Reread Completed for Immortals After Dark 2013 Group Reread (July 5-7, 2013)
This is the one that started it all. It's been great to go and revisit th Reread Completed for Immortals After Dark 2013 Group Reread (July 5-7, 2013)
This is the one that started it all. It's been great to go and revisit the first book of one of my favorite paranormal romance series (and book series) of all time. Even after rereading again it so many years later, it still holds an enormous appeal. I just fell into this story head-first. I have to say that the world that Kresley Cole has built stands distinctive and very strongly in the genre. This book reads more like fantasy with sex/romance than just paranormal romance (while there is nothing wrong with the later, a book that can carry itself in the fantasy world-building as strongly as the romance is even better).
I didn't forget how hot Cole writes love scenes. It's funny that although I don't consider myself a fan of erotica, I connect so strongly with her story in which the sex is frequent and blistering hot. Maybe it's because she writes it so well and there is so much else going on along with it. At any rate, this woman has you reaching for a cold drink indeed!
Nikolai Wroth:
Still fantastic. Still delicious. While I refuse to choose a favorite IAD hero, Nikolai does retain a soft spot in my heart. He makes a non-vampire lover into a sign me up first convert. He's rough and unpolished, vengeful towards Myst. But his heart is so vulnerable, and he gives it on the platter very early on. I can't resist a hard, tough hero with a soft heart. A girl could not do much better to have Wroth as her devoted husband. Even though he screws up very badly, oh boy does he make up for it! Major sighworthy points! Definitely on my hero to die for shelf for all times.
Myst:
Myst is a woman of delightful layers. She seems callous and cruel at first, but it doesn't take long to see what a big heart she has, her depths of devotion and caring. Myst's love of Nikolai's warrior-status and hard-earned battle scars was a distinctive part of her personality. At first, I had a problem with how she used her sexuality against her enemies, because I am not big on that, but I can understand the psychology behind it. What was used against her, she took for her own strength, and it was just one tool in her armament. I sympathized with her over her broken heart when she finds out what Nikolai was hiding from her. I didn't like what she did to him initially and so I didn't think his reaction was that bad. I think she met him tit for tat and respected his manner of dealing with her, knowing that he was the man for her because of his strengths and how it felt to be in his embrace.
As a couple, I loved their courtship, warts and all. When they weren't fighting, there was a lot of tenderness between. It wasn't just about sexual attraction. Even before sex was possible, I could see that bond forming between them. For a short read, Kresley Cole beautifully builds a powerful love story that is missing in nothing, although I'd be lying if I didn't admit I would have loved a full-length novel.
I can't say too many good things about this novella. This is stellar reading for this reviewer. The mix of hot romance, oh-so tender love, laugh out loud humor, and familial and friendship bonds really works for me. I can see how Cole got a series deal out of this story. This is one of those novels that has you coming back for more.
*Pauses to think about the hotness of Nikolai Wroth and fans herself* Where was I?
***Original Review Below*** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I read The Warlord Wants Forever out of the Playing Easy to Get anthology. I actually read this one second in the Immortals After Dark series because I read A Hunger Like No Other first. I remember reading A Hunger and being like, "Who are Myst and Nikolai?" When I realized that there was a prequel short story, I was on the hunt to get it. Finally I found it at a Half Price Books in San Antonio. I bought it and read it when I was in Denver for training. I actually read it about 2 and 1/2 times. I love this story so much. It's short but it's very hot and sweet. So well written, with characters that jump off the page at you. I thought I loved Lochlain, until I met Nikolai. The man is so delicious to me, and like Myst, I can't resist his scars and his warrior essence. It has a captive theme, so that might not work for some. As the saying goes, I would not kick Nikolai out of bed for eating crackers. Yet honestly, Nikolai is not a gentle lover, but Myst doesn't exactly play fair either. In the IAD universe vampires are unable to have sex until they meet their Bride who 'bloods' them. And then, watch out. Well, Myst is Nikolai's bride, despite the fact that as a valkyrie she hates vampires and kills their kind. She actually exploits the fact that she can 'blood' vampires and has killed them by almost seducing them. Well she feels an attraction to Nikolai despite her hatred of vamps. When she 'bloods' him, she leaves him hanging, in desperate need that only she can assuage for five years. Talk about frustration. This story has excellent chemistry, and the skill of Cole's writing shines in this short story. She is so good at combining humor, action, and writing characters that burn for each other.
