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That Sik Luv

That Sik Luv

by Jescie Hall 2023 496 pages
3.99
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Plot Summary

Budded Roses, Broken Faith

A girl haunted by roses and guilt

Briony Strait, raised in a strict religious community, is tormented by shame and the expectation of purity. After graduation, she's stalked by a masked man, Aero, who leaves blood-red roses and cryptic Bible messages. Her curiosity and fear grow, as does her secret longing for the forbidden. The church's oppressive rules and her family's coldness leave her isolated, her only confidantes her brother Baret and best friend Mia. The roses become a symbol: a warning, a threat, and an invitation to sin.

The Induction and the Intruder

A sacred ceremony, a shadow's presence

Briony's induction as the first female Magnus Princeps is marred by a violent, near-fatal baptism and a fire in the church. She glimpses a hooded figure—Aero—watching from the shadows. The event cements her as both a trailblazer and a target. The church's patriarchal power structure is threatened by her presence, and the community's hostility grows. Briony's sense of safety is shattered, and the line between sacred and profane blurs.

Stalked by Shadows

Obsession grows, boundaries blur

Aero's stalking intensifies: he invades Briony's home, leaves torn Bible pages, and watches her sleep. His messages are both threatening and seductive, demanding she surrender to her desires and never seek his identity. Briony is both terrified and aroused, her body betraying her with longing. The church's hypocrisy and her family's secrets weigh on her, and she begins to question everything she's been taught about sin, purity, and power.

Baptism by Fire

Violence, trauma, and awakening

The fire at the induction is only the beginning. Briony's brush with death and Aero's cryptic interventions force her to confront her own mortality and the darkness within her community. She's drawn into Aero's game, compelled to play along to survive. The church's leaders are revealed as corrupt and abusive, and Briony's faith is shaken. Aero's presence becomes both a threat and a lifeline, his violence a twisted form of protection.

The Alliance and the Game

Enemies become allies, games become real

Briony forms an uneasy alliance with Saint, her former tormentor and rival for the bishop's legacy. Their relationship shifts from antagonism to mutual respect, and even attraction. Aero's manipulations escalate, orchestrating encounters that test Briony's strength and resolve. She's forced to defend herself with violence, discovering a capacity for darkness that mirrors Aero's own. The game becomes deadly, and Briony realizes she's being shaped into a weapon.

The Taste of Sin

Desire, shame, and transformation

Briony's sexual awakening is inextricably linked to violence and power. Aero's invasions become more intimate and degrading, pushing her to embrace her own desires and reject the church's teachings. She's both repulsed and exhilarated by her own capacity for lust and cruelty. The boundaries between victim and perpetrator, purity and corruption, blur as Briony becomes complicit in Aero's games.

Dirty Hands, Dirty Hearts

Corruption at every level

Aero's backstory is revealed: a bastard son, abused and discarded by the church's elite, turned into a weapon by the powerful men who ruined him. He's both avenger and monster, his love for Briony as toxic as his hatred for the institution that made him. Briony learns that her own family and the church have lied to her about her origins, and that she, too, is a pawn in a larger game of power and revenge.

The Test and the Knife

Survival demands violence

Briony is ambushed and nearly assaulted, but Aero's "gift"—a knife—allows her to defend herself. She's forced to choose between passivity and violence, and in choosing violence, she passes Aero's test. The experience leaves her both traumatized and empowered, her innocence forever lost. Aero's approval is both a reward and a curse, binding her to him in a cycle of pain and pleasure.

Lambs to the Slaughter

The church's rot exposed

Briony witnesses the church's leaders abusing their power, preying on the vulnerable, and covering up their crimes. Aero's interventions become more violent, targeting those who threaten Briony or stand in the way of his revenge. Briony is forced to confront the reality that the institution she once revered is built on lies, abuse, and blood. Her faith is replaced by a hunger for justice—and vengeance.

