Review: Dark Skye (#15, Immortals After Dark) by Kresley Cole - Vilma Iris | Lifestyle Blogger

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Review: Dark Skye (#15, Immortals After Dark) by Kresley Cole

My Thoughts

An alluring tale of friends and enemies, packed with non-stop action, irresistible sexiness and heartfelt romance.

4halfstars

Synopsis

Dark SkyeIn this highly anticipated novel in the Immortals After Dark series, #1New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole spins a sultry tale of a mighty warrior scarred inside and out and the beguiling sorceress with the power to heal him – or vanquish him forever.

Eternal Obsession 

As a boy, Thronos, Lord of Skye Hall, loved Lanthe, a mischievous Sorceri girl who made him question everything about his Vrekener clan. But when the two got caught in the middle of their families’ war, tragedy struck, leaving Thronos and Lanthe bitter enemies. Though centuries have passed, nothing can cool his seething need for the beautiful enchantress who scarred his body – and left an even deeper impression on his soul.

Endless Yearning 

Lanthe, a once-formidable sorceress struggling to reclaim her gifts, searches for love and acceptance with all the wrong immortal suitors. But she’s never forgotten Thronos, the magnificent silver-eyed boy who protected her until she was ripped from the shelter of his arms. One harrowing night changed everything between them. Now he’s a notorious warlord with a blood vendetta against Lanthe, hunting her relentlessly.

Can the heat of desire burn brighter than vengeance? 

With their families locked in conflict and battles raging all around them, will Thronos and Lanthe succumb to the brutal chaos that threatens everything they cherish? Or will the fragile bond they formed so long ago spark a passion strong enough to withstand even the darkest doubts?

My Review

I’m a recent addict of all things Kresley Cole. Each time I’ve devoured one of her books, I’ve gotten the complete package. Phenomenal writing. Alluring characters. Vivid world building. And a compelling story that draws you in from the flip of the first page. I had never read an Immortals After Dark book, so I dove in blindly, into a series brought to life by warring and powerful immortal factions… from Valkyries to Furies, from Sorceri to Witches, from Vampires to Demons. Their world is called the Lore and they live alongside humans, hiding and touting their own unique powers as situations dictate, battling each other as old conflicts endure immortality. Thronos and Lanthe’s story is fraught with pent-up desire, misunderstandings, betrayal, hate and a longing for what was. A longing for what they used to be, for what they each wanted out of life and love, thinking they couldn’t find that with each other. Because before they were mortal enemies, they were best friends…

“To me, you smell like no one else in the world ever has, or ever will… It means you and I are going to be best friends. When we grow up, we’ll be … more.”

Thronos and Lanthe met each other as children. They were enemies then… Thronos was a Vrekner and Vrekeners despised Sorceri like Lanthe. But something about this curious, brazen girl caught his eye and they became furtive friends, cocooned in their own little world, sharing secrets as Thronos promised a lifetime together even then. But one day, one betrays the other, setting off a chain of treachery and retribution they could never take back. They went from being the best of friends to the most despised of enemies.

“She’d spent ages bolting at the sight of him, now this proximity was messing with her mind.”

But upon her escape from a human prison, Thronos catches her after centuries spent hunting her. The promise of vengeance fueled by the reality of having her after all that time. Despite their very real awareness of each other across the expanse of eternity, it had been so long since they’d spent time together.

The story really focuses on the uniquely charged dynamic between them. There’s hate and anger, lust and a lingering remembrance of what they were. They are both such strong, tenacious individuals and their banter is fierce and intense. It’s as if their very exchanges crackled with lightning, a chemistry that couldn’t be stopped. It was incredibly sexy and captivating to see.

“His blood painted her plump lips. Even in this state, she was still the most alluring creature he’d ever seen. And the most treacherous.”

As they move through worlds, fighting foe, fighting each other, they also inch closer together. Their relationship is so volatile, as we see moments of tenderness followed by moments of ferocity and anger.

“Instinct compels me to pursue you, to protect you. Otherwise I’d take your head myself! I want you like a man with a badly set limb wants his bone rebroken. It’s a bitter necessity. You are the bitterest necessity.”

One of the very alluring aspects of the story was that despite the anger, and the yelling, and the claims that they both hated each other, you could see how right they were together… how much they enjoyed every minute spent in each other’s presence. Their intensity was levied by irresistible banter that had me giggling and smiling.

“If you take issue with the term harlot, then perhaps you shouldn’t have slept with half the Lore.”
“Half?” she scoffed. “Three-quarters for the win!” …
“Besides, I don’t take issue with the term as much as the fact that you feel you can judge me. I despise judgmental people.”
“As do most creatures who deserve to be judged.”
“You got me. I’m a ho fo sho.”

Lanthe and Thronos have much to overcome. Not only must the fight the enemies that seek to kill them and figure out a way to safety, but they must battle all the truths and untruths to really understand each othernot as the people they perceived each other to bebut as the people they truly are. For years, they had simply assumed the worst of each other without bothering to excavate the truths.

“Melanthe iseverything missing from my lifemy ideal female. She wasn’t because she was faultless, but because he adored even her faults. He didn’t just want her, he needed her. They were halves of a greater whole.”

There were so many elements I loved in their story. Their world was vividly chaotic and alluring. Thronos was unfailingly loyal, passionate and loving. Lanthe was strong… a feminist of sorts, standing up for who she was unabashedly. But would Thronos love Lanthe despite her past? Could he trust that she wouldn’t use her powers of persuasion? Would she even stay with him? And could Lanthe move beyond the tragedy that set everything into motion? Could she separate the man from the faction? Her friend from the foe? Expect rich character development, irresistible sexiness, epic romance and lots of suspenseful action, all wonderfully come to life through Kresley Cole’s masterful storytelling.

“With all my dreams having come true, what will I dream of now?”

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