İblis Kral'ın Öpücüğü

Immortals After Dark #6

by Kresley Cole, Aydan Şanlısoy Özbek (Translator)

Bir Öpücükle Kraliçesi Olacağını Anlamıştı!

Büyücünün Felaketi…
Bir büyücü olan İllüzyonlar Kraliçesi Sabine muhteşem bedeninden vazgeçmeyi göze almıştır ama kalbinden asla vazgeçmeyecektir.

Savaşçının Saplantısı…
İblislerin kralı ve amansız bir savaşçı olan Rydstrom Woede ise ne pahasına olursa olsun büyücüden vazgeçmeyeceğine dair yemin etmiştir.

Birbirlerini Bu Kadar Çok Arzulayacaklarını Kimse Bilemezdi…
Âşıkların tutkusu alev alev yakan her karşılaşmalarında giderek artmaktadır. Birlikteliklerine engel olan şeytani düşmanı yenebilirlerse Sabine iblis için her şeyden vazgeçecek midir? Yoksa gururlu Kral, tacı ile kılıcını bir kenara bırakıp büyücünün peşinden mi koşacaktır?

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Demons, Vampires, Urban Fantasy

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers series, and five award-winning historical romances.

A master’s grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings.
Her IAD books have been translated into 23 foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, a RWA Hall of Fame induction, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.

Cole lives in Florida with her family. Learn more about Kresley at: www.kresleycole.com & www.thearcanachronicles.com

Reviews

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew! Just when I thought that maybe I was going to get bored with this series, this book made me fall in love with it all over again. Something about these books appeals to me on a very primal level. Although the caveman dialogue is laughable at times, it definitely appeals to your baser needs. Whoever thought that grunts and single-word sentences like "Mine" would be so damn sexy? This series is my new guilty pleasure.

Rydstrom and Sabine were everything that I was looking for. Talk about having a love-hate relationship! For most of this book either Rydstrom or Sabine was a captive of the other. Neither wanted to submit, but they both wanted it so bad. The anticipation was painful and splendid.

Rydstrom has been fighting to reclaim his throne for hundreds of years. He has made great personal sacrifices in order to place his duty to his kingdom above all else, including searching for his fated bride. He has accepted his lot in life and values honor more than personal pleasure.

Yet just when he has his crown back within his grasp, he finally encounters his mate. As if the gods were playing a joke on him, his female is none other than the powerful sorceress Sabine. Known for her ruthlessness as much as she is known for her beauty, she is also the sister of his usurper.

As evil as Sabine may seem outwardly, she's really just a product of her circumstances. She knows all too well that she cannot trust others. She has been hunted since she was a child and has been killed in cold blood more than once. She trust only herself and her sister.

From start to finish, these two were a match made in hell, or heaven, depending upon the moment. I loved their tumultuous relationship. You never knew whether they were going to go at it or kill each other!

Overall, I thought this was a great story. I will be starting the next book in the series immediately. Love it!

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just discovered Kresley Cole’s “Immortals after Dark” series, I have been searching for all the books in the series and so far have read 3, which I have really enjoyed. I am not a big fan of fantasy but the combination with paranormal romance works for me!!!!

Kiss of the Demon King is the 7th book in the series and so far it’s not one of my favourites.

The hero, Rydstrom, is the deposed King of the Kingdom of Rothkalina, a scarred, horned demon who is trying to get back his kingdom with the help of his brother and all those Valkyrien, crazy women...wow I adore Nix.....what a character......not sure if I am crazy about the horns these demons have....i try to block them out of my head when I read.....maybe I will get use to them in the future...but right now I would love..no horns...who knows he may cut them off like his brother did to please his wife, Holly who wants to live a normal life amongst humans...so cool!!!!

On his way to meet his brother and find the only thing that will kill the evil Omort, who took over his kingdom and almost killed him, he’s captured by Sabine, the Sorceress of Illusions, the evil beauty who just happens to be Omort’s half-sister. This woman is a heroine beyond believe...beautiful, conniving, selfish, self-centred....I could go on and on ....but wait....why do I like her so much!!!!!!! But I did....because I saw the real Sabine..someone who has suffered so much in her lives...yes she dies and comes back a few times......not how she sees herself.

After meeting each other...in a situation not to Rydstrom’s liking...of course not.....he realizes that she is the mate he has been waiting for the last 500 years. However, being a very upstanding, honest (unable to tell a lie we are told!!) demon he finds it hard to believe that such a person like Sabine could possibly be the right one!!!!

What I most loved about this book was Sabine....I mean she wants to change the world Rydstrom has always known in his kingdom...away with boring and drab clothing.....it’s going to be bright coloured minis, laces, gold, gold and more gold (she is hooked and addicted to gold)

The author’s world building is incredible....a world still in the dark ages and suddenly you “trance” to modern day New Orleans....makes it so much more real to me. Well real in a way...because this world is filled with so many crazy characters...fire demons, lykaens, witches, vampires, valkyrians and others that I can’t remember right now.

The dialogue is stunning, humorous....found myself laughing out loud a few times.....how could one not when you read:

Sabine gave a scoff, “I could be virtuous if I wanted to be.”
In an incredulous tone, he said “You don’t know the meaning of virtue!”
“Of course I do – it means your thong must be white.”

There's a lot of action, violence and SEX....WOWWWWW ....the two just couldn’t stop doing it....with each other, to each other.....i can’t remember when last i read a book that had so many pages of hot, steamy, sexy, hot sex.....

Great ending......the last scenes are so cute....and of course funny...how could it not be when it’s about this gorgeous interesting woman.

I am looking forward to read the other books....always surprised by the plots/characters.

[P · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I'm not interested in a life that doesn't have you in it.”

Kiss of a Demon King is hot beyond measure. Rydstrom is not a caveman like the other heroes of this series, he is a king and duty bound to reclaim the throne. As he was captured in the last book, Rydstrom will not allow his plan to be interrupted by a sorceress who gradually invades his heart. Sabine is a multilayered character, Kresley Cole shows us since the beginning of the book why she ended up like this, her past was heartbroken for me and made me pity her so much then.



The chemistry between the MCs didn't start immediately, it slowly soaked into my conscious, and when climaxes hit, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. THAT epicness was everything. I liked how each main character has their reasons and are on their own ways to accomplish the goals, they're so reckless and independent though.

“SHE MAY BE AN EVIL BITCH, BUT SHE IS MY EVIL BITCH. AND I'LL HAVE NO OTHER”

I liked this book more than the last one even though the stories overlap a bit. I think Kresley Cole is good at this, her narration is strong but sensual that I'm always excited whenever her new books are out.



https://goo.gl/5pelZP

[Warda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread!

----------------

I think this will probably end up being my favourite paranormal romance series.

Not only are these stories enticingly paranormal, but Kresley Cole manages to create such an enriching world with wonderful characters and an engaging plot. The sense of humour in these books perfectly match what I like. It’s so, so entertaining.

The men are gloriously possessive - once they get past the hate - and the women? For a lack of better word are bitches. Boss-ass bitches.

