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The Borders War #5
Strength of the Rising Sun: The Borders War #5
Merq’s always known there’s only one way Armise and he can end.
The Opposition is losing—both the war and the fight for citizen support—and the Revolution’s victory appears certain. Despite that success, Merq knows his leaders won’t let two of their greatest assets simply walk away. But with Armise fighting for his life, getting out becomes Merq’s primary objective.
Almost two decades of selfishness can’t be alleviated with one right decision, and Merq is faced with the reality of how deeply he has wounded Armise in ways that cannot be seen from the outside. Merq’s world has been upended more times than he can count and he’s always survived, but life without Armise is no longer an option. He just has to prove that to Armise.
Merq believes there are few who are strong enough to challenge them when they stand together. But when the secret Armise has been protecting Merq from is revealed, the truth has consequences neither of them can prepare for.
Reader Advisory: This book contains graphic violence, mention of torture, and genetic experimentation.
The Opposition is losing—both the war and the fight for citizen support—and the Revolution’s victory appears certain. Despite that success, Merq knows his leaders won’t let two of their greatest assets simply walk away. But with Armise fighting for his life, getting out becomes Merq’s primary objective.
Almost two decades of selfishness can’t be alleviated with one right decision, and Merq is faced with the reality of how deeply he has wounded Armise in ways that cannot be seen from the outside. Merq’s world has been upended more times than he can count and he’s always survived, but life without Armise is no longer an option. He just has to prove that to Armise.
Merq believes there are few who are strong enough to challenge them when they stand together. But when the secret Armise has been protecting Merq from is revealed, the truth has consequences neither of them can prepare for.
Reader Advisory: This book contains graphic violence, mention of torture, and genetic experimentation.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 26, 2016
3 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
S.A. McAuley
27 books246 followersSam is a wandering queer romance author who sleeps little and reads a lot. Happiest in a foreign country. Twitchy when not mentally in motion. Her name is Sam, not Sammy, definitely not Samantha. She’s a dark/cynical/jaded person, but hides that darkness well behind her obsession(s) with shiny objects.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 4, 2019
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*My Eyes Leaked*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
I was genially confused when it come to the plot twist. If I just didn't get it. However, the scenes in those parts made me cry. was actually heartbreaking. I found that I couldn't hold back my eyes from getting teary. I seriously hadn't expected for this to effect me this badly. It might be because I've sleep very little to day, but who knows. But still, not matter how sad it made me, I was still left with the question above in the spoilers tag. I mean, I was confused.com. Luckily the answer somewhat came closer to the end (), but the somewhat answer should've been when it was all reviled.
As for the ending of this series, well of Merq Grayson (37) and Armise Darcan (41), I wasn't quite happy with the outcome. Sure I'm happy that But there was too much taken from some characters. It doesn't feel... finished. Overall, I'm really glad we finally got a complete bond between the two lovers. However, I do find it strange how Merq's team seem to care so much for him in this book (and maybe in book #4) when I barely felt they cared before......
The Scene That Made My Eyes Leak:
At one time I’d thought he was my drug, my fatal addiction. But he wasn’t that at all. He was just as vital as the air in my lungs or the water that slaked my thirst. Just as solid as the ground beneath my feet. He was the fire that kept danger away, yet held me within his protective circle. He was warmth I’d never expected to find in the chill of his skin and standoffish demeanor.
I hesitated because the enormity of who he was to me had little to do with his size or his strength.
There was ease returning between us that hadn’t been there since the steppe, a back and forth that spoke of history and connections, but I hesitated because there was still so much pain. So much we hadn’t talked about and hadn’t said out loud. So many things I was just beginning to figure out, let alone give voice to. And he deserved to hear it all first.
Armise cocked his head. “Let it go for now, Merq. Whatever you want to say can come later.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Dystopian (M/M).
Series: - Series, Book Five.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - A tie between Armise Darcan & Merq Grayson.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? -Yes I do.
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows?
Rating - 3 stars.
February 2, 2016
I’ll have to warn you before I start…I’m a little bit raw. I finished this 5 book series a couple days ago and still haven’t gotten it out of my system.
HOW can one review a series that took their breath away, that felt like a shared journey through lands and life, that left you mourning that there wasn’t more to be experienced with the characters? What are the right words to type to make someone in front of the screen understand?
READ THIS SERIES.
To help clarify some confusion: the first 3 books were released back in 2013. In 2016, the first 3 books were rereleased with additional content (SO WORTH IT) and sharper editing (SO WORTH IT) and followed up with books 4 and 5 to end the series (SO FUCKING WORTH IT).
The series follows two men on opposites sides of a world war. Merq Grayson was raised from youth to be not only a soldier, but to be a machine. Fearless. Powerful. Focused. Armise Darcan was raised from youth to be not only a soldier, but to be a machine. Fearless. Powerful. Focused. They are the only ones that can challenge the other. They are directed time and again to eliminate the other.
And they are in love.
Well, it takes a bit for them to get there, but they are…in love.
What makes this series work so well for me are Merq & Armise. I LOVE them. I want to yell and scream at them to STOP hiding things. I want to chastise them for not talking to each other. I want to protect them from powers that be that want to use them. I want to save them. Two soldiers, built to perfection…and I want to save them.
What also makes this series work so well for me are the side characters. They fascinate me. There are written with the depth and care that are normally reserved for main characters. In fact, I WANT them to be main characters in their own stories as well!!!!
What also makes this series work so well for me is the plot development, the world-building, the political intrigue, the confusion over who the good guys are…all of it. I felt lost at times. Which made the “holy shit” aha moments of revelation and realization so so good.
What also makes this series work for me is that it’s fearless. SA McAuley went there on more than one occasion. I would read something, stare at my kindle, and then have to get up and take a walk. I would be angry, or shocked, or revulsed, or saddened. And then I’d hurry back to find out what was next.
