Purchase at Kindle/Amazon

#11 in Immortals After Dark

Genre: Paranormal Romance

515 Pages

To say SHB was excited to read Dreams of Dark Warrior is a vast understatement (think rabid Justin Bieber fangirl). Regin the Radiant was one of the first IAD characters most of us fell in love when we read A Hunger Like No Other.  The last of her kind, Regin the sassy Valkyerie that glows like gold has been avoiding her berserker reincarnation lover for centuries. Cursed some say because of her kiss, Aidan the Fierce always manages to find his ‘Brightling’ but can never manage to stay alive. In Dreams of Dark Warrior we start off with the Order kidnapping beings of the Lore to ride humanity of the evil unnaturals.  Only Aidan the Fierce doesn’t come back quite right. Housed in Declan Chase, second in command of the Order and known for torturing Lore captives; Regin has to find a way for Declan to remember his past memories otherwise serious apocalyptic sh*t will go down.

Dreams of Dark Warrior has probably one of the best prologues I’ve read in a long time. Usually Cole’s IAD characters meet when they are older – Regin meets Aidan when she is 12 where their budding romance spans 9 years until his death.  Ok, that sounds bad; he doesn’t touch her until she is ‘of age’ think Jacob from Twilight peoples.

The bulk of the story takes place on the Island where the Order captures and tortures the Lore. I like how gritty, K. Cole got for this book. This is no light read with hugs and kisses and magic fairy dust; there is torture, vivsection (cut open Lore beings without Anastasia) and betrayal. This could have read really depressing, but this is Kresley  mother effin’ Cole and she knows how to write paranormal romance. If you’ve read the previous book, Demon from the Dark a lot of scenes overlap, but are retold in a keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of way. This is no Bad Moon Rising *coughs Ms. Kenyon*. Although this is 500 plus pages you’ll breeze right through it and ignore all your household chores, your family, and reality until you finish it.

Because SHB couldn’t even put our Kindles down to save quotes; check out some heart breaking quotes from Fiction Vixen’s Review (lump, in my throat!).

Dreams of Dark Warrior is by far one of my favorite IAD books – everything comes together really well and you can tell Kresely Cole loved writing this one.  This is one book that’ll have you staying up past your bed-i-bye time.

Other Reviews

Katiebabs A-

Smexybooks B+

IAD Chat

Who do we think Lotharie’s mate is going to be…..? (Cole confirmed Lotharie’s book is next).  à SBH thinks (her name rhymes with Blurrie)

If you could pick the next IAD book who would it be? à Lanthe and her winged demon torturer

If Cole is only contracted to write four more IAD books who do you think is going to be in the next 3…?

Ulleum and(someone we haven’t met yet)

Lanthie and Thornos

Annaka…? Wow, she like disappeared after book 3 O_o

Possibly Related Posts:

• Smokinhotbooks June Recommend Reads – Books Made of Awesome
• Smokinhotbooks Recommend May/June(ish) Reads
• What The Heck Has Smokinhotbooks Been Reading Lately
• Smokinhotbooks Fav March/April-ish Reads
• Lover Unleashed by JR Ward aka V’s Story Part 2

Genre: Paranormal Romance (448 pages)

Series: Immortals After Dark #9

Amazon 

A DANGEROUS BEAUTY…

Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbors secrets that threaten to destroy her — and those she loves.

AN UNCONTROLLABLE NEED…

Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own.

THAT LEAD TO A PLEASURE SO WICKED….

From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia’s greatest weakness — her wanton desire for him.

It feels like we’ve all been waiting for Garreth and Lucia story’s since Hunger Like No Other (Lachlan & Emma). Well, at least I have. I was this close (pinches fingers) to becoming a stalker. I’m sure Kresely Cole is overjoyed with my exuberance, because let’s face it, isn’t stalking  the most complimentary form of flattery? Or is that copying? I’m sure it says something in my parole papers. Just kidding, or not… Muwhahahaha. Ok, now I’m scaring myself and my cat.    

Back to Garreth and Lucia. Folks, I’ve fallen hard for the brooding, delicious Scottish werewolves, or Scottie Wolves, as I fondly call them and Garreth is one more wolfy Scotsman I can add to my list. It’s not everyday that fictional characters with husky brogues beat out red wine and chocolate on my desert island survival list, but somehow they have. 

