranger that leaves her body buzzing, she returns to her cage.
One day she is caged in by a man, Kali bears a black marker on her wrist meaning she is the disposable plaything to all men and no one would interfere or help her. She was nothing. Before the man can wreak havoc on her body and make her a slave to the urges of the man, a stranger saves her and grants her a winhdow to escape. Only does she realize, that this stranger was there for her and to retrieve her for the very shadow that sat with her under the stars. Enter Gedeon and Zion, leaders to the compound outside of the city that offers freedom to women and protects all from opression. Despite her fight or flight, she doesn't want to fly but stay. As she acclimates to the compound, she is at the forefront of Gedeon and Zions desire and she already fell once to her shadow and she is spiraling towards his next in command too. After seemingly accepting her new home, the dynamic of this love triangle is on fire. It's raw, visceral, ruthless and demanding.
As they define the means of their love triangle, they all still agree on one thing - end Ilasall and the reign over women - granting freedom and bringing down the system that has enslaved women only for their bodies and abiliy to reproduce. Conspiring with two other compounds, goals aligned; they are working tediously to break into the cities and bring the walls down from the inside, too end it all. But nothing is easy and they must bide their time and wait for information, needing to learn how to hack the new security infrastucture that will make saving humanity even more difficult.
Kali, Gedeon and Zion navigate the entirety of their new life, sharing their secrets and pain, their loss but the goal remains in sight, Gedeon and Zion aim to break down Kali's own walls until she realizes she is free, she is in control. That she is their Little Death and Little Bird. Kali is fiery and strength embodied into a woman ready to exact revenge, fix her wrongings and release her own wrath on the leaders that have defined her and many others solely tools for survival. Despite survival mode always on the ready - she sinks into the world of her new home as they wait. There was something amiss, a rat in their home and they need to find out who. After a successful operation, one leaving Kali behind to accomplish - news is brought that will bring her to her knees. She hoped, prayed to the Gods but no one cared, answered or noticed.
Preparing for whatever may come, Kali has started training - insistent but nonetheless important for defense. It had been too quiet and it was a matter of time. An attack suddenly encompassing the compound from Ilasall and all hell breaks loose but there's no time to think, only act. Battling through injuries and defending their home - there's only so much one can do. After the success of the mission, this was a reckoning to be expected. Only now they can save the women, fight the enemies and destroy them before they can destroy everything again. After the fog of the intense strike, Kali is honned in and in a stupor. She can't be weak. She can't be caught. She can't lose more people. She can't lose herself. Lost in her thoughts as she is mimics repetitions of her training and not clear minded, a slip happens that will alter their lives, the safety of their love, home and more. Only time will tell what is to come and how they will preserve.

Engaging, real and powerful. The author wrote the perfect book not only about women's strength and perseverance but how undermined we are. While this is a dystopian story - it draws the reality of what's it's like to be a woman in modern day. A testament to strength and redefining our own worth and choices of our bodies and finding a safe place to heal and be vulnerable in whatever form it may come in.

[DeathReye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Arisa Villar for allowing me to read the ARC and be a part of her Street Team in exchange for an honest review

This book is genuinely fun to read; however, if you are faint-hearted, definitely read the trigger warnings. I'm someone who finds that a lot of 'dark romance' books don't fall inside the 'dark' genre, or I'm left quite disappointed with what people classify as dark, but I think that speaks more to me rather than the books and other readers. 'Cold-Blooded Creatures' holds up to the trigger warnings, and the author delivers - while I do know I've read wayyyyy darker, I appreciate that the author did not hold back or use her trigger warnings as 'click bait'.

The story sets the reader in a dystopian world where a virus has left humanity divided into 'fertile' and 'non-fertile'. If you're non-fertile, you're classified as scum or worthless and have to fight to survive. If you're classified as fertile AND you're a woman, you're basically sold at auction to be a breeding cow. Fertile women have zero autonomy over their bodies as they're expected to continue having children until the day they die or can no longer have children, 'FOR HUMANITY'. Non-fertile women (to no surprise) have it worse (sounds weird to write because it's just a bad time for women), as they are viewed as playthings and slaves to the darker urges of men. The story presents this classification very well, as I genuinely felt uncomfortable with many of the FMC's interactions with men who live within the 'civilised' city of Ilasall. Outside Ilasall's high walls, there are compounds where communities can live without the constraints of this classification. People in these compounds are sexually liberated as they can pretty much have sex anywhere and still feel protected in their society because the punishment for crimes like rape is pretty much death if you're lucky, or tortured, then death.
This is a very story-driven book with an ok amount of world-building. I would have preferred a larger amount of world-building, but I think it is a simple concept that is easy to get across without it....I'm just fussy.

