Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark - Book 6)

Kresley Cole is steadly moving up to one of my top five favorite writers. Cole's dialogue is fun and witty. Her characters are heartbreakingly sexy. Even a character as hate-able as Sabine, I adored. I find it amazing the way Cole twisted her character into a self-centered, egotistical, self-proclaim liar and thief who is also a mentally and physically strong, loyal to her sister, and who is only fighting for her and her sister to have a home. Most of all I LIKED her character. Then there is the demon king, Rydstrom. In previous novels he was brooding, fighting, constantly denying anything for himself because he felt he must for his people. He lost his kingdom and he blamed himself (and his brother). Yet, after meeting Sabine, he begins to want something for himself first and not others. Cole could not have created two better characters to join together. Then there is Cole's witty lines. I still love Nucking Futs Nix. I loved the lines given to Sabine where she offers advise to the teen girls on what name to give their horse. I could go on and on. They totally cracked me up. But the creme de la creme was the reference to The Princess Bride. Hey, only the best people can quote The Princess Bride!

Hopefully the wait for her next novel won't be long. I love these books!

Sabine is a sorceress who has had a life that's made her hard as stone. Rydstrom is a demon king who is a good guy to his core. She tries to seduce him as she's been foretold that she will have his child someday. Only thing is, the child is supposed to be raised by an evil king who stole Rydstrom's crown. How things end up takes everyone by surprise.

Every book that I've read by Kresley Cole I've liked. This one is no exception except it was missing the fast-paced adventure that her other Immortals books have. It also seemed very long, over 400 pages. The romance though between Rydstrom and Sabine was hot!!! It was probably my least favorite of the Immortals series, but I still give it high marks. I can't wait for the next one. I hope that she doesn't keep adding so many new characters just to have a story to write for this series. I want to see stories about the existing characters already mentioned in previous books like Nix. I am interested now in seeing who Sabine's sister ends up with (kinda hoping it is the guy that keeps chasing after her - that would be really cool). 4 stars for Kiss of a Demon King!

The Story
Rydstrom lost his kingdom, Rothkalina, by Omort. He has ruined the kingdom, his sociopathic ways have been killing Rydstrom's people for centuries. Omort's brother has forged a sword that supposedly can kill the unkillable Omort. Rydstrom is on his way to meet his brother Caedon and go get the sword. Rydstrom is detained by Sabine the Queen of Illusions. She traps him in his own prison in the Castle Tornin in Rothkalina. Sabine is Rydstrom's true mate and she knows it. She plans on getting pregnant and taking over Rothkalina, but Rydstrom won't cooperate.

Thoughts
I've wanted to and dread reading this book since I read Caedon's book. In Cadeon's book we see Sabine steal Rydstrom. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to stand what Sabine was going to do to Rydstrom. There is always opposition in books, but sometimes it is too much to a painful point. This wasn't like that, it was a good book. Sabine's development is the most evident, by Rydstrom grows as well. This book is mainly set in Rothkalina kingdom- Rydstrom's kingdom. The pace is fast and the plots interesting to keep my attention. I admire Cole's ability to completely change all the details in a book-personalities, circumstances, people's pasts and goals.

I loved this book! I read the one starred reviews and realize some people found Sabine, the heroine, to be unlikable, but I have to disagree. I loved Sabine. Is she a bad girl? Yes. Ruthless? No question. Wicked? Absolutely. But that is what makes her a stand-out in my mind.
Why is it bad boys are forgiven, even loved for their wicked ways but women who act in the same manner are vilified???

What I love about Cole's books (and I've read all of them) is her ability to conceive characters who are a perfect match for one another. They are believable. More importantly, their conflict and eventual union is believable.
Sabine and Rydstorm are no exception. Who, but the ruthless, cunning, STRONG Sabine would be worthy and wily enough to break down the walls around Rydstorm's heart?
Who, but the proud, stoic, demon king, Rydstorm could win Sabine's love and respect?
They are perfect for each other and thats what makes this (and all KC's books) so satisfying.

Okay, how can I explain how this book made me feel? I just didn't like it that much. It was too much neanderthal he-man chest-beating. I absolutely hated that. And there was so many scenes that was too much like rape. When your girlfriend yells "NO!" but you still try to shove yourself into her, isn't that rape? I will never read this book again, because I hated every character in this book. Arrogant, stupid, hateful, everything bad. I wanted to slap everyone and throw the book down.

The only reason I gave this review three stars is because the plot is great. But I didn't enjoy this book. I haven't read anything else of this author, and truthfully, if her other books are as bad as this one I won't read the rest.

The heroin is a arrogant twit who I absolutely hate. But the "neanderthal he-man" I hated more. I couldn't stand him. Mostly because he didn't know when to stop. I almost didn't finish this book because both the heroine and the hero was so awful. it made my chest hurt to just read how they treated each other.

I've read books that are more bad than this, but I've never read a book with two narrator's that I've disliked as much as this two. Never going to read this book again, it just made me angry and sad because how they treated each other.

It pains me to give this a bad review, because I love this series sooo very much, but this book just didn't have the same appeal as the other ones.

First, Sabine is totally an unlikeable character. Yeah, she's had a hard past, but that doesn't give her the right to be selfish and cruel. Seriously, there was so few places where she didn't act like a spoiled brat. Just couldn't make myself like her. I felt so bad for Rydstrom that he was stuck with her. He deserves a female that is so much better.

There's also not much plot development or them falling in love. One day they hated each other and bickered all the time, the next you know, they're in love. Hope the next one will be better.

"Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen" Kresley Cole has delivered another knock-out punch with her newest Immortals After Dark installment - Kiss of a Demon King. And trust me this is the sexiest yet :) Rydstrom, deposed demon king of Rothkalina, has met his match in the sorceress Sabine, sister of the evil Omort, Rothkalina's current ruler. To fulfill a prophecy, Sabine has used her magic to capture and seduce Rydstrom. Of course, Rydstom fights his attraction to the sorceress with everything he has within himself - but it is a losing battle. When the opportunity presents itself Rydstrom turns the tables on Sabine and now she is his prisoner. Rydstrom feels he is entitled to his revenge and plans to do what he wants to Sabine, even though Sabine believes differently. He pledged himself to her and now she has becomes his obsession with an overwhelming need to protect his female. Sabine is used to getting her way and is quite devious, merciless and resourceful when she is not allowed to be in control. They each have their own agendas, Rydstom's to regain his kingdom and free his people from Omort's tyranny and Sabine to stay alive and protect her sister Melanthe - but their attraction gets in the way.

It's a wild ride, poignant, laugh out loud amusing and sexy. For those of you new to Kresley Cole's books, lucky you! You're in for a treat with her previous installments - A Hunger Like No Other, No Rest for the Wicked, Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, Dark Needs at Night's Edge, Dark Desires After Dusk and don't miss the novella in Playing Easy to Get. For those of you who are already fans, score! Another hit! And of course, you'll be left anticipating Ms. Cole's next wonderful installment.

I debated a while before purchasing this book, because it has some negative reviews and I'm having a bit of a PNR problem. But then I reasoned that even a sub-par Kresley Cole is better than most books out there, which for me turned out to be true.

Rydstrom and Sabine aren't my favorite couple, this book ranks about where Bowen's does for me. It still is very good, though. Rydstrom and Sabine are both very strong-willed people, so there are a lot of power games and one-up-manship, and some very good and funny lines. By the end I felt both had grown some; Rydstrom examined his feelings about responsibility, Sabine about vulnerability. They did seem well-matched to me, I liked how Sabine figured out Rydstrom's dirty little demon needs, and because she's his mate, they happen to be her needs, too. That worked for me, I believe their HEA.

Nix is in the book some, always a good thing, and Cade is in the book near the end, in a sweet enough way that I'm considering rereading his book again.

Overall I liked the book, it didn't pack the emotional punch that Conrad's or Lachlain's did, but then, every single one can't. It's a keeper for me, and I think it will stand up well on a reread. I liked Sabine more than I thought I would, and did love the way she took on Rydstrom. Well played.

One more thing I want to add, and this is fairly unique to Cole, I think, is that her heroines are strong in their ways, and she doesn't change them. By the end of the books, even with their HEA, both characters adapt to each other, they don't change each other. I think that's great.

Kresley Cole is a master in her art. She has NOT lost her touch in her books and each new story that comes out is more intersting than the last. I love the complexity of her plots, the interesting characters, and most of all the humor. I was originally a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon but then she went off the rocker and her books started to read like crap. She has too many storylines going on "dream hunter, were hunter, dark hunter, etc" that I believe Kenyon has lost touch with what made her so popular to begin with. I almost threw in the towel because of how bad these books were, and was about to stop reading paranormal romance, when I came across Kresley Cole's books. Now I have hope again that there are some worth authors out ther who can actually enthrall their readers and keep them coming. I hope Kresley Cole does not lose her touch and so I look forward to the next book in her series. I especially enjoyed Sabine's character because she was not your regular heroine. Read this book. Its awesome. I loved every page of it.

I have loved every Kresley Cole book I've read, and she just gets better and better. Rydstrom is an uber-sexy alpha male demon and Sabine is a damaged (emotionally) sorceress - and as always in Kresley's books, she manages to pair up very unlikely lovers. This was one of her sexiest books, imo, because of the nature of the conflict, and boy hey did it ever work! Awesome stuff.
Kresley not only made me emphasize with the heroine, but she kept me laughing out loud every other page.
Whenever Rydstrom's brother Cadeon showed up, he had me chuckling. LOVED the glimpses of what he was like as a youngster.
This book had a larger cast of characters, but because I've read the previous books, I followed along easily.
Now I can barely wait for Nix's book! She's such a fascinating character!
I highly recommend this book - but would suggest readers catch up first, so they'll know the other characters and their history.

After reading this book, that was the only thought I had - I'd like to indeed, be kissed by a demon king.

I found this book utterly delicious. I liked both the Hero & Heroine in this story, but I have to admit, the Heroine was the reason why I liked the book so much.

Sabine is not your typical heroine. She's neither "evil" nor "good" in my opinion but there is something that allures you to her. She was smart, funny and sexy all rolled into one explosive person. She was also faithful to the ones she loved and that I believe is what made her even more delicious as a heroine.

Rydstrom, the hero, was just as yummy in this book with his possessiveness and agressiveness. I liked the fact that Sabine brought out the worst in him but still, with that being said, he couldn't let go of her.

Putting Sabine and Rydstrom together is like watching a grinade explode. The sexual tension has you panting and the final climax after all of it leaves panting in hope for much much more.

When I came to the last page of this book, I was very sad to know that their story was coming to an end. I couldnt get enough of these two.

This book is definitely a keeper on my shelf and recommended to anyone and everyone who enjoys a hot & sexy paranormal romance!