Apparently this story does not have universal appeal, but I loved it. I really want to thank Kresley Cole for writing these fantastic stories that combine a unique look at Norse mythology, sexy alpha heroes who fall hard in love; stubborn, intelligent heroines who can take care of themselves, blisteringly hot love scenes, and laugh out loud moments, to make for an all-around enjoyable reading experience. ...more
I strongly recommend rereading books after a few years, especially if your memory is not the best. For me, it'3rd Reread Completed on March 27th, 2024
I strongly recommend rereading books after a few years, especially if your memory is not the best. For me, it's the thrill of rediscovering a book again. There were parts that I forgot and wow, I appreciate it so much. Also being years older, and seeing how my perspective has changed on things.
Kresley Cole's characters are so real. They have real flaws and real strengths. I loved Mariketa and I love her even more. I love how she is so determined to define and live her life her way. She feels very contemporary, and I think in the 2020s younger readers will connect with her. Bowen is great, but he also rubs me the wrong way in how he treats Mariketa initially. However, I love how he grows and evolves so much. Seeing his trauma that he's carried for 180yrs through the lens of my own grief also helped me to sympathize with him. The helplessness he feels and his feelings of guilt for what he believe he caused or the ways he failed. Yes, a curse is involved, but it's also a metaphor for the burden that grief puts on the survivor.
I strongly recommend the audiobooks narrated by Robert Petkoff. He's so great at voices and accents!
The adventure is so great in this book. I adore books set in the jungle, even though I hate being hot and I am scared of a lot of bugs (especially big bugs). Kresley Cole does such a great job of writing this expansive romance stories that so rich in other ways. The magic, the world-building, the action, she describes these aspects as well as the romance. Of course, the steam is so great, and at the heart, the love story. This is still my all time favorite paranormal series, even after all this time for that reason. I fall in love with the characters and their love stories and I root so hard for them. Still five well deserved stars! **************************************************************** This is my second read of this book, and my first attempt to review it. I couldn’t write a review before, because it had been years since I read it, and my feelings were so all over the place. I didn’t think I could write an honest review at the time unless I did reread it. Don’t get me wrong. I love this book, and it’s definitely a five star read, but it challenged me in ways the first three books didn’t.
Bowen is a character we got to know in A Hunger Like No Other, and we followed up on him in No Rest for the Wicked. I was already emotionally involved with him, so it was exciting for him to get his own story. Despite that fact, Bowen could be a major jerk at times. I mean a serious clod. Some of the thoughtless things he says and does towards Mariketa are just loutish. I really winced at one particular misstep. An epic fail. I was just thinking: Wow, Bowen. You’re like the guy who caught the ball that cost the Cubs their first chance at the World Series in a long time! Yeah, that bad!
Despite the fact that Bowen commits some serious relationship nonos with Mariketa, he also has some heart-meltingly sweet moments where you can’t imagine not being bowled over by a guy like him wooing you. I think that combination of ineptness and fan yourself appealing hotness makes him an unforgettable hero. It means so much that despite the numerous obstacles he faces in his relationship with Mariketa, that he is able to win her heart and keep it, and leave behind all his preconceived notions and reservations about being involved with her. And I can’t blame him for some of those, just about how insensitive he was in addressing or dealing with them.
