A mythic warrior who’ll stop at nothing to possess her…
After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he’s waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.
A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy…
Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents–until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae–and their notorious dark desires–ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.
An all-consuming desire…
Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?
The blurb gives you a good idea of the story so I won’t go too far into it. Emmaline is in Paris trying to find info on her unknown father when Lachlain finds her. He has been tortured by vampires for 150 years and he’s so amazed to have finally found his mate that he manages to escape the catacombs under Paris to find her.
Lachlain finds Emmaline but he is crazed from his torture and can’t quite control himself when he finds out that Emma is a vampire. He wants her because he knows she’s his mate, but vampire? Damn. He’s just not happy about that. Lachlain convinces Emma to drive him to Scotland – not telling her that she’s his mate – and they’re off on their trip. They get to know each other somewhat by the time that they get to Scotland but Emma is determined to get home.
During the whole mating dance there are vampires searching for Emma. She begins to discover exactly who she is and the type of person she wants to be when she A) gives into Lachlain and B)discovers her heritage.
I read this book a couple of years ago and I have to tell you, I wasn’t all that impressed with it. I read the novella The Warlord Wants Forever right before reading this one and was confused by my dislike of this book. I loved TWWF and was quite surprised when I only found this just an ok read. I ended up giving it a 3 out of 5. Now I’m thinking that maybe I was judging it a little too harshly.
This time around I really felt more connected with the characters. I think that Cole has a way of writing her characters so that they get under your skin and you connect with them on so many levels. That and her world building really sucked me into the book this time. Her world building is truly so effortless. She also introduces many secondary characters without giving you the feeling that she’s setting things up for her next book. I love that about her books.
Got off on a tangent there, sorry. :0) Anyway, I really enjoyed Lachlain. I didn’t take him for such an overbearing ass this time around and tried to really put myself in his shoes. He’s been gone from his clan for 150 years, he’s suddenly found his mate and she’s a species that he despises with all that is in him. I’d tend to be a tad cranky as well.
For Emmaline’s part I had a much better sense of her personality progression during this read. In my first reading I felt that she took on too much of a personality change but when I really thought about it there were explanations for everything that happened. She had been sheltered all of her life and when that happens it’s hard to figure out who you truly are unless you get out into RL and let it hit you from all angles.
So while this book is still not my favorite in the series I enjoyed it much more this time. If you haven’t read the Immortals After Dark series? What the hell are you waiting for? Go forth and read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
I recently started reading the Immortal books and I'm loving them. So far I'm completely enamored with Cole's storytelling. I haven't read beyond this book, but I intend to. Another grew review Tracy!
Lachlain was really the only thing I liked about this book. OK, and the juvenile antics of the men. I remember thinking that Emma's family just came across as bitchy rather than protective of her.
People have approached this series with me like sushi. "Oh come on, you just haven't read the right book yet." Like with sushi – "Oh come on. You just haven't had the right sushi yet." LMAO. Nope, I think this series just isn't for me. Anything that you have to decipher with a glossary at the end? Too much thought.
I adored this book, its one of my favorites. I liked the hero and heroine more than the substories that lead to the other books.
MsM
Great Review Tracy!
I love the Immortals After Dark series and 'A Hunger Like No Other' is one of my favorites. Lachlain was just so aggressive with his need to possess Emma. Still gives me the shivers. lol!
😉 VFG
Good review, Tracy 😀
Glad you enjoyed it more than the previous time 🙂
My problem with this series and especially A Hunger Like No Other is the rawness. There's a primitive feel to this series that bothers me. Oh well.
Tracy, can this series be read out of order?
Great review, Tracy! It makes me want to try these again. I enjoyed the first 2, but not enough to feel compelled to read the rest of the series. Maybe they're worth trying again. 🙂
I agree with you Tracy that AHLNO isn't her greatest but I still enjoyed it very much and Lachlain is just a bit of an acquired taste *wink*
Stacy – I really like the way her stories flow so easily for me. And get reading! The books only get better, IMHO.
Lori – I did see the Valkyrie (Emma's Family) as bitchy, but also protective – I liked the little gutter snipes. 🙂
Glossary – you felt you needed one? I don't have that feeling at all with the IAD series – but all books are not for everyone.
Ms. Moonlight – I think a lot of people saying that this was one of their favs in the series is what made me want to re-read because after the first time around I couldn't understand that at all. lol
VFG – He definitely was possessive!! lol For me it was Lachlain coming to terms with who Emma was. Good stuff.
Nath – Interesting take on it. I can see that in this particular book but not really the others.
Katie – They CAN be read out of order but I think it would make more sense in order. Then again it's hard for me to say since I DID read them in order! lol (Sorry if that doesn't make sense but I've not had enough coffee yet!)
Renee – the first 2 as in The Warlord WF and AHLNO?? Cuz when started reading the series I read the first 4 books almost consecutively and they just kept getting better – at least they did for me. Might be worth a try for you to read further, but maybe not 🙂
Leontine – Definitely an acquired taste! lol Perfect way to put it. His crazed manner really put me off the first time but I think I've read so many werewolf books since the first read of this one that it didn't effect me as much.
I love the "What the hell are you waiting for? Go forth and read!"
I have the most recent of this series in my tbr after devouring the previous books as soon as they came out. I think I'm over it.
I didn't like this novel when I read it and for quite some time, I didn't touch another novel by Cole. But eventually, I did, and now I'm glad I did. I love this series. Funny and clever. So I always wanted to read Hunger again. To see what I think now. Your review gives me hope that this time around, it'll work better for me.
Great review, thanks!
I love this book!! You really wrote an awesome re-read review. You made me want to go back and reread it myself.
I loved Emmaline. Why do I feel like I'm the only one? I tend to empathize really, really well with Cole's heroines. I go through all the emotions with the woman as I read these books. Crazy fun stuff.