| Title | : | Primal Sin (Primal Sin, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 282 |
| Publication | : | First published March 23, 2020 |
here
Fallen for love. Risen for revenge.
Severn knows love. He knows how it feels to fight for love, and have it torn from his reach. He knows that when the killing fields are strewn with the dead, and love is all gone, only one thing keeps his demon heart beating:
Vengeance.
His life is now a web of lies. His act, a perfect one. His enemy, the guardian angel Mikhail, sits beside him, turns to him for guidance, and even loves him.
The time has come to make all the angels fall, beginning with the most powerful of them all.
Severn thought he knew love. But he’s about to discover that love takes no prisoners, and as demons and angels clash over London’s battle-weary streets, love will claim the souls of two destined enemies.
Primal Sin is a dark gay fantasy with a strong love-story. The series is brimming with savage desires, relentless lies and the bite of vengeance and is not for anyone easily disturbed by graphic scenes.
Primal Sin (Primal Sin, #1) Reviews
-
i'm really invested in this story & i wanna move on to book 2 ASAP!!!
✦ pretty great world building.
✦ enemies-to-lovers!!🔪
Mikhail placed a soft kiss on the back of Severn's neck. "you ruin me..." he whispered.
Severn grinned over his shoulder, proud to see Mikhail's eyes glassy, pupils full from desire. "i've only just begun."
✦ great main characters! Severn and Mikhail both already stole my heart.
✦ some really intriguing side characters i desperately want to know more about.
✦ a war between demons and angels. this had some really cool battle scenes!
✦ this was a little too insta-lovey (idk if insta-lovey exactly applies here since the mcs had known each other for 10 years already, BUT the switch from hate to love was a little too quick for my liking).
"i need you," the guardian whispered. "in ways i can't make sense of." 🖤
✦ that awkward moment when you get to know your enemy a little too well and fall in love with them instead of killing them... whoops!
"i make a point of knowing my enemy so i can better destroy them when the time comes."
✦ the lies & the betrayals hurt soooo bad!!!
"he'd lived the lies so long they'd become true."
✦ the angst!!! oh lord!
✦ the smut... oh lord x2!
✦ i know i said the love between the mcs was a little too insta-lovey, but honestly i managed to suspend my disbelief and appreciate their love story regardless of that, and i am fully invested in their relationship now.
"Mikhail didn't know what love was, but if this savage relief was love, he wanted more of it immediately." 🖤
✦ spoiler alert - this book did not have a happy ending. i’m sure i’ll have to suffer quite a lot to get my HEA…
excuse me while i go get books 2 & 3... -
Back in Kindle Unlimited and available to binge the entire series!
"Fallen for love. Risen for revenge."
-
4 'Angels & Demons' stars
Haven, if he was falling, let him fall, because nothing had ever felt so right.
The worldbuilding in this book is simply fantastic. Ariana Nash took an overly used fight between good and evil, between angels and demons, and gave it a uniquely fresh look. I especially liked that there was no religion aspect in the story. Imo, a paranormal romance is not a place to polemicize about what God did or didn't do and whether Lucifer fell of his own free will or not? And this book is a proof it can be done without it. Another thing I also liked very much was the addiction of other creatures besides angels and demons, such as nephilim, cambions, incubi, without the feeling of the story being too crowded with supernatural creatures.
And speaking of creatures, let's move to our protagonists. I'm gonna start with Mikhail because I think he's generally less liked but I think he deserves as much love as Severn.
He seemed impossible, this world-ending angel, like a creature made from dreams and nightmares crafted into his final male form, framed by velvet, storm-touched wings.
I think our Guardian Angel is not that much loved or maybe even hated because the story lacks more of his POV. Only around 1/3 of the book is told from his perspective and because we don't see his thoughts and feelings, he seems kind of distant. However, I believe he's very complex character and I hope we'll see more layers of his personality in the next books.He saw things in others that Mikhail did not. He was a formidable angel. Those were the reasons Mikhail had saved him, surrendering half his soul in the process. There simply were no other angels like Severn.
Severn is, of course, my precious darling baby. I just love that he is such a mess, his plans all over the place, bad luck is clearly his middle name and it seems that the whole universe is against him. He's cunning and ruthless and at the same time the most caring and sensitive creature in the world. I dare you to try not to love him. You will fail!
However, Mikhail and Severn together... That's where I took the one star down. It was my fault that I involuntarily compared their relationship to that of Eroan and Lysander's. I knew I shouldn't have but it just happened. Eroan & Lysander were one of a kind and comparing them to other couples, well every other couple would lost that match. So there's that but even without comparing, I still think that Mikhail and Severn's relationship came out of the blue, allayance or not. When I went through my highlights before starting to write this review, I was melting along their scenes together. So much passion, so many feelings but it's sadly hard to buy it if there's no sustance to their relationship. But just look at this and try to tell me, you're not in love.“I was blind to it, but I see now. I see it all, feel it all. It’s not just the need to feel you, to touch you—although that need is undeniable—it’s more, and it was always there, between us… I’ve fallen for you,” Mikhail whispered, as though saying it aloud might break them apart again.
*************************************“You can’t tell me you don’t want it. I can feel how much you want me.” He straightened and tapped his chest. “Right here, around my bleeding heart.” He flung his arms over Mikhail’s shoulders and bumped foreheads. “The allyanse or whatever… Don’t turn me away. I can’t lose you. I need this… need you, no strings, no rules, no lies, just you and me, right here, in this crazy moment… We’re strangers, did you know? But I don’t want to be.”