Characters
Kali
The story's 'non-fertile' FMC, her story begins within the walls of Ilasall; however, she is abducted and brought to a compound by Gedeon (one of our love interests). She is presented as a strong female lead who has had to sell her body for any semblance of freedom (even if it's just for a few hours alone). Sex to Kali is a transaction, and she no longer holds any emotional ties to it. In addition to this, she is working to try and find her friend who has been taken away due to presenting as fertile. Kali has a lot of guilt surrounding her friend (which the story uncovers), and I really admire how the author stuck to her guns and made it Kali's core goal to find her friend despite being given safety and freedom.
My issue with Kali falls more with how quickly the two MMCs are obsessed with her. I feel like the start of the story moved too fast and left me unconvinced of the amount of care these ruthless MMCs have for her. I am a person who often appreciates the chase in the story and development of relationships rather than the catch. This is often a large issue I have with romance/dark romance books in general.
There is a scene in the book where the two male love interests are away on a mission, and she is hurt that they didn't take her with them. To get her revenge, she trashes both of their rooms and workspaces with the help of her girl-friends she's made in the compound. While the temper tantrum is something I often roll my eyes at, I loved the womanhood between the female characters. It's a well-written scene in a world where women are cattle; they were able to come together and care for one another through their shared experiences of this dark world.

Gedeon
On paper, Gedeon should be a dark and brooding MMC that I fall head-over-heels for, but he was a bit too one-dimensional for me. I do blame this on his past experiences, forcing him to throw up his own walls to keep people at a distance...but then he's obsessed with Kali, and (like I've already said) I'm unconvinced why. Gedeon is the leader of their compound. With respect to his leadership, I do admire him. He is very reserved, which is acknowledged later to be a fault, as he is not willing to take risks because he can not handle losing his civilians. His relationship with Zion I feel deserves a paragraph of its own.

Zion
Now this man, love. Zion is the unhinged MMC in this genuine love triangle....and by love triangle, I mean a REAL triangle, everyone is obsessed and in love with each other. He works in a basement where he tortures people for information and has zero clue what personal space means - I love it. The relationship between him and Kali is a tad more believable as she relies on him for a certain level of comfort that I feel she can't get with Gedeon due to his coldness/aloofness. Zion is not afraid to feel his emotions, though they do become unhinged, and he often loses focus. His dialogue is genuinely funny at times, and his reactions to Kali hitting him with logic that he just can't understand were hilarious. He has a tragic back story, and because of this, I felt like the author was able to present a much more complex character, which I really appreciated.

My Favourite
Gedeon and Zion's relationship is my favourite part of this whole book. They have both been friends since childhood, and I feel like they've been denying/ignoring their feelings for one another until Kali comes into the picture. The pining in this book between both of them was unreal! THIS IS WHAT I WANTED WITH THEM AND KALI! Once they both decide to give in to each other with the 'fuck it' moment, the tension is finally paid off and we (the readers) were eating good! During every conversation and every conflict, both of these characters looked at or for each other, and it just healed my fujoshi soul. Gedeon is a very protective character and is often watching out for Kali in a very 'touch her and die' way, BUT HE DOES THE SAME FOR ZION AND I DIED. Zion is like a dog always looking for a bone to gnaw on, and Gedeon is the one always looking for one to throw to him. So much fun.

Conclusion
I will be reading the second book!
I recommend it to other dark romance fans; however, I will preface by reiterating that this is more story-focused than many other dark romances I've read. I'm a fan of world-building, story-driven plot, and complex characters; this book presents all these.

[Ryn Meagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Book Review - Cold Blooded Creatures by Arisa Villar

Christ.. this book chewed me up, spat me out, and then whispered “good girl” while setting my emotions on fire.

This book is pitch-black dystopian madness, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Think The Hunger Games met The Handmaid’s Tale—then got drunk on morally gray men, trauma, and pastries.

We’ve got Kali, our pastry-obsessed, vengeance-driven queen who refuses to crumble no matter how many times life (or her captors) try to break her. Then there’s Gedeon, the cold, bone-carving leader with “I’ll protect you but also ruin you” energy, and Zion, the psycho second-in-command who probably flirts with knives and blood more than people—aka my feral favorite.

This is a why-choose romance that absolutely delivers. The chemistry? Unholy. The tension? Enough to power a small dystopian city. The spice? 🔥🔥🔥
The MM scenes? Chef’s kiss. The three together? Unhinged perfection.

But beneath the chaos and carnage, there’s heart. The found family vibes, the complex power plays, and the quiet moments of hope hit just as hard as the dark, violent ones. The worldbuilding is bloody wild. It’s vivid, atmospheric, and yet oddly beautiful. You can feel the grime of the streets, the cold basements, the hunger, the danger…

The cliffhanger? We know how I feel about a cliffhanger Illegal. I’m mad.

If you like your romance bloody, spicy, and morally gray enough to make your therapist concerned, this book will absolutely own you.

