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Review
WHAT AN AWESOME READ! 5 huge stars
Badass hero, sensational heroine, sexy romance, all kinds of paranormal awesomeness and an absolutely fantastic story that was unexpected and SO freaking funny. I admit that going into this book I was a bit wary of how I was this one was going to work out but I should have had faith. It was a fantastically entertaining read that I could not put down, and I absolutely loved the way it all played out.
Lothaire is known as the Enemy of Old. A ruthless, murderous vampire who is seeking vengeance for the wrongs committed against him in his past – and wow, what a past ! I loved the glimpse we got of him as a child, seeing how he became the way he is, and what he has been through over the years absolutely broke my heart! He has plotted and planned for thousands of years, and now he is not only determined to seize the crown of the vampire Horde, but also to claim the birthright owed to him. And he’s doing it on a deadline. Years of drinking other’s blood has left him near madness as he is inundated with the memories of all those that he has drunk from. The only thing that can save him is his bride.
A vampire’s bride is his fated mate. Once they are united they both strengthen and balance each other, and Lothaire has found his. She is Saroya, the Goddess of Death and Blood, and she is currently a spirit possessing the body of a young country girl, Elizabeth. Though Ellie, Saroya commits horrifying violence, leaving the young girl to deal with the consequences when she is once again able to take control of her body. Growing up in a dirt-poor family in the Appalachian mountains, Ellie has nowhere to hide and soon finds herself on death row for ‘her’ crimes – until she is rescued by a terrifying (yet gorgeous) creature who abducts her with the intention of destroying her soul to allow Saroya to take a living form. But both of them get WAY more than they ever could have anticipated.
Throughout the series, Lothaire has been the bad guy, and I love that Cole didn’t change that. He maintains that ruthlessness and blasé demeanour that he has always had. But despite his violent ways and his habit of killing those who get in his way, his dry, sarcastic sense of humour shines through.
“First of all, I’m not narcissistic.” When she opened her lips to argue, he said, “I know Narkissos of Thespiae — while we might share traits, I came first, so he’s Lothairistic, not the other way around.”
“You are so naive, it physically aggrieves me.”
And I have to say, bravo Ms Cole for taking one of the baddest, most evil character of the series and pairing him up with a feisty hillbilly! What a stroke of genius! Such a strong character needs a woman worthy of him, and Elizabeth was exactly that! Smart, sassy, funny and brimming with confidence despite her terrifying circumstances, she was not afraid to go toe-to-toe with Lothaire, and their constant banter was a real highlight of the book.
“Fate would not slight me so unspeakably. I’d seek a noon-day sun if I were paired with one such as you.”
“Such as me,” she repeated blandly. She’d been mocked too often over her lifetime to take offense. Her skin was as thick as armor.
“Yes, you. An ignorant, mortal Kmart checkout girl.” ….
“Kmart? I should have been so lucky. Those jobs were hard to come by. I worked at my uncle’s outfitter shop.”
“Then you’re even worse. You’re an outfitter checkout girl with aspirations for Kmart.”
“Still better than a demon.”
Lothaire is still determined to see his plans though, but as he searches for the pieces he needs to make it happen, he finds himself amused by Elizabeth, calmed by her, and drawn to her in a way that he has never felt before. He assumes it is his bride inside of her, but while Saroya is dismissive of him, Ellie is not. Ellie may be desperate to save her life, but at the same time she wants to live out her last weeks with no regrets, and she wants Lothaire. The fact that she responds to him in such a way that surprises and excites him, and as they start to explore that connection, everything begins to change.
HOT. DAMN! Kresley Cole ups the sexy factor in this book, and Lothaire and Elizabeth are absolutely sensational together! Lothaire has been without a woman for thousands of years and it seems he’s saved up all of his dirty talk and hot moves for Elizabeth because… wow. The sexy is intensified by their slow developing feelings for each other, and their emotional connection is beautifully explored. Lothaire may maintain his ruthlessness, but finding his mate does affect a certain amount of change, and I adore the journey he went through in the story. There’s so much more to him than we ever knew, and I loved the slow reveals, the heartbreaking torment, and the moments of vulnerability and gentleness that we get to see as the big badass falls and falls hard.
But when he faced with the ultimate decision, what will Lothaire be willing to sacrifice? Can he realise his revenge and finally achieve the prize he has been working towards for thousands of years? Or will be capable of claiming something that never expected?
It’s a bit of a twisted dynamic, but it totally works for the story and I was absolutely captivated from start to finish. There are lots of shocks and surprises along the way, lots of action, excitement and vampires behaving badly and I was constantly guessing how it was all going to work out. But it was just perfect! Well paced, with enough time for things to develop realistically (well, as realistically as they can in this world), and I loved the way it all unfolded.
And God, this book is SO funny! Despite the heaviness of the story, Lothaire’s dry wit is fantastic, and I can’t even count the number of times I laughed out loud while reading.
He jerked back. “What is this? Be like you were with me the other times! When you melted for me.”
“That was before I fully understood what a nasty piece of work you are.”
“Because of a few shifter beheadings? Come on, Lizvetta, it’s not as if I went around cock-slapping gnomes.”
Her jaw dropped.
Of course previous characters play a part in the story, and I I particularly loved Nix in this one. She’s always a favourite, but she and Lothaire have a surprising and special dynamic, and I really enjoyed seeing their friendship.
“Lothaire, I’ve met dirt younger than we are.”
Once again, another fantastic instalment in the Immortals After Dark. This book is everything that I love about this series, I can’t wait for what’s up next.
5 stars.
Oh, and another bravo to Robert Petkoff – genius narrator, these books wouldn’t be the same without him!
For full series info, see our Immortals After Dark series page.