Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Immortals After Dark Series

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance -Feb. 15th, 2011
4 ½ stars

Dreams of a Dark Warrior is an involving and darker toned story than many of the author's previous books in the IAD series. This story seems like a culmination in many ways. This is because we find out about Regin the Radiant's past with her berserker mate and how she and many of the Lore were kidnapped. Lovers of this series will not be disappointed!

This installment introduces the dark and tortured hero, Declan Chase. Declan works for the Order, a band of humans who hunt supernatural beings called the Lore. The Order is ruthless, cruel and has terrifyingly endless resources. Declan is the second in command and is responsible for capturing all of the Lore and imprisoning them for `experiments.' When he was a child, members of the Lore tortured him and viciously killed his family. Now he lives only for vengeance. He hates all of their kind. But his latest target is different. He has become disturbingly obsessed with her.

Regin the Radiant is beautiful and filled with life. Humiliatingly captured, Regin can't believe that her captor is the heartless Declan. She quickly realizes that Declan is her long lost and reincarnated love. She has cared for all of his past reincarnations but this new manifestation has her deeply distressed. Soon she must decide between the freedom of all Lore or her attraction to this troubled and sexy man. Should she use her intimate knowledge of his mortal weakness or be true to her destined mate?

I have been anticipating this book for many years. And I am so glad the wait is finally over! This book is longer than many of Kresley Cole's IAD novels, if not the lengthiest. It covers a lot of territory, and there are several characters that the author seamlessly adds that bring fascinating depth. Namely, the evil vampire Lothaire, who seems to know more than he lets on.

But because of the subject matter, this book is darker and less light-hearted than her previous books. Declan is definitely hard core. He is ruthless and even a bit difficult to like. His history and brutal upbringing have shaped him. It takes him a while to let down his guard. I enjoyed his slow transformation as he sees Regin as a person and not just the enemy.

My favorite sections in this book were the funny, bright and outrageous moments which feature Regin. As usual, Kresley Cole adds several characters and leaves tantalizing glimpses into other fascinating Lore characters with mysterious pasts. Which ensures this series will continue strong. (I hope this series never ends, even as I wonder how all of them interconnect to the next Accession.)

Dreams of a Dark Warrior is deeply emotional, as I sympathized with poor Regin. (Constantly having her lover die each time he is reincarnated would put a drag on anyone.) I admired her attitude even though she had been disappointed in love so many times. The only quibble was that this story caught me off guard because Regin is such an audacious character. I thought the tone of this book would be lighter. While this book quickly had me absorbed I prefer the author's books where the hero and heroine banter a bit more. Since Declan was such a severe character his dialogue with Regin was mainly very serious. Instead I found myself laughing with Regin and the other secondary characters.

This is a MUST read for fans of the series. Please, please keep them coming!!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

So here we are... book 9. Let's just cut to the chase. After reading Dreams of a Dark Warrior, I turned to my husband and said, "Kresley Cole is my favorite author." Yep... that's right, I've graduated Ms. Cole from one of my favorite authors to my favorite author. I'm not going to lie and say this is the absolutely best book I've read. However, Ms. Cole continues to remain consistent with putting out quality work. The woman just knows what she's doing. I <3 her!

The characters: We've got Regin the Radiant. She's your typical bad @$$ Valkyrie. She doesn't get in much fighting time, but her mouth is as wicked as ever. One of the things I love about this particular love line is the Valkyrie isn't in denial about her feelings. She recognizes she has them, but doesn't want them because of the consequence that go with giving in to her feelings. Then we have Declan. I have to say he's the most tormented character I've yet to encounter in the IAD series. He's like a very tame version of Zsadist from JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. He's undeserving of love, and even if he did deserve it, he wouldn't want it from some crummy old Valkyrie.

As for the plot, this one overlaps with several other novels in the series. I've noticed Ms. Cole doing a lot of that lately. I'm so freakin' excited. It makes me think we're leading up to a grand finale. Did she know where the stories were going way back when she wrote A Hunger Like No Other? Dang it! When I finished Dreams of a Dark Warrior, all I could think was whose story is next?!!? Lothaire? Nix? Please put me out of my misery.

Regin and Declan's story. I have to admit, I predicted how it would resolve early in the novel, but it didn't keep me from enjoying the book anyway.

Favorite lines:

"Squirrel!"
"Time for you to die, Chase." [Brings back memories of Everquest "Time to die, a skeleton!"]
"Everyone makes a bad day trade now and again..."

So once again, I highly recommend the IAD series. Not just Dreams of a Dark Warrior but ALL OF THEM. If you're looking for a series that's not going to disappoint, this is it!

Regin is cursed to love one man, and lose him, over and over and over again. . .

The Valkyrie first met mortal man Aidan the Fierce when she was twelve years old. Nine years later they became lovers, until the night that Aidan was brutally murdered before her eyes. But he vowed he would come back for her, would never be kept from his beloved Reginleit, his Radiant One.

Over the centuries Aidan came back, again and again, always a warrior. Regin found and loved Aidan in four different reincarnations. And each time he dies right after remembering who he is, and what Regin means to him.

Now Aidan is back, this time as Declan Chase - `magister' and hunter of immortals. He's tasked with finding the infamous Valkyrie, Regin, and locking her in a cell to be experimented on and cracked open.

But when Chase inevitably remembers who he is, and how much Regin means to him, will he be able to live with that he has done to her as the Magister?

`Dreams of a Dark Warrior' is the eleventh book in Kresley Cole's `Immortals After Dark' paranormal romance series.

I love Cole's series. Eleven books in and I still come into each new novel with giddy anticipation, and I'm very rarely disappointed with her heady mix of action, humour and romance. But I have to admit that with `Dreams' I was a little underwhelmed.

In keeping with Coles's usual timeline overlap, the eleventh book retraces over the storyline of `Demon from the Dark'. That book was also set in the immortals holding facility, but told from Carrow's captured perspective. This time around we get the view from both imprisoned Regin, and her captor, Declan Chase.

I am a little bit over the prison-setting at this point. The twelfth book in the series is `Lothaire', and I have a feeling that we might just be going back to the prison (for a little while at least) because a bit of Lothaire's background takes place during his confinement. I do understand that this is Cole's MO - she looks at the same events, from a different character perspective and lends new plot dimensions to ground that readers have already tread. But usually her settings are grandiose and exotic - she has taken us to the Scottish Highlands, picturesque New Orleans and even an the storeian jungle. And if she's not taking readers off the continent, she at least sets a good portion of her books in the always fun Val Hall - sorority home of the Valkyrie's. So, by comparison, the immortals prison is just a little ho-hum.

I did like Regin and Chase/Aidan's romance. It's fraught with tension and drama, of the star-crossed, doomed-love variety. I thought Aidan and Regin had a wonderfully epic back story. But as the novel progresses we come to realize that Regin didn't really, truly love Aidan . . . and that didn't ring quite ring true for me. I admit, I thought it would be tricky for Chase to accept that Regin could love him, while remembering Aidan - but I also thought it was a minor cop-out to say that this beautiful, grand romance she had with Aidan wasn't really all it was cracked up to be.

Of course this is `Immortals After Dark', and Ms Cole brings the funny. Regina is a total crack-up, as is her prison cellmate, the fey Natalya. It's always the case that the funniest moments intermingle with the high-drama, and that's once again true in `Dreams'.

One thing I really liked about this book was introduction of a new Immortal call Thad. He's a seventeen-year-old cellmate of Regin and Natalya's, who has only just realized he is part-vampire when some storm-trooper-wannabes dragged him into the prison. To say he's not coping well is an understatement. But underneath it all Thad is still a Texan quarterback and Eagle Scout, and some hilarity ensues when Natalya very nearly makes him her jailbait. I loved Thad, and I hope his appearance hints that he'll get his own book one day soon.

All in all, `Dreams of a Dark Warrior' kind of paled in comparison to bigger and better `After Dark' books. I have high-hopes that Lothaire's book will bring the series back on a high, because his story (and questionable sexuality) were very amusing in this eleventh book.

I loved Dreams of a Dark Warrior !
I loved the whole background story of Aidan the Fierce. He was mentioned in previous books as a Beserker mortal warrior who died before he could wed Regin the Radiant. But he swore to come back for his Regin, and he did... he reincarnated time after time, but also died every time just after claiming Regin.

This time Adain the Fierce is back in Declan Chase. And Declan hates everything that is immortal from what has been done to him in his past. He is part of The Order, an organisation of mortals who capture immortals of all kinds to experiment/vivisect on them to find their weaknesses in order to kill them more easily.

I didn't like Declan Chase much at first and I had a hard time to believe that he would end up with Regin. But as the story progressed I started to dislike him less and near the end I even liked him a bit. But he is my least favorite male charachter of all the books so far as I really loved all the males in the Immortals after Dark series so far!
Even if Declan Chase was a hard charachter to like, I still loved this book!

Look, I'm a huge fan of Kresley Cole -- so every Immortals After Dark Book she writes I run out, buy, and read in a day or two. This one was no different for me. Some of her books I've enjoyed more than others, and all though this was not one of my all time fav's it ranks up there pretty high. Yet, compared to most Paranormal Romance it's ten times better than your average book in this genre.

I was looking forward to Regine's story, she was sassy, funny, and hard to handle. So much so I often wondered if Cole could even write a book about her. She seemed too complex, as though it would be too hard to fit her into 400 pages, but Cole did it. I didn't feel like Regine was as sassy as usual, but she was more likeable to me after I finished the book, where as in the other installments her character came across annoying at times.

The Hero or shall we say -- anti-hero, was just that, a man you loved to hate. He was cruel, sick, hard, and plain evil. Half way thru though Cole did her best to turn him around to the good side. In the end he was impressive, yet, with all his past crimes still a little untouchable in my opinion.

For anyone who doesn't' follow this series the book may lead you astray, it could be hard to follow given all the character development and intense story lines that have been playing out. So I say get and read the others first.

A hard draft of the plot is that Regine is a Valkerie, her hero a reincarnated Berserker who won her heart hundreds of years ago. Problem is that right after they sealed the deal he died a horrific death, vowing to return to her. That he does, every four hundred years or so he comes back in another man's body. Each time she tries to stay clear, to let him live his life, but he finds her. She succumbs to lust which ultimately kills him yet again.

This time he returns as a hard edged Irishman, who grew up on the streets doing heroine to numb himself. One night he returns home to his family in order to steal some jewelry from his mother for another fix and instead finds winged demons feeding on the flesh of his family. They capture him after a good fight, and proceed to do the same to him. He is then saved by a order of humans who have vowed to rid the world of evil immortals.

He is the lone survivor of his family; he is then brainwashed and used to as a weapon/warrior for the order to kill and capture creatures that go bump in the night.

When he finds Regine, he is in his thirties and damaged beyond recognition. He captures her and so begins the story.

She knows who he is, he has no clue who she is, but if she is able to make him remember, able to bed him, he will then die. A tricky thing, because her and her friends lives weigh in the balance if she fails. Because her beloved is a evil man who believes the only good immortal is a dead one.

Good plot, plenty of action, and lots of other characters to entertain you. I won't say that Regine and her berserker were my fav's in the series but they made for a fun read and I sooooooo look forward to the next installment!

I love Reignleit as much as I love the other immortals in the Lore, but I was hoping her love story would be a bit different than the story written. It is wrought with pain and despair, but I think many people missed the side of Regin that you don't normally get to see. This book shows Regin's vulnerable side. A side that wants her lover so much that she would do anything to have him but she never loses herself. Declan is completely deplorable in the beginning, but Regin breaks down his defenses with her staggering beauty, and charisma. Many people despise Declan, but his story proves his loyalty and dedication to his family, work, and eventually to Reginleit above all. Towards the middle you almost feel sorry for him because he has lived such a hard life & you begin to understand why he has done the things he has done. Towards the end he is changed forever and takes responsibility for himself and his actions, and is willing to do anything to make her happy.

This was a hard book to get through, but very well done. I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the others but it is good.

Declan has lived his whole life to end all immortal creatures. His parents were mutilated in front of him as a child and he was tortured and has the scars covering his body to show for it. He made it his life's mission to capture and get all information from these creatures. Everything is as should be until he captures Regin. She makes him feel things that he never should feel for a creature like her.

Regin is captured by Declan and knows that this man is not who he thinks he is. Since the night she lost her soon to be husband, Aidan, he has been reincarnated as different men throughout her life. Soon after each man has kissed her they die. She knows that the only way out of this prison is to have Declan kiss her. Bringing back all his memories as Aidan. The only problem is, she is not sure if she wants to lose this man to their loves fatal kiss.

Cole produces another story that takes place at the same time as the previous book. We are brought back to the "facility" secluded on the magically hidden island. I thought the book was great. Cole takes us back in time to when Regin leaves Valhalla to chase after her favorite sister only to meet up with a group of beserkers lead by Aiden. Aiden knows immediately that Regin the Radiant is to be his future wife. Regin, on the other hand, doesn't quite believe him. Later, when she is of age, she returns to the handsome beserker only for him to die in her arms a few months later. Three more times does Aiden reincarnate only to die in Regin's arm.

