Helpful Score: 4
My only complaint about this book was that there weren't enough Valkyries. I loved them, especially Nix. I did love the tender scenes between Lothaire and Nix (always thought they should have been a couple).
What made the book for me was Ellie. She and her family were like the Valkyries of the hillbillies. She was so clever and funny. She was even very touching. And she was a survivor. She didn't spend a lot of time crying over things she couldn't change but always tried to make the best of it.
I've always been intrigued by Lothaire because he was the ultimate bad boy that everyone hated. Yes, he was a jerk and an idiot which made it so much sweeter when he came begging or when Ellie outsmarted him.
I couldn't stop reading the book. Lost hours of sleep over it but the morning headache was worth it. I have to say the cover photo is super cheesy though.
What made the book for me was Ellie. She and her family were like the Valkyries of the hillbillies. She was so clever and funny. She was even very touching. And she was a survivor. She didn't spend a lot of time crying over things she couldn't change but always tried to make the best of it.
I've always been intrigued by Lothaire because he was the ultimate bad boy that everyone hated. Yes, he was a jerk and an idiot which made it so much sweeter when he came begging or when Ellie outsmarted him.
I couldn't stop reading the book. Lost hours of sleep over it but the morning headache was worth it. I have to say the cover photo is super cheesy though.
Helpful Score: 2
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick
When I received my long-awaited copy of Lothaire in the mail, I was ecstatic. Kresley Cole is definitely one of my favorite books and I might not have been super keen to read a book about Lothaire, I do love all of her books. I have many conflicting emotions now that I've finished this book. I actually put this book down a few times in the past week out of frustration and as of last night when I still had about 100 pages to go, this book was a firm 3 star rating. But now that I've finished the book it has definitely gone up to a solid 4 stars. In those last 100 pages I was finally able to understand Lothaire and I even began to like him a bit.
Lothaire is a jackass! There I said it. I just figured I'd get that out there. I actually spent most of the book really not liking him at all. For me what saved this book was Elizabeth. She saved this book for me. I loved her and she has quickly become one of my favorite heroines from Kresley Cole. She is spunky, loyal, smart, funny, caring and she stands up for herself. She doesn't back down when it comes to Lothaire and I loved that. I feel that she really was the perfect match for Lothaire. He needed someone to bring him down a notch and make him realize that he doesn't know everything and he isn't always right. I love that even though Lothaire thought she was so wrong for him, she was just so right.
I seriously wanted to slap Lothaire quite a few times. But I have to give credit to Kresley, Lothaire stayed true to who he was and the type of person we have all come to know from the previous books. I think that if he would have had a complete transformation and redemption it wouldn't have been believable. The way everything went down worked so well and made me a fan. Lothaire still might not be my favorite hero in this series but there are a few moments in the book that his actions tug at my heart strings. Though it was also hard to read some scenes with him and Elizabeth together. He really doesn't know how to treat others correctly and I know it's because he was never shown warmth and love but it was still hard to see him treat Elizabeth as if she's a pet.
I could try to summarize this book, but I really don't want to. What stands out the most to me is Lothaire. I might not have enjoyed him so much, but I did enjoy being a viewer of his 'world'. I liked being able to see what he is like in his element and what he cares about. In previous books he was such an enigma to me. I didn't really know what his plans were or what he was after or even who he really was. I get him now and I look forward to seeing more of him in future books.
When I received my long-awaited copy of Lothaire in the mail, I was ecstatic. Kresley Cole is definitely one of my favorite books and I might not have been super keen to read a book about Lothaire, I do love all of her books. I have many conflicting emotions now that I've finished this book. I actually put this book down a few times in the past week out of frustration and as of last night when I still had about 100 pages to go, this book was a firm 3 star rating. But now that I've finished the book it has definitely gone up to a solid 4 stars. In those last 100 pages I was finally able to understand Lothaire and I even began to like him a bit.
Lothaire is a jackass! There I said it. I just figured I'd get that out there. I actually spent most of the book really not liking him at all. For me what saved this book was Elizabeth. She saved this book for me. I loved her and she has quickly become one of my favorite heroines from Kresley Cole. She is spunky, loyal, smart, funny, caring and she stands up for herself. She doesn't back down when it comes to Lothaire and I loved that. I feel that she really was the perfect match for Lothaire. He needed someone to bring him down a notch and make him realize that he doesn't know everything and he isn't always right. I love that even though Lothaire thought she was so wrong for him, she was just so right.
