Erryn reviews Fractured (Don’t… Book 6) by Jack L. Pyke. The second edition of the book was released by Men in Ink Press on March 28, 2019 and is 574 pages. The audiobook was released April 30, 2020, is narrated by Dan Calley, and is 18 hours and 32 minutes. An audio book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this: I’m addicted to this series.
“Don’t let them leave us behind at the roadside, Jan.” (Jack Harrison)
Both psychopath and sinner, Gray Raoul’s falling deep into dangerous territory with Martin and his own “born this bastard way, baby” innateness. But when Gray’s son, Light, is thrown into Gray’s world on the back of a CS gas terror attack at a rave, life never becomes more…fractured. Under the decaying influence of Martin, Gray’s about to interrogate his son with all the coldness of an MI5 director of counterterrorism edge that’s teetering too close to culler roots.
When Gray’s suicidal fall is played to the full with Martin, leaving Jan facing nothing but himself and the culler in Gray, the ultimate questions are tested to the fullest: Standing in the shadow of two psychopaths, two sinners who are locked in death-play, did Jan’s “soft lad” soul really ever have a voice in Gray’s dark world? And just where does this all leave Jack Harrison?
Buy links: Audible | Amazon | Add to Goodreads
Read Erryn’s review of the audio of book 1 here.
Read Erryn’s review of the audio of book 2 here.
Read Erryn’s review of the audio of book 3 here.
Read Erryn’s review of the audio of book 4 here.
Read Erryn’s review of the audio of book 4.5 here.
Read Erryn’s review of the audio of book 5 here.
*****
My review:
I’ve adored this series and followed it obsessively since the first book was released. A gay BDSM thriller. Talk about having all the elements I love! I’m seriously sad to see this go and what a way to end. With a bang to be sure (or several).
The series started with Jack. A car mechanic with a penchant for walking on the dark side. He was a sub for the Master’s Circle and submitted to being used as a vehicle for vetting potential future Dominants. He was under the control of an enigmatic MI5 officer and then he met a man who intrigued him. Jan wasn’t into BDSM, but he was into Jack. Just a few years his junior, the two men connected. Jan was a ‘soft lad’, and he saw through Jack’s rough edges. At the time they were also dealing with a killer who seemed to have it out for Jack. Jack who had once been involved with the psychopath Cutter. Jack whose OCD could sometimes rage out of control.
In the next book, Jan and Jack were kidnapped and brutally raped and tortured. Man, that was a tough book. It was no wonder both men began downward spirals into despair and distrust. Jan turned to heroin and Jack started to literally crack under the weight of the knowledge of what had been done to him. His ‘alter’ Martin began to appear. Gray, the enigmatic MI5 officer and the third member of their triad, tried to keep control, but soon Jack had to be turned over to medical professionals.
Through the next couple of books, the men coped with the aftermath and, as time went on, Jack disappeared more and more to the point where he was gone by the end of Book 5. That was good because Martin was needed to do a horrible thing, but that didn’t make the loss of Jack any easier. I knew this book would centre around the triad again but, of course, new characters had to be added. I’ll admit, I was a bit overwhelmed. There are a bunch of uni students who have a YouTube channel.
But I digress. This book begins with the murder of a young gamer. It’s called cellular cavitation – the vaporization of liquid within organ cells. Apparently you can send a signal through headphones that cause someone to…die. I-dosing. Wow. Just like…wow. MI5 and MI6 are trying to track down the people in charge of this ring and, I’ll admit, I didn’t always completely understand. Some of it is my lack of knowledge when it comes to the dark web and some of it was just because of the huge cast of characters. And one of them is linked to Gray and good luck figuring that one out. It did eventually become clear but by then I was cursing for having guessed wrong so many times.
Of all the new characters, Brin and Light are the most important. Born on the same day, they are brothers by adoption as Brin’s parents are dead. Light’s parents adopted him and have cared for him. The boys are as close as two people can be. Those bonds are tested in this book as they find themselves fighting against the killer, MI5, and themselves.
There are bombs, there is torture, there is violence, and there is redemption. This book was as much of a mind fuck as all the previous ones and that’s why I loved it. I could continue trying to explain what happened, but that might ruin it. This is one of those books where reading the others is fairly important although valiant souls might try this one without all the history. At around eighteen hours it’s an investment and one worth making.
Dan Calley has narrated the entire series and I’m so pleased he did. His voices for Jan, Gray, and Jack/Martin were spot on. He added another pile with these teenagers and he did it brilliantly. Kudos to him for managing these hours and hours of listening pleasure.
Finally, I want to say that I loved Light. He broke my heart in so many ways, and yet I still believe there’s a spark in him. If there were a spin-off series involving him and his man, I would be first in line to read it.
My rating:
10/10 pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 5/5 Stars
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Jack blames her dark writing influences on living close to one of England’s finest forests. Having grown up hearing a history of kidnappings, murders, strange sightings, and sexual exploits her neck of the woods is renowned for, Jack takes that into her writing, having also learned that human coping strategies for intense situations can sometimes make the best of people have disastrously bad moments. Redeeming those flaws is Jack’s drive.
Jack’s also a contract editor, working with Dreamspinner Press, DSP Publications, and Harmony Ink. She’s also had the absolute pleasure of editing exceedingly talented indie authors like Adrienne Wilder and Joseph Lance Tonlet.
Basically this all means Jack finds herself incredibly humbled to write, edit, and read solely in the M/M romance genre, with a particular love of psychological thrillers, BDSM, and crime.
Rainbow Gold Reviews 