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The Rycke
by Lily Mayne
Why Read This?The one-sentence sell. What do you get for showing up to this book, even when it's hard?
The hurt/comfort here is next level. Two deeply damaged characters healing each other in a brutal world. Aury's gentleness despite his terrifying power is devastating, and Ghost's anxiety rep feels real and respectful.
Synopsis
Life as a raider in the Wastes, where monsters roam and the military lurks, is as easy as it sounds. I’ve been out here for a long time, and the fear that courses through my blood every time I have to step outside our camp walls to scavenge never fades. No matter how many monsters you face—and have to run for your life from—it doesn’t ever get easier. But when I come across a bound and injured monster in an abandoned military base, I can’t leave him behind. His presence in our camp is causing tension, but I can’t bring myself to care when I get to see a different side to him—when he starts to show me who he is, beneath the pain and lingering trauma. But despite his gentle nature, I soon discover why others are so desperate to own him. Why the military, and now this stranger lurking outside our camp, want to put him back in chains and take him away from me. There’s something hiding under his skin. Something that threatens to upend my entire life, the one I’ve spent my years carefully protecting out here. There’s a reason why all other monsters fear him. The Rycke is Book Three of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that features monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read the series in order. Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains graphic depictions of torture and violence, and deals with PTSD.
At a Glance
4.27 ★ GoodreadsTop TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
Book Details
Goodreads RatingThe crowd's verdict. Take it with salt, though. Some masterpieces are polarizing.
4.27 ★
Page CountHow long the commitment is.
330 pages
PublishedWhen this hit shelves. Helpful for tracking vibes by era.
2021
Primary GenreWhat type of book this is. Romance? Fantasy? A 400-page therapy session disguised as a thriller?
Paranormal Romance
PairingWho's falling in love? The gender makeup of your main romance. Helps you find your specific flavor of love story.
M/M
POVWhose head are you in? First person = deep in the feels. Third = watching from above. Dual = emotional whiplash (affectionate).
Dual POV
Romance PacingHow long until they kiss? Slow burn = 300 pages of tension. Insta-love = page 12 and it's already chaos.
Slow Burn
CliffhangerEnding type: HEA = forever happy (you'll cry happy). HFN = happy for now (open to interpretation). Bittersweet = complicated feelings. Know what you're signing up for.
spoiler
AudiobookCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
AvailableCan you experience this book while driving? Washing dishes? Working out while emotionally destroyed? Check here.
Yes
FormatHow fancy is the audio? Standard = one narrator. Full cast = theater kids went off. GraphicAudio = a MoViE iN yOuR mInD.
N/A
TropesPlot devices and story situations that drive the romance. These are the circumstances that throw characters together or create conflict, not how they personally relate.
Mood & Vibe
MoodWhat you felt reading this. Swoony? Gutted? Deliciously unhinged? The emotional fingerprint.
FMC: N/A sign in to unlock
Explicit M/M scenes with a monster partner. Tender and emotional intimacy woven through the hurt/comfort dynamic. Size difference and gentle monster energy. sign in to unlock
Post-apocalyptic fantasy sign in to unlock
Deeply cathartic. Watching two broken people choose each other and build safety in a world that offers none. The devotion pays off every ounce of pain. sign in to unlock
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