I finished this book a few days
ago but because of work I am only now able to write about it. I’ve been
following Kresley Cole’s work on the Immortals After Dark series since my early
college days and with every mention of the titular character, Lothaire, I grew
more and more curious of him and I often wondered when Cole would write his
story. For those who know me well enough you’ll be able to picture my absolute
joy when I finally got my hands on a copy.
It took me a while to get to
reading it. I was previously engaged in reading George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, so Lothaire was stuck in my reading list
limbo. When I did manage to start reading it, I found it really hard to put it
down and loathe anything that would keep from reading. But of course I had
other things to accomplish so I had to squeeze reading breaks in between work
and responsibilities at home.
The book tells the story of the
Enemy of Old, Lothaire. A master at manipulation and deceit, Lothaire has been
seeking revenge against those who have wronged him, plotting to take over the
Horde and the Daci (two factions of vampires within the series). He seems to
have found the key to realizing his vendetta in Saroya, vampire goddess and his
Bride, but with one dilemma – Ellie Pierce, Saroya’s mortal host.
In reading the series, I’ve
wondered who Lothaire’s fated Bride would be. I’ve guessed that it would be a
number of female characters mentioned in the series but the conundrum that was
Ellie and Saroya was actually more than I expected.
I like Ellie. Her nerves of steel
and her strong-headedness made her a character to admire. I liked that she
never backed down from Lothaire and that even if she had so much to take in
with the new world of immortals she was thrust into, she kept an open mind and
held her own. Even in the face of death, she was determined not to go down
without a fight. She took the fact that people underestimated her and made it
into her advantage which kept Lothaire reeling and I think that’s what made Lothaire fall for her despite his
blindness to the truth of his Bride and despite his need for revenge.
Lothaire is a ruthless male but I
liked how the book showed more than that. He was a vampire who, as a boy, was
forced to bear the demise of his mother while unable to do anything to save
her. He has been forsaken by his father and betrayed many times. In order to
become more powerful and exact his revenge, he willingly spiraled downward to
the gaping mouth of insanity. It was enlightening to finally know what made
Lothaire tick and why he does what he does.
Let’s talk about Nix now. First
of all, I was really excited to read about the valkyrie’s relationship with
Lothaire. It was truly unexpected but I adored it. The book was particularly
illuminating on how big a role Nix and her soothsaying plays in the grand
scheme of the series. As I had done with Lothaire, I am just clamoring for even
a sliver of detail as to who Nix will end up with. When will her book come out
and will it be soon, Kresley Cole? Until then I will be waiting with bated
breath.
This book is by far Cole’s more
sensual (sexual) work. Love scenes depicted were on the really steamy side
which I thought was appropriate for a character like Lothaire. It would only
make sense that sex with this vampire would be raw and animalistic with some (a
lot) of biting.
I’m very interested in reading
more about Lothaire’s relatives, the Dacians, and what role he and Ellie will
play in their stories. I know that one book from the Dacian’s spin-off series
has already come out but I haven’t managed to get a hold of a copy. This one
called Shadow’s Claim and it’s the
story of Trehan Daciano and I will be remedying my lack of the book soon
enough.
This has been a Sunday post brought to you by The Purple Madhouse.