I've read all but the last book in the IAD series (Garreth & Lucia's book) and really enjoy Kresley Cole's stories. However, I found this book a little lacking. The writing reminded me of the first book in the series - A Hunger Like No Other - but without as much character development for the heroine. I got the feeling that she had an idea for who she wanted Sabine to be, but it just didn't quite come across fully or have the impact. Sabine does go through some changes, and you do feel as if she's grown and become more kind. But at the end you didn't get the feeling that she really had any desire to be a part of the little Witch/Valkyrie/Rage Demon/Lykae/Vampire family that Cole has been forming this whole time. Maybe that's because Cole's never seen Rydstrom as a part of that family, only the King of Rothkalina, as if she's put a separation between his character and the others. For the most part, I liked Sabine okay, but didn't get the feeling she would contribute much to the ruling of the Kingdom, other than encouraging Rydstrom to make things more modern, and instituting a mini-skirt day. You end up wondering if she'll use her powers for good, to help the Kingdom prosper, or if the next chance she gets she'll be in a back alley trying to steal another soceresses' power. Is she even safe for Mariketa to be around? Overall, it was a fairly good read. It confirmed that Cadeon is definitely my favorite of the Woede brothers. A little too heavy on the sexual teasing/frustration scenes, and lacking in some character aspects, but I am still looking forward to reading her next installment in the series.

Gut clenching intensity.
Sabine is intelligent, sneaky and sly. Always planning and plotting.
Rhystrom is dignified, virtuous and ethical. Putting his people before all else.
And then fate and destiny put the two face to face and the fun begins.
Stimulating, provocative, exhilarating, and thrilling!
A real 5 star book!

In my opinion this is the weakest book in the series but the quality of the writing and characters in Ms. Cole's books is so creative and exceptional that even her not-as-good-as-the-rest books are better than many other authors' best efforts.

That said, I think that Ms. Cole missed it a bit with this one. All of the ingredients were there but she didn't quite mix in the passion that we've come to expect ("passion" not sex). Rydstrom's character had the potential to be truly memorable and intense. Because of his position and noble character he had been frustrated and overly contained/controlled in all aspects of his life for centuries. Though his real needs were discussed by the main characters they were not really dealt with in a satisfactory manner. Considering his fantasies/ideals, when he'd finally had it and was about to let go and give in to his nature we should have seen the full fury of the rage demon in his masterful self when dealing with his true mate. We should have seen a passionate emotional response - but the many opportunities to make Rydstrom an intense character were glossed/passed over and fizzled out. Stilted. Disappointing, that.

I'm an Immortals Ater Dark Series diehard fan and though this one was a bit draggy - and I think Rydstrom and Sabine's story was a bit lacking in the "edge" of passion and danger that I'd anticipated - I'd still say buy it.

Kresley Cole is an automatic buy for me. I didn't even read the back of the book before I bought it. She is such a good writer and her love scenes are hot,hot,hot! This story was a bit different in that the heroine isn't all that likable in the beginning and a bit evil/ruthless. That was kind of hard to swallow at first. She grows on you though as you read it. I usually like my men to be the evil ones and the women to reform them but this was reversed. I probably would have given it 5 stars if it had been the other way around. If you haven't read any of Kresley Cole's books you have to start because they are fantastic.

Rage Demon King and a Sultry Sorceress heat up the pages and steam your glasses in this installment of the wildly popular IAD series. Gentleman-roughneck Rydstrom, displaced King of the Rage Demons is all about one thing; getting his kingdom from under the oppressive rule of his greatest enemy. Little does he know, his greatest enemy is sending him his greatest temptation in the form of a sexy fearless femme-fatale Sabine really knows how to bring kings to their knees...literally. Sabine and Rydstrom are equally fierce combatants and they each have their own all-encompassing goals and fight to keep their heads above water as they get sucked in the storm that is Sabine and Rydstrom. Another great read by the multi-talented Kresley Cole. ;-) Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark, Book 6) gets (2) Dark & Steamy on my "Romance Read Scale".

Loving this series!!! I really like how many of the stories/books in this series overlap each other. The timeframes and characters just really flow from book to book. Oh and the characters are just so sexy, lusty and funny too. Loving all the various Lore characters and all the different species. Can't wait to read the next one!!!

In this sixth installment of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, dethroned king of the rage demons Rydstrom falls in love with the evil sorceress Sabine, Queen of Illusions.

If you are a fan of the series, you will not be disappointed. The plot was rich and interesting, if slow in a few places. The characters are well developed and engaging. I particularly enjoyed Sabine--she is such a departure from the typical virtuous heroine we see in the romance genre. Furthermore, the world continues to grow and develop at a satisfactory pace. Highly recommended!

I really like the Kiss of a Demon King it wasn't your regular paranormal romance and it was very funny and had some great scenes in it.Rydstrom was interesting but i liked Sabine the most.She wasn't your normal bad girl and was a great person (if u gave her what she wants).I never thought i liked Bad girls a lot but i really enjoyed this book.Any one telling u i was'nt a great book is telling u dead wrong.I loved it so much i read it 5 times.You should read it and see for yourself.Of coarse it depends on your opinion but i liked id.I hoped you like it!!!

I was starting to question myself for starting this series. The first few books were great and then they became lazy, thin and rushed. Kiss of the Demon King brings the series back to its former glory. The story of Sabine, Queen of Illusion and Rydstrom the Demon King was both engaging and romantic. There was enough history given about both of them so that you felt connected to the characters. There wasn't a lot of stupid decisions, they felt real and understandable. The love scenes were hot, steamy and explained in delectable detail. I also liked Nix in this book. She had become annoyingly cryptic before. This book also gave The Woede brothers closure, which was much needed. This is definitely a book to re-read.

I first bought this book before reading all of the others. I completely devoured it in two days. I would have given this book five stars, if it were a stand alone. BUT after reading all six books in the series, I feel sort of let down, like I'd been handed the old Johanna Lindsey premise where you know exactly how the plot is going to play out. In Lindsey's novels, you always knew something would tear the hero and heroine apart and nine times our of ten there was going to be a secret baby at the end.

And in Cole's novels, you always know to expect:

*The heroine will have tons of shortcomings/insecurities to the point she is annoying

*The hero ALWAYS discovers the heroine is his mate BEFORE she does, thus he has to spend the entire book convincing the heroine she is even to the point he is brow beaten and tortured the whole time.

