Books That Changed My Life... The Rinaverse, By Rina Kent

Some books entertain. Some educate. And some hit you so hard, they completely wreck your worldview—in the best way possible.

This blog series is about the books that messed with my head (in the best way). The heavily under-rated gems, the under-the-radar reads, and the books I never saw coming but can’t stop thinking about.  They’ve shifted my mindset, shaped my decisions, and, in some cases, sent me spiralling into a full-blown existential crisis (fun!).

Will they change your life too? No guarantees—but hey, at least you'll get some good book recs. Let’s dive in!

Rina Kent’s universe—affectionately dubbed The Rinaverse by her fans—is dark, addictive, and completely unforgettable. Spanning interconnected series that thread through the elite halls of English prep schools, the ruthless Russian Bratva, and the twisted playgrounds of billionaires and psychopaths, these books serve up a feast of morally grey characters, brutal emotional arcs, and enemies-to-lovers romances that leave you breathless. Whether you’re diving into high school angst in Royal Elite, unraveling intricate mafia legacies in The Monster Trilogy, or confronting past sins in Legacy of Gods, Rina’s world sucks you in and refuses to let go. Each book delivers different tropes—bully romance, age gap, forbidden love, second chance, revenge, mafia—and yet they all come back to one thing: characters who love ferociously and fall unapologetically.

Now onto my two favourite series within this vast universe...

The Monster Trilogy...

This trilogy is where I fell for the madness. Blood of My Monster, Lies of My Monster, and Heart of My Monster tell the story of Kirill Morozov and Aleksandra ‘Sasha’ Ivanova, a couple born from blood, lies, and power games.

This trilogy is not a love story in the traditional sense. It’s a collision of two people who were never meant to trust, never meant to feel, and never meant to need each other as desperately as they do.

The tension between them simmers from the start. Their story is built on lies, betrayal, and dangerous truths that threaten to explode at any moment. What starts as manipulation quickly spirals into obsession. Kirill’s control begins to fracture under Sasha’s relentless presence, and Sasha must decide if she can love the monster who stands in the way of her vengeance—or if she’ll become a monster herself.

Every book strips back another layer of armour until there’s nothing left but vulnerability, and when that happens in a world as dangerous as theirs, love becomes the greatest risk of all. By the time you reach Heart of My Monster, you’ll realise this isn’t just a story about survival or revenge. It’s about choosing each other over and over again, even when the whole world tells you not to. Beneath all the violence in the world of the Bratva is this relentless, obsessive love story that burrowed deep into my soul. It’s dark. It’s brutal. It’s addictive. And it still haunts me long after I finished the final page. This trilogy is unapologetically dark, intensely passionate, and full of the kind of plot twists that keep you up way past 2 a.m. saying “just one more chapter.”

Legacy of Gods

Legacy of Gods is a generational saga that feels like coming home... if home was laced with betrayal, pain, and irresistible obsession.

These aren’t easy love stories. Every relationship in this series is wrapped in manipulation, mind games, forbidden attraction, and high emotional stakes. The characters are rich in complexity, some broken by their pasts, but all shaped by ambition, intensity, and the heavy expectations that come with the legacies they’re born into. They know who they are, and what they want. The problem? So do the people they fall for and those people don’t go down without a fight.

These characters don’t get to fall gently into happiness. They fight and bleed for it, and in some cases, nearly destroy themselves trying to find it. The series is packed with obsession, manipulation, control, slow-burn power struggles, and mind games. But underneath all of it is a desperate yearning for connection.

Legacy of Gods is haunting, addictive, and emotionally exhausting in the best way. It reminds us that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is choose love anyway.

Favourite Characters...

Killian Carson (God of Malice)

Killian is chaos wrapped in a pretty face and dripping malice. He’s frighteningly intelligent, effortlessly charming, and completely devoid of empathy—a diagnosed psychopath who knows exactly what he is and wields that truth like a scalpel: precise, deadly, and doesn’t blink twice before breaking someone apart. He doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what he is. Killian doesn’t feel the way others do, doesn’t love the way others do. Emotions are curiosities to him, not realities. People are objects of fascination—some worthy of study, most disposable. His entire existence is about maintaining control: of his mind, his world, and the fragile humanity he keeps at arm’s length.

And then comes Glyndon King. Killian sees her and recognises something he can’t quite name—because it isn’t love, not yet. It’s curiosity. It’s challenge. It’s obsession. Their relationship starts as a game of predator and prey. But Glyndon isn’t prey. She’s wild and sharp and unafraid to stare straight into the abyss inside him. Where others flinch, she leans in. And that drives Killian to the edge of his meticulously controlled world.