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cold-Blooded Creatures: A Dark MMF Romance by Arisa Villar

At its core, Cold-Blooded Creatures is a dark, dystopian romance about Kali, a gritty survivor in a brutal world where a woman’s worth is tied to her ability to reproduce, who is taken from the slums of Ilasall by two enigmatic leaders, Gedeon and Zion, sparking a tense, volatile, and deeply intense love triangle that blends danger with desire and survival with connection. The setting and stakes are raw and unflinching, where freedom, power, and bloodshed shape every choice and relationship, and where Kali must reckon with her past wounds and the fierce bonds that form with the men who now share her life.

What struck me most about this story was how it made me feel both unsettled and strangely invested in a trio whose beginning is born out of force and blurred consent instead of gentle courtship. Kali’s independence and fire gave me a sense of admiration; she is continually trying to assert agency in a world that wants to strip it from her, and that tension made her growth feel hard earned. Gedeon’s brooding leadership and Zion’s unpredictable intensity folded into a dynamic that was at times unnerving, at times tender, and always charged with complexity. The dystopian world felt tangible and unforgiving, the emotional landscape jagged with trauma and unspoken longing, with moments that pulled me up short because of how raw they were. Although this is not a story for the faint of heart and the spice and darkness are full force, there were glimpses of loyalty and found family that stayed with me long after I put the book down.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
I appreciated the bold worldbuilding and the emotional grit of the characters, even if the darkness and intensity might not resonate with every reader, and the romance, complicated and fierce, left a lasting impression.

[Shawna Jalbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

•Dark Dystopian Romance
•Why Choose/MMF
•Unhinged MMCs
•Fiesty/Violent FMC
•Kidn@pping
•BDSM
•DubCon/NonCon
•V0yeurism/Exhibitionism
•🌶🌶🌶🌶

♡ARC Review♡
Man, this was a crazy ride. We have 2 unhinged MMCs, Gedeon and Zion, that LOVE vi0lence and 🩸. That will LITERALLY pluck other men’s eyes from there head and remove their fingers if they so much as look or touch Kali. The government is completely effed. 3 large cities are all hiding behind stone walls with security to keep their civilians in. All separated by green or black bands. Green means you’re fertile, and black means you’re not. Don’t even get me started on WHY. You’ll have to read to find that out. I knew going in it was a duet, which meant a cliffhanger.. but was I expecting it to be that kind of cliffhanger!? NO. NO, I DID NOT. UGHHH.. WHYYYY?! Now.. I have to IMPATIENTLY wait for the 2nd book. 😩😩

[Wendy Marie (myrisingphoenixera.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
4🌶️
🔥 Dystopian MMF
🔥Bone Carver MMC
🔥Psycho MMC
🔥Stabby & Bratty FMC
🔥Kidnapping to Lovers
🔥Who Hurt You?
🔥Found Family
🔥Dark Past
🔥”You pray to me"
🔥Multi First Person POV
🚩Mind the Cliff

This is a dystopian setting where a virus broke out generations ago destroying life and affected their ability to repoduce. All thats left is three walled off cities. Your place in society and how you live depends solely on your physical ability to reproduce. You either wear a green band if you’re fertile or a black band if you’re infertile. Kali wears a black band and has survived by trading favors using her body. When Kali can’t sleep she sneaks out of the city and goes to a clearing in the nearby forest so she can see the stars. For the last two months there’s been a man watching her from the shadows. Gedeon is the leader of a compound where people live outside of the city. He has become obsessed with Kali and decides he’s going to take her for himself. He kidnapps her and brings her back to the compound. Kali is shocked to find out there really are people outside of Ilasall. Even though they’ve lived outside of the city Gedeon and his second in command Zion have dark pasts. Kali is fierce, determined, and is used to making deals and trading favors to get what she needs to survive. Gedeon is dark with daddy Dom vibes but is weighed down by the responsibility to his people. Zion, well he’s insane with a profienceny for knives and a blood obsession. Gedeon and Zion are the darkest of grey mmcs and unapologetically unhinged. The dystopian world is brutal and unforgiving. The spice was intense and shamelessly hot. There were a few choppy transitions between chapters and the story lagged in the middle plot wise, but there is no shortage of action and spice. There is a cliffhanger and to end it like that with lives in peril…it’s brutal, so prepare yourselves. The story and characters are great, but it’s very long and certain things felt uncessary that didn’t drive the plot or character development.

🚩Be sure to read the author’s note and content warnings before reading

Plot:3.5
Engaging:4
Character:4

Thank you to Arissa Villar for the ARC.

📚All thoughts and opinions are my own📚
🐦‍🔥Follow me on socials @myrisingphoenixera.reads 🐦‍🔥

A Few Favorite Quotes:
“I might have stolen you for myself, but you have stolen my sanity,”

“Pretty birdie, don’t fly away from me.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that if you try to flee, I will always find you and drag you back?”