So if you like your enemies to-lovers trope, Kresley Cole is it, tbh. She brings these two characters together that are from the opposite ends of the world when it comes to their beliefs and their way of thinking and species and somehow manages to create a convincing love story.

And if you love your audiobooks, Robert Petkoff is your person. I could listen to him all day.

4.5 🌟

[Sophia Triad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rydstrom Woede, Demon & Sabine, Sorceress

Okay, this was definitely love-at-first-sight for the fallen demon king of Rothkalina and for the Queen of Illusions:

"So you're just a cold, heartless bitch."
"As much as you're a self-righteous, miserable prick."

Sabine has known that she is Rydstrom’s mate for hundred of years and she has tried to be prepared for their first time. She learned all the tricks of seduction; she was reading about his life; his conquests and his battles from afar. And she stayed a virgin. Because it has been predicted that their offspring, their son will be powerful and unique. There should not be any doudt when she was finally pregnant.

Unfortunately, nobody informed Rydstrom that his future mate has already been born and that she is a detestable sorceress. Thus, he was trying to find his mate among every available and willing demoness. More than a thousand years later, he is too bored to try another female. There is no challenge for him.

For a demon prince, attempting females was critical. He'd bedded one after another, trying to find his consort. Rydstrom had taken more females in the first century of his life than he had during the fourteen that followed.

And then Sabine appears as an instrument of his worst enemy, fools Rydstrom, ties him up with magic and spends days and days “poking the bear”, i.e. the demon. Not a very clever thing.
To be honest, I got bored after a while. I think the seduction scenes maybe could have been a bit shorter.

Anyways, this is another amazing book of the series. Rydstrom will have to win his consort and get his Kingdom back.
Winning Sabine will be actually harder than he thought it would be, because he understands only demonesses’ behavior and Sabine is completely different species:

Sabine gave a scoff. "I could be virtuous, if I wanted to be."
In an incredulous tone, he said, "You don't know the meaning of virtue!"
"Of course I do-it means your thong must be white."

But it doesn’t matter because she belongs to Rydstrom and he will never let her go:

"That sorceress might be an evil bitch, but she's my evil bitch. And I'll have no other."

Worth mentioning: Valkyrie Nyx plans to visit the Lords of the Underworld (Gena Showalter’s world) in Budapest. Her appearance will be described in book “The Darkest Whisper”, where she will confuse Torin….
…Every so often he would catch a glimpse of a beautiful woman walking through town. Long black hair, exotic eyes that were bright one moment and glazed the next. She’d pause in her stride, smile, frown, then kick back into gear. When the wind caressed her, ruffling her hair, Torin would catch the barest hint of…pointed ears? Whether he was seeing things or not, the sight of those ears made him hard as a rock. He had the strangest urge to lick them.
She wore a T-shirt that said Nixie’s IAD House O’ Fun, and she had earbuds in her ears.
What was a Nixie?

[Ali L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so Rydstrom is the rage demon king with the annoying brother and he’s fated to make a baby with Sabine who’s a 500 year old virgin (technically, if you can be technical about social constructs like virginity) and she just wants to get away from her FULL CREEP OF A BROTHER so she is down to have this baby to fulfill the prophecy but Rydstrom is like, nope I want to be Ward Cleaver and have a happy family so we’re going to do that and Sabine is like, no we’re going to get me pregnant and then I’m going to praying mantis you and they end up angrily getting each other off while one of them (it varies who) is chained to the bed and it’s sort of like 400 pages of role playing because even when they’re mad at each other, they aren’t, like, that mad. It would be problematic if it wasn’t so charming. Also there’s a little orphan demon and he’s so cute! This series is insane and has made me a crazy person.

[Hannah B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please don’t look at me if you didn’t like this book. I will bark at you.

[Auntee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to say up front that I was fully prepared not to like this one, or at least be a little disappointed because of the mixed reviews I've read. But darn it, after about page 150 (which I know, that's a long time to give a book a chance) I was totally riveted, did not want to put it down, and bought into the story hook, line and sinker! In fact, I just spent about 3 hours to finish it up, and even teared up at the end. And most of the time I had a silly smile on my face or caught myself chuckling while reading. Go figure.

So the book started out a little slow and confusing for me. It took me a while to immerse myself again in Kresley Cole's world of the Lore with the demons, vampires, sorceri, witches, valkyri, and assorted immortals. This stuff can get overwhelming at times. It took me a while to remember and get up to speed with the Demon King of Rothkalina, Rydstrom, and his story. Things picked up when the sorceress Sabine, the Queen of Illusions, stepped into Rydstom's life. These two had a powerful chemistry, and I loved the bickering, the sexual tension, and the constant one-ups-manship between the two of them. They had the whole love/hate thing going on, and I loved seeing Rydstrom struggling with his control and his growing feelings for Sabine. I loved Rydstrom's sexy presence (even his demon's horns!) and his whole honorable character, yet I also loved seeing Sabine push his buttons and making him lose control and do and say things he wouldn't normally do.

Now Sabine...I took a while to warm up to her. Which isn't surprising for me, since I always find something objectionable about Cole's heroines (compared to the heroes)- at least at first. It's hard to like a heroine who lies, cheats, steals, and is so stubborn and devious...but there was just something about her, and the more I read and found out her circumstances, the more I forgave her and began to admire her (sort of like Rydstrom did). I loved reading her thoughts about Rydstrom, and loved seeing her struggle with her feelings for him. I thought the sexual torture in the castle dungeon went on a little too long and dragged the story down a tad, even though it was kind of hot. But the story really picked up for me when Rydstrom made his escape with Sabine in tow, and he unleashed his full demonic and masculine powers. Now that was hot.

I also enjoyed when Rydstrom and Sabine made their way to New Orleans, and had a run in with some of the previous characters in the series (especially Nix). I liked Nix's reference to checking out the "Lords of the Underworld"--that was cute. There were some very funny moments between Nix, Rydstrom and Sabine, a funny moment in the bar when Sabine meets up with Regin, and a conversation between Holly (Dark Desires After Dusk) and Nix about Dirty Jobs star Mike Rowe that made me laugh out loud. It was also in New Orleans where Rydstrom and Sabine finally started admitting their feelings for each other, and finally had a mutually satisfying sexual encounter (page 357!) instead of just over-the-top sexual tension. So the reader has to wait a long time, but to paraphrase Rydstrom "it was worth every minute of the wait."

The conclusion was action packed, with Sabine's near death, Rydstrom's reuniting with his brother Cadeon, the sacrifice Rydstrom was willing to make for love, and the final showdown with Omart the Deathless. I think I bit off a few fingernails reading the final 30 pages! There was a very nice epilogue that brought you up to date with some of the characters but left a few unanswered questions and left a few stories hanging. I'm sure there will be some future books that will take care of that though.

It's hard to pick a favorite out of this series, because to me they're all good in their own way. It's all a matter of what characters you connect with, and whose story speaks to you. It may not have supplanted my favorite (No Rest For The Wicked), but Kiss of a Demon King came darn close. 5 stars!