I could go on and on…
I found myself crying more times that I would have expected. I found myself pleading for the story of an already-written book to change and not do what I suspected it would do, go where I suspected it would go. And then I found myself having to trust…trust the author to get me to the end. Battered, bruised, but there…just as she did with Merq & Armise.
And THAT is the kind of journey as a reader that I am so thankful to have been on.
What's to Like:
This book is about soldiers and war. Dystopian, but feels contemporary. Does not skimp on details and only carefully reveals when the time is right the answers you’re dying for. It puts the characters through the ringer, physically and emotionally, and there is such a sense of “this is so worth it” by the end.
What's to Love:
The characters: I think they start off feeling like stereotypes. They end up crawling under your skin and staying there. I have deep deep affection for Merq & Armise and every external and internal battle they face. I love Simeon and Ex. Jegs and Chen kick ass in their own ways. Naveed is an enigma that I want to know so much more about. And do not EVEN make me start telling you about all the BAD guys!
Beware Of:
Here’s the thing: you’ve got 2 emotionally stunted soldiers who have never in their life been in love. They spend almost 20 years giving each other breadcrumbs (and trust me, the reader only gets breadcrumbs too…but they’re perfectly seasoned and so tasty) as they figure out what they mean to each other. All that and they’re pawns in the middle of a war where loyalties and sides shift constantly. But, if you’re patient…if you hang in there…the things you might have thought to be frustrating are what make that journey so satisfying by the end.
This Book is For:
If you like dystopian war stories, it’s for you. If you like love stories built over years and years, it’s for you. If you like soldiers (and who doesn’t like soldiers) it’s for you. But really, if you like carefully plotted, epic series that will blow your socks off not only with the twists and turns of the story, but the evolution and growth of the characters…yeah, it’s for you.
March 29, 2016
5 Goddammit-why-can’t-I-give-more? Stars
How the hell do I review a book, when I’m out of superlatives right now? There are only feelings I can hardly put into words.
The Borders War series is no typical love story. Far from it! Even so, it’s one of the greatest, moving, heart-wrenching love stories I’ve ever read. It was not easy – hell, no! – but it was a journey so worth every tear I’ve cried and every nail-biting, sometimes even cruel (right up to nearly unbearable) moments I’ve spent with those guys.
Strength of the Rising Sun is definitely the highlight of the series. I’ve read the whole series in one go within a few days, because I desperately wanted to know if Merq and Armise will get their well-deserved HEA. At the same time I didn’t want it to end. Ever.
The ending made me cry (or rather, I was a sobbing mess, even after finishing the book), but that’s because it was more than I expected and all I could have hoped for.
I owe S.A. McAuley special thanks for giving me such a thrilling experience. Merq and Armise will always have a special place in my heart and The Borders War series is one of my all-time favorites.
How the hell do I review a book, when I’m out of superlatives right now? There are only feelings I can hardly put into words.
The Borders War series is no typical love story. Far from it! Even so, it’s one of the greatest, moving, heart-wrenching love stories I’ve ever read. It was not easy – hell, no! – but it was a journey so worth every tear I’ve cried and every nail-biting, sometimes even cruel (right up to nearly unbearable) moments I’ve spent with those guys.
Strength of the Rising Sun is definitely the highlight of the series. I’ve read the whole series in one go within a few days, because I desperately wanted to know if Merq and Armise will get their well-deserved HEA. At the same time I didn’t want it to end. Ever.
The ending made me cry (or rather, I was a sobbing mess, even after finishing the book), but that’s because it was more than I expected and all I could have hoped for.
I owe S.A. McAuley special thanks for giving me such a thrilling experience. Merq and Armise will always have a special place in my heart and The Borders War series is one of my all-time favorites.
June 15, 2018
And exhale...
What an amazing journey, what an amazing ride. What a crazy but awesome way to end the series. These books honestly have not gotten the attention they deserve, in my honest opinion. I feel like they should be as popular as some of the most popular M/M books/series out there, truly.
So, in short guys, READ THIS.
It's a shitty world 500 years in the future, Merq and Armise go through a TON of shit, and their journey to a happy ending, a happy place, is not easy in the least. But already I want to re-read this series with a new knowledge about everything and everything that happens. And to just re-read Merq and Armise falling in love again.
They don't have an easy relationship - in fact as much as they make each other happy and ground each other, as much as they need each other by the other's side, they also drive each other crazy and want to strangle the other sometimes. But that's the best kind of relationships, imo - not the wanting to strangle part lol - but the strife as well as the happy times. The fact that they won't let the other get away with their shit, that they both see the other fully, and not just what they want to see, and love them because of all of that, not in spite of it.
Merq and Armise's chemistry throughout this series is amazing. It's passionate, it's fire, it's all consuming. And their love burns just as bright, even though it takes Merq a really long time to realize it's love between them, that he's in love with him.
But that's the fun of stories like this - getting to take that journey, of not only the characters but the romantic relationships, and the plot too. Just all of it. Seeing where Merq and Armise start out and where they end up is supremely satisfying.
Also, getting snippets of Armise's POV at the end of each book was awesome too. Makes me want to get the whole series in his POV - how it would have been if it was his POV and not Merq's. But Merq was the one who knew the least, lbr, and those characters are always good to be the POV character because they have to discover all this shit along the way like we do. Armise knew a lot more than Merq, is the thing lol.
This last book wraps up their love story, and it's wonderful. It's starts out a little sucky, but that's because of what they go through at the end of the 4th book, but it slowly gets to a better place, to these two in a better place, and all the major secrets that needed to be revealed get revealed, FINALLY.
