Sandy M’s review of Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (Immortals After Dark, Book 4) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance released by Pocket 1 Apr 08

This is another series that I’m behind on reading, and I hate being behind on this one because I have loved every single word of it so far. Ms. Cole has a knack for writing the type of heroes that I adore. Alpha. To the core. But with enough sensitivity to savor love when it comes their way. If I had nothing but Kresley Cole books to read, I’d be pretty damn happy all the time.

The only thing I’m unhappy about is I read the first three books so long ago, I don’t remember things as clearly as I’d like when I came across them in this book. But that doesn’t take away much from a book when the writing is this good. It goes without saying that I absolutely loved Conrad. Talk about a tortured hero. His childhood is terrible, at the brink of death turned into a vampire by his oldest brother, he is now the very creature that he’d learned to hate and hunt. Centuries later he’s nearly insane, memories from those he’s killed by drinking from their veins dogging his every waking moment.

His brothers have been searching for him for hundreds of years, wanting nothing more than to help him regain his life and his sanity. Capturing him at last they have him holed up in the abandoned home of a twentieth century Hollywood legend who died there. And now she haunts the place, has for the last eighty years. Eventually Néomi runs off any who live in her home. However, she’s now been alone for quite a while so she is ecstatic when Conrad and his brothers take up residence. She’s also stunned when she realizes Conrad is able to see and hear her.

Of course, Conrad believes his insanity is only getting worse when he sees the lovely apparition while he waits for his mind and body to calm and return to as normal as possible.  His brothers have assured him he can live without the need to kill when he feeds. The more he interacts with his beautiful ghost, he hopes that is true. But he has other troubles in the guise of a couple of demons who would do him harm, so he must take care of them before moving on with his life. It seems Néomi is not his bride, though he wants nothing more than to be with her. He will do what it takes to keep her safe and just maybe she’ll want him to stay.

These two enjoy a fun and loving relationship even before Néomi gets her second chance at life. Once that happens things change, of course; Conrad is blooded, their relationship goes to the next level, and the action takes off.  Not all turns out the way either Conrad or Néomi hope for, but what a great reason to bring in characters we know and love from the previous books. Ms. Cole kept me enthralled for all 384 pages of this book, never letting up once.

No wonder I keep going back for more.

Grade: A+

Read more info and reviews for this series by following its tag.

Summary:
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A vampire warrior consumed by madness, trapped in the lair of an otherworldly temptress only he can see. The beauty wants him gone–the warrior can’t leave. Let the games begin…
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Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina in the early 1900s, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with powers, but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away any trespassers–until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.
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To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth’s brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. There only Conrad can see the dancer with wild raven hair–who seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature inflames him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.
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Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi and claim her completely, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

		Not That Innocent,anthology with Cole,Kenyon, Showalter,and Kohler, coming31 Jul 09

C2 started it off, but I’ve got a list as well!  (And my choices are way better than hers.)  2008 was a great year for books, but here’s my top 10:

The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, Book Six) by Kim Harrison
Urban fantasy released by EOS 26 Feb 2008

Kim Harrison keeps this series going storng with an entry that solves a lot of ongoing questions and to open new ones. The paperback is now available with a bonus story just in time to reread for the release of White Witch, Black Curse.

Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (The Immortals After Dark, Book Four) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal romance released by Pocket 1 Apr 08

It was a toss-up between this and Dark Desires After Dusk. With this year’s releases, Cole set the bar high for Kiss of a Demon King. Seriously, any paranormal romance fan needs these two on their shelves.

Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
Young adult fantasy released by Flux 1 Oct 08

This debut has faeries, violence, music, and romance. What more can one ask for?

Dreaming Again edited by Jack Dann
Speculative fiction anthology released by EOS 30 Sept 08

Australia’s literary scene rocks hardcore. Here some of its best authors serve up 35 excellent stories. This anthology contains no misses.

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Paranormal young adult released by Hyperion 6 May 08

Zombies, high school, and sociology come together for a humorous novel that will stay with you for awhile after you finish.

Madhouse (Cal Leandros, Book Three) by Rob Thurman
Urban fantasy released by ROC 26 Feb 08

Just read this series. Please.

