Dark Skye by Kresley Cole Series: Immortals After Dark #14
Published by Gallery on August 5, 2014
Genres: PNR, Romance
Pages: 420
Format: Hardcover
Source: Advance Reader Copy, Courtesy review copy
Goodreads
In this highly anticipated novel in the Immortals After Dark series, #1 New 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?
—SPOILER FREE—
Kresley Cole never ceases to ensorcell me with her writing. I think this is the only PNR series I started when the first book came out and have faithfully kept up with. I’ve quit the Dark Hunters, the BDB, and so many others, but not Immortals After Dark. There’s something bewitching about her world and her writing and I can’t let go.
This is the long-awaited story of Lanthe and Thronos, one we’ve been seeing glimpses of since Kiss of a Demon King. I won’t tell you their story, but I will tell you everything I think of it.
I think that Thronos is one of my favorite heroes. I think that Lanthe is an amazing heroine with such a fabulous outlook on life and the ability to bounce back from whatever is thrown her way.
Thronos and Lanthe have such a history, but I was so glad to see many of the misunderstandings get cleared up early enough that it isn’t the central driving plot. Of course, if you’ve read Kresley Cole, you’ll know that there is very rarely one central plot.
Enter Nix. Nucking Futs Nix is one of my favorite characters in the whole wide world. And guess what? We get treated to a bit of Nixery in this book. She has her own part and isn’t just on the sidelines. She’s a driving force of many many things, and we get to see her in action.
And I love that Thronos finally gets it. He gets it. He loves Lanthe and wants her for her, not just because instinct drives him to claim her as his mate. Her past no longer matters, and his past no longer matters. What matters is how they feel and what their future holds. She shows our virgin hero (yep, readers, virgin hero!) that it doesn’t matter how many men she’d been with, as long as he is the last, and the forever, that’s what really matters.
Meanwhile, through all of this, they are of course, in mortal peril. Or rather Immortal peril. heh.
Lanthe’s powers are still muted from the torque the Order has put around her neck, because this book picks off on that horrible island as everyone is escaping. She and Thronos not only have to work together, but they have to do it with her unpredictable powers. He might be a super strong and mighty warlord, but all his control goes out the window around Lanthe.
We see very little of the cast of characters we normally have roaming the pages of the Lore. Instead we’re treated to a story about Lanthe and Thronos that pretty much centers only on the two. Do you know how hard it is to write using only 2 characters for the majority of a book? It’s damn hard. I take that back; it’s damn hard to do well. Cole not only does it, but she does it well. She captures her reader from the first word and she doesn’t ever let go, not even once the last page is turned and the book is read. You will never leave her created world, and you’ll find you won’t want to.
I almost want to repeat that part. In fact, I will. You Won’t Want To. That book hangover feeling where you can’t find anything to measure up after a fabulous book? that’s what you’ll have here. You’ll catch yourself re-reading it even though you just finished it moments ago. You won’t be able to help yourself, it’s just that bewitching.
This book was the best birthday present ever. And that’s saying something since I got MacReive for my birthday last year.
***ARC courtesy of Gallery Books