They are seriously so amazing together (kissing on the rooftop, anyone? *swoon*), so I really hope that in the following books their bond with each other will be more believable. There are so many things I'm curious about, so many secrets to unravel!! I hope we're gonna see more of Mikhail's special powers. I needed to mention this because I found this incredible baddas picture.
Also so many great characters I'm excited about. And can we please, please, please get Konstantin back?? He can't be trapped forever.Skin as dark as night, veins of molten lava, and wings… broad, powerful wings that inspired awe. He’d been a creature of strength, of brutal beauty, of unrelenting passion and lust and hunger, the absolute opposite of an angel. Before Mikhail had ruined him.
Ok, now I'm getting seriously hyped for the next book. *Moni runs to buy book 2*
Thanks to
Melanie for being on yet another crazy adventure with me! Hope we'll have many more of them. 🤗😘😇😈😘🤗
************************************
I found Severn's wings 😍😍
-
** SPOILERS BELOW, READ at your own peril**
Ariana Nash LOVES the enemies to lovers theme. Just about EVERY one of her primary works has been about enemies to lovers. I'm not usually a fan, but she makes it work for me. There's the right level of push and pull, character development and transformation. There are real reasons why there's hate in the beginning, how the 2 MCs come together, then separated by hate again.
I have a few issues.
I think 1) Severen's realization that he loves Mikhail was a little sudden, would have liked to see more nuance because all this time he spends 2/3 of the book hating and then in like 3 pages or so, he totally went 180. Now I know he never truly hated, there was always something there, but his internal transition from hate to love could have been explored more.
2) Mikhail's realization of S's betrayal was also sudden. All this time he trusted, and he just shared so much physically and emotionally with Severen. He trusted him blindly before and suddenly he believes other people's words over S's even tho they'd come so far? I mean S tried to kill him before, and he totally rationalized it away! Even when confronted with S's direct actions (nothing says I hate you and want you to die like shooting arrows into your chest) he rationalized it away. Now suddenly, after everything, hearing 2 angels tell him of S's betrayal, he suddenly believes? That felt really rushed and strange given all the other stuff.
3) S cheated. Now I get that he hadn't admitted to himself by then that he loves M, but... if the author is also saying that he loved M all along and that's why the "bond" worked and that's why he couldn't kill M, but it was all subconscious, and yeah I know he couldn't finish the act, but he cheated. Whatever the reason, I don't like reading about cheating, see below, even when explained. I think he could have "struggled" in a different way and it would have been just as effective.
So, all that combined takes this down a star. I'd read the next book. But I hope it doesn't drag out.
Oh, and A+ for the world build. I loved winged immortals, demons or angels! And this was a great take on things. -
✅ Smut (M/M)
✅ Severn
✅ World-building
✅ Angels and demons
✅ Pace and addictiveness
✅ 2 POVs
✅🆗 Plot
✅🆗 Romance
🆗 Secondary characters and backstoriesHe’d been doing this for what felt like forever. Sometimes it felt as though he’d lived a lie longer than he’d lived the truth.
After a brutal battle that cost him his wings, Severn, a Demon Lord, disguised himself as an angel to infiltrate their ranks, get close to their leader, the Guardian Mikhail, and kill him. Ten years later, Severn can finally get his revenge, only to realize that things are not so easy anymore and that under all his anger, hatred, and resentment, he somehow came to care about Mikhail. All it took was one final act of kindness to twist and change everything for Severn.Angels did not feel. They did not rage, or weep, or regret. Emotions were inefficient.
Angels do not feel emotions. They are cold and ruthless, and emotions only get in the way of their glorious mission. Mikhail is a Guardian, a great leader of the angels living on top of London city, but everything changes when he decides to save Severn from certain death and realizes that he cannot imagine a world without this mysterious angel that somehow became his confidante and closest ally in the past ten years.
I like how the author wrote the characters. Angels and demons are complicated, and everything is not just black or white or nice or evil. Each side has a different version of the story, and as the story progresses, it gets harder to tell which side is “the good side”, and who’s telling the right version of the story, as both sides see the other side as a threat that needs to be taken care of, but both sides are also trying to limit casualties and to protect humans. I love the fact that demons care about humans in this book, and they are the ones feeling intensely while angels are the cold and detached ones.
The world-building is immersive and well-done. We can feel the coldness and grayness of this dystopian London, and I adore the fact that even though it’s about angels and demons, there is no mention of religion or God. There are also other creatures such as nephilim or incubi, making the world-building even more interesting, without being too crowded.Maybe Mikhail’s smile was genuine. Severn could only hope. If the angel was capable of feeling anything at all, it would make what was to come so much more satisfying.
The plot is not bad, but this book mostly focuses on the relationship between Mikhail and Severn. There is a war going on between angels and demons, and there are battles to fight, and planning to do, but it all felt secondary to the romance. I love M/M romances, but I would have liked the plot to be a little more complex, and maybe a little less predictable too, because that’s what I am used to with Ariana Nash’s books. This is a fast-paced book that is very easy to fall into and read (and it is addictive, as are every other Nash series I’ve read so far), but despite the tension and the need to turn the pages to know what would happen, there was no real surprise when it came to the major parts of the plot.But making lies true took great power, and as Severn walked the upper hallways, weaving his way through glass corridors toward his own chambers, every step felt a little heavier, and every beat of his heart thudded harder.
