Second in line to the throne of rage demons, Cadeon Woede
has vowed to right the terrible wrong that he's done to his
family. Cade refused to return to their homeland when his
brother Rydstrom requested, and because of this decision
their kingdom was stolen by a sorcerer called Omort the
Deathless. Since then, Cade has worked as a mercenary and is
known as Cade the Kingmaker among the Lore. He has a
reputation for being able to put anyone on a throne--except
the one person he wants to most. Finally, Cade is given the
opportunity to right this wrong by getting an ensorcelled
sword that will be able to kill Omort. The only thing he has
to do is deliver a woman known as the Vessel to Omort's
brother. The vessel is a member of the Lore who will give
birth to a child born of ultimate evil or ultimate
good--depending on the child's father. The problem is, she's
also Cade's fated female.
Holly Ashwin is an obsessive-compulsive PhD candidate at
Tulane who teaches mathematics to jocks. Holly has a thing
for threes, compulsive cleaning, and computer codes and
mathematics. She has been raised mortal and has no idea that
she's the Vessel until she's kidnapped from campus and held
hostage by a group of demons. While Holly is fighting them
off, she's struck by lightning and suddenly overcome with
the preternatural strength of a rage-filled Valkyrie. After
killing those who would do her harm, Holly meets up with
Cade who informs her that all of the myths she's ever heard
are real and that all the creatures of the Lore are after
her--some want her dead and some want to father her unborn
child. With him as her guide, Cade promises to help Holly
regain her mortality, which is all that she really wants.
Until she realizes that having a rage demon for a mate might
be better than her boring old life...
DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK is a worthwhile addition to the
Immortals After Dark series. I've been waiting for Cade's
story ever since Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
(book 3). And Cole didn't disappoint
me. Cade has always been a darker character who seemed
lonely and in need of affection. In Wicked Deeds, he makes a
half-hearted attempt at finding love with a witch only to be
shut down quickly by her Lykae mate. And in Dark Needs at
Night's Edge (book 4), he
once again tries to help his brother regain his crown, only
to commit an unforgivable offense against the vampire who
could have helped him. So it makes sense that to find love
he would have to choose between his life's mission and his
fated female. And watching it unfold was pure magic. Holly
is a worthwhile opponent to Cade's mercenary self, despite
the fact that she's half human. She knows what she wants and
she gives as good as she gets. This girl makes him work for
it every step of the way, and as she learns the ins and outs
of the immortal lifestyle and what it means to be a Valkyrie
she shows Cade that she's no shrinking violet.
Fans of the Immortals After Dark series will be happy to
hear that Kresley Cole hasn't lost her edge. These books
just keep getting racier, more intense, and more dazzlingly
suspenseful and entertaining. I haven't read one yet that
hasn't left me fulfilled and content, eagerly awaiting the
next one in the pipeline. If you haven't started this series
yet, I'm going to suggest you run, not walk, to buy A Hunger
Like No Other (book 1). And
if you're a longtime fan like myself, we'll have to content
ourselves with waiting for Not That Innocent, an
anthology
due out in May 2009.
RITA Award-winning author Kresley Cole continues her
bestselling Immortals After Dark series with this
electrifying tale of a ruthless demon mercenary and the
lovely young halfling who enchants him.
A
seductive beauty he can never have, yet can't
resist...
Cadeon Woede will stop at nothing to
atone
for the one wrong that will haunt him forever. But once
he
secures the key to his redemption, the halfling Holly
Ashwin, Cade finds that the woman he thought he could use
for his own ends and then forget haunts him as much as
his
past.
A tormented warrior she should fear, but
can't deny...
Raised as a human, Holly never knew
that some frightening legends are real until she
encounters a brutal demon who inexplicably guards her
like
a treasure. Thrust into a sensual new world of myth and
power, with him as her protector, she begins to crave the
demon's wicked touch.
Surrender to dark
desires...
Yet just when he earns Holly's trust,
will Cade be forced to betray the only woman who can sate
his wildest needs -- and claim his heart?