Fan the Flame

Rebellion and retribution ignite

Briony and Aero's relationship becomes a crucible for transformation. She learns to harness her rage and pain, turning them into weapons against her oppressors. Together, they plot the destruction of the church's power structure, using sex, violence, and blackmail as their tools. Briony's alliance with Aero is both empowering and dangerous, as she risks becoming as ruthless as those she seeks to destroy.

The Devil's Doll Awakens

Identity, agency, and revenge

Briony uncovers the truth about her parentage: she is the daughter of a murdered woman, given to her adoptive family by the church to cover up their crimes. Aero's own origins are similarly tragic, and their shared trauma binds them together. Briony claims her identity as the "Devil's Doll," embracing the darkness within her and rejecting the roles assigned to her by others. She becomes both avenger and queen, ready to take her revenge.

Confessions and Crucifixions

Sacrifice, exposure, and reckoning

Briony and Aero orchestrate a public reckoning, exposing the church's crimes through blackmail, violence, and spectacle. Saint is revealed as both victim and perpetrator, complicit in the institution's rot. Briony's own body becomes a weapon, used to destroy the men who sought to control her. The lines between sacred and profane, victim and villain, are obliterated in a final act of vengeance.

The Fall of Saint

The dynasty crumbles

Saint, once the golden boy, is exposed and destroyed. The church's leaders are killed or disgraced, their secrets laid bare for the world to see. Briony and Aero's plan succeeds: the institution that tried to erase them is reduced to ashes. The cost is high—innocence, faith, and even love are sacrificed on the altar of revenge—but the cycle of abuse is finally broken.

The Villain and the Queen

Power reclaimed, love redefined

Briony and Aero emerge from the carnage as both villains and survivors. Their love is toxic, violent, and all-consuming, but it is also a source of strength and healing. They reject the world's definitions of good and evil, choosing instead to create their own rules and their own justice. Their bond is forged in blood and pain, but it is unbreakable.

Vengeance Unleashed

No more chains, no more gods

Briony and Aero leave behind the ruins of their old lives, free from the chains of religion, family, and shame. They embrace their darkness, finding redemption not in forgiveness, but in the power to define themselves. Their love is a new kind of faith: fierce, flawed, and entirely their own.

Den of Demise

The final reckoning

In a climactic confrontation, Briony and Aero face down their enemies in a den of violence and spectacle. The last of the old guard are destroyed, and Briony claims her place as queen of her own destiny. Aero, once a weapon of others, is finally free to love and be loved on his own terms.

Ours to Own

A new beginning, a new faith

Briony and Aero escape into the unknown, their pasts behind them and their future unwritten. They are no longer victims or pawns, but kings and queens of their own story. Their love is sick, violent, and beautiful—a new kind of faith, forged in the fires of revenge and rebirth.

Epilogue: The Cleansing

Healing, transformation, and acceptance

Briony and Aero find peace in each other, their scars and sins transformed into sources of strength. They create a new life together, free from the chains of the past. Their love is not pure, but it is real—and it is enough.

Characters

Briony Strait

A flower forced to bloom in darkness

Briony is the protagonist, a young woman raised in a repressive religious community, taught to fear her own body and desires. Her journey is one of awakening: from innocence and shame to agency and vengeance. She is both victim and avenger, shaped by trauma but refusing to be defined by it. Her relationships—with her family, the church, Saint, and especially Aero—are fraught with power struggles, betrayal, and longing. Briony's psychological arc is a descent into darkness that paradoxically leads to self-knowledge and liberation. She is the "Devil's Doll," a symbol of corrupted innocence and reclaimed power.

Aero (Aero Westwood)

A weapon forged by abuse and revenge

Aero is Briony's stalker, lover, and eventual partner in vengeance. The bastard son of a powerful man, he is shaped by childhood abuse, abandonment, and the church's hypocrisy. Trained as a killer and used as a pawn by the powerful, Aero is both monster and martyr, his love for Briony as toxic as his hatred for the institution that made him. He is obsessed with control, violence, and the destruction of those who wronged him. Yet, beneath the brutality, he craves connection and healing. His relationship with Briony is a crucible for both their traumas, and together they become something more than the sum of their wounds.

