Instinctual: An Epic Science-Fantasy Series (Rise of the Iliri Book 2)
- 4.7 out of 5
- 1,864 ratings
- 396 pages
Overall Content Rating: Restricted R
This military fantasy follows an elite unit and its commander through war, court intrigue, and relationships among humans and iliri. Expect constant strong language from troops under pressure, plus battle violence with blood and lethal force. Parents should know romance and physical intimacy are woven into character arcs, with some on-page sexual activity and frank talk; prejudice between species is a sustained theme. Content fits a mature teen or adult reader rather than a clean adventure.
Reviews first uploaded September 29, 2026 10:19 pm. Revised October 7, 2026 1:54 pm. Page updated October 7, 2026 1:54 pm.
These summaries are AI-generated from relevant Amazon reviews of this book.
Crude Mild
10Apart from broader profanity, characters use demeaning labels like fool or idiot in confrontations; sampled crude-token matches are mostly ordinary words, not sexual vulgarity.
Amazon reviews mentioning crude
Specific words
- idiot: 6
- stupid: 4
Fbombs Heavy
175Strong language appears throughout dialogue at high frequency, including anger, humor, and intimate moments, not isolated to battle alone.
Amazon reviews mentioning swearing
Specific words
- fuck: 168
- fuckin: 7
Profanity Heavy
260Soldiers and leaders swear often in camp, combat, and politics. Insults and body terms show up in arguments, teasing, and action beats across the book.
Amazon reviews mentioning profanity
Specific words
- shit: 107
- damn: 72
- ass: 43
- hell: 15
- bitch: 10
- bastard: 6
- bullshit: 5
- dick: 2
Sex Moderate
3Romantic and physical relationships are part of the cast dynamic; samples include a described private encounter, intimate touching, and frank talk about desire. Series reviews note more explicit material later; for this volume some readers found sex hinted more than graphic, while others cite explicit lines and evolving group dynamics.
Specific words
- orgasm: 1
- rape: 1
- whore: 1
Violence Heavy
36Military fantasy with recurring fight scenes: blades, throats, bleeding wounds, and deaths in battle. Characters treat killing as part of war and species conflict; injuries and blood are described with some graphic detail.
Amazon reviews mentioning violence
Specific words
- blood: 17
- kick: 11
- bleed: 5
- stab: 2
- punch: 1
Racism Moderate
Story stress includes prejudice and power struggles between humans and the iliri, affecting politics, military treatment, and how characters are judged; reviews describe this as a major theme rather than throwaway background.
About this book
Every man wants her. Many want to kill her. Good luck to them… For the first time in her life, Sal has a place to belong, and it feels so right. The iliri live in packs. The Black Blades is hers. But humans see them only as a military unit, and one with a little too much influence. To keep the "scrubbers" from gaining an advantage, humans will do anything - and none of it good. The only people they can trust are themselves. But this time, they need help. Eight elite soldiers aren't enough to stop the bribe headed to Anglia. If that country gets two thousand kilos of steel, it'll change the tide of war, and the Conglomerate of Free Citizens will be caught in the middle. The Black Blades have to trust someone, but their only options are humans. Hopefully, their "friends" aren't as dangerous as the enemy. ~~~ NOTE: There are some situations in this book that may be triggering for some readers. Please check the front of the book for the 'Sensitivity Notice' and Author’s Note for further details. ~~~ * Instinctual is book 2 in the complete Rise of the Iliri series. Read more