A Vow of Hate by Lylah James

Title: A Vow of Hate

Author: Lylah James

Release Date:  January 22, 2021

Length:  327  pages

Genre: Dark Romance

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**** My Review ****

Well, Lylah James did make us wait, prolonging the release of this story of unrequired love, heartbreak, jealousy, and redemption. Drop by drop teasing us with small unrelated parts that only managed to inflame the readers’ imagination …. Cruelty, pain, death, revenge …. every single bit is so skillfully intertwined in a story that talks about the fine line between hate and love. A Vow of Hate is a story in which truths are hidden behind a black veil and the borders are shifted…

 If you manage to kill love, bury it and never tremble again when you hear your lover’s voice or when you think about the time spend together, you did not love. True love lasts and lives in your heart in every moment, in every cell of the body, in every corner of the soul. Love lives even after death, everything else is a physical accompaniment.

But the pain that pierces your heart is unbearable, and the guilt is too great … That is the story of Killian, a rich heir whose heart beats for only one person. Even death cannot extinguish his love, and the desire for revenge is his driving force ….. A vow of vengeance and mercilessness is what awaits her killer… But what will happen when the lies become truth? When the black veil lifts and the hour of truth knocks on the door?

Although I have not read a book by this author, she proves that she knows how to reach the heart of the reader. Her story is so tender and brutal at the same time. Extremely emotional, but also shocking and appalling. Full of tears and memories. And inevitably some heartbreaking letters. Stories from the past and the present are intertwined. Stories that are somehow connected. The story tells us the depth of the suffering of one woman, one unrequited love in the present that so subtly reminds us of the past. The story of Killian and Juliana is not a fairy tale with unicorns and butterflies, but a brutal depiction of a toxic relationship, an unbridled desire for revenge, and a desire for repentance. Juliana, broken by pain and guilt, trying to find beauty in pain, pleasure in agony, and salvation in her husband’s brutal touch. And Killian, desperate after losing the only thing that meant anything to him, is a monster who carries his cruelty with pride. A man who in his search for revenge does not see the visible nor hears the loud truth … And together, they are like ice and fire, trying to destroy each other only to realize that in the end, they both follow the thin thread between destruction and immense happiness. Alternating through 1st POV, the author provides us with a seamless insight into the deepest secrets of their beings, with enough twists and turns to keep us on the edge of our seats till the very end.

Finally, I have to admit that the first encounter with this book scared me. I made the mistake of reading a few reviews before I started reading, but after some thirty pages, I realized that this book is one fantastic choice for me. One of the things they blame the author for is the way she has designed the book, the tropes she has chosen, as well as the language in which it is written. But when you look a little below the surface, you realize that the author knows very well what she is doing and plays with the language structures, shaping them according to her needs. The writing style is both rude and poetic, you just need to invest yourself a bit more. As a museum of illusions, behind every perfectly set scene is a truth waiting to be discovered. Lies, secrets, pain, and suffering are perfectly balanced with courage, surrender, passion, and love. A complete package that may have parts that are far-fetched, but are absolutely compelling.

If you are looking for a sweet love story that will make you feel tender and fill your heart with warmth, don’t even look at this book. If you are looking for a hero who will amaze you with his courage and tenderness, who will caress your senses with his sweet words, then A Vow of Hate is definitely not for you. This is a cruel display of beauty born in pain, mercy in torture…. A book that will frighten and frustrate you, but will still manage to trap you in its dark world.