Friday, November 20, 2015

Early Review: Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole

Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole
Rune the Baneblood and Josephine Doe

(Immortals After Dark #16)


Sweet Ruin (Immortals After Dark, #16)



Summary:
A foundling raised in a world of humans

Growing up, orphaned Josephine didn’t know who or what she was—just that she was “bad,” an outcast with strange powers. Her baby brother Thaddeus was as perfect as she was flawed; protecting him became her entire life. The day he was taken away began Jo’s transition from angry girl…to would-be superhero…to enchanting, ruthless villain.

A lethally sensual enforcer on a mission

A threat to the Møriør has brought archer Rune the Baneblood to the mortal realm to slay the oldest living Valkyrie. Whether by bow or in bed, he never fails to eliminate his target. Yet before he can strike, he encounters a vampiric creature whose beauty conceals a black heart. With one bite, she pierces him with aching pleasure, taking his forbidden blood—and jeopardizing the secrets of his brethren.

A boundless passion that will lead to sweet ruin…

Could this exquisite female be a spy sent by the very Valkyrie he hunts? Rune knows he must not trust Josephine, yet he’s unable to turn her away. Despite his millennia of sexual conquests, he can’t ignore the unfamiliar longing she arouses deep within him. When Jo betrays the identity of the one man she will die to protect, she and Rune become locked in a treacherous battle of wills that pits ultimate loyalty against unbridled lust.

Review:

It is no secret I am a Kresley Cole fan girl, but even a fan girl can admit when an author misses. Thankfully that has not occurred here and I continue in my deep abiding Kresley Cole worship!  We are now 16 books deep into the Immortals After Dark series, based on trends of other series past it should have gotten a bit stale by now, but Cole keeps pumping out hit! If anything the series keeps getting better! She continually surprises us and keeps the series fresh by not taking us where you think she is leading us. You think she is setting you up for one thing and bam, it’s you with something completely different. Like… two completely new characters we have never heard of!  Who does that, who introduces two brand new characters so late in a series when readers already have their favorites and have already been set up for a completely different set of lovers? (Think back to Munro and his gypsy that we were set up for 2 books ago) But here we are, and count on Kresley Cole to make it work.  Now I know I saw some outraged fans, thinking there are so many other characters that deserve to have their happily ever after, but keep your faith fans! Has Kresley Cole ever let you down? I know she hasn’t for me.

So why is this book so great, you ask? Why do these newbies deserve their happily ever after? Well as we all know Cole has been leading us into the Ascension and into possible Apocalypse and the Møriør is leading us there… Or are they?  Rune is a member of the Møriør but he’s not particularly evil. Maybe misunderstood and a total manwhore which after his stint as an actual whore is not all that surprising.  He’s 7000 years old which I think is one of the oldest main characters we have encountered thus far, but like the other immortals he’s kept up with the times.  He’s been dispatched by the Møriør leader to assassinate our beloved Nix and he’s trolling Nola to find her.  

Josephine is a young’n in her early 20’s, but her earliest memory is when she is eight and she doesn’t remember anything before then. She wakes up in the ghetto with her infant brother and knows she is now responsible for him. Jo is incredibly snarky with an ego a mile wide and has an obsession with being a superhero and at the tender age of I think 11 she takes on a local gang only to be shot in the face. She wakes up in the morgue with bullets in her face and her little brother in the care of a librarian. She believes herself a ghost who can incorporate and for the next decade or so has no idea what the heck she is. But she keeps her superhero obsession and is the protector of prostitutes and she ghosts into shells (living bodies) to feel a connection with people. Now she is in Nola and when she meets Rune she meets another freak like herself and she needs to know more. Instinct kicks in and she is compelled to snack on Rune’s tasty blood and he becomes hooked!  He’s a Banesblood and his blood is poison to every being except another Banesblood (Think Natalya Reigns roommate on the island of hell) so when Jo drinks and doesn’t die he knows he’s got to keep her around. From here we go on a rollercoaster ride of action, orgasm denial, a battle of wills, combat situations, lots of nymphs, and chasing down Nix. It’s a fantastic ride to be on! Oh and speaking of Nix, we get to see some of her other awesome powers besides her foresight and man does she kick some ass! Who knew she had it in her. Get ready for one of the best books in the series! Now go forth and pre-order if you are reading this before its out.  

*review copy was provided for an honest review, no other compensation was provided 

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