REVIEW: 'Ash' by Jack L. Pyke
Title: Ash
Series: Don’t… #4.5 - Prequel to Don’t… 5
Author: Jack L. Pyke
Published: March 20, 2018
Cover Artist: Siolnatine
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance; Mystery/Thriller; Suspense; New Adult
Length: 259 Pages
Tags: Gay; M/M; Bisexual; May/December; Law Enforcement; Cliffhanger; CW: PTSD, Murder, Violence
About Ash
“You up for that, hm, Ash? A lesson from an old soul to youth? From me… to you?”
Ash Thomas and his gameplay with other men is vicious, cruel. Better to fuck someone over than be the one who’s on the floor, fucked up, right? But his latest cruelties are about to catch the eye of the Wraith, someone who’s been brought up to play professionally in the shadows. For Ash, beauty and rage aren’t the kind of sins to win him any favours anymore. Life and lessons of the heart never did come easy, especially when they’re about to walk in off the darkened streets, bringing bloodied footprints in their wake.
5 HEART READ
REVIEW:
I’m caught somewhere between stunned speechless and flying a hundred miles an hour. Ash, the latest installment in Jack L. Pyke’s Don’t... series, completely blew my mind. As fans of the this series are well aware - expect everything - and you won’t be disappointed. This one has it all with complex, multi-layered characters, a deeply twisted mystery, and a little hot, dirty sex; all wrapped up in Pyke’s unique and eloquent prose. Ash is a rush!
Don’t even think of picking this one up unless you’ve read the other books in this series. While this story could stand alone and the characters in Ash are new, it is still part of the Don’t... world. In the Author’s Note we are promised this story segues into the next novel, Don’t... 5: Psychopaths & Sinners, which picks up where we left off with Jan, Gray, and not Jack but Martin (YAY Martin!). Pike explains that the characters and the story in Ash are woven into the next two novels and promises it to be a dark and exciting ride.
The characters skirt the border between reality and whatever damage is going on in their heads, and when they interact the result is messy and downright scary as hell.
One of my favorite aspects of the Don’t... series are the dark psychological twists and turns it takes. The characters skirt the border between reality and whatever damage is going on in their heads, and when they interact the result is messy and downright scary as hell. There’s no way of knowing how it’s going to come back into play and impact the story, but you can bet it will.
Jack L. Pyke delves deep into the psyche of these characters, making them so human. It’s chilling how even the most remorseless and sadistic bastards from this series have something to redeem them. The darkness obvious on the surface blurs with fractured moments of compassion; or a glimpse of a tender memory gives us something we can relate to, in even the most twisted character.
Primarily the story of Ash, this young man has a rough life. With no prospects for the future and some very dark memories from the past, the person he shows the world is hard and angry. He’s learned to be cynical and he even dwells on it, “The fuck over always came, especially from good men.” The hurt and disillusionment comes through loud and clear, so Ash grabs his pleasure where and when he can, consequences be damned.
It’s chilling how even the most remorseless and sadistic bastards from this series have something to redeem them.
I found the character of Raif so intriguing. His need to serve, to care for and fix people, is so much a part of who he is it’s no surprise he’s drawn to Ash’s damage. We get a few hints about Raif’s lifestyle and it raises intriguing possibilities in the future for these two, but for now Raif is closing off that part of himself to Ash. I’m going to enjoy finding out why they met, after all there’s no such thing as a coincidence in a Jack L. Pyke novel.
There are so many possibilities for what’s coming up next for these guys I hated for Ash, the book, to end. I can’t wait to see how Jack L. Pyke weaves this story into what’s going on with the rest of the characters from this series. I don’t know how I’m going to make it till the release of Don’t... 5, it can’t get here quick enough!
A copy of Ash was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by ForbiddenFiction, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
Meet the Author
Jack's a pure M/M erotic romance author who specializes in BDSM.
With a wicked love for portraying D/s relationships in particular, all added to a psychological thriller edge, kink and mind games go hand in hand here.
For more from Jack be sure to visit her website.