I just loved this. This book, this series, Merq and Armise <3 Highly, HIGHLY recommend these books. If you're weary, don't be. It all works out in the end, even if they're bruised and battered along the way. Just read these books <3
What an amazing journey, what an amazing ride. What a crazy but awesome way to end the series. These books honestly have not gotten the attention they deserve, in my honest opinion. I feel like they should be as popular as some of the most popular M/M books/series out there, truly.
So, in short guys, READ THIS.
It's a shitty world 500 years in the future, Merq and Armise go through a TON of shit, and their journey to a happy ending, a happy place, is not easy in the least. But already I want to re-read this series with a new knowledge about everything and everything that happens. And to just re-read Merq and Armise falling in love again.
They don't have an easy relationship - in fact as much as they make each other happy and ground each other, as much as they need each other by the other's side, they also drive each other crazy and want to strangle the other sometimes. But that's the best kind of relationships, imo - not the wanting to strangle part lol - but the strife as well as the happy times. The fact that they won't let the other get away with their shit, that they both see the other fully, and not just what they want to see, and love them because of all of that, not in spite of it.
Merq and Armise's chemistry throughout this series is amazing. It's passionate, it's fire, it's all consuming. And their love burns just as bright, even though it takes Merq a really long time to realize it's love between them, that he's in love with him.
But that's the fun of stories like this - getting to take that journey, of not only the characters but the romantic relationships, and the plot too. Just all of it. Seeing where Merq and Armise start out and where they end up is supremely satisfying.
Also, getting snippets of Armise's POV at the end of each book was awesome too. Makes me want to get the whole series in his POV - how it would have been if it was his POV and not Merq's. But Merq was the one who knew the least, lbr, and those characters are always good to be the POV character because they have to discover all this shit along the way like we do. Armise knew a lot more than Merq, is the thing lol.
This last book wraps up their love story, and it's wonderful. It's starts out a little sucky, but that's because of what they go through at the end of the 4th book, but it slowly gets to a better place, to these two in a better place, and all the major secrets that needed to be revealed get revealed, FINALLY.
I just loved this. This book, this series, Merq and Armise <3 Highly, HIGHLY recommend these books. If you're weary, don't be. It all works out in the end, even if they're bruised and battered along the way. Just read these books <3
January 19, 2016
Anyone who reads books numbering in the triple digits every year knows that sometimes a book and its characters stick with you. And sometimes… well, they don’t. It’s the nature of this beastly addiction we have to fiction. And it’s what keeps us coming back for more—even when it feels like all our emotional boo-boos are being marinated in lemon juice and our guts are being ripped out through our tear ducts.
I first ran across the Borders War series back in June of 2013, when I read the blurb for One Breath, One Bullet and immediately 1-clicked it. Post-apocalyptic dystopia + soldier assassins? Yes, please. Dominant Predator soon followed One Breath, One Bullet (which was much shorter back then), which was followed by Powerless in March of 2014. And then… for reasons, there was a long break before the release of Falling, One by One, but by the end of the third book, I already knew beyond any shadow of a reasonable doubt that I was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Merq Grayson and Armise Darcan. Honestly, having read the final words of the final book in the series already, I can’t even type their names right now without getting teary eyed. But don’t let that intimidate you or anything…
The Borders War is, inarguably, one of the most sadistically plotted series I’ve ever read. From the moment Merq and Armise appear on the page in book one, the first thing that becomes evident is that theirs is going to be a love story unlike any you’ve ever read before. We talk quite a lot about the enemies-to-lovers trope in genre romance. Some of us would even call it a staple favorite. But this? The difference between this and all those others is the difference between wading with emotional floaties into the shallow end of the angst pool—and tossing yourself into the ocean slathered in chum and wearing a lead-weighted lifejacket. Merq and Armise are bitter enemies, adversaries working on the opposite sides of a political shitstorm. Until they aren’t. They are drawn to each other in ways and for reasons that don’t become clear for many thousands of words and heartbreaks to come, and every single word and every single heartbreak is so worth it.
Where Powerless brings this series to its transitional arc in the tactical schemes of the remaining five countries that exist in this alternate world, Falling, One by One plunges us straight onto the battlefield of the emotional arc in this series. This is the point in the storyline where the tables begin to turn, where the sides in this war have nothing to do with geography or politics and everything to do with protecting the line of demarcation surrounding Merq and Armise themselves—where the only thing worth fighting for is each other. There are so many secrets and lies, so many questions asked and unasked, so many evasions and non-answers among the answers that every other paragraph feels like an “Are you fucking kidding me here?????” You should see my highlights and notes. At one point I think I found religion. The “holy shits!” and “Oh my Gods!” and “Jesus Christs!” … that’s just how these books feel. They make you want to cuss at them. A lot. And as you watch the tangled web of intrigues, betrayals, and deceptions begin to unravel, ever so methodically, you can’t help but ask yourself how much more these two men will have to go through—apart and together—before they find some measure of peace. A peace that may only be found in death. Though really, living and dying by the bullet becomes the least of their worries as the series progresses.
