The Dark Calling (Book 5) by Kresley Cole

The Dark Calling by Kresley Cole
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

UPDATE: After I tamped down my epic rage fit, I did go back and finish this book. By force. I realized it was on my 2018 book challenge, and I also needed the points for a team reading contest. Rather than have a gap on my challenge and waste points that we needed for our team challenge, I picked this back up and finished it.

AND I HATED EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF IT, AND MY TEAM SHOULDN'T EVEN THANK ME FOR FINISHING IT AS I SINCERELY REGRET IT AND WISH I HAD JUST LET US LOSE ALL THOSE POINTS. 

This book sucks, and it deserves 0 stars. If I could actually give it negative stars, then I would, because it wasted my time and an amazing premise. It reads no better than the worst rough draft, has no plot that it can even stick to for more than one paragraph. There is no character development or growth of any kind. The world building is nonexistent. All action scenes are missing and replaced with endless emotional dialogue that tells us stuff we don't care about when we just could have had a decent action scene, and I'm absolutely done with this series.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
DNF’d at 69%, and I’m so angry and disappointed that I’m quitting the series, despite the fact that I’ve invested a lot of years, emotions, and $$ into it. This is the worst story I’ve tried to read in ages. 

*Remaining review redacted for the sake of all those who can't stomach 20 paragraphs of my wrath, as well as due to foul language. You're welcome*

Pages: 318

Arcana Rising (The Arcana Chronicles, #4) by Kresley Cole

Arcana Rising by Kresley Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

#BecRereads2019

My previous review still stands. This book is intense.

And chapter 35:



Book 80 read in 2018

Pages: 280

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
Whew! That ending! Next book, please, stat!

Dead of Winter (The Arcana Chronicles, #3) by Kresley Cole

Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#BecRereads2018

Team Death. Forever. That is all.

Book 78 read in 2018

Pages: 321

Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles, #2) by Kresley Cole

Endless Knight by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#BecRereads2018

Aric, Aric, Aric. Always keeping things interesting and intense.

This may be my favorite book in the series so far (have not read book 5 yet, and book 6 is not yet published).

Book 77 read in 2018

Pages: 337

PREVIOUS REVIEW:
Wo-ow-ow! I thought book one was intense, but book two brought things up to a whole new level of chaos, dysfunction, and emotional warfare. I don't know whose team I'm on in this epic death battle between the 22 teenagers assigned to the lives of Taro Cards, but the characters don't seem to have it all figured out either, which keeps things interesting and surprising.

According to ancient prophecy and past games, only one character will be standing in the end, but I'm quite attached to the majority of them at this point, which makes every second of reading nail-bitingly intense.

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#BecRereads2018

I am revisiting this one, in preparation for reading The Dark Calling, which was just released. It has been fun to listen to this on audio, since I read it in print the first time. The audio has characters with Cajun accents, which is appropriate to the story and appreciated.

I still love this confusing, mystical world (I should be clear here and say that this story isn't confusing--just the complexity of the tarot card details and the 22 Major Arcana can sometimes overwhelm me. I am intrigued by all the minor details, which I really don't have to remember to appreciate the story, yet I still wish I could keep them all straight.)

Kresley Cole writes stories that are unique, a bit dramatic, rather dangerous, often racy, full of characters with special powers, and occasionally funny. It's a good combination, and the suspense always makes me want to turn the next page. Since this book is in the YA realm, it falls significantly harder towards the fantasy genre, and the thread of romance is just a fun side vacation on an extreme journey.

Book 75 read in 2018

Pages: 369

Immortals After Dark Series Books 16 & 18

Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book 16

I'm obsessed with these on audio. Robert Petkoff is an excellent narrator.

Pages: 384

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Wicked Abyss by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book 18

This is the last one that has been published in this series. Now what will I do?

Pages: 400

Dark Skye by Kresley Cole

Dark Skye by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 15 in IAD series

I thought this was more interesting and a huge improvement over the previous one. I particularly enjoyed the demon realm, with all of its tricks and snares.

Pages: 420

MacRieve by Kresley Cole

MacRieve by Kresley Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Book 14 of IAD

The MC is particularly angry about his past, and that frequently makes him hurtful, unkind, and difficult to like. I guess you could say that there was just a bit too much reality invading my Lore-ridden fantasy realm with this story.

I still like the story, overall, but it also frustrated and disappointed me at times, and not in a good sort of way. Also, some of the themes felt a bit repetitive, and the plot lagged.

Obviously, it's not a deal breaker, because I still immediately picked up the next book in the series. But there's something that's extra dark and uncomfortable about this one, and not always in a good way.

Pages: 358

Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole

Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the new world of the Dacians, but I wanted to know more about how their world works.

I don't understand why they're both part of IAD but also the start of a separate series, since to me it seems like both worlds can and do flow together. None of the other realms have become a separate series, but perhaps she has plans to divide it out further in the future.

This feels just like IAD and follows the same format as those stories. It has less overlapping characters, but there were glimpses of how the worlds and characters could and will interact.

Pages: 481

Lothaire by Kresley Cole

Lothaire by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 12: Immortals After Dark

If I described this story, it would sound ridiculous (trust me, I tried). I think that's the charm of this series.  Each book sounds more bizarre than the last, but I can't look away.

I love the audiobooks for this series. I have become addicted, so I had to purchase more of them through Audible, when I couldn't get them from the library (and even though I already owned the Kindle versions).

I really enjoyed Lothaire's story. It was unexpected with a lot of contrast (again, that seems to be a theme for this series). It also has the first introduction of the Dacians, which is an interesting new world of mythology that I look forward to hearing more about.

