Customer Reviews

Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark, Book 5)

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Nine hundred years ago, due to a careless act on his part, Rage demon Cadeon Woede caused the fall of an entire kingdom into enemy hands. His royal brother lost his crown. His entire foster family was murdered. And Cadeon has been living with the guilt and itch for revenge ever since. Now, after so many centuries, he's been offered the opportunity to right that wrong. All the demon mercenary has to do is locate the 'Vessel' (a chosen female of Lore who will beget a child who will become a warrior of ultimate evil or good) and hand her over to a wicked sorcerer. In exchange for the female, Cadeon will receive the only weapon capable of defeating his enemy and thus the opportunity to restore the kingdom to its rightful hands. Everyone is counting on him to get this job done and there is nothing Cadeon won't do to complete his task. Only one teensy weensy problem -the female he has to give up happens to be his predestined mate.

Dark Desires is the fifth (or sixth if you include the anthology) book in the Immortals After Dark series -
Playing Easy to Get
A Hunger Like No Other (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 1)
No Rest for the Wicked (The Immortals After Dark, Book 2)
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (The Immortals After Dark, Book 3)
Dark Needs at Night's Edge (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 4).

This book can be read as a stand alone. Although I do recommend that you read the entire series just because the other books are just too good to pass up. But a reader starting at this point won't be missing anything and can back track later it they want to.

As far as I'm concerned I absolutely loved this book! Cade is such a delicious demon, a gorgeous ladies man with a heart-stopping grin. And I just love the way he tried in vain to keep his hands off his little halfling brainiac Holly. And Holly is so cute with the way she dresses and her little quirks. She tries so hard to control her life and suppress her tempestuous Valkyrie tendencies. Its lots of fun to see Cade try and *unleash* them. They make such a great couple.

Besides the sexy and fun romance, the book is full of some gripping fast paced action, as well as an infusion of new and interesting characters. There is also some surprises including a cliff hanger ending for one of the secondary characters...that was......OH MY!

Another great addition to a great series. Read them all, you won't be disappointed. This one is going on my keeper shelf.

Cadeon Woede, second in line to the throne of the rage demons, will do anything to right the terrible wrong that he's done to his family. Because of Cade's stubborn refusal to return to their homeland when his brother Rydstrom asked him to, their kingdom was stolen by a sorcerer called Omort the Deathless. Since then, Cade has worked as a mercenary and is known as Cade the Kingmaker among the Lore. He has a reputation for being able to put anyone on a throne--except the one person he wants to most. Finally, Cade is given the opportunity to right this wrong by getting an ensorcelled sword that will be able to kill Omort. The only thing he has to do is deliver a woman known as the Vessel to Omort's brother. The vessel is a member of the Lore who will give birth to a child born of ultimate evil or ultimate good--depending on the child's father. The problem is, she's also Cade's fated female.

Holly Ashwin is an obsessive-compulsive PhD candidate at Tulane who teaches mathematics to jocks. Holly has a thing for threes, compulsive cleaning, and computer codes and mathematics. She has been raised as a mortal and has no idea that she's the Vessel until she's kidnapped from campus and held hostage for a demon ritual. While Holly is fighting them off, she's struck by lightning and suddenly overcome with the preternatural strength of a rage-filled Valkyrie. After killing those who would do her harm, Holly meets up with Cade who informs her that all of the myths she's ever heard are real and that all the creatures of the Lore are after her--some want her dead and some want to father her unborn child. With him as her guide, Cade promises to help Holly regain her mortality, which is all that she really wants. Until she realizes that having a rage demon for a mate might be better than her boring old life...

Dark Desires After Dusk is a worthwhile addition to the Immortals After Dark series. I've been waiting for Cade's story ever since Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (The Immortals After Dark, Book 3). And Cole didn't disappoint me. Cade has always been a darker character who seemed lonely and in need of affection. In Wicked Deeds, he makes a half-hearted attempt at finding love with a witch only to be shut down quickly by her Lykae mate. And in Dark Needs at Night's Edge (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 4), he once again tries to help his brother regain his crown, only to commit an unforgivable offense against the vampire who could have helped him. So it makes sense that to find love he would have to choose between his life's mission and his fated female. And watching it unfold was pure magic. Holly is a worthwhile opponent to Cade's mercenary self, despite the fact that she's half human. She knows what she wants and she gives as good as she gets. This girl makes him work for it every step of the way, and as she learns the ins and outs of the immortal lifestyle and what it means to be a Valkyrie she shows Cade that she's no shrinking violet.