*The heroine is FINALLY convinced the hero is her mate after tons of orgasmic convincing.

*And once the heroine is FINALLY convinced she ALWAYS faces some life and death situation.

The series is unfortunately too predictable. Even to the point, the reader already know the same thing will play out in Murdock & Danielle's and Regin & The Beserker's story. I'm holding out for Nix. At least she admits to being a stalker like all the heroes.

Don't get me wrong, Ms. Cole's voice is the most refreshing and one of the best I've read in a VERY long time. Cole for once puts a different twist on an oversaturated genre. If I have to read one more blurb with a detective investigating a string of disturbing murders or an immortal who is a special operative for the government, I'm going to retch.

BUT can we for ONCE have a twist in the plot. How about the hero needs convincing. Maybe the heroine isn't so devestatingly beautiful or maybe she's plump. And for once, can the hero almost get the 187 with the heroine coming to his rescue!

The good:
While not terrible (or terribly good) throughout, the writing does get better later on, culminating in a fairly exciting final battle scene. The mythos of the setting is interesting, a fact made more impressive given that this is one of a series of books that I haven't read, the others presumably setting up more of that same mythos. And somewhere down in there, there is a plot that *could* work if it weren't for my number one complaint.

The thing just has bizarre pacing. Why is all the hottest sex in the first third of the book? From then on it gets more vanilla and less frequent before just going MIA. By the end, they just skip it entirely and say things like, "After they made love..." Not only that, but putting all that sexy stuff together weighs down the entire story. There's not a single plot point during those hundred or so pages, and the hero and heroine don't emotionally grow at all, a fact made more sad given that they don't grow too much over the rest of the story anyway.

Neither the hero nor the heroine are likable, the hero especially because he never grasps the fact that the heroine can defend herself. She captures him, fights in a large battle scene, then in a smaller battle scene where she saves his life before his very eyes, and still he is obsessed with keeping her out of harm's way. It's a risk of the "destined mates therefor sexual chemistry trumps all" mechanic, because affection born from that mechanic manifests first as jealousy and feelings of possession. But being an idiot does little to endear the hero to the audience, and if I had to read the phrase "my female" one more time, some pages were going to get ripped out. The heroine is a chronic liar, besides being a thief, murderer, and all around selfish jerk, but she at least grows a little by the end.

Overall, "Kiss of a Demon King" gets two steel mesh bandeaux out of five.

PS: Steel mesh bandeau being the garment of choice for the heroine.

PPS: Yes I'm serious. I couldn't make that up if I wanted to, because I had to look up what a bandeau is.

PPPS: Specifically, she preferred a steel mesh bandeau with a "micro-skirt", thigh high boots, and fishnet stockings.... Still not making any of that up. Part of me wishes I was.

I did not enjoy this book at all. I was so excited for Rydstrom's story based off his character in Bowen's story. I thought he was patient, brilliant and liked to solve things. I saw none of the things that drew me to him from the previous novels. We spent way too much time with him chained to the bed to get a feel for him or his powers. I hated Sabine and she had no redeeming qualities. I felt bad that Rydstrom would be stuck with her. I don't expect the heroines to be all good but she was just not likeable in any way. I gave up less than halfway through because I couldn't choke any more down. I'm not sure how the characters ended up and truthfully I didn't care. I'm off to read about Garreth and then Cadeon and I hope these will be better.

This is my second Kresley Cole novel, and before I'd even finished, I ordered several more of her novels in the Immortals After Dark series. I had read that the heroine played a dominant role in much of this book and wasn't sure how I'd like that, but it was written so that her softer side is apparent and so that the motivations for her personality and actions were believable. I was riveted. The love/sex scenes were believable, unusual, and well-written. Also loved the evil guy. The cast of characters is intriguing. The book begins in a different way from typical romances, even for a paranormal romance it was unusual and I appreciated that. I'm very curious to read about the heroine's sister after meeting her in this book. Highly recommended.

You know I love Kresley Cole and I love the Immortals After Dark series but this one was disappointing to say the least. I wasn't really looking forward to Rydstrom's story because I never liked his character to be honest. I found myself siding more with Cadeon about how the throne was lost and Rydstrom just came off looking like a jerk, in my opinion. He is always treating Cadeon like an afterthought and it continues in this book. That being said I tried to give Rystrom's story the benefit of the doubt.

The beginning seemed very slow, we started with Sabine and Lanthe but there was no spark to their story or what they were doing or who they were, we heard about some of Sabine's deaths but there was no emotion behind it. I just wanted to get to Rydstrom already and when we did there was an attraction between them but the games Sabine was playing got old really fast and the grudge Rydstrom seemed to hold against her after wards seemed out of proportion to the deeds committed. Sabine is a hard chick to love or even like, she had her moments here and there with Puck and Lanthe but it wasn't enough for me to get behind her. There was really no relationship between Rydstrom and Sabine, they didn't talk very much, everything degenerated into an angry, passionate encounter and they didn't seem to know each other very well not even at the end.

I sound like I didn't like anything about it and after writing this review I realize I really didn't like anything about it other than it being a part of this great series. So I don't think anyone should read this if they want to get an idea of what a great series of books this is, it's not really a necessary read in order to keep up with the series but if you liked Rydstrom's character in the other stories, I hope you enjoy it.

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 : )

No seriously. Best book. Possibly ever. I reread my library book until it was pieces, renewed it then decided to buy it. Okay, I just want to address some of the issues some reviewers have stated. I can kinda get why some people might write Sabina off as evil but I see the exact opposite. I see a simple girl who was forced to behave differently in order to survive. Its just that she doesn't bother to explain herself. Now that I have stated my argument. Moving on to the attributes of this that make it a clear winner.

