Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole

At eight, Jo was found wandering the streets with a newborn clutched in her arms. By eleven, she and her brother Thad were mostly on their own. Though there is the kindly librarian who has taken to giving them baskets of food.

One day, Jo is out righting the wrongs of her neighborhood when she gets shot in the face by the gang members she's been playing pranks on. She wakes up I floating out of the body bag at the Morgue. Jo isn't sure what she has become but she likes it. Her first goal is to get revenge and then to get back to her brother. She goes and takes the gang members that shot her out and discovers that drinking their blood makes her stronger. But when she tries to get her brother, no one recognizes who she is including her brother and she is forced to give him up. The librarian adopts Thad and Jo is able to leave him in that happy home for 10 months until his adoptive father dies.  She's about to take him back (only one parent? That's not any better than living with her) when the librarian's mother moves in and Thad once again has two parents. We next meet Jo when she's spying on Rune as he has sex with three nymphs. Rune the Insatiable has been cursed for millennia with an appetite for sex that cannot be sated. He has black blood and will poison anyone who kisses him.

When he meets Jo, Rune is instantly attracted and confused. Especially since she seems to be able to resist his legendary charm, even stealing his favorite talisman, the one that was given to him by his mother. Then he discovers the Jo was able to withstand his poisonous black blood. Could it be that even a dark fey has a mate?

Still like the world building of the immortals. Definitely going to look for more books by Kresley Cole. Wish there hadn't been quite so much repetition this book but it was overall highly enjoyable.

Four stars
This book came out in December 1, 2015

Follows Dark Skye

Followed by Shadow's Seduction

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

Dark Skye by Kresley Cole

Lanthe and Thronos were children when they met and were convinced that they would be in love forever. And they were, until Thronos betrayed Lanthe's parents. Since then, his family has been torturing hers. And he just won't let her be. Even to the point of following her onto an island of torture. When they are (somewhat) freed, he immediately captures her. 

But their time together means that past lies and misunderstandings might finally come to light. It took a little bit longer than I really would have enjoyed but this is overall a nice addition to the series. 

Four stars

This book came out 

Follows MacRieve

Followed by Sweet Ruin

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

MacRieve by Kresley Cole

Chloe Todd is out there living her dream- playing soccer and getting to try out for the Olympic team. Yeah, she might be a little off lately, not eating or sleeping as much and finally getting interested in sex. And she's really thrown off by somehow being able to overhear her father's phone conversation even though she's in the middle of a packed stadium. Her life gets even worse when she's attacked by a big scary guy and then walks out of her house and falls into an abyss.

Uilleam MacRieve knows that his actions got his parents killed. He's carried that guilt with him for centuries. His life got even worse when he was captured by the Order and tortured for weeks. When he finds out the daughter of the man in charge is on the auction block, he is raring to go. But what does he smell when he gets there? Is that his mate? Why yes, yes it is. So he grabs her and runs away. You'd think it might be all sparkles and flowers as the two are wildly attracted to each other but there is at least one more surprise waiting for them.

I really enjoyed this book. Even though there is a lot of discussion about McRieve's being stuck in the past which makes sense because it's not like there was therapy back when he was a kid.

Four stars

This book came out May 9, 2013

Follows Shadow's Claim

Followed by Dark Skye

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole

Bettina is just living her life when she's captured by four Vrekeners and tortured until she loses her Sorcerii powers. It's that mistake that leads to her agreeing to be the prize in a supernatural contest. She will be the winner's bride. And she knows just who should win, her childhood friend. Too bad Trehan Daciano has just discovered that Bettina is his fated mate and he's not going to let anyone else win.
I couldn't connect with this book and I'm not sure why. Maybe it was too much of the just Bettina story in the beginning and it took a while for the two of them to meet. I get this book's place in the series but may skip it on re-reads.

Three stars

This book came out November 27, 2012

Follows Lothaire
Followed by MacRieve

Hard copy I own

Opinions are my own

Lothaire by Kresley Cole

Lothaire, the Enemy of Old, has never been the Big Bad in this series but he has definitely not been on the side of good. He even brought back to life a long dead goddess (who was better off dead) by stealing her ring. And he wants to raise another, the one who is going to be his fated mate. Of course, they have to figure out how to get rid of the human host so she can keep the body. But Ellie Peirce doesn't exactly want to go. The more she sticks around, the more intrigued Lothaire is. 

The drama is still dialed up to 11 in this book and got to be a little too much toward the end but I am still enjoying the series. 

Four stars

This book came out January 10, 2012

Follows Dreams of a Dark Warrior

Followed by Shadow's Claim

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

For the past couple of books in this series, Declan Chase has been the big bad. He's in charge of the group that has been capturing and torturing immortals. Or at least, he seems to be in charge. When Vakyrie Regin the Radiant is captured, she is devastated to discover that he is the most recent reincarnation of her mate, Aiden. The two have been cursed to be kept apart; any time they finally find each other and then have sex, Aiden dies. 