“She was my death, one I had claimed, and he was my sinner, one who would pledge his fealty to me on his knees, begging to be used.”

[tracey ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed the story and dystopian world behind this book. The characters were interesting. It doesn’t get more than 3 stars due to some confusing writing at times and the jumping ahead. It just felt like there were a lot of blanks that I had no idea how to fill even slightly. It’s definitely a dark romance and I did like the smut, just wish there was a bit more for me to get more emotionally invested. The cliffhanger was pretty good and I will be waiting to read the next one! Thank you for the e-arc!

[Dayna⛓️‍ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review:
My my my, may I say this was a delicious read! 605 pages of spice, action— following the plot greatly. While this has ended on a cliffhanger, being a duet… I do personally dislike cliffhangers but it makes me excited for book 2 nonetheless. I love the characters dynamics, Gedeons control, Zions bloodlust, and Kalis boldness- it all ties together so well. The action was great, the violence was unique, and overall was extremely visualizing!! The spice was equally as good, happened enough to make the book extra spicy, but not an excessive amount to make it smut>plot which I’m happy about! I was able to enjoy this book, its plot, characters, action, and spice- without feeling like one was lacking over the other. Might I add the nicknames are SO cute, like ‘Little Death’ and ‘Pretty Birdie’ common now! And the FMC being bratty was actually done tastefully, I usually can’t stand bratty FMCs but she was curated and written so nicely! I appreciate Arisa for this ARC and I’ll definitely be reading book 2!
5 stars ⭐️, 4 peppers 🌶️

Kidnapping to Lovers
Stabby Bratty FMC
Touch her and 💀
Light Sadism/Masochism
Blood Kink
There’s a safe word
Polyamory Rep
‘I’m your God’
Bi Rep
Grief
Debt paid in Orgasms
He gifts her someone to 💀

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨️ ARC REVIEW ✨️

Okay... so dark dystopian romance... kinda like the Hunger Games but for adults with lots of trauma and kinks.

TROPES:
- Bratty and Stabby FMC - Kali, we love her and really got to bond with her through her trauma and backstory
- Kidnapping to Lovers - I'll be quite honest, I didn't love how whiney Kali was after she got snatched, but I've never been kidnapped before so I'm not sure how I would react 🤷🏼‍♀️
- Orgasms as payment for a debt - 🙈 enough said there
- Bone Carver MMC - he sends a message to the leader of the city they grabbed Kali from.... we love Gedeon
- Blood- thirsty MMC - Ummm Zion is unhinged and we love him for it
- He gifts her a person she can off - we love a guy helping to boost his girls confidence 🙌🏻
- "Touch her and I will make a necklace out of your fingers" - why cant all guys be like that? I mean come on...
- He carves out someone's eyes because they looked at her - see above statement (come on guys, y'all really need to step up your game)
- MMF Dynamic - beautifully done 👏🏻, we had pineing, we had interest, we had communication between the involved parties

With everything, please read your trigger warnings, friends. She has a link tree in her bio, but the TW page wasn't working and it made me giggle.

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unhinged and deliciously addicting.

Bleeding Souls Duet book 1
"A fighter, a leader, and a sinner.
Vicious. Selfish. Sadistic."

Author Arisa Villar paints a dark twisted world that is easy to envision and feel immersed in this dark dystopian fantasy. I was completely captivated by this compelling world and the characters in it. With so much action, excitement, and steam I never wanted to put this book down. WILD!

The connection that builds between Zion, Kali, and Gedeon is perfection. They complement each other in the best of ways. There is so much fire and passion between them I thought I was going to overheat and melt. I am obsessed with them.

I can't wait for the continuation of their story in book 2.

Tropes:
Tough FMC
Reverse harem
MMF
Enemies-to-lovers
Kidnapping
Morally gray
Found Family
Possesive
Kink
BDSM
Graphic
Explicit
Multiple POV

Check TW

Thank you NetGalley and Arisa Villar for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Nadine Sturgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

5🌟 5🌶 Dark Fantasy - MFM - Gritty - Dystopian - Dark Romance -

SO MANY CLIFFHANGERS!!!! Who's the Rat? Knife in abdomen, what's next?!?!

READ THIS BOOK!

A giant THANK YOU to Arisa Villar for giving me an advanced copy to read. This was an EXPERIENCE! War comes to those who choose to live life freely. Kali living in Ilasall with a mission to right a wrong she committed. Gedeon, the dark broody leader who is obsessed with Kali. Zion, the second in command under Gedeon, slight psychotic and also obsessed with Kali. When their worlds collide, albeit forcefully, it becomes an insanely dark twisted love triangle between the three. There's possessiveness, obsession, gore, emotional abuse, some physical abuse and more dark taboo-ish themes. This is not a complaint but just stating they are present, but they make this tale.

[Niomi King · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To the lost, broken, and yet carrying on. Keep fighting."

