Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark - Book 5)

My favorite romance authors are Diana Gabaldon, Stephanie Meyer (so far), and Jane Austen. I've now added Kresley Cole to that list, although she obviously takes the story further ;-) She doesn't use slang or fashion that dates the characters, unless it is a historical romance. Her historical romance accuracy has been brought up in comments, but I didn't find any errors distracting. The heroes sound like real men, whereas some authors write the hero in such a way that I can't tell the difference between him and the heroine. Her heroes don't seem to cross the line into being misogynists either. Her heroines are relatable, usually strong, and never painfully oblivious or dumb. Some of her books are better than others, but compared to other authors in this genre they are all worthy of 5 stars. This one is my favorite.

Another great Kresley Cole novel. The cover art is dreadful, but I buy them anyways! How can you not when they read so good.

Cadeon is a unruly, demon bad boy. He is called the King Maker becuase he has a knack for putting anyone on the thrown, but his brother. A thousand years ago Rydstorm (his older brother) lost his thrown because of Cadeon's mis-steps. Now present day, Cadeon has decided that he will do anything to make things right again, even give up his mate.

Holly is a aniel, prissy, math teacher who thinks she's human. Truth is she is druid and is soon to be imortal and very powerful. She is also a Vessel. Every 500 years a vessel is born and she will bare the child of ultimate good or evil depending on the father.

Rydstorn needs a sword that will kill Omit (the last child of ultimate evil) who can not die by even a beheading. The sword which was forged by Omit's brother is said to be able to finally kill Omit. Rydstorm is captured by Omit's half sister Sabine and held captive leaving Cadeon no choice but to aquire the sword from Omit's brother on his own. The only way to get the sword is to trade the Vessel (Holly) to Omits evil brother for it.

Holly is clueless to all of this in the beginning of the book, she is just going about her day when all types of ungodly creatures are upon her wanting to barter with her body, kill her, or mate her.

Cadeon (Cade) comes to her rescue and along with Nix (the all knowing and another Druid) talks Holly into venturing into the far north of Canada with Cade. They tell Holly though that she can undo the transformation and become mortal again if she gets there in enough time. They do not tell her the truth knowing she will not go along with it other wise.

Cade is racing against the clock, but drawn to Holly in every way possible. Cade is a highly likable charater. He is funny, terriably attractive, strong, sexual, and sweet when he needs to be. Holly on the other hand is annoying for the first half of the book. She is someone that you wouldn't want to know or be friends with, but Cade is unrelentless. He is sure to melt the ice over her prude heart.

The eroctica in this book is awesome, as in all of Cole's books, so no problems there. Once Cade decides he will keep Holly for himself he has to come up with a plan to get the sword and defeat the man that forged it.

When Holly is trapped and handed over for the sword she thinks Cade has betrayed which of course he has not. This turns Holly into a butt kicking imortal with a bad attitude and makes her charater more likeable in the end.

Great fun and good read.

Cade Woede is the younger brother of Rydstrom Woede, the rightful ruler of the kingdom of Rothkalina. When Cade was only 7 yrs old, he was secreted away to a foster farmer's family. As he was driven away, his beloved older brother Rydstrom had no words of farewell or love for him. Years later, his first communication is a summons from his older brother to come back and defend the kingdom, while Rydstrom left the kingdom to fight the vampire Horde. Cade did not go, choosing to stay with his foster family to protect them. As a result of his choice, Omort, the Deathless seized the throne and slaughtered Cade's foster family. Rydstrom offered Cade a chance to learn to be a warrior and avenge his losses and help his brother regain the kingdom. This task has taken hundreds of years.
Centuries later, Rydstrom and Cade are in present day New Orleans. Both have become mercenaries for the Lore. They have received information that a Vessel, a chosen female is being pursued by Omort and his half brother Groot so that they can mate with her and create evil offspring. Cade accepts the mercenary's job to safeguard the female Vessel and deliver her to Groot. Groot's payment is the only sword that can kill Omort. Cade wants the job because this is his last chance to make up for his mistake that cost his brother Rydstrom their kingdom Rothkalina. With that sword, Rydstrom can kill the otherwise immortal Omort and free his kingdom from Omort's evil oppressive rule.
Cade is surprised to find out that the Vessel is a shy, tightly wound college math teacher that he has been infatuated with and has been secretly watching. Holly Ashwin has no idea that she is a supernatural being. She just knows that when she gets sexually turned on, she hurts the men she wants to make love to. She takes medication to stifle all the parts of her that are Valkyrie. When vampires kidnap her, strip her naked on a stone altar and are about to rape her, she lets out a Valkyrie scream that sends the glass dome above her to crash down in deadly shards and bolts of lightening give her the strength and skill to kill her attackers. Cade finds Holly shivering in a dark corner, covered with blood and in shock. Telling her that more evil creatures are still after her, Cade covers her in his huge shirt and uses his body to absorb all the bullets being shot by the pursuing monsters. Holly cannot believe how she could be in the middle of the messy disorderly world of the Lore supernatural.
The rest of the story is a kick in the pants. Cade lies to her that if she accompanies him, she will be able to reverse her transition from a human to a Valkyrie. Her own Valkyrie Aunt Nix lies to her too in order to get her to go on this journey to find Groot's castle and retrieve the sword that can kill Omort. Cade is in love with Holly and does not want to lose her to Groot, but he HAS to get the sword and make it up to his brother Rydstrom. In the meantime, Rydstrom himself is kidnapped and imprisoned by Sabine, the sister of Omort and a goddess of Illusions.
The road trip is hilarious with all kinds of fun side shows and the delightful banter between Holly and Cade about life, men, women, sex, love and lore. Cade teaches her to be a fighter. Cade rescues her. Cade falls deeper and deeper in love with Holly. The sex scenes between them are very HOT.
Her Valkyrie sisters rescue her and help her adjust to being a Valkyrie at Val Hall.
The only quibble that I have about this installment is that the ending was rushed. Cade lied to Holly. He betrayed her to the disgusting Groot. She had to fight her own way out, battling all manner of disgusting, repulsive creatures of evil to save herself. I think Kresley Cole should have made Cade make amends and be more repentent to Holly before the happy ending. But, how could any female reisist the charms of Cade?? Not many.