Delicious by Sherry Thomas
Historical romance released by Bantam 29 July 08

Another author with two brilliant releases to choose between -this and her debut Private Arrangements. Both are terrific, but only this one makes me hungry. Food porn and romance is a winning combination.

Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer series, Book Three) by Karen Chance
Urban fantasy released by ROC 1 Apr 08

This series really hit its stride with this book. Chance also debuted anther series with the excellent Midnight’s Daughter.

Undone by Brooke Taylor
Young adult released by Walker Books for Young Readers 22 July 08

Taylor’s debut is emotionally strong, which any romance reader can appreciate.

Paper Towns by John Green
Young adult released by Dutton Juvenile 16 Oct 08

Green understands the nerd lifestyle, strong females, and what makes a good story. I don’t know if the man is capable of writing a book that isn’t made of win.

Honorable Mentions

Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready
Urban fantasy released by Pocket 13 May 08

Smith-Ready makes her urban fantasy debut with a series that takes an inventive approach towards vampires and adds to the genre.

Tarnished Beauty by Cecilia Samartin
Literary fiction released by Atria 18 Mar 08

This is not self-important literary fiction. It’s simply a beautifully written story.

Liviania‘s review of Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (Immortals After Dark, Book 4) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance released by Pocket 1 Apr 08

I started Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark with this one, and I believe it is my favorite. This romance focuses on the youngest of the Wroth brothers, the insane Conrad, and Néomi, a dead human. Yes, it is a bit of a logistical nightmare. On the other hand, it gives the characters time to talk and develop a strong emotional relationship before they have sex.

In a last-ditch effort to save Conrad’s mind, his brothers imprison him. They believe they have found the means to restore his sanity without using Riora’s gift, which made more sense after I read No Rest for the Wicked. Elancourt just happens to be Néomi’s former estate and her soul anchor. Since only Conrad has killed and become a Fallen vampire, he is the only one that can see and hear the ballerina. However, when a vampire kills, he absorbs the memories of his prey. Conrad is lost in the memories of his numerous kills and believes Néomi to be yet another of his hallucinations.

Néomi realizes Conrad can see her and proves to him that she’s real. After all, she was a famous ballerina in life. She commanded the attention of hundreds of people at a time. Now she has spent several decades only able to observe those who venture onto the estate. Madman or not, Conrad can see and talk to her and that means everything – even if he does keep destroying parts of their house.

Kristoff imprisons Nikolai, Murdoch, and Sebastian (the brothers) for not killing Conrad. This gives Conrad and Néomi time to talk and get to know each other beyond, “I want you because you’re my Bride.” It eventually leads to one of the cutest moments in the series, when Conrad offers to deface the grave of her murderer. No really, it’s cute. And it’s just one of many surprisingly cute moments in their relationship.

In the end though, Cole must find a way for Néomi and Conrad to be able to touch. Enter Mariketa, Bowen, and Nïx. (And now that I have read the other books, I notice Regin’s short cameo.) Nïx is one of the best parts of these books – a nutty seer with a thing for mayhem and nail polish. It’s no wonder the Valkyrie are feared. In the very end, the solution becomes a tad convenient, but overall Cole develops a satisfying method to embody Néomi.

She also continues what she started in Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night and develops Cadeon’s character. She manages to set-up his story and to revisit the previous couples without crowding Conrad and Neomi’s story, which is very enjoyable. She also seems to be developing interest in the identity of Murdoch’s mystery bride.

I went into Dark Needs at Night’s Edge with high expectations and Cole met them all. I particularly liked that I understood the world’s rules and the characters’ relationships without exposure to the previous novels. Of course, I instantly bought those first three novels and devoured them. Now if only I can get my hands on Playing Easy to Get . . .

Grade: A

A RAVEN-HAIRED TEMPTRESS OF THE DARK…

Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers — until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.

A VAMPIRE WARRIOR CONSUMED BY MADNESS…

To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth’s brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

HOW FAR WILL HE GO TO CLAIM HER?

Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

Click on the Immortals After Dark series tag for more excerpts, more reviews, and more everything on this series.