I loved Kresley's style. Her stories often take a fairy tale edge. This one more so than others. King and Queen. Love triangle. Damsel in distress (with some major spunk). Sighhhh. Gonna go reread it again.

P.S. Lanthe is my girl. When is her book coming???

I have read most of Kresley Coles books and find them to be a great mix of everything. The plot is not overly predictable, characters are fun and the build up to the next book is amazing, I have read the fist 5 book in the series twice and now on to her newer books and i can't wait. If you are looking for a book with the best of the best of paranormal romance these are a must read.

These two characters were just too hard to like. Sabine...you could never figure her out. She was a contradiction all the time and I never knew exactly what she was doing, why she was doing what she was doing, or what kind of a person she even was.

Rydstrom was immature, vengeful, stupid, cruel, and selfish. He really needed to grow up and stop acting like the world owed him something, and it was all Sabine's fault. He didn't listen to her when she'd try to tell him something important, and then he'd spank her. Um, that's not sexy when the two are angry at each other already. That's just sick and dumb.

It was so hard to find actual love in this story. Rydstrom wants to punish her mercilessly, then he suddenly loves her to death. What brought on this change, you ask? I have no idea.

Aside from the bad characters, the story itself was boring and hard to follow. I didn't even know what was going on, nor did I care to figure it out. It was...well, uninteresting.

Book Six in Kresley Cole's series is a very wicked sexy tale. It is different from her 1st 5 books in the fact that the fated female is a wicked sorceress - temptress. She does have an element of good but she is shrouded in a very dark past and this female goes to none other than Rydstrom Woede a strong, valiant, brave demon king who is all about the good and getting his revenge and securing his crown back. We get to see a darker side of the Lore and we get to meet the sadistic, depraved Omnort the Deathless. Rydstrom who we met in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th books comes into the forefront and is sexually tormented and teased into an almost insanity by the wicked Sabine but the catch is that Rydstrom likes wicked woman and it is always fun when you can turn the tables. It was not my most favorite of the series but once again it can stand on its own and I enjoyed the wicked change very very much.

To say that I eagerly waited for this book is an understatement. I was counting down the days until I could get a copy. Normally with this kind of anticipation I read the book all in one sitting, but this book I was able to put down. I might be alone in this, but I didn't think this book was all that and a bag of chips.

Rydstrom is the king of the rage demons, a kind without a crown and throne. His arch-nemesis, Omort the deathless, has taken over Rydstrom's kingdom and made it into an evil fortress. Rydstrom has been searching for a way to defeat Omort for hundreds of years and finally he has found a way. All he needs is for his brother, Cadeon to find a sword that has been reputed to be able to kill Omort (see this story in the fifth book "Dark Desires After Dusk.") Omort's sister Sabine is the Queen of Illusions and through sorcery she has found out that she is Rydstrom's fated mate (the only woman he can have children with.) Through the prophecy Sabine must bear his child and then sacrifice it to keep the evil side in charge. Sabine captures Rydstrom and tortures him into trying to impregnate her. Eventually Rydstrom escapes and takes Sabine with her, turning the tables and using Sabine as his prisoner. They both are distrustful of the other and continue to treat each other badly.

The book was good, but not as fantastic as I had been lead to believe. The characters were both likable (even Sabine grew on me after awhile, and she's very evil.) Rydstrom was a great hero, and as far as sexy tension and romantic scenes the book was full of them. Sabine may have been hard to like at the beginning, but many explanations were given for why she was so dark and evil and I found it easy to empathize with her. The problem was that I was ambivalent as to whether or not the characters ended up together in the end. They both didn't really seem to even like each other, they both wronged each other so many times it was getting a little bit hard to believe when they finally did fall in love. It was a good plot installment in the "Immortals After Dark" series, but I preferred many of the previous books much more. I hope the next one will be about the Valkyries or Sabine's sister Lanthe, no more rage demons for me please, I've had enough.

of the Immortals After Dark series that I've read, and I'll definitely be catching up with the whole series after reading Kiss of a Demon King! Since Cole does a masterful job of making her world easily accessible, new readers should feel free to jump right into this series. Look for a future review of the previous Immortals After Dark books coming soon!

From the opening chapter that weaves the tale of Sabine and her sister Lanthe's back story, to the introduction of our hero Rydstrom, Cole sets up a finely crafted tale that delivers some very erotic scenes and a story that will leave you highly satisfied and eager to return to Cole's world!

Cole entertains with a fully fleshed out world presenting the reader with multiple layers and intriguing character facets at every turn. She does an excellent job of showcasing her secondary characters to fill you in on both previous stories and piquing your interest in future ones.

Sabine is a complex character that readers will either immediately fall for - as I did- or she will grow on you even those she contends she's pure evil! Her true character reveals itself as she faces new surroundings and tries to understand her feelings for Rydstrom. He also undergoes a transformation as we see him deal with unexpected desires that conflict with his notorious straight-laced persona.

I had only one small issue with Kiss of the Demon King. Cole does quite the build up to Sabine and Rydstrom having sex, including taunting us with long drawn-out and exquisitely written dialog, only to drop Rydstrom's fantasies and fetishes once the two start accepting their tied fate. Since much is made of his fantasies in the first half of the book, it seems out of place for Sabine not to fulfill those desires.

Even with the ease of erotic moments between the two main characters, this was a fabulous read and I highly recommend it to readers looking for an awesome paranormal romance or a new world to discover!

I LOVE this author!!! Each book gets better and hotter than the one before. The world she has created is so easy to get lost in and the stories and characters are clever. I never read a book before that made me cheer out loud for the "good guy". I also love the humor. Nix is my favorite. I hope she gets a book of her own. I just started the next one and pre-ordered the new one due Aug. Until Aug,,... I may just re-read from the begining again. This one, Kiss of a Demon and the first one, A Hunger like no Other are my favorites. PLEASE KEEP GOING MS. COLE!!!

