God of Malice Summary, Characters and Themes
God of Malice by Rina Kent is a dark romance set in an elite, dangerous academic world where power, cruelty, and obsession collide.
The story follows Glyndon King, an artist from a prestigious family, who becomes entangled with Killian Carson, a cold and unpredictable medical student with deep ties to the criminal underworld. What begins as a terrifying encounter turns into a toxic and obsessive connection that tests the limits of trust, desire, and survival. As secrets about past tragedies, hidden alliances, and brutal rivalries unravel, Glyndon must decide whether to escape Killian’s control or accept every dangerous part of him.
Summary
A few weeks after her close friend Devlin’s suspected suicide, Glyndon King visits the cliffs where he died, contemplating ending her own life. Before she can act, she slips, and an unknown man catches her—only to dangle her over the edge, photograph her, and make disturbing comments about her death. Glyndon bargains for her life, but he assaults her before finally letting her go.
Shaken, Glyndon hides the incident from her family, feeling disconnected from her parents and brothers. The next morning, she receives a chilling anonymous text referencing Devlin’s death.
Returning to Royal Elite University on Brighton Island, Glyndon feels watched. She’s suddenly grabbed by the same man, who warns her that he’ll be keeping an eye on her. Her friend Annika identifies him as Killian Carson, a student from King’s University linked to dangerous circles, including two feared secret societies—the Heathens and the Serpents.
From Killian’s perspective, he craves control and has long harbored violent urges. He maintains a charming facade for his family while engaging in manipulative cruelty. Drawn to Glyndon after investigating Devlin’s death, he pursues her aggressively.
At an underground fight club, Killian forces Glyndon into a deal: spend time with him or risk her cousin Creighton’s safety.
He fights Creighton, eventually letting him win, and afterward forces Glyndon into his car, continuing his coercive advances. Despite her fear, she begins experiencing conflicting attraction toward him.
Glyndon receives an invitation to the Heathens’ brutal initiation, suspecting it may be connected to Devlin’s death. During the violent challenge, Killian finds her, reveals a previous assault wasn’t just a dream, and again coerces her into sexual acts before eliminating her from the competition.
Over time, Killian continues pursuing Glyndon, posting possessive photos online and clashing with her brothers, particularly Landon.
Glyndon secretly works with Gareth, Killian’s brother, to learn more about Devlin, only to become further entangled in the brothers’ toxic rivalry. Her feelings for Killian deepen despite his cruelty, and she learns he has always had the urge to kill but claims her presence tempers it.
Landon kidnaps and tortures Killian to force him away from Glyndon, but she intervenes, refusing to let her brother control her. Their connection intensifies, even as Killian threatens permanent ties like pregnancy to ensure she stays. She begins to accept that she is addicted to the danger he represents.
Killian takes Glyndon to New York to meet his family. His mother, Reina, shows warmth, but his father, Asher, is wary and critical.
Glyndon confronts some of Killian’s childhood trauma, including the moment he believed his mother feared him. Their relationship grows more emotionally open, though still volatile.
Everything shatters when Glyndon receives a video of Devlin’s initiation, showing a masked Killian telling Devlin to “drop dead.” She runs from Killian, blaming him for Devlin’s suicide, and he lets her return to London. In his absence, Killian learns Gareth didn’t send the video and that it had been manipulated.
In London, Glyndon reflects on Devlin’s manipulative behavior, realizing he had pressured her to die with him.
Shockingly, Devlin appears alive, revealing he is a Serpent who befriended her to get close to Landon, feeding information about her to Killian. He beats her to provoke conflict between the Heathens and the Elites.
Killian finds Glyndon injured and vows revenge. He teams up with Landon and other allies to attack the Serpents’ headquarters, confronting Devlin but ultimately sparing him for future torture.
When Killian returns, he admits his violent love for Glyndon, and she finally tells him she belongs to him.
Weeks later, Killian meets Glyndon’s family. While her father and grandfather threaten him, Brandon supports her right to choose. Killian explains the truth behind the Devlin video, which was cut to hide context that cleared him of causing Devlin’s death. Glyndon shares a deeply personal painting with her mother, rekindling a small piece of their bond.
