REVIEW

This is the first book in the incredibly popular paranormal romance series by Kresley Cole, featuring alpha heroes, kick-ass heroines, wacky humour, hot sexytimes and just general mayhem and awesomeness. In this story we meet Lachlan MacRieve, a Lykae (werewolf) king who escapes a century and a half-long imprisonment when he scents his one true mate passing above his underground jail cell in the catacombs under the streets of Paris, finally giving him the strength needed to break free from his bonds. Emmaline Troy, or Emmaline the Timid, is a half valkyrie (a fae-eared female immortal) and half vampire. Since it's vampires that have been keeping Lachlan chained and tortured for the last 15 decades, finding out his true love to be is be-fanged is not the best news Lachlan has heard recently. And since his sanity is already hanging by the most frayed of threads, this might just be the thing that tears it, once and for all.

This was actually a re-read. I read it originally way back before my reviewing days, or even before my Goodreads, Shelfari and Blogging days, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it since is so nice and fresh in my mind. I have now the wisdom that experience provides, having read all twelve books currently available, to be able to say that although this is an excellent first instalment in many ways, it is but only the tip of the iceberg where this series is concerned. I know a few people struggled with this first book, or even DNF'd it, and I can understand that in a way, but I would always urge people who are initially put off by Lachlan's behaviour, to at least give him the entire book to try to change your mind.

And why is Lachlan such a problem I don't hear you ask? Well, as I mentioned above, his sanity is questionable at the beginning of this book, and upon first meeting Emmaline, he's only been free for 6 days, and has recently had to amputate one of his own limbs to break free (don't worry, he's immortal, they grow back) and is also in the grip of the mating madness that affects all Lykae once they've scented 'The One'. So he kinda, sorta, a little bit....um...fly-tackles her in the street and starts pawing at her like a madman. Then proceeds to force her to do sexual things once he's frog-marched her back to her hotel room.

Okay, it's bad. It sounds bad and it is bad. But you have to understand, Lachlan, as well as being completely bonkers at this point, also has only ever experienced the lust-crazed, orgy-loving, soulless nasty vampires the likes of which have been torturing him for centuries by BURNING THE SKIN FROM HIS BONES. He is not, repeat not, in his right mind, and also has no idea that nice, non soul-sucking vampires, even exist. So when Emma appears to be cowering, or shy of revealing her body, he just thinks it's more of their lies and manipulations. Basically, he just thinks that fate has truly screwed him over by giving him a bloodsucker for a mate, and hasn't quite decided whether to keep her or kill her yet.

Of course we as a reader have the benefit of having an insight into both Lachlan's crazed, not to mention incorrect, thoughts, and also into Emmaline's character. Which is that of a sweet-tempered, shy, sheltered sort of girl/vampire. She hasn't been nicknamed Emmaline the Timid for nothing. And that's what makes it all the more outrageous that he is treating her this way. He couldn't be more wrong about her character if he tried. And so we have to suffer through this part, endure the indignation on Emmaline's behalf, and then just sit back and watch until the big Doofus gets a clue. A lot of the books in this series are based around these kind of extreme misconceptions or miscommunications, which cause the participants an awful lot of angst and heartache, but make for good reading nonetheless. Anyone who knows my intense dislike for meat-head alpha "dominant" male types will be wondering if I've had some kind of personality transplant where this series is concerned because the behaviour is worse than a lot of the ones that I complain about. But there's just something about he way Cole writes it, it's almost so extreme that it makes a weird kind of sense to me. And the bad behaviour of the males is always due to a mix-up of some sort, it's never just that the males are that kind of arrogant arsehole that think it's cool to treat women with contempt or to overpower and control them (Dimitri, I am talking to you). And in fact, once everything is cleared up, they usually turn out to be some of the most caring, sweet and protective alpha males in all of Paranormal Romance Land. Not to mention super-smexy. Did I mention Cole knows how to write a love scene? Hmm mmm.

One of my favourite things about this series is its characters. They too are often extreme in their personalities- there are no wishy washy, cardboard cut out secondary characters here. They are all vibrant, often hilarious or outrageously wicked, and they just jump out from the pages. It's a series that has many, many quotables and funny lines too. The world-building and lore is interesting and exciting and the various races and species of immortals are all as irresistible as the next.

If I were to make any complaints, apart from that Lachlan is a grade one a-hole at the start of the book which we've pretty much covered- it would be that I found it slightly disappointing that the werewolves in this series don't actually Shift. They just get taken over by their "beast" and their appearance alters slightly- claws and fangs- but that's it. This is slightly compensated by their being gruff, sexy, rugby-playing Scots with castles, so, you know, silver linings and all that.

Also, I know some people aren't keen on the fated mates trope, but it works in this series because it's the only possible way these opposites would attract.

In sum, I recommend this series. It's a lot of fun and very sexy with some high drama and sweet happily ever afters. So don't let the Big Bad Wolf put you off ;)

4 Stars ★★★★ ♥