There is a common enemy Merq and Armise must find and eliminate in order to broker for and secure a world governed of the people, by the people, and for the people. And along the way, we watch Merq evolve as he begins to see how integral Armise Darcan is to not only his survival but to his very being. We watch Merq as he begins his own steady immersion into a sea of regrets. We watch him suffer. We watch Armise persevere through Merq’s willful obtuseness and blatant assheadedness (yes, that’s a word now). We watch a crazy bastard who perverts science and technology in his grand scheme to rule the world do his best to tear Merq and Armise apart while he sits back and watches the world burn. We watch as Merq wades through, and damn near drowns in, that regretful sea as the storyline wends its way into Strength of the Rising Sun, one of the single most epic emotional and psychological flagellations I’ve ever experienced between the covers of a book. And it was glorious. And it was painful. And it was a struggle to ask how much more Armise could take before he finally decided Merq wasn’t worth all the agony, because the fear was always this close to the surface that with every single moment Merq’s head remained steadfastly up his butt, it was one more moment of risk that Armise would give up and walk away…
I can’t tell you a single damn thing about the final book in this series for fear of spoiling something that’s happened along the way. Even the tiniest of details feels like a significant cog in the machine that grinds our emotions between its greedy teeth. Every single bit of Strength of the Rising Sun is gorgeous. All the characters—Simion, Naveed, Jegs, Exley, Chen, Manny, even Dakra (whose role was significant even though his on-page appearance was brief)… I could go on and on and on about the spectacle that is this superb cast of role players who are there to support and contrast our heroes. Every one of them is integral to the telling of this story, every single one of them essential to bringing Merq and Armise to the ultimate and vital final bid to save the world. And, most important of all, to try to save each other. We watch as these two men—men who have killed and killed again, who have hurt each other in myriad ways—face their ultimate fear… the kind of fear that would cripple weaker men… and they do so with the courage and conviction of love as the blade that balances them and vanquishes any- and everything else.
Intrigue, betrayal, secrets, lies, terror, horror, agony… and love. The greatest of these is the love that grows between Merq and Armise—even though there are times they’d still like to kill each other along the way. That love and the hope it offers is the one bright point of light in the darkness of this violent and unforgiving alt universe S.A. McAuley has crafted. Please trust me when I tell you that every single thing I’ve said to this point is in no way meant to steer you away from reading the Borders War series. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t ruin my head just a little in the end. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read and reread the final three chapters of Strength of the Rising Sun. Nor can I tell you how many times I’ve had to (unsuccessfully) blink back tears while writing this review. That, fellow readers, is phenomenal storytelling. That is what reading is all about. Having your heart shredded and put back together over and over again? It was so fucking worth it.
I love the end of this series beyond all reason. But, let’s be real, I also hate it just a little bit too, in only the best possible way—the way a book makes you feel everything you never want to feel again but also the way a book makes you want to read an entire series over again because you’re insane or a masochist or something. So grab the tissues, your liquor of choice, and a friend. Buddy read this series. I did. And I’m convinced it’s the only way I made it through without vomiting my heart out all over my Kindle.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
I first ran across the Borders War series back in June of 2013, when I read the blurb for One Breath, One Bullet and immediately 1-clicked it. Post-apocalyptic dystopia + soldier assassins? Yes, please. Dominant Predator soon followed One Breath, One Bullet (which was much shorter back then), which was followed by Powerless in March of 2014. And then… for reasons, there was a long break before the release of Falling, One by One, but by the end of the third book, I already knew beyond any shadow of a reasonable doubt that I was hopelessly and irrevocably in love with Merq Grayson and Armise Darcan. Honestly, having read the final words of the final book in the series already, I can’t even type their names right now without getting teary eyed. But don’t let that intimidate you or anything…
The Borders War is, inarguably, one of the most sadistically plotted series I’ve ever read. From the moment Merq and Armise appear on the page in book one, the first thing that becomes evident is that theirs is going to be a love story unlike any you’ve ever read before. We talk quite a lot about the enemies-to-lovers trope in genre romance. Some of us would even call it a staple favorite. But this? The difference between this and all those others is the difference between wading with emotional floaties into the shallow end of the angst pool—and tossing yourself into the ocean slathered in chum and wearing a lead-weighted lifejacket. Merq and Armise are bitter enemies, adversaries working on the opposite sides of a political shitstorm. Until they aren’t. They are drawn to each other in ways and for reasons that don’t become clear for many thousands of words and heartbreaks to come, and every single word and every single heartbreak is so worth it.
Where Powerless brings this series to its transitional arc in the tactical schemes of the remaining five countries that exist in this alternate world, Falling, One by One plunges us straight onto the battlefield of the emotional arc in this series. This is the point in the storyline where the tables begin to turn, where the sides in this war have nothing to do with geography or politics and everything to do with protecting the line of demarcation surrounding Merq and Armise themselves—where the only thing worth fighting for is each other. There are so many secrets and lies, so many questions asked and unasked, so many evasions and non-answers among the answers that every other paragraph feels like an “Are you fucking kidding me here?????” You should see my highlights and notes. At one point I think I found religion. The “holy shits!” and “Oh my Gods!” and “Jesus Christs!” … that’s just how these books feel. They make you want to cuss at them. A lot. And as you watch the tangled web of intrigues, betrayals, and deceptions begin to unravel, ever so methodically, you can’t help but ask yourself how much more these two men will have to go through—apart and together—before they find some measure of peace. A peace that may only be found in death. Though really, living and dying by the bullet becomes the least of their worries as the series progresses.
There is a common enemy Merq and Armise must find and eliminate in order to broker for and secure a world governed of the people, by the people, and for the people. And along the way, we watch Merq evolve as he begins to see how integral Armise Darcan is to not only his survival but to his very being. We watch Merq as he begins his own steady immersion into a sea of regrets. We watch him suffer. We watch Armise persevere through Merq’s willful obtuseness and blatant assheadedness (yes, that’s a word now). We watch a crazy bastard who perverts science and technology in his grand scheme to rule the world do his best to tear Merq and Armise apart while he sits back and watches the world burn. We watch as Merq wades through, and damn near drowns in, that regretful sea as the storyline wends its way into Strength of the Rising Sun, one of the single most epic emotional and psychological flagellations I’ve ever experienced between the covers of a book. And it was glorious. And it was painful. And it was a struggle to ask how much more Armise could take before he finally decided Merq wasn’t worth all the agony, because the fear was always this close to the surface that with every single moment Merq’s head remained steadfastly up his butt, it was one more moment of risk that Armise would give up and walk away…
I can’t tell you a single damn thing about the final book in this series for fear of spoiling something that’s happened along the way. Even the tiniest of details feels like a significant cog in the machine that grinds our emotions between its greedy teeth. Every single bit of Strength of the Rising Sun is gorgeous. All the characters—Simion, Naveed, Jegs, Exley, Chen, Manny, even Dakra (whose role was significant even though his on-page appearance was brief)… I could go on and on and on about the spectacle that is this superb cast of role players who are there to support and contrast our heroes. Every one of them is integral to the telling of this story, every single one of them essential to bringing Merq and Armise to the ultimate and vital final bid to save the world. And, most important of all, to try to save each other. We watch as these two men—men who have killed and killed again, who have hurt each other in myriad ways—face their ultimate fear… the kind of fear that would cripple weaker men… and they do so with the courage and conviction of love as the blade that balances them and vanquishes any- and everything else.
