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God of Pain

A Grumpy Sunshine College Romance
Pages
446
Published
2022
Language
English

Synopsis

This dark, grumpy-sunshine college romance pairs two heirs whose families share a destructive history. Annika Volkov is a Bratva mafia princess, bright, talkative, and warm, with ballet as her refuge and a habit of seeing good in people, including the one person she should not want. Creighton King is silent, brooding, and emotionally walled off, hiding sadistic instincts and a traumatic past behind a calm exterior. Annika's future is supposedly already mapped out for her, yet she keeps gravitating toward Creighton, and his cold detachment slowly gives way to fierce possessiveness once he decides she is his. As their relationship deepens, danger circles their families, and Annika uncovers the shared history binding the Kings and the Volkovs. Told in dual point of view, the book balances Annika's sunshine energy against Creighton's darkness, with high heat and the interconnected found-family cast that runs through the Legacy of Gods series. It is the second entry in the series and continues the next-generation saga of children from Rina Kent's Royal Elite and mafia worlds.

About the author

R
Rina Kent

Writing under a pen name, Rina Kent is a New York Times, USA Today, and number-one bestselling author of dark romance, known for centering anti-heroes and villains: characters readers are not supposed to fall for but do. She grew up in London in a multilingual household where English, French, and Arabic were all spoken, and she still leads a deliberately private life there. By her own account she traces the fascination back to childhood, when an early attachment to a villain set her on a lifelon...

Characters

Creighton KingProtagonist

Silent, brooding heir with a traumatic past and a sadistic edge who becomes intensely possessive of Annika.

Annika VolkovProtagonist

Warm, sociable Bratva mafia princess and ballet lover who works to break through Creighton's walls.

Adrian VolkovCameo

Annika's father, a Bratva leader from the Deception Trilogy.

Lia VolkovCameo

Annika's mother.

All characters in God of Pain

Frequently asked questions

  • Does God of Pain need to be read in series order?

    This book is part of the "Dark Gods" series and features interconnected characters and an overarching plot that develops across the books. While each book focuses on a different couple, reading them in order provides the most complete understanding of the world and character relationships.

  • How does God of Pain connect to Rina Kent's other series?

    God of Pain is set in the same universe as Rina Kent's "Royal Elite" series, with some characters from that series making appearances or being referenced. Readers familiar with her previous work will recognize certain family names and the broader world dynamics.

  • Can I read God of Pain without reading God of Malice first?

    Yes. It is a standalone within the series, though characters from Book 1 recur and reading in order enriches the connections.

  • What is the central trope?

    Grumpy-sunshine, a brooding, closed-off hero opposite a bubbly, warm heroine, inside a dark mafia college setting. The official subtitle is "A Grumpy Sunshine College Romance".

  • Who are the leads?

    Creighton King, a silent King-family heir, and Annika Volkov, a Volkov Bratva daughter.

  • How steamy is it?

    Very. Reviewers flag it as among the steamier entries, with sadistic, BDSM-leaning dynamics.

  • Where does it fall in the series?

    Book 2 of the six-book Legacy of Gods series, originally released in September 2022.

  • Is it dual POV?

    Yes, alternating between Creighton and Annika.

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