Review: Fractured Soul (Book 3) by Matthew Dante

ONCE AGAIN, author Matthew Dante delivers a compelling psychological thriller with enough steamy man-on-man action to stimulate your brain and, ahem, other parts, too.

Having survived the traumatic, violent events depicted so viscerally exciting and intellectually satisfying in Fractured Mind (Book 2), Marc and Alex settle into a comfortable life of love, sex, regular employment, and a place of their own. Marc has found a clever way to legally use his unique skill set in a career where there is no need for aggression–unless he needs to prove a point, but he never takes it too far. Alex is a social worker. A natural progression for him, considering his past and need to help those he sees as victims of an often cruel world.

The novel centers around a white slavery and prostitution storyline that doesn’t discriminate between the sexes. Marc and Alex become involved in helping a young man named Ivan reclaim his freedom and other young victims who are also under the thumb of a Russian crime syndicate. Not everyone is who they appear to be; not everyone’s story is true or how we interpret the truth when taken at face value. Like the other novels in the series, Fractured Soul expertly explores the deep traumas, learned behaviours, and emotional scars that lead people to make the choices they do.

One of the things I love best in the Fractured Series is the complexity of emotion between Marc and Alex and how their relationship continually progresses, becoming stronger and more understandable with each installment. The layers of their love and connection peel away, showing just how much these two not only care for one another but choose to understand and accept each one’s kinks and idiosyncrasies.

In Fractured Soul (Book 3), Dante demonstrates the full degree to which Marc and Alex trust and love each other and have a genuine spiritual connection that truly supplants what others would classify as an unhealthy obsession. This novel continues to push the boundaries of their relationship past co-dependency into valid, meant-to-be soul-mates. The degree of maturity, compassion, unconditional love, and self-awareness Dante infuses into how these two gay men approach their unconventionally formed and ongoing relationship is innovative, boundary-pushing, and brilliantly written. Controversial? Problematic? Maybe to some, but who cares? I believe it, support it, and I want more!

Fractured Souls (Book 3) is an emotionally charged psychological thriller that masterfully incorporates queer characters and themes of love, abuse, revenge, and salvation.

Fractured Souls (Book 3) can be purchased on amazon.ca and amazon.com. For more information about this author, follow Matthew Dante on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.