Severn is a mess of lies, conflicted feelings, and an over-complicated plan. I get why he decided to “sacrifice” himself and infiltrate the enemy’s ranks, but waiting 10 years before finally being able to have a chance at killing his nemesis? That’s fucked up. I don’t know how he was able to remain sane after spending 10 years living a lie every day and having to be guarded at all times. Obviously, something went wrong somewhere because he ends up caring about some of the angels and feeling guilt at the idea of betraying them, and he’s also come to realize that everything is not all black or white and that both sides need to find a way towards peace before there is no one left alive to fight. Severn is complex, cunning, intense, and so full of feelings! I really loved every aspect of him.Mikhail’s lethal beauty was also a weapon. He was so fucking pretty even his enemies would do him, then try and kill him afterward.
His angel was a winged emotional disaster, and Severn loved him for it.
Mikhail does not have as many chapters as Severn in this first book, and because of that and the lack of backstory, he does seem more distant. We can see that he is full of conflicted feelings though, and he will probably become a very interesting character once we get a chance to know him better and have a better insight into his thoughts and feelings. He lacks some depth, but it’s not because he doesn’t have depth, it’s more because we did not get to see all his layers so far.But even without his wings, Severn outshone them all, and Mikhail knew in that moment, allyanse or not, he’d protect his broken angel from the horrors of a world that would take his wings.
Haven, if he was falling, let him fall, because nothing had ever felt so right.
The relationship between Severn and Mikhail is technically an enemies-to-lovers since Severn is a demon posing as an angel, but I have to say that it didn’t really feel like an enemies-to-lovers since Mikhail had no idea that Severn is not an angel. I also didn’t feel that much sexual tension between them at first, and even later in the book, there was a lot of sex between them, but I wanted to feel more tension or deep emotions. We can see how they need each other, and how they are almost obsessed with each other, but contrary to Nash’s previous books, I did not feel it as intensely in this one, and despite the allyance, their feelings almost came out of the blue. Severn hated Mikhail, and Mikhail somewhat cared about Severn (as much as a cold guardian can care), and then after a few days, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. It just felt a little rushed to my taste... It is steamy though, there is smut and explicit scenes that made the temperature rise a few degrees on many occasions.“Severn…” Solo said, stopping a few feet from him. The warrior’s hardness softened, and the angel’s lips turned down. “I should have seen it…” Bizarrely, the warrior came in close and threw his arms around Severn, embracing him hard enough to knock the air from Severn’s lungs. “Love is precious, brother.”
Solo. My sweet red-haired angel.
He is a minor secondary character in this book, but since I read this series before, I know that he will become more important, and I’ve been in love with him since I first read this series.
One thing that I liked less is how the secondary characters somehow feel superficial, and underdeveloped compared to the two main characters. We have a lot of information about Severn's backstory, but we don’t know much about Mikhail, or about how the Aerie came to be built on top of London, and we know even less about the other angels.It was a sin, a terrible, primal sin.
Mikhail had fallen for a lie.
Overall, this is a great book, and I enjoyed it very much both times I read it. It’s fast-paced, sexy, and addictive, with a refreshing take on the old angels vs. demons battle. I am also a sucker for angst and drama, and I know that the next book will be full of it. The ending is not a cliffhanger, but it is very intriguing, it makes us eager to see where the second book will lead us, and how Severn will deal with the fuckton of trouble he's in.The demons were trying to cut his lies free, and he knew Mikhail would not come to save him.
Not this time.
Mikhail would come.
But not for love.
He’d come for revenge.
And he’d kill them all.
Follow me on Instagram 🙂 -
First of all, I absolutely INHALED this in a day 😁
Primal Sin is the first book in a complete dark m/m fantasy series by
Ariana Nash set in an almost dystopian-like, post-apocalyptic London, where angels and demons have been waging war for decades. The angels maintain the seat of power in Aerie, the city of angels, high in the clouds above old London's dark streets, whilst the demons lurk below in the shadows around the area known as the Cauldron, home to the refugees of war - humans, nephilim (half human/half angel) and cambions (half human/half demon) - a place where every desire can be serviced.
Mikhail is the current Guardian angel of Aerie, unemotional, ruthless, lethal, beautiful and in control of the angelic forces in the ongoing war with the demons. Fellow angel Severn is his blade, smooth, battle-hardened, eminently dangerous - Mikhail's right hand. But Severn isn't all that he seems, and the butchered stumps where his wings used to be are only part of his story. When Severn is struck down on the battle field, Mikhail makes the unprecedented decision to perform the allyanse (i.e. share his soul) with him to save his life.
The allyanse gives rise to an intensely physical, mental and emotional connection, which is a problem on so many levels in the angelic hierarchy - not to mention for Mikhail and Severn themselves.
As treachery, deception, betrayal and dark secrets are revealed, the relationship is put to the test in every way possible and (here's the hot tip!) book one DOES NOT end in a HEA 🤐.
Other than the two main protagonists who I adored (got to love those tortured characters, wrestling with their emotions and the need for vengeance, but also walking that fine line between good and evil, right and wrong, love and hate), keep your eye out for some other fabulous, diverse characters - the shape changing, bi-gender cambion, the old crone and her pet rayvern, the demon Lady Djall, warrior, manipulator and sister to the demon Konstantin of the Red Manor, Lost Lord of the Incubi.