Intrigue, betrayal, secrets, lies, terror, horror, agony… and love. The greatest of these is the love that grows between Merq and Armise—even though there are times they’d still like to kill each other along the way. That love and the hope it offers is the one bright point of light in the darkness of this violent and unforgiving alt universe S.A. McAuley has crafted. Please trust me when I tell you that every single thing I’ve said to this point is in no way meant to steer you away from reading the Borders War series. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t ruin my head just a little in the end. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read and reread the final three chapters of Strength of the Rising Sun. Nor can I tell you how many times I’ve had to (unsuccessfully) blink back tears while writing this review. That, fellow readers, is phenomenal storytelling. That is what reading is all about. Having your heart shredded and put back together over and over again? It was so fucking worth it.
I love the end of this series beyond all reason. But, let’s be real, I also hate it just a little bit too, in only the best possible way—the way a book makes you feel everything you never want to feel again but also the way a book makes you want to read an entire series over again because you’re insane or a masochist or something. So grab the tissues, your liquor of choice, and a friend. Buddy read this series. I did. And I’m convinced it’s the only way I made it through without vomiting my heart out all over my Kindle.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
April 27, 2019
Armise and Merq's intense relationship made it to my top favorite couples. I'll definitely miss them.💕
January 26, 2016
This book...OMG!...THIS BOOK!
To say I was excited about jumping into the final offering of a set of books that have quite simply blown me away from the onset, is an understatement. When I finally settled down to read I was practically quivering with anticipation...
This phenomenal series has had me on a knife edge from the day I picked up One Breath, One Bullet and there have been times when I've despaired about how the final outcome would—or could— ever play out. As much as I've hungered for the release of the each book, I've also dreaded what's to come, as no character has ever had a guaranteed safe passage and nothing has ever gone the predictable or expected route. Making this one hell of a thrilling, constantly twisting and turning, roller coaster of a ride. Over the passage of the story I've learned to steel myself for its unpredictable moments of shock horror but also had to not let any hard earned moments of euphoria blindside me either. You can not relax for one minute with this saga or take anything for granted!
If you've followed Merq Grayson and Armise Darcan's precarious journey, you'll understand just how important it is to not let anything...and I mean ANYTHING...slip out about this storyline. Just one tiny spoiler...and you've totally blown it for everyone, so this review is definitely all about the feels and how emotionally affected I've been by Ms McAuleys epic vision, of a frighteningly possible dystopian society.
The story itself is heart stopping but for me the heart and soul of Borders War has always been former enemies, Merq and Armise's emotionally dysfunctional but highly passionate relationship. Two unforgettable characters whose fight and fuck attitude at the start of the story has transformed, over its course, into one of the most beautiful, emotionally charged love stories I've ever read in this genre. To watch their progression from hard boiled, tunnel visioned 'super' soldiers on opposite sides of a tech driven war—rife with intrigue and political machinations—to reluctant lovers and finally soul mates, has just been amazing. Two decades of a tense, fractured relationship fraught with conflict and danger; it's been torturous in more ways than one experiencing their journey alongside them, but so worth the heartache they (and we as readers) have endured. A culmination that, in this last book, reached pinnacles that surpassed even my high expectations. Leaving me exhausted, battered but ultimately awe struck by what I'd just read.
It's no secret that I could gush for England about the Borders War saga; this is storytelling at its finest. A master class in how to intricately build a complex universe and interweave it with the type of storyline that is so cleverley plotted throughout, that you can never once predict it's next move or incarnation, and that in itself is glorious. A master manipulator and emotional assassin; S.A. McAuley didn't just nail this final episode she killed it... and me in the process. But what a way to go!
The moving and poignant interactions that shone between Merq and Armise brought me to tears more than once but OMG! I ended this book a complete and utter sobbing mess....
Link to full review -> http://bit.ly/1Pi4axQ
READ THIS AMAZING SERIES!!!
To say I was excited about jumping into the final offering of a set of books that have quite simply blown me away from the onset, is an understatement. When I finally settled down to read I was practically quivering with anticipation...
This phenomenal series has had me on a knife edge from the day I picked up One Breath, One Bullet and there have been times when I've despaired about how the final outcome would—or could— ever play out. As much as I've hungered for the release of the each book, I've also dreaded what's to come, as no character has ever had a guaranteed safe passage and nothing has ever gone the predictable or expected route. Making this one hell of a thrilling, constantly twisting and turning, roller coaster of a ride. Over the passage of the story I've learned to steel myself for its unpredictable moments of shock horror but also had to not let any hard earned moments of euphoria blindside me either. You can not relax for one minute with this saga or take anything for granted!
If you've followed Merq Grayson and Armise Darcan's precarious journey, you'll understand just how important it is to not let anything...and I mean ANYTHING...slip out about this storyline. Just one tiny spoiler...and you've totally blown it for everyone, so this review is definitely all about the feels and how emotionally affected I've been by Ms McAuleys epic vision, of a frighteningly possible dystopian society.