I enjoyed reading several of Kresley Coles IAD novels but this one is not a fun read. I looked forward to Rhydstrom's story and frankly, he deserves better. The heroine is utterly unlikeable. I want my money back.

I really loved this book. It was my first time reading a Kresley Cole novel and now I'm hooked. The story was fast paced and I was drawn in from the first moment when Sabine is introduced. In addition to interesting characters and lore, the sex was super steamy and what more can one ask for? I highly recommend it and can't wait to read more books by this author.

Finally readers get to hear about the mighty Rydstrom. It was great to learn more about his character and his quest for his kingdom. At first, I was unsure about Sabine, but she really developed into someone that I thought was funny and fitting for Rydstrom. Like previous books, I liked how this book's story overlapped with the previous book. I love the feeling of getting all sides of the story. If you've gotten this far in the series, I'm sure I don't have to tell you to keep reading. No doubt you're hooked, just like I am.

Sabine was hilarious at the beginning, I couldn't stop laughing out loud. King Rydstrom is a very likeable guy, I even liked him when he was first introduced in Wicked Deeds on a Winters night. I highly recommend this book.

everybody has one. I, for one thought Ms. Cole got it right. Sabine with the outfits and quirky one-liners...so cool. Rydstrum with the kink and the bod...even cooler. The storyline was full of mayhem, witticism and sensuality. And I didn't get bored, not once, couldn't wait for the next chapter. The Wroth brothers (love the vamps) were remarkablly hot and their stories were a fascinating read (except for Conrad) however the Woede boys are just as. But hey, that just MY opinion.

This is my least favorite of Kresley Cole's series. The problem is that neither of the characters are particularly likeable or relatable.

Those personality traits allow the characters to fall for each other, but I just didn't cheer for them along the way.

In particular, Rydstrom seems cruel. I think "kingly" is code for "a$$hole"

I like the end, but overall, I could have skipped this book and missed nothing.

I have read all of Kresely Cole's books and each one just gets better and better. Kiss of a Demon King was a wonderful tale of love between two people (Or rather demon and sorceri) that are complete opposites! Rydstrom is a wonderful character, the perfect match for Sabine. Not only was this an intense, passionte romance, but I really enjoyed the humor that made me smile and giggle whenever it showed up. A definite read just like all her books!

I guess I have now probably read just about everything that Kresley Cole has written, including the early "Scottish" books. I've decided that this particular book "Kiss of a Demon King" is my absolute favorite because it contains so very much of the clever plot, enthralling characters and genuine wit, humor and wonderful eroticism which just makes her such a stand-out among all the very many gifted authors who write in the Adult Paranormal genre. As they say, "if you only ever read one..." Though frankly, if you read this, you will read more.

I love each of Kresley Cole's books, she is one of my top authors and hasn't let me down yet. I thought this book was excellent. Bring on the next in the series, I can't wait. This is a good hot read that still has story. It doesn't get any better than that.

I have liked Rydstrom in the previous books. However, Sabine is my least favorite of the heroines. She isn't very sympathetic. I suspect she isn't meant to be. However, I disliked her enough to ruin my enjoyment of this book. Actually, Rydstrom is also annoying in this book as well. He is very "uptight", rigid and rather self-righteous, so perhaps Sabine is supposed to balance him with her cynicism, selfishness, and unpredictability.

When I first picked up this book, I didn't really know if it was for me. It was hard to get into it because I could not relate to Sabine or fall in love with Rydstrom for the same reason Sabine couldn't. After the tables turned, I could not put the book down. I fell in love with both characters and the twists of the plot. I found myself cringing at the characters pain, yelling at them for their actions and laughing out loud at their dry sarcasm.

I've enjoyed all of Kresley Cole's books. And I've waited so long for this book to finally come out. It was amazing. I stayed up until 3:00am to finish this book, I just couldn't put it down. Lots of great twists and turns, she made me hate and love the characters at the same time. And NIX is so funny that I laughed out loud everytime she arrived during a scene. It's so exciting that her character will be venturing off to Gena Showalter's books "The Lord of the Underworlds", I can't wait to see what happens next. This was a great book and I'm so happy with the way it turned out.

Kresley Cole has written yet another great novel to add to her IAD collection. I very much enjoyed the chemistry of the main characters; they have a different spark between them that is unique to her series. I also appreciated that half this book found either Sabine or Rydstrom in restraints - this detail fit well into the characterization and was a fun change of pace from the other novels in her series. Kiss of a Demon King is a nice touch to her paranormal series.

Reread Dark Desires After Dusk before reading this book, or at least skim it again and read the last couple of chapters to refresh your memory, because these two books take place at the same time and overlap a little.

Kiss of a Demon King was a fun ride, with witty dialogue and dark humor. I enjoyed the story immensely, especially Sabine and her interactions with the Demons. I look forward to her sister Lanthe's story and finding out more about the Vrekeners. Or maybe Nix? Let the good times roll!

Kresley Cole did if again! Fabulous and full of plot twists. I happen to love the demon brothers and was both happy and thrilled to finally meet there mates...What a way to introduce another type of lore being then by bringing in the Sorceri....Love this series and Gena.Showalters Lords of the Underworld series...I am waiting patiently for her next book with Kane the demon of disaster will find his one.true love!

Rydstrom Woede has been fighting and searching for a way to kill Omort, the sorcerer that invaded and desecrated his castle, Castle Tornin, in the Kingdom of Rothkalina hundreds of years ago. The rightful king of demons, Rydstrom is in search of a special sword in which to behead Omort and resume his rightful place on the throne. Despite dead end after dead end Rydstrom refuses to give up his plan. He is the heir to the kingdom and he will find a way to restore honor and loyalty to his subjects. With this in mind, he continues on his wild goose chase to find the one thing guaranteed to kill Omort.