If you're into angels, demons, incubi, epic battles, love hate relationships, dark fantasy and all that goes with it, then you NEED this book (and the other two in the trilogy)!
All the stars ✨✨✨✨✨ -
![moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645500038i/37448930._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
4.5 stars ☆
Mikhail's warm hand touched his cheek. ❝I feel... everything,❞ he whispered. ❝And it burns.❞
I LOVE SEVERN. I LOVE MIKHAIL. brb omw to read the next book 😭😭 -
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Might Contain Spoilers*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Hmm, I'm unsure what I feel about this book. The switch between hate and love for Severn was too swift. One second he hated Mikhail and wanted him dead, the other he suddenly couldn't be without him. It also bothered me how Severn hated Mikhail. I just didn't see his ruthless and cold personality. He was nothing but kind to Severn. I think that was the mistake AN did here; she jumped immediately into the story where Severn had already spent ten years infiltrating Mikhail's ranks just for a perfect chance to kill him, so we didn't get to see Mikhail in a bad light.
I, for one, LOVE angels, so with this book and with AN's Silk and Steel series, it's hard for me to not cheer for angels / dragons. In this book though, I had no trouble cheering for the angels. They only did what they were made to do; fight demons. Demons on the other hand - especially a certain one-, didn't mind hurting humans in the process to kill angels. So demons were the "bad" ones here so it was hard for me to see things from Severn's POV. I'm rambling here and probably nothing makes sense. That said, it was an interesting read, but it's not the best I've read. This is my least liked series of AN, with Silk and Steel being second and The Prince's Assassin the first place. I will still finish this series even though it wasn't as successful in my eyes as the author's other series. I just couldn't connect with Severn. I really like the covers AN has one her books though!
Characters:
The list is a bit long so I've put it in a spoilers tag.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Dark Fantasy Romance (M/M).
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
Triggers? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Mikhail.
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes, I believes so.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes, if you like dark themes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably not.
Rating - 3 (weak) stars. -
|| 2.0 stars ||
Urgh. Why did this have to be so incredibly disappointing? It had seemed so interesting..
The first 20% of this book was utterly confusing. I honestly didn't have a clue what was even going on most of the time. I think this was done on purpose by the author to create some mystery, but that didn't stop me from finding it frustrating. I was pretty much bored already, and the story basically hadn't even started yet.
Eventually things started to make sense, and the plot and world-building picked up. I don't have many bad things to say about the rest of it, since, aside from the beginning, it was pretty decent.
However, the characterization of Mikhael and Severn was absolutely terrible. Literally awful.
Mikhael had zero personality. This dude was as bland as can be. I don't know what to say about him, since I feel like I don't know him at all (if there even is anything to know).
Severn, on the other hand, did not have zero personality, but instead he had two personalities. He has a complete personality transplant and does a total 180 about halfway through the book. It's not explained well at all, or explored in depth; the dude just randomly transforms into a whole different person. He goes from "Vengeance!! I need my revenge!! It's the only thing that matters! It's my destiny!" to "Nahh, you know what? I actually don't think I care... Mikhael, you wanna fuck?" It genuinely gave me whiplash.
And Severn's 180 brings me to my next point: the dreadful romance.
Severn goes from vowing he wants to kill Mikhael, secretly plotting his demise, to wanting to fuck his brains out, and in the end even states he's in love with the angel. Excuse me, but.. what? where? when? how?
The build-up of their love story was practically non-existent, their entire 'connection' is built on lust and sex, there is less than zero amount of chemistry, and the whole thing was just done really really really badly.
I'm sorry, but I did not connect with this whatsoever, and I don't think it was good at all. The plot and world-building was the only thing that wasn't absolutely horrible to me, and even that took a long ass time to even start making sense. -
4.5 stars. This author shows me once more that her ability to write complex, outstanding, addictive fantasy is apparently her thing, as I have run right to the next one. Again.
I love angels in the fantasy/paranormal genre but it's tremendously difficult to keep the characterizations *as I view them, anyway* from ending up being cheesy or cliché. Ariana Nash does not have that problem. Both the angels and the demons in this story are complicated, difficult beings, each operating in the belief that the other is a danger to the world and must be wiped out. But as the story unfolds it gets harder to tell who is supposed to be good and who is supposed to be evil.
Every single book I've read from this author always takes me through every emotion possible but her stories live in the stormy ones, passion, fear, love, hate, devastation and rage and there is plenty of that present in this one.
Severn and Mikhail are going to try and break me, I know it, and I can't wait. 🔥 -
![Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1646942374i/66224803._UX200_CR0,46,200,200_.jpg)
He’d lived the lies so long they’d become true.
Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟
- war between angels and demons
But even without his wings, Severn outshone them all, and Mikhail knew in that moment, allyanse or not, he’d protect his broken angel from the horrors of a world that would take his wings.
Plot twists /predictable
- not so sure who’s the good guy anymore
- lots of sex 🎈
Character 🌟🌟🌟
Relatable /strong/ weak characters (but it’s just the first book...)
Favorite: Severn ♥️
World 🌟🌟🌟Fascinating/ a bit boring world building
Diversity: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 mlm 💕
Relationships 🌟🌟🌟🌟
- Enemies to lovers
And not just any angel.