Mariketa is quite interesting as a heroine. Although she’s younger than Emmaline, she’s a lot more modern-thinking and less sheltered. She embodies the modern twenties-something girl in a more recognizable way than Emmaline, although they both have that dynamic. I liked that she was more street-smart than Emmaline because Bowen really needed someone who could handle him. Now, that’s not to say that he doesn’t wound Mariketa, or sorely challenge her. At times, I could see why Mariketa definitely was not feeling the idea of a relationship with him. She had very good reasons, especially with her abandonment/not measuring up issues and his disdain for witches. On the second read, I was cheering her on a lot more. When she called him on his selfishness, she hit the nail right on the head. I could see why she wasn’t about to let her sexual attraction and maybe a little more feelings for Bowen deter her from the path she’d chosen, especially when Bowen felt like she had to give up something that was so vital to her identity.
It struck me that this book has a lot more relationship drama than the previous books. I think that although this is paranormal, some of the relationship dynamics would feel very familiar to a modern person with an active dating life; and they are trying to decide if someone is the ‘one’ they want to spend their life with. Many readers seem to dislike the ‘love at first/fated to be mated’ concept, but Cole doesn’t use it as a crutch to get out of building a genuine bond between her characters, or as a foregone conclusion. They still have to work out and through the particulars of cementing and committing to that relationship despite their instincts that they belong together. Particularly in this book, I seriously wondered how Mariketa and Bowen would work things out. Their problems are pretty enormous despite their volcanic sexual chemistry and growing love for each other. Since this is a romance, logically I know we’ll get a happy ending, but there is a good haul to get to that destination.
As always, Cole blisters the pages with the powerful sexual chemistry between her characters. She tantalizes and teases the reader so that they are just as highly expectant for the promised consummation as her main characters. And she doesn’t disappoint when it happens. I love the fact that Mariketa doesn’t make it easy for Bowen sexually. She needs his respect as much as the sexual release he clearly can give her. She also needs trust, and that is something a reader can definitely identify with. It just feels right. Even though the reader can love all the hot stuff, you can also get a connection between the main characters that makes sense intellectually and ethically (if that makes sense). You don’t want a character who doesn’t respect herself enough to expect respect from a hero.
Wow, this review turned out pretty long. I guess I did have a lot to say. Everything I love about Cole’s writing is here. She challenges me in ways, but that’s good. While this book has a bit more angst than the first three books, it also has some good humorous bits. The suspense storyline is intense, and it ties together very well. I liked that I didn’t remember exactly how everything goes together, which is a mark of a good book, that you can see more in the story with each read. Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night is a worthwhile read for fans of well-written, sexy paranormal romance.
Final Shoutout: Bowen, I’m glad you finally got your act together. High five! Mariketa, you go girl!
3rd Read Completed 2/22/2024 On Audio My quick thoughts: I love the audio narrator for these books, Robert Petkoff. I get the impression he has a lot o3rd Read Completed 2/22/2024 On Audio My quick thoughts: I love the audio narrator for these books, Robert Petkoff. I get the impression he has a lot of fun with the books, but not in a making fun of them way. I love his accents. Wow, Sebastian's Estonian accent was sexay! Something about Sebastian that just does it for me. Kaderin didn't annoy me as much as she did the first time I read it. I'm older and I understand how life does harden a person. I really appreciate how much she came to adore Sebastian, and who could blame her. This is still one of my all time favorite paranormal romance series and they are helping me with my romance novel book burnout. It's still a five star read. I really want to make time to continue rereading this series.
2nd Read Completed Between 8/11-8/12/13
There is something about this series that feels like sinking into a comfortable, well-loved pair of shoes, or diving into your favorite comfort dish (think Mac N' Cheese). These books absorb me like few others. I was excited to reread it, and hopeful I would feel more connected and like Kaderin more this time around. It actually happened, so yay!