The story itself is heart stopping but for me the heart and soul of Borders War has always been former enemies, Merq and Armise's emotionally dysfunctional but highly passionate relationship. Two unforgettable characters whose fight and fuck attitude at the start of the story has transformed, over its course, into one of the most beautiful, emotionally charged love stories I've ever read in this genre. To watch their progression from hard boiled, tunnel visioned 'super' soldiers on opposite sides of a tech driven war—rife with intrigue and political machinations—to reluctant lovers and finally soul mates, has just been amazing. Two decades of a tense, fractured relationship fraught with conflict and danger; it's been torturous in more ways than one experiencing their journey alongside them, but so worth the heartache they (and we as readers) have endured. A culmination that, in this last book, reached pinnacles that surpassed even my high expectations. Leaving me exhausted, battered but ultimately awe struck by what I'd just read.
It's no secret that I could gush for England about the Borders War saga; this is storytelling at its finest. A master class in how to intricately build a complex universe and interweave it with the type of storyline that is so cleverley plotted throughout, that you can never once predict it's next move or incarnation, and that in itself is glorious. A master manipulator and emotional assassin; S.A. McAuley didn't just nail this final episode she killed it... and me in the process. But what a way to go!
The moving and poignant interactions that shone between Merq and Armise brought me to tears more than once but OMG! I ended this book a complete and utter sobbing mess....
Link to full review -> http://bit.ly/1Pi4axQ
READ THIS AMAZING SERIES!!!
May 13, 2016
Strenght of the rising sun is the last installment of the Borders War series, and a good one in my opinion.
In this book Armise is fighting for his life and Merq face different situations that make him finally understand the deepness of his feelings for Armise and others friends whose help is immeasurable. And basically the highlights of the book are those moments of illumination Merq has.What happens in this book shreds your heart apart and make you hold onto the book for fear of if letting go you won't know if the characters get their happiness. But let me tell you, after all their struggle, they get it.
Now, I will review the series as a whole.
-----------------
I'd rate The Borders War with 4.5 stars.
If someone asked me what is this series about I would say it is about the price of freedom alongside the person you love.
This book is more than politics and a love story between two soldiers. This book is about Merq's journey since the moment Armise unhinges his universe. But don't get me wrong, this is not a love-at-first-sight romance, is more complex than that and you get to see it through each book. Merq and Armise are the best soldiers known and both start as contraries in the Borders War. After years of facing each other in different parts of the world they get drawn to each other and while Merq doesn't know why, Armise does and thus take the first step that will turn upside down their status as enemies and year by year will develop a complex relationship.
While Merq is blind about his own worthiness and only sees himself as tool for the war, Armise knows his own value and Merq's more than he'd ever acknowledge. Therefore, Armise through each book does certain sacrifices in the name of the only person he loves but it takes time to Merq to understand the true meaning of Armise's actions and his negation of such acts leads him to unnexpected situations where Merq has to decide what values more, the Opposition or Armise.
Additionally, characters like Sims, Neeved, Jegs, Chen, etc. become important to Merq's journey and help him towards a better destiny than the one he was meant to achieve since at young age. Intrigue, lies, secrets, past, politics, and love merge to create layered characters.
Merq pays for the consecuences of every of his actions product of his insecury and struggle to accept his feelings as a human being, and it's heart breacking to witness though he owned them with courage and didn't broke him because he reached happiness alongside with Armise, the love of his life, after all. This is not an easy journey, this book breacks your heart over and over and put it together to just break it again. But it's worth it.
I don't remember how i got to found this series but I'm glad to be able to add a new series in my favorites-shelf
In this book Armise is fighting for his life and Merq face different situations that make him finally understand the deepness of his feelings for Armise and others friends whose help is immeasurable. And basically the highlights of the book are those moments of illumination Merq has.What happens in this book shreds your heart apart and make you hold onto the book for fear of if letting go you won't know if the characters get their happiness. But let me tell you, after all their struggle, they get it.
Now, I will review the series as a whole.
-----------------
I'd rate The Borders War with 4.5 stars.
If someone asked me what is this series about I would say it is about the price of freedom alongside the person you love.
This book is more than politics and a love story between two soldiers. This book is about Merq's journey since the moment Armise unhinges his universe. But don't get me wrong, this is not a love-at-first-sight romance, is more complex than that and you get to see it through each book. Merq and Armise are the best soldiers known and both start as contraries in the Borders War. After years of facing each other in different parts of the world they get drawn to each other and while Merq doesn't know why, Armise does and thus take the first step that will turn upside down their status as enemies and year by year will develop a complex relationship.
While Merq is blind about his own worthiness and only sees himself as tool for the war, Armise knows his own value and Merq's more than he'd ever acknowledge. Therefore, Armise through each book does certain sacrifices in the name of the only person he loves but it takes time to Merq to understand the true meaning of Armise's actions and his negation of such acts leads him to unnexpected situations where Merq has to decide what values more, the Opposition or Armise.
Additionally, characters like Sims, Neeved, Jegs, Chen, etc. become important to Merq's journey and help him towards a better destiny than the one he was meant to achieve since at young age. Intrigue, lies, secrets, past, politics, and love merge to create layered characters.
Merq pays for the consecuences of every of his actions product of his insecury and struggle to accept his feelings as a human being, and it's heart breacking to witness though he owned them with courage and didn't broke him because he reached happiness alongside with Armise, the love of his life, after all. This is not an easy journey, this book breacks your heart over and over and put it together to just break it again. But it's worth it.
I don't remember how i got to found this series but I'm glad to be able to add a new series in my favorites-shelf
January 28, 2016
This book was such a awesome addition to this series!
So wow I really do not know how to start... It is just everything that happened in this book I still can not wrap my head around it and this book surprised me and wow I can not put into words how much I loved it!