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoilers



I didn't think I was going to like this one that much because I thought the last one was just meh, but I really liked this one. Sabine was a little rough around the edges for about half of the book but she had good qualities too and she was also a fighter and braver for all the things that happened in her life. She was a darker character but not evil.

“You leave me tied up like a dog? Then you had better remember that this bitch bites!”

“Sabine gave a Scoff. "I could be virtuous, if I wanted to be."
In an incredulous tone, he said, "You don't know the meaning of virtue!"
"Of course I do - it means your thong must be white.”

Rydstrom Woede was sexy and honorable with a kinky side. He makes a good king and sexy alpha male.

“SHE MAY BE AN EVIL BITCH, BUT SHE IS MY EVIL BITCH. AND ILL HAVE NO OTHER”

He swooped her up in his arms. "Will you shut up?" With his free hand, he brushed her tears. "I made it ten minutes before I came after you.”

I really enjoyed Rydstrom who is so in control lose his crap in their relatioship I love that they are the polar opposites, but they complement each other.



I loved love loved when he told cade:

"I never hated you." Rydstrom gruffly added, "I love you, brother. And I'm proud of the man you've become." *tear* God so cute...........

and Nix is one of my favorite characters The things she says always gets me laughing and I loved the shout out to Lords of the underworld

“Auntie Nixie’s taking a TO. I’m heading to Budapest, to investigate this band of immortal warriors, “ she explained. “They’re called the Lords of the Underworld. If that doesn’t make you want to mate...” She growled and clawed at the air. “Anyway, they’re supposed to be excessively hawt.”

The end was just the icing on the book cake for me The brave queen helps save the kingdom with her king and he saves her life and cade's having twins!!!!!!!!! Great book on to the next one

[KristenReviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Wow! Absolutely fantastic! I loved Kiss of a Demon King!

For a book I wasn't too sure about in the beginning, I ended up loving every thing about this story. The range of emotions I experienced while reading Kiss of a Demon King was surprising and enthralling, making me savor everything about this book.  

I was captivated, and, frankly, mesmerized by the complex, belligerent, sinister, yet somewhat humorous relationship between the hero, Rydstrom, and the heroine, Sabine. They were imperfectly perfect together, and I admired their eventual acceptance of each other for who they were, both as a species and as individuals. 

Our couple sum each other and their relationship up perfectly during the following conversation from the book:

"So you're just a cold, heartless bitch."

"As much as you're a self-righteous, miserable prick." Her lips curled into a smirk. "But that doesn't mean we can't have something meaningful between us."

The epilogue at the end of this book left me with a huge smile on my face, and an anxious anticipation to read the next book in the series. I think it's safe to say I'm very much enjoying the Immortals After Dark books.  

[Exina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit that in the Immortals After Dark series I liked Kiss of a Demon King the least.

It has many positive aspects, but also many, many things I disliked about it.

First, I was forced to reread what I have already known about the world of the Lore. Although very important information was also offered, such as the story of Sabine and Melanthe, facts about the world of the Sorceri, and how Omort had taken over Castle Tornin, it is too long, too detailed, and descriptive. Nothing happens, and there is no action in this part.

Rydstrom is chained to the bed through almost 130 pages! There is no suspense as he is chewing over his lost crown, his relationship to his brother Cadeon – although it is nice to see how Rydstrom relates to him –, and whether Cade gets the sword or not. Since I’ve read the books of the series in order, I’ve already known that Cade succeeds. Before reading, I assumed this book starts at the point in time (or a little bit earlier) when Cadeon’s book ends. But no. I’ve waited for Cadeon and the sword’s arrival for 335 pages!
I was a little bit disappointed in Rydstrom, I expected more humor, and less rigor. I didn’t feel his character close to me.

I sympathized with Sabine and Lanthe very much. Their life was so hard, and painful, and they are still living in continuous threat. Sabine’s behavior is understandable. I loved to follow her emotional journey. Lanthe has a great sense of humor, and I hope she has her own book as well.

Omort, as the antagonist, is perfectly drawn as well, because I hated him with all of my heart.

The highlight of the story is the appearance of Nïx and her friends – not a surprise.

“Kill me, Valkyrie?” Sabine scoffed. “I can make you see things that will turn your brain to soup.”
“A-gain,” Nïx sighed, unfazed by the threat.
Sabine probed the Valkyrie’s mind, finding easy access- With a stifled gasp, Sabine just as rapidly withdrew her probe. Chaos, utter chaos.
“Welcome to my world!” Nïx said with an exaggerated wink.

The sibling story-lines are elaborated thoughtfully. I loved to see the strong bond and love between Sabine and Lanthe. Rydstrom and Cadeon’s relationship is also worth mentioning, as they finally realize and admit how important they are for each other.

The story action is stuffed with unnecessary episodes without excitement or dynamism, and the final battle in Castle Tornin is too short.

*After reread: it's still not among my favorites... :/

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sparkled from the first sentence. Love the lead-in with introducing Sabine's character. I finished this book yesterday and I loved it. It was dark in a way that the others weren't quite dark. The usurped kingdom of Rothkalina has some murky happenings under the helm of Omort the Deathless. I believe this is also due in part to the fact that the heroine is supposed to be evil in this story. I wouldn't exactly call her evil. I'd call her pragmatic. She's had a rough life that taught her to look out for Number One and her sister. She died several times, and faced enemies out for her blood innumerable times. She was raised in a environment where kindness was considered weakness, and where she always had to be on guard. In that context, she didn't come off as evil. But juxtaposed to virtuous King Rydstrom, she probably does seem amoral. I admired Sabine for her survivor traits and for being down to earth about who she was. She was a sensual being, she liked her gold, and she liked to dress dramatically. And she was do what was necessary and wouldn't hesitate in the doing of of it.

That is the great thing about this story. Rydstrom and Sabine are soulmates. They may not view life the same way, but I felt they were a great pair because their strengths complemented each other. And although Sabine is not exactly what Rydstrom thought he wanted in a queen, it turns out she is exactly what he needed, and vice versa.

I hesitate to call this story a redemption story, because I don't believe that Sabine is actually redeemed all that much. She does learn to let others into her heart and to allow herself to care, but she was never a person who killed for no reason or went out of her way to hurt others. Merely, she was a person who was hardened to others. And we see that she does grow in her ability to feel for others. It was nice to see her bond with the demon orphan Puck, despite the fact that she has no use for children, and her kind is raised to look down on demons. She will always be a bit of a wild card, who has moral flexibility, yet it is clear that she won't harm innocents, and is devoted to her King and would do anything for him. I truly believe she will be an excellent Queen for Rothkalina.