I debated whether to give this book a lower rating. Overall, it's well written and Ms Cole stays true to her characters so I'm giving it a three. This book is still better than a lot of the other paranormals that have 5-star ratings.

Since other reviewers have covered the plot details, I'll skip that part and get to the meat of why this book didn't work for me.

Pros: Yes, you've got the anti-hero with the sketchy past whose brash tongue and messiness is the opposite of the heroine's regimented approach. I liked that Cade wasn't another take on the brooding, dark hero. He's cocky and his humor's incorrigible. I liked that the characters didn't just instantly fall for each other or give into their attraction. But the chemistry and anticipation just wasn't there for me, even though the scenes were available. There was something missing. I can't pin-point it. But the romance didn't pack an emotional or passionate punch for me.

Con: My biggest gripe? This book was out of proportion. Other reviews have hinted at this problem. Ms Cole concentrated 85% of the book on backstory, the relationship and the obstacles that when you got to the climax, it felt rushed. The consequences and resolution came off superficial. It's as if she had a deadline looming and realized she had to wrap up the story in the most economical way. All the emotional delving Ms Cole did throughout the book stopped in the last chapters when she had a landmine of guilt and betrayal to work with. It created a gap in the reading experience

Yes, there are a few pages that deal with the fallout of Cade's betrayal but to me it felt glossed over. Though we knew of Cade's dilemma, I didn't *feel* as if he truly went through the emotional turmoil of knowing he'd handed over his mate to a man who would essentially rape her. (The book skims over that fact too with language like "breed with" and that Holly's will would be removed via a spell).

It seemed he was focused on getting her back, but what was lacking for me was a deep sense of remorse. I don't think him buying her a house, knowing she likes things in threes really matched what he was trying to apologize and atone for.

And my biggest disappointment was that Cade never really put himself on the line for her. The instances he tried to protect her were entangled with his motivation to help his brother and not truly about Holly the individual. This may not be what Ms Cole intended but it's how I read it.

Still the book had its moments and this was way better than 10 Sherrilyn Kenyon novels put together.

This is the fifth installment in Kresley Cole's wonderful Immortals After Dark series, and its one of her finest. It follows the tale a Holly, a half-Valkyrie who was raised as a human. Her neat and tidy world is turned upside down when she meets Cadeon, a demon mercenary, who informs her that not only is she an immortal, she is also the "Vessal"--a rare woman who in the coming war will bare a child of either ultimate good or evil. He offers her protection, but has ulterior motives that threaten the fragile relationship developing between them.

I was amused by both characters. Cadeon is extremely funny and hot. Holly is smart and quirky, and it's fun to watch her develop a backbone. My only complaint with this book was that the ending was a bit rushed and unsatisfactory, but it's definitely worth reading anyway.

Rage Demon Prince and Human Female - Cadeon (love this name) has a serious "love jones" for his fated female/mate/demoness, but theres just one problem; she's forbidden to him because she's human. Sucks to be Cade...Not! Holly is one of the cutest heroines I've read, simply because Holly is not just a little OCD, but a lot and she was adorable. Before she showed her true colors (wink) and became something else...
Cade's desire for Holly literally burned your fingertips as you read it and the adventure they have isn't too bad either w/guest appearances from our favorite Valkyrie...Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark, Book 5) gets a (2) Dark & Steamy on my scale ;-)

Kresley Cole is by far my favorite. She combines my two favorite types of books... Fantasy and Romance. This is my favorite book in the imortals after dark series, I think because the woman starts off as a mortal. I cannot wait for her next book in the series to come out, I have already preordered it. I have read some of Gena Showalter's books as well, and though I think she is a great author, it isn't as detailed during the steamy parts as Cole's books. When I read romance, I basically want book porn. I am still searching for a fantasy/romance author that compares to Cole. I recommend all in the immortals after dark series. I have read them all at least twice.

'"You're really going to let me drive?"
"Whose car is this?"
"Not ours."
"Good girl."'--page 223
I got an absolute kick out of the play of dialogue between Cadeon and Holly. Like a silly school girl I giggled throughout the book. If I wasn't giggling, I was at least smiling. Cadeon was the epitome of sexy. His bad-boy attitude and no nonsense take no prisoners attitude would turn any girl's head. Yet, he supplimented this with teasing, endearments, and episodes of jealousy that was endearing from the once brooding and self-blaming Woede brother. He easily slipped into the role of mate, providing for Holly things she even didn't know she needed. Holly was not as endearing...her quirks were strange (which only enforced Cadeon's likability since he was not put off by them) and she was too stiff and uncompromising. It was hard to relate to her. Yet, this did not distract from the story, but only led to more antics and interplay between the hero and heroine. Cole definitely used Holly's quirks to her advantage in the story line. Then there was Nucking Futs Nix...Need I say more?

Overall, I adore this series. It has not failed yet in entertaining me and I look forward to the next in the series.

I really like the Immortals After Dark series. This addition is further proof that Kresley Cole is not only a talented writer, but that this "world" she has created just keeps getting better and better.

Dark Desires After Dusk was a fun read. It kind of reminded me of "A Hunger Like No Other" in the fact that both were "road trip romances". The adventures of Cadeon and Holly were intense at times and very funny at other times. Holly suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, so her character comes off as endearing, quirky, and "human". I liked her. Cadeon is your typical demon.....deadly, and yet possessive and caring about Holly. The heat these two generate could melt steel!

Read this book...in fact, if you haven't already...read them all!

Wow!

I enjoyed this one tremendously! I love the IAD world Ms. Cole has created, and fell hard for Cade and Holly. What a great pairing with fantastic chemistry. Although I wasn’t sure if I’d like the rage demon, his sarcastic arrogance quickly won me over. And Holly? Well, she sure proved herself, didn’t she? Oh, and Nix? I must admit she’s a scene stealer for me, love that Valkyrie!