There are things Merq will find out about himself and have to work through. There was action and angst plus more of Merq and Armise together which I have loved reading about them getting closer to each other with each book in this series.
Then there was the ending which ugh I just can't... Don't get me wrong it was not bad, it was really good but please don't tell me this is the end because I really just want more of these two men and this amazing world this author created in this series.
Yes every book in this series has violence and they are gritty especially these two men and how alpha they both are. But they fit so well together and the violence in this world fit for what was going on with the war and everything else they were dealing with.
So I will leave this review with....This series was amazing and I loved it! I really hope there will be more and I can not recommend this series enough for those who love Dystopia books like I do and can deal with a world where there is a war these men are fighting which will have violence and dark parts but will also show you what people must do to survive in the world they are living in.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
So wow I really do not know how to start... It is just everything that happened in this book I still can not wrap my head around it and this book surprised me and wow I can not put into words how much I loved it!
There are things Merq will find out about himself and have to work through. There was action and angst plus more of Merq and Armise together which I have loved reading about them getting closer to each other with each book in this series.
Then there was the ending which ugh I just can't... Don't get me wrong it was not bad, it was really good but please don't tell me this is the end because I really just want more of these two men and this amazing world this author created in this series.
Yes every book in this series has violence and they are gritty especially these two men and how alpha they both are. But they fit so well together and the violence in this world fit for what was going on with the war and everything else they were dealing with.
So I will leave this review with....This series was amazing and I loved it! I really hope there will be more and I can not recommend this series enough for those who love Dystopia books like I do and can deal with a world where there is a war these men are fighting which will have violence and dark parts but will also show you what people must do to survive in the world they are living in.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
February 28, 2016
5 stars for the series as a whole
This one was just as much of an emotional roller coaster as the previous ones. Lot's of stuff going on. FINALLY a happily ever after for these two though. I have to say this has turned into one of my favorite series. I loved it! Armise has a firm place on the book boyfriend list. I adored him. Do yourself a favor and read this series.
This one was just as much of an emotional roller coaster as the previous ones. Lot's of stuff going on. FINALLY a happily ever after for these two though. I have to say this has turned into one of my favorite series. I loved it! Armise has a firm place on the book boyfriend list. I adored him. Do yourself a favor and read this series.
January 6, 2016
4.5 stars. (-.5 for the gutting. Lol) There's no way I can put together a review at this moment. SO. MANY. FEELS.
May 27, 2016
The last installment of a great series. It's kind of crazy when you think about how much has happened, but on and off the pages. But Strength of the Rising Sun was able to find that balance between plot and romance that felt lacking in the previous book.
The first half of the book was a bit strange when new problems between Armise and Merq got introduced. At this point in the game, I figured these two would be beyond even more interpersonal problems, and it didn't quite understand how the issue(s) got started? *shrug*
The second half of the book picked up the pacing, finding resolution for plotty problems (though some of these resolutions ended quite strangely for my reader's mind). The story began focusing more on Merq, and his wants and needs for a future that seemed unreachable before. At this point, I started feeling myself drawn in as I did in the earlier books - the characters were always more engaging to me than the actual stories. And the dynamic between our two soldiers gave me the push I needed to finish this series out with a bang.
Overall, this series - while it has its flaws, is an experience that science fiction/dystopian and romance fans would likely enjoy.
The first half of the book was a bit strange when new problems between Armise and Merq got introduced. At this point in the game, I figured these two would be beyond even more interpersonal problems, and it didn't quite understand how the issue(s) got started? *shrug*
The second half of the book picked up the pacing, finding resolution for plotty problems (though some of these resolutions ended quite strangely for my reader's mind). The story began focusing more on Merq, and his wants and needs for a future that seemed unreachable before. At this point, I started feeling myself drawn in as I did in the earlier books - the characters were always more engaging to me than the actual stories. And the dynamic between our two soldiers gave me the push I needed to finish this series out with a bang.
Overall, this series - while it has its flaws, is an experience that science fiction/dystopian and romance fans would likely enjoy.
November 29, 2016
Merq and Armise get their HEA but the final stretch of the path to it is filled with pain for them and the people close to them.
I was glued to my book for this the last part of the story and it stays true to the dystopian world they live in but hope is shown for a better world ahead.
This series blew me away I totally loved it
I was glued to my book for this the last part of the story and it stays true to the dystopian world they live in but hope is shown for a better world ahead.
This series blew me away I totally loved it
March 30, 2017
Loved it athough some parts of this installment lost a tad of it's non melodramatic quality with Merq's emotional introspective moments. That's the only con I have. This series is almost perfect. A very fitting end to the Merq and Armise universe. I've inhaled every second of it. I hope the author explores more of M&A, I'm not ready to close the chapter on this world.
January 24, 2017
With this book, the series became more a fantasy than a sci-fi story. However, I'm still attracted to the characters, particularly - besides MCs- Simion, Exley and Manny, I would read their stories.
January 27, 2016
It's been a long, often painful journey but this is absolutely the perfect ending for Merq & Armise!
July 29, 2016
OMG OMG OMG....I am crushed, I absolutely loved this book...
February 28, 2016
This whole series was awesome!
September 23, 2021
REREAD
So very good!
So very good!
September 7, 2016
Wow what an ending to a terrific series! I spend through these five books at a terrific rate because I needed to know what happened to Merq and Arimis. Both are so broken and looking for a peace that I honestly thought would only come to these characters in death after what they had been through and what the war made them do.
From the first book I knew this series was going to be gripping. From the first moment Merq spotted Arimis through his scope lends I knew I would drown along with them in the unfair world that S.A McAuley portrays for us. For me the series just kept raping up the stakes getting higher with every book I put down the world crowding in on Merq and Armis trying to tear them apart as they fought for hard to be together in a world where the other was the only thing that mattered.