Now his reincarnation is the very much hated Declan. The very man capturing fairy, vampires, vemons, witches, and Regin herself. With the exceptions of strange dreams, Declan has no idea who Regin is, but is drawn to her nevertheless. Regin has to decide whether to use his attraction against him to escape or let her own past emotions to try to save Declan/Aiden.

Love the story, my only complaint is that I was sick of the "facility." I'd already heard enough about it in the previous book and was bored to hear more. What I can't wait to hear more about is the evil vampire that everyone is terrified of and his connection to Nix. Woohoo! What's that all about?

Regin is one of my favorite Valkyrie characters. I can not believe the torture she went through. I still can not believe she took him as her man. Although Declan suffered through his early life in a horrible way, he was beyond redemption in my opinion. I did however appreciate all the info on the other species and their traits, whether good or bad. As usual the female character is fierce and I can appreciate her perseverance & skills. Nix made select appearances throughout the book and had me entertained as usual. Surprising was Lothaire's humor and snarky comebacks. I was lmao at the "Ally of Old." Loved the blowing up of the facility and the various escapes. Wonder who took the boat?!?

Note: This book works fine as a stand alone even though it is Book 11 in the series.

The book started with a young Valkyrie, Regin the Radiant, beating up some viking Berserkers. That was pretty amusing and I was enjoying the give and take (both verbal and with blades). The lead Berserker, Aidan, recognizes she is an Immortal, but a rather young one who is still frail and can be injured. He take her under his wing and then proclaims that she will be his wife once she is full grown. In the meantime, she is to wait out her days at his mom’s house while he fights 200 battles in Odin’s name to earn the right to immortality himself. Regin, while young, isn’t really down with that.

So, 9 years later, they meet up again. She’s full immortal, totally able to take care of herself, and busy kicking vampire ass in the Dark Ages of northern Europe. Aidan hasn’t been victorious in 200 battles yet, but he is racking up the points. Regin has to admit that she is plenty curious about coupling in general and in specific, coupling with Aidan. Aidan is all good with this since he claimed Regin for his bride 9 years ago and hasn’t changed his mind on that one bit. In fact, his possessiveness towards Regin came on really strong.

Too strong.

And I had to start this book twice because the main masculine love interest was creeping me out in a rapey sort of way. His possessiveness leaves no room for Regin’s say in the matter and she’s a big part of the equation. This possessive streak is a main theme throughout the book, even with Aidan reincarnated into the modern covert ops soldier we come to know as Declan Chase. I want to believe that the author was setting us up early with a character flaw that Aidan/Declan has to overcome in order to be triumphant, but it didn’t work for me.

First, let me tell you about the characters, the plot, the action, the sex. Then I will come back to this creepy possessive trait. Regin is a lot of fun, always ready with the quip, and a blade if necessary. She starts off strong with plenty of punches, claw marks, and tossing of men twice her size. While she keeps a lot of her spunk throughout the book, she diminishes in her ability to fight and I think this was done to show how strong Aidan/Declan the Berserker is. Declan himself is a troubled man. Unknown to him, his violent dreams are memories of his past lives and past fights and past deaths. He gets lost in it all as a teen and takes up drugs. But then one night a horrible fate falls upon his family and himself, from which he barely survives. And that is where he takes up with this super secret underground military-like organization that hunts down, captures, interrogates, experiments on, and kills any and all immortals. I really enjoyed Declan’s backstory and got into his character, mostly.

The book is fast-paced with plenty of interesting side characters. My favorite was Nix, a Valkyrie gifted with foresight. But that gift also makes her a little crazy. She has a pet bat named Bertie. Then there are several characters we meet in the immortal prison such as the good farm boy Thad, a wicked ancient vampire, a London faerie, and more. They were all enjoyable. Several of the sex scenes were very hot and involved full consent. The partners were into each other and giving and taking equally.

But then we have the love story between Declan and Regin. Declan has a violent streak. At first, he just sees Regin as another immortal, like all the other immortals he has hunted, captured, tortured, and killed. So his initial violence towards Regin didn’t bother me. It was part of the story. And Regin is faced with this horrible decision to either awaken his memories of his past and trigger the curse that has killed each of his reincarnations upon full memory retrieval, or ride it out, try to escape, and hopefully never run into Declan again.

This is my biggest issue with the book. Aidan/Declan has a big possessive streak that goes way beyond being tolerable. It’s not sexy. There are multiple times in this book where Regin flat out refuses sexual contact and Aidan/Declan presses on anyway, once with full penetration. Now Regin does get around to enjoying herself and whatever sexual act is forced upon her, but there is this whole initial lack of consent. Folks, full consent is sexy. Aidan/Declan can declare all he wants how wonderful Regin is, how he will always protect her and cherish her, but the forced sex really negates all that sexy male protectiveness.

So, for me, while this book had a lot going for it, but the overly possessive nature of the main male love interest killed this book for me.

The Narration: Robert Petkoff did an excellent job. He had a variety of accents to pull off as well as male and female voices. He didn’t hesitate with the sex scenes either. In fact, he may very well have orgasmed once or twice while narrating the steamiest scenes. His male and female voices were distinct. Oh, and there was this one character, La Dorada, for which he had to pull off this awful creepy witch sound – he raised the hairs on the back of my neck!

Review Date: 2/16/2011

Wow, I love Kresley Cole's novels and I was more enthusiastic about this story than any other. (I literally took off work to go track down the book and read it yesterday.) Usually I have no trouble writing a review of even my least favorite of her stories because she's so good. But this was a strange book. I wasn't sure I would like it for half of its over 500 pages!

It is dark. Very dark. In fact if you are one of those people who thinks that Peter Jackson's The Lord of The Rings trilogy was gratuitously violent (I don't), then this book might bother you. Declan is a very twisted, damaged, unsympathetic character for many pages. He is the anti-romantic hero. He's a junky, he tortures people, he's been brainwashed, and he has tunnel vision when it comes to his sense of right and wrong that he has no interest in contemplating. Oddly enough, I didn't hate him and I still maintain that the preceding Demon From the Dark is the more psychologically disturbing tale. However, I found Declan mildly distasteful and wondered if I would ever believe in an epic love between him and Regin.

Regin has been my favorite character since I began reading this series over 3 years ago. Though she had some really funny lines, she was not her usual bright self. Her glow was noticeably dimmed for a good chunk of the story. Since she was tortured, locked up, or suffering life-threatening injuries most of the time, it made sense that she wouldn't be cracking jokes every couple of lines of dialogue. We get the serious side of Regin--the "tears of the clown" if you forgive my unfortunate reference. I missed her crazy side. I really did. I wished we could have seen more of it at the end of the book after everything has worked out for her and Declan. But I did appreciate the somber side of Regin and that she wasn't a one-dimensional joke machine.

About half-way or so through, in one small scene involving a bathtub, I finally understood how Cole was going to bring these two together. It was some masterful writing because after that I quickly started to really like Declan as he was and not as some wrong version of the reincarnated Aidan. But in the end I still felt starved for more interaction between him and Regin because I realized that, unlike previous books, these two spent less time alone together than any of Cole's other pairings. Somehow it makes their story both more epic and intimate, instead of less so. I don't know how Cole does it.

After finishing this book I was left a little gobsmacked. I didn't know how to react. It didn't leave me with the same fuzzy romantic feelings I had for No Rest For the Wicked, but it still had an amazing impact. I'm still not sure I can define it. I do think it was the most well-written, evenly paced, and thorough of her books so far. Cole has written that Regin was one of the first characters that she came up with for her IAD series and I can see this evident in the ease with which this book was written and the way it flows. It's over 500 pages and seems to go by in a blink. There wasn't one section that I thought deserved more time or needed to be fleshed out more. I wanted more of Regin and Declan living happily ever like you sometimes want to read fanfiction of your favorite tv series after the curtain has gone down on the final episode of the final season. But Dreams of a Dark Warrior was the best self-contained story I have ever read in a series that still managed to create interest for future stories.

As always, side characters were well-developed while not taking up too much of the limelight. Lothaire seduced me with his quirky humor, ambivalent honor, and slightly homoerotic relationship with Declan. I'm curious to see if Regin and Declan have cameos in his story.

Overall, DOADW is a wonderful addition to the IAD series and perhaps the best written romance novel I've ever read.

I am a HUGE fan of this series and this author in general. She has an amazing skill of combining edge-of-your-seat sexual tension with great adventure and some humor thrown into the mix to make it fun. Her character development normally has me wrapped around her finger by the first chapter. I'm ok with a little darkness thrown in for good measure... but this book was dark-theme heavy to the point that it became less enjoyable for me.

I was so looking forward to the match up between Regin the Radiant and her Aidan. However, the character development for Declan Chase was so twisted and dark that I couldn't quite buy the resolution and the match up at the end of the book. Literally more than 2/3 of the book was evidence of how dark and twisted Declan was... and then with details of vivisection and other torture... and then to try and make a neat & tidy happy ending just really didn't feel authentic to me. I almost wish she killed off Declan and had a subsequent reincarnation of Aidan to finish the book. The rest of the series so far is totally awesome, but this one didn't quite fit. Hopefully in the future we'll get a little less vivisection and a little more heat (like she usually provides).

Unlike other reviewers I thought Cole did a great job redeeming Declan Chase. Many people mentioned he did not feel guilt for the others but he stated that he did. Yes it was based on Regin but he knew he was wrong. He was a 17 year old drug addict who walked in on the night that his brother was killed and his parents where being tortured. He then had to listen and watch while at the same time enduring his own torture. He was saved by a fanatic who hated immortals and then feed the same hatred to this boy who was still in shock. Of course he was easy to brainwash and guilt into hating the immortals. I can see why he was acting the way he was and once Regin made him realize this he changed. He became the protective alpha male the readers wanted. So good job Cole. I loved the characters in the book and in the end, and it was hard, I even loved Declan Chase.

While I have absolutely loved the majority of the IAD serious this one fell a little flat for me. To much of the last book played out again, and though from a different perspective, really not that much different. Since the majority of the book was very similar to the last book you knew what was going to happen. La Dorada coming in to destroy the facility looking for the ring and Lothaire, the major players in the IAD serious would make it out unscathed and so forth. I loved Regin but almost wished that Aidan had returned fully because I found it really hard to believe after a lifetime of hating the Lore, Declan just changed his mind. Regin, the outspoken strong willed Valkyrie, being so easily persuaded by Declan was something else I had a hard time with, one minute he's this evil incarnate and the next she's having "somewhat sex" with him. Please don't get me wrong I did like this book but for me it just wasn't Ms. Cole's best.

I know a lot of readers may disagree, but I'm giving this story 5 stars. Not just for the context, but for the romance as well. Their romance was complex to say the least. And dark and hard to wrap your mind around how regin could love a "spawn of hitler-esque" type of man. But that's what made it great! At first I didn't like their romance. But after reading the story and listening to the audio book again, I started seeing the conflict of their romance in a new light. When u think about it, yes Declan was brutal to the immortals, and he tortured regin and others (I don't recall him actually torturing children), but in the harsh reality, our american soldiers are doing the same thing to people. And they aren't even mythical immortal monsters! They're just people with guns and bombs. And yet our soldiers gun down men, women, children, anyone who is a threat to their convoy. Remember american sniper? Yet they're seen as heroes! Chase realized there was a powerful enemy that was thought to not exist, who killed his family, and did what any man with a soldiers mind would when his loved ones are lost and his country (in Declan's case his world), is being terrorized. You fight back. Soldiers don't stop to think "maybe this woman with an rpg aimed at my fellow man is actually a good person. I should talk to her first" they take action before more soldiers are killed. And we all show support for our troops. And that's what Declan was all about! Protecting humans from being killed by the blatant distruction all the immortals cause is his directive. How was he to know there was a Pravus and vertas faction? How would he have distinguished? Regin killed hundreds of innocent men and women soldiers, she even struck first! He was trying to catch her to keep humans (us) safe. So before everyone wants to go and hate declan for being a soldier and following orders, think about how the world would be if these creatures actually existed? I'd wrather have Declan in my corner than regin against some wendigo. Because to regin, humans are beneath her and not worth saving. That being said, Declan went against his instinct with regin and developed feeling for her, and saved her life and her friends lives when everything went to hell in a hand basket. That warrants some sort of redemption.

I am 100% fan of Kresley Coles Immortal After Dark series. Just read Dreams of a Hero. Surprised by how disappointed I was. I have come to expect likable hero's and heroine's from her in addition to witty, fast dialogue and laugh out loud humor. Terrible protagonist in Chase. I felt that Regin got ripped off. As one of the more saucy valkerie she deserved a better partner. Chase was cruel, abusive and by far the most unlikable reincarnation of Aiden. Why she would be paired with such a vicious, serial sadist makes no sense. He was self and other loathing and tortured his beloved without mercy.

While it is fantasy even my great rich imagination COULD NOT stretch far enough to believe that victims tortured at whim by him were so forgiving at the end or even more so that Regin bound by loyalty to family and friends would bend her virtues and in the end stand by her man. RIGHT?????????????
For the first time I was rooting for the hero to meet his maker as a happily ever after equalizer of injustice with the option for Regin to land a better reincarnation. Even the intimacy scenes were a buzz kill. The man was as deformed and twisted on the inside as he was on the outside. Just couldn't see it. Let alone the irony that he was paired off with one of the greatest beauties of the Lore. I read for escapism and in my fantasies I like my hero's hot! not hideously deformed. If the latter is the case then I need one who has a winning personality or exudes my empathy to override the yuck factor.

