Rating:2.75🌈

I’ve been reading several newly discovered (to me) authors recently, one of which is Paulina Ian-Kane. Kane’s books, from the descriptions, fall under the trope of “psychopathic killers for good” dark romance fiction.

One, the first novel in the author’s Angels of Wrath series, follows one of a group of men rescued as children from a horrific, abusive secret government experimental program. All, either sold or kidnapped into the program, were initially diagnosed as young psychopaths. Then scientists, using torture techniques, tried turning them into assassins/soldiers for the military. They were “rescued” by a pair of doctors and adopted/fostered into a family arrangement that now hides their secret business of being assassins for justice, killing those that the law allows to go free.

There are other authors that have written this as a foundation for a series. Child psychopaths/ assassins formed families that now kill those that deserve it. One writer especially is associated with it.

After completing the story, I just feel that this book was just too derivative for my tastes and degree of comfort, starting with the format at the beginning, to multiple similarities with another well known series, imo.

That’s Onley James’ Necessary Evils , a series about an adopted/rescued group of child psychopaths who are assassins (popular among many as this trope is a favorite of mine and others). And I’m not alone in thinking One has many similar elements to that older, and imo, better written, series by James.

Some of these similarities between these two series include , later books with James:

1. Starting a chapter with the word Subject: and a name. Then treating it as a scientific document on the character.

2. The characters are children diagnosed as psychopaths, although it turns out not all are.

3. They are adopted by doctors. In James series’ a man, a woman in One.

4. Both families are extremely wealthy using their businesses to fund their secret projects

5. The manner in which each finds their “mate “ , especially the cinnamon roll character, feels so familiar.

There’s others things that come up, pros and cons narratively that had me struggling with this story , but there’s just enough of a difference in things and a nice twist that the book does eventually turn interesting.

However, not enough for me to consider continuing with this series. Each book will, naturally, contain the story for a different “brother “ as they find themselves a mate amongst the murder.

There’s two book out now with more planned.

I prefer Onley James’ Necessary Evils series. In comparison , it’s tighter in its plotting, its foundation and series arc is more fully realized, and its characters are more complex .

You decide which one to read.

Trigger warnings:

Heavy issues are also present. Talk of self-harming, killing and experimentation on children.”

— One (Angels of Wrath Book 1) by Paulina Ian-Kane

Angels of Wrath:

One #1

Six #2

Buy link

One (Angels of Wrath Book 1)

Blurb:

Michael Caldwell—medical examiner, odd, blood obsessed. His new life in Chicago consists of performing autopsies and eating chips while watching old detective series.

Until…

“He’s suddenly standing in front of me. Leather jacket, washed-out jeans, jet black hair.

His deep, green eyes are so intense on me I can barely breathe.

It’s in his crooked smile, bold flirting and confident—borderline conceited—behavior that I get lost.

The fact that he protects me five minutes later during an attempted robbery only reinforces my crazy-instant attraction toward him, though.

But there are shadows hiding in his gaze. And his apathetic yet possessive attitude confuses me.

Makes me care.

Makes me crave.

But then secrets come out and my life turns into a thriller movie.

Now I’m left wondering how this all started. And when the answer comes, I know I can never go back to my uneventful life. Would I even want to?

Would I be able to leave him?

‘Never again’, he whispers.”

WARNING-This is not a sci-fi angel story, unless you see eager vigilantes with a dark side as angels.

This is an action packed romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features an over the top possessive psychopath, and a peculiar medical examiner with a stomach made of steel. There’s violence, torture (only of very bad people), dark humor, amazing side characters and very spicy scenes with blood play. Morality’s grey area is quite stretched in this story.

This is book one in the Angels of Wrath Series. Each book follows a different couple.

• Publisher: (August 23, 2023)

• Publication date: August 23, 2023

• Print length: 274 pages