I seriously wanted to slap Lothaire quite a few times. But I have to give credit to Kresley, Lothaire stayed true to who he was and the type of person we have all come to know from the previous books. I think that if he would have had a complete transformation and redemption it wouldn't have been believable. The way everything went down worked so well and made me a fan. Lothaire still might not be my favorite hero in this series but there are a few moments in the book that his actions tug at my heart strings. Though it was also hard to read some scenes with him and Elizabeth together. He really doesn't know how to treat others correctly and I know it's because he was never shown warmth and love but it was still hard to see him treat Elizabeth as if she's a pet.
I could try to summarize this book, but I really don't want to. What stands out the most to me is Lothaire. I might not have enjoyed him so much, but I did enjoy being a viewer of his 'world'. I liked being able to see what he is like in his element and what he cares about. In previous books he was such an enigma to me. I didn't really know what his plans were or what he was after or even who he really was. I get him now and I look forward to seeing more of him in future books.
Helpful Score: 2
Wow! Excellent book! This has to be my favorite in the IAD series! In my experience, usually when a author decides to do a book about the bad guy in a series, it turns out aweful (I won't mention any names)! But this one was great! Some people didn't like the book because Lothaire was an ass. Well, of course he is! And I love that Ms. Cole kept him true to character. He is arrogant, condescending, and brutal. He has an aweful past and has never had any kind of relationship with anyone, ever (except maybe Nix). So he doesn't know how. I had been wondering what kind of female Lothaire would wind up with. Boy was I surprised, and Ms. Cole did an excellent job with the evolution of their relationship. Ellie is the perfect match for Lothaire. I expected him to be difficult, expecially when he didn't realize that Ellie was his Bride. But then he didn't get all soft and mushy when he realized that she was The One, and that he actually had feelings for her. It was totally unexpected and deviated from the usual (which I always love!). And his wit is superb! I laughed out loud so many times! This one is a keeper for me.
Helpful Score: 2
I'm a die-hard Kresley Cole aficionado who believes that woman can pull off anything--except apparently make Lothaire a hero worth rooting for! I'm truly stunned at how much I despise this character. Normally I buy her books on their release date and spend all day devouring them. However, this particular book took me an excruciatingly long period of time to read because (for the first time ever!!!!) I didn't want to finish a Kresley Cole novel. The novel's overall writing is excellent. It flows and is inviting to read, as well as gives readers more information about Lore creatures like Dorada and Hag in only a few lines. (That's why I gave it three stars instead of one.) Despite this, I could not get over my distaste for Lothaire which ruined the whole story for me.
Lothaire is one of those characters who always seemed like a better side character than the main protagonist, dropping in a scene to lend it some witty banter, a bit of snark, and a lot of evil deeds to progress the plot. It turns out that what was amusing and intriguing in those small cameos didn't translate into a 400+ page novel like I'd hoped. He just never transitioned into the makings of a good romance hero. Cole has pulled off some pretty awesome feats when it comes to straddling the line between dangerously damaged hero and crossing the line into unforgivable psychopath. I've fallen in love with every one of her previous heroes no matter how bad they started. But Lothaire is the first protagonist I just couldn't stomach. His inability to see beyond his own needs, his violent approach to sex with/ rape of his Bride completely undermine any endearing traits he exhibits. Not only is he bats**t crazy, but he's so damaged and abusive that even as strong a character as his Bride, Ellie, shouldn't have to settle for one like him. I actually think the novel would have been more romantic if Lothaire had died and Ellie was free to find a more decent lover.
Lothaire's mate, Ellie, is a strong, likable character whom Cole is always careful not to turn into a victim so the story isn't as in-your-face abusive as it could have been. This is good I suppose. But if anyone has ever lived with an abusive personality type, she will have serious doubts as to how Ellie could have so easily succumbed sexually, if not always emotionally, to this monster (and no I don't think that is too harsh a word to describe Lothaire!). I don't care how liberated or healthy your libido is, I don't understand how anyone can get off when your partner is telling you he is going to kill you and finds you lacking compared to the psychopath sharing your body.