Finally a lot of war theme with military chain of command stuff. Never liked the topic. Especially hard to equate military mentality and that ambiance with romance.

This book was a HUGE disappointment!!!

I liked Demon From The Dark (the previous book) better, but I have to give Kresley Cole props for keeping me interested. Most authors I've followed fall into a rut after the 4th book or so and it gets repetitive. I've lost interest in many a series that way. Not so for Immortals After Dark.

Regin is not one of my favorite ladies of the Lore. She projects a fun, hip image but I've always found her annoying. Chase is a hard sell, for me anyway, as a leading man, too. He's a drug addicted leader of the humans who've been conducting inhumane experiments on immortals.

I didn't expect to even remotely like this at all. I only read this book because I've been an IAD/Kresley Cole fan since Warlord Wants Forever. Good thing it paid off!

Regin and Chase's love story will never be one of my top or even middle faves, but the substory with the other characters more than makes up for it.

The ragtag group they form to survive the island kept me entertained. I loved reading more of Lothaire. I hate waiting for anything, and the little bits of crumbs we're given in regards to the Accession and everybody else's greater end game are killing me, but I love it.

There is no ridiculous drama or easily avoidable angst to distract from the plot. No clichéd manwhoring male lead. No simpering supposedly-smart heroine who accidentally makes the wrong mistakes and thus leads to bigger troubles. There is only good reading material. Kresley Cole knocks another one right out of the park.

So, I thought I was strong enough to wait my turn to check this book out from the library. I did pretty good... until I read the excerpt on Kresley Cole's website and had to HAD TO run out and buy the book! I'm very happy I did!. Regin's story is a great addition to the IAD series. Since I promised no spoilers I'll just state my general likes and dislikes.

**** Those that come down hard on Declan should also come down hard on Connor too. Connor harmed many in the Lore as well. he earned those blood red eyes. Declan, did what he did b/c he believed the Lore was ALL EVIL! If Lore creatures had not caused such a "negative impact" ( no spoilers) in Declan's life, then Declan, would not have been driven to destroy them all in an effort to protect the human race. You know, "us"!****

Likes:
1)Regin's book advances the upcoming Battle of the Lore allstars quite nicely.
2)Kresley out did herself in getting "Aiden" and Regin "together"
3)More about Nucking Futs Nix has been unraveled (Can't wait to read her story)!
4)Lothaire! Lothaire! Lothaire! Still can't wait to learn his deal... and what lays between him and Nix?!
5)Kinda reminds me of Phury's book but better ( JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series)

Dislikes:
1)Declan lacked character development. Outside of being Aiden reincarnated, what else drove Declan all those years to be so miserable? Was he too young to "supress" Aiden? The events that caused him to hate Lore beings occurred AFTER his misery and self deprivation NOT before. If not for Aiden, what would drive Declan to pursue Regin?

2)Kresley writes wonderful love scenes. Unfortunately there weren't many in this book.
Lot's of atmosphere and plot buildup (like) which caused the romance to be sidelined (disliked).

Overall an enjoyable read. I LOVE the world that Cole has created. Can't wait to find out what's in store for the Lore beings she created. Great read!

The premise of this book intrigued me from the beginning. One kiss on the lips triggers the memories and one act of sex is akin to signing a death warrant. I couldn't wait to see how Cole would write the H/h out of the seemingly impossible corner she'd painted them in to.

1000 years of love and heartache is a long time for any couple to endure and yet Reginleit the Radiant and Aiden the Fierce have been loving and losing each other for that length of time. Whether he's a knight or a privateer or a Calvary officer in his past lives, one thing is for certain Regin and Aiden are soulmates destined to repeat their past sins and suffer the consequences. Maybe the 5th time's the charm? Only if Regin doesn't kill Declan Chase first herself. Let the games begin!

Cole makes it exceedingly hard to like the latest reincarnation of Aiden in the form Declan Chase. Dark and brooding, unfeeling except for his hatred of all things detrus he is the perfect candidate to oversee the secret installation housing all things immortal and Regin the Radient his own personal capture is the latest inmate to be a "guest" in the hellhole jail.

The first half of Dreams of a Dark Warrior was spent showing us how Declan became the man he is and his understandable hatred of all things immortal and he had every right to hate them with every fibre of his being. He suffered at the hands of the Neoptera, scarred and barely escaping sure death while he watched the vile creatures kill the members of his family. Declan was a mean, torturing S.O.B. and Regin and her friends and enemies alike were treated to several rounds of torture at his hands.

Once all hell broke loose on the island (literally the walls came on tumbling down), then the story really started to heat up.

I really like the band of weary brother's allegiance formed by Declan, Regin and a cast of great secondary characters including King Vamp Lothaire, Aiden's life long friend and fellow Berserker Brandr, the Fey Natalya and the young and innocent half-vamp Thad (surely Ms. Cole has his story in the works!) as they worked together to survive. Watching these characters form an uneasy alliance was funny, full of betrayal, promises made, deals struck and finally honor among immortals?

I just wanted to include a couple of funny memorable lines that had me LOL'ing:

Regin: "I like em young, dumb and hung".

Regin to Declan as she observes him stripping: "Thanks for the view of your junkyard."

And lastly just a little description to whet your appetite:

Rock-hard ridges descended to the low waist of his camo pants. Her gaze dipped to his flat navel, then to his goodie trail. And lower... She swallowed. He'd begun stiffening in those pants.
She yanked her gaze up determined to look at anything else. Around his neck he wore dog tags, and a big, butch military watch was strapped to one brawny forearm. With the combat boots, low-slung pants, and tacticool accessories, he looked good. Even scarred, he looked better than good.

The struggles were many but in the end you can't deny that a 1000 years is a long time to wait for a happily ever after!

Cole has certainly set up a world full of great characters whose stories are still be told. Whose story is next Lothaire? The Nucking Futs Nix? Thad? I for one can't wait.

Excellent!! Deserves more than 5 stars. Loved Declan Chase, but I guess I'm a sucker for a tortured soul. Unlike the other IAD books, this one was not about finding the mate, bride, etc, because Declan and Regin's destiny has already been established. What the book did give us was more of an insight into the Lore, and the creatures that inhabit this world. I love that some Ms. Cole's books take place simultaneously, being that we already know the outcome of some of the characters that are mentioned. She is setting us up for what I believe to be a sizzling conclusion to the series, sad as it may be.
Boy did I laugh. Since when is Lothaire the `Dr. Phil' of the Lorean world? For someone so dreaded and evil he was somehow...compassionate? The introduction of Thad was a pleasant surprise, and his innocence about his unknown heritage added for some humorous moments. When he was giving his `girl advice' to `DC', Lothaire, and Brandr, using his high school experiences...I almost fell off the chair. I imagined the four of them hanging in bar, playing pool and swapping stories about babes. That Nix...what a hoot. She had some of her best moments in this book.
I can't wait to see what Ms. Cole has in store for us next.

Ever since I discovered the IAD series late last year and finished them, I couldn't wait for Regin and Aidan's story. After the last book, I wasn't sure how Ms. Cole can pull it off, because it just seems so natural that Regin would hate Chase after what he did to her, but Ms. Cole did great in making us feel for Chase as a person and not just hate him.

The story of Regin and Chase began a thousand years ago, when Regin left Valhalla in search of Lucia (whose story was in Pleasure of a Dark Prince). Aidan, a berserker warlord, immediately recognizes Regin as his mate. (Berserkers are warrior who fight evil in the name of Woden, Regin's "father", and earns immortality after winning their 200th battle). However, Aidan was killed before he could become immortal, leaving Regin alone.

A thousand years have passed, and Aidan have reincarnated again and again only to be killed, leaving Regin behind each time. This time, Aidan have returned as Declan Chase, a magister working for a group of mortals bent on killing and destroying the immortal. Declan Chase has fought with strange powers all of his life, just never knowing what was wrong with him. When his family was attacked by a group of Neoptera, he barely survived and decided to join the Order and spend his life fighting immortals, but at the same time he had to take drugs to keep his powers in check. It turns out that he was in fact a berserker, belonging with the immortals. Chase caught Regin in New Orleans and brought her to the order's secret compound, but even at their first meeting Chase knew something was different about Regin. And Regin recognized Chase as Aidan's reincarnation immediately as well. She just couldn't believe that he would hurt her.

I'm always a sucker for second chance stories, so this story, with Aidan coming back again and again for Regin, touched me immensely, not to mention Aidan and Regin's vow of faithfulness to each other. I was doubtful about how Ms. Cole could pull it off so that Chase would be acceptable, but she did a great job building Chase's character and the romance between Regin and Chase. Regin had always been a loudmouthed prankster, but there was more depth to her than we ever knew. I couldn't put the book down for wanting to know what will happen between those two.

However, the book was really graphic in the description of the torture, which might've been a bit above what one sees in a romance book. In addition, there was a lot of time spent talking about Lothaire, the Enemy of Old, the Endgame (whatever that is), and his mate. I am curious as to who Lothaire's mate is and the relationship between Nix and Lothaire, but I thought the book could focused a bit more on Declan and Regin.

Overall, a book that fans of the series shouldn't miss!!

One of things that I love about this series is that every new book incorporates some of the characters from previous books. I hate those series where you get attached to a books characters and then you never hear from them again in later books. I also love that these last few books have all centered around one particular event but just from different characters perspective. Lastly, I love that each book typically introduces some new Lore species.

I wont bog down with plot info since there is plenty of that already. I just wanted to add that I really loooovvveeed this. Sure it was a bit to take with Declan's character shooting up as a youth and then again with the serum as an adult but I think it gave his character more than the typical clean cut hero look. I loved Regin previously and loved her even more in Dreams of a Dark Warrior. Her character was true to all that readers have previously seen of her. I've said it before Cole adds wonderful personality to her characters and this one did not disappoint, in fact I was worried that she was becoming to side tracked with witty one liners and jokes and leaving the story telling behind. Pleased to say that this novel was more like the old Kresley Cole. The jokes were still there but not to the point where thats the only dialogue between the hero and the heroine. I truly felt like I was able to watch and witness the love Regin and Aidan had for another and how Regin suffered emotionally knowing that her lover and heart was reborn in probably one of his worst reincarnations ever. Declan had flaws aplenty but his soul could not deny his feelings for his soul mate.

Watching Declan get his memories back, all that he suffered in this life form only to realize that he was tarnished before the woman he had struggled to return to time and again. Excellent job Ms Cole and worth a reread

This is the 11th book in the Immortals After Dark Series and this one is still as well written as the previous novels.

This book features Regin the Radiant and her star crossed lover Adrian/Declan who are forever bound to each other but forever kept apart. Adrian is forever being reincarnated into another person every 500 years or so and Regin has pledged herself to him; always faithful and never taking another lover.

In this reincarnation Declan captures Regin and imprisons her in a Lorekind torture camp. As Regin's presence draws out Adrian's memories from Declan, Declan and Regin must face their greatest fear - trusting and loving each other.

Still loving this series.

Beware... spoilers if you haven't read the past 8 books...

Let me get it out of the way and say that Dreams of a Dark Warrior (book #9) was amazing. Although I did enjoy Demon from the Dark a smidgen more, this is another fabulous addition to Kresley Cole's very addicting Immortals After Dark series. Many of her fans have been waiting for the match-up between Regin the Radiant, the glowing, loud-mouth Valkyrie, and her soul mate, Aidan the Fierce, the berserker who's reincarnated time and again to find Regin, but it never ends happily for them. Aidan always ends up dead, and Regin spends another few hundred years waiting for the next reincarnation of Aidan to start the whole cycle again. Regin feels both she and Aidan are cursed, never to be together and to suffer alone.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior starts with how Regin and Aidan first met. Regin was only twelve at the time, searching for her beloved, missing sister Lucia. Aidan quickly realizes that Regin is his mate and will wait for her to grow up so he can claim her. But these two lovers can't consummate their relationship. Since Regin is an immortal and Aidan isn't, he must try to earn his immortality called Ohalla by winning two hundred battles in Woden's name. Woden is a god and Regin is one of his daughters. Unfortunately Aidan jumps the gun because he can't control his passion for Regin and the curse between these two unfortunate lovers is engaged.

Now in present day, Regin is waiting for the next Aidan reincarnation. But this time she'll deny him to keep him alive and stop from doing two things with him that always leads to his death once they're acted upon. But Regin has much more to worry about, because a mortal by the name Declan Chase, who's part of a secret Order against the creatures of the Lore, will capture Regin and her kind, doing unholy experiments and tortures on them, hoping to eradicate their existence. Declan is filled with hate and wants revenge because of how his family was killed by a group of evil immortals who tortured and left Declan for dead when he was only seventeen. He's very much a loner who wears black, won't let anyone see him naked and is addicted to drugs to numb his pain and urges he can't control for something or someone. And when he comes in contact with Regin, his reasoning flies out the window.