We begin Pleassure of A Dark Prince  with a bit of backtracking…all the way to  Lachlan and Emma’s story . Cole does a magnificent job of reiterating the pertinent points without completely re-copying scenes we have read from previous books (cough Bad Moon Rising cough). My hat is off to her, she must have a steel trap for a memory and one amazing timeline cheat-sheet. We learn just how Garreth becomes smitten with the frosty Lucia and what better way to have two characters meet than at a battle of man muscles and testosterone. Otherwise known as a Rugby match. 

We also learn a bit more about my favorite, character Regin, and how closely tied her past is with Lucia’s. And how Lucia’s gift for archery came at the price of her own sacrifice and free will. Left for broken and left for dead, a fifteen year old Regin carries Lucia to the Goddess and pleads with her to “fix” Lucia at any cost.  The Goddess agrees to this bargain but Lucia must devote her life to becoming the greatest warrior/Archer to ever live. Oh, and she must remain pure. i.e. no funny business. Now, if that isn’t a deal with the devil I don’t know what is. 

“I hope they’re in town. I want to face them!”Regin stood and brandished one of the two swords that she usually wore in sheaths crisscrossed her back. “I’ll lunch on their balls!”

That was Regin’s new threat : to lunch on enemies’ balls. “Reege, when you threaten males with that, I don’t think it has the result you intend. They think less Lunchables, more tea bag.” (Lucia)

What I liked:

Garreth’s awesome prowess on the Rugby field, and his first meeting with Lucia. I’ve even re-imagined the story with myself as the earnest towel-boy wiping the dripping sweat off their brows. I’m wearing peekaboo booty shorts, minus the cellulite, with a perky C-bust (no need to be greedy) and a cropped shirt that says “Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy”. 

I also, thought Cole did a great job of making Lucia’s ‘born again’ approach to sex, realistic and fun, without sounding preachy or distracting from their relationship. Sometimes when authors have these insurmountable obstacles, they are so believable that when the character of interest finally overcomes them it seems impossible and too forced. 

What I didn’t like

I found at some points I had a hard time connecting with Lucia. I’ve so enjoyed her previous femme fatals that I missed her other female’s character’s humorous side. I know not to expect each character to be the same, but Cole’s humor is so witty that I kept wanting Lucia to lighten-up a bit. Then again, not having sex for thousands of years would have made me a bit bitchtastic too. 

Questions:

Usually Kresley Cole will have a excerpt to her newest IAD book, instead we are given a very interesting epilogue with hints for her next book. Who do we think is next? Carrow (kick ass friend of Mari from Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night), Regin, (finally… will we get a Berserker story), or Lothaire…god anyone else having a Karen Marie Moning flash back here? Hint Click Link If You Want to Know. Hint: Don’t Click Link If You Don’t Want to Know.

Was anyone else imagining Michael Sheen shouting… “We can be slaves, or we can be… LYCANS!  Sorry, was that tacky?

What Cole character’s HEA (Happily Ever After) are you foaming at the mouth for?

KC: I really want the story of Sabine’s sister *mumbles* whatshername (from Kiss of a Demon King) and that scary winged dude that has been chasing after them. He kind of reminds me of one of the character’s from a Jaid Black book *trips down erotic memory lane*

K-Khan: I’m for Regin or Carrow’s story. Anyone who quotes the movie Aliens is worth reading about. Nuff’ said.

Rating

Favorite IAD Reads

Hunger Like No Other (Book 1) – Amazon 

Wicked Deeds On A Winter’s Night  (Book 3) – Amazon 

Dark Desires After Dusk 

Other Reviews

Queen B –  B 

Katiebabs-  A- 

Smexy Books  4.5/5 

Kresley Cole’s Website | Purchase From Amazon 

Possibly Related Posts:

• Smokinhotbooks Recommend May/June(ish) Reads
• What The Heck Has Smokinhotbooks Been Reading Lately
• Smokinhotbooks Fav March/April-ish Reads
• Lover Unleashed by JR Ward aka V’s Story Part 2
• Review How to Flirt With A Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper