Order of Scorpions by Ivy Asher is a relative rarity in the romance novel realm. It’s a dark fantasy why choose standalone, which is an unusual combination, given that why choose novels tend to come in series form due to their complexity. It’s also much darker than your typical romantasy. Order of Scorpions is gritty and graphic, with an intense plot and unexpectedly empowering message.
Auset wakes up in a cage, with no idea how she got there, and worse, no idea who she is. Six years later, Auset is a blade slave, hoping to be bought to serve one of the eight elite houses of killers that make up the Order of Assassins. It would take her one step closer to freedom, but instead, Auset is given an all but certain death sentence.
With nothing left to lose, Auset unleashes all she has in the brutal trials she’s forced to compete in. The Order of Scorpions, the most terrifying and mysterious of the assassin groups, find themselves drawn to the fire in Auset, and the more she recklessly reveals to them, the more they suspect that she might be just what they need.
In a story of violence and vengeance, Auset fights for her freedom, and to discover who she truly is.
All of the main characters in this book have been slaves or something close to it. They are traumatized and all kinds of fucked up. I love broken, dysfunctional characters more than anything in a story, so these characters certainly sparked my interest.
It’s hard to successfully develop multiple love interests in the span of a single book, but perhaps due to its length, Order of Scorpions manages it well. While it feels very different than many why choose novels, the characters still fall into classic archetypes. There’s Scorpius, the cold, calculating leader; Bones, the feral goofball; and Skull, the mercurial artist.
This story is not for the faint of heart. It is gritty and graphic, and evokes visceral feelings, especially in the beginning. It boasts an intriguing premise that certainly doesn’t feel like a romance at first, and just like anything to do with slavery, there are moments that are distinctly uncomfortable.
Order of Scorpions is over 700 pages long. This is not a quick read by any means. It’s incredibly descriptive and detailed, filled with plot twists and elaborate world-building.
The action in this book ebbs and flows, with lots of high-octane danger followed by slower, building moments. There is a significant tone shift as the plot moves along that manages not to feel jarring.
I was surprised by the spice in this book. It is less plentiful than I was expecting, but still quite intense and surprisingly emotional. This is a slow burn, truly. We’re talking 400 pages or more with what basically amounts to a single kiss, and agonizing, torturous amounts of sexual tension.
My only complaint is that there are some frustrating fade-to-black moments in which a spice scene is set up and then the reader is left to simply imagine what happens next, which I don’t love.
Order of Scorpions took a while to really sink into, but the wait was worth it. It’s fascinating and creative, albeit undeniably twisted. Readers might approach the end and think they will be left with unanswered questions and wonder how it can all possibly tie up, but a crazy and clever twist ending manages to pull it off. Trust the process with this one, and you will not be sorry.
Leave a Reply