Fans of the Immortals After Dark series will be happy to hear that Kresley Cole hasn't lost her edge. These books just keep getting racier, more intense, and more dazzlingly suspenseful and entertaining. I haven't read one yet that hasn't left me fulfilled and content, eagerly awaiting the next one in the pipeline. If you haven't started this series yet, I'm going to suggest you run, not walk, to buy A Hunger Like No Other (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 1). And if you're a longtime fan like myself, we'll have to content ourselves with waiting for Not That Innocent, an anthology due out in May 2009.

Holly Ashwin is the first to admit she likes her life neat and tidy. Her mannerisms are methodical, her movements disciplined. Her ordered life abruptly ends when she is pulled from the structured world of academia and thrust into the unruly world of the Lore. With her newly emerging Valkyrie powers somewhat out of her control, Holly is appalled at the riotous changes occurring in her life. She holds only one hope - a return to her former existence of calm and order. To her complete dismay, her hope rides on the shoulders - the quite brawny shoulders - of a roguish Rage Demon named Cadeon Woede.

Cade has been carrying a massive load of guilt for over nine hundred years. His past actions caused the loss of his brother's crown, and his brother has never let him forget it. His current profession as a mercenary lets him work toward his one objective in life - to kill the sorcerer who stole his family's kingdom. With absolute loyalty to his brother, Cade accepts his latest mission of obtaining a valuable weapon needed to regain control of the throne. His task, however, involves Holly, a newly empowered Valkyrie halfling who just so happens to be his fated female. In a wrenching twist of fate, Cade learns that to complete his mission he must deal Holly the ultimate betrayal.

When offered the chance to get my hands on DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK, I calmly wiped my sweaty palms... and then blushed as I greedily grabbed at the book. That is how enchanted I am with Kresley Cole's The Immortals After Dark Series. Book five, Cade and Holly's story, starts off with a bang and effortlessly holds that riveting pace through the entire novel. Holly, with her irrepressible OCD tendencies, is warmly captivating with her quirky habits and endless need for order. I found myself laughing at her tendencies to rearrange and compartmentalize anything that wasn't nailed down. Mixing her with Cade, a roguishly unpredictable demon, is an inspired pairing. His mischievous chaos clashing with her need for calm is both hilarious and heartwarming. Simultaneously, my heart was wrenched at the utterly hopeless position in which Cade finds himself. How does one choose between his family and those that depend on him, and the beautiful halfling that owns his heart?

I am having a hard time finding words to do justice to this remarkably romantic story. How do I express how witty, sexy and thrilling I found this tale to be? Every word, every deed, and every scene from beginning to end kept me a willing captive of Ms. Cole's imagination. With engaging characters and exciting plotlines, the world of the Lore continues to deliver an exhilarating mix of mischief and mayhem. DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK effortlessly seals Kresley Cole's place as one of the top writers of paranormal romance.

Reviewed by Jolie Dreyson/Romance Junkies

THE IMMORTALS AFTER DARK SERIES:

Playing Easy To Get (Anthology that includes an IAD novella to kick- off the series)

A Hunger Like No Other

No Rest For The Wicked

Wicked Deeds On A Winter's Night

Dark Needs At Night's Edge

Dark Desires After Dusk

*Read the series in order. You will miss out on a lot if you start with this book.*


Yes! This is one of Cole's best so far. The book is fun, exciting, romantic, steamy, and very hard to put down. While "A Hunger Like No Other" is still my favorite of the series, this one was not far behind.

Cadeon is a demon torn between claiming his one destined mate and saving his brother's kingdom. His brother, Rystrom, is king of the Rage Demons. Hundreds of years ago, Omort the Deathless (a dark sorcerer) stole his crown in a violent attack. Now, in modern day, Cadeon has the means to kill "The Deathless" sorcerer. Omort's own brother, Groot, has created a sword that can kill Omort. The only payment Groot will accept in exchange for the sword is the woman known as "The Vessel". She will give birth to the world's next all- powerful leader. If a good man impregnates her, the child's power will be good. If a dark being gets to her first, her child will be an unspeakable evil. Every faction either wants to claim her body to carry it's next great leader, or kill her to stop enemies from claiming her. The Vessel will face either rape or murder.

Holly has always been "different". She has spent her life dealing with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Everything must be in it's place. She also keeps herself strictly out of the path of anything sexual. As a teen, anything sexual got her excited beyond control. Her unusual strength could hurt a man if she got overexcited. The last thing she needed was to be tossed into the hands of a sexy demon male who lived like a slob. He claims that she is the chosen "Vessel". He must keep her safe from beings that will either try to claim her or kill her.

Nix, The Everknowing, has plans. She knows that her niece Holly is Cadeon's true mate. Nix is sure that Cadeon will never be able to turn Holly over to Groot. Setting the future in motion, Nix fixes circumstances to be sure that Cadeon and Holly are forced to travel a long distance together by car. The more time they have together, the more Cadeon will become attached.