Regin figures out who Declan is inside, and in order to save herself and those of the Lore he has captured, she must make him remember his past lives because if she doesn't, all the immortals could be destroyed for the Accession has arrived in full force.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior is set during the events of Demon from the Dark, but from Regin and Declan's point of view. When it was announced who Declan was in Demon from the Dark, that reveal was one of most shocking things in possibly the entire series. I wondered how in the world Kresley was going to pull off Regin and Aidan's HEA. She has definitely accomplished that in Dark Warrior with many happy results. Even though this isn't as steamy as her past books, don't worry, there's more than an abundance of passion, but more of an emphasis on the action and the incredible and witty dialogue between the characters I cannot get enough of. Again Kresley gives us great insight on why her characters act the way they do. Regin is not the spoiled brat I had though her to be, and Declan is not evil, just misinformed and unbelievably full of suffering and guilt.

There are many familiar faces, most importantly the capture of Lothaire, the most ancient of all vampires who's as remote and amoral as they come. Kresley has a major twist regarding him based on who his mate may be. I really thought I knew who he'd be mated with. How wrong I was! His book is next, and let me tell you, if Kresley hooks him up with whom I'm thinking she has planned, mainly based on the interactions between him and a specific character, it's going to be the craziest and most spectacular book in this entire series! And I have no doubt that Kresley can pull it off. I wish I could tell you who I think Lothaire will be with, but that's a humdinger of a spoiler right there. All I can say it is full of crazy awesome sauce, and this will be confusing for those who haven't read Dark Warrior, but I do believe the black king will capture the white queen.

It's pretty much a given I'll read anything Kresley Cole writes. Dreams of a Dark Warrior is another book full of win by her. *Bows down at the altar of Kresley Cole*. I'm already dying for the next book (or at least a blurb to finally know who Lothaire's heroine is). Kudos to Kresley for another top notch book that has made me invoke my favorite phrase- "I want to have babies with it.

Katiebabs

My only regret about reading this book is that I have to wait for the next one I started this series after I finished reading The Black Dagger Brotherhood series I needed something with the same hardcore take no prisoners paranormal action that I had with BDB and boyyyy did I get it!.I absolutely LOVE LOVE every book in this series Kresley Cole is one of THE BEST WRITER'S. Dreams Of A Dark Warrior is easily one of my Favorites of the series NO it isn't fairytale like some of the others but thats what makes it so great Regin is HILARIOUS I don't think I have ever Laughed out Loud so many times during one book in my life oh and don't get me started on NIX she is hands down my favorite Character I HOPPPPPPEEEEEEEE she has a book coming soon it's so many dead ends in this book that just leaves you hungry for more like who is Uilleam MacRieve's Mate?....who's got Lothaire the Enemy of Old attention? is it furie??(that would be CRAZZZYYYY GOOD,EPIC)...OH AND I am SOOOOOOOO DYING TO READ Melanthe Story it SCREAMS GREAT READING *sighs* I really can't wait until the next book comes out it was so much easier when I was playing catch up with the series LOL I didn't have to wait for the next one :-(

I was not a big fan of Reign and I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved it. Her journey was tense, exciting and I spent several late nights reading chapter after chapter. I loved how the book connected with the other stories from the previous book and gave another perspective on the captives at "Immortal Island". I did like Chase Declan but did not feel his redemption was thorough enough. Reconnecting with his past reincarnations was how it seemed he was forgiven for his crimes but his crimes were too many. I felt that we needed more of an epilogue about what he became and how he was truly forgiven, not just "you're with Reign now so we will kill anyone who doesn't like it". The book was already a long read but I felt to tell the story well it needed more. I hope its continued in future books and his presence as part of the Lore is more developed.

I still loved the book and I would gladly recommend it as a must read part of the series.

What do you do when you love an author so much that you want to give them the acclaim they deserve???

You sit around typing, retyping, typing and retyping for long stretches of time trying to put into words why she is so fabulous...and then at the end of all that, you delete everything in complete frustration knowing that it is completely impossible to express how high you feel when reading her work.

So in a completely understated manner I will say that "I absolutely love, adore, cherish and worship everything that is Kresley Cole"
This book is just another installment in the phenomenal Immortals After Dark series and as with all the others I LOVED IT TO BITS!!!

A few of the MANY, MANY, MANY freakishly hilarious favourite quotes from this terrific book:

1. "I finally understand what a dickie-do is. Your gut does stick out more than your dickie do"

Once again Kresley throws us into the world of Lore and this time it's Regin's turn to find her man.
Regin, who we've met in the other books in the series, is yet another fun-loving fierce Valkyrie, who has the bad luck of losing her Viking mate Aidan over and over through the centuries after one hot night.
This time Aidan has been reincarnated in Declan Chase who is a "mortal" with special abilities and a tragic childhood, and is one of the leaders of a organization which hunts down Lorekind.
So he manages to stab and capture Regin, takes her to this island where the other magickind are captive to be dissected and this is where the base of the story revolved.
Why I loved this book was b/c you could actually feel the tension between the two through their meetings. Yes Declan does torture her (once) but that to me was expected in the environment they were in.
Declan wins out in the end which I do think was fitting as I fell in love with his character more than the perfect 'Aidan'.
Great read!

I'm new to the IAD series and I've read all except #4, by choice. Can't get into ghost love at all. . . Anyway, I Love Coles' writing; I enjoy reading this series to break away from reality, to relax, and to fantasize (big smile); NOT to be emotionally drained in a NEGATIVE way. I'm not sure what's going on with her writing, it's just wrong emotionally!!! Between "MacRaven" (too pricey) and Dreams of a Warrior, I'm disappointed emotionally.

I couldn't get past the Samples, so I read a friends' copy to be sure of myself (I so wanted to like them) before purchasing and I was correct...I couldn't get past the 1st third of these books.

The building fixation with torture, hatred and pain without cause isn't interesting or relaxing. This is one fantasy trip I would suggest to miss. . . unless, you are into this sort of thing. Yuk!!!

I would have provided a negative one (-1), if it was allowed.

P.S. It should be titled DREAMS OF A NIGHTMARE!!!!

To all my reading group family old & new....I just think Kresley Cole's writings are just awesome!!
'Dreams of A Dark Warrior'...is a definite page turner!!..Regin & Aidan the Fierce are a perfect match!

>>>>>S P O I L E R>>>>> A L E R T <<<<<<<<<<<<S P O I L E R<<<<<A L E R T<<<<

I actually enjoyed kresley going into detail about how some of the immortals disappeared and wound up on that island that they had no clue of how they all got there...

Aidan and his many hats(re-incarnations) ~smile~ he was such a brutal yet ..romantic and sexy warrior wooooooo!!

Regin and her cell-mates Nat & Thad were a hoot!!..( Thad piqued my interest, hope to read a story on him Kresley) >>hint-hint<<

overall i give this book (10 +)!!!!

~Happy Reading~

I love all her books and this is another great one. SO UNIQUE and interesting. It was sad too, had tears in my eye at least 2 or 3 times. So beautiful "a tale of star crossed lovers". I loved the opening and closing of the book couldn't help but think of Shakespeare (the openings of his tragedies like Romeo and Juliet) and fate/destiny. Declan Chase is such a sad and crazy hero. I liked him a lot such a dark ominous man. I like the details of him being an addict and the pairing of him with Regin was awesome. Not just anybody will do. His glowing dream. SO through a lot of heartbreak and pain and suffering too, are heroes get everything they desire and deserve. So good, very different, and very unique. Lots of Lore and gore. Only con: Lots of side plots detract a little from main story. But I love this world so the more details the better. Oh how I love these BOOKS!!!!!

I love these books. I seriously can't stop reading them. I was sucked in from chapter one in the first book and have been reading non stop since. Many series have an issue of being repetitive with the main conflict, but these are written so uniquely. Each book ties into the last, but the conflict is very different and creative.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior is probably my favorite IAD novel. I love Regin and Declan. I really love how heart breaking it is for the two. I don't want to post any spoilers, but I love the journey that BOTH of the characters take.

A trully amazing story and in my opinion,one of the BEST in the IAD series.

It's the story of Regin and Declan.Declan is the fifth reincarnation of Aidan the Fierce.A Viking warlord,that fell in love with the ever glowing girl,that Regin was,when they first met. Regin,growed up eventually and the time had come for Aidan to claim her.But Aidan was too proud and too infurated with his mate.So he made the greatest mistake a mortal can make,that eventually cost him his life.But not before he swore to Regin,that nothing could keep them apart.Not even death.

So the story,throught the centuries repeats itself.He comes back,everything works until he claims her.Then he dies.Every time he is in love with her,wanting her and Regin is torned apart by his death.

Flash forward,current year.Declan is SO much different,than the rest of his reincarnation,even Regin herself has doubts about the guy.

Declan,has lived throught all kinds of personal hell.He feels like a misfit,his entire life for no apparent reason.He tries to react to that in the baddest ways,a man can.When great tragedy,hits him hard,he is bend on extinguishing every single immortal that walks this earth.
The only problem is,that his mate happens to be just that.

Mrs.Cole has achieved what few writters can,especially in paranormal romance.She gave us,a true and real hero.Declan,has his demons which he tries to fight them in the entire book.He is knee - deep in a pit consisting trouble,confussion,anger and anguish.We see him,as he slowly comes to terms with that.By himself and with the help of his mate.

Regin,is an equal to him.She is not overcoming his cruel treatment to her,or the pain that she has gone throught simply because is her mate.Nooooo!!She is a normal woman,that is in love but yet has the burning fury of a valkyrie and wants to retaliate for everything.

As the story,slowly progress secrets and feelings,well hidden arise to the serfice in order to gain the attention that they need.Their bonding was an apple for my tired eyes.

At last a hero that has an actual bad past,knows it and tries to fight it.He knows when he is wrong,he knows what he have done and he accepts it,without him or the story proves the other way arround.A heroine,that can be a "hard" but feminine,without losing nothing of her charm.

A book,that i enjoyed overally.Oh!You get to meet Lothaire a tinee binee more.....I wish it was already January 10th,so his booked would have shipped already!

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by author Kresley Cole is the 11th book in her Immortals After Dark series. I am a BIG fan of this author and enjoy each of her stories. I will say that I had very high hopes for this latest book. Did she deliver? Read on and find out.....

Valkyire Regin the Radiant is one of my fav characters (next to Nix). Regin is quick with her swords and even quicker with a blunt commentary. Enemies, friends and family alike never know what to expect. Her sarcasm pulls on my heart strings and I LOVE it. lol She busts me up non-stop with some of my all time favorite tag lines. On top of all this she is a beauty in her own right. Her kiss is said to enslave men, and her glowing skin draws them in like months to the flame. LOVE IT. :)

Only down side is... the man she loves, Aidan the Fierce, is destined to die over and over again. Soon after each reunion he is brutally killed in some fashion. *stabs fake sword into my heart* After each death he comes back in a new body, but somehow always knows in his heart who she is. Wash rinse and repeat. Very tragic. In this latest tale Aidan has returned as Declan Chase, a man on the hunt for all immortals. He locks them away for vivisection, torture and many other heinous things. He does it all in the name of purification. He's out to rid the world of these so called monsters.

Declan has an uncontrollable yearning for Regin. After capturing and holding her hostage, he is faced with the many issues that have plagued him throughout his existence. Scarred both emotionally and physically from his awful past, can he find peace with the cunning Valkyire? Can Regin love a man so foreign from anyone she has ever known? Want to know.....gotta read the book to find out! :)

Not as much action as in previous stories so I'm a little let down in that department. Regin also lost just a tad of her more dominating foul mouth nature. That being said she still held it down with a few classics that only she could pull off. Romance heats up the rest of the pages. Kresley NEVER disappoints me in that department. ;) New characters are introduced in this book. Old ones come back to continue building plots. Overall, a fun read that's well worth it, very enjoyable.

ismellsheep.blogspot.com

I LOVED Regin's and Declan's story. At first I thought there was no way a cruel, scarred man like Declan would ever be compatable with an outgoing, wild Regin, but thir chemestry was intense. And normally I don't like the loud-mouthed lead female characters in my books, but Regin's stories of Declan's past lives were so sweet and so sad I really felt for her, and her humor definetely kept the plot amusing despite the amount of darkness going on. Honestly I felt like I was begining to lose interest in the IAD series since I didn't feel like the characters were fitting together well and the female leads were too...My-life-sucks-because-of-my-past-and-I'm-going-to-sulk-around-in-this-story-and-push-away-the-most-amazing-guy-even-though-he-doesn't-deserve-it...Okay maybe Regin gets like that a bit in the end but I felt she had a much better reason for it.

The secondary characters were perfect for this story. Their personalities were their own and while they were involved, they didn't take over the plot or make me wish I was reading about one of them instead of the main characters (although Thad was just so sweet and Lothaire had the best sultry, naughty boy attitude ever).

The new Lore beings (the Beserkers) were interesting too (I'm more of a demon fan, but whatever). I was so curious how the whole fact that Declan was mortal and Regin, obviously not, was going to work out. I'm not sure I like exactly how Cole did it, but I liked how it kept me on edge until the very end.