Plus the novel was waaaaaay too long. There are simply too many scenes of Ellie's isolation and imprisonment with Lothaire from which the reader is not given any relief. It's almost as if we are supposed to share in the Stockholm Syndrome alongside Ellie. Well, this is one hostage who would have had no problem shoving the vampire into the sun and watching him burn.
If I hadn't already been addicted to this series for several years and if I hadn't been so anxious to find hints on upcoming future characters and stories, I would have donated this book to PBS without finishing it. That is how strongly I dislike Lothaire. The character never captured my heart like he did several fans, but I had begun to warm up to his character during Dreams of a Dark Warrior. Yet everything I liked about him in DoaDW was absent from this novel. Even his "wit" was labored and lacking. I suppose I feel so betrayed because I rely on Cole to provide guaranteed good reads. Plus this book took so long to be published, was the first hardcover IAD novel, was published before the long-awaited Thronos and Lanthe book, and was promised on the fan forums to be "the best IAD book yet." For me it is the worse yet and I hope and pray that her spin-off series, The Dacians:Realm of Blood and Mist, will be worth the disappointment of Lothaire when it comes out this summer.
Lothaire is one of those characters who always seemed like a better side character than the main protagonist, dropping in a scene to lend it some witty banter, a bit of snark, and a lot of evil deeds to progress the plot. It turns out that what was amusing and intriguing in those small cameos didn't translate into a 400+ page novel like I'd hoped. He just never transitioned into the makings of a good romance hero. Cole has pulled off some pretty awesome feats when it comes to straddling the line between dangerously damaged hero and crossing the line into unforgivable psychopath. I've fallen in love with every one of her previous heroes no matter how bad they started. But Lothaire is the first protagonist I just couldn't stomach. His inability to see beyond his own needs, his violent approach to sex with/ rape of his Bride completely undermine any endearing traits he exhibits. Not only is he bats**t crazy, but he's so damaged and abusive that even as strong a character as his Bride, Ellie, shouldn't have to settle for one like him. I actually think the novel would have been more romantic if Lothaire had died and Ellie was free to find a more decent lover.
Lothaire's mate, Ellie, is a strong, likable character whom Cole is always careful not to turn into a victim so the story isn't as in-your-face abusive as it could have been. This is good I suppose. But if anyone has ever lived with an abusive personality type, she will have serious doubts as to how Ellie could have so easily succumbed sexually, if not always emotionally, to this monster (and no I don't think that is too harsh a word to describe Lothaire!). I don't care how liberated or healthy your libido is, I don't understand how anyone can get off when your partner is telling you he is going to kill you and finds you lacking compared to the psychopath sharing your body.
Plus the novel was waaaaaay too long. There are simply too many scenes of Ellie's isolation and imprisonment with Lothaire from which the reader is not given any relief. It's almost as if we are supposed to share in the Stockholm Syndrome alongside Ellie. Well, this is one hostage who would have had no problem shoving the vampire into the sun and watching him burn.
If I hadn't already been addicted to this series for several years and if I hadn't been so anxious to find hints on upcoming future characters and stories, I would have donated this book to PBS without finishing it. That is how strongly I dislike Lothaire. The character never captured my heart like he did several fans, but I had begun to warm up to his character during Dreams of a Dark Warrior. Yet everything I liked about him in DoaDW was absent from this novel. Even his "wit" was labored and lacking. I suppose I feel so betrayed because I rely on Cole to provide guaranteed good reads. Plus this book took so long to be published, was the first hardcover IAD novel, was published before the long-awaited Thronos and Lanthe book, and was promised on the fan forums to be "the best IAD book yet." For me it is the worse yet and I hope and pray that her spin-off series, The Dacians:Realm of Blood and Mist, will be worth the disappointment of Lothaire when it comes out this summer.
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book!!! The whole series is great but this book had an extra something for me. If you love seeing the bad guy melt in the hands of the woman he loves, throw in some very funny stuff, a little action and a whole lot of hot sex, this book is for you!!!