The angel destiny demanded Severn kill.
He had to kill him.
He’d sacrificed everything to kill Mikhail.
There was no other way.
And now Severn was... bound to him?
Life to life, soul to soul.
A bong usually reserved for angels coupling for life.
Oh, the irony.
- 🏳️🌈
Love was just Love,
at all once simple and complicated.
Writing style 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Character driven /plot drivenSlow/ perfect /fastpacing
Definitely enjoyed this one. -
Still hurts so good. Delicious.
--------Orig Review May 2021-------
4.5 Stars
That was pretty fantastic!
I've been waiting to start this series, until book 3 came out. Well, it's out, so it's time to dive in! I've been looking forward to another dark fantasy and Ariana Nash does them just how I like them.
Angst
Enemies to lovers
Hurts sooooo damn good
On to book 2 :) -
~
𝟯.𝟳𝟱𝟰 ✧❝I need you,❞ the guardian whispered. ❝In ways I can’t make sense of.❞
𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗥𝗘𝗖 ♫ -
Bad Things (JACE EVERETT)
✒ 𝗠𝗬 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦❝I missed.❞ Severn paced. ❝I fucking missed.❞
❝It doesn’t matter. He’s ruined. Wasn’t that the idea?❞
❝No.❞ He stopped and faced the madam, hands clenched into fists. ❝Ruined is not enough.❞
♥ 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗠𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗕𝗬 𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡. . . and I love him oh so much!! Once again, author
Ariana Nash penned a complex and lovable main character. Severn is definitely one of my favorite NASH heroes and I loved him dearly.Severn would fuck him dry, destiny’s plan be damned.
Within the first few pages I found myself wholeheartedly devoted to this demon in an angels body. I loved how nothing seemed to go right for him, and I loved the way he both wanted to murder Mikhail where he stood, and also wanted to climb him like a tree. Additionally, I really liked how passionate Severn was, especially when compared to Mikhail. Ultimately, PRIMAL SIN was a great introduction too Severn, and his place in the overarching story moving forward.
♥ 𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗔 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗛 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗦 𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚. . . because seriously, I loved the PRIMAL SINS world, and everything she created. I really liked how angels were the ones who were actually extremely ruthless killing machines. They couldn't feel emotions, and the demons were always greatly outnumbered.
In addition, the PRIMAL SINS world, like her other worlds, was extremely bloody, brutal, and violent. While PRIMAL SINS isn't her most brutal series, it still had its moments. For example, any time someone mentioned cutting another characters wings off I internally cringed. All in all, I think the way in which NASH utilized the mythos of angels and demons was spot on, and her world is expansive and unique.
♥ 𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗛 𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗬 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗠𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧. . . and I truly thank her for it. Look, I've said in many a review, I personally am not a huge plot kinda gal. I prefer character driven stories, and will always be that girl screaming at her Kindle when the MCs are separated for long stretches of time. It's just who I am, and I've come to accept it. It's kinda why I've moved away from straight-up 'urban fantasy.' However, the exception always goes hand in hand with the rule, and for me, MS. NASH is that exception.The allyanse was an excuse. Love was just love, all at once simple and complicated.
I freaking love the plots of her books. They are not only super creative, but they also expertly balance plot // and the central love story. PRIMAL SINS, once again, delivered on both. The plot, the raging war between the demons and angels, and the burgeoning romance between Severn and Mikhail, was given equal amounts of screen time. The plot had mystery, violence, moving sets, and it was interesting enough that it kept my attention. I loved learning more about the war, and I loved seeing Mikhail and Severn fighting in it. Overall, the plot in this book hooked me within the first few chapters, and it sets up really nicely for the other books as well.
🅾🅺🅰🆈 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗦, 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧𝗔-𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗦 𝗙𝗨𝗖𝗞. . . and *sighs* I don't know, it was. . . fine? Now, this going to break the fourth wall a bit, but I will say I do like the romance, now, as I'm writing this review. But, at the time I finished PRIMAL SINS, so last night, I was very meh on it, and I'll explain why. See, most of NASH's other romances // couples usually engage in extreme slow-burn love affairs. And I guess I expected Severn and Mikhail to be no different. I mean, seriously, this is how Severn thinks about Mikhail for half of the book -Mikhail’s desires were clearly aligned with Severn’s, and would it be so wrong to fuck the angel he was destined to kill?
To me at least, it felt like Mikhail had always kinda loved Severn, but Severn never gave any indication that he loved Mikhail. Lust? sure, absolutely. But, love? Nahhhhh, I don't buy it. I think if we had been shown the ten years of history prior to PRIMAL SINS things would've made more sense. This was definitely a case of me needing more context. Now, that's not to say I didn't 'awwhhh' and fangirl over moments like this -❝Will you serve me forever?❞ he whispered. Severn’s wicked mouth twitched.
❝Yes, Your Grace.❞
This time, Mikhail did groan his want. ❝Say my name.❞
❝Yes, Mikhail,❞ Severn purred, his pink mouth sensuously shaping the letters.
Because, I assure you, I did. But, and this is a big but, the declarations of love and devotion felt very. . . hollow. Seriously, it was one scene, and then boom Severn is proclaiming his love to Mikhail. I was - well, I was a bit baffled. I kinda hope MS. NASH decides to do a prequel to PRIMAL SINS someday, because I think it would add the just right amount of context. All in all, the romance was nice, it was fine, but it definitely wasn't the standout. . . this book.