The love scenes were down-right steamy with the bulding tension leading to them beyond intense. I just about melted reading them. Overall I will admit there were some slow points during the book, but most of the time I had a death grip on my kindle, anxious for what was next. For me this was my favorite IAD book so far. I now cannot wait for the next installment.

This book was so much better than Kresley Cole's previous book! I really liked the pace of the story and the story itself was interesting. One thing I'd note is that it's not for the faint of heart, so if you don't like scary movies, this might be a tad on the graphic side. However, I think that in most places, the explicit and sometimes gory nature of the book helped rather than hindered the read.

The only reason I didn't give it more than three stars was that I felt that there could've been a wee bit more character development. I thought both characters were ok people, but they didn't resonate with me quite as much as some of the characters from books earlier in this series. It would've been great to move a little further past Regin's exterior. Also, it would've been good to move past Declan's baggage sooner, too. I think that would've offered valuable room for Regin & Declan to grow more as a couple during the book. In some sense, it seemed as the book ended just as it really began.

All in all, though, this was far and away better than the previous book. Even the sex was better. I felt like Cole recaptured in this book a lot of what was lacking in the one before, and I'm glad I read it.

Well, I thought this was the best IAD yet, it has knocked Conrad and Néomi's story off the top spot.

Whereas many reviewers have disliked the darkness, I actually applaud Cole for the turn towards darkness. Some of the books in this series have been a little too frivolous with quite contrived plots which are just designed to get the hero and heroine in bed as much as possible. It frustrated me because it lessened the characters concerns... for example I just couldn't get on board with the 'issues' that Lucia, Holly, Kaderin had. They just seemed to hold grudges against their guys for no reason! But with Regin and Aiden... wow. It was refreshing to read a book where for once, the heroine is the one doing the pining, and the whole 'fated female' thing isn't the driving force behind the plot.

Parts of this book make me wince. The darkness really is VERY dark. But because the h/h actually had REAL issues to overcome, the sexual tension was through the roof. The bathroom scene was just incredible, so different from Cole's usual fare. Regin was a fantastic heroine, hilarious and heartbreaking, and Declan was just amazing. I loved how broken he was, and only someone as full-of-life as Regin could have brought him back from the brink. I loved the Berserkers, and the foray into history in the prologue. Aiden and Declan were both such wonderful characters that I kept wondering how on Earth I could be happy with her choosing either one of them and forsaking the other (which she was clearly going to have to do) but Cole 'wrote me round' to Declan. In a way I think she was making a great comment on the romance genre - Regin's love for Aiden was a dream, she had him up on a pedestal as much as he did her... and as such a true love could never have developed. Regin had to learn, just as much as Declan, that love is not about 'the perfect person' - it's about the RIGHT PERSON FOR YOU. And we weren't even hit over the head with the message... it was just a subtle idea that pervaded the story and I was cheering when Regin finally realised that she wanted Declan for himself and not because of Aiden. Well done Kresley Cole!

Finally, the secondary characters in this story were excellent. I like it when the Lore creatures form their wacky, way-too-personal friendships (I think this mirrored the great interaction that we saw in Mari and the others' trek through the jungle) and Lothaire has intrigued me since book one. I think he's going to be easily one of the most knee-weakening leading men so far - he's just deliciously naughty! And I'm hoping that Nix will be the one to finally wrap him round her finger... she's certainly wily enough to be a great match for him. Nix has always been a scene stealer and Lothaire has proven to be one too... the other characters just pale into the background when either of those two pop up. I can't be the only one wondering what Lothaire was up to on his frequent disappearances into the jungle, especially as we know Nix was also hovering around in that same jungle at the same time! I wonder if Bertil was a gift from Lothaire? I'd love to see their history over the millennia... two amazing, nutty characters. A whole book of Nix and Lothaire would be fantastic to read and utterly crazy - let's hope that's what we get in the next instalment! My wishlist for the rest of the series (after Nix/Lothaire of course): Lanthe/Thronos, Furie/Kristoff, and more of Thad! I'm not sure about more Lykae tales though, the last one fell flat for me... all the MacRieves are beginning to sound a little too similar.

A great read all round, and I do hope the rest of the series continues in this same style.

The story of Regin and Declan is full of heartbreak and triumph. There is humor amidst their pain and agony. Their daring and grit is mesmerizing. I was ravenous for each and every word.
Kresley Cole's talent is pure genius! I am astounded by her skill and infinite imagination.

So when I read book 8 (Demon from the Dark) I cried when I read what happened to Regin ... her glow dimmed, vivisected, AND staples ... I actually teared up because she is one of my favorite characters in the series. Reading book 9 was pretty horrific to say the least. Yes, you got to meet more characters and learn more about Lothaire(whom I've come to love because of his dry sarcastic humor), BUT Declan was brutal and just straight up evil. I was so taken aback by this. I couldn't believe that Aidan the Fierce came back purely evil and tortured so many Loreans. THEN he couldn't even come back as Aidan, but this evil jerk! The romance was rushed in my opinion. And pretty much the same as the other books. The chick fights his attentions off, but SOMEHOW falls in love with the sight of his body yada yada yada. But I digress And I don't think the plot was strong enough when Declan was starting to become, for lack of a better word, "nice". Also, I wanted to see more of the halfling, Thad. Meaning I wanted to see him fight! I know he was only 17, but he shoulda had a chance to do something.

So another part of the book that I am getting tired of that other readers pointed out is the repetitive-ness. I like that all of the stories are intertwined, but I don't like that she keeps repeating information. Half the book is about information we already know. There should be a note in the front that says "READ THE SERIES FROM THE BEGINNING"... it would just make it so much easier.

Just to throw this out there - I love Kresley Cole. I think she is an amazing author and I definitely love this series. I am always anticipating her next book.

Also, I know I am spelling names wrong. Bare with me.

Anyways, I am looking forward to Lothaire's story. Obviously, there is a twist with Nix and "his female" ... my question is - Is his heart beating? Has he been blooded? --->I will have to go back and reread some books. Also, I am looking forward to Nix's story. Ullieam MacCrieve. Melanthe and the broken wing guy. The vampires bring their sisters back. Even the Accession. I will be hurt if some key players die.

As a long-time reader of Krelsey Cole's Immortals After Dark Series I was ridiculously excited to see Regin's story in print - finally. Regin has been such a wonderful, playful, and seriously bad-a** character throughout the series that it was time to have her story told. Maybe I just got too excited and expected way too much but by novel's end, I felt a bit disappointed. Regin didn't really get the story she deserved although she did have some spectacular moments and comments. As with all of the books in this series, Dreams of a Dark Warrior traces the moments and events that lead to the major character finding his/her mate. In this instance, it is Regin finding (after several centuries & deaths) her one true mate, Declan Chase. Where Cole shines is in her ability to make the reader first hate and then adore a character. In this respect, I was not let down. Declan Chase began as a nasty bit of work with a life-long grudge against all beings of the Lore. It takes Chase's encounter with Regin and a few other Loreans for him to realize that nothing is as it seems and maybe his hatred has been misplaced. Of all the characters in Dreams of Dark Warrior, Chase's character has the greatest evolution. Cole transforms him right before your eyes turning him into one of the most endearing mates of the entire series!

In every series there is what I tend to call set-up novels; that is, the author begins to focus more on previously unimportant or less important characters and introduces new characters and/or plot lines. Essentially, the reader is being set-up for the next several installments in a series. Dreams of Dark Warrior is one of those novels and this is why I feel Regin didn't get the story she deserved. Cole not only had to tell Regin and Declan's story but she also had a lot of work to do and ground to cover in this novel in order to set up the future of her series. It is in this set-up portion of the book that I got over my disappointment, at least marginally. Cole gave more information about Lothaire, the Enemy of Old (who knew he had a sense of humor?); introduced the seriously naïve but learning quickly Thad, the half-vampire half-phantom (WHAT???); and of course, Nucking Futs Nix who now has a pet bat and is still legally barred from seeing Mike Rowe. Nix might be one of my all-time favorite characters and in this series, her actions and predictions seemed to hint at future plot lines - but who can really tell where Nix is concerned. Based on the hints it seems that in the near future we are going to be learning a great deal more about Lothaire, Nix, and the Valkyries never-ending sear for Myst. Did anyone else pay attention to the fact that Lothaire vowed he had no knowledge of Myst's location? Hhmm.....

As with all of the books in this series, Dreams of a Dark Warrior is a solid well-written read but not something I am going to pick up again anytime in the near future. Don't skip this book by any means but don't expect to be all tingly and excited at the end either. By the way, I so wish that last statement weren't true - I adore this series and have rarely been let down or disappointed by Cole. At the end of the day however I was much more excited by the tidbits of information concerning the future of this series; Cole really seems to be setting us up for the next (several??) installments. Since I can't find any information regarding the next book in this series, here's my request:

Dear Kresley Cole,

I would like the twelfth book in this series to be Nix's story.

Sincerely,
A Nucking Futs Reader

This was an excellent addition to the IAD series. In fact I actually liked this one better than the Demon from the Dark who's story runs parallel to this one. I know that's odd, but I just did. It could've been because this book was a marked departure from the other books. We got out of the Lore and into a human's life in spite of how bad it was.

I probably also liked this book more because I really like Regin and Lothaire's true personality and dry wit was finally revealed. Odd how a secondary character literally stole the show from the hero! He was definitely worth 200 pages for. Even though I'm hoping for Lanthe and Thoronos' story, I can wait if Lothaire's is coming down the pipeline first.

If I said I had trouble getting through this book,that would be putting it mildly. I put it down several times, but because I love the series I kept picking it back up even though I had to skip parts because I could not stand Declan. I know he hated immortals like Regin but give me a break, how many times does he have to repeat it. I was beginning to wish he would die and get it over with. I really like the Valkyrie look forward to their stories. This one, however, could have been left on the drawing board. That doesn't mean I won't continue to read the series. I love the world Cole has created and will hope that she lives up to what I have come to expect from her stories.

I LOVE the IAD and highly recommend it. I have read every book Kresley has written, I think it's official, she is my favorite author and I would never say that lightly, I love to read. Way to go Kresley : )

I absolutely love this series and actually read this book months ago when it was first released. Unfortunately I thought Cole went too far with the so called hero Declan Chase. I had a hard time getting past him torturing people, no matter his reasons are. At the same time I didn't want to put the book down because I really wanted to find out what happened. I read a lot of books and I love going back and rereading books that I really loved. So while on one hand I couldn't put this book down, on the other I don't ever want to read it again. If you can get past the fact that Declan Chase is an absolutely horrible man and believe that he deserves the second chance he gets with the HEA then you will really like this book, its well written as all the books in this series have been. But if you think you may have a problem with a hero that runs a lab where they torture supernaturals, and not just runs it but takes a very active role in the torturing then I would say pass on this book. Other books in the series take place at the same time and you can get the gist of what happens from those without having to go through the angst of reading this one.

Seriously people...Kresley Cole is just an awesome writer. Her books always make me swoon. This story of the "star crossed lovers" was a total winner for me.

The Immortals After Dark Series has always rocked my world so I had been looking forward to this one. Sometimes I worry when I get excited that I'll end up being dissapointed. Not the case!

The plot twist is great and these characters are just spectacular. I love Regin and well; Aidan/Declan...gotta love the bad boys. We always want to straighten them out. *shrug*

If you're a fan of this series (or even if you've never read it) defenitely check this one out!

Rating 4.5

Regin The Radiant has always been at the top of my list of favorite Valkyrie in the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole. That's saying a lot since the entire IAD series is packed with outstanding, highly entertaining characters. But I've always loved Regin's carefree, sharp-tonged party girl attitude. As she tosses up a braid of hair as an offering to the wraiths that guard Val Haul she exclaims:

"Make a hole bitches."

...and they grant her passage.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior takes place during the same time as Demon From The Dark. However the prologue takes us back to when Regin was twelve years old when she first meets Aidan the Fierce her fated mate. Once Regin comes of age they begin their love affair only to have it prematurely ended when Aidan is assassinated. Every one hundred years or so, Aidan is reincarnated and the lovers are reunited only to suffer the same loss over and over again once Adian remembers his past. But with his next reincarnation Regin is determined she will not let it happen again. She will not let her lover die. That is until she realizes Aidan has come back as the monster that ordered her horrendous torture and the incarceration of many of her Lore allies.

I've faithfully read every book in this series and these books just keep getting better and better. The world that Kresley Cole has built around her cast of characters is simply superb. I am constantly impressed with Ms. Cole's storytelling and completely enthralled with the IAD world. After reading Demon From The Dark I did have to wonder if the series had hit its peak though. That book was one of my favorites and after finding out that Declan and Regin would be the next hero and heroine I had my doubts as to how Kresley Cole would pull off a romance between the two characters. These two would-be lovers didn't have a few obstacles to overcome; they had major, major issues making for a romance that more of a slow burn rather than the smoking hot, passion filled relationships we've seen in past books. But don't worry, Regin and Declan do scorch the pages, but there is much to overcome before they can take their relationship to that level and there is plenty of action and adventure to keep you flipping the pages.