Before, I felt like she was just so mean to Sebastian and it bothered me. This time, I could put her into context of her life, and what she'd suffered. Her sorrow and her guilt at losing her sisters. How she couldn't bring them back, and had to live so many years without them. So she dedicated herself to wiping out those who had taken them from her. I could see why she was so armored against Sebastian. And yet, he found his way into her heart. That was a beautiful thing to experience, and it made me love Sebastian even more. I also realized that I did respect Kaderin. I think it's really easy to judge people for their mistakes and shortcomings (especially when we really don't know them). At church this Sunday, the pastor talked about the fact that people are 'holey' and we see all their holes and not the beauty of them as people. It was such a good message to remember. Sometimes, we are so 'holey' and those holes our own hurts cause us to become emotionally callous. As a result, we see others through jaundiced lens and just see what they do wrong, instead of how they are hurting as we hurt. This time around, I saw Kaderin for her pain, and what that pain made her do and act. The great thing about this story was that Sebastian loved her for who she was, and even when she pushed him away and hurt him, he didn't give up. That made me love him even more.
I also saw Sebastian in a deeper and even more beloved way. I have much love for Sebastian. He's everything I would love in a man: a powerful warrior, equally powerful intellectual, thoughtful, caring, and loving! He's as deep as an ocean, and I find that so sexy. Absolutely sigh-worthy. I loved the scene when Sebastian was turned on by the highly intellectual discussion of time paradox with Kaderin, that she could hold her own. My kind of man. Nerdtastic--my Kryptonite! Like I said, Lachlain has some stiff competition!
The concept of the Talisman's Hie was fun and exciting. I loved the globe-trotting adventure with a supernatural/fantastic twist. I liked the intense competition between Kaderin, Bowen, and Lucindeya. They all did some dirty tricks that made me wince. The Lore is so fantastically interesting, so learning more about it was fun. I felt bad for Bowen, even though I wanted Kaderin to win. I'm excited to see the sparks fly between Bowen and Mariketa. Of course, I love the interactions between Kaderin and her Valkyrie sisters, and Sebastian and his brother. It was great to see Nikolai and Myst (happy and together) so much in this book and to hear from Emma (and more obliquely Lachlain). As always, Cole has me laughing at the Valkyries' antics.
Man, I love those Wroth brothers! *Thud* Times Four!
It's exciting and lovely to see that I love these books just as much (if not more) the second time around.
Another great book in the Immortals After Dark series. Can I be honest and say that I really disliked Kaderin at first? She is one valkryie with a Valhalla-sized chip on her shoulder (Bad pun, I know). I felt bad for how she had suffered, and normally I love a strong, kickbutt heroine. But she came off massively unsympathetic and heartless initially. I didn't like the way she treated Sebastian, who was the sweetest guy. I'd love a guy like him. But over time, I grew to like Kaderin as I came to understand why her heart was so cold. She had watched her three sisters get slaughtered by vampires, unable to do anything to save them. All she had left for over a millenia was a sworn oath to destroy all vampires. In her mind, they were all of the Horde, which are the vampires who have given over to Bloodlust. She didn't realize that there were good vampires who fought the Horde.
Sebastian is a very loving character, but also a formidable warrior. He is one of the Wroth brothers, and was turned into a vampire by his oldest brothers Nikolai and Murdoch to fight in deposed Vampire King Kristoff's army to regain his kingdom. He was never good with women, being freakishly tall and lanky growing up. He had only been with two or three women in his life (compared to his playboy brother's Nikolai and Murdoch). He hated being a vampire, and was considering ending his miserable afterlife. But first he was going to try to win the Talisman Hie and get the Key, which would allow him to go back into the past and save his sisters who had died of plague back during the wars in their homeland Estonia. And then he sets his eyes on his Bride. Vampires are dead from the neck down, essentially. They cannot lust or feel desire for women until they meet their true Bride and become Blooded. It turns out that Kaderin the Coldhearted is Sebastian's Bride.
He is in love and lust. He cannot think of anything other than wooing and having his bride. He follows her around like a lost puppy. For those readers who like the alpha male bad boys, that may not sound very appealing, but it really is. Sebastian is a delicious hero. His determination to win Kaderin was very appealing to me. Kaderin is pretty annoyed and vows to kill this annoying vampire, who keeps trying to protect her, and is helping her to win the Talisman's Hie. But soon, his attractive intensity, his warrior prowess, and his masculine appeal starts to melt the ice around her heart.
