REVIEW: Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

 

Am I happy that a complete stranger at my local bookshop suggested I read Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark Series? You bet!!!!

What an amazing world the author created…..paranormal romance chucked in with beyond unbelievable characters…I mean in this book, Dreams of a Dark Warrior, it’s filled with the strangest, weirdest, more than just evil, cute, gorgeous and more supernatural characters than we knew existed!!!!! A world where  witches, vampires, valkyries (who are my favorite – they spunky, beautiful, mad, crazy, gorgeous women who believe in “Women Power”), werewolves war and love with each other……so vivid, so imaginative…….you get the idea!!!!!

I haven’t been reading the books in the read order, the reason being that I just grab any of the books wherever I find them…..can’t help myself…by waiting until I have the whole set…but it’s a good idea to do read them that way…..the world building continues in each book and one has a better understanding about the characters, places, etc.

We met Regin in the first book of the series – A Hunger like No Other…I found her  fascinating …gorgeous, raucous, funny, loyal……..I really liked the Valkyries…all living together in a beautiful estate called Val Hall, where lightning strikes continuously in the sky above it….u see these gals get their sustenance from lightning…figure that!!!!!!. This book is her story…and the man she has loved for ever…and I mean forever….thousands of years….and believe it or not…has remained faithful to Aidan the Fierce, a human berserker. I apologize to the author but I found this on her page which is a good description of the story:

“Regin the Radiant: Her mother’s people, The Radiant Ones, were exterminated by vampires, and Regins lives for retribution. Despite this, she has evolved into a wit and prankster, quick to laugh and striving to be the world’s most immature immortal. Her kisses are as drugging and addictive as the most powerful mystical narcotics. It’s rumored that centuries ago, she kissed Aidan the Fierce, a human berserker, and he’s since been reincarnated at least four times, unknowingly defying death to seek her again and again. Yet always when he unconsciously returns to her, history repeats itself, and just when Aidan remembers who he was and what Regin meant to him, he is killed trying to win her.”

This time Aidan comes back as Declan Chase, a mortal who has been through some horrific things which have led him to join the Order, an organization whose goal is to torture and kill immortals.

The scenes, where most of the story takes place are awesome. A secret lab on a hidden island, where immortals are taken by members of the Order…Declan included and is known as their top killer and interrogator, are so brilliantly descriptive that I felt as if I was one of the prisoners. And what a motley of so and so not delectable characters – Lothaire, a vampire with a secret agenda, who has no problem changing sides….he’s a real Switzerland…..and I want to know more about him!!!!! a  dark fae named Natalya (I hope there will be a book about her in the future)  and Thad, a half vamp (but he doesn’t know it…he thinks he’s human!!!) who share a cell with Regin are great…the banter between the three is so witty and funny that one scene had me laughing out loud…….

“When Thad began nuzzling her neck, pressing his opened lips against her, she smacked him in the back of his head, “Don’t go vamp on me now!”

“What!” He shot upright, his fangs sharp. “Where am I?”

She glanced at his fangs then down. “Oh my Gods, when do you not sport wood? There are bathrooms in the back, so go bury the worms or whatever.”

In fact the dialogue in the entire book is incredible …witty which brings some respite from the dark side of the story. And the story is dark. I hated Declan in the beginning….cruel, vicious and an addict…but as I continued I began to understand why he behaved and felt as he did. He’s like The Terminator throughout most of the book…..at one point I thought Regin would just chop his head off and get on with her life…without him….but how could that be possible!!!!!! They were meant for each other since the beginning!!!!

A story about everlasting, undying love…..no matter what obstacles are put between two people, their love will always win…I believe this so true.

. There were a few hot scenes but sex only really happens between Regin and Aidan towards the end of the book and I did find myself skimming over some of the almost sex scenes between the two….but when it happens…wow…..sizzling hot….and inventive positions that could be termed as XXXXX rated!!!!!

One of the characters I absolutely loved in this book was the raven-haired and oldest  and craziest Valkyrie, Nix the Everknowing….wow when we first see in this story, wearing a long skirt, cowboy books and a Tshirt that read Valkyrie, holding her pet bat, Bertil in her arms like a baby….i almost fell off my chair…..I mean she takes this bat everyone she goes…..eat your heart out Paris Hilton!!!!!! This gal has the right stuff….the style and much more….she can read the future!!!! I cannot wait to read her story.

Immortals After Dark is my fantasy world right now.

The books are definitely going to my “All Time Favourite” shelf!!!!