The Villains of Vanguard Boxed Set by Ryder O’Malley
Indecent Storm (Prequel) – at this time (early 2025), only available as part of the boxed set
Corrupted Desire (Book 1)
Reckless Impulse (Book 2)
Sinister Passion (Book 3)
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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for VILLAINS OF VANGUARD
This Dark M/M Romance Contains 800+ pages of Burly Bad Guys
This time, villains will save the day. Released from prison, this trio of huskular bad guys are ready to get their hands bloody. Whether it means partnering with a beefy cop, going undercover at a couples’ retreat for villains, or falling for Vanguard’s first hero, they’ll do whatever it takes to protect their freedom.
This boxed set follows a group of villains who should have never been released from jail. Worse yet, they never expected to fall in love while protecting the city. Discover the crooks with Diesel, the fire-wielding killer who wants to be left alone flipping burgers; Clint, the impulsive shapeshifter blowing up ice cream trucks; and Vex, a billionaire obsessed with killing the man who put him behind bars.
The Villains of Vanguard Boxed Set is a M/M, dark, snarky romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features brooding heroes and sex, but not always in that order.
MY REVIEW for VILLAINS OF VANGUARD
The box set is made of three anchor books: Corrupted Desire, Reckless Impulse, and Sinister Passion, all of which have been previously released. But the PREQUEL: Indecent Storm included (the first 10% of this over 800 page opus) has never been released separate was an unadvertised bonus.
As for what is inside this boxed set: “Dark Steamy MM Supervillain Romance” is a very good tagline. The superpowers are versatile, both for powered fights … and other powered activities.
I have finished all four books of the MM superpowered romance and you can find the separate reviews elsewhere. As for the books as a unit: Wow, that was much, much better than expected.
First off, none of the books are the same. All the villain protagonists are unique individuals with unique powers from each other. Different motivations, different people they fall in love with (though all Male Bears), different ways they fall in love, and different ways they interact with the overarching plot for the series. The books work as romances and as superhero prose. Four threads for the overall narrative blend into a weave of romance, superpowers plot, emotional change, and the larger picture of the multi-story plotline.
What really impressed me was how each of the villain protagonists were different architype villains. Lance is an antihero; a person who tries to do good but slides into vigilantism when his self-control slips. He is an educated man who made one mistake, then another, then another, until he passes the crossroads of no return. Diesel is a thug; he grew up on the wrong side of town, the one where ACAB and you have to punch first, otherwise you will never get to throw a punch. His culture made a system, and he has to figure out how to grow beyond being the cog his upbringing crafted him to be. Clint is the crazy villain; the one whose brain is missing things. He is a mad dog. Damien is the narcissist, but is rich enough and successful enough in the game of life everything really can be about him. He is a CEO.
The big bad villain comes from the government end of things – the power of a CEO, the madness of too much power, the educated person who slides into evil, and a person who has watched the system fail. Only with the power of the government behind them.
It’s a beautiful exploration of villain archetypes. As the body counts rise, so do the stakes.
Picked up while on sale at a superhero site. Buying at the normal price of about $10 saves – basically it is buy two and get one free (plus the sequel).
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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for INDECENT STORM
Every hero has demons. Problem is, mine are real.
I don’t fly through the skies or put villains behind bars. But as a well-respected therapist for superheroes, I do my part to keep Vanguard safe. Thankfully, nobody knows is that during med school, a vengeance demon tried to steal my body and unleash a brutal justice on mankind. Don’t worry, he learned the hard way that I’m the poster child for self-control.
Then I met Santiago.
I would never have made a move, but of course, the demon in my head has a crush on the ex-con. Discovering he can control the elements only made him sexier. Worst part, I enjoy losing control and giving him the reins. I need to confront the darkness fighting to get out and come to terms with the blurry line between good and evil. At the end, will I emerge a hero, villain, or something abnormal.
I have no choice. My insurance doesn’t cover exorcisms.
MY REVIEW for INDECENT STORM
Indecent Storm in a Prequel included in the Villains of Vanguard boxed set. “Dark Steamy MM Supervillain Romance” is the perfect tagline for the set and for this story in particular. The superpowers are versatile, both for powered fights … and other powered activities.