A purist would find some of the happenings in this book somewhat objectionable. This story has a lot of bondage, control, and captive themes. The script get flipped around and the captive becomes the captor. I didn't have issues with the way things unfold because it was very true to the characters and the storyline. Although Rydstrom is a boy scout type hero, every person has their limits as to what they will take, and he is also a Rage Demon who has been under lots of stress for millenia. So it made sense that he would explode or implode at some point. And Sabine was following through to her nature as an extreme pragmatist of a morally flexible disposition. Considering what Sabine did to Rydstrom in the first part of the book, I felt that it was fair what Rydstrom did to Sabine when he got the opportunity. The term parity was used. I believe there was definitely parity in his treatment of her. The great thing is the huge lie that he told Sabine was actually laughed off by her and she was proud of him for doing it. It was an interesting moment to read, as I was expecting the stuff to hit the fan, but Sabine laughs and says that she is proud of him for doing what he did. So in the end, they were a very interesting couple with a unique dynamic between them for a romance.

I really liked how the relationship issues were resolved between Ryd and Sabine. He didn't feel that he could trust Sabine to stay with him, and he had to learn that she would stay with him out of choice, so he had to learn to trust her love for him. Sabine had to learn to do what she said she would instead of lying all the time, which she did. She had to learn to trust someone to take care of her, as she had always taken care of herself or her sister, and vice versa. And she had to learn to allow herself to be loved and to trust in that love. She wanted a strong man, but then she had to realize that a strong man would want to protect his woman. For a woman used to being in control, surrendering control must have been extremely difficult. I can understand having those issues, because I don't like depending on others or being under someone's control. So in that way I could identify with her, due to my own trust and control issues.

The world-building and fantasy elements in this story were excellent. It was exciting to keep reading and to see more of the Lore world that Cole has written. Fundamentally, this is a very steamy paranormal romance, but it is also just as good as fantasy on the sword and sorceror side, if the readers doesn't mind lots of steamy, descriptive sex scenes. The humor is also excellent, and I found myself laughing out loud many times. I really admire the way that Cole can combine humor and intensity in her books. She is the queen of great one liners. This along with the sexy men and their devotion to the women they love, is what keeps me coming back to her books, and the Immortals After Dark in particular. Not to mention the wonderful, mythical world she has created, using her imagination, and the old folklore and myths that I grew up reading. And I love that her heroines are strong and real-life, with their share of flaws and admirable traits.

It was great to get inside of the Demon King's head and to see his conflict with Cadeon from his viewpoint. To see what his struggle has been. And his loneliness waiting for his true female. You feel for him because all along, having a woman to love was probably just as important as regaining his throne, but he couldn't wear his heart on his sleeve since he was a King. Thus issues are deeper than it seemed on the outside. Yes, Ryd was upset that his kingdom was lost, but he also was upset with the way he felt that Cadeon was wasting his life. I was glad to see the brothers make up and come to an understanding of each other. Rydstrom turns out to be a three-dimensional character with a good and a bad side, and with scores of passion locked inside of his methodical demeanor. He is as intense as they came, and boy do I love the intense heroes. I loved his fixation on Sabine, although at times, it seemed quite out of control, but then Sabine was a pretty maddening heroine to deal with for a man/demon like Rydstrom. I was glad that in my opinion, he never truly hurt her or did anything beyond the pale, based on their unusual relationship.

It's also great to see appearances by other members of the Lore, such as Nix, who always has a rather pivotal role, Holly, fighting off some massive morning sickness, and a brief appearance by Regin. It's like seeing old friends again, and catching up. We also get to meet some new characters that I hope to see more of. I feel that there is much to be resolved between Sabine's sister Melanthe and Thronos, who is out for her blood. Future couple? I think yes. I am also intrigued by Lothaire, a Fallen vampire, who seems like he may not be as evil as one would think.

So when this book ended, I was sad. I wanted to read more, and experience more of this universe. But I enjoyed every moment of the reading. I hope that Cole continues to write these books long into the future, and I can't wait to see how the Ascension goes down, as we see the formidable Lore being paired up and forming the force for the good.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this last year, but I just realized my review was like 3 sentences and pretty crappy for such an awesome book!

I love Rydstrom, and have loved him since the beginning of the Talisman's Hie.

He has been looking for centuries for his female, hoping to find a noblewoman of his kind, but never in million years did he think he'd be stuck with Sabine the Queen of Illusions.

She takes him prisoner in Cade's book, remember? Well, now we find out what she does with him. See Sabine's not on the same side as Rydstrom...nope, she's on the side for EVIL! really, she and her sister Lanthe are just trying to survive, no matter which side they are on, really they are on their own side, the 2 of them. And have been forever.

Well, Sabine chains Ryd up and torments him sexually until he is willing to make her his queen, or so she thinks. Really the vows in demonish that he gives her, are for revenge, not marriage. Ooopsie!

Once Rydstrom escapes with Sabine as his hostage (hey, turnabout's fair play, right?), with a little help from Lothaire, they escaped.

After Ryd tortured Sabine right back, they both realized that they each felt, something, for each other. Hmm...what could that be?

Love! That's right, the two fell in love! And my favorite part of the whole book is when Rydstrom realized he couldn't change Sabine, so he let her go...but he realized that maybe he didn't want to change her...

He found her not even a block away from the house, sitting on a curb.
As he approached, he saw her wiping her face with her forearm.
Sabine was...crying? "What are you doing out here, cwena?" Over the past week, Rydstrom had been pleased when she'd worried about him, and gratified when she'd felt the sting of jealousy. Was he a terrible man to hope she was crying about him?
She glared at him with her bottom lip quivering, allowing him to see her like this instead of using a mask. "I d-don't have anywhere else to g-go." Another swipe of her forearm over her eyes. "Lanthe's gone, and I c-can't get to her for six days. And I'm in a strange t-town and land, and Vrekeners are everywhere."
Sabine hadn't even mentioned what they'd just gone through-
"And you br-broke up with me!" she said, her tears falling faster. "Is that supposed to make me happy?"
"Come inside, Sabine."
"No! You t-told me not to." She sniffled, "You don't want me at your house."
He swooped her up in his arms. "Will you shut up?" With his free hand, he brushed her tears. "I made it ten minutes before I came after you."

awwww...best line ever! "I made it ten minutes..." sniff sniff...

This series is awesome, but READ THEM IN ORDER!!!!

[Sammy Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Freaking Amazing Stars!!!

Rydstrom Woede, Demon King



Rydstrom is a King without a crown. He lost his kingdom over nine hundred years ago to a very evil Sorcerer, Omort the Deathless. Rydstrom is known for his nobility. He never tells a lie and he's always in control of his emotions.

But his life is about to take a wicked turn into the twilight zone when he gets kidnapped by an evil sorcerous. She intends to chain him to a bed and use his body to produce an heir. And the wicked bitch just happens to be his fated mate!


Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions


Sabine has had to fight to survive since she was a child. She has only known the love of her sister, so Sabine became a product of a loveless life. Her heart is cold and has never known tenderness or warmth. Sabine is basically an Evil Bitch!! Not only can she create illusions that will 'Mind Fuck' you. Sabine is also beyond bloodthirsty on the battlefield.







Sabine is also a prisoner of her evil brother, Omort the deathless. Yes, his name says it all. He is so powerful that he can't die. He also has the HOTs for Sabine, EEWW, and she knows he will eventually take what he wants from her.