✒ 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦❝Will you fuck me, Your Grace?❞ There was a wrongness in the way he asked, like his sadness was a lingering storm.
❝No,❞ Mikhail whispered against his ear. ❝But I will love you, if you’ll let me.❞
🅁🄴🄰🄻🄻🅈 🄶🄾🄾🄳 𝗜'𝗠 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗘𝗦. . . because, wow what an ending. All in all, PRIMAL SINS served as a great introduction to this new world, and laid the groundwork for some stunning character arcs. The romance, while a let down, has some real potential. However, the rest of the book really delivered entertainment wise. Also, I would literally fight anyone for Severn, so, don't cross me. Ultimately, I highly highly recommend this book, and series.
┍━━━━━━━━━ ༄✨━━━━━━━━┑
┕━━━━━━━━━ ༄✨━━━━━━━━┙
𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦
- ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴏɴᴇ: ᴘʀɪᴍᴀʟ ꜱɪɴ ~ 𝟯.𝟳𝟱 ✧
- ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴡᴏ:
ᴇᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ꜱɪɴ ~ 𝟰.𝟱 ✧
- ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ:
ɪɴꜰᴇʀɴᴀʟ ꜱɪɴ ~ 𝟰 ✧ -
3.75 STARS!
He'd lived the lies so long they'd become true.
In solid Ariana Nash fashion, Primal Sin moves along at an incredible pace in a world served up by her very vivid imagination. For those reasons alone, it's worth a read!
I just wish that the story had been better explained . . . imo, it took too long to get a handle on what, exactly, was going on.
I won't whinge on about the plot however because Severn and Mikhail more than made up for it. I mean, what's not to like about arch-enemies falling in love?"Do you think all demons bad?" he suddenly asked, eyes still sparkling.
In truth, there were quite few poignant moments in this tale of Angels and Demons.
"They are the enemy," Mikhail replied. Good and bad didn't come into it.His wings still ached like they haunted him, like he could feel their towering weight, could throw them open and take to the skies.
I want to give a BIG hug to
MONI for reading this with me!! We'll be moving on to the next soon! -
*2.5*
This was where vengeance had gotten him.
Exactly!! This is what I felt like telling the characters all throughout this book!
I'm not going to get into a detailed premise of the book, but it's angels versus demons and a bunch of other characters in between. It's M/M, enemies to enemies and finally to reluctant, anger fueled lovers.
The problem with this story, was that once I put it down, I didn't want to pick it back up again. The subject matter was very depressing, (hate, lies, heartache) and the sex felt mechanical. Honestly, how could it be genuine when there were so many secrets being kept?
The main takeaway from this story is that war is pointless. Both sides tell lies to get people to fight for them. Thousands die for those lies. Rinse and repeat. I have zero desire to continue the series.
Huge thanks to my fearless buddy reader, Jade, for jumping in to tackle this emotional read with me! We'll find a better one next time! -
The cruel goddess of dark fantasy strikes again!
I KNEW I shouldn’t have started a series that’s not finished yet - especially considering Nash’s love of dramatic cliffhangers - but I never learn and I just couldn’t stop myself. Another read by an author that’s quickly becoming one of my favorites, it was so, SO good. While I loved Silk & Steel to bits and it’ll always have a place in my heart, Eternal Sin was so much better. The characters, the plot… even the writing itself was more mature and developed; the flow was perfect and engaging.
Angel/demon romance may seem like an overused cliché, but the brilliant execution and a few original tweaks turned it into something wonderful. I’d noticed before that this author has a gift for creating memorable and complicated characters that add exceptional depth to her stories, and that is also the case here. The roles of ‘villains’ and ‘heroes’ aren’t as firmly fixed as may be expected, and the lines between right and wrong blur… until at the end, it’s not clear who the bad guy really is.
Severn/Konstantin stole my heart from the get-go, but I wasn’t really surprised - my weakness for the underdog has been well documented. And what screams “underdog” louder than a lone wingless demon, deep undercover in an angel-only city, and on top of that - falling for his nemesis? He was at a clear disadvantage from the very beginning; adding to that the fact that for years, he couldn’t even feed or touch anyone for fear of his illusion dissipating? I wanted him to get his vengeance… But evidently, he didn’t suffer enough to get it yet. Although that bit at the end about his wings still being alive hidden somewhere in Mikhail’s closet gave me such sweet, sweet hope.
Mikhail was a different animal altogether. As a goodie, he couldn’t count on much sympathy coming from my corner - at least at the beginning. After he saved Severn and didn’t even understand WHY he did what he did, I warmed up to him, though - he was so naive and oblivious that it leveled the playing field somewhat. Watching him fumble his way through emotions was fun, but his black-and-white morals did rub me the wrong way till the very end. I’m looking forward to seeing him change - Nash excels at character development, after all, and the little snippet from the second book looked very promising.
The chemistry between the two MCs was through the roof, the sex scenes aplenty and each one of them scorching. I’d like to see more of Severn/Konstantin’s baddie side, though. I get that he’s fallen in love and mellowed - but remember your roots, man! He’s a powerful demon, not that pretty little angel he’d convinced himself he was. Bad things happen when you start believing your own lies… The thing is, I get the feeling that the next book’s not gonna go easy on him. Curse my tendency to fixate so much on characters whose destiny seems to be endless suffering.