Months pass, and Glyndon and Killian remain together, navigating the chaos Devlin left behind in the warring societies.
Glyndon expresses that, in her mind, Killian’s first assault snapped her out of a dangerous spiral during her grief, though the memory remains complicated.
Two years later, Killian takes Glyndon back to the cliffs where they met and proposes. She says yes, and they talk about starting a family, sealing their future in the same place where their dark, obsessive relationship began.
Characters
Glyndon King
Glyndon King, the protagonist of God of Malice, is a young woman caught between her deep-seated insecurities, artistic aspirations, and the traumatic events that reshape her life. Coming from the highly accomplished King family, known for their artistic brilliance, she constantly feels like the least talented, burdened by an inferiority complex and self-doubt.
Glyndon is emotionally complex—her grief over Devlin’s supposed suicide merges with her own brushes with suicidal ideation, leaving her vulnerable to manipulation. At the same time, she is capable of remarkable resilience, confronting danger, piecing together truths, and holding her ground even against powerful, intimidating men. Her relationship with Killian Carson is central to her transformation, though it is deeply toxic and abusive, defined by control, power plays, and a disturbing mix of fear and attraction.
Over time, Glyndon grows more self-aware, confronting both her unhealthy desires and the manipulations of those around her. By the end, she accepts the dark realities of Killian’s nature while asserting her choice to remain with him, a decision that blends empowerment with compromise.
Killian Carson
Killian Carson is one of the most disturbing and magnetic figures in God of Malice, embodying a controlled sociopathy that manifests in calculated cruelty and a desire for dominance. From a young age, his fascination with death and violence alienated him from his parents, feeding his perception of himself as inherently different—and dangerous.
Outwardly, he maintains a charming and disciplined facade, especially in public or around those he wishes to manipulate, but beneath the surface lies a man driven by a hunger for control, destruction, and emotional conquest. His fixation on Glyndon begins almost as a game, an attempt to break her down, but over time it morphs into a possessive and unconventional love that he neither fully understands nor softens. Killian’s past, particularly his complicated family relationships and rivalry with his brother Gareth, reveals that his cruelty is partly fueled by deep-seated rejection and resentment.
While his capacity for violence never diminishes, his connection to Glyndon tempers some of his urges, creating a volatile but enduring bond that is as much about obsession as it is about affection.
Devlin
Devlin is a manipulative and deceptive figure whose initial image as a tragic friend masks his true role as a catalyst for much of the chaos in God of Malice. Presenting himself as a misunderstood soul sharing a bond with Glyndon over feelings of isolation, he exploits her vulnerabilities, encouraging self-destructive tendencies and planting emotional landmines.
His supposed suicide is later revealed to be a staged disappearance, part of his deeper allegiance to the Serpents, a rival faction to the Heathens. Devlin’s calculated friendship with Glyndon was driven not by genuine affection but by his intent to use her as a tool to provoke conflict between the elite factions.
His reunion with Glyndon strips away any illusion of kindness, as he physically assaults her to instigate chaos. Devlin’s arc ultimately exposes him as a figure of betrayal, serving as a mirror for Glyndon’s growth in recognizing manipulation and reclaiming her agency.
Gareth Carson
Gareth Carson, Killian’s brother, serves as both a familial rival and a reluctant ally in God of Malice. Favored by their parents and embodying the traits they value, Gareth’s existence heightens Killian’s resentment and sense of rejection.
Despite sharing some of Killian’s darker tendencies, Gareth is more politically minded and pragmatic, preferring calculated manipulation over Killian’s raw brutality. His interactions with Glyndon are layered with ulterior motives—at times using her as leverage against his brother, at other times warning her about Killian’s true nature.
While Gareth is fully embedded in the ruthless world of the Heathens and their power struggles, his occasional protective gestures toward Glyndon suggest a complex moral compass that does not entirely align with Killian’s violent extremes.