Saint Westwood

The golden boy corrupted by power

Saint is Briony's rival, tormentor, and eventual pawn in her and Aero's game. Groomed to inherit the church's legacy, he is both victim and perpetrator, complicit in the institution's rot. His relationship with Briony is a battleground of desire, shame, and betrayal. Saint's downfall is both tragic and deserved, a symbol of the cost of complicity and the impossibility of innocence in a corrupt system.

Baret Strait

The brother who sees through the lies

Baret is Briony's adoptive brother, a source of both comfort and conflict. He is more worldly and skeptical than Briony, straddling the line between faith and rebellion. Baret's role is to protect Briony, but he is also a reminder of the family and community she must ultimately leave behind. His own struggles with faith and morality mirror Briony's, and his loyalty is both a strength and a liability.

Mia

The loyal friend and confidante

Mia is Briony's best friend, a source of support and a witness to her transformation. She represents the possibility of connection and understanding outside the confines of the church. Mia's own fears and limitations highlight the risks Briony takes in pursuing her own path.

Callum Westwood

The patriarch, architect of abuse

Callum is Aero and Saint's father, a powerful and ruthless man who embodies the corruption of the church and the community. He is both abuser and victimizer, willing to sacrifice anyone—including his own children—to maintain his power. Callum's downfall is the climax of Briony and Aero's revenge, a reckoning for generations of violence and hypocrisy.

Alastor Abbott

The political puppetmaster

Alastor is a politician and criminal, using Aero as a weapon and manipulating events from behind the scenes. He is emblematic of the collusion between church, state, and crime, and his eventual exposure and destruction are key to the collapse of the old order.

Bishop Caldwell

The wolf in shepherd's clothing

Caldwell is the church's spiritual leader, a predator who abuses his power and preys on the vulnerable. His crimes are the catalyst for Briony and Aero's crusade, and his death is both justice and catharsis.

Nox

The criminal ally

Nox is Aero's friend and occasional accomplice, a figure from the criminal underworld who provides both resources and a mirror for Aero's own darkness. Nox's loyalty is pragmatic, and his role is to facilitate the final reckoning.

Brandi

The survivor and witness

Brandi is a sex worker and informant, a minor character who nonetheless plays a crucial role in exposing the church's crimes and aiding Briony and Aero's plans. She represents the collateral damage of the institution's violence, as well as the possibility of agency and resistance.

Plot Devices

Duality of Sacred and Profane

A story built on opposites and mirrors

The novel's structure and imagery constantly juxtapose the sacred (church, purity, faith) with the profane (sex, violence, revenge). This duality is embodied in the characters—Briony as both innocent and avenger, Aero as both protector and destroyer—and in the plot's use of religious ritual as both weapon and wound. The narrative structure alternates between Briony and Aero's perspectives, blurring the line between victim and perpetrator, love and hate, salvation and damnation.

Symbolism and Foreshadowing

Roses, knives, and scripture as omens

The recurring symbols of blood-red roses, torn Bible pages, and knives foreshadow both violence and transformation. Each is a message, a warning, and a promise. The use of scripture—sometimes twisted, sometimes sincere—serves as both a weapon and a shield, reflecting the characters' shifting relationships to faith and power.

A constant negotiation of control

The plot is driven by games of power: stalking, blackmail, seduction, and violence. Briony's journey is one of moving from passivity to agency, learning to wield violence and sexuality as tools of her own liberation. Consent is both given and taken, and the boundaries between victim and agent are constantly renegotiated.

Trauma and Transformation

Pain as catalyst for change

The characters' traumas—abuse, betrayal, loss—are not simply wounds to be healed, but crucibles in which new identities are forged. The narrative uses violence and suffering as both punishment and purification, culminating in acts of revenge that are both destructive and redemptive.

