The Dark Fights

DARK FIGHTS                                              ALEXANDRA VINAROV

 Escaping a traumatic childhood, Sasha finds peace, sanctuary, and purpose in a martial arts dojo whose sensei teaches her the ways of the samurai warrior. An accomplished black-belt fighter, she now happily dwells in the dojo, tucked away from the streets of Manhattan, until a midnight call sets her on a path into an underground world.

Struggling to pay off a gambling debt, her brother Danilo is severely injured in a no-rules club fight run by unscrupulous Russian Mafiosi. To settle the debt, Sasha volunteers to perform in one of these "dark fights," vowing it's for one time only. But her beauty, skill, and martial arts mastery bring her to the attention of powerful men who see her as a big meal ticket. Seducing her with money and drugs they draw her into their sordid scheme until she becomes a big and glamorous draw, enriching herself while enriching her handlers and leaving behind a pulverized host of vanquished rivals. But she realizes how addictive the lure of brutality has become. As the stakes rise, she must become more and more violent to satisfy her handlers' bloodlust.

Can she pull out before destroying someone? Can she pull out before destroying herself? Two fascinating men offer love and escape. But how true are their intentions? Genuine feelings and betrayal, violence and glamour, sex, and martial arts all go hand in hand throughout the book. The Dark Fights introduces you to an unknown and frightening world and pins you to the mat until the very last page.

PAT'S REVIEW

A book that once I got started and into the characters especially Sasha, I found this story to be really compelling. Sasha living at a Dojo in Manhattan and is one if of the few women to ever to live and train under the master. Being a Black Belt, she finds herself being drawn to wanting to save her brother who he being sucked in because of gambling. She is also being forced by her uncle to fight who is a Russian mafia leader and who wants her to fight in the dark fights to pay off her brothers’ debuts. You are taken from the Dojo and her leaving to the fights and where she becomes strong with the help of a man who she believes is in love with her. Here you are taken on her journey. One of finding herself and finding love. She wants to stay with her martial arts for its give her center and that is what she is looking for in her personal relationships and hope to find love. Her story takes you through many different emotions and surprises, especially with characters. A few that she thinks are her friends are really against her and when she meets one in the cage you see where the author is taking you. I thought was still not ready for what happens as you get closer to the end and more is revealed. A very good story with really good characters. I received this book from Netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow www.1rad-readerreviews.com