She needs the heir to the Demon kingdom in order to secure her freedom and safety from her brother. So Sabine uses her powers of illusion to abduct the Demon King. But even she is not prepared for the avalanche of lust and emotions that he invokes.





This is a deliciously naughty as Sabine attempts to seduce her demon by chaining him in her bed. She teases him until his thoughts become dark with lust and plots of revenge. I also loved watching the tables turn as the captor became the captive. Payback is a bitch!!






Sexual Payback can be torture…Oh what delicious torture!!!






I loved Rydstrom. He had the biggest, softest heart. He also wanted Sabine to love him as desperately as he loved her.

"What do you want me to do, demon? What do you want?"
"I don't know'." he bellowed, putting his fist through the wall. "I want you to feel something. For me."… "Because you're clawing my bloody heart from my chest!"






Yes, Love Hurts!!! And this book was Amazing!! It was full of action, deceit, comedy and passion. The Woede brothers are my absolute favorites. They are so intense!!






This series really needs to be read in order because there is an overall plot and storyline that continues from book to book. Plus characters are constantly re-appearing which I love. I also have a major girl crush on Nix!!! LOVE HER!!!

If you love paranormal romance, READ This Series!!!


My Immortals After Dark Reviews:

The Warlord Wants Forever
A Hunger Like No Other
No Rest for the Wicked
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
Dark Needs at Night's Edge
Dark Desires After Dusk
Kiss of a Demon King
Untouchable
Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Demon from the Dark
Dreams of a Dark Warrior
Lothaire
Dark Skye

[Azet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kresley Cole never cease to amaze me with her continuation of the addicting "Immortals After Dark"-series in "Kiss of a Demon King".I was fascinated by the fast-paced beat of sensual romance,erotic power-game and thrilling adventure in trying to win back the crown of Rothcalina.I loved everything about this book,EVERYTHING!

I found Sabine the sorceress called Queen of Illusions such a refreshing creature of a heroine,she made me laugh so many times.She enslaves and abducts the hero,the ruthless Demon King Rydstrom Woede,knowing he is her fated mate and vows to become his Queen against his wishes and sexually tortures him throughout his imprisonment,but he refuses to give in until she surrenders her heart to him,and that for her simply won`t do.
Our Demon King has definitely met his match in the devious temptress that makes him forget even his own name and his responsibilities to his Kingdom.Rydstrom Woede`s orderly world shakes apart after meeting his fated mate in Sabine.I wondered what exactly happened in the other book since he seemed more deathly than ever,but damn....these two together ruled the world,and were so badass together and so passionately in love with each other.I love the way Rydstrom found excuses for her,how he pursued her and fought til death for her heart.Everytime he called her "cwena" in demonish language (which means "little queen") made my heart skip,i mean watching this sexy hunky Alpha King being so sweet and romantic towards her just made me wanna melt!When it almost seemed that he would lose her,i shed some tears for them both.They may have been totally opposites,but damn they were perfect despite it,and i love that they would change nothing about each other!

Nix the Ever-knowing are crazy as always-and i love her!It was nice meeting Cadeon again and his now very pregnant Holly.Lothaire`s dark presence totally captivated me,i mean he is so evil that i can`t help but be fascinated by him!Look forward to reading his book,i mean who in hell will capture his evil heart!!!???I loved reading "Kiss of a Demon King" and i loved Sabine and Rydstrom both individually and together,i am 100% re-reading this book in the future because everything about the romance took my breath away!

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waitress : Welcome back to the...oh, it's you again.

Me : Yeah, it's me. What's on tap tonight?

Waitress : Demon brew and lots of it. In honor of the demon king finding his queen.

Me : You got anything else? That demon brew burns like a bitch.

Waitress : Sabine requested that we keep a supply of sweet wine on hand. Our purchaser accidentally ordered 100 cases instead of the 10 he was supposed to. I suppose I could round some up for you.

Me : I guess, if there's nothing else. Can you tell me more about the new 'bad girl' fantasy that's on the menu?

Waitress : *snaps gum* Oh yeah, that. You get to be as rude as you want and the man keeps coming back for more.

Me : Ooh. Sounds fun. Does it turn him on?

Waitress : Sure does. Only he fights back, just so you know. And he wants to win.

Me : I can handle it. I'll take that fantasy.

************************************************************

Score one for the bitch.

Sabine was a trip. She didn't give as good as she got - she gave better. And I liked it. How could I not appreciate a woman who not only made her man work for her, but she didn't even care if he did?

Apparently, the best way to fall in love is to not even give a shit about someone until it's almost too late. Or, it's just an abusive relationship. Really, it could go either way.

I really liked this book. So much so, that I skipped right on over reviewing book 6 (I will get back to it at some point) just to come here and talk about Sabine and Rydstrom. Was Rydstrom leading man material? Sure. I guess. I don't know if I even noticed much until the end because Sabine and her selfish ways amused me so much.

But enough about my thoughts. Here's some fun book quotes to entertain you.

Nothing says 'do me!' like pastel.

Suck off, fister.

When a group of young females had asked her what one should name her horse, she'd answered, "I like the sound of Fellatio."

Nix is calling me Bull's-eye and the Womb Raider.

============================================

Unrelated, but I think I'm going to like Lothaire. There was a scene in court where a bunch of demons had just died and Sabine came out of an illusion, so people were freaking out. Lothaire was "busily collecting coin" and not giving one single f*ck. It made me think of online gaming and looting the bodies after a raid. The greedy one gets the gold, haha.

I'm having a lot of fun with this series.

[~IreneOust~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? When it comes to this series, I am a sucker for the Woede brothers. I mean WHO can resist a sexy demon? Not me. So I was ecstatic that Rydstrom's story followed his brother's and to say it exceeded my every expectation would be an understatement!

Picking a favorite book/couple of Kresley's is like picking a favorite among your children - it's impossible so I don't even try. However, sometimes a story just resonates with you ... and you don't know exactly WHY or WHAT makes you love it so much. You just do. This was the case with this book.

Sabine and Rydstrom ... they say opposites attract and boy did they ever in this case! These two ... GAH! I swear, they remind me so much of hubby and myself! Order and chaos. Calm and storm. LOVED every minute of their journey and hope to see more of them in the future.

Not to sound like a broken record BUT ... even if fantasy genre isn't something you read on a regular bases or ever considered but you are a reader who appreciates flawless writing, you MUST give this series a go! Because, when you are lost in Kresley Cole's EXQUISITE storytelling, you don't even realize you are reading about creatures that aren't human and, at the end of the day, a love story is a love story, right??

Cheers!

[MelissaB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sabine, Queen of Illusions, has one main goal in life – to survive. After dying over a dozen times before being brought back to life by her sister Lanthe, who can blame a girl? Sabine and Lanthe are Sorceri who have mystickal powers but share the unfortunate distinction of being half-sisters to Omort the Deathless, the evil king of Rothkalina. Centuries ago, an oracle foretold to Omort that Sabine was the mate of Rydstrom, the demon king Omort stole Rothkalina from, and the child they would bear would unlock the untold power of the mysterious Well in Omort’s court. Sabine and Lanthe are trapped in Omort’s service because he gave them a poison that causes a painful death unless they continue to take it regularly and since he is the only one who possesses it, they must keep in his good graces to live.