Narrative Games and Metafiction

A story about storytelling

Aero's manipulation of Briony, and the novel's own manipulation of the reader, mirror each other. The plot is a game, with rules that are constantly changing, and the characters are both players and pieces. The use of confessions, letters, and staged performances blurs the line between reality and fiction, truth and lie.

Analysis

That Sik Luv is a dark, transgressive exploration of the ways in which trauma and transformation, power, agency, and consent, and desire are intertwined. At its core, the novel is a brutal deconstruction of religious and patriarchal authority, exposing the violence and hypocrisy at the heart of institutions that claim to offer salvation. Through Briony and Aero's journey—from victimhood to agency, from shame to self-acceptance—the book interrogates the very nature of sin, love, and justice. It asks whether healing is possible without destruction, and whether true freedom can be found outside the boundaries of tradition and faith. The story's explicit violence and sexuality are not gratuitous, but serve to illuminate the psychological and social forces that shape—and warp—our identities. Ultimately, That Sik Luv is a story about reclaiming power: over one's body, one's story, and one's destiny. It is a celebration of survival, a warning about the costs of complicity, and a challenge to the reader to question the stories we are told—and the ones we tell ourselves.

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FAQ

Synopsis & Basic Details

What is That Sik Luv about?

  • Religious Purity Challenged: Briony Strait, raised in a strict, patriarchal religious community, grapples with her faith and ingrained beliefs about purity and sin as she is stalked by a mysterious, masked figure known as Aero. His unsettling presence and cryptic messages, often referencing distorted scripture, ignite a forbidden curiosity and burgeoning desire within her.
  • Descent into a Dark Game: As Briony navigates her induction into a leadership role within the church, she becomes increasingly entangled in Aero's dangerous games, which involve manipulation, violence, and the exposure of hypocrisy within her seemingly pious community. She is forced to confront hidden truths about herself and the people around her, including her family and church elders.
  • Awakening and Rebellion: The narrative follows Briony's psychological transformation from a fearful, obedient "doll" to a woman embracing her own power and sexuality. Her journey is marked by a blurring of lines between victim and aggressor, sacred and profane, as she is pushed to defy the oppressive structures that seek to control her.

Why should I read That Sik Luv?

  • Intense Psychological Depth: The novel delves into the complex internal struggles of its protagonist, exploring themes of religious trauma, repressed desire, and the psychological impact of stalking and manipulation, offering a raw and unflinching look at a character's unraveling and redefinition.
  • Provocative Thematic Exploration: It challenges conventional notions of morality, faith, and purity by juxtaposing religious dogma with explicit depictions of violence, sexuality, and corruption, prompting readers to question societal constructs and institutional hypocrisy.
  • Captivating and Suspenseful Narrative: The story maintains a high level of tension through its mystery elements, unpredictable plot twists, and the unsettling dynamic between the protagonist and her enigmatic stalker, making it a compelling and often shocking read.

What is the background of That Sik Luv?

  • Setting in a Controlled Religious Community: The story is set within a small, seemingly prosperous town dominated by the Covenant Church, an institution with deep historical roots and significant influence over its members' lives, dictating strict moral codes and societal roles, particularly for women.
  • Focus on Patriarchal Structures: The narrative highlights the oppressive patriarchal power dynamics within the church hierarchy and the community, where men hold authority and women are expected to be submissive followers, creating inherent conflict for Briony as she rises to a leadership position.
  • Exploration of Hidden Corruption: Beneath the veneer of religious piety, the story reveals a pervasive undercurrent of corruption, abuse, and deceit among the church's leaders and influential families, suggesting a systemic rot that mirrors the personal traumas experienced by the characters.

What are the most memorable quotes in That Sik Luv?