A great continuation in the IAD series!

Focused. Strong. True.

Take one love-sick rage demon, add an obsessive compulsive repressed Valkyrie - only one thing to do: ROAD TRIP! And it's one wild, fun ride.

Cade, the love-sick rage demon, has been obsessed with Holly for a year. Holly is a book-smart, naïve teacher. When Holly's change to immortal Valkyrie happens Cade is there to save her. And oh, Holly just happens to the "Vessel", the female who will birth the warrior of ultimate evil or ultimate good. Cade just wants Holly to be his fated female. But his betrayal of his brother, Rydstrom, cost the family their kingdom centuries ago and Cade has felt guilty ever since. So in order to repay Rydstrom Cade must sacrifice Holly to get the sword that will enable them to kill the sorcerer who took their kingdom from them.

Holly just wants to undo the whole immortal Valkyrie thing and go back to her former life. But in order to achieve that she believes Cade's lies that he's taking her to a sorcerer who will return her to her former self. Hence, the road trip that is amusing, suspenseful and FUN!

Can Holly forgive Cade's betrayal (oh and by the way, watching him kiss a beautiful sorceress)?

What a joy Kresley Cole's books are. Full of humor, poignancy, excitement and you can't put it down. And the cherry on top is that we get to visit our favorite Immortals After Dark characters, especially Nix and Regin. And oh boy, does she leave us hungry for Rydstrom's book.

The Woede Brothers really are some of the best stories in this series. I really loved both Cadeon and Rydstrom. Cade has a lot to make up for in his book as he feels responsible for the loss of his brother's kingdom and now his fated mate is a human... or is she.

I loved Cade's carefree attitude even though he was anything but and I adored the eccentric nature of Holly and how she started to loosen up a bit with everything Cade was teaching her about surviving in the Lore.

The developing love story and relationship between Cade and Holly was sweet and sexy. Definitely a great read!

This has been my favorite book of the series thus far. Cade is a very down to earth and likeable demon. I like that he doesn't take himself too seriously and develops feelings for Holly over time. I loved reading about their adventure to find Groot and felt the romance build over their travels. Holly was a delightful character as well. I loved the math aspect of her life and felt she developed quite nicely. They didn't really explain very well how she became a Valkyrie but I guess that detail wasn't needed. Not too much action but enough. The characters don't always have to be engaged in life ending battles. Great read.

I loved the turn Kresley Cole took with this character! She paired him with someone his complete opposite, yet she made this couple actually work! Cadeon is such the charmer and a slob; being paired with the prudish and an obsessive perfectionist. Wow, just wow. Cade's determination to not let his brother down when pushed to ultimately betray his one and only mate, made this story a page-turner. With any of Cole's books, I can never put them down. I love that Nix has her appearance in every book! In this one, it was actually kinda funny :)

As much as I would love to provide a spoiler, I just won't.

Good Lord, Cadeon and Holly just melt you like lava. He's a demon prince and she's a hot professor. She's totally intelligent and he's a big giant sweetheart who you can't help but love. The sacrifices they both have to make really cause this to be a great story.

Good road trip.

This is only the second book I have read by Kresley Cole. I read the previous book in this series, DARK NEEDS AT NIGHT'S EDGE before this one so I was introduced to Cade's character. However, I do agree with other reviewers that this book can be read as a standalone. The glossary at the front of the book helps. Could be because I have not read the whole series so the rules of the world do not sound repetitious to me yet.

I have been reading them out of order but will plan to get the first three books as soon as possible to get caught up. It should fill up the time before Rydstrom's story comes out.

Minor irritant...cover art is not accurate. Cadeon is described as blond, not dark haired as on the cover.

I love both lead characters Cadeon and Holly, and the author gives them enough dimensions to be strong. Their courtship and relationship is sweet and steamy. Never would have thought horns were sexy, but this book changed that, and the love scenes are great. I also love how Cadeon is the more thoughtful and caring character, while Holly is learning to be a warrior; a fun play on how the opposite sides of them are coming out.
I thought the ending was a bit rushed. The importance of her being a Vessel seemed kind of dropped.
Spoiler ahead:

Don't really understand what impact her child would have in the Lore.

Since the titles in Kresley Cole's Immortal After Dark Series have become so confusing, I have nicknamed this one, Cade: The One With the Likable Horns. Alas, his horns were not licked during the story but this is another worthy addition to Cole's paranormal series that should not be missed.

Caedon Woede is a rage demon who is trying to help his brother, Rydstrom retrieve his magical crown so he can take back his kingdom he lost. Cadeon will do anything to get his brother's crown back even if it means sacrificing his one true mate, Holly. Cade has been watching or rather peeping on her ever since they met. He can never have her because she is human after all and if he tries to mate with her, she wouldn't be able to survive. So, Cade has a constant case of blue balls.

One night Holly is attacked and about to be raped so she can conceive the spawn of evil, but Cade comes to her rescue in time. Holly finds out she is part Valkyrie and the vessel to carry the spawn that can either become a product of good or evil and help change the world. This has only come out now because Holly has been repressed. She holds back all types of sexual urges and likes everything to be in perfect harmony. Cade and Holly go on the road and she thinks Cade is trying to protect her and find someone who can change her back into human, while Cade needs to deliver her to the one person who can help him get Rydstrom's crown and thus the key to the kingdom.

If you like road romances, Dark Desires is the perfect read for you. I had so much fun over the bantering and bickering back and forth between Cade and Holly. Talk about total opposites! Cade is a porn loving slob while Holly has OCD and the thought of sex gets her very scared because she feels if she loses it in the heat of the moment, she will hurt the man she is with because of her Valkyrie strength. I know some had issues with Holly and her being so repressed and stiff but what I enjoyed the most is how Holly was able to break free of her self imposed bonds and become more empowered within herself. Cade helped her realize who she is and held her hand so to speak. Plus, they way Cade helps her release her pent up feelings is oh, so good.