In this bleak and colourless world the only light for Merq is Armis and we see how much Armis fights to be with Merq even wile Merq and the world pushes him away. It is only when Merq nearly loses Armis does he realise how essential he is not only to Merq survival but his being. And that is what makes this series one of the best I have read in a long time that slow realisation that the two who may have started as enemies must fight and sacrifice to be together.
At first I thought this series was going to be like Special Forces - Soldiers but as the series progressed the two book have completely different stakes and a unique voice that I was hooked too.
4.5 stars only because I am stingy with my 5 stars! This series is highly recommend!!
From the first book I knew this series was going to be gripping. From the first moment Merq spotted Arimis through his scope lends I knew I would drown along with them in the unfair world that S.A McAuley portrays for us. For me the series just kept raping up the stakes getting higher with every book I put down the world crowding in on Merq and Armis trying to tear them apart as they fought for hard to be together in a world where the other was the only thing that mattered.
In this bleak and colourless world the only light for Merq is Armis and we see how much Armis fights to be with Merq even wile Merq and the world pushes him away. It is only when Merq nearly loses Armis does he realise how essential he is not only to Merq survival but his being. And that is what makes this series one of the best I have read in a long time that slow realisation that the two who may have started as enemies must fight and sacrifice to be together.
At first I thought this series was going to be like Special Forces - Soldiers but as the series progressed the two book have completely different stakes and a unique voice that I was hooked too.
4.5 stars only because I am stingy with my 5 stars! This series is highly recommend!!
February 6, 2016
The fifth and final installment of SA McAuley's The Border Wars, Strength of the Rising Sun was the best in the series. I was finally invested in the cast of characters and had a deeper understanding of the dystopian universe they were fighting in. The intrigue and secrets unveiled kept the plot twists amazing. Merq's and Armise's relationship had developed to a point where I was moved by their interactions and the tragedies they had to overcome. It was worth reading the series to come to this final book in the series. I highly recommend it.
February 17, 2016
5 stars in not enough, also not 6 or 7 or 10 stars, nop, not even close. This series... words fail me really. Can't remember when it was the last time I got so invested and pulled in a story and MCs. I was there, I suffered, I cried, I begged, I loved... oh how I loved. This 5 book journey was worth every single headache and sleepless night (yeah, had some of those). Out of the charts awesome series. Read it, seriously, just read it.
April 21, 2016
I'm left sobbing and worshipping at the temple of Sam McAuley while mumbling how much she sucks for making Merq and Armise suffer. But what a ride! They've earned every inch of that HEA and then some. I hope she plans more stories in this world because there are so many side characters that I need to know more about.
January 13, 2017
I finished this AGES ago, and I never updated. Review to come soon
Just want to say one thing: This series is one of my favorite series in M/M romance. It's everything all at once. Beautiful, heartbreaking, frustrating, healing, powerful, intense, angering, soothing. And the characters are beautifully rich and so wonderfully drawn that they call you.
Check this out if you haven't.
Just want to say one thing: This series is one of my favorite series in M/M romance. It's everything all at once. Beautiful, heartbreaking, frustrating, healing, powerful, intense, angering, soothing. And the characters are beautifully rich and so wonderfully drawn that they call you.
Check this out if you haven't.
November 3, 2021
Great return of the story after the disappointing (imo) 4th book.
Also, I finally have to comment that McAuley's writing, despite the issues I have with the plot, is beautiful. I'd like to read more works of her.
Also, I finally have to comment that McAuley's writing, despite the issues I have with the plot, is beautiful. I'd like to read more works of her.
January 29, 2016
I'll miss you :')
May 20, 2018
The final book in Merq and Armise’s part of this mind-blowing series is worse than any previous volumes in terms of gutting me, making me cry, and leaving me feeling raw for days. Yes, even the second time around. It is also better than any of the previous books because Merq and Armise finally find peace, although not in a way I could have predicted had I tried. But man, the author put them (and me!) through the wringer before she let that happen. More than once it seemed as if they’d made it, as if all the secrets had finally been revealed and dealt with, only for anther twist to yank victory from their hands and plunge them (and me!) into a new round of despair. I have rarely felt so invested in main characters as in these two men, and to see them hurt each other, suffer, and make it through painful growth spurts was both hell and an extraordinary experience.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Please find my full review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
June 21, 2018
De verdad que a estos libros les hace falta más reconocimiento. SON DEMASIADO BUENOS. Yo mientras seguía la épica historia de Merq y Armise, lloré, pataleé, grité, reí, me sonrojé... En resumen, un sinfín de emociones que no recuerdo cuándo fue la última vez que me pasó.
Este es un libro 100% recomendado para todas aquellas personas que sean fan del género.
Mientras tanto, regresaré a mi rincón a sufrir un poco más porque necesito más de Merq y Armise en mi vida. Voy a extrañar a este par, de verdad que sí.
Sé que todavía me falta leer el extra, pero lo estoy reservando porque sé que apenas lo termine ya en definitiva no tendré más nada de ellos que leer. T__T
Merq & Armise por siempre en mi kokoro shippeador.
Este es un libro 100% recomendado para todas aquellas personas que sean fan del género.
Mientras tanto, regresaré a mi rincón a sufrir un poco más porque necesito más de Merq y Armise en mi vida. Voy a extrañar a este par, de verdad que sí.
Sé que todavía me falta leer el extra, pero lo estoy reservando porque sé que apenas lo termine ya en definitiva no tendré más nada de ellos que leer. T__T
Merq & Armise por siempre en mi kokoro shippeador.
January 2, 2021
6 'Im fucking gutted that this series is over. I want more, I need more. I don't want to say goodbye to these characters, Merq and Armise - I fucking absolutely adore them. Such a well written amazing series' stars.
November 26, 2018
What a stellar series. I should've never waited so long to read it. Another one that I really wish I could get paperbacks for.
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