Fighting for control all the time is tiring. But therapist Lance cannot let his guard drop against that which has invaded him. When he loses control, which he never has dared, people could die. Santiago is a not-really-reformed parolee of an elemental powered variety. Together they are steamy in a locker room shower, to the point of Lance losing control. When the fun is over, the flyer asks the …normal?… for a second date. Dare Lance say yes – how many times can he lose control before he becomes a villain? And is Santiago worth the risk?
Overall the narrative is more concentrated on MM-erotica-romance, but the story still manages some good super-power time.
The story is about 10% of the boxed set.
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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for CORRUPTED DESIRE
The world is going to burn, and I’m the one holding the match.
Prison hardens a man. Even worse, my ex dumps me during the trial for a crime I didn’t commit. Okay, that’s a lie, but he deserved it. Two years into my sentence and the inmates of Cold Iron fear me. It’s lonely, but it’s the price of survival. This isn’t the place to think about friends, let alone a relationship.
When Vanguard needs a criminal with my fiery skills, my time in the slammer is cut short. To keep my freedom, I only have to put down a serial killer. It’d be easy if the local do-gooder stopped interfering. Gallant won’t be the reason I get locked up again. If he wasn’t smoking hot, I’d crush him. On second thought, maybe he needs a pounding.
The heroes are playing with fire, but I’m not the one about to get burned.
MY REVIEW for CORRUPTED DESIRE
When reading superhero (or in this case supervillain) romances, one needs to review the success of the romance and the superpowers. Plus the normal worldbuilding, characterization, and plot.
The MM romance is between two bears. Cooking and dancing and playing games. Diesel is a felon trying to make ends meet as a short order cook in a greasy spoon. Calum is a good cop who dropped by one late night for coffee to get through shift. Diesel knows better but he always liked to play with fire. The first date is at an arcade playing pinball … and pin the balls, if you know what I mean. Someone’s world Tilted at the end and the rest of the story is a sweet (and spicy) exploration of a romance that shouldn’t be. Be prepared for description of a proper bear body.
The super power part also lights up like a properly prepared bonfire. Diesel (Will-he-ever-decide-on-a-code-name Man) is a firestarter. He fights a little differently each time – explosive to pinpoint; ash or blister burns. I loved the scene of him leaving fire footprints behind to dissuade local thugs from a mugging-of-opportunity. He knows his powers and uses them well. He understanding it is not just the burning and energy, but heat, light, and fire’s impact on the things around them. This narrative has one of the most detailed and nuance use of firestarters I have ever seen.
If only he wasn’t a villain. His go-to options in battle aren’t … good. I never doubted he was an anti-hero, at best. He has lived a life that if you don’t hit first and hit hard, you don’t get to live a life.
The other major power we see in action is Gallant. And here is where things get murky. Sometimes Gallant’s powers are referred to as gravity control and sometimes metallic control. Early chapters touch lightly on gravity control and later ones present metal control. This inconsistency keeps the book from being a five star in the superpower area. Like the fire powers, the whatever-they-are powers are used well and make a good superpower book.
And in super power stories, the opposition (in this case both good and bad) to our protagonist(s) make a huge difference. The opposition make our main character burn through his power options creatively.
The teamup between Diesel (will he EVER choose a super designation) and Gallant is okay. The mixing between them is more emotional than their powers dovetailing together (dovtailing being one weakness covered by the other’s strength or a mix of their powers creating interesting effects – that really doesn’t happen here.)
Now normal review grading. Worldbuilding – this is Mr. O’Malley Vanguard (city) world and he has fleshed it out for several novels. It stands up to the test of time. Characters – Diesel came from the slums and thinks fireball first because of that; Calum brings hope to the dynamic. Other characters are well fleshed out and each person has their own goals, flaws, and reasons. Plot comes in three parts that interweave well – the romance, the workplace, and the super powers, plus an emotional journey of black vs white vs gray.
Falling just shy of what the absolute best superpower romance has to offer, this book is still really, really good – as a romance, as a superpower story, and as a narrative in general.
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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for RECKLESS IMPLUSE
You never know the shape revenge will take. But I do.
Prison is a blast. I get three meals a day, a warm bed, and a state-of-the-art gym. The guard’s hip-hugging uniforms don’t hurt either. I say good riddance to it all when I’m offered a chance to take this show on the road. Heroes aren’t getting the job done, so they’re recruiting villains with rugged good looks. But you blow up one ice cream truck, and suddenly they assign you a handler.