These two were a riot to read even though I wanted to bop Cade over the head at one point because of a certain situation he places Holly in, but again, Cade has to sacrifice a part of himself for his brother. In my eyes that made him a worthy hero.

Katiebabs

Another great book in the IAD series. I think the reason I enjoyed this book slightly less is because of the whole "demon" thing. I'm not really a demon kind of gal. Give me a Scottish werewolf or a vampire any day but a demon with horns... hard to imagine that being sexy. Still, I really liked the story and the writing, as usual. Another thing that bugged me is that I could have sworn Cadeon was described as a blond but the guy on the cover is dark-haired. Minor details, I still ate this story up!(

After a lackluster review of book 4, I was wondering if the series would be going downhill. I can safely say that after reading Dark Desires After Dusk, I am no longer worried. I loved this book! So far, it is competing with book 1 as my favorite. I really like Cadeon's character, even though he's kind of made out to look like a "bad guy". I think Holly's development was interesting, especially she was suppressing her "true" self with prescription medication. Now, I can't wait to read on to Rydstrom's book since I'm starting to really get into the Demons!

This book was right up there with "A Hunger Like No Other". Cade and Holly were an unlikely pair - at first I thought Cade could do better, but then Holly really proved herself and I couldn't help but like her. (Although I don't know how she was able to act indifferent to Cade!)

I loved, loved, loved Cade. Perfect hero. Sexy as hell, funny, and a closet romantic who will do anything for his female.

I liked the road trip storyline, it made their getting to know each other/falling in love believeable. You learn a lot about a person very quickly when you're confined in a small space for hours like that!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough - my only gripe is that it ended too soon!

Absolutely loved this book! Holly and all her quirks, putting Cadeon on his feet with how to please her and win her over was funny and exciting to read. So far this was my favorite pairing, Bowen and Mariketa being my second favorite.

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 : )

ONE OF MY FAVS in IAD!!

I really loved the Woede brothers as they were introduced in the previous books, so I was really eager to read this one. The reason I love this series is that the way Ms. Cole puts a fresh perspective on things, and creates a very complicated world, but then she goes and does the most cliched thing ever in a paranormal romance.

The hero/heroine (usually the heroine) who gets introduced into the supernatural (usually through some violent means in which the hero saves her), then goes through the stages of denial, falling in love, and acceptance.

Holly basically fits this mold. Also, she seems like a prude who refuses to even watch sex scenes on TV, not to mention her OCD behavior. Although the story develops pretty nicely, I just couldn't get past this cliched point. Every time she complains about the supernatural world and about "wanting" to return to normal I just want to throw the book against the wall.

I understand this might be a premise all paranormal authors explore, but different things can be done to twitch it, not every one have to follow the mold mentioned above.

Otherwise, Cadeon is just a super sexy and overprotective and possessive demon. Everything us readers love in our paranormal heroes. Felt bad that he had to be saddled with Holly. A good read if you can ignore Holly's whininess.

This is only my second dip into the Immortals After Dark, and boy am I glad I found this series so far. Cade is a great hero who loves his heroine from afar. He is everything that Holly needs and doesnt know it. He brings her to life, and at the same time throughout the story he adjusts to her as well. He takes care of her and tries to please her, and is a perfect teacher for the world that she finds herself thrust into. He is by far not perfect but what great hero is? She is this insane wreck of a character that you just cant wait to see get a little mussed, and cant wait to see her grow into the character she becomes. The story itself is quick and a definate page turner. I never wanted the story to end. I love Cole's writing style and can't wait to pick up more in this series. I would most highly recommend this book.

I absolutly adore the Immortal After Dark series!!!I've re-read every book at least once, most of them multiple times...especially Conrad & Neomi's story which i found to be exciting and delicious.

Caden Woede was faulted for losing his brother's crown and finally has a chance to get it back. His very last chance. All he needs to do is deliver the vessel(a female from the lore who will produce a child of ultimate good or evil)to a sorcerer.Only one problem...the vessel is his fated female! The story takes you through the internal struggles of Cade as he falls in love with Holly all the while still debating on handing her over to the sorcerer.Meanwhile Holly is stuggling to stay human and ignore her valkyrie nature.She thinks this sorcerer can undo her becoming a Valkyrie and Cadeons the one to take her.

Since reading all the other books in the series, I was excited to get the next book which was about rage demon Cadeon Woede.I loved him in previous books so couldn't wait to buy this one and indulge in another great paranormal romance.

Unfortunatly, Dark Desires After Dusk did not deliver. I found that the plot over all was good but slow and boring.Also, I couldn't really connect with Holly like i did with the heroines of Cole's previous novels, even though i still loved Cade.As well I felt were lacking that special something in the sex scenes that i always seemed to enjoy. Scratch that. I think the book over all was missing that special "something" that makes KC's books great.

All in all I don't regret reading it, though i probably won't re-read it like i do with the other books.I do understand that not all books in a series are always up to par with the series over all and find that in nearly every series I've read there is a "dud" book. So here i hungily wait for the next installment in this incrediable series.

~Liv~

Cadeon Woede, second in line to the throne of the rage demons, will do anything to right the terrible wrong that he's done to his family. Because of Cade's stubborn refusal to return to their homeland when his brother Rydstrom asked him to, their kingdom was stolen by a sorcerer called Omort the Deathless. Since then, Cade has worked as a mercenary and is known as Cade the Kingmaker among the Lore. He has a reputation for being able to put anyone on a throne--except the one person he wants to most. Finally, Cade is given the opportunity to right this wrong by getting an ensorcelled sword that will be able to kill Omort. The only thing he has to do is deliver a woman known as the Vessel to Omort's brother. The vessel is a member of the Lore who will give birth to a child born of ultimate evil or ultimate good--depending on the child's father. The problem is, she's also Cade's fated female.