So I started out this book holding Kaderin in dislike. However, seeing the way that Sebastian wins her over, and also how she is so tortured about the loss of her sisters, helped me to open my heart to Kaderin. She's not my favorite IAD heroine, but I do like her now.
No Rest for the Wicked is a great follow up to A Hunger Like No Other. Although Kaderin's cold-hearted demeanor may not be to every reader's tastes, this book is a must read for fans of paranormal, especially vampire romances. It certainly opened my eyes to the appeal of a vampire lover....more
I listened to this on Audio, and I think I finished in a few days. That's just how fantastic this book is. ThThird Reread Completed in September 2020.
I listened to this on Audio, and I think I finished in a few days. That's just how fantastic this book is. This book helped get me into paranormal romance, and I haven't looked back since. The narrator, Robert Petkoff's work is a thing of beauty. His Scottish accent is flawless. His Eastern European accents are excellent. I found his accent for Emmaline interesting, almost like an 19th Century, highly educated Southern accent. That makes sense, she is chronologically 70 (although appears to be in her early twenties).
Although books are a lot edgier now than they used to be, this still feels edgy and new/exciting/distinctive to me, and this book is 14 years old. Super hot and steamy and wow. Obsessive hero, check. I had forgotten how borderline mean Lachlan was to Emmaline at first. I'm so glad Emmaline came into herself and learned to stand up for herself against an aggressive mate and overbearing and aggressive family members. I could definitely see myself in her (minus the aggressive mate). Kresley Cole really hit it out of the park with this series and this first full book in the series. It stands up just as well almost 20 years later. I will definitely be rereading the other books. I'm glad that I have fallen back into the Paranormal Romance Zone. It's helping me right now with escapism and helping to rekindle my book reading love. If you haven't read the Immortals After Dark series, what are you waiting for??? *********
2nd Reread Completed 8/1-8/9/13
Looking back at how much I loved this book when I first read it, and how much I loved it on reread, I can say most definitely that this book is an all-time keeper. For me, this story is magic. I didn't have a lot of time to read it, but I actually didn't want to put it down when I couldn't read it. Finally, when I was able to dedicate some time to reading, I more or less read it straight through, except for when I was busy with my review books and Vacation Bible School. At the end of the night, I was excited to get into bed and curl up and revisit Lachlain and Emma's love story, reading late into the night.
Lachlain
Lachlain remains one of my fall time favorite paranormal heroes (and probably of all time). Although I refuse to pick a favorite Immortals After Dark hero, Lachlain makes some steep competition for the following heroes. He starts out a bully, but I can understand why. He literally was insane after being tortured for 150 years. However, it is a testament to his force of will that he didn't do worse to Emmaline, not to mention the power of their bond. Even though he wasn't super nice initially, his charisma was undeniable. As time passes and he realizes who Emma is and how she means to him, above and beyond being his fated mate, he shows just how adoring and capable of caring for his mate he can be. By the time Emma starts to love him, you can understand why. Cole makes you want a Lykae mate of your very own.
Emmaline
Sometimes the heroine doesn't click with me in a romance. But this is not one of those times. I loved Emma. I appreciated her journey of self-identity and coming into her own. She had that awkward feel of a woman on the cusp of maturity in her early twenties. Away from home for the first time, exploring who she is, and finding love. Considering the force of nature that Lachlain is, I think Emma held her own against him, and eventually, she had him eating out of her hand.
I think Kresley Cole writes the best steamy romance out there. Blazingly hot, but not crossing the line into raunchy and distasteful (overshare) language that turns 'sexy' into 'gross' for this reader. Even on the reread, I was excited to see what happened next, and fanning myself with the incredible tension and fire between Emma and Lachlain. I wasn't a huge fan of vampire romance prior to reading this (this being one of the first I read at the time), but the scenes in which Lachlain feeds Emma show how powerful that is between a mated pair, and it's sexy, and not gross like I always thought it would be. I'm not saying I want to take blood or give my blood like in the book, but it's written well and beliveable in the context of the story. It's a very intimate thing, and you could see how it furthers the connection between them.