Glyndon doesn't “fix” Killian, she triggers something deeper. A shift. A desire not just to possess, but to belong. She’s the only person who sees him and doesn’t run. The only one who dares to touch the darkness and ask it to stay. Their dynamic is twisted, passionate, volatile, but underneath the fire is a connection built on radical honesty. She doesn't want the version of him that fits the mold, she wants the monster and the man.

As their story unfolds, Killian’s arc isn’t about redemption. It’s about acceptance. He doesn’t become less dangerous—he becomes dangerous for her. Protective in a way only he can be: strategic, calculating, utterly devoted. Love, for Killian, isn’t flowers and grand gestures. It’s trust, it’s obsession, and it’s the promise that he’ll destroy anything that tries to take her from him.

In the end, Killian Carson doesn’t learn how to feel the way others do. His love is terrifying, but it's also pure in its own twisted way. He doesn’t love easily, but when he does, it consumes every piece of his brilliant, brutal, psychopathic mind.

Nikolai Sokolov (God of Fury)

Nikolai is a ball of erratic energy, chaos, and hilarious one-liners, but beneath all that lies a mind as sharp as a tac and a heart that has never known peace. What makes Nikolai stand out is his authenticity. He doesn’t play by anyone’s rules; I'm not even sure 'rules' is in his vocabulary. He knows he’s a little broken. He knows he’s not easy to love. But when he falls? He does it with his whole goddamn soul.

He’s protective in a way that’s primal and borderline obsessive, but never in a way that diminishes his partner. He upliftsthrough chaos. Nikolai is a storm in human form—and loving him feels like standing in the eye of it: terrifying, beautiful, and strangely...safe.

Kirill Morozov (Monster Trilogy)

Kirill is one of my favourite male leads ever. Kirill is a Bratva prince turned king with a genius brain and a heart as cold as Siberian winter. He was raised in shadows and sharpened by betrayal, he’s methodical, unemotional, and always ten steps ahead of everyone around him.

His world is built on silence, secrets, and strategy and he’s the king of it. Trust is a currency he doesn’t spend, and love is a weakness he refuses to acknowledge...well, until Sasha anyway haha. The slow reveal of his humanity, the way he loves Sasha with obsessive, unwavering devotion, is what made me fall so hard. Kirill doesn’t just protect, he annihilates for love.

Aleksandra 'Sasha' Ivanova (Monster Trilogy)

Sasha is the definition of elegance laced with rebellion. Driven by vengeance and desperation, she enlists in the Russian army under a false identity and rises through the ranks with grit, talent, and raw survival instinct.

She has this innate grace, and strength of self that is inspirational. She’s not afraid to challenge power, she speaks her mind unapologetically and watching her journey from a pawn in a dangerous game to a queen in her own right was just, chefs kiss. She never lets Kirill’s intensity swallow her; she stands toe-to-toe with him and demands more.

Sasha is fire wrapped in elegance, never a damsel, always a storm. I adore her. Enough said.

Rai Sokolov (Throne Duet)

Rai Sokolov is the kind of heroine who doesn’t just survive the fire, she walks into it willingly and dares it to consume her. She’s a strategist, and her brilliance lies in her ability to read situations, people, and threats before anyone else even notices they exist. Rai is loyal to her family, but that loyalty isn’t blind. She’s lived through the dark politics of the Bratva, and she knows the price of ambition.

In a world that thrives on power, she is a force to be reckoned with, a queen on a throne built not just from blood, but from years of carefully executed plans. Rai Sokolov isn’t just part of the Bratva—she is its beating heart, unyielding and unstoppable.

What I Cannot Wait For...

Anyone who has read my Kiss The Villain review knows I am DYING for Vaughn's book Hunt The Villain. I have been craving this book since I first read The Monster Trilogy, but not too long ago Rina had said she wasn't planning a Vaughn book. But, the bookish Gods sent down inspiration and now he's finally getting his own story! Vaughn is the son of Kirill and Sasha, two of my favourite characters in the series. If he is anything remotely like his parents, I know—without a doubt—he will become my favourite character.

I also can't wait to read Beautiful Venom, the first book in the new Vipers series. We get a brief glimpse at our MMC, Kane, in Kiss The Villain and the world he lives in, and damn... I'm so freaking excited!! There's something about that shadowy world that promises even darker stakes, bigger secrets, and characters that will eat you alive and make you say thank you.

To Sum Up...

The Rinaverse didn’t just change my reading life—it changed me. These books made me fall in love with morally grey characters, crave broken boys who don’t know how to love gently, and root for heroines who fight fire with fire. Rina Kent creates worlds that are brutal, beautiful, and completely immersive. Her stories make you embrace the darkness, show you that love can be messy and wild but still worth fighting for. And most of all, they remind you that even the most shattered characters can find their way home - to someone, to somewhere, to love.

So yes. These books changed my life. And if you haven’t read them yet...Well, what are you waiting for?