🧡⛧Badlands #8⛧🧡

Miscreants: Next Generation

By: Natalie Bennett

Genre: New Adult | Dark Dystopian-ish Romance

Release Date: February. 24, 2021

Blurb:

Love is madness.
Love is anguish.
Ours was ill-fated from the beginning.

From best friends, to almost lovers, to this.
We were poetry. The kind that bled and wept.
We’d become a mess of euphoric bliss and mind-numbing pain.

I promised to follow him until the bitter end, but after far too long I needed to go home.

The odds would be stacked against me in every way.
He’d come after me, of that I was sure.
Many would lose their lives, becoming casualties in our war.

When this was all said and done, our story would be one whispered in dark corners for years to come.
A tale of a wolf pursuing a lamb, but with a masochistic twist.

For even lambs have teeth, and this one bites back.

Add Miscreants to your TBR ➜ http://bit.ly/MiscreantsGR

ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝔹𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕖’𝕤 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨

If you like your dark romances darker than dark and filled with blood, gore, and tons of triggers, then the Badlands Series is for you!

❝Tʜᴇ Bᴀᴅʟᴀɴᴅs—ɪs ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ꜰᴀɴᴛᴀsɪᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴇɴᴅʟᴇss ᴛᴇʀʀᴏʀs.❞

Miscreants: Next Generation (Badlands Book 8) by Natalie Bennett is a book I feel like I have been waiting on FOREVERRR! Miscreants IS considered a standalone BUT reading the prior books in the Badlands Series would give you a much better feel for the characters and the world-building which in turn I feel would give a much better reading experience.

My expectations were pretty high for Samael and Lilith’s story… so maybe it’s just me 🤷‍ but this one fell short. Compared to the rest of the series, I just felt like this was a novella leading up to their REAL story which as far as I’m aware, is not the case. Character development was lacking, and it just didn’t feel like there was any resolution or a storyline conclusion. So, because of that and a few other things I was only able to rate this one 3 1/2 stars. 

Last but certainly not least, because I reviewed an ARC I did NOT base my rating on anything to do with the many grammar or spelling errors but now that the book has been released I do plan on skimming through to make sure some of the major ones that I highlighted were resolved because there were a lot of them and many that DID impact my reading, but AGAIN I reviewed an ARC copy so errors are to be expected and they did not affect my rating.

❝Hᴇ’s ᴍʏ ꜰɪᴇʀᴄᴇsᴛ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴍʏ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ.
I’ᴍ ʜɪs ᴘᴇᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪs ᴛᴏʀᴍᴇɴᴛ.
Oᴜʀs ɪsɴ’ᴛ ᴀ ᴛᴀʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙᴇɴᴇᴠᴏʟᴇɴᴛ, ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇʀ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ.
Iᴛ’s ʙʟᴏᴏᴅʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴜᴛʜʟᴇss. Iᴛ’s ᴘᴀɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏʀʀᴏᴡ, ᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴜɴꜰᴏʀɢɪᴠᴀʙʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇɴʀᴀɢɪɴɢ. Iᴛ ɪsɴ’ᴛ ᴘᴏᴇᴛɪᴄ ᴏʀ ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀꜰʟʏ-ɪɴᴅᴜᴄɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ɪs ᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ.❞

🅃🄷🄴 🄵🄰🄲🅃🅂:

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: New Adult | Dark Dystopian-ish Romance 

𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Badlands: Next Generation Book 8

𝗣𝗢𝗩: Dual

❝Tʜᴇʏ ᴘᴀɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ ᴀs ᴀ ᴍɪsᴄʀᴇᴀɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛʟʏ sᴀʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴅ. I ᴡᴀs ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ʜɪs ᴅᴇɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴄʏ.❞

𝗛 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 💙💙💙💙 – Samael (A.K.A Malum) Samael may not have been as brutal as his Dad Grimm but he’s far from the sickly and weak child that he was in previous books. Now he’s the fearless leader of the Stags and Lazarus factions and the guy who stole Lilith away when he left his family, the Savages.

❝Wɪʟᴅꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀs.
Tʜᴇʏ ᴛʜʀɪᴠᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀʀsʜᴇsᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴs.
Tʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ʀᴇsɪʟɪᴇɴᴛ— sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʏᴇᴛ ɢᴇɴᴛʟᴇ. Tʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs Lɪʟɪᴛʜ. I’ᴅ ᴄᴀɢᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴘʀɪsᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴏʀɴs, ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴇ’ᴅ sᴛɪʟʟ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ ʙʟᴏᴏᴍ.❞

𝗵 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ❤❤ ½ – Lilith, Samael’s childhood best friend turned lover. I wanted to like Lilith, but she was just a little too naive for my liking, Samael never did open up to her, and she just kind of accepted that she was going to be kept in the dark on pretty much EVERYTHING until he decided differently… And let’s be honest here, for a character from the Badlands… Lilith was soft.