Declan is such a tortured, almost ruined hero. His hatred for the Lore because of hideous crimes committed against him and his family by dark Lore has consumed him and he has dedicated his life to eradicating all members of the Lore. He must come to terms with who he is and his attraction to Regin before he can heal and make amends for his own crimes though. His journey is intense and heartbreaking to say the least.

Regin is faithful not only to her sisters and allies but also to her beloved Aidan. She waits for him each time after his death, never knowing another, only to lose him to death all over again. There is a scene where she prays to her father Woeden asking him to let her have her love this time. It was such an emotionally intense scene made even more so because we see Regin at her most vulnerable stripped down state.

As always in IAD books the secondary characters play important roles in the story. In Dreams of a Dark Warrior we get cameos from several well-known IAD players, meet a couple of new ones but the big gun this time is The Enemy Of Old, Lothaire, evil vampire extraordinaire. He makes a strong impression in later part of the book and leaves hints as to his role in future IAD book(s). Lothaire is sarcastic and cool, deplorable and untrustworthy, and always out for himself. His Endgame takes priority always and he grants no favors without a price. By the end of the book I was fully in love with the detestable vampire and I simply cannot wait for his heroine to take him down a notch or two. It should be a fun ride.

Dreams Of A Dark Warrior is yet another outstanding addition to the Immortals After Dark series and I remain a steadfast fan. I eagerly look forward to more from this highly entertaining series.

Let me start by saying I have loved all of the previous Immortal after Dark books. I am a huge Kresley Cole fan. I am an avid reader and read mostly paranormal romance, but also urban fantasy and occasionally horror books. I am not a picky reader and like just about everything that I read. I have never, ever not finished a book once I started reading it. That being said, this book horrified me!

I love the world and the characters that Ms. Cole has created but I could really do without the horror (and torture) in my paranormal romances! The "hero" (and I use that term loosely!) tortured the heroine - literally - by abducting, stabbing and poisoning her. His actions directly lead to her being vivisected (cut open & "examined" with no anesthesia, for those who don't know!). This was all just a little too much for me. This book gave me nightmares!

Chase, the hero, was never really redeemed in this book. Yes, we find out that he had watched his parents die a horrible death and he was tortured by the same creatures that killed his parents, but he, himself, was responsible for the torture of hundreds or even thousands of immortals, including Regin! I find it hard to believe that she could forgive him and want to share a life with him and then defend him to other people he had hurt.

I gave this book 3 stars. It gets 5 stars for the writing, characters and scenery and 1 star for the multiple torture scenes I had to read through. I will still continue on with the series. The previous books were so good that I can't turn my back on the series.

I love Kresley Cole's whole Immortals After Dark series, but this one was one of my favorites. It's pretty dark but the way she develops Declan Chase is really awesome! I loved him and his conflicts and how he learns who he is. I've waited for a book on Regin and her Berserker and I am very glad this one did not disappoint.

Seriously? The hero literally tortures the heroine and a lot of other people. This is not about a wounded warrior. He's seriously messed up from something terrible that happened when he was young and now he's a torturer and drug addict who couldn't function in normal society. Really made me feel like I was reading about a battered woman who magically changes her wounded, misguided man and that makes everything okay.

I love Kresley Cole! There is a reason why her books are part of my auto-buy list. Not only is her Immortals After Dark series plain awesome but you fall in love with all the characters in these books. She does not disappoint in Dreams of a Dark Warrior. In it we finally get Regin the Radiant and her Berserker's love story.

When Declan first sees Regin his first action is to grab his knife, stab her with it, and then twist it for extra measure. My first impression: Woah, how the heck is he gonna get out of this one... because right off the bat I hated him. Not only does he stab my girl Regin but he's a strung out druggie to boot. I've always loved Regin throughout this series. She's funny, saucy and the tough and mean Valkyrie when she has to be. Yet, I really liked seeing this softer side of her. She was vulnerable when it came to her feelings for Aiden and his reincarnations. I was at the edge of my seat flying through the pages to see how it would all work out for them.

If you've read the previous books (Lucia's and Carrow's) in the series, then you'll recognize that it takes place throughout the same time frame and using the same backdrop for this story - we're getting a different point-of-view from the same island where Declan and his team have captured, tortured and imprisoned so many members of the Lore. Alternating between the present and Declan's dreams of his past lives and their courtship throughout the centuries you truly get a grasp for their feelings for one another and really appreciate how their relationship grows and matures throughout the story.

In the end, I would say this is another winner from Ms. Cole. This is a fabulous addition to the series and at its conclusion you can already see the build-up for the next story to come (Lothaire). Too bad we have to wait a while for its release - I guess I'll just have to read this one over and over until I can get my hands on the next one. Not that I'm complaining :)

I have never liked Regan. So this was hard to get into, especially as I also do not like Declan Chase. But it's still well written and the story of what happened on the island (especially any scene with Lothaire, hurray!) made it worth the read.

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:
[...]

DREAMS OF A DARK WARRIOR is a fast paced, violent, smoking hot thrill-ride of a book, and I loved every minute of it. From the moment twelve-year-old Reginleit the Radiant walks into a mead hall filled with wenching berserkers (yeah, I did a double take at the number "twelve", too), this story breaks the humdrum expectations of a "soul mate" driven paranormal romance.

Of all the circumstances that could kept literary lovers apart, Regin and Aidan's situation manages to be both entertaining and puzzling. I was pleasantly surprised by a few twists on the "reincarnation of a lost love" theme. Aidan's present incarnation, Declan Chase, is about as tormented and reprehensible as a man can be. In Kresley Cole's hands, however, this just adds fuel to the chemistry between Declan and Regin. DREAMS OF A DARK WARRIOR has a great balance of flashback love-lost and present tense smoking-hotness to keep things engaging and entertaining.

And when I say Declan is "reprehensible", I don't mean he drives aggressively or thinks women are bad at math. He is a tortured, militant xenophobe dedicated to capturing, vivisecting, and destroying all creatures of Lore. Reading about his past, however, and the mental anguished caused by being separated from Regin, garners enough sympathy to keep Declan hovering at the very end of the "sexy bad-man" continuum for me (Lothaire the Enemy of Old is also on that scale, FYI, if only by the tips of his fine-ass fingers). Despite the sexual tension, and classic Kresley Cole humor, Regin and Declan have a lot of explicitly violent interactions. I never felt the aggressive elements were over the line, but it was marked enough to be beyond the "Valkyries just want to have fun" mayhem of other Immortals After Dark novels.

While DREAMS OF A DARK WARRIOR wasn't able to supplant DEMON FROM THE DARK as my favorite Kresley Cole novel to date, it is a strong addition to the series. Funny, sexy, and I believe I already mentioned "violent", this book has me trolling the Internet eager for my next trip into the Immortals After Dark world.

Sexual Content: Explicit sex scenes and violence during a sex scene (which is what you get for kissing up on an angry Valkyrie).

Ok, so I absolutely loved this book, just like the rest of the series. I can honestly say Kresey Cole IS my favorite author and this book was an excellent read BUT the more I think about it now that I'm done with it the more it upsets me - that's why only 4 stars! I just don't understand it! I feel like Adin was just forgotten about, he felt the strong pull of his mate, loved her enough to keep being reincarnated to be with her again and again and that's the ending he gets?? I just didn't get it.

Loved, loved, loved it... Dreams of a Dark Warrior totally refueled my fire for this series and I can't wait for the next one.

Regin the Radiant is the fun loving "rock out with your cock out" Valkyrie, but she has a past of loss and heart break. Centuries ago she was in love with a berserker warrior, Aiden the Fierce who was killed by a vampire while he was still in her arms after making love. Aiden was born again centuries after his first death only die another horrible death minutes after consummating his relationship with Regin again, but before she has the chance to completely fall in love with him. This horrific cycle repeats and repeats itself throughout the centuries until Regin is captured by Declan Chase the magister of The Order, a vicious organization dedicated to studying and destroying all immortals.

Regin identifies Declan Chase as her reincarnated lover immediately, though his physical features change with every life, his eyes are always the same. She tries to convince Chase of this fact many times, that in another life he loved her. But in this life he constantly rejects her, but deep down he knows there is something different about himself that may be connected to the Valkyrie.

Regin is a wonderful character, full of life and humor and a toughness that you can admire. She falls in love with Declan Chase when the odds of her captivity as well as Chase's own actions toward her should make her shun and hate him. Chase is a deep,dark, tortured hero in the most honest sense of the term. He continuously rejects Regin to her face all the while at war within himself to deny the uncontrollable pull he has towards her.

I loved this installment of the Immortals After Dark (did I mention that already?). It was full of action and suspense and kept me up late in the night telling myself to read "just one more chapter". Declan and Regin are so far my favorite IAD couple. Through all the mental and physical pain and suffering they cause each other they both realize they are like magnets drawn to one another and cannot be without their other half.

I loved pretty much ll the other books in the series up to this one. I expected so much passion and love for regin's book and the prologue was grt but the rest of it dragged on and didnt live up to what their story could have been!

I love Kresley Cole and her novels. I have to say that "Dreams of a Dark Warrior" was my least favorite work from this author. Granted, I've only read a few books, not the whole series. "A Hunger Like No Other" remains my favorite so far. The character, Chase is barely likable. Reign simply got on my nerves. My favorite character in this book was Nix, and she was only around for a few pages or so. I trudged along hoping things would get better. The best parts of the book are the beginning and the ending. The middle, in my humble opinion was filler.

I did not like this book at all, although I knew the hero had some issues, I was hoping that they would be resolved in some way, and I got the complete opposite. This guy, who willingly killed women and children, justified himself. He actually thought he was doing the right thing, and we're supposed to "forgive him" because he didn't know who he was? This makes no sense. I know its fiction, and paranormal one at that, but this was not a good story. The only interesting part was Lothaire and Nix, both of whom I hope to read about in detail soon. Usually I have Kresley Cole books on standby, to re-read, but this one I can't even look at.

I've been making my way through this series, and in general, I like it. Kresley Cole's books are usually fun without being fluffy, and the characters are generally well-developed enough that they don't feel like cardboard.

But I HATED this book. Hate, hate, hated it. Declan, the male love interest of the story, made my skin crawl every time he showed up. He's supposedly the reincarnation of Regin's doomed lover, Adrian, but the book is never totally clear on how or even why he keeps coming back.

Declan, despite being hit with a massive surge of lust (not love, people, LUST) for Regin, kidnaps her and her friends, imprisons them, and proceeds to torture and experiment on them. Consequently, Regin decides she has to seduce and kill him in order to save her own life, as well as the other people he has kidnapped. This leads to some massively squicky situations that I won't go into because I no longer want to think about this book.

Cole attempts to redeem him at the end but honestly, it was a serious case of too little way, way too late for me. Regin's relationship with Declan was HUGELY problematic for me, and left me feeling like I needed a long, long shower.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior is Reginleit story. The first time Reginleit, the Radiant One met Aiden, the Fierce; she was just twelve years old. Regin may have been just a small thing but don't under estimate her as Aiden almost made the mistake of. Regin comes to Aiden to ask for his assistance. She left her home in the skies to find her sister, Lucia. Aiden promises Regin that he will help her find her sister, only because they are meant to be together. One day she will become his wife.

Years later, now that Lucia is safe and Regin is grown, she returns to her fierce warrior, Aiden. After making love, Aiden dies and returns reincarnated. This happens numerous times with Aiden returning as someone else. Regin must fin a way to get Aiden to remember his past; so that they both can have the happy ending they always wanted.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior is book nine in the Immortals After Dark series. I have read maybe only one other book in this series. Though from what I understand from reading some of the other readers' reviews Regin and Aiden have made appearances in prior novel(s). I did not feel that I missed anything but not having read the prior books. This book read as a stand alone novel. From the very beginning, I could tell that Aiden and Regin were meant for each other. They balanced one another out very nicely. Regin is a spit fire and Aiden is hot tempered as well. Though, when it comes to Regin, Aiden would do anything for her, even die for her. I plan to check out all the prior books that I missed. Dreams of a Dark Warrior has me dreaming of more.

Even though the Valkyries, with the exception of Nix, are not the most interesting heroines in the Immortals After Dark series, I picked up Dreams of a Dark Warrior to see how KCole dealt with Declan Chase's character as the hero. I have to say that I'm slightly disappointed in how she resolved his issue of being public enemy #1, but I did like the love story between Regin and Declan.

For those that have read Book 8, this story runs parallel with the time line of Carrow and Malkolm's incarceration on the island. Upon his first encounter with Regin, Declan gets the heebie-jeebies as he feels he knows her even though they have never met. Regin, on the other hand, knows immediately that Declan is the reincarnation of her lost love Aiden, a Viking beserker. Although Aiden has been reincarnated several times before, this is the first time that he's been reincarnated as a bad guy.

Regin's dilemma through this book is how to defeat Declan the Bad Guy, yet salvage Declan the Good Guy. She knows she could kill him instantly, and every time he does something bad she goes swords a-swinging to off him, yet at the last moment always pulls back because of something redeeming that he does. Declan struggles with his sudden ability to feel sympathy for and empathy with the immortals he has captured. His fascination with Regin opens his eyes to what he never wanted to consider: that there are both good and bad immortals and that as a youngster he unfortunately met the bad ones first (or so he thought).