Omort sends Sabine to capture and seduce Rydstrom when he finds out that the demon king is trying to obtain a sword that is said to be able to kill him. Sabine has her own plans for the future – she will use this demon king to get pregnant then take over the throne from Omort when her son can use the power of the Well. She is confident that Rydstrom will be seduced quickly, after all who could resist her beauty and illusions?

Rydstrom, the deposed demon king, is finally within reach of the goal he has worked toward for centuries – killing Omort and recapturing his throne. On the way to meet an accomplice in his quest, he is fooled by Sabine’s illusions into stepping through a portal to a cell in the dungeon of his old castle in Rothkalina. Once there, Sabine begins her seduction of Rydstrom by getting him very excited then refusing to finish things until he promises to make her his queen. Rydstrom is very confused because this sorceress feels like his mate but there is no way fate would stick him with an evil, selfish woman – right?

Sabine continues her seduction of Rydstrom by showing him his secret fantasies with her illusions but he refuses to break because he will not have her use his child for evil. She is impressed by his strength in spite of herself but refuses to give up her plan because there is no beating Omort any other way. She eventually gets her way but Rydstrom manages to trick her into thinking he made her queen when he really vowed revenge in the demon language.

Turn about is fair play, so when Rydstrom is given a chance to escape unexpectedly from an old enemy, he kidnaps Sabine and has a chance to enact the revenge he contemplated while under her mercy in the dungeon. She is helpless without her hands, so he ties her up and shows her exactly how it feels to be brought to the brink of satisfaction again and again without relief. The longer they stay together, the more certain Rydstrom is that Sabine is his real mate. He no longer knows whether he wants revenge or to seduce Sabine to stay by his side forever. Sabine is impressed by Rydstrom’s fighting skills as he wards off attacks as they make their way to a portal out of Rothkalina to New Orleans. She has never had anyone fight for her besides her sister Lanthe and finds herself impressed with his honor and strength. He proves himself to her and slowly makes his way into the heart she didn’t know she had anymore after too many years spent trying to survive in Omort’s cut-throat court. Rydstrom finds that Sabine is just what he needs – a woman who is unafraid to challenge him in bed and out and someone strong enough to lead his people.

Sabine and Rydstrom are a great pair. Sabine is a bit wicked but is not evil. She does what she needs to survive but does not purposely hurt people – unless they come between her and gold, a Sorceri obsession. Rydstrom finds that he needs Sabine’s wickedness, especially in bed. The story kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who was going to seduce who – and how do you kill an evil man who can’t die? The seduction scenes were hot! Rydstrom had some wicked fantasies in his head that Sabine was more than willing to fulfill. The action was non-stop, both in the bed and out, with it all coming down to Rydstrom facing down Omort for the throne of Rothkalina, where he found out what was really important to him. There was plenty of humor in the book with some great one-liners from Nucking Futs Nix. Kiss of a Demon King was a great read with two very interesting and complex characters who find love where they least expect it. I highly recommend reading this book and the rest of the Immortals After Dark series.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the fact that Kiss of a Demon King and Dark Desires after Dusk run parallel with one another. Cole has done this before with No Rest for the Wicked and Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night, but because we read Cade’s story first and got teasing glimpses of a distraught and angry Rydstrom, I was curious to see what the hell happened to him! What could make the reasonable Rydstrom to snap like that? The answer? Sabine, of course.

Kiss of a Demon King got me hooked from the prologue. I loved the way Cole told Sabine’s story of her past through another story. The use of the frame narrative was great! I initially hated Sabine because she captured my man and chained him to a bed. Jealous much? Yes, but that’s beside the point. She planned on using him and I just couldn’t tolerate that. But of course, I grew to love Sabine. I loved her bitchiness and her constant obsession for gold. I love her wicked style with her metal bustier and headdresses and I love the fact that she grew to love Rydstrom for who he is and not what he is.

As Queen of Illusions, Sabine has a remarkable gift. The parts where she was projecting Rydstrom’s fantasies on the wall for them to watch? That was pretty hot. To mask your emotions and make others see things that aren’t truly there is a talent I’d like to have.

And her sister Lanthe was such a great character as well. I love the relationship that Sabine and her sister have. They have gone through so much together and it’s great to see love between two people that isn’t always romantic.

Cade and Rydstrom’s brotherhood is a great example of that. I thought Rydstrom’s memories of little Cade running his horns against the walls to be adorable! With so much animosity between the two, they finally reveal their true feelings to one another and learn to forgive. A lot of it was just assumptions and misunderstandings that would have tore the Woede apart. But now the bromance has been rekindled and everything is happy-happy merry-merry!

There are struggles for control and bondage in this book, but I think it works. As Omort’s half-sister, Sabine is portrayed to be evil, but I didn’t really think she was all that bad. She lies, she steals, and she has killed but really, she’s just trying her best to survive and I respect that.

I have to mention that weird spanking scene. With all the talk about Rydstrom’s kinky fetishes, I would have expected them to act on them. Instead, there’s an awkward spanking scene where Rydstrom punishes Sabine. I could think of a thousand other ways to punish her, but I won’t get into that.

I expected more from the ending only because the past two books have been leading up to the regaining of the Rothkalina crown. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. Perhaps I was looking forward to it too much.

Bottom line? This series is to die for. Each instalment is as solid as the one before it and sometimes, Cole surpasses all expectations. LOVED IT!

Favourite Quote:

“Auntie Nixie’s taking a TO. I’m heading to Budapest, to investigate this band of immortal warriors, “ she explained. “They’re called the Lords of the Underworld. If that doesn’t make you want to mate...” She growled and clawed at the air. “Anyway, they’re supposed to be excessively hawt.”

“And by investigate, you actually mean do.”

Nix made a scoffing sound. “Holly, how else is one supposed to investigate a male? Really?”

Pg. 392.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really want to keep reading this series but I can't. See, I have to read this one and I DON'T WANT TO. I am scared. I know I won't like Sabine. That's depressing. But I want to at the same time because I love Rydstrom and I love Kresley's writing. So, dilemma, what to do, what to do, what to do.

I've finally read this baby and it was amazing!!!! Seriously, so much better than I expected. Surprisingly, I loved Sabine, I was prepared to hate her (she seemed like such an evil bitch in the previous book) but this woman went through so much and I could totally understand her behavior. She was also HILARIOUS!

Rydstrom was pretty awesome as well, I think Kresley did a fantastic job with these two. I just love her writing style and I cannot wait to read the next one and I also cannot wait for Lanthe's story with Thronos!!! How hot is this book gonna be?? I mean, this one was scorching but with all the sexual tension between Lanthe and Thronos, it is going to be delicious!

I seriously do not regret finally reading this book, I was absolutely not disappointed! Kresley Cole did an amazing job again, I love the world she created and I'm so happy that I still have quite a few books to read before the end.

Oh and, how hilariously crazy is Nix??? Love her!