If I’m going to stay a free man, I need to stop a psycho from murdering half the city. Of course, the bad guy is attending a couple’s retreat for wealthy supers. If my babysitter is policing my every move, he’ll have to go undercover as my tech mogul husband. If I can survive a week without my cell phone, an overly enthusiastic yoga instructor, and a spouse complaining about love languages, maybe I can stop a massacre.
These heroes aren’t what they seem, but then again, neither am I.
MY REVIEW for RECKLESS IMPLUSE
Challenging to read, Reckless Impulse of the Villains of Vanguard series focuses on Clint, the shapeshifter with a code-name of Variant. We previously seen him as the himbo of the therapy circle, living life without planning or brains, but Pretty (and as a shapeshifter, Clint can be REAL pretty) will get you places.
I personally don’t do dumb well and wasn’t sure I could handle a full book of himbo. But between the overall arc of the series and the promise of a mastermind in the third book, I was determined to plow through. Plus seeing what an author could do with a less than average intelligence intrigued me.
Like Corrupted Desire, the first of the series, the superpower use is top notch. Both on implementation in battle and weaknesses in personal life.
See, Clint is basically a sponge. He is full of holes so he can study and become others, absorbing them and taking on their appearance. Not a literal or figurative sponge, but his persona, his strength, is observation and imitation. He has been so busy all his life being someone or something else, he doesn’t know who he is. And that makes him interesting and sympathetic. Which is important, because Mr. O’Malley puts the V in Villains for the evil protagonists of this series.
Clint has no impulse control. Thinking beyond the moment is hard when you change your shape to fit the moment. Most people need to control this moment and prep the next to fit their shape. Meanwhile, Clint kills if it seems appropriate for that particular second , without a thought. Being attacked in a hotel room, kill. Not having chocolate soft serve on an ice cream truck, kill.
Hank, the love interest, is less engaging, which makes the romance part of this superpower romance less engaging. We do see what each of the participants get out of the relationship, but Clint and Hank are more cuddle-teddies than bear-boingings. The super power brought into the bedroom at least keeps things spicy for the MM action.
Worldbuilding, character creation, and plotline weaving in this series continue to be top tier.
The misspelling of “suit” for “suite” for a couple chapters drove me nuts – it was fine until it wasn’t and then became fine again. Combined with me just not liking Clint as a human being on any level (he is a rabid very dangerous puppy that needs to be taken behind the shed), and barely tolerating Hank, the book never reached top tier overall. Still, great powers and related character creation, solid worldbuilding, and a good combination of the plots of the book and the plot of the series.
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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for SINISTER PASSION
Sentinel will suffer my wrath, even if I need to destroy the city.
My time in prison didn’t change my goal. Superheroes are a menace, and I’m going to expose them as the arrogant cowards they are. They’ll call me a villain, but I’m doing it to protect Vanguard. But after being defeated by the Centurions, I no longer have powers. This could be a problem, one I will fix by any means necessary.
My presence has brought one of the world’s greatest heroes out of retirement, or so I thought. If he thinks he can charm me into helping save the city, he’s got another thing coming. I’m nobody’s sidekick. When my arch nemesis goes missing, I’ll need to save him… so I can kill him myself.
Vanguard will never forget the name Damien Vex.
MY REVIEW for SINISTER PASSION
Third and final book of the Villains of Vanguard series, this can be read as a stand-alone. There is an overarching plot between the three books, but the romance, superhero action, and emotional growth arcs within each book are great on their own. The fact there is basically four plotlines in each book twisting and turning into fully realized whole cloth for a “simple” steamy MM dark superpower romance makes these gems.
Be aware the protagonists of this series are Villains (with a capital V) and Vex is no exception. He is dark to the core of his bones, so much that a shadow gem chose him to wield it. Whether in the boardroom or sitting high above the streets, this man has no patience for anything that doesn’t make the world the way he wants it to be, and he wants to be on top. Then he meets a man who had no patience for hierarchy.
The romance in this book, I feel, is the strongest of the three books. Vex and Won are mirrors and complements of each other. Top tier powers. Best at their day-jobs and spandex-jobs. Bears.
But Vex doesn’t bow to anything, not even love.
Then an enemy decides they can use Won as a piece in their chess game with Vex. Is it checkmate or will Vex change the game?