Pages: 468

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 11: Immortals After Dark

These books keep getting longer and longer as the world building becomes more and more complex. I really like that. The plots have also become a lot more interesting, and the characters have become more multifaceted.

This is Regin's story, and she's one of my favorite characters, outside of Nix.

Pages: 515

Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 10: Immortals After Dark

This one was fantastic, because it had such interesting characters. I enjoyed seeing someone from the Lore coming from an entirely different background and perspective, as well as the addition of a child into the storyline.

When I stared this series, I remembered thinking that after I read a few, they would probably all seem the same. That is not the case. The more books she writes, the more fascinating the world becomes, and the deeper she digs with the character development.

Pages: 430

Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 9: Immortals After Dark

I have 40 other books checked out from my different libraries, but I can't quit reading this series. The only solution seems to be to finish the whole series, and this is only 9 out of 16 so far.

It's not that I couldn't stop and come back to this series from time to time. It's just that as soon as I finish one book, I find myself grabbing for the next one, even if I tell myself I will take a break to read from my TBR pile. So in theory, I could stop, but in reality, I apparently won't.

I blame the Bestie for this. I would have never started this series without her nagging, and now I'm trapped (though I don't seem to mind).

Pages: 431

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm still enjoying this series. All of the drama and intrigue appeals to me, and while there are some similar themes from book to book, each set of new characters has been unique and interesting. I particularly enjoyed all of the backstory that came together in this book.

Nix mentions Lords of the Underworld by Showalter, so I may have to check out that series if Nix makes an appearance in it, since she's one of my favorite characters in this world.

Pages: 417

Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole

Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 6 in Immortals After Dark

I appreciated the diversity of characters in this one, particularly the female lead dealing with mental health issues, even if it was for supernatural reasons.

I have also become quite fond of a side character named Nix and enjoy her brief appearances in each novel almost as much or more than anything else.

Pages: 368

Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole

Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 5 in Immortals After Dark

I don't typically like stories with ghosts, so this is an exception. I'm honestly shocked that I gave it 5 stars, but I rate based on gut impulse when I finish the book and rarely change those scores. I considered 4 stars, on a logical level, but I preferred 5, on an emotional level.

I think the series grows stronger and more interesting with each new book. Something about it captured me from the start, but she's getting even better at world building and character development with each new book, which helps me stay interested in the series and world.

I like how the characters from previous books are woven throughout the series, and it makes me anxious for some of the side characters to one day get their own books. It seems apparent that I'm going to have to finish the series before I can move on to anything else, but at least these are quick reads.

Pages: 368

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 4 in Immortals After Dark

I enjoyed Bowen, all the Lykae, really, but I was particularly fascinated by Mariketa's powers. This is the first one that I've given 5 stars to. I think that's because I've liked all of the stories, but everything came together for this one: the writing, the character development, the world building, etc. It also felt different and not repetitive of the past books, which is good. I was worried they would all start seeming the same.

Pages: 359

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is book 2 in the Immortals After Dark Series.

Okay, I love these books. They're so feral and animalistic, in a supernatural monster sort of way. I'm pretty sure that doesn't make much sense, but it will once you start reading them.

It's a nice change of pace when I want something mindless and ridiculously fun to read. The world is fascinating, and they're spicy to the max. They also come with a bit of blood and gore, as should be expected when you mix a vampire/valkyrie and a werewolf.

This book also has some consent issues, much like the first book, but it got better as the story progressed. I just want to throw that out there for anyone who is sensitive to this. At the beginning, it did bother me some, and I had to take a deep breath and remind myself that this is a paranormal romance novel. I accept that these aren't humans, and they aren't following my rules for humanity, which is why I just let it go and enjoy the overly-dramatic ridiculousness of it all as the story progressed. However, I do hope that improves in future novels, and as the first one is about 12 years old now, I suspect that it will.

The concept of each creature finding one true mate is charming. I don't even believe in soulmates or "the one" but these stories kind of make me wish that I did. There's some fun to be found in pretty lies.

Pages: 356

The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole

The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

People have recommended the Immortals After Dark series to me for years, and I have politely listened to them go on and on about their obsession before deciding that there are far too many books in this series for me to want to start now. However, I do really enjoy Kresley Cole's YA novels, so I have been curious.

Then the Bestie become obsessed with this series, and it was either finally read them or be texted to death about them for the next 6 months. So I started this series out of self-defense, but I've continued it for far more interesting reasons.

This first book is captivating, fast-space, and extremely steamy. It's a novella, so it's short, which means there's a bit less world-building and storyline than in some of the following books.

Also, let's just be honest and point out that there are some definite consent issues here, especially in the beginning, and that made me feel a bit anxious and wrong from the inside out. I did get over that by reminding myself that this is paranormal romance published about 12 years ago, and I can't expect these monsters to play by human rules. Also, the poor behaviors improved as the book progressed, which helped with my initial concerns, and the characters won me over pretty fast. The female lead, in particular, is sassy and kickass.

I listened to this on audiobook, and I confess that I think I was blushing for half the novel. I'm pretty sure I haven't blushed since high school, so that's impressive. It's a steamy read, not for the faint-hearted. Although, let's be honest. The faint-hearted could probably use a read like this to shake things up a bit. :)

Pages: 163

Day Zero by Kresley Cole

Day Zero by Kresley Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Novella - Book 3.5

This is a good companion novella for someone who is obsessed with the series. It reads like a guide to the characters, followed by short backstories about many of them before, during, and after the flash.

I really enjoyed the short stories, because I am fascinated by the characters.

If you are not a fan, this is obviously not for you. Make sure you don't read it until after book 3. It can be read between books 3 & 4, which was the intention. It can also be read after book 4, if you somehow skipped it.

Pages: 174