When he was young, Declan's family was tortured and killed by a group of immortal creatures. He was rescued by a group that would let him get revenge although they did drug him up quite a bit. Turns out, they were suppressing his true nature. 

When the facility they were in goes up in flames, Declan switches his loyalties to work with the Immortals. And they are surprisingly fast to accept him. True, one of the people he escapes with is an old friend but he tortured these people and now they accept-ish him. 

This was a really hard book to read. I see where Cole was trying to go but there was not nearly enough groveling. However, this book did set up the next in the series, Lothaire, very nicely. The Enemy of Old seems to be slowly moving over to the side of the good guys.

Three stars

This book came out February 15, 2011

Follows Demon from the Dark

Followed by Lothaire

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

Malkolm Slaine grew up poor, very, very poor, with a number of other memories that would traumatize anyone. And this was before he was forcibly turned into a vampire becoming that thing of myth, a vemon (vampire demon). Now he hangs out on his mountain trying to get revenge on the demon that betrayed him. 

Carrow Graie is a party girl. She gains her powers from other people's emotions, happiness is preferred. When she's kidnapped, given a collar that mutes her powers, and thrown into a cell, she's not really happy. At all. Then her kidnapper tells her she has to go seduce some vemon and lure him back or else they'll kill her young cousin, she's really not having a good day. But she goes. She does. And she discovers that she might just be Malkolm's true mate. 

It took me quite a long time to get into this book because it got pretty dark (I know, some of the other books do as well but this is a different kind of dark (TW child abuse)). I don't regret reading the whole things but will probably skip wide swathes on reread. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out August 24, 2010

Follows Pleasure of a Dark Prince

Followed by Dreams of a Dark Warrior

Hard copy I own

Opinions are my own

Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

We've seen glimpses of this love story in other books of this series. A dark werewolf who has been watching over a Valkyrie archer who cannot miss or else she feels excruciating pain. The pain Lucia feels is the result of a pact made with a god when she nearly died. 

Many, many years ago, Garreth, prince of the Lykae, realized that Lucia was his one true mate. He also realized that she wasn't ready to acknowledge it. So he's been watching over her from afar (don't do this is real life, folks; this is stalking and super creepy). 

Lucia has a life mission and that is, every five hundred years, she has to make sure that an apocalyptic evil doesn't occur when Crom Cruach rises. As that time is nearing, she cannot be distracted by a werewolf right now, matter how intriguing she finds him.

There is a long stretch where we read about their history, another where they finally start to sort of get together, then a lot of travel over the world ending up with a long stretch in the Amazon where they awaken another potential world ender but end up with an arrow that can kill a god. Then, as usual, everything is wrapped up in a whirlwind in the last 50 pages or so.

Four stars

This book came out January 25, 2010

Follows Deep Kiss of Winter

Followed by Demon from the Dark

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole

The four Wroth brothers, vampires all, get to find their Mates in this series. This particular story is Malcolm's turn. He's in New Orleans around the time of book four (Dark Need at Night's Edge) when he suddenly sees his female, but he is not the only one seeking her. There are ice fey after her as well. Which is interesting because Daniela "Danii" is half (one third?) ice fey and half Valkyrie. The other fey are after her because she is, in fact, in line to inherit the throne of her people but the current king (a usurper) would rather not have that happen. So it will be up to the two of them to figure out how to make her safe while also dealing with the pesky problem that they can't touch otherwise they burn each other. 

This book is somewhat shorter than most of the others in this series but not, by any means, short in comparison to most books. That means that, though the story is packed with much of the history and trivia of the Lore, the relationship between Danii and Malcolm doesn't suffer. In fact, it could have been even a little shorter because there were Just So Many misunderstandings but an overall nice addition to the series.

Four stars

This book came out October 13, 2009

Follows Kiss of a Demon King

Followed by Pleasure of a Dark Prince

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole

Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions is a well-known evil. She has killed other people with power to gain their powers. Except that she really hasn't because she only makes illusions and talks to animals. But she knows she is the fated mate of Rydstrom Woede, the demon who should be king. 

Rydstrom has waited centuries to regain his throne. The throne that was stolen from him by the last Big Bad, Omort, who, by the way, is Sabine's half-brother. A half-brother who really wants to bed her but, as a virgin, their society dictates she cannot be taken against her will. But she has just captured him and is teasing him into trying to have sex so that she can bear his heir, as prophesied. But Rydstrom really just wants to take back his throne and is trying as hard as possible to resist her wiles. 

As always, there is just So Much going on in this book and, yet, I really enjoy it. Fun book, really moves the overall story along.

