An immortal assassin is caught between desire and duty...
A foundling raised in a world of humans
Growing up, orphaned Josephine didn’t know who or what she was—just that she was “bad,” an outcast with strange powers. Her baby brother Thaddeus was as perfect as she was flawed; protecting him became her entire life. The day he was taken away began Jo’s transition from angry girl... to would be superhero... to enchanting, ruthless villain.
A lethally sensual enforcer on a mission
A threat to the Møriør has brought archer Rune the Baneblood to the mortal realm to slay the oldest living Valkyrie. Whether by bow or in bed, he never fails to eliminate his target. Yet before he can strike, he encounters a vampiric creature whose beauty conceals a black heart. With one bite, she pierces him with aching pleasure, taking his forbidden blood - and jeopardizing the secrets of his brethren.
A boundless passion that will lead to sweet ruin...
Could this exquisite female be a spy sent by the very Valkyrie he hunts? Rune knows he must not trust Josephine, yet he’s unable to turn her away. Despite his millennia of sexual conquests, he can’t ignore the unfamiliar longing she arouses deep within him. When Jo betrays the identity of the one man she will die to protect, she and Rune become locked in a treacherous battle of wills that pits ultimate loyalty against unbridled lust.
Review:
Kresley Coles Immortals After Dark series is one that I see mentioned regularly across the book world, so it has been on my TBR list for a while. When I received an early copy of Sweet Ruin for review I wasn't sure if I should wait to read the others first or dive right in, the interesting cover though was just too intriguing to resist. Soon I was pulled into a world of magic entwined with the main characters life in reality.
Josephine, better known as Jo, awakens in the first paragraph of Sweet Ruin, feeling strange and with no idea how she came to be in the unfamiliar room surrounding her, in an effort to try and figure out exactly what happened Jo begins to recall the last moments she can remember. These memories give insight not only into Jo's background but also into how her personality was shaped. Chapter one reveals her character to be stubborn, untrusting and fiercely protective of the one she loves more than anyone else, her little brother Thaddie (Thadius). These character traits play a huge part in her personality throughout the story making it hard for her to connect with many others. I often found myself sympathising with Jo, as she definitely did not have the easiest life to begin with and only faced further struggle as the story progressed. It was when she met Rune that things really started to change and her vulnerability increased even further.
Rune is a dark fey hybrid who is a master manipulator, when he wants something he knows exactly how to get it and mostly his methods are infallible. It is when Rune is using a skill that he is very good at (ahem sex) to his advantage, that Jo first learns of his existence. The two have never met before, but there is immediate interest to know more about the other on both sides, Jo wants to know more about a world she is unsure of and Rune is enticed by a creature who behaves so differently to any he's come across before. From their first words shared, the chemistry was so strong that it was obvious that Rune would play a huge part in Jo's story and even though their relationship began because of their usefulness to the other, it was cemented by their mutual attraction.
I found the connection between the two characters to be captivating enough to want to find out to where it would lead. However I didn't particularly like either of them. To me, Rune wasn't attractive as he seemed very condescending at times, but I could see his appeal for others, he has the whole mysterious, tall dark and seductive vibe going on. He was perfect for Jo, as she needed someone who would not bow down when it came to taking her crap and someone knowledgeable enough to help her find what she was after. Jo did have some admirable traits, though they were often overshadowed by her obnoxious level of immaturity.
I often found the levels of immaturity from both main characters to be a little frustrating. For the number of years Rune had seen I thought some of his comments and actions a little childish and even though Jo had reason to be understandably a tad more immature than most, she was sometimes a little too much so. A lot of the words they used reminded me of ones often featured in the vocabulary of teenagers and some of Rune's insults and terms of endearment I thought could have been a little more creative, maybe even made up words which would still have made sense (if written in context) as Rune had seen so many different realms within his lifetime.
The realms and creatures described in the story were extremely enjoyable to read about, they are what made up for the lack of imagination when it came to the words in Rune's and Jo's repertoires. I loved learning about all the different worlds and the shifting dynamics between certain species, how some came to be and others ceased to exist. It was explained so well that it made them easy to clearly picture and believe real, as well as setting the story so it could be read as a standalone.
Although I didn't overly like certain aspects of the main characters, the creativity behind other parts of the story were thoroughly enthralling and I look forward to reading more of the series.
3/5 ❤️s
❤️ Amanda
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