REVIEW: 'Revived' by Kora Knight
Title: Revived
Series: The Dungeon Black Duology Book 2
Author: Kora Knight
Cover Photography: Varian Krylov/Strangeland Photography
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer/Simply Defined Art
Published: December 30, 2016
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Erotic Romance; Contemporary Romance
Length: 550 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; BDSM; D/s; College; Tattoos/Piercings; May/December; Angst: High; CW: Kink - Various “Non-Conventional” Toys, Edging, Bondage; CW: Gay Bashing
About Revived
Love unearthed his heart from the cold, hard ground.
Now comes the fight to revive it.
Love. Just when Max Kelley thought he’d eradicated it from his life for good it snuck back in, in the form of his beautiful new sub, Sean. Something that Max is far from happy about. In fact, he fights it tooth and nail. Having his world decimated was hell on earth, an experience he’d go to any lengths to avoid repeating. Problem is, while his head is determined to protect his heart, his heart can’t stop thinking about Sean. Sean, his perfect sub, his perfect match, his perfect everything. Which makes him that much more of a threat. Were Max to claim him and then lose him, the devastation would be far greater than even Kevin’s death. So, in order to ensure his heart and soul stay intact, he must once again eradicate love from his life. Eradicate Sean from his world. But Sean is a scrapper, just like Max, and refuses to give up without a fight. In their final showdown of fiery passion and wills, whose heart will come out in one piece?
Warning: This erotic, gay, BDSM romance contains intensely explicit sexual scenes both inside and out of the dungeon.
** Note from the author: In keeping with the promise I made to my Upending Tad devotees, I've included a small side story with Tad and Scott in book 2 where we delve a bit further into the developments of their relationship, and all the wonderful ways they've been keeping each other's hearts pounding. So, be prepared for two more character point of views! Tad and Scott aren't going anywhere. XXO
5 HEART READ
REVIEW:
Honest to God this review of Kora Knight’s Revived, book two in The Dungeon Black Duology series, is a long time coming. I have put it off, and put it off again….cause my emotions were just raw.
I’m not gonna lie….this book was mentally draining. Chock full of angst, Max’s long, painful, inner turmoil with his own heart and mind was exhausting at times. And poor, sweet Sean on the receiving end of all that hurt. *sigh*
But let me assure you – every single moment of slamming my Kindle down and wanting to bitch slap the hell outta Max was so worth it!
Before I get started let me just say that nothing I am going to tell you in my review is anything Kora Knight herself didn’t convey in her book synopsis. She told you what is ahead for this story.
For those who haven’t read Unearthed, and aren’t familiar with Max and Sean’s story, I highly recommend giving it a go so that you are on board with why Max is so hard core about “no relationships”; and what exactly Kevin “did” that lead to Max’s determination in this hard limit. It sets the stage for you to understand his mindset.
You also might want to familiarize yourself with the Upending Tad series which introduces Max and Sean. Scott and Tad play pivotal roles in Revived and we get to revisit scenes with them, such as the night at the nightclub and Scott and Max’s fight in the kitchen, from an entirely other perspective.
As refreshing as that is there are a few chapters in which I was perplexed wondering what Scott and Tad’s antics were lending to the flow of Revived. But as Kora states in her book synopsis she did this for her fans and this is her story to tell after all.
Kora starts Revived right on the heels of where she left Max and Sean at the end of Unearthed. And in typical Knight fashion – with hot sex!
One of the things that sets Kora apart for me is she has a masterful way of writing fun, creative, twisted, raunchy – hot – man on man sex; and in the same breath she uses the vulnerability associated with such to tell a meaningful story.
Nowhere are two people more exposed than when they shed their inhibitions during sex. All that physicality, lust, intimacy, raw power…there are no bigger emotions.
*snort* It’s actually quite humorous that Max has chosen sex as a means to hide his biggest feelings.
Max can’t get beyond the blow from his past – setting up rules for himself that have become a demon, holding him like a puppet master, pulling his strings, refusing to allow him to accept what he knows he wants, what he needs, right in front of him. And he spends the entire book fighting! Fighting himself. Putting himself through the wringer at every. Fucking. Turn! To the point I wanted to scream, “Red, Max – RED!”
“Because his head wouldn’t allow it. Because his heart was on lockdown.”
And at the same time I wanted to cry. Weep for Sean. For all his steadfast and utter support; his pursuit, in knowing what he wants, and ultimately what Max needs – he’s kicked to the curb and beat and yet comes back with more. Resilient and determined. It’s absolutely staggering. I think The Fray’s Corners sums up Sean and his desires perfectly!
The rules Max has placed on his head, his heart, blind him from seeing Sean is giving him the one thing he never forgave Kevin for not doing for him.
I did find a few repetitive thoughts and phrases that took me out of my depth in the story at times but they were overcome by a well told relationship with nothing but feels….OMFG, the feels. With Max and Sean’s climax, pun intended, full of them.
Some people may see Revived as a broken Dom/sub come to fix one another; and the ending might even elude to this. But I personally don’t see Max and Sean like this at all. Rather they are just two men with a past. A past each of them desire a means to overcome and they just happen to find the means in each other. Honestly who hasn’t needed this a time or two? Who hasn’t recognized that magical person who restores them to consciousness - or life? The one who revives them.
Revived by Kora Knight will have you believing what’s meant to be will be!
“The reason Sean was always able to penetrate Max's walls was because he'd always been able to penetrate his darkness. Evidently, on some level they were one and the same, and Sean held the universal key.”
An advanced reader copy of Revived was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by Kora Knight, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
About the Author
Born and raised in the Northern Virginia, I've always loved to read, but it wasn't until my preteen years that I discovered my deep-seated love for writing. Though, with published literary teachers and play writers in the family tree, that really shouldn't have come as a surprise.
Starting with my involvement in social book forums, I then tried my hand in literary role playing. Which, in turn, led to my becoming a fervent online independent writer. Since then, I've endeavored to share with the world my impassioned stories of love, adventure and sensual wonderment, my most recent delight being that of m/m erotica.
For other works by Kora be sure and visit her website.