  • "I'm your GOD now -Aero": This chilling message, scrawled over a ripped Bible passage (Deuteronomy), immediately establishes Aero's blasphemous claim to power and control over Briony, twisting religious authority into a tool of his obsession and setting the tone for the dark, sacrilegious themes to come.
  • "You're a woman without a voice, Briony. Let me be the throat through which you scream.": Aero's declaration encapsulates his twisted form of empowerment, suggesting he will enable Briony to express the defiance and desires suppressed by her upbringing, positioning himself as the catalyst for her rebellion and the voice for her unspoken rage.
  • "Love is beneath us.": Aero's assertion, later echoed by Briony, redefines their complex and unconventional bond, suggesting their connection transcends simplistic notions of romantic love, rooted instead in shared trauma, mutual understanding of darkness, and a unique form of devotion forged through pain and defiance.

What writing style, narrative choices, and literary techniques does Jescie Hall use?

  • First-Person Dual Perspective: The narrative alternates between Briony and Aero's first-person perspectives, offering intimate access to their thoughts, motivations, and emotional states, creating a sense of immediacy and blurring the lines between their internal realities.
  • Explicit and Visceral Language: Hall employs graphic and often unsettling descriptions of violence, sex, and psychological distress, using visceral language to immerse the reader in the characters' intense experiences and challenge comfort zones.
  • Symbolism and Motif: Recurring symbols like the blood-red roses, torn Bible pages, masks, and the motif of cleansing/baptism are woven throughout the narrative, adding layers of meaning and foreshadowing thematic developments related to purity, sin, and transformation.

Hidden Details & Subtle Connections

What are some minor details that add significant meaning?

  • Briony's Dark Hair: Her black hair, contrasting with her family's blonde locks, is repeatedly noted as a "dark stain" or "inkblot," symbolizing her perceived difference and the church's subtle disapproval from birth, foreshadowing her eventual embrace of a darker identity outside their norms.
  • Aero's Upside-Down Crucifix Ring/Tattoo: The recurring image of the inverted cross on Aero's ring and later revealed tattoo explicitly links him to anti-religious sentiment and defiance, serving as a constant visual reminder of his opposition to the church's authority and his self-proclaimed role as a dark, counter-divine figure in Briony's life.
  • The Specific Bible Passages: The torn Bible pages left by Aero aren't random; they are carefully chosen verses (Deuteronomy 20:4, Luke 12:7, Ephesians 4:32, 1 John 1:9-10) that he twists or reinterprets to fit his narrative of power, protection, and challenging the church's teachings, highlighting his deep, albeit corrupted, understanding of scripture.

What are some subtle foreshadowing and callbacks?

  • The Near-Drowning Baptism: Briony's traumatic induction ceremony, where the deacon holds her underwater for an excessive time, foreshadows later moments of physical and psychological suffocation orchestrated by Aero, linking the church's oppressive control to his own methods of pushing her limits.
  • Aero's Licking Motif: Aero's early act of licking the black paint from Briony's neck after the party is a callback to Jacob's touch and foreshadows his later, more explicit acts of "cleansing" her of others' touch or perceived impurities, establishing his possessive nature and twisted form of purification.
  • The Knife in the Tights: The switchblade Aero gives Briony and instructs her to hide in her thigh-high tights becomes a recurring symbol of her newfound agency and capacity for violence, appearing at crucial moments of self-defense and later, as a tool for her own acts of aggression and control.

What are some unexpected character connections?

  • Aero and Baret's Unseen Alliance: While not explicitly shown interacting, Baret's sudden appearance to save Briony at the end is revealed to be orchestrated by Aero via encrypted messages, highlighting an unexpected alliance between Briony's adoptive brother and her stalker/lover, both acting to protect her from the corrupt system.
  • Briony's Biological Father's Identity: The revelation that Alastor Abbott, the politician who hired Aero, is Briony's biological father connects her directly to the corrupt power structure she seeks to dismantle, making her revenge deeply personal and linking her origins to the very system that created Aero.
  • Nox's Betrayal and Role: Nox, initially presented as Aero's loyal criminal ally, is revealed to have been working for Callum Westwood and Alastor Abbott, selling Aero out. His subsequent role in facilitating Aero's torture and Briony's revenge highlights the transactional nature of loyalty in this world and Nox's complex position within the power dynamics.

Who are the most significant supporting characters?

