If a man did this or if a man did that, honestly men do so much and worse, but despite it all when men and women come together it is not their job to fix each other, that responsibility is solely theirs and theirs alone, and so it is with Ven and Diana. Ven by Ker Dukey and K. Webster is the sequel to Vlad and covers the Vetrov bloodline, and I should tell you now there will be spoilers so if you haven’t read the first book… what, you honestly haven’t read about Vlad?

For the record, Vlad is still my favorite character with Diana coming in a close second for one reason in particular honestly, but again, there is, what’s that word; that’s right Responsibility. Her father is responsible for her if not then Veniamin, and then how about she do something, and she did because Vlad didn’t get the whole story. Now this story should be centered more around Veniamin, but it reminds me somewhat of How I Met Your Mother, like how the mom was nowhere in the world but he is in this story, but it centers more around Diana. Last warning spoilers ahead, Diana’s betrayal, Diana betrothed, and Diana can be a real um, a not nice person, in fact, she is a real badass in this story, but the problem is other than violence she is not learning from past misdeeds that aren’t entirely her fault I know.

Ven’s story is not much different from Vlad’s, a wealthy man with an evil daddy destined to rule an empire with the woman he wants so close and yet so far away but of course it does not stay that way for long. Diana brings a new set of problems and while she learns to accept the circumstances of the first problem the overall moral is lost yet again which is, please don’t lie, in a world full of lies, with these people you are supposed to be better than, why continue the mistakes of the past. Of course, the best part is this book starts right where Vlad left off, and honestly, that is what got me to read this one because I wanted to know what was next as I am somewhat of an aficionado of fantasy death games, am I drooling like Homer Simpson, yes I am.

The first half of the book and then some is pretty awesome, but it doesn’t add much to the table other than seeing events through another family’s eyes and wanting to catch a glimpse of Vlad and Irina and their happy ending; or is it. Then they rev up the blood quotient for this one, and I mean by the gallons, and that alone had me so close, and I do mean Diana in the arena close to death wanting me to say wow perfection.

Ven and Diana, what can I say that Vlad and Irina didn’t cover other than a whole new set of circumstances as to why they can or can’t be together, another overbearing father this, a few lies that, and then Diana is always herself. There is also a whole new list of characters to learn about; I think I said in my last review that the biographical information for all of the families is tremendously helpful as I refer to it quite a bit reading.

With Veniamin, he’s somewhat of a more, significantly inebriated version of Vlad, that deep sense of love and killer’s instinct is the same and seeing as how he’s in love with Irina’s sister but while Vlad’s led more by pure rage and passion, add a drug habit, and you have our guy Ven. Now Diana was painted somewhat as a villainess in the last installment, but when you get the bigger picture you understand truthfully that is until well; she doesn’t learn. I find myself lost between hating her for her many lies. Or falling in love because of The V Games. Together as a couple, I keep saying it but Vlad and Irina win hands down but Ven and Diana, that fire they have together is like something out of Sin City and how they come to express it; if only Irina were such.

There is more of Vika where again another villainous woman is painted to be somewhat of a victim, and while I can respect Diana to a certain degree, Vika does everything for her own sake while Diana was seeking to protect others. I can’t forget the Madmen of Moscow, while I can’t keep up with the membership of my erotica reading group if other men are into this genre I’m sure many would want to relate or even be either Rodion or Zahkar. Vas to me seems a bit unfinished like he’s there, he has some pivotal scenes, but somehow it’s as if he’s set apart still, which sort of explains the idea for the next book or maybe the authoresses wanted to stick to the V theme some logically.

Other supporting characters I don’t think are as well done as Vlad, it could be because there was more action in this follow-up and let me be clear while I will give both titles four stars I believe I like Ven as a novel more than Vlad. With Vlad, you have the sex and a bit of violence but with Ven or I should probably say Diana, I suppose that’s a personal preference as I heard in a movie once, power becomes yours through sex and VIOLENCE, true enough friends.

Four-Stars I was there, if I only stopped reading those last few pages I would have given Ven five stars without a doubt, but we never freeze do we, but you have your shot right here, and now this book is incredible. I am also about to share some of my favorite scenes though most of my excitement again stems from being a witness to The V Games just saying.

The ending I guess is that aha moment, but first I was confused, and then there was not a twinge of anything because Vas’s character and his lady love, are not honestly built up again, it was a bit blah. I want to know the ending, but while I was hopeful for Vlad and ecstatic for Ven, I’m more or less okay we’re going to get a ton of backstory in the next book or what, not that I like Vas and Vika but he agrees with that himself. I wish that we got more on Kira Baskin though her scenes were hot but most importantly of all I dream that The V Games were longer and brought into more detail, though it was incredible.

How many times have I said The V Games, Diana fighting for her life and the goings on of the battlefield, I thought it would be more only one person gets out alive sort of deal but the fact that people were going in for the fun of it all. As far as fun, a ton of sex that I can’t pick only one scene, the Madmen, Ven and Diana, the prisoner either Kira and Diana would be enough to rev up anybody and leave you wanting even more. Diana and Vika’s vengeance; after the brutality of everything that happened to them it was well served and perhaps the grandest victory besides The V Games of course of the first two novels that I’ve read.

Those last pages *sigh* do not get your hopes up though I’m sure that other people loved it, compared to the rest of the novel it fizzled out but stopping at Diana’s victory, vengeance, or validation might have been perfectly acceptable. If she learned her lesson before being thrust into Hell itself though it was the greatest thing ever *sigh* they say men never learn so I must ask this, Ven Will These Women Learn?