Cruel Compassion

Insurrection Series, Book 1

By: A.E. King

Narrated by: Christie Coran

Cruel Compassion is a dystopian romance.

She wasn’t supposed to open the door... But now, she can’t unsee it.

Yulia Bituskaya knows that in New Russia, disloyalty is punishable by death. It’s the reason she always says yes.

Yes, to every assignment the government gives her. Yes, to an arranged engagement with Dimitri for political power. Yes, to her unfeeling father, the nation’s supreme sovereign.

But when she uncovers the government’s involvement with organized crime, she must choose:

Stay silent and safe, or say yes to her growing treason and destroy the very people that have kept her protected.

Yulia needs allies if she is going to step into a world she despises and destroy it.

But with constant government surveillance, someone is always watching. After years of shooting dissenters in Red Square, the government has effectively squeezed the will to fight out of its people. Allies are hard to come by.

Dimitri is offering help. But he’s too young to hold so much power and still have clean hands. Can she say yes to his protection and say no to her inconvenient attraction?

Last time, he left her heartbroken. This time, if they’re not careful, they’ll both end up dead.

You'll love the action, the intrigue, and the characters... Even the ones you hate!

Get ready for a thriller you won’t want to put down.

©2021 AWC Publishing (P)2023 AWC Publishing

Can’t stop!

You know those books that capture you, and you find any excuse to drive places to listen to the next chapter… this is one of those books!

Fantastic book!

The first few chapters are quite hard to listen to because they were so dark but as a storyline moves along, I found myself being sucked in. This was such a fast read! So excited to listen to book two!

Enjoyable listen

I enjoyed listening to this story of Yulia and all the obstacles she came across. She tried to make changes for the better and there were consequences that affected many people. I am leaving my honest review. I did receive a copy.

I can’t wait for more!

I took a chance on this book because it isn’t my usual genre and I’m so glad I did. The performance is spot on including accent helping to set it up and a twist I was not expecting and likely never would have. I am eager for a sequel.

Couldn’t stop!

Be careful, once you start it you won’t want to stop! There are some hard spots to listen to in the beginning but it shows just how corrupt government can be. The characters are great though and there are parts that just leave you guessing, cheering, and on the edge of your seat.

It's my cup of tea 🔥

I couldn't wait to go on listening to see what happened. Breathtaking, realistic, mind-blowing reading.

An intense listen

A Russian dystopian storyline with intense, thrilling themes throughout. Can Yulia figure out who to trust, and how to right the wrongs in her society?

A.E. King did a fantastic job of building up the characters and the world they live in. She kept me on the edge of my seat.

Christie Coran brought the story to life. The accents she used for the different characters enhanced the performance and fit the tone of the story perfectly.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

page turner

can't wait to read the next one in this series. interesting storyline. hard to
put down

Loved it! Can’t wait for book 2!

Cruel Compassion hooked me right from the start. The writing was beautiful, characters jumped from the pages, and the narration was so well done. With paging turning pacing and a unique plot, I can’t wait for book 2!

Can't wait for the sequel!

King’s debut novel is intense and well crafted! I go through a lot of audiobooks as I can listen while I work but in this case I didn’t want to stop when the workday ended. I felt unusually invested in the characters. They were fleshed out and more complicated than often is the case. Heavy themes (like child trafficking) and graphic violence are offset by romance, resiliency, and courage. I am relieved the sequel won’t be too long in coming as I am intrigued by the storyline. I have great hopes that King will convince me that this dark fictional world is not only capable of being redeemed but is worth the ensuing high-stakes struggle.