  • Baret Strait: As Briony's adoptive brother, Baret provides a crucial emotional anchor and represents a connection to her past life, while also acting as an unexpected ally in Aero's plan, demonstrating loyalty that transcends blood ties and religious dogma.
  • Saint Westwood: Initially Briony's rival and tormentor, Saint becomes a complex figure caught between his father's expectations and his own desires. His eventual downfall is central to the plot's climax, symbolizing the corruption inherent in the system and serving as a catalyst for Briony's final acts of vengeance.
  • Bishop Caldwell: More than just a symbol of corrupt religious authority, Caldwell is revealed as a direct abuser from Aero's past, making him a deeply personal target for Aero's revenge and highlighting the systemic nature of the abuse within the church.

Psychological, Emotional, & Relational Analysis

What are some unspoken motivations of the characters?

  • Briony's Craving for Control: Beneath her initial fear and religious conditioning, Briony harbors a deep-seated desire for control and agency, which Aero intuitively recognizes and exploits, pushing her to embrace her own power rather than remain a passive subject.
  • Aero's Need for Validation: Despite his outward ruthlessness, Aero's actions are driven by a profound need for validation and acceptance, particularly from Briony, seeing her as a reflection of his own hidden worth and seeking to prove his value by protecting and transforming her.
  • Saint's Internal Conflict: Saint's fluctuating behavior towards Briony—from tormentor to potential love interest to pawn—stems from his internal conflict between his genuine attraction to her and the immense pressure from his father and the church to uphold their patriarchal legacy and distance himself from anything that threatens it.

What psychological complexities do the characters exhibit?

  • Trauma and Transformation: Aero and Briony's relationship exemplifies trauma bonding, where shared experiences of abuse and betrayal create a powerful, albeit unhealthy, connection built on mutual understanding of pain and a desire for control in a world that has denied them both.
  • Sadomasochistic Tendencies: Both characters exhibit sadomasochistic traits, finding pleasure in inflicting and receiving pain, which serves as a coping mechanism for their past traumas and a unique language of intimacy and control within their relationship.
  • Moral Ambiguity and Shifting Identities: Briony's transformation involves embracing morally ambiguous actions, blurring the lines of her former "pure" identity. Aero, despite his villainous acts, displays moments of twisted care and protection, showcasing the complex and often contradictory nature of their characters forged by extreme circumstances.

What are the major emotional turning points?

  • Briony's First Act of Violence: Defending herself with the knife against Jacob marks a pivotal shift from passive victim to active participant, forcing her to confront her capacity for aggression and setting her on a path of embracing darker impulses.
  • Witnessing Bishop Caldwell's Abuse: Seeing the bishop's predatory behavior shatters Briony's remaining illusions about the church's holiness, replacing her faith with righteous anger and a clear target for her burgeoning desire for vengeance.
  • Aero's Revelation of His Past: Aero revealing his identity and the traumatic details of his childhood abuse and his mother's murder humanizes him for Briony, transforming her fear and intrigue into empathy and a deeper understanding of his motivations, solidifying their bond.

How do relationship dynamics evolve?

  • Briony and Aero: From Stalker/Victim to Partners: Their relationship undergoes a radical transformation, moving from a terrifying cat-and-mouse game to a complex bond built on shared trauma, mutual empowerment, and a unique form of love expressed through control and pain.
  • Briony and Saint: From Rivals to Manipulator/Manipulated: Their dynamic shifts from competitive antagonism to a brief, seemingly genuine connection, only for Briony to ultimately use Saint as a pawn in her and Aero's plan, revealing the manipulative turn her character takes.
  • Briony and Baret: From Sibling to Confidante/Ally: Baret's role evolves from a typical older brother figure to a trusted confidante and active participant in protecting Briony, demonstrating the strength of their bond outside the constraints of their adoptive family's deceptions.

Interpretation & Debate

Which parts of the story remain ambiguous or open-ended?

