[ARC Review] Caged in Darkness by Amy Thorn
Format: eARC
eARC provided by: Amy Thorn via Gay Romance Reviews
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When Isaac was discharged from the Army, his life lost meaning. With no brothers in arms to fight alongside and protect, Isaac drifted. When his brother, Ethan, offered to sponsor him as a prospect in the Black Death Riders Motorcycle Club, Isaac saw it as his chance to find brotherhood and family again. But life in this MC isn’t a part time job and soon Isaac finds himself in the middle of a different kind of war. As the Black Death Riders go after a rival syndicate, Isaac fights his feelings for the MC president, Thanatos. Than has too many demons and too many enemies to risk having feelings for Isaac, but when neither one can hold back anymore, Than and Isaac will put their love and their lives on the line for a chance at something they never thought they’d get again.
Caged in Darkness is the first book in a duology by Amy Thorn. I absolutely loved this book, but I will warn you now: this first book in the duology ends on a major cliffhanger. If cliffhangers aren’t your thing, I would definitely suggest waiting until the second book, Caged in Fire, is released before attempting this one.
Overall, I thought Caged in Darkness was a very well done book. There’s emotion, action, past traumas, and healing, all set in a dark world full of revenge. I really enjoyed the setting; it was modern London, but it was dark and gritty and seedy. I also found the plot to be a bit more unique than the standard motorcycle club novels I usually come across; instead of MCs staking claim and warring against each other, I loved that Thorn had Thanatos and his MC warring against a crime syndicate. While their methods weren’t usually on the legal side of the law, the Black Death Riders MC were out to right wrongs and shut down the horrible things going down in dark alleys and abandoned buildings. They, especially Thanatos, saw themselves as the bad guys, but it was definitely not that black and white. Isaac was a great character, especially to act as a complement and a foil to Thanatos. While Than became battle-hardened on the streets, Isaac is haunted by his time in Afghanistan. Both are alphas in their own right, and those competing personalities made for some great tension on the page. Both main characters were wonderfully developed; with troubled pasts, both Isaac and Thanatos came across as tough and vulnerable, especially when it came to love and letting someone in.
There is mentions of and flashbacks to war, trauma, and severe feelings of guilt, but I think Thorn wrote it well while her characters approached it with sensitivity. The plot was action packed from start to finish, and I wish the second book in the duology was out while I write this because I really need to know what happens after Caged in Darkness ends.
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