Holly Ashwin is an obsessive-compulsive PhD candidate at Tulane who teaches mathematics to jocks. Holly has a thing for threes, compulsive cleaning, and computer codes and mathematics. She has been raised as a mortal and has no idea that she's the Vessel until she's kidnapped from campus and held hostage for a demon ritual. While Holly is fighting them off, she's struck by lightning and suddenly overcome with the preternatural strength of a rage-filled Valkyrie. After killing those who would do her harm, Holly meets up with Cade who informs her that all of the myths she's ever heard are real and that all the creatures of the Lore are after her--some want her dead and some want to father her unborn child. With him as her guide, Cade promises to help Holly regain her mortality, which is all that she really wants. Until she realizes that having a rage demon for a mate might be better than her boring old life...

Dark Desires After Dusk is a worthwhile addition to the Immortals After Dark series. I've been waiting for Cade's story ever since Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (The Immortals After Dark, Book 3). And Cole didn't disappoint me. Cade has always been a darker character who seemed lonely and in need of affection. In Wicked Deeds, he makes a half-hearted attempt at finding love with a witch only to be shut down quickly by her Lykae mate. And in Dark Needs at Night's Edge (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 4), he once again tries to help his brother regain his crown, only to commit an unforgivable offense against the vampire who could have helped him. So it makes sense that to find love he would have to choose between his life's mission and his fated female. And watching it unfold was pure magic. Holly is a worthwhile opponent to Cade's mercenary self, despite the fact that she's half human. She knows what she wants and she gives as good as she gets. This girl makes him work for it every step of the way, and as she learns the ins and outs of the immortal lifestyle and what it means to be a Valkyrie she shows Cade that she's no shrinking violet.

Fans of the Immortals After Dark series will be happy to hear that Kresley Cole hasn't lost her edge. These books just keep getting racier, more intense, and more dazzlingly suspenseful and entertaining. I haven't read one yet that hasn't left me fulfilled and content, eagerly awaiting the next one in the pipeline. If you haven't started this series yet, I'm going to suggest you run, not walk, to buy A Hunger Like No Other (The Immortals After Dark Series, Book 1). And if you're a longtime fan like myself, we'll have to content ourselves with waiting for Not That Innocent, an anthology due out in May 2009.

I basically stumbled onto author Kresley Cole over here at the store. A few of my fellow supernatural romance lovers recommended her first book in the Immortals After Dark series -- and after coming off of a JR Ward high -- I was willing to try something new -- anything.

Was I pleasantly surprised.

Dark Desires After Dusk is another great mixture of supernatural characters, action, suspense, romance, and a great alpha main character. I loved the plot in this one - and it made for great intense reading one Saturday night.

I even skipped dinner and had my hubby go out for take-out!

Bottom line -- you don't need me to reiterate the plot details for you about this book, just get it! In fact grab the whole series. This is one author who never disappoints.

I was really looking forward to reading Cade's book after reading about him in previous books.
And I'm really happy the story didn't disappoint me on bit.
Cade's story was amazing! And I loved Holly, his fated mate.

Immortals after Dark is a fabulous series up til now and this book was another great example of Kresley Cole's
amazing writing and the wonderful world of the Lore she created.

I don't like to tell to much about a book, because I think a reader should get their own opinion. This book was GREAT! I had a weak spot for the demons and Garrett for some reason. I love Cade and his brother. Holly, his fated mate, love her too. She is a very intelligent person and what a pair they make. In some way the equal each other out.Cade is a man all to himself, I'm not quite sure why I like him soo much.He is direct and isnt too shy about anything , maybe thats why.Cole is a great author and I have before a huge fan. I can't wait to read "Kiss of a Demon King" and "Pleasures of a Dark Prince" I know I say this will alot of book but you should really read this series, start from the beginning. You won't be let down.

So I started reading this series to fill the time till the next Black Dagger Brotherhood book comes out, but I've actually started to enjoy this series, and "Dark Desires After Dusk" might be my fave so far. I thought it was funny and sweet, and I caught myself laughing and smiling like a weirdo when Cadeon and Holly would banter back and forth.
I HATE THE COVERS!
...well atleast up until "kiss of a Demon King" they remind me of the old romance novels my grandmother would read (Fabio! lol) if I had these books in paperback instead of on my kindle,I would NOT read them in public! that's how embarrassing/hideous the covers 1-5 are! they almost killed the series for me before I even started reading it.(DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER! RIGHT?!) so glad the covers get better as the series go's on though!

I loved this book a lot, especially loved Cade's dialogue. He was a character, that one. But I do agree with the previous reviewer that "Dark Needs" was better, at least I liked the storyline and both characters better. I'd probably have raved about this one more if I hadn't just read "Dark Needs". And the very ending was rushed, I wanted one more make-up love scene. But overall extremely good and well-written, and once I get through a few other new books, I'll go back to re-reading the whole series. A year is a long time to wait for the next one!

The fifth installment in Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series follows Cadeon a mercenary demon on a mission of redemption. Cadeon must protect Holly Ashwin a half valkyrie and retrieve a sword for his brother to slay Omort The Deathless and regain his throne. Super steamy love scenes as well as ulterior motives keep the reader hooked to the very last page. Cadeon is one of my favorite romantic heroes of all time. This book gives you such insight into not only his character, but the hows and whys of why he is referred to as the "kingmaker". There is a whole new level of understanding of the Cadeon/Rydstrom dynamic that evokes empathy for both. As for the heroine, Holly is an excellent match for him. All of her quirks make her a very relatable character and the way Cadeon works with them instead of making her feel uncomfortable for her eccentricities is one of his best qualities. I absolutely reccomend this book.

What a thrill to have a Valkyrie as the female protagonist and even more Valkyries in the story!

Norse heritage and memes in an erotic paranormal was a treat. Thank you, Kresley Cole.

Many witty dialogues, good use of tech, and intelligent, courageous characters who overcame challenges made this a delicious read.

