Dark Needs at Night's Edge - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

Dark Needs at Night's Edge (Immortals After Dark #5)
by Kresley Cole

What is it about:
Neomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers--until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Neomi herself.

To prevent him from harming others, vampire warrior Conrad Wroth's brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

Yet even if Conrad can win Neomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I'm totally reading out of order, but this one sounded more interesting than A Hunger Like No Other which I should have been reading if I kept to series order. And reading the blurbs I had the feeling I wouldn't miss out if I did read out of order.

And I must say I liked this story better than the novella that started this series (The Warlord Wants Forever).
I really liked the idea of a romance between a ghost and a vampire. Neomi can't be touched by Conrad so this made for a romance that's much more about personalities than physical lust. It's still all a bit quick and I would have liked more of a build up where they really get to know each other, but it felt much more convincing than the romance in the novella.

Knowing this time the story is set in the present also made that I didn't feel as lost about the time period as I did in The Warlord Wants Forever. I still really like the mythology and world building that's there.

There were appearances of characters from previous books that make me wonder if I will like them if I decide to read the books that are about them, or if they're as obnoxious as they seemed in this book. The couple that's in A Hunger Like No Other didn't make an appearance as far I could tell, so I will read that one when I'm in the mood for Paranormal Romance and decide if I'll read more depending on how much I like it.

All in all this book was a very enjoyable PNR, even if it won't end up on my keeper shelves.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable and entertaining PNR read.


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The Warlord Wants Forever - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

The Warlord Wants Forever (Immortals After Dark #1)
by Kresley Cole

What is it about:
The Warlord
Nikolai Wroth, a ruthless vampire general, will stop at nothing to find his Bride, the one woman who can “blood” him, making his heart beat and filling him with strength. Coldly interested only in the power his Bride will bring, he can hardly believe when Myst the Coveted awakens him body—and soul.

The Seductress
Famed throughout the world as the most beautiful Valkyrie, Myst has devoted her life to protecting a magical jewel and to fighting the vampires.Wroth provides her with the perfect opportunity to torment her sworn enemy—for with his new heartbeat comes a consuming sexual desire that can only be slaked by her. Denying him, she flees, struggling to forget his searing, possessive kiss.

The Hunt is on…
She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen her enchanted jewel, giving him absolute power over her. Now that she’s his for the taking, he intends to make her experience first-hand the agonizing, unending lust she subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Nikolai realizes he wants far more than vengeance from Myst and frees her, will she come back to him?

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I liked Poison Princess so I wanted to try one of Cole's PNRs. I decided to start with the novella that started her Immortals After Dark series.

I will confess I thought the story felt a bit anachronistic. First I thought it was set in the Middle Ages, and then suddenly the heroine reveals a lacy bra and takes a shower... There were more things that made it difficult for me to set the story in the right time. I switched back and forth from feeling like it was set in the past and thinking it might be the present.

Then there was the... romance between Nikolai and Myst. While I will confess there were some really steamy scenes, I had a hard time believing these two were falling for each other. If a man ever treats me like Nikolai treats Myst I'll be running for the hills screaming bloody murder. And Myst wasn't much better when it came to romance.

Still, I liked the mythology, and even though I didn't think this was in any way a romantic PNR, I did find the story entertaining. As this is a novella it just might be the reason why the romance wasn't much of a romance but instalust parading as romance. So I might give other books in the series a try.

Why should you read it:
It's an entertaining and steamy read.


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Poison Princess - Book Review

Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1)
by Kresley Cole

What is it about:
She could save the world-or destroy it.
Sixteen year old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future-and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Derveaux.

But she can't do either alone.
With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?
As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side...

What did I think of it:
This book has it all: an apocalypse, zombies, tarot! I must say I'm wondering why it took me so long to give it a try.

I enjoyed the first 60 to 70 percent of the book the most. It starts with the days leading up to the apocalypse. I liked getting to know Evie and her quirks, and I was intrigued by her visions and her awakening powers. Then the apocalypse happened and it's all about surviving. As you can guess I loved reading how Evie and Jackson try to make their way through a zombie filled wasteland (well, they were sort of zombies anyway).

I will say I did think some of the world building didn't make sense at all, and that for a world where water is scarce people were very wasteful. I told myself to overlook the glaringly obvious flaws in the world building and to just enjoy the story. I mostly succeeded.

The last 30 percent the inevitable teenage love triangle mess started, and there was beard shaving as well. But even with those two things I enjoyed the book enough to pick up book two soon to see what happens next.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool Apocalyptic YA read with zombies and tarot.


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