Customer Reviews

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (Immortals After Dark, Book 3)

5 star:		(116)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

He lost his mate over 180yrs ago. The depressed Lykae, Bowen MacReive, enters the Talisman's Hie (similar to the amazing race) determined to win the prize. A key which will allow him to go back in time and save his mate from her certain death. Meanwhile, there are other players just as determined. A beautiful witch, Mariketa the Awaited, is desperate to prove herself and her powers to the House of Witches by garnering the prize. Bowen's and Mariketa's attraction is immediate, but to him it is unwelcome (he despises witches). He mustn't lose his focus even if his mind is telling him one thing and his heart and senses are telling him another. Mariketa is sick of being on the B -team (always second choice). No Lykae is going to mess with this witch and then dump her when he gets back his 'real' mate. Oh no! He's got another thing coming. She's not supposed to be the most powerful witch for nothing.

This is the third in the series (OK technically the fourth if you count the anthology) and my favorite so far. If you haven't read the other two then STOP RIGHT NOW! Your doing yourself a serious injustice by not reading them. Although they are stand alone books, your missing out -a lot- if you don't read them first. 'No Rest For The Wicked' (the prequel to Wicked Deeds) is particularly important in that it centers around the same race (Talisman's Hie). Which will give you a better understanding of the race and its characters (and Sebastian is yummy too ;)).

That being said, if you loved the other books then you'll love this one. Your in for a great ride (literally). The characterizations are wonderful and rich. The H/H chemistry is sizzling. A fast paced paranormal that grabs you from the get go. There are many surprises! Cole's really got a knack for keeping her readers on their toes! I must have said OMG! at least a half a dozen times. But my lips are sealed! No spoilers here.

Another great book from a wonderful series.

What a delightful wonderful read. I loved it, we have a werewolf who thinks he has lost his only mate, find that there is a witch who pushes all his buttons and if she is his mate what does that say about the princess who died 200 yrs ago.

Kresley Cole has to be one of my favorite new writers, her myth based stories are wonderful and I have waited for this one since her last one was released. Bowen is the werewolf from NO REST FOR THE WICKED, who was on the Hie to get the key of Thane, which turned back time. He wanted to save his mate who died two centuries ago.

Mari is a witch, she is called the Long Awaited. She is very powerful but cannot control her power. She is still mortal and can die so it is very dangerous to her to go on the Hie, but she feels she needs to assert herself.

When the two come togather there are fireworks, anger, rage, and passion. Bowen finds himself compelled to desire her and has to decide if she is his mate or if his mate was lost yrs ago. Mari finds him very desireable and she has gotten tired of everyone she loves leaving her. First her father and then her mother, now she might loose the one man she has come to need.

I love the adventure, the romance, and the fantasy in these books. It is a journey of joy to spend the time reading them. Do not miss this book or any of the others in the series. All are complete in themselves and the wonder and delight are indescribleable. I love these stories.

The Immortals After Dark Series:

A Hunger Like No Other

No Rest for the Wicked

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night



"A Hunger Like No Other" is one of my personal top 5 favorite books, which makes it a tough act to follow. (I've read hundreds.) "No Rest" was really good, but I liked "Wicked Deeds" almost as much as "A Hunger". This book, like the first two, sweeps you up into a world of magic and super sexy paranormal species. The entire story is an adventure. No slow points, no annoying dialogue, and no weak characters.



Bowen is a member of the Lycae werewolf clan. For 180 years, he has been in mourning for his dead mate. Worse than the loneliness is the guilt he carries over how she died. When she watched him change in the moonlight, Mariah of the fae was terrified. Running away in her fear, she fell over a ledge and was impaled. Bowen has lived as an empty shell ever since. A Lycae can have only one mate in his lifetime, and a male can only make children with his mate. Any dreams of having a family died with Mariah.

Every 250 years, members of every species are invited to participate in the "Talisman's Hie", a scavenger hunt that only the most powerful and ruthless beings can play to the finish. The prize for this hunt is a magic key that grants it's holder the ability to time travel twice. If Bowen can win the key, he can go back and save his mate. However, he has several competitors who want the key for themselves. One is a young witch named Mariketa.

Mariketa is prophesied to be one of the "Queens" of witchcraft. At only 23 years of age, she has not yet mastered her powers. While her species waits to see how her powers unfold, Mari wants to prove that she is worth their wait. Winning the Hie is the perfect opportunity. She is holding her own in the hunt until Bowen traps her in a cave. Believing her to be a powerful witch, Bowen is sure Mari will soon free herself. Trapping her will only give him a head-start to the next round. As he drops a boulder over the cave's only exit, Mari throws one of her few successful spells at him. Bowen doesn't realize that he has trapped her for weeks with 6 undead incubi.

At the end of the Hie, Bowen is one of the last two competitors. He is devastated when he loses at the last second. For the past weeks, his body has been unable to heal itself. He is sure the witch put a spell on him. His body has literally fallen apart. Being immortal, his injuries can't kill him. But they have weakened him to the point that he cannot win the final round. When he gets his hands on the witch, he'll destroy her for stealing his chance to save his mate. But first he must force her to remove the spell.

Bowen is shocked to learn that Mari never escaped the cave. Something is making him desperate to save her. His need to rescue her is as keen as that of a mate. He is certain the witch enchanted him. Having already lost his mate, he knows Mari can't be the one and only chosen for him. When he finds himself desperate to free her, Bowen begins to believe she must be his mate reincarnated. After she has suffered torture at the hands of the incubi, he faces his greatest challenge in convincing her to forgive him and give him a chance to win her. While escorting her back to civilization, Bowen will hunt for her, care for her, and keep her safe from the elements. He'll do whatever it takes to impress her and make her happy. Believing he has his mate back, Bowen could not bare to lose her again. When they discover that an evil sorceress is attempting to kill Mari and steal her powers, Bowen feels utterly useless. Such evil magic is the one thing his strength cannot defeat.