Move over LKH, JRW and so many others. Kresley Cole is without a doubt the best paranormal romance author. Her stories are fast paced, funny, heart-breaking and always leaves you completely satisfied. I could not imagine how she would ever be able to find a mate for Cade, but Holly was perfect. I loved the entire book. I read through it so fast the first time, I had to go back and read it again. Loved it even more the second time. I can't hardly wait for the next installment in this great series.

Hottest hero of the series goes to the demon with very lickable horns. Wasn't sure how the whole demon thing was going to play and I was happily surprised to find a well thought out hero who played nicely off our sexy OCD heroine. Holls did a terrific job with a horrible situation and you had to root for her the whole way. Great dialog through out - the getting to know you portion of the plot was a hoot. Hhowever the ending seemed abrupt and hurried; there are many plot points that are unanswered. Which only leaves me to pine for the next book in the series which is a long, long, loooooong wait away.

Let me start out by saying that Dark Desires After Dusk is a fairly good book. It is funny and witty...but it just lacked a certain spark. It is not as good as her former books. If I could tell you what it lacked, I would, but I cannot seem to articulate the "something" that is missing. I believe that the problem lies in the hero and heroine. The heroine really got on my nerves at times. It felt like one long playing-hard-to-get scenario. It was him trying to cop a feel every other minute and her acting like she did not want him. Maybe that was the problem.

My advice: definitely read the book yourself and see how you like it! Judging from the numerous 5 star reviews, even a not-so-good KC book is still pretty good...LOL.

Kresley Cole has managed to deliver another spectacular book. I started with the first book Hunger like No Other, and was totally hooked from there. She is currently my favorite author.
Anyway, to the specifics of the book.
Cade has been an intriguing character for a couple books now and it is great to get to know him. I also like the development of Holly. The best thing Ms. Cole does is character development. I like that she makes them something other, while at the same time giving them fun quirks, great personalities and deep emotions, therefore helping us relate to them.
The other thing I love about her books is the fast pace of the story. This one was true to that theme taking off in chapter one and not letting me put my book down until the last page. And the only reason I put it down then is because I'm out of pages. The next story has already been set up and I cannot wait to read Cade's brother's story.

Well, I would never have thought I could get all hot and bothered over a demon and his horns, but Kresley Cole has done it again by writing another book with a very sexy hero, Cade. I also thought it was an interesting take on Holly, the heroine, in regard to her OCD behavior (a way the woman coped with unknowingly being a Valkyrie). The plot was fast paced leading to further developments in Cade's quest to reclaim his brother's lost throne, and taking us ever closer the the Accession. Like other readers, I too found it difficult to put this book down once I started reading it --even rearranging my work schedule to accommodate finishing in one day. Oh, and this was actually the first romance book that I truly enjoyed staring at the cover. Too bad he didn't have the horns. . .

Ok. I had said I was going to save this for my trip over seas- I have NO willpower. Needless to say this book was AMAZING! I'm chomping at the bit to find out what happens next!

Cade is a fantastic demon character, probably one of the best ones I have seen written ever. Rydstrom, OMG I have to KNOW whats going on with him! I hate when stuff is hinted at!

Holly is an unusual character that you really do fall in love with despite her insane quirks. Its awesome that theres now a fantastic hero...

The story was amazing, the returning characters always make me smile and I'm waiting with baited breath for the next in this series.

Kresley Cole is one of my favorite romance writers. Her books only take me a day or two to get through. The love scenes are hot and never get boring or repetitive. The stories are always interesting and different from each other. I can't say which is my favorite, I also enjoy how they all tie together. I can't wait for some of the background characters to get their own book, or at least I hope they do. Rydstorm's story is next and sounds promising.

Cade and Holly make a super sexy couple! The story was fast paced, passionate and really exciting. Holly is a nerdy ultra intelligent woman trying to live a low key boring life. Cade is a rugged demon mercenary that has recognized Holly as his mate but thinks that he can't have her since she is a mortal woman. Circumstances bring them together and intertwine their lives. Holly is not what she seems and Cade is forced to make some very serious decisions about his future with her.

This is a great addition to the Imortals After Dark Series, I actually read this book before reading the previous books in her series and it is a book that can stand on its own which I beleive all the books in her series can do and which made me want to purchase the rest of the series. It has a story that pulls you in and makes you want to keep reading. It has sex, romance, love, adventure, action, and humor. It draws you into the world of the Lore and keeps you there wanting more. I would recomend this book not only for the greatly arrousing romantic scenes but also for the dangerous adventurous ride it takes you on. Love it and can't get enough of it.

O! Not So Good...I love KC but this book for me was definitely not finger lickin good. I wondered why this book 5 came out so quickly after 4.

I know why now! If you are a KC fan defintitely read it. But what I love Kresley for is

1.Her great wit, and I usually hate the "Joke-a-minute-kick-the-males-butt-with-banter-heroin" but she is actually FUNNY without taking from the story/plot.
And soo creative with words and popular culture. I love Nucking Futs Nix!

This book. Too much "funny" banter not enough story.
It's cute and unique how Holly has OCD but the joke
gets stale. Quick.

2. I know I know...I am the odd woman out on this one, but I really don't like the sex scenes. I know it is the popular "chick" thing and authors HAVE to include them and if you like them You Go Girl! But I have been reading romance novels "bodice rippers" since I was 14 and there is just so much you can say about an act that is as old as time.

This book is all about the foreplay. Not graphic just he sees her cute butt, smells her hair...she sees his demon horns blah blah through the whole book!!!!!!!!!!! The story and plot is that she "thinks he's cute and he thinks she's cute and when are we gonna do it" And it's not the backstory. It is the story.

3. I love KC's take on the Lore and all it's inhabitants.
Their way of life etc. She is so imaginative. I thought book 4 was really good, but the stories of book 2 and 3 with the Talisman's High were just great.

They had it all. Romance, story and wit. All balanced out. I love romance but I still want a story. This one barely has it. I was hoping with such an imaginative mind and all the possibilities of The Lore her books would only get better. I suspect publishers are pushing her to
"churn it out". But I love KC so I would read it, just don't expect much.