On top of the fantastic romance, the world-building is complex and fascinating, and I love the camaraderie between the Valkyries and the other characters. You can see the Lore factions aligning before your eyes on the one way march to the Ascension. And though the developing romance is fascinating, it's also great to get glimpses into the past of the long-lived creatures of the Lore.
There's a reason why Kresley Cole is in my top five authors of all time. She knows how to bring it. In the paranormal and historical romance genres, she kicks butt and takes names. You want to keep coming back for more of this wonderful world she has created. I'm glad I was able to revisit this fantastic book and I am jazzed to continue my 2013 reread of the Immortals After Dark series.
****Original Review Below********* I bought this book because I had read "If You Dare," by this author and absolutely loved it. Well, lets just say, it made a steadfast fan of me. The Immortals After Dark is one of my all time favorite paranormal series, and part of the reason I'm so crazy about paranormals. Lachlain is kind of crazy, and who can blame him after being imprisioned horribly underground in a fiery pit, being drowned every day and consumed by fire for 150 years. One day he senses his mate, and he does something really painful and desperate to get free, to get to her. I was hooked.
Lachlain is what I call a Sexy, Scottish, Werewolf. What a great combination. His one shortcoming is that he is kind of snobby towards Emmaline at first. He's dismayed that this true mate (Lykae only get one) is a Vampire. Although she's really a halfling, half-vampire, half-valkyrie. Emmaline is as timid as you can get. She's been protected and coddled by her valkyrie aunts her whole young life. She's about 70 years old, which is very young for a vampire and a valkyrie. Despite her penchant for very sexy, expensive lingerie, she's an innocent virgin.
Imagine this crazed, beastly man tearing across a Paris courtyard, and dragging you off with him, and wanting to do things with you of a sexual nature? Very scary thought. This is how this book begins. Cole grabbed me as a reader and didn't let go. I wanted to find out how Lachlain would deal with the fact that his mate was not exactly what he wanted. Would he force her? Would she grow to love him and trust him? They go on a journey to get back to Lachlain's ancestral holdings in Scotland. He is the king of the Lycae and must go back to take his place as ruler of his people. Even though he isn't really happy with the mate that was chosen for him by fate, he's taking her with him. Lochlain has to get used to modern life. He finds he has expensive tastes, and charges up poor Emmaline's platinum card. He really makes the poor girl miserable. But she does manage to fall in love with him. She's not so sure about this Queen of the Lykae deal and having such a dominant mate, though. So it takes some serious wooing, Lykae-style, on Lachlain's part. And Lachlain discovers that having a vampire bride is a great thing, because being bitten by her is ecstasy. Plus, Emmaline is a sweet, loving woman who eases her way into his heart.
This was a fabulous book. I was already werewolf-inclined after reading the MaryJanice Davidson story "Love's Prisoner", Bitten by Kelley Armstrong, and Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon, so it really got my attention. This is a spicy read with very hot love scenes, that don't overshadow the growing love between Lachlain and Emmaline. I enjoyed the whole dynamic of reluctant mates, and the crazy, alpha werewolf hero really appealed to me. I loved how Lachlain's feelings towards his bride changed so that he came to adore her and appreciate her. She became his life. I also loved how timid Emmaline comes into her own. She was drifting because she knew neither of her parents. She was afraid and disliked her vampire nature, and had to come to terms with who she is. She becomes quite the warrior queen. Ah, this is a classic for me. It comes highly recommended.
Just a warning to readers. The first book in this series is the story in Playing Easy to Get, "The Warlord Wants Forever." I read this one first and I was scratching my head trying to figure out who Nikolai and Myst were. You can read this first, but you might be a little lost when they bring up Nikolai and Myst as a forgone conclusion....more
Danielle The Book Huntress
>
Books:
2013-iad-series-reread
(4)
Loading...