Mariketa The Awaited, is half fey-druidess and half warlock. A powerful combination. At twenty-three, she is one of the more crafty, powerful, and ruthless witches in her coven. When she decides to work for something she works hard. She is willing to do what it takes to win the Hie competition and prove herself.

Bowen MacRieve, Bowe, lost his mate almost 200 years ago. Since then he has searched for a way to bring her back. The years have turned him into a hard, ruthless killer, willing to do whatever it takes to complete his self-imposed goals. Women still lust after him as he is the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. The only women truly safe from him are witches. The proto-Valkryie Nix has told him that he will get his mate back if he enters the Hie competition.

As competitors in the Hie competition, both will do whatever it takes to win. But will it be what they want? Is not losing yet another way of winning?

A fast-paced, amusing, passionate, steamy novel of stubbornness versus lust. From the beginning of Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, the reader is drawn into the tale of two strong personalities striving to balance their own love and lust with preconceived notions of their families and friends. The attraction between the two is sultry and intense.. Ms. Cole keeps the reader's attention from the first chapter and does not let it go. When I found myself on the last page, the only thought running through my head was "more, please, more". I recommend this book highly.

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night is Book 4 of the The Immortals After Dark Series but can be read alone.

Barb
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Kresley Cole has managed to top herself in her newest IAD installment! Not only is the romance between Bowen and Mariketa believable (and hot!), but the surrounding plot is well developed and highly creative. A wonderful read for those looking for hot romance, serious humor, and some great imagination!

Kresley Cole delivers what is expected, another perfect paranormal romance! This story is everything you hope it could be and it is. I've been anticipating it ever since Bowen was first introduced in A Hunger Like No Other (2006). And once again, we are off and running from page one. Suspenseful, sexy and a yummy hero.
Bowen is our tragic hero - complicated, calculating and a flawed lycae who lost his one mate two hundred years ago and has been pining and wallowing in guilt ever since. When the opportunity of the Hie, the Amazing Race on steroids, presents itself with the chance to go back in time and change the outcome, he is ruthless in his pursuit. Enter Mariketa, a particularly vile form of life for Bowen - a witch - but he can't resist her. Could Mariketa be is mate reincarnated, did she cast a love spell on him? The interaction between these two characters is so intriguing and fun to read with HUGE complications you don't see coming or could anticipate. And I haven't even mentioned The Accession! All out war in the Lore between the all the factions - witches, vampires, lycae and more - in the coming books. Oh boy, are we in for a great ride.
Kresley Cole creates characters you are anxious to read about. If you are new to the series, I envy you because you're in for a treat. The other books to look for in this series: Immortals After Dark appears in the anthology Playing Easy to Get; A Hunger Like No Other, No Rest for the Wicked.
Don't miss out on Ms. Cole's historicals. They are amazing!

Kresley Cole has done it again. I read this book, frantically between moments of real life - in one day. It was excellent in character and plotting. The twists and turns in this book were quite amazing, and Mari and Bowen are hot, hot, hot. I'm going to reread the first two, and then read this one again. Just a first rate job.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
on 09/05/2007

Among the creatures of the Lore, few beings hate witches more than the Lykae, fierce werewolf warriors. Among the Lykae, Bowen MacRieve has more than enough reason to want all witches dead.

So why is the small, feisty, still-mortal witch Mariketa able to get under his pelt like no woman he's ever met? She can't be his mate--Lykae only get one shot, and his predestined mate died almost two centuries ago, effectively ending his chances at having a lifelong love and a pack of his own children.

Mariketa the Awaited has been forced to hide her true face from all Lykae due to a prophecy uttered at the worst time such a thing could happen: while she was in college. Having to wear a concealing cloak is a major drag when trying to have a twenty-something's fun, and fun is something she cherishes, especially considering her life as an inept witch who is supposedly the next uber-sorceress.

Mari wants to prove herself and enters the Talisman's Hie, a dangerous worldwide treasure hunt with the promise of a powerful reward. This is the same race that Bowen hopes to use as a means to bring his long-last mate back. But when these two run into each other, sparks literally fly, and life gets tougher than either anticipate.

Cole's talent for weaving paranormal romance continues to shine in her latest installment of the "Immortals After Dark" series. Strong characterization, settings that readers can breathe in, danger in many ruthless forms, and a heady pace are key ingredients to another winner, and definitely present in this novel. A few sections had the potential to slow then entire story to a crawl, but Cole avoided this common writers' trap with style.

Fans of paranormal romance have a lot to cheer about in the up-and-coming career of Kresley Cole. Sherrilyn Kenyon and Christine Feehan, open your doors, because Kresley Cole is a shining new member of the club!

I won't repeat what the other reviewers said, hopefully.

This book was very long awaited by me and I couldn't wait to read it. I bought it early through ebooks.com

There is a lot of action and attraction going on here of the hairy, befanged, and witchy variety.

I do believe you need to read the first 2 in order to get all of this book as some of the characters and concepts from those books reappear here. You can read it by itself, but I think you'd get more from it by reading the first 2 books.

This was a fantastic book to read with two engaging, complex characters. I guess a major reason why I love this book so much (other than the magic and romance mix) is because the all the characters are incredibly engaging and easy to connect with. Mariketa is similar to my age and has the kind of sense of humor and outlook that I can understand. Bowen is precisely the kind of man that I would love to have! He's fierce and protective...and a little bit broken, which make him all the more intriguing. The secondary characters are also just as engaging...Carrow, Regin, and even Nucking futs Nix are all characters that I REALLY hope to read more of in their very own books! Can't wait to read the next in the series!!