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Tuesday, April 14, 2009:
And so it begins...Kresley Cole fever
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Anthology with Sherrilyn Kenyon and Jaid Black "The Warlord Wants Forever" a short story introducing the series…

Nikolai Wroth, once a ruthless human warlord in the 1700s and now a general in the rebel vampire army, needs to find his Bride, the one woman who can render him truly alive. As a turned human, he doesn’t enjoy a heartbeat or breaths and is consequently weaker than natural born vampires. He wants his Bride for the power she will bring him and can hardly believe it when his heart beats for Myst the Coveted, a mad, fey, mythological creature.

Myst is known throughout the world as the most beautiful Valkyrie, part chillingly fierce warrior, part beguiling seductress who can “make you want her even as she’s killing you.” She has devoted her life to protecting an ancient, powerful jewel and to fighting the vampires, and she now sees a way to torment one—for with Wroth’s heartbeat comes consuming sexual desire that can only be slaked by her.

She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen the jewel which commands her, giving him absolute power over her. While he possesses it, he can make her do anything, and he plans to in order for her to experience first hand the agonizing, unending lust she’d purposely, boastingly, subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Wroth realizes he wants more from her and frees her, will she come back to him?

I've had this book awhile, since it came out in 2006, and though I started Kresley's story back then, it wasn't all that erotic to me, which is what I was looking for at the time, so I put it aside, never having touched it again until this past weekend, when I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. Though this story is a novella, only about 152 pages, I felt it told a complete story, since the book is bigger size, and after having read it, it was definitely my favorite of the three, by a long shot.

Do you ever have those moments when you enjoy being proven wrong? Nah, me either. But in this case, I'll make an exception. It's not that I didn't think Kresley Cole was a talented writer; I'd read her Highlander series and loved it, but I'm not the biggest fan of paranormal, so it takes a lot to convince me to pick one up.

Myst was a unique, unrepentant, spoiled and oft-times unlikable heroine, yet I adored the heck out of her. As an incredibly beautiful creature, men desire her above all else, and she uses that power against them. She believes Wroth is no different, and when an opportunity presents itself to flee, she takes it, aware of the suffering he will endure, feeling even slightly guilty about it, but she leaves him anyway.

It took Wroth five, long, agonizing years to find his Bride, but when he does, he's determined to not suffer a moment longer. When he discovers a way to have complete control of her, he uses it to his advantage, bringing them both incredible pleasure. Yet over time, as his feelings deepen for Myst, he decides that he would rather have her of her own free will than by force of any kind. Yet can he ever trust this woman who made him suffer for years, or will he give into his doubts and jealousy and drive her away for good?

What a fun, fascinating story. I'm not going to go on and on because I know lots of readers have already discovered the magic of Kresley Cole, but I will say I was intrigued by the combination of the rich vampire and Valkyrie history set in a thoroughly modern world. I love world-building that is based on ancient legends, and setting it during current times brings a unique, fun flavor to the storytelling. I am so glad I already have the first full-length book in my possession.


Rating: ***** out of *****



And look at what's coming out in November.....



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A brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time...


Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden--the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure.

A Valkyrie aching to be touched...

Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

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posted by Stacy~ at 4/14/2009 06:43:00 AM

11 Comments

  1. OHHH Nice cover. :D I must steal it and post it on my blog.
    Isn't Kresley great?

    by Blogger KT Grant 7:30 AM, April 14, 2009 

  2. Good Morning Stacy!

    Your blog and reviews are wonderful!

    I've read a few of Kresley Cole's books, however I've just not found them to be my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, I think she is certainly a talented writer, and I love mythology. I just could never get into her stories. However, she sure has a huge fan base. Maybe I'm missing something! lol

    Have a great day.
    Best Regards
    L

    by Blogger Lea 8:19 AM, April 14, 2009 

  3. Woo hoo!

    I love this series! So much fun and so different from so many other books out there. The humor is the best! :o)

    Hmm...spam word is blessust. Every one?

    by Blogger C2 10:41 AM, April 14, 2009 

  4. Oooooh I'm liking the one on th bottom! The blurb sounds great! I have a few books by Cole. Sad part--I haven't read them. I know it's a shame, I hear so many great things about her.

    by Anonymous Anonymous 11:21 AM, April 14, 2009 

  5. Kate, steal away. Hey, it's not mine *g* And yes, I'm learning of the greatness that is Kresley.

    Thanx Lea! Most days I think I'm boring as all get-out, so it's nice to get a differing (expert) opinion :) As for KC's books, I enjoyed the historicals but the paranormals held no appeal. I guess my tastes have changed.

    C2, Myst amused me, so I'm getting traces of that humor. Yep, God blessust all!

    Barbara, I have the TBR pile from hell. Karen Marie Moning, Cindy Gerard, Patricia Briggs...list goes on and on and on and on...

    by Blogger Stacy~ 2:46 PM, April 14, 2009 

  6. I'm embarrassed to admit....I've never read a Kresley Cole book :(

    by Blogger orannia 2:55 PM, April 14, 2009 

  7. Welcome to the madness, Stacy! I'll be interested to see, after you've read all of the books who your favorite hero is. (Mine is Cadeon...mmmmm, horns).

    by Blogger Kati 3:07 PM, April 14, 2009 

  8. One word...RYDSTROM!!!

    heh. These are seriously good books. I had read a few of Cole's historicals (which is normally one of my fav genres) and been kinda meh about them. But this series really rocks. I'd love to read this story.

    by Blogger sula 6:41 PM, April 14, 2009 

  9. Oh I loved this novella. It really got me going on the series. I think because it was so good though I didn't like the first novel as well - although they kept getting better and better as the books went on - at least IMHO. I'll have to re-read A Hunger Like No Other and see what I think now that I'm not reading The Warlord Wants Forever directly before it. :)

    by Blogger Tracy 7:15 PM, April 14, 2009 

  10. Orannia, don't feel bad. I've never read Karen Marie Moning. Or many others I probably should. Just add to tbb list and hope for the best *g*

    Sula, I did like her Scottish historicals, but yeah, I can see that the paranormals have even more sparkle to them. Must hold off - several books due for review...

    Tracy, your words will have me reading HLNO with a bit of reserve now, but that's a good thing. I'd hate it if it disappointed me so much I didn't want to read the other stories.

    by Blogger Stacy~ 7:38 AM, April 15, 2009 

  11. OOooo! This is the first I'm seeing and hearing of Cole's November release! Sounds good!

    I love the IAD series! I'm glad to see a review of the "The Warlord Wants Forever". I actually won this anthology after I had read the first three full length novels and just never found the time to read the novella. But I will now! (um.. once I move back home and can dig out my books from storage, that is).

    I still have to read Kiss of a Demon King, too! Good thing I have until November to catch up! :)

    by Blogger Christine 9:45 AM, April 18, 2009 

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