Four stars

This book came out January 1, 2009

Follows Dark Desires After Dusk

Followed by Deep Kiss of Winter

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole

Cadeon Woede is the brother of a king. One who lost his throne because Cade didn't show up when he was needed. But there were circumstances. Still, Cade can't forgive himself and when there's the chance to get a weapon that will finally dethrone the monster who took it from Cade's brother, Cade will do anything to get it. Even give up his own mate. Or so he thinks.

Holly is human. Frighteningly so with her OCD and need for order. So when she's attacked and kidnapped by a group of men... vampires?... and then somehow miraculously makes her way out of what appears to be a sacrifice (of her) situation, she's confused. Even more so when the cute guy who couldn't talk to her on campus suddenly appears to help her out. But is that what she's doing? Suddenly, Holly, unsuspecting math adjunct, is on the run, thrust into a situation that could literally save a world. 

I didn't like this one quite as much as the others in the series but it was still enjoyable. I liked the addition of Holly's boyfriend to the story although it became pretty apparent that he wasn't going to last long.

Four stars

This book came out May 20, 2008

Follows Dark Needs at Night's Edge 

Followed by Kiss of a Demon King

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole

Murdered by her jealous ex-fiance, Neomi made the decision not to die. Well, at least for her soul not to leave this plane and she became tethered to the earth as a ghost. No one has seen or heard her (except peripherally a toddler) in the last eighty years. So she is astonished when a handsome man buys her mansion. She is even more astonished when he and three other men bring in a fourth who is chained. And this man, this man can see her.Except that he's one of the things that she never believed in, even though she herself is a ghost. 

Conrad never wanted to become a vampire. In fact, he was a vampire hunter. So when his brothers turned him 300 years ago, he lashed out and became a killer. Now, he has been drinking the blood of so many other killers, that he has all of these memories from all these other people roiling around in his head. He wants to kill his brothers but they just want to save him. However, his savior might actually be a little ballerina ghost that he's pretty sure is real.

I really thought Cole was pointing toward a different ending which was interesting. This book is like the others in this series with a lot of action and story movement in the last twenty or so pages leaving you wondering how it can all be wrapped up, but then... it is.

Four stars

This book came out April 29, 2008

Follows Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

Followed by Dark Desires After Dusk

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole

For centuries, Bowen McRieve has been mourning his lost mate. He has the chance to get her back though when he enters the Hie, the supernatural version of the Amazing race. There, you can win a key that will work twice to send you back in time. He could save his fey bride, Mariah. So why is he so distracted by one of the other contestants, witchy Mariketa?

Mariketa the Awaited is predicted to do great things with her life. If only she could figure out her magic. Yes, she's attracted to the big dumb werewolf but not so much after he leaves her and a few other contestants trapped in a cave for two weeks while evil forces feed on her. 

There is SO MUCH going on in this book. That usually annoys the heck out of me in a contemporary but I sort of adore in books where the author is often tongue-in-cheek and really leaning into it rather than trying to stuff too much in.

Four stars

This book came out October 31, 2006

Follows No Rest for the Wicked

Followed by Dark Needs at Night's Edge

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole

This is one of two books centered around the Hie, the supernatural version of the Amazing Race. In this one, Kaderin the Cold Hearted would like to win so that she can use the prize, a key, to go back and save her sisters. They died centuries ago by the hand of a vampire, which is why Kaderin kills vampires now. So why can't she kill this one?

Sebastian Wroth never wanted to be a vampire; his brothers turned him against his will when he was near death. Now, he just hides in his castle waiting for death. And it seems that it has finally come. Except that Kaderin is not going to be his killer. Instead, she is his Bride, a vampire's fated mate. In order to keep her, Sebastian will do anything, even help her get her sisters back. 

Like other books in this series, there is a lot going on but still a fun book. 

Four stars

This book came out October 31, 2006

Follows A Hunger Like No Other

Followed by Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night

Hard copy I kept

Opinions are my own

A Hunger like No Other by Kresley Cole

I have no good reason for why this book tickled me so much. I think it was the world building. Vampires and demons and Valkyries and werewolves all hanging out in the world? A fun romp.

The heroine of this story is fairly young at 70 years old. She's gone to Paris to try and research her parents. Not much is known about her father, other than the fact that he is a vampire. Her mother was a Valkyrie. So Emmaline, Emma, is a rarity among vampires, a female. Her arrival in Paris sets off a chain of events when the leader of the Lykae Clan, Lachlain MacRieve (whose conversation was annoyingly written in "Scots") scents her and realizes she is his true mate.

Lachlain has been imprisoned by the vampires for 150 years. They've been burning him with fire over and over and then letting him, as an immortal, regenerate painfully for almost that entire time. But the scent of the woman he's waited hundreds of years for helps him break through the chains (including having to take off his own leg to do it). Of course, when he finds out that she's a vampire... All bets are off.

There is a very short learning curve for Lachlain considering he's been locked up for a long amount of time but Cresley covers that by noting his super-intelligence as well. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Four stars

The book came out March 28, 2006

Followed by No Rest for the Wicked

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own