DemonessTenebrae

 

"You have to meet me halfway, or I will stop chasing you. And when I do, you'll regret the loss."

 

 

Aye, woman, anyone would regret that loss. That Lykae is fine.... Ahm... never mind that, let's continue more formal :)

 

 

The next couple on the list: the aforementioned Lykae, Garreth MacRieve, the Prince of the Lykae and a gorgeous Highlander who was a king while his brother Lachlain has been imprisoned. And the mysterious Lucia the Huntress, half Valkyrie, half unknown (and I mean unknown as in not even she nor Nix don't know what's her other heritage).

 

 

Garreth MacRieve was a known womaniser and a troublemaker when his brother Lachlain was the first in line for the crown of the Lykae. He never expected to be in a position where he has to care for all of his clan and where he doesn't have anyone else to ask for help. (Un)fortunately his brother was imprisoned by the Horde and disappeared for a long long time in which period the rake called Garreth had to become a responsible, strong and dependent man and a king worthy of his name and his brother's memory.

 

 

"Before assuming the throne, he'd been wild, a ladies' man and a brawler, so bad he'd been nicknamed the Dark Prince."

 

 

Lucia the Huntress is a part of the big Valkyrie family, she is of course a part Valkyrie and a part no-one-knows-what. She is known as "The Archer" or the best archer that ever existed. She never misses her target because if she would she would experience unimaginable pain which would cripple her for a while. She is a very withdrawn and mysterious person who doesn't share her secrets with anyone else but her closest sister Regin the Radiant who long ago risked her life to save Lucia's. And of course, Nix, no one keeps secrets from the soothsayer Nix who-knows-it-all. 

 

 

"A three-foot-long fish plopped onto the deck in front of Garreth and Damiano. Jutting from its head was an arrow with a line attached. Bow fishing.

From behind them, Lucia said, "Please put your penises away, gentlemen. Dinner is procured. By a woman."

 

 

Garreth and Lucia are destined to be. Or to put it differently, Lucia is Garreth's mate, one and only for him. And even though Valkyrie do not have that term in their language, they do consider the man to be their intended when they feel like they would always run straight into his arms, no matter what. 

 

So, where is the problem you might ask?

 

Well, let's see where to start. The Valkyrie hate Lykae and this starts to happen before Lachlain and Emma, Lucia has to keep her vow of celibacy if she wants to remain the Archer, Lucia is also married and needs to kill that son-of-a-b**** of her husband with her ability as an Archer is she wants to stop the Apocalypse... and then we also have those petty things like straightforwardness and impatience of Lykae combined with the hot temper and fierceness of Valkyrie. Misunderstandings. Troubling past... other people getting in the way... you know the drill.

 

Garreth and Lucia are a tough couple. He followed her for a year all around the world when she fled him to prepare for her duty which she has to do every 500 years. He always followed her and never let go. Even when he finally caught up with her in the middle of the Amazon where she had to go to retrieve a certain object. He was - persistent. Like Lykae usually are. And Lucia was ashamed of her past and scared for her future too much to trust him from the beginning. The fact that he is a Lykae and that with every full moon he has a pull to mark his mate, didn't help one bit. She was too scared to trust him. And he was too stubborn to see that. 

 

 

 

There are a few things that still bother me with this series.

 

1. The heroine even though losing her virginity in the beginning of the book, was restored to her virgin state by a Goddess. Why was that necessary? Why? Again with the VIRGINS *facepalm*. The same result could have been done with just taking an oath not to sleep with anyone. It didn't have to be restoration to a virgin state. STAHP with the VIRGINS. Just stahp!

 

 

2. TIMELINE. Again we go back to past before the beginning of the first book in the series. Which wouldn't be so bad if it was to be read as a prequel. But no. It flies past the other books and their happenings as well. Unnecessary! It could have been done as a great prequel. Stop mixing the timeline. Things are complicated as it is with the abundance of characters. No need to add the time confusion on top of it.

 

 

3. Lucia WASN'T REPRESENTED ENOUGH in the previous books. I just had no feelings towards her. At all. Not the positive, not the negative. She was introduced as an old character but she wasn't, well yeah in name only. But does it count? The author should pay a little more attention on introducing the characters properly. So we have some build-up and interest to see how their love affair will unravel. 

 

 

4. The SHAFT IS TOO BIG. Again. Damn those immortals. Not only are they gifted with a potentially eternal life but every single one of them has a shaft larger than a horse. I guess, all the humans are screwed. When the luck, money, life span, beauty and extra abilities were given, only the immortals were present at the banquet. 

 

 

"Sensing her hesitation, he took her hand, placing his cock in her warm palm. Just preventing himself from running his shaft over it, he grated, "Make a fist."

She couldn't close her fingers around it. "I can't," she murmured, then glared at him when he had to bite back a chuckle."

 

 

 

Despite some frustrating negative remarks, I also have positive ones.

 

1. A STRONG heroine. Lucia has survived rape, mortal danger, many perilous situations and all with the help of her sister Regin or with no help at all. She never mobilized her entire family to help her do her duty. She didn't even entrusted them with her inner most secrets not to get them involved and exposed to danger.

 

 

2. PERSISTENCE of the Lykae. Some may argue that Garreth was too persistent but I say that he was just adorable. He never intended on letting his woman go without a bloody damn good reason which she hasn't provided. It's so rare. Especially in modern times. People give up at the first obstacle, love is considered great as long as it's easy. Of course marriages fall apart and people end up single. Less and less people want to be bothered by the those difficulties anymore. 

 

 

3. CHANGING SCENERY. The author really tries to give us different experiences with each and every book in this series. Which I know is really difficult when you haven't travelled to all of the places you like to portray. This time we have the opportunity to experience a small part of the Amazon and it's breathtaking. Kudos, Kresley Cole.

 

 

4. The CHEMISTRY. Kresley Cole has a knack for creating an incredible chemistry between the main characters. It kinda holds the whole story together. Especially when you try to put this story before, in-between and after the previous stories in the prequels.

 

 

5. WORLD BUILD-UP. It's great. It keeps spreading and introducing more and more characters. Thumbs up.

 

 

6. HUMOUR. All of Cole's books have this streak of humour that never gets old. I enjoy it tremendously. All those witty comebacks are a great way to brighten up the mood.

 

 

"He irritably gazed at the females. "Why'd you invite them?" he demanded. "Damn you both, I weary of this. Did you never think I doona like nymphs?"

"Nay," Uilleam said with a swig. "Any being that sports a penis likes nymphs."

Munro drained his bottle and added, "You canna argue with medical facts."

 

 

 

All in all, I enjoyed the book and the pair. Despite being pissed of at Lucia who could have avoided all that has transpired if she just explained it in a few sentences to poor Garreth who was always kept in the dark. But then we wouldn't have another book, now would we? Yes, indeed. More please :P

 

 

"If you think to seduce me to free you, it won't happen."

"Seducing you is its own end, love."