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more like a 3.5? I liked it a little more during my reread. Sabine is hilarious!

******

Sadly my least favorite of the series so far! It moved too slowly for my taste.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 5 out of 5]

⤅ Rereading IAD Project

This might actually be my favourite IAD instalment, because it is GLORIOUS. Cole deserves so much acclaim for creating our heroine Sabine - a brash, conniving, ambitious bad girl who takes the hero prisoner and sexually torments him. Wow.

I love that Sabine takes absolutely no prisoners, I love that she makes Rydstrom's good-guy façade crumble into a million pieces, I love everything about this book.

[Carmel (Rabid Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.

The arch nemesis match-up was a cool idea, and I liked that Kresley Cole jumped straight away into Rydstrom’s story after Cadeon’s because Woede’s about-face towards the end of book 6 left me dying to know the cause. This installment was probably one of the hottest thus far, but that actually worked against KISS OF A DEMON KING; the couple felt as though they were an island unto themselves instead of part of the Lore, and the quest for the crown was downgraded to a minor concern. This novel was second to last for me in the IMMORTALS AFTER DARK series.

I don’t do well with plots that revolve around one setting, and granted this tale had more than that; however the bulk of the events unfolded either in Sabine’s dungeon, or Rydstrom’s demon camp, and it grew stale after a while. And, not just because of the limited scope, but also due to the monotony of the action. Sex is inherently redundant as is torture—cut, thrust, repeat—so after a couple of chapters of this, déjà vu set in. It also isolated the characters from the rest of the IAD universe, and as a result this audio felt disconnected from the whole.

Villains can be as captivating as protagonists, so Sabine’s evilness wasn’t the trait that turned me off from her plight. I liked that she stayed true to her course, and that finding love didn’t change her basic nature. Rothkalina never denied that she was a liar, a thief, and a master manipulator, but when the gloves came off there was nothing extra beneath the surface. Her sole redeeming quality was her devotion to her sister, Lanthe, otherwise there was absolutely no depth to her personage. She was just an empty shell of discontent.

I’ve been admiring Rydstrom from afar for several installments now, and was looking forward to seeing the Demon King in all of his raging glory. Imagine my disappointment when he spent the majority of this audiobook chained to a bed! He was all bark, and no bite; the only place that his furor came through was in Robert Petkoff’s narration which hasn’t wavered in its awesomeness since IAD #1. This was the second so-so volume that was much improved by his performance, and I’m grateful for his steadfastness at times like this when Cole’s writing slips.

KISS OF A DEMON KING will please BDSM listeners, but frustrate substance seekers. ~3.5 stars

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start by saying that while I really liked Rydstrom, Sabine made this book for me. I loved her. She was hilarious and witty and I loved her attitude. Her zingers were some of the best that Kresley Cole has delivered to date. She was definitely a bad sorceress but she wasn't an evil one. She was just looking out for numero uno and woe to anyone else standing in her way. I loved her sister too, and am breathlessly waiting for the moment when she has her own story.

Rydstrom was so deliciously stuffy in this book and he had a serious stick up his butt. When he does loosen up though it wasn't in an, "Oh yay, he's finally loosening up" sort of way. It was, "Oh My God, he's lost his mind!" The problem with being a rage demon, is well, the rage. Sabine has him imprisoned in his own dungeon and her methods of ensuring his compliance are akin to waving a red flag in a bulls face, or better yet, kicking a bull in the nuts and then trying to run away to safety before said bull recovers in time to run you down. Let's just say payback's a bitch. I also loved reading the same scenes from Dark Desires After Dusk (Cade & Holly's story) but from Rydstrom and Sabine's perspective. Especially that scene when Cade comes by his house to drop off the sword. It was really funny.

My only problem with this book is that it was too long. It needed to be trimmed. Rydstrom and Sabine's constant back and forth was exhausting. All their teasing and lack of follow through was getting to me and it seemed to drag on, but then when things got really good towards the end it seemed to fly by at a lightening fast pace. But here's a really fun fact, Nix is taking a time-out in order to inspect the Lords of The Underworld! I wonder who she will be joined up with? And if that will mesh well? She is like Anya so it shouldn't be too jarring to get someone like Nix transplanted into Gena Showalter's world. It will be interesting at any rate.

Anyhoo, love this book, wish it was a little shorter and now I have an enormous girl crush on Sabine. This was yet another great addition to the Immortals After Dark series and I'm already greedily looking forward to the next one. Enjoy! 4.5 stars.

[D.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

I didn't like this one as much as the previous book but I enjoyed it nevertheless. The narration was awesome as usual.

I hoped that we would have a different sort of hero as Rydstrom was supposed to be cool and logical but all that fell down the wayside when he got captured by Sabine. Not that I blamed him but I wished the story had progressed a bit differently.

Sabine seemed really horrible at the beginning but you sort of warm up to her by the end. I really liked how things were resolved because both had to do something for the other.

Robert Petkoff was his usual, awesome self with the narration. I just can't believe I'll have to wait until December September to get the next audio in the series.

[Mora · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite FMC so far, 3⭐️ for her alone and alone.
The MMC was a jerk for most of the book and I wanted to write about all the awful things he did to the FMC but I’m honestly tired of talking about the MMCs in this series.
______

Book info:

— H (1500) / h (500)
— 3rd person POV
— Demon H x Sorceress h
— Fated mates
— Scarred H
— Evil h


Safety:

— Past/experience:
⤷ Virgin h but experienced in everything else (she took a vow to remain a V until her mate comes…see OMD below to understand why).
⤷ Manwhore H but his sex life wasn’t really satisfying for him. His past was mentioned with some details.

“For instance, I’d read that you attempted your first female on your thirteenth birthday and your second the day after. I believe this to be true.”
It was. For a demon prince, attempting females was critical. He’d bedded one after another, trying to find his consort. Rydstrom had taken more females in the first century of his life than he had during the fourteen that followed.

“You took so many to your bed. Did you please them all?”

Not even close. He answered honestly, “I haven’t had any complaints.” Because they wouldn’t dare. And that was a problem. For all his life, women had treated him like a king in bed. And though it might sound good, it left him cold.”

Knowing that was true meant recognizing that he had spent his entire existence since his thirteenth birthday merely attempting. He’d been careful choosing each woman he’d been with. Every sexual encounter had been an investigation to find his mate—or rather, to rule out that the demoness of that encounter was not his mate.
Again and again, he’d experienced meaningless, noncommittal nights, where he expected disappointment and was glad to be done with it.

⤷ He has been celibate for a long time (probably for 500 years! I’m not quite sure though but he was so obsessed with getting his kingdom back that he didn’t let himself have pleasure, rest or even spend time with friends).

“In fifteen hundred years, he’d never felt so attracted to another female”

He was fifteen hundred years old. Had he ever been so instantly and fiercely attracted to a female?

Rydstrom tried to shake himself. He had responsibilities. But I’ve been so long without a woman.

“I’ve waited fifteen hundred years for this. Don’t make me suffer any longer.”

