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Review
4.5 stars
Book 5 in the Immortals After Dark series brings us the story of vampire, Conrad Wroth. Brother to Nikolai and Sebastian (who have already had their stories told in the series), Nikolai is crazed by bloodlust. A Lore assassin, he kills by drinking his victims to death, thereby taking in their memories. And after hundreds of years of this existence, the madness is almost out of control.
Conrad’s brothers are desperate to help him, and so they abduct him and essentially imprison him in an abandoned manner. Determined to help bring him back from the madness, but resolved to ending his misery if he is unable to reclaim himself.
Naomi Laress was a famous ballerina until she was murdered by an obsessed ex-lover back in the 1920s. Since her brutal death she has remain trapped in her beloved home as a ghost, unable to communicate with those that live there over the decades.
Already you can see where this is going, right? Yes, Conrad, in his madness, is the first person to see Naomi. They are able to communicate, her presence soothes him in a way that nothing else can, and he starts to regain himself. And with them left alone with each other in the manor for extended periods, they start to grow close. And even though they can’t touch, that doesn’t stop them developing feelings for each other or experiencing some wicked sexual tension.
OMG! For a series that is usually highly smutty, the fact that Conrad and Naomi aren’t able to act on their desires doesn’t mean this book doesn’t follow suit. The chemistry is electric, and even though there’s no physical action going on, that doesn’t mean that things don’t get hot!
“When I think about kissing anyone, I imagine you. Only you. I can’t pretend that this isn’t so.”
But Conrad has made a lot of enemies over the years, and they are searching for him. If he is forced to defend himself, and the woman he loves, what will happen to his fragile sanity? And Naomi is desperate to experience real life again, so much so that she’s willing to make a heartbreaking sacrifice to get it. It’s all very intense (I actually got choked up at one point) and there are some great twists. My heart was pounding trying to figure out how it was all going to come together, and I thought it was fantastically done.
This book is a huge shift from the action-packed adventures of the last couple of books, but Kresley Cole has done a wonderful job with this story. It’s beautifully romantic, and the story kept me captivated all the way through. Conrad and Naomi are both great characters on their own, and I loved their dynamic together – the bravely fierce, yet romantically inexperienced warrior and a strong and brazen woman desperate to experience all that she can while she can. They are absolutely gorgeous together, and I lapped up every sweet, hot, passionate moment.
“People think happiness will simply fall into their laps. You have to aspire to it. And sometimes you have to seize it when it’s kicking and screaming.”
And through it all there’s a whole lot of supernatural awesome going on. There are rumblings all throughout the Lore as the series builds towards something big coming. I loved the involvement of Mari and the Valkyrie. Nix always makes me laugh, and the dynamic between the wild group of women is freaking hilarious! There’s also activity with Rydstrome and Cade, and I’m liking the lead in to their stories coming up.
I love getting lost in this world! It’s complex, but brilliantly tied together, and I’m so excited to continue on.
4.5 stars.
For full series info, see our Immortals After Dark series page.