Author: E.P. Bali

Series: Her Vicious Beasts

First Published: 28 March 2025

“Thank the Goddess for that. Promise me we’ll scheme together from now on.”  

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Thank you so much to E.P. Bali for sending a copy my way!

I will try and keep my review as spoiler free as possible but just be wary if you haven’t read the first three books, Her Feral Beasts, Her Rabid Beasts & Her Psycho Beasts.

It’s finally happened. I’ve surrendered myself to my father and the beasts who would pay to own me. I did it to protect my friends and my mates, but I’d NEVER guessed that the one mate who resented me the most would betray me so brutally.

Xander Drakos is a hateful dragon with a cursed heart and now that he’s formally rejected me, he is free to do as he pleases. Chained and bound, he escorts me to Drakos Estate, where horrors await..

The only thing we didn’t expect? That Xander’s dragon isn’t happy with what he’s done.

Oh my god! What in the world did I just read? Excuse me, Miss E.P. Bali, my book seems to be missing pages. I never thought an ending could hurt as much as the previous book did, but I was wrong. Honestly, I have absolutely no clue where Aurelia’s story is going, but I’m locked in and ready to see it through.

We pick up the story of Her Psycho Beasts right where we left off. Aurelia is full of rage, seeking retribution for her mother and wanting to protect her friends. She has sacrificed herself to take her enemies down from the inside out. Xander is heartless and plays the role of cruel dragon prince well. Much of Her Tortured Beasts occurs outside the Academy, providing a fascinating glimpse into the world’s political landscape. Flores Drakos – the dragon king and Xander’s father –, along with Aurelia’s father, the serpent king, have formed a tentative alliance. They will work together to sell Aurelia to the highest bidder to trap her in the same cruel existence her mother faced. To be treated only as worthy as what her womb can offer. Drakos has “ownership” over Aurelia, and Mace will provide a team of scientists to ensure Aurelia is healthy. There are several key players in this underworld, who we saw a little bit of in the earlier books. I enjoyed getting to see more of them. Unexpectedly, a few powerful and cunning individuals revealed their hidden cards, causing that painful cliffhanger.

Her Tortured Beasts is darker than the rest of the series. Aurelia suffers horrifying abuse at the hands of the cruel Flores Drakos and her father. They have their prize and intend to break her, making her easier to manage. Thankfully, Xander’s mother and sister do what they can to provide Aurelia with light and kindness during her time at the Drakos Estate. Aurelia refuses to break. I cheered when she finally escaped and returned to her mates, Scythe, Lyle and Savage. Aurelia feels like she has failed her mission and curses herself for not being strong enough, but the love and support from her mates help her to heal. She realises that needing support is not a failure. Aurelia knows she will need help to take these powerful players down.

I went into this book completely ready to hate Xander with every fibre of my being and pray for his demise. But at the end of this, Xander stole my heart. I don’t know how she did it, but E.P. Bali has made me fall in love with his horrid, broken dragon. We dive into Xander’s family and see inside the culture and power of the dragons. Underneath the prestige, we see the horrors of Xander’s childhood and how ruthless and abusive his father is. Unfortunately, the choices he made in previous books were all aimed at gaining his father’s approval. Xander begins making amends for his actions, but there are some things he can’t reverse. He must live with consequences. Also, can we talk about the apology scene? This, gentlemen, is how to grovel for mistakes, ring and all. If you know, you know.

My heart ached for Scythe, Lyle and Savage. Aurelia ordered this monstrous trio to leave her alone and not communicate with her. They wreak havoc on as many enemies as they can while doing what they can to try to help her. I swooned when Aurelia finally realised she couldn’t do her revenge mission solo and needed help. The way Scythe, Lyle and Savage travel interstate to find her and bring her back to her home to the Animus Academy healed my soul. I swooned through all the caretaking scenes that followed. They do everything possible to create a safe environment for her healing. The gentle care they show her is the opposite of the brutal violence they’ve dished out to their enemies, which we love to see, as we love psycho men who turn into the biggest marshmallows for their fated mate.

I am not sure how I feel about Ghoul. We see his attraction to Aurelia, yet he remains completely loyal to her evil father. He seems to be okay with the fact that her father will pimp her out to the highest bidder to be a breeding mule. Also, he seems to get sick satisfaction with trying to break her. Their banter is so much fun. I hope he gets with the program in the next book, especially when it looks like he might be the only one Aurelia can rely on.

My obsession with this series knows no bounds. It has become a part of my personality at this stage. The wait for the next book – Her Monstrous Beasts – will be so painful. I need to reread the series effectively immediately. If you also love a truly unhinged, why choose paranormal romance then look no further than this series. Because who doesn’t want to read about a girl with five unhinged, feral shifter fated mates?