I love empowering dedications 🫶🏼

If you love spicy books with unhinged hero's finding themselves through finding their person, this is for you! (Check the trigger warnings with any dark romance. Your mental health matters)

This book follows Kali, Zion, and Gedeon.
In a dystopian world where a global virus has taken away the ability to procreate for the majority of the population, walled off communities are created to manage and ensure the future of humanity. At least, that's how all of the controlling and abusive action is justified by the leaders of these communities. Upon maturity every citizen is tested to see if they are fertile, green bands are and black bands aren't, you are put to use how ever the city sees fit, the life of a green band female is solely to give your matched partner as many children as possible. Kali, however, has other ideas. She defies the system and sets out to bring Ilasall down.
Zion and Gedeon are the leaders of a free community that live outside of the restrictions and dictatorship. They save the citizens trapped within the walls of Ilasall in hopes of giving them a better future, Kali just so happens to be the one they don't give the option, they take her for themselves, unapologetically claiming her.

Eeeek and boy, do they claim her.

A girl who wakes up and chooses violence (daily) men that get off on that fact. MMF, found friends, enemies to lovers, Kink play and discovery, revenge plotting, preparing for war. This has a little of everything, and I loved it.

*** Thank you to netgalley and Arisa Villar for the ARC, it has been an absolute pleasure talking with you about your book. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to join you in your journey. Best of luck with the release of Cold Blooded Creatures 🫶🏼

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of reading this as part of Arisa’s ARC Team.

You guys aren’t ready for this one at all, this entire book from start to finish had me in a chokehold. I promise this one is NOT for the faint hearted so check your triggers.

I absolutely am in love with this. Gedeon, Zion and Kali are all so perfect it’s insane. This is a true “touch her and die” but it’s also a “touch her and I will make a necklace out of your fingers” Zion and Gedeon set the bar with gift giving 👀

I NEED BOOK TWO 🥹🥹🥹🖤

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a minute to get into this but I highly believe this was an issue with myself and not the book.

I did end up enjoying the story and the characters. There were a few moments I failed to really connect with where the storyline was going but overall it was very well done.

I liked how there were many aspects to what was going on and how the world was clearly mapped out, what the expectations within that world was and how each character felt into it.

I will end up reading this book again in the future simply because I really think the issues I was having was due to myself. The writing was good and I feel like at a later time my mind and heart will connect more with these pages.

Thank you to Arisa Villar and anyone involved with giving me the opportunity for this ARC and a chance to share my thoughts.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Arisa for a copy of this amazing read! I had a good time reading.
The characters really grow on you. The obsession is real between them.
I’m excited to see what’s next for them. THE CLIFFHANGER?!?!?!
I recommend to people who like dystopian, dark reads with spice, revenge, and a dash of found family.

-mmf
-dark
-found family
-similar to Handmaid’s Tale
-dystopian
-blood lust
-obsession

[Gabija. Keista Skaitytoja · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

Pradžia buvo labai sunkiai skaitoma🫣 šiek tiek net nuobodu buvo, nors suprantu, kad visas pasaulio kūrimas vyko. Nors tarp visų antraeilių veikėjų man sunkiai visą knygą sekėsi susigaudyti🫣
Tada viduryje jau “įsivažiavau” ir istorija mane pagavo ir užkabino! Tačiau, link galo vėl man pasidarė nuobodoka. Beeet pabaiga! Na negalima taip palikti! Man antros dalies reikia ČIA IR DABAR!!!
Tad bendrai - istorija gera, verta dėmesio, bet jei būtų buvus bent kiek trumpesnė, būtų tikriausiai buvę dar geriau.👌

[Morgs · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I tell you I ate this up, bitchhhh (with love) I ATE. THIS. SHIT. UP. 👏 Arisa, ma’am, you had me clutching my pearls and kicking my lil feet nonstop for the day & a half it took me to devour it. Absolutely unputdownable.

[Vesta | west.a.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book at 3am and then just lay there staring at the ceiling like… How do I go back to normal life?!? Cold-Blooded Creatures has officially ruined regular dark romances for me…

[Amanda Lindgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully tragic world has a deeply dystopian feel, dark corners, and true evil lurking.

Kidnappings, swimming lessons, plans and counting. A Kitten, and Pretty Birdie, and a Little Death. Found family. Hilarious dinners. And so many pastries.

Kali our pastry loving badass is looking for revenge. Haunted by her past, and fueled by anger, she will do everything for that revenge. Her shadow has other plans for her..:

Gedeon our fearless bone carving leader. Composed and controlled. Keeping his people safe, while pushing the one he wants away.

Zion our broken sadistic second in command. He loves a good plaything, but wants something more.

This book dark themes, emotional damage, and some of the best spice. 🌶️ The cliffhanger is insane, and so many questions have been left unanswered. I just know book two will not disappoint!