Landon King
Landon King, Glyndon’s older brother, is portrayed as arrogant, controlling, and deeply protective, traits that often clash with Glyndon’s desire for independence. His position as the president of REU’s Elites society places him in direct rivalry with King’s U’s factions, making him suspicious of Killian from the outset.
Landon’s protectiveness manifests as aggression, including violent threats and even physical coercion toward Killian, reflecting his belief that his sister must be shielded from any perceived threat—whether she agrees or not.
While his hostility toward Killian is partly justified by Killian’s nature, it also exposes Landon’s own authoritarian streak and capacity for cruelty, traits that mirror some of the darker tendencies in the Carson family.
Brandon King
Brandon King, Glyndon’s twin brother, is one of the few consistently supportive presences in her life in God of Malice.
More empathetic and understanding than Landon, Brandon acts as a bridge between Glyndon and the rest of their protective family, often diffusing tensions. His loyalty to Glyndon sometimes leads him to cautiously tolerate Killian for her sake, even as he remains wary of him.
Brandon’s quiet strength lies in his willingness to respect Glyndon’s choices, even when he disagrees with them, marking him as a rare figure in her life who prioritizes her autonomy over control.
Cherry
Cherry is a beautiful but dangerous presence connected to both Killian and Devlin, serving as a subtle antagonist in God of Malice. Initially appearing as a past romantic interest of Killian, she harbors her own motivations tied to loyalty toward her brother, Devlin, and their family’s mafia affiliations.
Cherry’s interactions with Glyndon are laced with condescension and veiled threats, warning her that Killian will ultimately destroy her. Her actions, including sending Glyndon the initiation invitation and the incriminating video, directly contribute to escalating tensions between the Heathens, the Serpents, and Glyndon herself.
While Cherry’s choices are often manipulative, they are rooted in a familial allegiance that rivals Killian’s own obsessive loyalty to Glyndon.
Reina Carson
Reina Carson, Killian and Gareth’s mother, offers a rare note of warmth in the Carson family dynamic. Though aware of her son’s darker impulses, she distinguishes between fearing what Killian is capable of and fearing him personally.
Her compassion for Glyndon and willingness to engage in difficult conversations reflect her belief in the possibility of understanding and connection, even with someone as volatile as Killian.
Reina’s role is largely that of a quiet mediator, encouraging reconciliation and emotional honesty where possible, and serving as a counterbalance to the harshness of her husband and the hostility between her sons.
Asher Carson
Asher Carson, the patriarch of the Carson family, embodies a rigid and judgmental force in God of Malice. His strained relationship with Killian stems from early perceptions of his son as “defective” and dangerous, a belief that fostered resentment and distance between them.
While he shows favoritism toward Gareth, Asher later admits that his harshness toward Killian is not rooted in preference but in fear of what Killian might become.
His eventual willingness to have a more candid conversation with his son marks a tentative step toward reconciliation, though his worldview remains grounded in the belief that Killian’s darker nature cannot be erased.
Themes
Power and Control
The narrative of God of Malice consistently frames relationships through the lens of dominance, coercion, and submission, with Killian’s interactions with Glyndon shaped by his need to assert absolute authority.
From their first meeting on the cliffs, his actions are a performance of control—dangling her life in front of her, demanding compliance in exchange for safety, and turning moments of vulnerability into opportunities to claim ownership over her body and choices.
This dynamic extends beyond physical dominance; Killian manipulates emotional and psychological spaces, controlling what Glyndon sees, hears, and feels about herself. His obsessive tendencies mean he dictates the pace, nature, and boundaries of their connection, often blurring the line between protection and possession. Glyndon’s reactions to this power structure are complex; she resists, bargains, and even negotiates with herself about her own willingness to submit.
Her attraction to Killian complicates any straightforward rejection of his control, creating an internal conflict between fear and desire. This theme is not confined to their relationship—power struggles extend to the rival factions, the Heathens, Serpents, and Elites, where dominance is a measure of survival.