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮-𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲?: Samael and Lilith have grown up together but as far as this book is concerned, we very quickly jump into their “relationship” but because of the push and pull factor I’m gonna have to say no…

𝗔𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹?: Not really.

❝I ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴡʀᴀᴘ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜɪs ɴᴇᴡ ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴜs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ I ᴡᴀs sᴛɪʟʟ ᴍᴏᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʟᴅ ᴏɴᴇ.❞

𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵/𝗣𝘂𝗹𝗹?: Yes. Even though Lilith loves Samael, she doesn’t often agree with his or his faction’s brutality. 

𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺: 🔥🔥 ½ – There were some pretty hot steamy scenes but not nearly as depraved and explicit as I’m used to from Bennett so it was a bit of a letdown for me but I did like Samael’s dirty mouth.

❝I ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ꜰʀᴀɢɪʟᴇ, I ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ɪʀʀᴇᴘʟᴀᴄᴇᴀʙʟᴇ. I ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴀ ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ᴍᴇᴛʜᴏᴅs ᴏʀ ɴᴏᴛ— I ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ʙʟᴇᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙʟᴇᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴇ.❞

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘅?: Yes.

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲: No.

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Nope.

𝗢𝗪/𝗢𝗠 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮: There is a little bit of a misunderstanding with another female, but that’s only because he’s letting Lilith think there is.

𝗦𝗲𝘅 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗪 𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗠: No.

❝Sᴀᴍᴀᴇʟ ᴡᴀs ʀɪᴘᴛɪᴅᴇ. Aᴛ ᴀɴʏ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴅʀᴀɢ ᴍᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ.❞

𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿?: I don’t feel as if the character development was there for either of these characters but if I had to choose, I’d choose Samael. I love how OTT possessive he is of Lilith.

❝Hᴇ sᴛᴏʟᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰɪʀsᴛ ᴋɪss. I’ᴍ sᴛᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟᴀsᴛ.❞

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: MANY! There is a pretty blatant Author’s Note in the front of the book that makes sure you know that this one (this whole series actually!) is one that you will need to leave your morals and your boundaries at the door if you plan on reading! If you have pretty much ANY triggers, this one isn’t for you because this one doesn’t just toe the line, it jumps straight over it and karate kicks the line away. But as always, if you’d like to DM me for more info about triggers, feel free!

❝Iꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɢᴏ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ʜᴜɴᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅʀᴀɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴀss ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴋɪᴄᴋɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ sᴄʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ.❞

𝗛𝗘𝗔?: Well, this is actually difficult to answer. Miscreants was definitely on the shorter side, and right when I thought we were getting to the meat of the story, I was flipping the page and reading the epilogue… As I stated before, it just really didn’t feel like this story was concluded in any way shape, or form. I know that there are at least two more books to come but as far as I’m aware, they are not centered around Samael and Lilith. So is there a happily ever after? I honestly have no idea.

❝Fᴏʀ ᴡᴏʀsᴇ ᴏʀ ꜰᴏʀ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ. Aʟᴡᴀʏs ꜰᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ, ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜰᴀʟʟ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ.❞

ⓌⓄⓊⓁⒹ Ⓘ…?

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸? Unfortunately, probably not. 

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀? Lilith’s brother Cam’s story, Misfits, is up next and the few times he was mentioned in Miscreants left me VERY excited to see what he’s been up to. Plus, there was a note letting us know to expect excessive violence and extreme triggers… so it looks like Bennett is bringing that dirty, dark, and depraved back around from the OG’s, and with that type of warning my dark level expectations are HIGH!

The dark level has really gone down in this series with the Next Gen’s but I’ve called Natalie Bennett the Queen of Darkness since the first book I ever read by her and I have faith that she’s gonna bring that dark and depraved-ness that we all have come to expect from the Badlands, back again.

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸? Yes, even though Miscreants was not my favorite book, I would still recommend it to dark lovers or fans of the Badlands series.

❝Wᴇ’ᴅ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜʀɪᴠᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴀʀᴋɴᴇss. Dᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴜs, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʙʏss ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ. Aᴛ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ ɴᴏᴡ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ʙᴇ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ ɪᴛ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ.❞

🧡⛧Miscreants is LIVE!⛧🧡

🧡⛧About The Author⛧🧡

Natalie Bennett

Natalie Bennett is an international bestselling author of twisted and unconventional love stories that always come with a warning label.

Natalie has a penchant for writing villainous immoral men and the women that love to hate them. Her books don’t follow any specific tropes, have no set word counts, and tend to deviate away from traditional happily ever afters.

When she’s not slaying words she’s somewhere in the sunshine state, happily taking life one curve-ball at a time.

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