— OMD:
The h’s half brother (and the H’s worst enemy) has been obsessed with her for centuries and has always wanted her as his lover/wife but she never wanted him and felt disgusted by him. So to protect herself and make sure he won’t force himself on her, she took a vow to stay a virgin until her mate appeared but her brother still always around, waiting for her and never let her go. Also his current lover is his other half sister (Hettiah/OW who constantly caused trouble for the h) and he’s with her only because she resembles the h. Not only that but he also sleeps with any women who look like the h and constantly sneaks into her room, which is why she could never sleep at night. Seriously he’s giving major ICK.

“There had been rumors of incest, tales that Omort loved one of his sisters unnaturally. Not her. No, don’t let it be her.
But Rydstrom couldn’t deny what was so obvious—Omort wanted Sabine.”

— OW:
⇒ At the beginning of the book, there was a short scene where some women tried to seduce the H but he rejected them.
⇒ At some point in the story, the MCs meet a female demon (Durinda one of the H’s people) and the H starts enjoying her company and spends a lot of time with her while leaving the h captive alone with her feeling of jealousy toward this OW (the h was his captive at that point, so he kept her restrained while he spent time with OW). I hated him in this part and he really pissed me off, even if there was no sexual thing or he never cared about the OW in that way at all (he just was friendly with her)…it still makes me mad because he enjoyed the company with her instead of making any effort to improve his relationship with the h and he was also rubbing his enjoyment with OW in the h’s face and he enjoyed the fact that she was jealous over him.

“Durinda was an invaluable help as they readied for the exodus, but Rydstrom also enjoyed her company. She was someone from his past who shared memories of Tornin from better times. He liked talking to her about the castle, recalling it in its glory, trying to erase what he’d witnessed of the court just days ago.”

“I like that she cares about others above herself,” he said. “I admire that she’s noble minded and virtuous.”

“He gazed upward, inhaling for patience, then said, “Look, I enjoy merely talking to her, actually having a conversation that doesn’t devolve into fighting.”

“But there’s a lot to be said for comfort with another, for ease and companionship. If I could have all that with you…”
“Companionship?” Her eyes narrowed. “You’ve slept with her!”
“No, I haven’t! Why would you say that?”
“Because of the way she looks at you. And at me.”

“What’s bothering you most about this situation? How quickly the boy is growing on you or how much I’m enjoying spending time with another female?” As he exited, he said, “I’ll be back near sunset.”
Excellent. She’d sent her husband off aroused and angry on a date with another woman.”

All the time the OW acted like she knew the H but he didn’t recognize her. Later we find out that she was one of the women he had slept with centuries ago but he had forgotten her and never remembered her at all (btw the quotes above…he didn’t know yet that he had slept with her in the past).

“I just can’t believe with all the demon females you attempted, you could never find one among our own kind.”
“No, it didn’t happen. And not from lack of trying.” He gave a humorless laugh. “Just be glad you weren’t among them.”
A pause, then: “Rydstrom, I-I was.”
“I…didn’t remember,” Rydstrom told Durinda. And I still don’t. But Sabine had voiced her suspicion of exactly this, and he’d vehemently denied it. Which meant he’d unintentionally lied to her.
“Well, this certainly is uncomfortable.” Durinda stared straight ahead. “It was centuries ago, and I understand there were…many.”
Had the demoness been trying to rekindle an affair? He’d assumed she’d just been kind to help him familiarize himself with the place. He’d thought she’d merely enjoyed reminiscing. “It was indeed long ago.”

“I told you I hadn’t slept with her. And, apparently, a millennium ago or so, I did.”
Relief sailed through her, but then she said, “You told me you hadn’t.”
He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “I’d…forgotten.”
“Did she have to remind you?” When he reluctantly nodded, she burst out laughing.
“It’s not funny,” he said gruffly. “It was embarrassing as hell,” he added, looking like he’d begun fighting a grin.

— No cheating
— Push away from the H
— HFN

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars -- This is a book that had a lot of guts to it, which I admire, and there were parts of it that I enjoyed. Most notably Sabine... she's a really complicated protagonist, and in Romancelandia, it's rare that an author is willing to "go there" in portraying what a person who has had to scrap for everything in life whilst undergoing extreme domestic abuse (and literally dying multiple times ffs). She's NOT going to be all smiles & roses coming out of that, and I really enjoyed spending time with her as a lead. She had a lot of emotional depth, and I thought she was one of the most interesting heroines I've read in a long time.
That said, this is a true hate to love situation and that part of the book was just hard for me to get into. I think the ending sold me on the relationship as a whole, but there was a lot of underlying consent issues that were hard for me to get my head around. I think if it was more explicitly positioned as a dubcon kind of book, maybe it would have made more sense to me? On top of that, I think there are some plot "conveniences," let's say, that she didn't totally sell me on.
Still, for the heroine alone, I will say this was an above average PNR, so I think 3.5 stars feels right

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intended for a mature audience.
Sorry, but these stories are too predictable. Star-crossed lovers will find each other at long last. The male will have waited an eternity for this. The female will resist the relationship, or keep secrets from intended male. And, the guy will always be well endowed, and wealthy beyond belief. They will consummate their love toward the end of the book with the exchange of vows, and will only say the L word after a near death experience has occurred.
So far, this is the trend. I really enjoyed the first four books in the series... but now, even the romantic scenes fall flat. Please, stop using the word buck in bed. It's not sexy. It reminds me of a bucking bronco.
I still haven't given up on this series yet. It's like eating junk food. I tell myself, ok, enough of this, but then I wonder what the next book is like, and I read it.

[maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

why did it take me so long to read this??

also why have i never listened to the audios for this series yet??

sabine is a badass and i love her so much. if you haven't started this series, i don't know wheat you're doing

[Jo ★The Book Sloth★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Illusionary stars



“Illusion is Reality's coy lover who cheers him when he is grim. Illusion is cunning to his wisdom of ages, weet oblivion to his knowledge. A bounty to his lack.

This book's best feature is Sabine by far. I love that Kresley Cole creates characters that, though they're not all bad at heart(mostly), still have some wickedness and are unapologetic about it. Sabine is one of these characters, she is shelfish, arrogant and ruthless. I absolutely love her.

"She may be an evil bitch, but she is my evil bitch and I'll have no other..."

Rydstrom is the perceived do-gooder, the benevolent ruler, the kind leader, the inspirational king. To be honest I am not completely sold on him. I think all his honesty and honor is just on paper, I never actually saw it on action, at least not at the degree the book tries to sell it to us.

My general idea of this book was "too-much-built up", "too-little-deliverance". There are all these actions leading here, so much pain from Cadeon, so many difficulties for Rydstrom, so hard a life for Sabine and so much steam rising between Ry and Sab and in the end there is no "boom". It's all solved way too easily and quickly.

Still the book is great, Sabine awesome and Ry hot!

“Sabine gave a Scoff. "I could be virtuous, if I wanted to be."
In an incredulous tone, he said, "You don't know the meaning of virtue!"
"Of course I do - it means your thong must be white.”

Re-read it as part of the IAD series Read-A-Long with the League of Lusty Ladies.