*Authored by Kresley Cole of series Immortals After Dark fame

Into the blood-splattered snow, the lone warrior fell to one knee and shuddered with weakness. Still, an arm shot out to raise a sword against the oncoming legion. Her dented breastplate swallowed her small form. Though the winds howled, whipping her hair, she heard the twang of the bowstring unleashed. She screamed in fury when the arrow punctured the center of her armor, the blow sending her flying back.

The arrowhead had pierced through metal, then barely through her breastbone, just enough that her heart met the point with each beat. The beating of her own brave heart was killing her. But her scream had woken two nearby gods sleeping together through a brutal, wintry decade. 

They stirred and looked down upon the maiden, seeing in her eyes courage burning bright. Bravery and will had marked her entire life, but the light ebbed with death and they mourned it.

Freya, the female god, whispered that they should take her courage and preserve it for eternity because it was so precious.

The first in the Immortals After Dark series, we get the origins of the Valkyrie and an introduction to the lore. This was also a hot little number with Myst and Wroth rubbing all up on each other. 

It's an introduction novella, so the shorter word count leaves some to be desired with flushed out world but I loved our leads. Myst was kickass and Wroth, for all his confusion, was commanding but tolerant beast. 

The conflict comes from Myst's trust issues with men and Wroth not knowing how to navigate it and some hints as to the series future enemies may be. 

I enjoyed the hotness and excitement of it all.

 
Immortals After Dark, Book 18

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continuation of the series

The Characters:

Calliope “Lila” Barbot:
Abyssian “Sian” Infernas:

The Story:

I don’t remember these characters in any of the previous books but perhaps that is because I’ve missed the last two or three, no idea how. Unfamiliar-ness aside I really enjoyed this story. I listed to the audiobook in my car and found myself often reaching my destination but sitting in my car for a few minutes listening to the story, fine when you’re at the grocery store not too great when you are late for work.

There was definitely a power struggle between these two which I really enjoyed. As formidable as there are against each other I much preferred it when they finally teamed up. This book was full of laughs, smoking hot sex and great relationships.

The trickster king and queen shall reign together for a long time.


The Random Thoughts:



The Score Card:



4.5 Stars

Oh my goodness, this one was so good. It was so hard to put it down. I loved the characters; Rune was such a strong male lead with such a dynamic personality and history, and Jo had so much spunk, attitude, and fire on the page. The plot was very strong and carried the reader through it all from beginning to end. The conflict wasn't some malevolent bad guy but rather how Rune's past colored his present and Jo's desire for companionship even in the face of a man who, on more than one occasion, told her he wouldn't be faithful. Her drive to protect her brother and then reunite with him also added a depth to her character that pulled the reader in. I loved how strong her personality was on the page and when the inevitable happened and she left Rune it was so heart wrenching. I really did worry that Rune wasn't going to see the error of his ways before it was way too late to salvage his relationship with his mate. There isn't anything I didn't like about this story. Loved it!

It has been awhile since I visited the world of IAD and so I worried I'd be lost but should have known better. Kresley Cole's characters are so strong and this one picked up right after the last one on the island that a lot of the characters were held imprisoned. Thronos and Lanthe have known each other for well over five hundred years and since a tragic night when Lanthe was a child she has run from him and he has spent the five hundred years hunting her down. He has finally caught up to her and has sworn to torture her as she has tortured him. She is his mate and though he hates her he needs her. Fortunately for them, they get thrust into an adventure through multiple dimensions when she tries to escape him. They learn to see each other as they truly are and work through five hundred years of war between the two. I loved the two characters and I loved their adventure. The most poignant moment happens near the end when Morgana, Queen of all Sorceri, tries to separate the two mates once they finally commit to each other. I won't say what the event was but it was definitely an emotionally tense moment. Great characters, great plot, great conflict, loved every second of the book.

A vampire soldier weary of life...

Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire—a nightmare in his mind—against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.

A valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him...

When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow—accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings—particularly lust—emerge multiplied. For the first time, she's unable to complete a kill.

Competitors in a legendary hunt...

The prize of the month-long contest is powerful enough to change history, and Kaderin will do anything to win it for her sisters. Wanting only to win her, forever, Sebastian competes as well, taking every opportunity—as they travel to ancient tombs and through catacombs, seeking relics around the world—to use her new feelings to seduce her. But when forced to choose between the vampire she's falling for and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?

***2017 Summer Lovin’ Reading List***

I’m not sure why I did this to myself? I gave Kresley Cole a second chance, after the less-than-stellar A Hunger Like No Other. I did like this one infinitesimally better than that one, but I don’t think she will get a third chance.

I like the idea of Valkyries as characters—warrior women who kick ass and take names. The whole world of the Lore has potential. There’s some humour in these novels too, that I can appreciate. It’s just that the plots are soooo thin, like tissue paper, just the basics to string together the sex scenes. And those are hot, but there are so many of them.

Now if that’s what you are reading the book for, your star rating will be higher than mine. However, I like a little plot to go along with my romance.