I was going to give up on Kresley cole because I wanted Nucking Futs Nix to fall in love with Crazy Conrad Wroth because they are both crazy and I wanted Murdoch to fall in love with Regan because he was said to be a beserker...but this book kind of got to me with Cade being so understanding and nice to the girl. And at the end where he would do anything to get her back...it is great.

Loved Cade and Holly! Two misfits trying to find their place in the world. Not only do they find their place, but they found it together. The story is excellent and of course hot! Thanks for Kresley for another good book!

I really enjoyed the Demon love story. Cade and his brother Rydstrom were in a couple of the previous books and it was nice to see them included in the series. I think the Lykae and Vampires are my favorites but I did Really like the Demon in this story. Hot, steamy, fun read!!

The thing that really worked for me in this book was the aspect of betrayal that the characters have to deal with. The choices that they made and the way they dealt with them were heart breaking, and I loved it. I love a book that has me on the verge of tears and has me pulling for hero or heroine to rise above the hand they are dealt. (especially the heroine!) The transformation of Holly is fantastic. I love the strong and empowered woman she becomes. And I totally love her intelligence! It makes her a great leading lady.

Holly Ashwin is the first to admit she likes her life neat and tidy. Her mannerisms are methodical, her movements disciplined. Her ordered life abruptly ends when she is pulled from the structured world of academia and thrust into the unruly world of the Lore. With her newly emerging Valkyrie powers somewhat out of her control, Holly is appalled at the riotous changes occurring in her life. She holds only one hope - a return to her former existence of calm and order. To her complete dismay, her hope rides on the shoulders - the quite brawny shoulders - of a roguish Rage Demon named Cadeon Woede.

Cade has been carrying a massive load of guilt for over nine hundred years. His past actions caused the loss of his brother's crown, and his brother has never let him forget it. His current profession as a mercenary lets him work toward his one objective in life - to kill the sorcerer who stole his family's kingdom. With absolute loyalty to his brother, Cade accepts his latest mission of obtaining a valuable weapon needed to regain control of the throne. His task, however, involves Holly, a newly empowered Valkyrie halfling who just so happens to be his fated female. In a wrenching twist of fate, Cade learns that to complete his mission he must deal Holly the ultimate betrayal.

When offered the chance to get my hands on DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK, I calmly wiped my sweaty palms... and then blushed as I greedily grabbed at the book. That is how enchanted I am with Kresley Cole's The Immortals After Dark Series. Book five, Cade and Holly's story, starts off with a bang and effortlessly holds that riveting pace through the entire novel. Holly, with her irrepressible OCD tendencies, is warmly captivating with her quirky habits and endless need for order. I found myself laughing at her tendencies to rearrange and compartmentalize anything that wasn't nailed down. Mixing her with Cade, a roguishly unpredictable demon, is an inspired pairing. His mischievous chaos clashing with her need for calm is both hilarious and heartwarming. Simultaneously, my heart was wrenched at the utterly hopeless position in which Cade finds himself. How does one choose between his family and those that depend on him, and the beautiful halfling that owns his heart?

I am having a hard time finding words to do justice to this remarkably romantic story. How do I express how witty, sexy and thrilling I found this tale to be? Every word, every deed, and every scene from beginning to end kept me a willing captive of Ms. Cole's imagination. With engaging characters and exciting plotlines, the world of the Lore continues to deliver an exhilarating mix of mischief and mayhem. DARK DESIRES AFTER DUSK effortlessly seals Kresley Cole's place as one of the top writers of paranormal romance.

Reviewed by Jolie Dreyson/Romance Junkies

One of my favorite authors this is the second time I am reading the series and I cant get enough!! If you love to read about Vampires, demons, and every other mythical creator this is the series for you.

I've read all of Kresley Cole's books, and once again she delivers great material that is true to the genre. Dark Desires is a slight change of pace for her as we have her first demon book of the series - and what a great addition it is! Both Cade and Holly's personalities are well-developed and their relationship is well written. Those readers that enjoy great character development along with action and humor will appreciate Ms Cole's newest addition to her sexy IAD series.

OMG!!! This book was great. Kresley writes the best stories with the best characters. Her male characters are the stuff of our best dark dreams. I couldn't even imagine guys his cool or this hot. The love scenes make me want to jump my husband so he gets a bonus from these stories too. I can't wait for the next books. I'm hooked.

I enjoyed reading this book, but I didn't find it as captivating as the others before it. But I am such a Cole fan that I had to read it to keep up with the series and what is going on with all of the characters. Although I was a little bit dissapointed with this one compared to the others, I have to say it is still worth the read.

I adore this author - I have yet to have a book by this author that I'm disappointed with. However, I was a bit freaked by the Wendigos - too much horror and I'm a wimp. If this author keeps writing like this I'll be buying them forever!! (just NO MORE Wendigos!!)

This book was the best of the Immortals After Dark series. I LOVED the relationship between Cade and Holly. Their verbal sparring was very funny. Cade was a likeable "bad boy" and a great contrast to Holly's uptight prude. There was lots of action and the romance was satisfying. I highly recommend it.

Cadeon is a wonderfully created character, the story has some slow scenes, but when you think it's boring the action starts. A combination of characters a Demon and a Valkyrie, the author always brings exciting new stories. The humor in this story is soft and Cadeon is a naughty Demon. I will never look at horns the same again. Yummy!

Kresley writes a great hero and an even better heroine. If you are looking for a story with a sexy hero and a kick-butt heroine who comes into her own, then this is the book for you. The romantic/sexual tension is great and well-sustained throughout the book, as is the hero's conflict. I flipped every page wondering what he would do. Give this one a read!