I have only one complaint about this one: why in the hell is it SO SHORT! Less than 300 pages of such deliciousness - what is that supposed to be, an appetizer? It’s like half a book. And now, forced to wait who knows how long for the next installment… Cruel, so cruel! -
They kissed in the rain on a London rooftop, and Severn knew this memory was one he'd never surrender.
I'm not sure if I love Ariana Nash or hate her, not after what she did to me, Severn and Mikhail.
We start with lies and betrayal, manipulation and machinations before sliding into the most wondrous, astounding and breathtaking love story until we reach a finale that brings it crashing down around us in the most heartbreaking of ways.The full force of Mikhail's shove drove him back. He hit the wall, his breath puffed out of him, and Mihail caught his face, his mouth, his body beneath his. Just tasting the angel had all the frayed parts of Mikhail's mind coming together again, proving more than ever that Severn was his.
Severn is a man of many secrets, damaged both by the loss of his wings and the hand life has dealt him. A dark soul, conflicted and full of hurt. I very quickly found myself falling for this dangerous saviour. At first it was harder to know and even like Mikhail, this angel had such rigid thinking, blinkered and unfeeling. However seeing the change Severn wrought in him soon had me as captivated by Mikhail as much as his lover was.He was caught, inexplicably owned, and Mikhail struggled to level his breath and control his heart. Part of him fought to break free and push Severn back, but another part liked the sensation of being held down, being controlled. There was a freedom in it, a relief almost. He didn't have to be strong now, he could let this happen.
Oh but there was never a truer saying than that of "the course of true love never did run smooth". That was just so very true for Mikhail and Severn, two polar opposite and yet incredibly similar souls bound by a love to span the eons. Ariana Nash certainly likes to give to her readers with one hand, whilst quickly snatching all the joy back with the other. This book has left me reeling, my emotions torn asunder and my heart pummelled. I desperately need the next book, Eternal Sin, in order to soothe my tattered spirit.He was lost, fallen for Mikhail in all ways, and he never wanted to be found.
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Drum roll please
This book was awwwwesome!
So if you've been like me all week, you're bored and haven't been able to find a good book to read because they all suck and for some reason the genre and authors you like aren't really hitting it like they use to. That's Isolation Fever right there. I'm bored of all my favorite things already.
Lo and behold , something new comes on my timeline. Primal Sin. The name alone is sexy , the blurb was enough to satisfy all my cravings, so I said why not. I had read one other book by this author which I didn't like but desperate times and all that.
Angels and Demons baby. This book is about revenge, love and then vengeance. That's the perfect recipe right there. I don't want to go into the book on a whole but you just have to read it. If you loved Jex Lane's Broken Prince series then you'll like this one. Her FB group is where I got this one from coincidentally.
I am adding this to my reread folder because it is that good. I can't wait for book 2. -
fuck YEAH i’m coming back for more ariana nash
(except i don’t know if i should start this until the second book is out later in the year because if i know my wife ariana, and i think i do, this book will end in a cliffhanger that makes me wish i was lying dead in a smoking crater) -
Historia de anjos e demônios sempre me atraiu ( nunca fico do lado dos anjos) 👀 Os anjos de Primal sin são tipo os conservadores ( não querem ouvir o lado de ninguém, só o deles) criaturas assim são lamentáveis e cansativas, muito cansativas. O enredo de anjos e demônios sempre traz aquela rivalidade onde os anjos são os donos da razão e os demônios são escória do mundo, aqui isso fica mais visível porque os anjos elevaram uma cidade flutuante bem acima da dos humanos e meio humanos, os anjos são os donos da porra toda, você percebe que têm algo de muito errado nisso, os caras só sabem matar demônios sem ver o lado deles. O que eles não esperavam é que o "anjo" mais valente de suas tropas não é bem um anjo e ele tá ali para se vingar dessa raça que ele tanto odeia e do anjo líder Mikhail. Severn alimentado pelo desejo de vingança ficou 10 anos disfarçado entre a tropa de anjos, esperando o momento para matar o anjo líder Mikhail, mas como toda história têm aquele romance proibido, Severn não esperava ter sua alma ligada pela de Mikhail. O romance dessa história é muito bom, você vibra pela interação de Severn e mikhail, mas você sabe que sofrerá com eles quando toda bomba explodir. Fiquei roendo minhas unhas só esperando o momento que toda bomba iria explodir, mentira é uma coisa perigosa porque você só se enrola mais e mais, e foi o caso de Severn. Foi o primeiro livro de Ariana Nash que li, gostei bastante do primeiro e já vou para o segundo.. Imagino que sofrerei junto do Severn 😭 Fiquei com pena dele no final, entendi o lado dele no início e todo seu ódio. Ele teve suas asas e amor arrancados dele, queria vingança contra Mikhail, mas o destino pregou peças nele e ele se viu entre ódio e amor 😭 Severn só desejava o fim dessa guerra entre anjos e demônios, queria viver em paz amando de novo, mas suas mentiras do início lhe prejudicou no final😭
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4.25 stars ⭐️ Ariana Nash is an excellent author, and I loved this book so much. I'm too invested in this book, and my ass is numb from sitting hours and reading this book.
Severn is full of secrets and lies. His enemy is Mikhail. But they have fallen in love with each other without Mikhail knowing he fall for lies?
But Severn’s love might be true!
And what would happen when Mikhail knew all the lies of Severn?