[Ashleigh Sanders · Rating 1 out of 5]

THIS WAS MY FIRST DNF IN A LONG TIME! I COULD NOT GET INTO THIS BOOK I TRIED SOOOO HARD I READ OVER 100 PAGES AND I JUST WASN’T CLICKING WITH IT. I MIGHT TRY AGAIN AT SOME POINT

[Angelica Ybarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
Cold-Blooded Creatures
Release Date: October 16, 2025
By: Arisa Villar
Read Trigger-Warnings

First, I would like to take this time to Thank Arisa for letting me part of her Street Team for the upcoming release of Cold-Blooded Creatures.
OH MY GOD!! THIS BOOK IS FINGER-LICKING GOOD!!
Cold Blooded Creatures is a Dystopian Dark Romance book. I can’t express how much I love this book. The story focuses on three characters (Kali, Zion, Gedeon) but there are a wide range of side characters that make this read worth it.
Kali lives in the city of Ilasall. She is the bratty, strong FMC. She is trying to work her way up at Ilasall, so she can destroy the city from within. Kali finally gets on the path she needs but ends up being kidnapped by the men who run the city outside of her home.
Gedeon is the leader of his compound. “She was my death, one I had to claimed, and he was my sinner, one who would pledge his fealty to me on his knees, begging to be used.”
Zion is second in command. He loves to torture and gets off blood. “Your lips are so pretty when you beg. I can’t wait to cut them open.”
Cold Blooded Creatures does end on a cliffhanger and it will have you throwing your book/kindle on the floor.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ Cold Blooded Creatures by Arisa Villar

Release date 16th October 2025

✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❤️‍🔥 Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 

💭 Summary (Spoiler-Free):

Set in a dystopian world, where fertility is the most important thing someone can have. Kali who doesn’t have that privilege is stolen by two men who plan to take the cities down.

Cold Blooded Creatures is a dystopian dark romance, with a lot of spice!

Reminds me of The Hunger Games mixed with Handmaids Tale.

👤 Main Characters:

Gedeon - the hardened bone carver leader. He’s possessive, dominant and in control.

Zion - the unhinged, psycho second in command. He loves blood, knives and pain. (My personal favourite)

Kali - the feisty and fierce fighter. She will do whatever she can for what she wants.

The main characters were all well fleshed out with backstories and unique elements which has you rooting for them instantly!

🌟 What I Liked:

Arisa is a wonderful storyteller who’s world building has such beautiful prose. Her writing was immersive and descriptive. She made me crave a peach despite not even liking them!

Each new area was beautifully described and you could feel the atmosphere change between each place. You could feel the heat out on the streets and the cold mouldy basement of the compound.

The MMCs were unique and despite how unhinged they were I found myself liking them (I’m colour blind to red flags)

I enjoyed the found family elements for the FMC. The dark romance elements were my fav! Touch her and 💀 taken to the max! There are ALLLL the trigger warnings so do check those out for reading (or go right ahead if you’re like me 😉) It is a cheeky little MMF dynamic which I can’t deny I enjoyed!

The spiciest spice! OMG! The the MM scenes were on fire and when the three of them were together was so juicy! Chapter 56 was 🥵 I cannot wait to see how Zion and Gedeons relationship progresses!

🤔 What I Struggled With:

I’m personally not a fan of slow burn and I found that it took a while for the FMC to like the MMCs and also for the story to advance. If you like slow burn then this book may be for you. It took me about 50% of the book to really enjoy it, but honestly the tension between the MMCs was keeping me interested!

Again this is personal preference because I have 0 attention span and forget if there are too many secondary characters, there was so many introduced all at once and I can’t remember what their roles are or who they even are. That being said, I liked the MMCs and found them unique. The FMC wasn’t my favourite but she was well written.

I did think the story was well fleshed out and beautifully written. Arisa describes the world beautifully and it did feel immersive.

Sometimes the dialogue felt unnatural, I didn’t always flow like a normal conversation would do.

My attention span is so small so a book over 400 pages tends to get overlooked, this is again personal preference, however it had been refreshing to push myself to read something so long.

💬 Favourite Quote:

My favourite oh so sexy quote - *“I was going to own her fully—mind, body, and soul.”*

📚 Final Thoughts:

If you’re looking for a sexy dystopian novel, this is it. The spice is so hot, you’ll need a cold shower to cool off 🥵❤️‍🔥

I’d definitely read more of Arisa’s work in the future as her storytelling is gorgeous. The cliffhanger has left me wanting more and anticipating the next novel in the duet!

Thank you to Arisa for the opportunity to ARC review your book!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You taste like addiction.”

Thank you to Arissa Villar for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This book does have some dark triggers. Please read them at your discretion.