I love Kresley Cole's books. But, for me, Dark Desires After Dusk, was a miss. Her writing seemed mediocre...none of those spine-tingeling, beautiful sentences. And I didn't like or respect the leads. Cade was CRUDE and conceited, which I think was supposed to translate into charming, but failed miserably. I enjoyed Holly's quirks, but found her indecisive to an annoying degree and despised her lack of moral character. She "cheated" with Cade and justified it to herself that she was just using him for the experience. Ick ~ can't stand this type of behavior from any gender! The intimacy was way too pornlike for me and lacked tenderness or romance. I will buy Kresley's next book and look forward to Rydstrom's story in particular. But Dark Desires after Dusk will not be staying in my keeper pile.

I've really enjoyed every book in this series, but this one is by far the best! I had trouble finishing it, only because I would think about previous scenes and have to go back and re-read them. I still managed to finish it in one day. It was definitely a romance, but it was so different than what I usually read that it had me holding my breath to see what they would do next. Don't miss this one!

Love the series, but miss the style used on the original cover art. Come on, where are the demon's horns on this illustration? Lacks originality. Could barely tell books 4 and 5 apart based on their covers alone.

I've been reading this series in the hopes of finding another in this genre that is as good as Sherrilyn Kenyon's. So far, no gold. I'm not saying that these books are bad, but they just don't move me emotionally. Whereas I read Kenyon's books over & over, I don't think I'll ever read any of The Immortals more than once. They're an entertaining read, but I don't connect with the characters on more than the level of mild interest. The background of this series is very entertaining with the whole angle of The Lore & all the Immortals battling back & forth & interacting, but their romances are just not working for me. I'd rather read these books with the story focused on the machinations & political maneuverings of the various Immortal groups rather than going through the whole hackneyed thing where a tortured alpha male finds his true love & she redeems him in spite of herself. The sex scenes aren't entrancing or romantic in any of these books--they read more like something from Penthouse's letters section. I think less graphic sex and more emotional involvement might be the key. So, with this book I once again enjoyed the stuff going on around the hero & heroine, but didn't connect with them much and didn't much care if they ever got together. So I'd say to go ahead and read it and then donate it to the library's book sale if you didn't buy it there in the first place.

I loved the humor. OF all her books, this one is has the best humor and I love the Scotts, but "DUDE, your going to jail" had me choking in laughter. I listen to the audiobooks which are expertly done. This is by far my favorite. Plus, just imaging the Veyron.

I was always just into the usual vampire fantasy romance novels. Then I read a few of the pages of the first book in this series on the store. I didn't want it to stop so I knew that I had to get this book series. It has been awesome and I can hardly wait till Christmas so that I can get the rest.

I loved this novel!!! The demon Cadeon was the bomb. I think It is one of the best in her demon series!!!! I also loved the real life OCD that Holly had because she was part Valkyrie and did not know it. The romance side was fun and interesting:) Nix line about licking Cadeon horns was delicious:)

This was my first disappointment from The Immortals Series. I never really connected with the lead characters Cadeon, and Holly. The story plodded along slowly with Cade finding out his forbidden mortal was the long awaited Vessel that would be impregnated and bring either a warrior of ultimate evil or good into the world. Woo Hoo now he can claim his female right? Wrong, only problem is he's promised his brother to trade her for a sword that will kill his enemy and reclaim his throne. So Cade begins the journey with Holly(who is turning into a Valkyrie)to the secret location to make the trade of which she is ignorant. He's actually going to make the trade until the last short leg of the journey then he figures out he can't do such an awful thing to his female. I think the fact that he could even contemplate turning over his mate is what turned me off this book. I like a strong Alpha male and Cade wasn't up to par in this book. Holly whined alot and in general was annoying to read. It actually took me an entire week to read this book when I can usually get through a Kresley Cole in under two days. Hopefully the next installation harkens back to it's roots of alpha males and strong heroines if not...onto a different series.

I love Kresley Cole and her Immortals After Dark series. I LOVED Conrad's and Neomi's story but Dark Desires after Dusk was sooooo boring. I couldn't even read it. I read the first 5 chapters and skipped to the last 3 chapters, skimming the rest. While the other stories gripped me, this one was so uninteresting and I can't figure out why. Don't waste your money, get it from the library first then buy it if so inclined. Hopefully the next entry will be better. I'm giving it 2 stars becuase it is Kresley Cole. And Nucking Futs Nix was funny!

I enjoyed the banter between the main characters, Holly and Cadeon. They had me laughing out loud at times. The two could not be more opposite, but still were a perfect match. Probably my favorite one so far in the series.

This is another installation in Cole's Lore series, foreshadowed in the previous title. It delivers the same intense romance blended with the looming danger of Accession and keeps you wondering until the end how the main characters are going to work things out.

After reading A Hunger Like No Other, which was absolutely fabulous, I was deeply disappointed in Dark Desires After Dusk. Page after page, I kept waiting for the essence that made A Hunger Like No Other such a wonderful read but it never happened. I could easily put this book down and go on about my business. I have read a few other of the Immortals after Dark and have walked away disappointed each time. I really do not care for the Valkyries except for Emma in A Hunger Like No Other. This book will not end up on my "favorite" bookshelf to be read again but sent to be recycled.

I love Kresley but oh boy did I have a hard time getting through this one. It felt very rushed but sorta slow at the same time... make any sense? And the story just wasn't that interesting. I found I didn't really care what happened to the characters either unlike Kresley's other books.

It's hard to like a book when you form a dislike for the main characters. Holly Ashwin is a self-centered mathematician with an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cadeon Woede is a mixture of sleazy, shallow demon with an unlimited supply of crude humor.

The story progressed painfully slow for the first 2/3 of the book where the author tried to develop a relationship between the 2 characters, but they just didn't have a lot of chemistry between them.

A most disappointing read especially since I really liked the previous 4 books of the series and was looking forward to this one.

I love stories with a lot of sexual tension and sex. But this was weird. I couldn't even finish the book. I just don't find it sexy that a man would have horns and who turn red while having sex. I guess I don't have much of an imagination because other people seemed to love this book. The sex scenes were okay...I've read better. I only gave it a one star because overall I thought this was a weird book.