  • The Full Extent of Baret's Knowledge: While Baret is shown to be aware of the deceptions and helps Briony, the exact timeline of his discoveries and how he received encrypted messages from Aero remains somewhat ambiguous, leaving room for interpretation regarding his level of involvement and independent action.
  • The Future of Briony and Aero's Relationship: The ending solidifies their bond and shared path of vengeance, but the long-term sustainability and nature of their toxic, violent love remain open-ended, leaving readers to ponder whether their connection is truly redemptive or ultimately self-destructive.
  • The Scope of the Church's Corruption: While key figures are exposed and punished, the narrative hints at a deeper, more widespread rot within the Covenant Church and its connections to other powerful institutions, leaving the full extent of the corruption and its lasting impact on the community open to interpretation.

What are some debatable, controversial scenes or moments in That Sik Luv?

  • The Nature of Consent in Aero and Briony's Interactions: Many scenes depict Aero engaging in non-consensual or coerced acts (stalking, touching her while she sleeps, forcing her to perform sexual acts under duress), raising significant ethical questions about consent, particularly as Briony's fear evolves into curiosity and later, apparent desire and complicity.
  • The Justification of Violence and Revenge: The narrative portrays extreme acts of violence and mutilation as a form of justice and catharsis for the characters' traumas. Whether these acts are truly justified or simply perpetuate a cycle of brutality is a central, and potentially controversial, point of debate for readers.
  • The Portrayal of Religious Institutions: The depiction of the Covenant Church as a breeding ground for hypocrisy, abuse, and corruption is a strong critique of organized religion, which may be controversial for readers with differing beliefs or experiences.

That Sik Luv Ending Explained: How It Ends & What It Means

  • The Plan and the Exposure: The climax involves Briony and Aero orchestrating a public confrontation at Nox's club, luring Callum Westwood, Alastor Abbott, and Bishop Caldwell into a trap. Using Saint as leverage and recording the events, they expose the men's crimes, including the murder of Briony's mother (Margaret Moore) by Alastor (her biological father) and Callum, and Bishop Caldwell's history of abuse (including Aero's).
  • Vengeance and Rebirth: Briony and Aero exact brutal revenge, killing Callum and Alastor, and mutilating Bishop Caldwell. Saint is left alive but publicly disgraced, his hands nailed to a table like Christ, symbolizing the destruction of his intended path and the hypocrisy of his faith. This act is portrayed not just as murder, but as a twisted form of justice and rebirth for Briony and Aero, cleansing them of the past's stains.
  • A New Beginning, Defined by Them: With the corrupt power structure dismantled and their pasts avenged, Briony and Aero escape, leaving the burning church behind as a symbol of the old world's destruction. Their relationship, forged in trauma and violence, is redefined as a unique, albeit toxic, bond ("sick love") that transcends conventional morality and societal norms. They embrace their identities as "outcasts" and "villains," choosing to live life on their own terms, forever tethered by their shared experiences and mutual devotion.

Review Summary

3.99 out of 5
Average of 58.0K ratings from Goodreads and Amazon.

That Sik Luv polarized readers with its dark, twisted romance between a stalker and a religious girl. Many praised the intense chemistry, steamy scenes, and character development, comparing it favorably to other popular dark romances. Critics found it problematic, citing excessive degradation, unrealistic character transformations, and repetitive writing. Some DNF'd due to boredom or discomfort with the content. The audiobook narration received high praise. Overall, readers agreed it's an extremely dark, spicy read that won't appeal to everyone, with strong religious themes and trigger warnings.

Your rating:
4.49
56 ratings

About the Author

Jescie Hall is a romance author known for her dark and steamy novels. Her writing style is described as captivating and vivid, particularly in her depiction of intimate scenes. Hall's works often explore themes of obsession, religious trauma, and character transformation. She has garnered a dedicated fanbase who appreciate her unique approach to the dark romance genre. While some readers find her content too extreme, others praise her ability to create complex, morally gray characters and intense, passionate relationships. Hall's novels, including That Sik Luv, have sparked discussions about the boundaries of romance fiction and the portrayal of controversial themes.

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