The Lazarus: The Vernum City Series

The Lazarus is book one of The Vernum City Series by Marlow Locker.

Synopsis

•JUNE•

When Caden stormed into my life, everything changed. The man with the piercing, emerald eyes and a wicked tongue. He dragged me from my world to the depths of his, exposing the underbelly of Vernum. It was dark, gritty, raw... He pushed me, showing me that not only could I survive the fall, but that he'd be right there, waiting in the darkness. My villain wants the heads of those dear to me. The heads of the city's biggest heroes. My masked vigilante wants everything I have to give, past, present, and future. We all have to make choices that define us, and Caden wants me to choose him.

•CADEN•

When she walked by with a spine of steel and eyes like dangerous waters, I was drawn to her–the woman who held her tongue so tightly for others. The gatekeeper of something I desperately needed. I had to test her loyalty, push her to the edge to show her how strong she really is. I wanted to break her down and rebuild her into my own creation... my Little Witch, my sweetest obsession. I would offer her everything, and in return, I needed every piece of her. If she didn't, it would be taken. It was easy to fall for her... And it's going to make everything so much harder when I slaughter her heroes.

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Trigger Warnings

Graphic Violence

Graphic sexual content

Mentions of sex trafficking

Drug use

Tropes/ Content

Vigilantes

Good vs evil

Light degradation

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Review

What the actual fuck...Marlow! I was not expecting to LOVE this book as much as I did. It felt like it was tailored to have all of my favorite things. The city of Vernum feels like its right out of a comic book. I grew up reading comics and strangely enough I never thought to read a dark romance with vigilante heroes and villains. But this was absolute perfection! June is a detective for the Vernum City Police Department and works closely with the city's favorite heroes.

Caden is a masked villain who HATES these city heroes.

Although an unlikely duo, the chemisty, tension and banter is top notch and its obsession for Caden at first sight.

"I can't get enough of her. Shes beautiful, and she's mine. Every single inch of her is mine. And it's going to make everything so much fucking harder when I slaughter her heroes."

While working a case with no help from a corrupt police department June turns to Caden's help. Caden's outlook on the city and his opinion of the heroes slowly starts to change June's perspective.

"Caden swallows every sound I make, a reaper here to collect on my soul after our deal. He's craving it. My Villain is a maniac, unbinding me from all my inhibitions. I'm nothing but a vessel, and he plans to summon her into me. His Witch. Changing me."

Badass intelligent fmc, morally gray mmc, heroes vs villains, murder, mystery, action and steam. What's not to love?! Not to mention that I love the writing style, it's hard to believe this is Marlow Locker's debut book!

Theres so much more to this book but I don't want to spoil anything. I'm just obsessed with this world and characters that Marlow has created. 🖤

Not all darkness is evil, and not all light is a saving grace. Sometimes, the very best of the worst of us work in the shadows, living and breathing as part of this wretched city.

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Notable Highlights

You belong down here, amongst the violence and pain. You look fucking stunning in it, painted in all its colors."

Strength is something many possesss. It can be angelic, pure and honest. The type of strength that carries a city on its back, doing what should be done for the good of the many. But Caden's strength is selfish. It is dark and intimate, just like the smile he gives.

"I'm going to crack you open and drag out that power that already exists. And together, we'll fucking rule."

He boils my blood, poisons my brain, and most importantly, paints me all the dark tones of his soul.

He kisses me again, deep and passionate, feeding my beasts. His palm comes to rest along my cheek, holding me tightly and pulling me into him. He adores my monsters.

The piercing feeling strikes my stomach, a serrated knife against the tender flesh, the vile truth bleeding from the wound. That harsh reality that every night I've spent with him feels so. Fucking. Good. And every night we're apart it feels as though I've been thrown back into a cage. The iron bars that house my soul sear the skin of the creature, burning its flesh every second that we wait for him.

I'm asking her to tear her fucking heart out, hoping that she survives the carnage.

She's tailored perfectly to fuck up my life.

"Oh, Sweetheart... I pulled you from the suspension of nothingness, seeing all your potential laid out bare. I saw right through that cage you locked yourself in and realized that it's exactly what I needed. You're on my side."

Caden has turned my life upside down, becoming everything to me. He's invaded every part of me, igniting my every fiber in gasoline. I was scared it would burn me to the ground, leaving me in the dust, but instead, I've become the flames.

...instead of marriage promising love and care before the eyes of God, it's written in blood. A bond deeper than any false idol could ever offer us. It's raw; it lives, breathes, and eats. You can touch it with your fingertips and run from its teeth. Together, we make the beast. Unstoppable.

"I'm not going to hold back, and no matter how hard you try to crawl from me, I'm going to make sure I fucking fill you, even if it means splitting you in two."

"God, you're such a little monster. Look at you taking my cock."

She growing. Changing. My little pet project blooms before me, her flowers and thorns more poisonous with every touch.

If I'm drowning, I don't want to swim. I'm happy to let myself sink to the depths of the darkness he offers, forever immortalized at the bottom of the sea.

The lie was them, her magical pull and presence the driving force behind my every decision since the moment her storm first crossed the skies. She was doomed, just like I was. Fated in some sick, violent way, destined to be tangled forever.