Erryn reviews ‘Outlawed: Lords of Chaos MC (Road to Carnage Series Book 1) by Nicholas Bella. Narrated by Keith Folz. The book was released October 1, 2021 and is 212 pages. The audiobook was narrated by Keith Folz, was released October 25, 2021, and is 6hrs and 11mins.
Bikers, bullets, and blood.
Noah “Ace” Murphy, Sergeant at Arms, brother, and son. He’s a Man of Carnage, who is loyal to his club. One night, coming home from visiting his brother, Diego, in prison, he almost literally runs into a young man desperate for help. Kenshin Yamoto is everything Ace knows he should stay away from. But one look into those pleading, soft, brown eyes and he finds that he can’t turn Kenshin away. Now, they just have to hope the threat Kenshin is running from doesn’t destroy everything Ace holds dear, including Kenshin.
Diego “Dragon” Murphy, who’s doing a nickel upstate, is looking forward to the day he can give the prison his middle finger. But before he can do that, he gets a visit from his brother, Noah, and is given a mission to eliminate an imprisoned DEA snitch before he can testify against a powerful mob boss. With his plate full, he doesn’t expect to get a new cellmate. To his shock, Richard Harrison stokes a fiery desire within Dragon that he’s never felt before. Richard claims he’s straight, but Dragon wants to put that to the test…
Warning: Mature listeners only. Outlaw MC life, prison life, mafia, dark themes. Graphic violence. Strong adult situations. Colorful and intense language. Listener discretion is advised.
Buy Links: Audible | Amazon | Add to Goodreads
My review:
I knew this Nicholas Bella book would be dark – which it is was. I suspected there would be moments of redemption – there are. I knew this was the first in a series – it is. I didn’t know this ended on a cliff-hanger and I’m like…?!? When’s the next book coming out on audio because I want to know what happens next? Like, uh, right now.
This is a dark book with dark themes. There’s violence. There’s morally reprehensible behavior. Some of it’s justified, some of it is definitely questionable.
The book starts out from Ace’s point of view. I should mention point of view is very fluid in this book and can hop through various character’s heads even within one scene. I’m accustomed to one POV and one character per chapter, so this writing style took some getting used to. It worked, but know that’s coming.
Anyway, Ace is a dedicated member of the Lords of Chaos Motorcycle club. He’s literally the son of the president and, as such, has certain privileges. He’s also mostly gay, although he did get a woman pregnant and so has a child, but this is a minor consideration. Anyway, he rescues a young man who literally jumps in front of his motorcycle naked. Ace’s protective instincts take over and when he finds the young man was held captive and repeatedly raped and tortured, he vows revenge. Not so simple, of course, because the perpetrators are cops.
The book also follows his brother Diego’s story. Diego is in prison, serving a nickel for his crime. He’s tasked with executing another prisoner. Par for the course, apparently. Except he has a new cellmate who is drawing his focus. The man maintains he’s straight, but Diego wants to have fun. Wants to turn him. Or at least convince him sex with men can be pleasurable. There’s a significant amount of coercion in this relationship, although it never crosses into consent violations. But it sure skirts the line. Morally questionable people doing morally questionable things. Everyone breaks the law of the land, but they have a moral code they follow. Pretty fricking thin line.
Anyway, the book ended in the middle of something and I so want to know how things turn out. Fingers tapping for the next audio. I will also mention Keith Folz, the narrator. I’ve never heard him before, but I’d have no problem listening to him again. I thought he did a good job.
My rating:
8.5/10 Pots of Gold (85% Recommended) – Compares to 4.25/5 Stars
Website | Twitter – @AuthorNickBella | Goodreads
About me? Hmmm, I’m just a person with a wild imagination and a love for words who was sitting around the house one day and said, “Why hasn’t anyone written a book like this before?”. As with every storyteller, I wanted to share mine with the world. I like my erotica dark, gritty, sexy… and even a little raunchy. I’m not afraid to go there and I hope you aren’t afraid to go there with me. When I’m not writing, I love watching movies and TV shows, clubbing, biking, and hanging out with family and friends. I love life.
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