One of my very guilty pleasures is a genre of books that Mr London refers to as 'para-porn' (AKA Twilight with rutting.)
Kresley Cole is one of my favourite paranormal romance writers. Her Immortals After Dark series is unlikely to win prizes for literature, but it's entertaining and hot, and the female characters aren't the usual 'fragile flowers who must be protected' who annoy me no end.
Lothaire is the 10th full length novel in the series, and probably the best yet. Lothaire the vampire (also known as the Enemy of Old) is a bad vampire. He is an outcast who will stop at nothing to capture the two vampire thrones of his dead parents.
All vampires have a Bride; a female who will reawaken their hearts and manly parts, etc etc. Lothaire discovers to his disgust that his is a young mortal from a poor mining family in the Appalachian Mountains, but then discover that the mortal, Elizabeth, is possessed by a blood demon called Saroya (think Kali on a bad day). He plots to destroy the mortal's soul to enable Saroya, a truly fitting Bride, to take over her form and rule by his side.
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Yes, of COURSE the human Ellie is his real Bride, and obviously, he also finds a way to get rid of the demon Saroya once he realises this - otherwise the HEA would be a TEA (tragic ever after.) What I love about this book though, is that Lothaire in love is still a selfish, manipulative asshole. A hot manipulative asshole, but an asshole, nonetheless. The rutting scenes are also very hot indeed. Kresley Cole manages to make Ellie's decision to use her feminine wiles on Lothaire not only believable but logical. She also uses a pre-existing plot line from a previous book to give them their immortal HEA, and not a complete deus ex machina.
I read the Kindle version which was released on Amazon.co.uk yesterday. The Hardback isn't out until 19 January, but Amazon are selling it for £6.99 so no need to wait for the paperback.
If you like JR Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan etc, then I'd definitely recommend Kresley Cole. I didn't buy the first Immortals After Dark book (A Hunger Like No Other) for ages because the cover seemed a bit tacky (really) but once I'd read it I was hooked on the series.
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I've read more Kresley Cole's than I dare to admit, and this DOES sound good. to the Book Depository!
ReplyDeleteThis review has made my afternoon! I've never read any 'para-pon' but your entertaining description makes me want to ;). Did you devour it in a single day?!
ReplyDeleteSame guilty pleasure here, I just finished it. What I loved was interaction between Ellie and Lotharie, especially dialogues and that Cole always know how to deliver enterainig "action" plot.
ReplyDeleteHey MB - I didn't go to bed until midnight ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Suzanne - they are a complete romp. I do like her writing - she's not at all pompous.
Oh, sounds very promising! I also can't stand heroines in perpetual "Rescue me, I am only a little woman who needs to be looked and cannot think for herself"-mode.
ReplyDeleteI'm also a big fan of the paranormal romance for adults ;-)I've just finished Sherryl Kenyon's "Acheron" and still have tones of J.R. Ward, Lara Adrian & co. to read. They are indeed a guilty pleasure and a great read in winter months.
ReplyDeleteStill laughing at "Twilight with rutting"
ReplyDeleteThat's me heading off to load up my Kindle! Xx
ReplyDeleteOh wow! You have the exact same taste as me, love it!!!
ReplyDeleteHello anon - Kresley Cole's come complete with swords and nail polish. They are my kind of girls ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Laura - I'm winding up to Acheron - it's a huge book! I have a feeling his history is going to be hard to read. A guilty (but very enjoyable) pleasure.
Hello Samantha - Mr London has to take credit - it's how he describes True Blood ;)
Hi Victoria - enjoy :D
Hi Scarie - have you read it yet? Love these types of books, a bit of complete escapism.
I'm more of a conventional fantasy type myself but your description of irritating rescue-me heroines got me. Whatever you do, do not read A Discovery of Witches. My forthcoming review will explain why, but yup. Don't waste your precious Christmas reading days on its 600 pages. Like I did. Woe. *Pouts, wilts, waits expectantly for a decent book to rescue her.*
ReplyDelete*Sods it and re-reads Jane Eyre.*
Hi Postcolonial Rabbit - funnily, I got A Discovery of Witches for Christmas too. It's very much Twilight-for-30somethings (with insufficient rutting). Will look forward to your review!
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