Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Review for Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole
Kresley Cole's Immortal After Dark Series is one of the finest paranormal romance series on the market right now. In fact, it is just as good as JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, although Cole's name is not as well known. The first book of this series, A Hunger Like No Other, may be the best paranormal romance ever written and is on my all-time favorite list. However, it's difficult to stick with the program while writing these long-winded series, and even great authors such as Sherrilyn Kenyon and JR Ward have begun that nose dive to mediocrity after starting out with a bang. (I hope and pray that both of these exemplary authors will somehow find the magic again with their series, since their earlier books rocked the house!). Anyway, Cole's writing is mesmerizing. Her paranormal world fascinates, the sex is unbelievably hot, and her characters literally come alive. Also, the fun, witty repartee of the various members of the Lore (including valkyrie, witches, demons, vampires, etc) is riddled with pop culture references and adds a real spark to Cole's unique voice as a writer as well as a fresh twist on a paranormal setting. Now, after that stellar introduction, I must admit I was somewhat disappointed with Kiss of a Demon King.  For the simple reason that I did not like Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions.  I didn't like her at the beginning, and I didn't particularly like her at the end, either.  That's a problem. If your heroine isn't likable at the beginning of the story, you better make sure she's likable by the end.  Also, Rydstrom and Sabine did not have the same incredible chemistry as Lachlain and Emmaline from A Hunger Like No Other.  I still enjoyed the book and cannot wait for the next installment...Cole knows how to whet the reader's appetite for the next story by introducing a bevy of intriguing characters in each book. Kresley Cole's bio states that she was a world ranked athlete prior to her career as a writer. Unfortunately, Kiss of a Demon King is only getting a silver medal in my romance Olympics. Grade: B
All my best, Penelope