In my city, your best chance at survival was living in the slums. But luck didn't stay with me for long. A fighter. I had sacrificed my morals to earn my freedom in Ilasall. Yet my victory was short-lived. Two men running the world outside my city dared to steal me. Utter assholes. My pleas to leave didn’t affect them, and my threats only curled their lips. But deals were my specialty, so I made one. My body in exchange for their people. A leader. My mornings carried three kill, protect, or punish. Selfishness be damned, I deserved to take. Her flaming eyes drew me in like a moth, and his scars called out to me. She was a wicked creature with deadly ambitions. He was a broken man who coaxed my sins out. But I was the king of our chess match. And everyone bowed to me. A sinner. Following him was my job. Catching him staring—a bonus. But it all had changed when they came for us. He grew ruthless, and I, insane. Learned that torture had a flavor. I thought that was it for me. I was wrong. Luring vicious smiles out of her and toying with his head turned out to taste better than scarlet dripping down the blade of my favorite knife.

There are three leads for this story. We have a strong and stubborn FMC and then two bullheaded and brutish MMCs. Kali appealed to me more than Gedeon or Zion did, I must admit. I love a morally grey or just completely deprived MMC in a dark romance but these two felt too emotionally unavailable which was a shame. Perhaps towards the very end we start seeing something different but they just didn’t float my boat. I certainly admired Kali for her constant tenacity and her refusal to just allow things to happen as others wish it. I would have liked to see her following through with more of her threats against others because constantly backing down each time made me deflate a little.

Since I’m getting into dark romance more, I’ve been trying to explore different parts of it. For this book, it’s definitely on the darker side. The plot isn’t too bad but I found myself really struggling with the pacing. Multiple times I contemplated DNFing the book because it felt too much like I was slogging through. And it’s such a shame because it impacted my enjoyment for the overall story! Character wise, I think there is a pretty good cast here. I do wish though that we got to see more of the “inner circle” that they have. They appear here and there for a chapter and then disappear again. I wanted to get to know them more! There is some romance here but with the kidnapping and the constant forcing of emotion, it didn’t entirely feel genuine for me. Dark romance is something I enjoy because it feels like genuine emotions emerge despite the hardships and dark tendencies - but the romance here didn’t get my heart racing. The spice I can definitely admit is hot. Villar does a good job at crafting a spicy scene for sure. For me, I would have been even more engaged in them if I felt the emotion was less forced. The ending was something I certainly predicted happening but I wanted more of a BANG and it felt more like a bang… I’m not sure if I’ll read the sequel or not at this time. This is more of a 2.5 star but I’ve rounded it up to 3.

Overall, Cold-Blooded Creatures is a good dark romance, it just didn’t completely vibe with me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to Arissa Villar for an advanced copy of this book.

[Laura Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing book. At first it started out slow for me. And I didn’t really understand what was going on. But I think it was more me than the story. It was beautiful written. I loved each one of the characters. Their development as the story moved along was amazing.

Kali—she is such a brave, strong willed woman, with a heart of gold. She does show that heart often and only shows it in the comfort of Zion and Gedeon arms. She does want to open up and get close to them or fall in love with them because of everything that has happened to her and everything she has put on herself but she cannot help being drawn to them.

Zion— is such a puppy in such a masculine way it’s to die for. With his crazy behavior and obsession to his softness with how he deals with kali sometimes is just a whirlwind. And how he messes with Gedeons mind because he knows how he truly feels but doesn’t know how to get thru to him. Just a puppy. I love it!!!

Gedeon—the overprotective brooding alpha male, they are mine, don’t mess with them or you have to deal with me, type of man. (Fanning myself over him) He is definitely a walking red flag in all the best ways!!! lol!!! He has a heart of gold and does everything his way and he doesn’t care what anyone has to say about it. Zion and kali give him a run for his money too because of it and they are the only ones allowed to do it.

You wouldn’t think the 3 personalities would work together but they fit together. They were made for each other.

With the book set for a war to break out between a rebel compound and a city that treats some of their residents like prisoners and what they have to do is appalling. I’m Team Rebel All the way. The fight for freedom comes at such a high cost and the things that Kali had to do to rise up in ranks is complete craziness in my book. I give her such props cause I don’t think I would be able to do what she did in her shoes. She blames and fights herself mentally every day for everything that she put herself thru even when she says that she says that it doesn’t bother it, that it stop bothering her a long time ago. There was only one thing that bothered her and that was the promise she made. And when she met the boys. They slowly in their own ways turned how she sees certain things around. It took a while for that to happen but it did happen. The ending was very shocking to me. I can’t wait to see if there is a second book to this. And if so I can’t wait to get my hands on it!!!!

[Kayla ELSIE · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was worried about this book. I really was. I am not overly smutty, nor into extremely shocking behaviour. That being said, the beginning of the book had me wondering how to take this deranged MMC, but a couple chapters in, I was so invested it consumed me. And that ending… I cannot. We need ANOTHER, ASAP.

