Evenfall (In the Company of Shadows #1)

Evenfall by Sonny & Ais

Age: Young Adult; Adult
Category: Romance, LGBTQIA+
Rating: 5 stars

Rosie Thinks: If you’re a fan of m/m books and you haven’t heard of this series.... where have you been?! This is, without a doubt, one of the best m/m series of the genre. As in, it’s in my top two! I’ve been on a roll with re-reading old favourites lately, and this series was my latest re-read. I feel like I could read it another five times and still not be sick of it!

This is set in a post-apocalyptic world, two decades or so after World War III where most of the major cities were blown apart by bombs. In this world, terrorist organisations pop up all over the place and it is the Agency’s duty, as a secret branch of the US government, to protect the nation’s interest. Which sounds great and patriotic on paper, but the reality is much different. Sin is the Agency’s greatest weapon - aggressive, merciless, highly skilled. His only drawback is the killing sprees he goes on and that his partners never seem to last longer than a few missions. This is where Boyd comes in: after a horrific tragedy years ago, he shut himself off from the world and his emotions, leaving him apathetic to whether he lives or dies. Which, coincidentally, makes him the perfect partner to try and keep the Agency’s most ruthless assassin in line.

Words can barely explain how much I love this series! Both Boyd and Sin are so broken at the start, and watching them grow was stunning. Sin is seen by others as a psychotic monster, and Boyd is written off as worthless. It’s written in multiple POVs, but mostly Boyd and Sin’s. Each author would write one character’s perspective, which I found interesting since there is no noticeable change in writing style. But because of this, you’re taken truly inside the character’s head, making the characterisation fantastic. Both Sin and Boyd go through some serious character growth in this series, and the authors pull no punches. Complicated psychological disorders are explored and a variety of other situations. Neither character is a Gary Stu - honestly, at one point or another, most of the characters disliked Boyd and had no problem pointing out his faults. However, Boyd and Sin are both just so loveable and amazing and gah, I love these books so much.

The action in this was also a big draw for me. I love my books when they have a fantastic romantic plot-line, but also a separate plot that isn’t overshadowed by the romance. This had it. It’s jam-packed with action, from fight scenes to all the different missions to the struggles the individual characters face. The plot was just amazing, with many twists to keep you guessing and never quite sure. Fight scenes can be quite hard to write, but Sonny and Ais nail it. They’re fast-moving but also understable, so I could easily picture what was happening in my head. And it wasn’t just the fight scenes that were on point - the emotional scenes were without cliches and so heart-wrenching, I suggest having a box of tissues on hand at all times.

A fair warning - this is a mammoth book. They recently released the Director’s Cut of Evenfall, and cut out a massive 100k words. And I don’t even want to think about the actual page number of the whole series! But not once did it feel like I was reading a book the size of a small country. The near-constant action, romantic and otherwise, kept me hooked on until 3am in the morning on many nights. So don’t be put off by the length! But I would clear your calendar when you start this series - because once you start, I guarantee you won’t want to stop!