This review contains spoilers - read with caution. Content warnings include: Parental abuse, homophobia, the death of a parent due to cancer, and scenes of violence and shootings. You can read my review of Kiss the Villain on my blog, now!
While you do no necessarily need to read the Legacy of Gods series or Vipers series in order to dive into Villains, I do think it makes the reading experience more enjoyable - having the knowledge of the other couples' stories really immerses the reader into the world. Vaughn and Yulian's relationship was always lingering in the background of some of Kent's books, and while readers were able to pick up on some small hints and eggs hidden throughout the stories, we finally get to do a deep dive on what has been eating these two up for years. There is so much tension surrounding them, and color me surprised when Kent decided to show us the very flashbacks that had these boys at each other's throats.
The little callbacks to other couples are always nice and make the readers feel connected to a largest story at hand, and you can appreciate the fact that Kent tries to keep any spoilers from bubbling up to the surface when they are mentioned. Especially regarding the main events in some of the other books - while I would recommend reading them in order, you can always hop around if you do not mind already knowing some minor details about the other couples beforehand. The earlier couples from Legacy of Gods are not mentioned nearly as much as others, and to be frank, the mothers and fathers of those characters have more mentions. Maybe now is a good time for me to finally read this series in order beyond Legacy of Gods and Vipers.
Vaughn witnessing the way Yulian's father beats him like no one's business throughout the years felt like a wake up call to him - Yulian may be unpredictable and outlandish, but he is so incredibly burdened by an abusive household that holds his sister against him to make him compliant. While on the other hand, Vaughn, while still expected to be the perfect example of an heir, does not have to face brutalization from his own family. From what we have seen in Kiss the Villain, we know that the elders are not supportive of same sex relationships, so watching both of these boys hide from public view while trying to be together is just as heartbreaking knowing the consequences to Vaughn and Yulian would be barbaric. Considering everything that Kayden and Gareth went through in that book, you could only imagine what the elders would be capable of. We certainly bear witness to Yulian's father's brutality when he has him kidnapped and beaten to a pulp just for being with a man - it was heartbreaking to read the horrors he had to endure.
Kent's past couples all have been pretty strict when it comes to who seems to take charge in the relationship, and yet with Yulian and Vaughn, we see them truly fight to best the other. Whether that applies to familial disputes or bedroom activities, they both are comparable to one another - I never felt as though they were unequal in the relationship. The jealously from the two of the boys is unmatched as they struggle to come to terms with what they mean to each other while trying to maintain their secret hookups. Both act like this is a casual thing, but it is clear from the beginning that they could never be casual about one another, taking things to the extreme no matter the cost.
I was honestly surprised this installment had so few content warnings compared to Kiss the Villain - I was expecting to be put through the ringer with Vaughn and Yulian - and while they certainly had their obstacles, it was mild in comparison to what we have seen before. The closest we got was Yulian's torture by his father compared to what Gareth endured from Kayden's family. The smut was insane in this installment - even though Yulian and Vaughn were relatively new to doing things with men, they evolved together and it made for some wild chapters that put some of Kent's other works to shame. My jaw dropped several times and the flow of it all felt very natural, it never felt like Kent was throwing in spicier scenes to make up for pages or plot. I am certainly intrigued to see what she has in store for the third couple in Crave the Villain.
Looking for more Rina Kent? You can read my reviews for Legacy of Gods: God of Malice, God of Pain, God of Wrath, God of Ruin, God of Fury, God of War, and Vipers: Beautiful Venom, Sweet Venom, and Tempting Venom on my blog, now!
You can add Hunt the Villain on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.