I will pluck the bones out of your fingers, one by one, and make a necklace out of them. I will use a paintbrush to color them with your blood and then watch you gift it to her as your apology

The MFC was brought up in a world (Ilasall) with division and segregation based on fertility. Either owned or “free”, which is not so freeing as you are considered worthless trash. The FMC, Kali, is planning an assSINATION of the top men in their corrupt society but is denied the chance, as she is captured by a rebel compound leader, whom has been casually stalking her in the forest, and brought to the compound for seduction and love torture. Here, she is conflicted on her emotional connections to her abductors and the new sex liberating compound she now resides. At this point, there is lots of sex, a very polyamory living compound. The plot stays here for a while, then moves to discussions on how they will take down Ilasall, and the beginnings of war are set in motion.

Dual POV throughout the book provided great insight into each character, which helped understand each personality and their demons. I also loved the FMC at the beginning; she was spunky, tough, and did not take anyone's ***. However, by the end, I was a tad annoyed with her, as she kept her tough guy persona, with little follow through, and made some pretty silly decisions.

The writing was intense, very descriptive, and world-building was there, however there were a couple areas I would have liked more details in advance (rather than later) as there were parts I found may have had a plot hole, or something was missed/skipped. Character development at times could also have been given a smoother metamorphosis. I would have liked to see more focus on world building rather than the million background characters introduced, BUT there is a second book coming… so this focus may have value with book #2.

I BIG thank you to the writer, Arisa Villar, for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review. For dark romance lovers, who enjoy a wee bit of morally grey spice. Absolutely check the trigger warnings. There are quite a few.

Dystopian World | Obsessive | Forced Proximity | Kidnapping | Stockholm syndrome | Unhinged Stalker

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[Christine Miszuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arisa Villar

Cold-Blooded Creatures stole my breath, Kali and Gedeon stole my heart and Zion well, he stole my nightmares.

Kali, Gedeon and Zion live in a world where your worth is measured in your ability to procreate. Unfortunately for Gedeon, they don't live on the same side of the wall....until he makes sure they do.

"Say something, anything about my mouth again and I swear to the gods, I'll use this knife to cut your tongue out myself."

With an FMC who has fire and grit....

"I brought you here because I craved you. I will not deny it-I am a selfish man and do not share, so I took you for myself....I choose the rules. I make the laws."

"I wanted to take her here and now, pressed against the wall, hard and deep, scratch her fair skin with the knife I'd left in my bedroom, and cover us in her blood, all while she remained focused on the show."

And multiple MMCs who take what they want, are slightly unhinged and deny themselves what they truly need from each other.

Arisa Villar pulled out all the stops in the first book of the Bleeding Souls Duet, Cold-Blooded Creatures. The combination of world-building, relationships, character growth and pure unhinged madness made me EAT THIS BOOK UP. I went from laughing, to swooning, to crawling on the floor between every chapter. The best part for me? Was I cheering for the FMC, of course, absolutely! But the relationship between the multiple MMCs, now that is where my heart lives. Not only was I living for the compound, the FMC and MMC relationship and even the side characters, but the slow-burn between the MMCs, thats what kept me turning the pages.

Cold-Blooded Creatures should be topping your TBR.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cold-Blooded Creatures contains triggering situations such as murder, torture, graphic gore, explicit depictions of violence of various kinds, kidnapping/abduction, drugging, sadism, dubious/non-consensual consent, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault (attempted; not by MMCs; on page), fertility (the fictional world in this story has two social classes based on people’s ability (or lack of) to conceive children), BDSM, bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, masochism/sadomasochism, impact play, degradation/humiliation play, fight play, blood play, knife play, pain play, primal play, exhibitionism, voyeurism.

Cold-Blooded Creatures is a dark romance book. It is the first book Bleeding Souls duet.

This book also explores themes of MMF, dubious/non-consensual consent, who hurt you, kidnapping, found family, dark past, morally grey MMCs &, FMC, touch her & you die, psycho MMC.

I rated this book 5* I absolutely loved the plot and the characters and the smut, without giving too much away the way the Gedeon and Zion both fit together is absolutely delicious and Kali knows it too... the trio definitely fits well together and they even help her through her 1st panic attack which had me on my knees..
Kali takes her time warming up to the boys and rightfully so.. they've all been through their own trauma which is horrific but Kali is definitely relatable to me living off survival instincts and almost dissociating from her reality when she needs to, she is definitely very cunning and has witty comebacks, and she also puts both the boys in their place when needed...
Zion is my favourite out of them all, he's the perfect blend of psychotic stabby and doting boyfriend, he needs to be protected at all costs even though he is a bit.... torture friendly to his enemies... I want to trace the tattoos and the scars while wrapping him up in bubble wrap.

I'd highly recommend this book to those not put off by the triggers as they are heavily featured in the book from the start. Especially with pretty boy Zion...