Familial relationships also mirror this, as seen in the King family’s strict hierarchies and the Carson brothers’ competitive hostility. Control is currency in this world, and those who possess it—physically, socially, or emotionally—set the terms for everyone else. In Killian’s case, the need for power is inseparable from his identity, making the question of whether he can ever be in an equal relationship with Glyndon central to the novel’s tension.
Violence and Desire
The connection between violence and sexual desire in God of Malice is persistent, controversial, and purposefully unsettling. Killian’s sexual advances are consistently bound up with acts of aggression, from his initial assault to the repeated situations where physical threat coexists with eroticism.
Glyndon’s responses are marked by contradictory emotions—disgust, fear, shame, and a reluctant arousal that she sometimes explains through psychological phenomena like the suspension bridge effect. The text refuses to neatly separate violence from intimacy, instead showing how in Killian’s world they often feed into each other.
For Killian, dominance and cruelty are not just habits but fundamental expressions of attraction; for Glyndon, the mix of danger and desire becomes a lens through which she re-examines her own sexuality, trauma, and agency. The narrative forces the reader to confront how consent becomes blurred in situations where power is uneven, yet mutual fixation persists. Outside of their relationship, violence as an undercurrent to desire is mirrored in the secret societies’ initiation rites and the brutal competitions that are both dangerous and exhilarating.
Characters often experience adrenaline, fear, and attraction in overlapping moments, suggesting that in this universe, high-stakes danger intensifies emotional and sexual experiences. While the story allows Glyndon to claim a degree of agency by acknowledging her attraction, it also frames this acknowledgment within a morally and emotionally murky territory where harm and intimacy cannot be fully separated.
Identity and Self-Perception
Much of Glyndon’s personal arc in God of Malice revolves around how she sees herself in comparison to her family and within the violent, manipulative environments she navigates. As a member of the artistic King family, she is burdened by feelings of inadequacy, measuring herself against the talents of her parents and siblings. Her struggle to define her artistic style mirrors her uncertainty about her own worth, both as an artist and as a person.
Encounters with Killian challenge and distort this self-perception. He sees her in ways she has not been seen before—sometimes as prey, sometimes as a possession, and occasionally as an equal—and these shifting roles complicate how she understands herself. The psychological warfare between them forces Glyndon to question the boundaries of her agency: is she a victim, a willing participant, or both?
This internal conflict deepens when she learns about Devlin’s manipulations and realizes how easily her desire for connection can be exploited. Killian, for his part, also performs an identity—appearing as a charming, capable student to the outside world while concealing violent tendencies and deep-seated resentments. The tension between public image and private reality is a shared struggle, binding them in a way neither fully admits.
By the end, Glyndon begins to reclaim her sense of self, not by rejecting the darker parts of her desires or history, but by integrating them into an identity that can coexist with danger without being wholly defined by it.
Death, Suicide, and Survival
The shadow of death is constant in God of Malice, beginning with Devlin’s supposed suicide and Glyndon’s own suicidal ideation. The cliffs where Devlin drove off become a symbolic threshold between life and death, one that Glyndon almost crosses herself. Survival is not portrayed as an uncomplicated victory but as a choice fraught with guilt, shame, and an ongoing sense of fragility.
Killian’s presence in her life emerges at this point of vulnerability, positioning him as both a threat to her survival and, paradoxically, a reason she continues living. His fixation on her often hovers between wanting to preserve her and wanting to destroy her, reflecting his own unstable relationship with mortality. Death is also embedded in the culture of the rival societies—initiation challenges flirt with lethal outcomes, and the violence between factions continually threatens lives.
The theme takes on a more manipulative dimension when it is revealed that Devlin’s death was staged and used as part of a larger power play, reducing what Glyndon initially saw as a deeply personal tragedy into a move in someone else’s game. By the conclusion, Glyndon’s survival is not just physical but emotional; she resists the pull toward self-destruction that marked the beginning of her journey, even as she remains bound to someone who embodies danger. The novel suggests that survival in this environment is less about escaping threats entirely and more about learning to exist within them without surrendering one’s core will to live.