Ariadne Vitalis has betrayed her father and his powerful ally, putting her fate in the hands of the treacherous city of Olympus. The price for her safety? A forced marriage to Dionysus. Despite this arrangement, her heart yearns for another—the dangerous and captivating Minotaur, who has been promised her hand in a different deal. He won’t let her go without a fight. Though her engagement with Dionysus is more amicable than passionate, the intense and forbidden desire she feels for the Minotaur threatens to ignite a fiery chaos. As their dangerous attraction intensifies, Ariadne must decide if she’s willing to watch Olympus burn for a chance at forbidden love.
I did not have being more invested in the politics rather than the romance plot of a Katee Robert book on my bingo board for 2024 and yet here we are.
Dark Restraint takes readers even deeper into the world of Olympus as the cracks we’ve seen in its seemingly impenetrable force field slowly but surely crumble altogether. No one is safe and while powerful if unlikely alliances have been formed, nothing seems to be able to stop the world’s (and politics’) inevitable doom.
Now, shockingly for me, I actually didn’t mind that the political landscape of Olympus is front and center in these later installments. We’ve seen the trend of the romances taking a step back in favour of more intrigue, scandal, and power games and in my eyes, this only adds more depth to this riveting series.
Also, let’s be real, this pairing might just have been the hardest to sell and therefore the amount of politics outweighing the romance felt almost a foregone conclusion. With what the Minotaur represented so far in the series, readers were sure to be stumped once they learned he was going to be paired with Ariadne, who—while fierce and headstrong—also has the whole princess locked away in a tower by her horrendous father vibes going on.
And while I agree that this wasn’t my favourite couple to follow along, I think Robert did a great job with redeeming at least some of the Minotaur’s actions of the past. I have an unspeakable soft spot for “I hate everyone but you” narratives and the Minotaur and Ariadne definitely delivered on that aspect. My favourite part for sure was the way they tried to tread carefully around each other and figuring out just how much they were willing to risk to be together—the Minotaur is basically a personification of the “he fell first and he fell harder” trope and I was here for it. As always with a Robert book, you have the trifecta of passion, steam and twists. And while I’d venture that the tension wasn’t as high as it could have been, the steadfastness of Ariadne and Asterion’s feelings for each other more than made up for it.
One highlight for me in these books is also the way we get to see cameos from other couples and those who will undoubtedly become important chess game pieces in future instalments. My heart and soul belongs to Hermes and while I can’t wait to get my hands on her book, I love how we steadily see her journey in glimpses throughout the entire series so far. Similarly, we’ve got some glimpses of Icarus that already have me itching to get my hands on his book (which is up next). Also, I will never not love seeing Hades in all his glory (can you tell he is still my favourite?) and his devotion to Persephone hits hard, even seven books in. Altogether, the upcoming three final books in the series are sure to entrance us all.
Delving into the darker parts of romance and political shifts, Dark Restraint invites readers to return to a world of high stakes, more deception and delectable romance.
Dark Restraint is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 6th 2024.
Will you be picking up Dark Restraint? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
He was my savior. My monster. My obsession. My destruction.
*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Ariadne and her Minotaur.*
Ariadne Vitalis is in trouble. She’s betrayed her father―and his dangerous benefactor―and now she’s left to rely on Olympus’ questionable mercy. But in this city, mercy comes with a price. For Ariadne, that means a sham marriage to Dionysus. She has no choice but to agree, even if there’s only one man she’s ever wanted―a man she fears just as much as she desires.
The Minotaur never had any illusions about Minos’s plans. He was willing to get his hands dirty as long as the old man kept his word―at the end of their bloody work, the Minotaur would be given Ariadne as a reward. She’s meant for him, and he intends to have her, no matter the cost.
Ariadne knows better than to encourage the Minotaur―she’s all too aware of how hot a passion like theirs can burn. Besides, she can never forgive him for the terrible things he’s done, and he can never change. But when his hands are on her body and his wicked words are whispered in her ear, she might just be willing to let all of Olympus burn…