Getting a tip from his brother, Rydstrom begins his journey to their meeting place only to come face to face with a coquettish vixen. When she implores his help Rydstrom doesn't hesitate but it is only when he is fully under her spell does he realize who she is - Sabine - the Queen of Illusions and his enemy's sister. Then to add to his animosity, she captures him and places him in her dungeon, or rather, his dungeon. Rydstrom is not a happy demon and when he gets free, Sabine is going to pay. But first, he has to resist her charms and attempts at seduction. And that is something that he definitely does not want to do.

The minute I finished reading Dark Desires After Dusk, I envisioned Rydstrom's story, KISS OF A DEMON KING, as being pivotal to this series and I knew without a doubt that it would be a story worthy of this illustrious and very noble demon king. I love when I am correct because KISS OF A DEMON KING was extraordinary.

Having lost his home hundreds of years ago to the foulness of Omort, Rydstrom spent the next years of his long life trying to find the one thing that was deadly to this wicked sorcerer. But through it all, he also had visions of finding the one woman he could make his queen. A woman his people would cherish and honor as their king's consort -- a woman he would love and in turn would love him as well and raise a family with him.

Fate had a funny way of rearing its head when the powers that be chose Sabine as Ryd's mate. Not known for her niceness, Sabine has magic so potent that it can be deadly to anyone that crosses her path. Kept in line by her brother, Sabine is reliant upon Omort's good will because without it, her life would be in more danger than it already is. Capturing Rydstrom is one thing, falling in love with him is another and Sabine fights with her almost non-existent conscience every step of the way.

KISS OF A DEMON KING is full of magic, mayhem, sorcery and sensuality. Readers will not want to miss one word of this memorable and enchanting tale. The closer to the end I got the slower I read because I knew once the story ended I would be left craving more of this brilliant and emotionally gripping saga.

KISS OF A DEMON KING releases from Pocket on January 20, 2009. Since it is book 6 of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, I recommend reading the books in order but it is not necessary; KISS OF A DEMON KING stands alone on its own merits. It is truly one of the most amazing tales Kresley Cole has ever released.

Immortals After Dark series (in order)

Playing Easy to Get anthology, Nikolai and Myst
A Hunger Like No Other, Lachlain and Emmaline
No Rest for the Wicked, Sebastian and Kaderin
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, Bowen and Mari
Dark Needs at Night's Edge, Conrad and Neomi
Dark Desires After Dusk, Cade and Holly
Kiss of a Demon King, Rydstom and Sabine

***Natalie S. for Wild on Books***

I never post reviews, but was so suprised by some of the postings that I felt I must. I don't like spoilers, so I won't write one. But, I will tell you that this book is witty, sexy, and enjoyable from beginning to end. Put it this way, I have 5 children and little time but I sacrificed much including sleep to devour this book in 24 hours!!
I have read that some are disappointed with the heroine, Sabine, but I personally enjoyed her and her journey to figure out who she is after 500 years of waiting. She made me laugh out loud.
A good book should envelope you in its bindings and I always enjoy entering into a journey with Kresley Cole.

Rydstrom "The Fallen King"...well I must say he has met his match from Sabine! The attraction between the two..were uncanny!
The story started of alittle slow, but all in all it turned out to be a pretty good read. keep up the good work Kresley Cole.

2 Stars??? I know!!! My friends are going to think I've lost my mind but I just didn't like it that much. I don't think I've ever given Cole less than 4 Stars so I do feel kind of guilty for dishing out the 2. The main reason I didn't like "Kiss of The Demon King" was the first half of the book was the same thing over and over and over (tie him up...tease him...tie him up...tease him...talk to my sister...tie him up...tease him...talk to my sister...)Blah! I love this author, but this book was a total let down for me.

First, I love Kresley Cole's books to distraction, and would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves great action, imagination, and sexy alpha males (and who doesn't!). However, I couldn't love this book. I loved Rydstorm and he was everything I wanted him to be. Sabine was an interesting character, that I was hoping to love by the end of the book. However, she changes very little from the Queen of Bitchiness. She is a very hard and unforgiving person. Selfish, demanding, and truthfully not even very funny, since almost everything out of her mouth was...mean. I was hoping (like another reviewer mentioned) that we would really see why she was the way she was. I was even hoping for a cope out ending, like the poison was making her a terrible person, and once released from its grips she would be somebody worthy of her great King, but alas..she's just, well who she is. Even the sex scenes, though hot, were lacking for me because they seemed to be born of sexual frustration more than any REAL feelings the characters had for each other. :(. Still looking forward to the other characters books, especially Regin and Nix! yay!

I think all of the Immortals After Dark books were pretty great! The story lines were good, the characters were great. I read the entire series in a week. I couldnt put the books down. If you like paranormal romance/ Vamps / weres/ demons, etc you really need to give this series a try!

Ooooh, I REALLY enjoyed this supernatural romance. The romance scenes were smoking hot, the chemistry between the main characters was great and the supernatural twist made everything that much more interesting.

I would not say this is my favorite one in the series but it's way far from disappointing! Sabine is definitely different from Ms. Cole's other heroines and that's what makes her special. Rydstrom really met his match in her.
Please don't be discouraged by negative reviews! This book is still worth getting and reading! I thoroughly enjoyed it and thinks it's as good as the other books in the series!