“it’s more, and it was always there, between us… I’ve fallen for you,” Mikhail whispered”
The ending!! It hurts! On to the next book! -
Blew me away! Angels and Demons and everything in between! Amazing cast of characters, Mikhail and Severn has my heart. On to the next book!😍
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For decades angels and demons have waged war on the streets of London and the killing fields have left it unrecognisable. Angels live in the aerie, a huge towering structure ruled by Guardian Mikhail, and they consider themselves protectors of humans. Below the Aerie is the Cauldron, a dark and dangerous underworld where demons prey on the unsuspecting and anything can be purchased for the right price.
Severn is Mikhail's right hand man, a fierce warrior respected by the rest of the angels and feared by demons, even though he lost his wings in battle and can no longer fly. But while Severn is seen as an ally he has ulterior motives and has spent the last decade planning is revenge against the person he blames for ruining his life. After Severn is brutally injured in battle once more Mikhail takes surprising steps to save his life and the bond that forms between them could be enough to doom the world.
Ariana Nash never fails to rip out my heart and stomp it into teeny tiny pieces and I love it so much that I just keep coming back for more! Love, revenge, betrayal and heartbreak this book has it all and then some, I was hooked from beginning to end. We're only just starting to explore this world but already I want to know more and I enjoyed getting to know the characters too. Mikhail initially comes across as quite cold and unfeeling but under the surface he's a boiling pot full of emotion and in the end that might just be his downfall. Severn on the other hand is full of rage and hatred, and with very good reason, but he is also more than he originally seems and as his hate and lust combine his attitude completely changes.
I honestly can't wait to see what happens next between these two, especially now a certain new character that appeared at the end of the book has been thrown into the mix. I know for sure that this is going to be a bumpy ride for everyone but I can't wait to enjoy the rollercoaster. -
DNF @ 60%
This book is good but not my kind of good. -
I read this as a buddy read with the lovely Rain and the most enjoyable part of this read was our chats about it.
The book started off strong; intriguing me, dangling little bits of information, making me question enough to keep going. The authors writing style is really good ... but the characters! They were so very 2 dimensional, their relationship felt off and superficial and their behaviours were beyond frustrating. I think that sums up this book for me: I'm frustrated with it!
I don't think I'll continue on with the series, which is disappointing, but I'd be happy to try out other books by the author.
***trigger warnings: graphic violence -
This sounds aaaaahhhmaaaaziiiing
-
This was so beautifully written. Lyrical, really.
I loved everything about it from the world building, to the different creatures and backstories introduced, to the heart breaking intricacies of the war—internally and externally, to the betrayal, the deceit, the passion and the romance. Also the transition from enemies to lovers was done in a way I really liked that was complicated and factored in everything going on. Even though I knew it was all going to shit in the end (in the best, torturously painful way possible), I was holding onto a little bit of hope with Severn.
I won’t ramble anymore because I run the risk of letting a spoiler slip through but I will say it’s sooooo worth the read (like Captive by Jex Lane and Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat worth it) and it ends on an amazing cliffhanger. I was getting whiplash with all the reveals in the end, even though I anticipated some of them. But the execution...it was amazing. I’m beyond ready for Book 2, especially after that excerpt in the end. Mikhail 😭💔 -
Live footage of
Pippa DaCosta slicing pieces off of me and we don't have nothing but a title!
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this looks pretty interesting, ngl, and that cover tho jsjsjs
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It was a sin, a terrible, primal sin.
That book consumed me. I vaguely remember one book about angels that I liked but it fades in comparison with Primal Sin.
Started in ancient times, battle between angels and demons rages on and on...
Skin as dark as night, veins of molten lava, and wings… broad, powerful wings that inspired awe. He’d been a creature of strength, of brutal beauty, of unrelenting passion and lust and hunger, the absolute opposite of an angel.
He seemed impossible, this world-ending angel, like a creature made from dreams and nightmares crafted into his final male form, framed by velvet, storm-touched wings. Every stride had purpose. The cut of his unblinking gaze landed deeply, like it stripped Severn of all the lies and saw everything he fought day and night to hide.
The leading two males seemed to have been bonded by fate itself...
Mikhail’s death didn’t belong to anyone else. The guardian was his to kill. And whoever had tried to overrule him would soon witness his wrath.
He wanted to keep it safe and hidden and all his. Nobody else could have him.
I should have known by now Ariana will not spare me and I'll be thrown through twists and turns in the plot until I would feel every damn emotion for Mikhail and Severn... Love, rage, happiness, sorrow, sadness and above all hope to be united in happiness and love... Is it even possible?! 😳
My heart is broken into million pieces and I feel all the sorrow and pain my babies are going through. 💔
A hand gripped his. Mikhail? He clutched that hand like it could save him from the agony.
The same thrust of pain through his heart knocked him to a knee. He breathed around it, trying to hold the broken pieces of himself together before he shattered.
In dread and excitement in the same measure I'm moving on to the second book... Will I be hurting even more, looking at my heroes finding a way to shed the lies, to climb out of the pain, to be able to grasp a chance at happiness to love passionately and be loved in return the same way? 💞
“I love him.” It was true. So true, it hurt to say because he did not deserve love.
Because he had loved a demon with all his heart, and now that love had shattered, taking his bright heart with it.
BR with Rachel
It was a delight and comfort to have you with me on this incredible journey. Thank you, darling! 💖