Cadeon's head is spinning. His arrogance is taking a beating. He knows Holly is his, but she seams to be the one woman whom he can't charm. Far worse, he knows he can't claim her. If he keeps Holly for his own, he can never get Groot's sword to kill Omort. With Rydstrom imprisoned, the entire kingdom is relying on Cadeon to free them from Omort's control. For hundreds of years, Cadeon has waited for this chance to kill Omort. For hundres of years, he has waited for his true mate. Keeping her would prove what his brother has always claimed: That Cadeon was could not be counted on. It would also mean the continued oppression of his people. He has no choice but to hand Holly over to a dark sorcerer. With a heavy heart, Cadeon lies to Holly. To make her come with him willingly, he tells her that the sorcerer can help her be freed of her problems. On the weeks long trek to Groot's hideaway, Cadeon faces the ultimate test. Can he ever give her up? Can a demon live without his heart?



If you want to read the whole series, here are the links to the first three books:

Playing Easy to Get (An anthology that includes the first IAD story)

A Hunger Like No Other (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 1)

No Rest for the Wicked (The Immortals After Dark, Book 2)



If you love paranormal romance series, don't miss the Psy/Changeling series. Here are the first three:

Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings, Book 1)

Visions of Heat (Psy-Changelings, Book 2)

Caressed By Ice (Psy-Changelings, Book 3)


Want to check out a new paranormal romance author? Heather Waters is terrific! Here are her first two releases:

The Devil's Possession (Berkley Sensation)

Destiny's Warrior (Berkley Sensation)

Let me start off by saying I am only giving the book 3 stars. Now 3 stars for Kresley Cole is like giving other paranormal authors 4 1/2 stars. She is that good. However, something was lacking in this book for me. I think it is because I have come to expect more brooding alpha-males and instead in Cadeon we get a sort of happy-go-lucky n'er do well with a past that is not really fleshed out. I mean we know how he let down the King & kingdom but you sort of don't even care because that line of the story goes nowhere and at 900 years old, there has obviously been time for them to make a run at the ring so to speak. In spite of that I liked Cade's character very much.

Holly herself was another winner. I many ways she reminded me of Emmaline from AHLNO but there was some missing link to her character development that prevented me from marking her as one of my favorite Valkyrie.

The book is basically one-long road trip that was going no where fast. By time I really got into the book I felt Ms. Cole began rushing the story to get to the end. When they finally find Groot and get the sword, it was a bit anti-climactic for me especially since two thirds of the book was spent building up the betrayal aspect. There are 3 other story arcs at play as well (Rydstrom & Sabine, finding Neomi and getting the sword that will kill Omort). It is clear that Ms. Cole is building us all up for the big Ascension and maybe her next few books will be transitional in order to achieve success in bringing all factions of the Lore together for one big mega-death match. It also seems apparent that most all of the characters will be making a return appearance when the Ascension countdown begins and I for one hope it's a 5,000 page multi-book ordeal (I like Ms. Cole's work that much).

While I could go on and nit pick the book to death, I won't because overall a quick enjoyable read. Not Ms. Coles best but then as a fan I'll pretty much take her lukewarm efforts over much of what's on the shelf at my local book store any day.

I have loved all her books, read several times, did NOT like book 4. Was worried I wouldn't like this one. Read it in two days. Loved the quirkiness of Holly, made her so believable and Cade was hilarious. I also love Cole's world of the Lore, can't get enough of it. Love that Nix!

I've read all of Kresley Cole's books, and once again she delivers great material that is true to the genre. Dark Desires is a slight change of pace for her as we have her first demon book of the series - and what a great addition it is! Both Cade and Holly's personalities are well-developed and their relationship is well written. Those readers that enjoy great character development along with action and humor will appreciate Ms Cole's newest addition to her sexy IAD series.

Hottest hero of the series goes to the demon with very lickable horns. Wasn't sure how the whole demon thing was going to play and I was happily surprised to find a well thought out hero who played nicely off our sexy OCD heroine. Holls did a terrific job with a horrible situation and you had to root for her the whole way. Great dialog through out - the getting to know you portion of the plot was a hoot. Hhowever the ending seemed abrupt and hurried; there are many plot points that are unanswered. Which only leaves me to pine for the next book in the series which is a long, long, loooooong wait away.

I've really enjoyed every book in this series, but this one is by far the best! I had trouble finishing it, only because I would think about previous scenes and have to go back and re-read them. I still managed to finish it in one day. It was definitely a romance, but it was so different than what I usually read that it had me holding my breath to see what they would do next. Don't miss this one!

BUY THESE BOOKS!!!! these are definately tied for first place in my mind for best series with Anita Blake, but i have to say these are DEFINATELY the SEXIEST books ever written . . . . .AWESOME characters and BAD ASS stories.. . .youll have to take a cold shower after these. . . TRUST ME on that