Although their courtship is conducted in the middle of "escape from immortal island" craziness, it was much easier to believe in Declan's rediscovered love for Regin than it did to believe in Regin's supposed centuries long unwavering love for Declan/Aidan. Declan's character questions why their love story always ended tragically and actually takes steps to make sure that this time they would get an "ever after". Regin however spends the majority of the book cowering and running away from their love - always refusing to truly acknowledge her feelings for Declan/Aidan because in her mind and experience he was going to die anyway. In fact, there are several instances in the book where it's heavily implied that Regin never truly loved Aidan the beserker or any of his reincarnations, that her feelings for them were more heavy affection and fascination.

They do get their happily ever after, however it's done without really addressing the reincarnation curse that was placed on Aidan. By the end of the book, the all-powerful curse becomes a none issue, literally; maybe as readers we're supposed to see it as a "love can conquer all" situation, but it makes you wonder why all the characters spent centuries worrying over the curse and altering the course of their lives to accommodate it when it just dissipated at the end. Also, Declan's public enemy status is smoothed over by Regin declaring that the allies of the Valkyries would no longer try to kill him because of their alliances through marriage and pact. I guess this goes well with the heavy emphasis in Immortals After Dark on alliances, but it is rather anti-climatic.

Overall a good book and worth a read, even though some fans may find that it's not the most riveting of the books in the series action-wise or love-wise.

I love this series. Other than this book, and the first book, and Untouchable in Deep Kiss of Winter, I have loved all of them. I liked Myst's short story, and I liked Books 2-8. I will say that Kiss of a Demon King and Pleasure of a Dark Prince are the best in the series: I like the settings, the dark fantasy and the genuine loving relationships that the characters have. My sister's favorite is Dark Desires After Dusk and I think that one is a fun romp.

But with this book, Dreams of a Dark Warrior I think Kresley's formula is getting a little old. I'm tired of reading about the couples initially attracted to each other but some plot device keeps them apart until almost the end. And sometimes you don't even get to enjoy their union, since there is no payoff. It's almost an afterthought that the characters become happy. So it's a lot of "torture" and impatience getting to the "good stuff".

Where she's at her best is when the characters are having fun along the way. Like in Dark Desires After Dusk. They seem to be having a good time, even when they're fighting. Which is very real, since most relationships have spats, or else they're not really relationships.

But I agree with others, Declan is just a despicable person. I couldn't go along on this one. He's a little too far over the edge for me. I know he was brainwashed by the society, but I just wished that had been gone over more, or he understood that and expressed that more. Instead every five pages, we're reminded what kind of monster he is. And for him to not deny it and agree with it instead of him telling himself he was brainwashed and that he wants to make amends, eh, doesn't do it for me. Ultimately the book fails when you try to make Declan a romantic lead!!!

But Kresley is an amazing writer. I like when she's doing the Amazing Race like things in Books 2 & 3 or jungle adventures like Pleasure of a Dark Prince. She's really good at action.

So obviously I read the previous book and new that the male lead in this one was going to be Declan Chase, the creepy torturer obsessed with Regin and I went in thinking it was going to suck. It didn't. It was pretty good. Definitely not the worst in the IaD series.

I found this book very appealing because of it exotic nature. It is filled with entrancing characters who have bound together to try to save themselves and humanity. All the while falling in a love like no other. It is simple a great read that pulls you in deeper and deeper.

I really enjoyed this book. Parts of the tale take place in the holding facility that the last book took place in. Some reviewers felt that this was "retelling" the last story but I felt like it completed it. This addition to the series was well worth my $7.99. I'll anxioulsy await the next installment. I hope it is Lothair's story. I can't help but think he and Nix will be a couple one day ;)

While I absolutey LOVE Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, this just wasn't my favorite book. Something was just off the entire book and I can't quite place my finger on it. I didn't connect with the characters like I wanted to, however, I still enjoyed what it added to the series. I am VERY intrigued with Lothaire at this point and can't wait until we get to his book.

I have been dying for this book since the scene in the last one where Regin was being dragged along a cell block after her vivisection, so the fact that it didn't come into this story until page 300 was torture (ha-ha); because of that I felt like I would be overall disappointed with the book until I read the follow-up surgery and all was forgiven. Nothing like a live dissection to make up for a slow book.

Up all night reading Dreams of a Dark Warrior. Kresley Cole never disapoints me. I love all the characters and their personaliites in Immortals Afer Dark Series. Every one of the books have been good and memorable books. This has been a series from an author that you can depend on every one of the books being entertaining, very good, and keeping you up all night reading. The sex scenes are HOT HOT HOT!!

I enjoyed this addition to the IAD series, but its not one of my favorites. I like Regin, and had mixed feelings about Chase. Still a good read and cant wait for the next one in the series, sadly, it won't be until 2012.

Here's the thing: I liked the plot of this book, I just kinda hated the hero. I thought he was weak and whiny and unworthy of Reign. However, the scenes in the supermax/supernatual prison are incredible. Like the way Buffy season four should have been with the Initiative storyline. So, if you're reading the series, you really do need to read this book, too. Just know that you're mostly reading it for the larger plot and to watch Lotharie walk away with all the best lines and coolest parts.

I loved this book. It was darker than the average Cole book but the hero and heroine were great. Lots of action, compelling characters, satisfying romance and hot sex. I think the book cover should have showed both Aiden and Declan instead of just Aiden. Declan actually had a much larger role in the story.

I would highly recommend this book and can't wait for Cole's next book.

Kresley Cole is amazing, this is one of my favorites in the series! I recommend this whole series to any adult who likes the twilight series(or fantasy books like it), and a good sizzling romance novel.

There are tons of five star reviews here and I'm pretty sure that they are more out of allegiance to Ms. Cole's fantastic series than in reference to this book alone. It was tough to get through. The hero just isn't redeemed in my eyes. The author really sets up a difficult situation to get out of and she doesn't manage to pull it off. Regin is a fun character that (literally) shines in many of the other books, but she's as dull as drywall here. There's just too much of a concentration camp vibe for anything to be sexy. Creepy is more like it. I love IAD but this one lacks depth of emotion, clarity in character motivation, and all around chutzpah. Re-read any of the previous installments instead...And bring on Lothaire!!!!!

This was WOW for me and this is coming from someone who never read the series. I must start out by saying I have only read 3 books by Kresley Cole but not anything from The Immortals After Dark Series. Saying this as a newbie to the series wow I need to read the complete series. I felt drawn into every page and it was a page turner, I felt like I was watching a movie also, or I'm watching on the side lines. I'm not use to certain characters from the pervious books and would need to catch up but I have a feeling it will not be a chore. As for the characters *sighing* very well written characters, this sounds cheesy but this book got me excited and eager to catch up on the pervious books and I can't believe what I was missing and I should know better because the 3 books I read by the author which was a series I loved (MacCArrick Brothers) was a good read.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior is talent at its best/ peak.

I completely fell in love with Regin in the previous books and couldn't wait for her story and this one did NOT disappoint me! I loved it. I would totally read this book again if I had the time. I love everything that Kresley Cole has written. It was descriptive, I love the setting, the characters, and the sex isn't bad either.

Best book in a long time.. Most of the time I stick to reading Iris Johansen, Joan Johnston, and others like them. But I picked this book up and loved it so much it took 18hrs to read and when I was finished I started looking for more. Ican't wait to read more from this author and this series.

I'm normally a big fan of Kresley Cole's *Immortal After Dark* series, but not this one. The heroine, Regin, was a terrific character in previous books who I was looking forward to reading more about. I enjoyed the humor and strength of the Valkyries in previous books. This book was much too dark, though. I really didn't see what Regin saw in Declan Chase, the reincarnated berserker. A lot of romances have a sexy, dark hero with a shady past, but Declan truly did evil things--he oversaw the torture of hundreds of people. Just because he fell in love with Regin and realized that he was wrong was not enough to make him lovable. The story is in the tradition of the TV show "24", where torture isn't that that bad because people recover from it. I really didn't see what Regin saw in Chase, and the torture scenes really bothered me. I read romance novels to escape--this was too close to real, gruesome events.

A good majority of the book was setting up the couple and their past and how much Declan despised the Lore...ok, we got it. Lets move on. I didn't find much conectoin/chemistry until the end. There was such little time "together" that I felt disappointed when the book ended because I would have like more real time interaction with the two characters.

I hated this book. I actually felt traumatized after reading it. I couldn't get back to this series for two years, it was so horrible. I wanted to throw it away, but finally I decided to do my own small vivisection: I cut out of the book all so called "romance" scenes, left only Natalya/Thad/Lothaire/Nix scenes. My book is very thin now, but at least it doesn't scare me any more. At least now I know how important it is to read the reviews before reading a book.

I love this series, but this was not the best story. Regin and Aidan are great characters and I enjoyed seeing the events of the previous book played from a different perspective, but after a while it got a tad repetitive as Regin and Aidan met over and over again. I do admire Cole's willingness to make Aidan such a problematic hero and carry it off anyway! This wasn't my favorite book, but I'll still line up to read the next one!

I had this pre-ordered on my Kindle and stayed up late to read it Feb 15. What a disappointment. Vivisections and chest staples belong in horror stories -- get them out of my romance fiction, please. Also not interested in guy-on-guy anything (Malkom's past as referenced in the last book and Lothaire's thirst in this one). Ugh. I didn't care for this book or the one that came just before it. Gruesome edge of dark.

Have loved Kresley Cole's work up until now and am hoping these two books are the exceptions and not some new path she's taking.

Still wanting to read about Furie, Kristoff, and Nix.

I have to say in this book you love to hate Lothaire but he is starting to show a softer side...love it. I had two books that I was just chomping at the bit to read Lucia's story and Regin's. This one really was a pull at your heartstrings story and I loved every minute of it. Sadly Lucia's story was just lacking. This one is worth reading.

Thank goodness a book that actually makes sense in the context of the series. And has romance. And engaging characters. I was about to give up on this series because the overarching plot line of a war was so ignored by the author in the last 3 books I stopped hoping for a book that would bring things back on track. But this books does.

Love this series and this one did not disappoint! SEXY! This story varied a little which was a nice change. Still the same caliber. Couldn't put it down. Thanks Kresley! Waiting for the next immortal hunter.

With Valkryie bad-girl Regin The Radiant's mate-to-be having been evil incarnate in the last book, if Declan Chase's soul hadn't had four near miss HEA's going for him, I don't think that Cole could have pulled this one off. But Cole does. Declan's transition works for the most part because first we come to understand why he hates the Lore beings so much, and then finally because he does endure some suffering/groveling time once he has a change of heart and realizes what he could have had with Regin after it is too late. Declan doesn't end up being an angel, but Cole does take him from Über bad guy to a deadly yet suitable mate for an equally deadly and definitely non-angelic Valkyrie. Some of the best parts of Dreams of a Dark Warrior were the dreams and story telling Cole uses to weave in pieces from the pairs' courtship over several lifetimes - this was really well done. And Dreams of a Dark Warrior included a some poignant moments as well, there was one passage in particular in which Regin 'talks' to her dad that I found especially moving - I teared up both times I read it.

In addition to the way that Cole manages to deliver satisfying and steamy enemies-to-lovers romances, a large part of why I love the IAD series so much is the great characters who surround the starring pair. There were a whole slew of them, but this time I really got a kick out of 'ancient enemy of old' vampire Lothaire - he is just so unapologetically amoral and manipulative. It is clear that just as Nix is positioning players among the Veritas - the Lores' good guys - Lothaire is pulling strings to give the bad-guy Pravus coalition an edge in the upcoming battle between the immortal factions. And of course Nix, as always, makes a couple of wacky drive-by appearances - I love her brand of insanity.

It didn't bother my somewhat memory challenged self, but since Dreams of a Dark Warrior runs parallel to Demon from the Dark, there is a bit of overlapping of some of the same events from the previous book but from a slightly different view point. Though I didn't mind it this time round, I am hoping that we won't be doing a double déjà vu in the next book, which I believe is Lothaire's story and the final book in this mini trilogy. Can't wait to see what Cole does with Lothaire. I know who I am hoping for as his leading lady - I think I could handle a bit of evil love - his story just can't come soon enough for me.

Typical reincarnation of mortal with immortal beloved. Very busy storyline, likeable characters, predictible plot.
If you've read Cole's other works then you'll like this one. New readers might find it drawn out and slow in a few places.
Overall nice novel with lots of vampire, valkrie, demons, ect....

Kresley Cole writes the absolute best paranormal romance I've ever read! She makes you fall in love as the characters fall in love. She keeps you hooked from the beginning to the climax *wink, to the happy ever after. I love love love this series!

This book really gives you the insight in the mind of a great writer. Some writers have difficulty protraying humor, darkness, pop culture and sex. Kresley achieves all four with honor's. Regin's witty and foulmouthed comments did mot come acrossed as contrived. And Nix's cray cray was totally believeable. Squirl! Being able to interweave the different characters and events without "repeating" scenes word for word is not easy to do. Ms.Cole was able to bring these characters to life with out the repeats. Other's have given a good synopsis of the plot. I just want to say that I truly enjoyed this book an I look forward to Lothaire's story and his possible mate. The jury is still out I really don't think its who we might have been elluded to in this story. But if it i more hilarious reading is in store for Ms. Cole's faithful readers. Squirl!