I raced to the bookstore to get this latest installment in the series, and was deeply disappointed. I expected more from this author. I have really enjoyed almost all of the series, my favorite being Wicked Deed's on a Winter's Night and Dark Desires after Dusk. However, as much as the story was funny, I found myself not really liking the way the characters treated each other. The other books might have had similar love/hate relationships, but the main characters were more interesting and enjoyable. I wished it had been more like Bowen or Cadeon's stories. Hopefully, the next book will be along those lines.

'Kiss of a Demon King' has the trademarks of what I like in a paranormal romance.

Brooding hero- check
Sassy, funny heroine- check
Wilder sex scenes- check and check!
More worldbuilding and juicy insights - check

However great those seperate things are though, they did not come together fluidly .

From the get go, Sabine is introduced as being slightly cold (well dying a few times might have that effect) and having a wickedly dark sense of humor. Alright. So we anticipate the peeling back of layers to get to why she's that way, and for her to prove she is a worthy mate to the king. Sadly I didn't get that.

While I get that Cole wanted to portray an unlikely mate for Rydstrom, I don't think she made Sabine to be his equal. For one, Sabine treats Rydstrom mercilessly, and while Cole may have included a spanking scene to even the balance of power, I don't think it worked.

There was a disconnect between how I perceived Sabine, and what I believe was Cole's intent. For example when she continuously referred to Puck, the orphan demon boy as 'it'. I know it was meant to be funny, and I recognize the humor, however it does nothing to endear Sabine to me as a heroine. (Does that make sense?) Cole wanted to give Rystorm a heroine that would question himself and make him step outside the box. I just think Sabine was a bit too wild and untamed with no true heart.

Besides sexual release, and the fact that she was fated to be Rydstorms mate (something she treated lightly, in my opinion) there was actually nothing I liked about Sabine. Well her makeup and clothing sounded interesting, though I had a mental picture of a Carnival reveler (a la Brazil Carnival etc)complete with a huge headdress traipsing behind a glowering demon.

Pretty much my entire quarrel with the book is the heroine. I will recommend it since it's part of an awesome series, and you definetely must read it , but it is my least favorite so far.

I feel a bit guilty for being the dissenting vote, but I find this book boring. It's a bit surprising really since I love this series. However, the last two books were just ok. For this latest book, the plot's a little thin. Omort was supposedly THE ULTIMATE villain since he's the warrior of evil, but he let the heroin, Sabine, manipulate him throughout. I never felt like Sabine was in any danger from him eventhough she's under his control for centuries. Sometimes, it seems as if Omort is scared of Sabine instead of the other way around.

The other problem I had is with Sabine. According to the plot, she's not evil or good. But she allowed people of the kingdom suffered without even bother to do anything about it. It's because it's not beneficiary to her to help these people. It's all about her. She's at least an accomplice with Omort for doing nothing. She has no sympathy for anyone. How does that make her not evil? She knew she was the fated mate of our hero, Rydstrom, for centuries. So why doesn't she seek him out long ago to ask for help to do SOMETHING? Even if she's not interested in rescuing the people of the kingdom, she could use him to get away from Omort. For someone who is supposedly smart, why did she wait so long?

For the plot: the author had built this plot for the last two books. Rydstrom fought to get his kingdom back for over a thousand years, and was unable to because of this oh so great foe. Yet, at the end, it took about one 4 paragraphs to defeat him. What a let down.

It felt like the author is rushing her work to meet a deadline with this book. As a reader, I felt no connection with Sabine, and had no sympathy for her. I thought her sister was more deserving of the hero. At the end of the day, I have no idea why Rydstrom loved her so much. I'm contemplating not buying the next one, but borrow it from the library instead. If you haven't bought the book yet, buy it used to save a few bucks. Or better yet, borrow it from the library. In my opinion, it's not worth the money.

Cole books have always been on my automatic buy list, and I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm just a little tired of these demon stories, I liked the earlier books, A Hunger Like No Other and No Rest for the Wicked. I thought those stories were faster paced and with more action and had more of the Valkyries in them. I really like Valkyries. This was ok, but for me it is enough of the demons. It was difficult for me to get into the story and to finish it.

This book was a VERY dissappointing addition to the Immortals After Dark Series. I am grateful I read it in the bookstore instead of buying it. The characters have none of the heart that make you want to root for them. Sabine's poor me multiple death story didn't make me feel sorry for her it made me yawn. Save yourself some money buy it used or read it at a store or library

Every author has a book not written as well as the others. And I believe this book - Kiss of a Demon King - is that book.
I waited so LONG for this book to come out and when I bought it - I bought every other book of hers before this one - I was surprisingly disappointed. All in all, this book sucked. No romance, just sex games, erotica and more sex games. I couldn't even sympathize with the main characters. They deserved all their troubles. This was not Kresley Cole's best work. But like I said, I wasn't expecting Kresley Cole to get it right every time. I don't expect any author to get it right every time. But Still... "sigh"
Every author has a book not written as well as the others. And This book - Kiss of a Deomon King - is that book.
If you're new to this series I strongly suggest starting out with A hunger like no other. THAT book was brilliant.

I am a HUGH fan of Kresley Cole. But, I am not a hugh fan of "Kiss of a Demon King." It was rather boring up until the last couple of chapters. I found it lack the ingredients she always used from her previous books. It was very wordy. I did not like Sabine! I felt she was too evil, wicked, mean and a nasty little liar. I found myself disliking her throughout the entire book. Rydstrom Woede deserved a much better queen. I think Nix (the crazy Valkyrie) would have been a better match. I waited for this story for soooo long......what a disappointment. If you have not read anything else from Kresley Cole, please don't let this story turn you off. She really is a fantastic writer. Read "Dark Desires after Dark," one of my favorites and it is the story of Cadeon Woede.

I love to read but I could not get into this book. It was the book of the month for my reading club. I gave it several tries and ended up not participating for that month. Ugh,, don't waste your time !