Friday, January 20, 2012

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Lothaire

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, as well as five award-winning historical romances.

Before becoming a writer, Cole was a world-ranked athlete, coach, and graduate student. She has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. Two of her favorite places to visit include the rain forests of Central America and the Far North Queensland area of Australia (where, by the way, she would not recommend swimming outside of the stinger nets--at night).

Cole’s trademark action, sensuality, and humor are best exemplified in her Immortals After Dark Series, which revolves around the Lore, a secret stratum of hundreds of immortal creatures--ranging from Vampires to Lykae, Furies to Shifters, and Fey to Valkyrie--that each have their strengths, weaknesses, and age old prejudices against the others. Though they secretly live among humans, they constantly war among themselves, which gives her a lot of material.

Her IAD books have been translated into seventeen foreign languages, garnered two RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.

Cole lives in Florida with her family and “far too many animals.” She spends any free time traveling and enjoys all things related to boats and water.

 Lothaire, Book #12 of the Immortals After Dark series
Author:  Kresley Cole

Synopsis:   
ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?


Our Review [by Michelle L. Olson – LITERAL ADDICTION’s Pack Alpha]:
I simply adore the Immortals After Dark series.  They were one of the first Paranormal Romance series that I got addicted to, and that has not changed release after release. 
Book after book, however, I found myself wondering when we’d get certain characters’ books – Lothaire and Nix were 2 at the very top of my list – so when it was announced that book #12 would be Lothaire’s book, I was ecstatic to say the least.

I had the book pre-ordered through Premiere Collectibles as a signed and numbered 1st Edition, I had it preordered for Kindle so I could actually read it immediately on release day, and because I was so busy with life on release day and the two days after, I ordered it on Audible as an audiobook as well. :)  I don’t regret ANY of those purchases, nor my copies from the FL signing, because this book was, in my honest opinion, the best IAD yet!

The big question in a lot of reader’s minds was:  “How in the world is Kresley going to make Lothaire, the evil Enemy of Old, into a hero?”  It’s a good question.  Lothaire has been evil since the first time we met him.  We knew he went through a lot, but didn’t know exactly what, yet time after time he’d present a conundrum – do I hate him, or do I love him BECAUSE he’s so bad?  He’d do something despicable, followed by something halfway decent, even if it was only to serve his own purposes, and leave us all wondering just what side of the fence we should be on with him.

What I loved about this book is that Kresley didn’t force it.  She didn’t try to make Lothaire into something or someone he’s not.  She let him be the sinfully yummy evil vamp that we’ve all come to adore be who he is, which had me putting myself in Ellie’s shoes wanting to kick his ass one moment and kiss him breathless the next. 

That’s the other thing I loved about this book.  The pairing was so out of left field, I started the book wondering how in the world it would work, until I learned more about the kind of person Ellie was and realized just how perfect it was.  Evil, sarcastic, controlling Lothaire meets his match in headstrong, stubborn, willful Ellie Ann Peirce.

This was also, by far, the HOTTEST Immortals After Dark yet.  I’m a connoisseur of Paranormal Romance and Erotica of all types so not much surprises me anymore, but there were parts in this book that had my temperature rising and a blush staining my cheeks.  :)  Add in that I was listening to Robert Petcoff do Lothaire’s sexy Russian accent during those parts and it was particularly naughty.

Outside of the amazing characters and the steamy romance, Kresley’s world and story building was, as always, superb.  While this book could actually be read as a stand-alone if so desired, there was also just enough history uncovered amongst the characters to not only thicken the plot but give us serial readers some wonderful moments.  The bits that were uncovered surrounding Lothaire and Nix’s past were particularly enjoyable for me, as were Hag’s story, and the best parts expanded upon from book #11.  

There were also some shocking secrets uncovered and surprises revealed in Lothaire about some other characters in the Lore; particularly in the Epilogue of the book.  While it’s a cliffhanger, if Kresley continues true to form, wherein each installment of the Immortals After Dark series gets better than the one before, we have some amazing reads to look forward to - not only with the direct IAD books, but also with the spinoff series that she has planned.  

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Lothaire 5 Skulls and would recommend it to EVERYONE!  If you have not yet started the IAD series, you really need to consider bumping it to the top of your TBR lists, because it’s a keeper.  There’s something for everyone in these books, and they just get better and better.

Lothaire:




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