I am not going to rehash the plot or throw out any spoilers here.

Dreams of a Dark Warrior is another great addition to Cole's IAD series. I have enjoyed some books more than others. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night is possibly my favorite, but this new book is going to become one of my favorites, too.

I can see where some people couldn't get past what Declan had done in his past to embrace him as the hero in this novel, but I think that Cole created a sufficient redemption for him.

The best part of the novel for me was that since Regin and Aidan had loved over several different life times, Cole spun several different tales all within this book. The prologue involving the first time love of Regin and Aidan was especially good and a real hook into the story.

There were parallel stories lines running from Demon from the Dark -- they are all on the same island -- but the perspective changed up enough to make this story much more than a rehash.

I loved the plot devices Cole used to show you how hot things were between Regin and "Aidan" without having to trigger the certain doom of their physical union.

As always, there were GREAT secondary characters -- some new -- some old.

We are tantalized with more details about Lothaire and it seems certain he has a large role to play in a future novel.

Cole's signature humor, hot sex and compelling romance were all present and accounted for and I think this book is a bit more unique than some of it's preprocessors in both the plot and with a whole new group of fresh immortals to get to know.

I found this book a wonderful escape, even though it had some darker elements than some of her other books. It was a great way to spend my weekend and I can't wait for Book #10!!! And it is VERY unusual for an author to hold me this long in a series. I had to kick JR Ward to the curb after Book 4. And as much as I love Stephanie Plum, I gave up on the by the number series by the tenth book, too. Kresley Cole keeps me coming back.....

After massively setting up the premise/plot elements of "Dreams of a Dark Warrior" with the past two books, Kresley Cole pulls out all the stops in her latest Immortals After Dark novel.

Some brief great points off the bat? For one thing, the title is the most inconspicuous yet--despite the shirtless man on the cover, "Dreams of a Dark Warrior" doesn't immediately scream 'trashy paranormal romance novel', if you get my drift. Also, the page count has increased considerably--and every one of those pages is necessary. (In fact, the ending could've been a tad longer, and I wouldn't have minded--but I digress.)

Now, perhaps the most intriguing part of DoaDW is the character development. For those familiar with the IAD series, you already know Regin. But for newbies (as well as for longtime fans), Regin's development is shown in great detail, from her plucky days as a twelve-year-old escaped from Valhalla bent on saving her sister from an evil, cannibalistic God (a.k.a. Cruach, a past villain); to her emergence as a young woman with more developed sensibilities, yet falling in love with a mortal man; to a present-day prankster who deftly hides her emotional torment from her friends (and, to an extent, family). She is witty but blunt, endearing, and a heroine you root for. Oh, and she glows ("Regin the Radiant").

The mortal man she fell in love with? Aidan the Fierce, a human berserker: the only mortal faction of the Lore, who can be granted immortality if they win two hundred battles in the Norse God Woden's name. He is perhaps the most powerful berserker to ever live, though he's just a tad arrogant. However, Aidan dies tragically. This is not a spoiler, but rather sets up the main premise of the novel: that Aidan reincarnates every few hundred years, looking for Regin. And when he kisses her, he remembers everything--and again dies shortly afterward.

This has happened four times (including the original) by the time Regin meets Declan Chase. Other than being a warrior/soldier, Declan is about as *unlike* the original Aidan as an incarnation could be: whereas Aidan had been a glorious Viking, Declan is a surly Celt from Belfast; Aidan's men had huge respect for him, while Declan's fear him and whisper amongst themselves that he's a cold-blooded nutcase; and Aidan had mastery over his berserk nature (such as his beastly "rage" mode), while Declan, in an effort to be "disciplined," suppresses his with drugs. Yes, drugs: sedatives, mainly, but as a lad in Belfast he'd been a heroin addict. As he calls himself once or twice in the novel, our hero is, for all intents and purposes, a junkie.

In addition to his "habits," Declan runs a facility in the name of the Order, a band of Mortals bent on stemming the Immortal population by any means necessary, except Declan's facility also studies them--though Declan just wants to exterminate them, since he is unaware of his true nature and has a deep-seated hatred for Immortals. Through his orders, immortal beings have been captured, interrogated, tortured, vivisected, even executed. And Declan has done some of the capturing, interrogating, and torturing himself.

So... how the heck is a reader supposed to *like* Declan Chase, much less want him paired with Regin the Radiant?

Answer: Kresley Cole's superior writing allows the reader to delve deeply into Declan's mind, which is scarred as heavily as his body is, if not more so. In addition, the reader takes separate trips into Regin's past encounters with the other reincarnations of Aidan, watching the relationship--and curse--deepen over time. Declan's constant inner struggles are empathetic and enthralling, and you find yourself rooting for him to make the ultimate realization about his identity, even though it will certainly lead to his doom.

The supporting cast also bolsters the book well, most especially Lothaire, the Enemy of Old. Fans of the IAD series will recognize the witty and devious vampire off the bat, but he's slightly changed in this story. Though his outward personality remains the same, the reader gets a peek into his mind, to find... well, to find that besides this "Endgame" he keeps pursuing (he's one of the best strategists in all the Lore), there really *is* someone in this world that he cares for besides himself. That is all I will say on the matter.

Altogether, DoaDW is a deep, moving story that, once it takes hold, never lets go. A must-read!

I'll admit, I am a Kresley Cole fan-girl. But I have a very good reason for that: her books are simply the best in the Paranormal Romance genre. This latest installment in the Immortals After Dark features Regin the Radiant, one of the raucous Val-Hall Valkyrie we've grown to know and love. Hundreds of years ago, she fell in love with a Berserker warrior named Aidan and they planned to marry. But he was killed by a vampire before he could realize his plans to become immortal. Now his love for Regin prompts him to reincarnate over and over. But each time, as he remembers their love, he is killed more brutally than the time before.

In this incarnation, he is Declan Chase... a man who has devoted his life to the destruction of Lorekind. He is running an island facility that tests and tortures members of each species, hoping to exploit their weaknesses and harness their strengths to use against them. This is the same camp where Carrow was taken in Demon from the Dark. Of course, Regin is one of those abducted. Declan doesn't remember her, but he feels a pull towards her that he can't explain. He's lived a tortured life and has good reason to hate the Lore, but despite that, and despite the drugs he takes to suppress his berserker strength, he can't ignore the attraction. At the same time, Regin struggles with a terrible choice: sacrifice herself or help Declan remember his life as Aidan and hasten the death of the only man she has ever loved.

As always, Cole fleshes out her characters so much that I can't help but care for them deeply. And each book is a symphony of sexual tension and payoff. She always finds such a great balance between the love and the sex.

Just like the group of books that take place simultaneously surrounding the Hie, we see the storyline converge from this book in the same time frame as Lucia's and Carrow's before it. We're also seeing the set-up for the next book in the series, which can't come soon enough in my opinion. And that is Lothaire's story. (I'm also dying to get Lanthe's story... which is a suprise, considering how much I hated Sabine.)

It can't be ignored that Declan is not the best hero. He does some pretty crappy stuff and it's hard to forgive him for it. His issues are also pretty substantial and he is what keeps this one from rating as high for me as some of Cole's other books. I kind of wish that the hero would have been Aidan instead. 4 stars.

All of Kresley Cole's books are good, some just better than others. It only took me 1 day and a few hours of the next to read this 430 page hardcover! Her stories and details of the Lore are amazing.

Wow, this book was amazing! How on earth did she managed to turn such an evil man into a loved hero? This book has so much raw emotion packed in 500 pages that it leaves you stunned. It is beautiful, it's sad, it's super funny and yet romantic. As always, Kresley Cole earns 5 stars from me! Hands down, one of the best Paranormal Romance writers of these times!

I love Ms. Cole. My first book was Cadeon's book and I loved it. I then went back and read all the books in order and have purchased every book since then. I don't know what it is but I feel like Coles writing is just really inconsistent. Hated Rydstroms book (distasteful heroine) thought Daniella and Lucia's books were so-so and loved Carrows book.

She set herself a monumental task by making Aidan/Declan the magister of the island. Many people cannot forget that he was responsible for the killing of Rubies mom, and threatening to kill her in book #8, as well as countless torture sessions, etc. While Lothaire laughed it off it wasn't really that funny. Drug addict, memory loss or not he is responsible for too many atrocities.

She could have turned things around by having Declan either reincarnated or let Aidan take over. I have said this before but if a guy reincarnates 5 times to be with the woman he loves I think he deserves more than to be relegated to a mere memory and not to be replaced by a homicidal drug addict. This is one book of Cole's I will never reread in it's entirety.

With her spinoff and YA series coming the odds are that this will not get any better. I sense that the wheels are falling off this series or it's jumping the shark whichever you choose to say. I'll read Nixes book and then wait for Furie to rise because I still remember books 1-4 when I was loving this series.

Darn it, I'm gonna miss Nixie

Could fate be any crueler? Regin the Radiant, 1000 year old immortal Valkyrie famous in the lore for her beauty and pranks, falls for her captor, Declan Chase, a mortal who lives to hunt and exterminate her kind. Romeo and Juliet had it easier. But fall for him she does. After all, he is the reincarnation of her first lover Aidan the Fierce. Aidan was cursed to die after making Regin his. Will the fifth time be the charm? And every time Regin makes love to Aidan in his other incarnations, he dies. Talk about being torn. She could be signing Declan's death warrant with one kiss. Timing is definitely not on their side. Just when Declan starts to realize he may be wrong about immortals, Regin hates him, with reason. Declan's dreams have always haunted him, making him a very damaged man filled with hate for the creatures who killed his family and left him scarred. Regin is a temptation to him, making him want to abandon his duty to rid the world of her kind. Will they be able to break the curse?

Once again, Kresley Cole has created a great Alpha male character in Declan Chase. And of course there is her signature humor. Lots of LOL moments. In Dreams of a Dark Warrior we meet some amazing new characters and visit some of our favorites. I find myself especially fascinated with Lothaire, the vampire Enemy of Old. What a bad boy! Definitely can't wait for his book next year. My only complaint - is that the book ended! Just didn't want it to end. With all her teasing hints, Kresley Cole has perfected the art of "leaving them wanting more."

Yet another fabulous entry in the IAD world! Cole has consistently written great characters (and plots!) many times over but Declan Chase is her most complicated to date. And she NAILED it. Part good guy with a sprinkle of bad guy mixed in, Declan Chase is the perfect yin to Regin's yang. While this book could absolutely be read and enjoyed as a stand alone, the first installment may be a better way to introduce yourself to the IAD world and therefore thoroughly appreciate the interwoven subplots.

I'm barely a few chapters in, but WOW!!! Kresley Cole totally hit this one out of the park! (I type this as I'm taking a forced reading break so I don't strain my eyes.) Regin, who I've always been slightly annoyed by, is truly amazing in this story and paired with Declan/Aiden... Mmmmmmmm.

This book is a powerhouse at 500 pages, so prepare yourself!!! Really stands out in this over-the-top series, and makes fans and newbie-IAD readers proud!

Kresley Cole's series has been one of my favorites up to this point. However, I can't get behind this book. The hero has been too nauseatingly harmful, and his being a reincarnation of a more attractive character to my mind does not in any way mitigate this. For once, it is not a stretch to make a Nazi comparison, and seeing a sympathetic heroine falling for a 'they're not human'/'just following orders' hero made me feel sick. The more I think about it, the less I like it. It's one thing to reform a madman as hero, and quite another to 'reform' a man who belongs on trial at (some Lore version of) the Hague.

On the other hand, this is not a book utterly without good qualities. It is, as usual, extremely well written, and continues the story series readers (like me) have become invested in.

The story of Malcom and Carrow (book 7) was just "so-so" the first time around, and repeated again in this book did NOT improve it. 75% of this story is information we were already told in book 8 and the remaining 25% was used to rush a completely unconvincing romance between Regin and her berserker lover reincarnated as Declan Chase (an absolute loathsome character).

It is not believable that Regin would fall in love with someone (Declan) responsible for torturing her and her closest friends and allies, or that said friends and allies would ever accept him.

I love Kresley Cole but this book was hard to read and not because of what Declan was put through. I think he is the most evil person in the book. I couldn't begin to like him. Anytime the thought of killing a kid means nothing and that the kid deserved it, you can't redeem from that. Very upset with the "hero". The other characters in the book I loved. You just can't beat Nix.

Despite the He-Man cover, I picked this up at an airport thinking it would be a fantasy fiction, romantic diversion about a protagonist cursed to reincarnation and amnesia. I couldn't get past the first 30 pages, this is the most obvious, banal, piece of garbage ever created! I respect all genres but the plot, the scene transitions, the sophomoric sex scenes and dialogue were THE worst! I can't even believe an adult writing for other adults published this and is making money! I feel bad about giving another Romance author a bad review in light of this caveman drivel. I don't believe half of these great reviews and I'm embarrassed it's in my home! Unless you love this author DO NOT BUY THIS "BOOK".