Devon’s review of Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (Immortals After Dark, Book 4) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance published by Pocket Books 29 Apr 08

I wasn’t going to read this book, to be honest. I had read A Hunger Like No Other and enjoyed it, and No Rest for the Wicked and thought it pretty good. But I had never quite gotten around to Wicked Deeds on a Winters Night. And I’m not a big fan of ghost love stories. No body means no sex, no hugs, no kisses. How’s an author going to make that HEA work? I tend to view them with deep suspicion. But this book was getting good buzz (see Gwen’s review), and it had a crazy hero. I love a tormented hero. Tormented to the point of crazy sounds good. (Let’s not think too deep on what that says about me). So I decided to try it. Good thing for me, because this is my favorite read of the year so far.

Conrad Wroth is a Fallen Vampire. He drinks blood directly from the vein, and so gains the memories of his victims. As he has survived all these years as an assassin/mercenary, he has gained the memories of a lot of unsavory beings. Add to this his own rage and bitterness, and it’s not a pretty picture. Conrad’s at the point where he can’t distinguish between his memories and others’, when his brothers (who he really, really hates) capture him in a last ditch effort to restore some kind of sanity.

They bring him to Elancourt, an abandoned Louisiana estate. For the last eighty plus years it has been the home of Neomi Laress, a ballerina who was murdered in her house in the twenties. The gregarious Neomi has longed for contact, so she can’t help but be intrigued by the strange group that has descended upon the house. She is angered by the rampaging madman damaging her home, but also intrigued. Especially once it seems that maybe he can see her.

Lots of conflict going on here. Conrad is truly damaged, twisted by rage at what he’s become, and also unsure of what’s real. He is also awkwardly charming. As he becomes convinced that Neomi is “real”, he becomes increasingly ashamed of what he has become. And oh, how he tries to be better-healthier, saner, what a woman would want. It’s both heartbreaking and adorable. It was easy to see how Neomi would grow increasing fascinated by him.

I really wasn’t sure if I’d like a ghost heroine, but Neomi totally won me over. Her joie de vivre (heh, considering she’s dead) provides such a contrast to Conrad. She is a woman who was very comfortable in her own skin when she was alive, and she just leaps off the page. I loved the parts where she was checking Conrad out, trying to get him to acknowledge her.

Her non-corporeality is a definite obstacle. But Cole used it to develop the chemistry between them. They spend a lot of time talking and getting to know each other. The fact that they can’t touch just makes it more intense, as their connection grows deeper. Intense! Damn if I wasn’t on eggshells for them to get it on. Absolutely hot.

This book, like Conrad, was very intense. But there are nice flashes of humor from Neomi and the larger world of “The Lore”. The Valkyries, who got on my nerves in other books, were used to great effect, and were around just enough. Ditto Mariketa (I don’t know if I’d have enjoyed a whole book of her). After reading the excerpts of the next book (see here, here and here), I was really looking forward to it. Now I’m positively bursting, so much did I like Cade, his brother and the other demons.

My only quibble was that I found the mechanics of their HEA to be a bit confusing, and at the end, contrived. On the other hand, I wanted them together so bad, I didn’t really care. Dark Needs at Night’s Edge was a completely involving romance, with a compelling hero and heroine, hot tension, plenty of emotion, lots of action and a rich paranormal world filled with vivid characters. A completely satisfying read. I am now an official Kresley Cole fangirl. Thank goodness we only have to wait until June for more.

Grade: A

From the back cover:

A RAVEN-HAIRED TEMPTRESS OF THE DARK…

 

Neomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers — until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Neomi herself.

A VAMPIRE WARRIOR CONSUMED BY MADNESS…

 

To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth’s brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

 

HOW FAR WILL HE GO TO CLAIM HER?

 

Yet even if Conrad can win Neomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

Read an excerpt here

 

Limecello’s review of Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (Immortals After Dark, Book 4) by Kresley Cole
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Pocket 29 Apr 08

The fourth book of the Immortals After Dark series did not disappoint. I’m also beginning to think Ms Cole unearths something twisty in me, because my favorite heroes that she writes are the crezzies. Conrad Wroth is teetering on the brink of insanity. Actually, he’s mad as a hatter. He’s killed more that one can count, and he has all of their memories. That’s a lot of memory for one head. Too much.

He’s imprisoned in a haunted house, and unfortunately, only he can see Néomi Laress, the ghost that resides there. She’s excited because he’s the first person who has seen her in 80 years. He doesn’t want to interact with her because he thinks she’s the last and final step into madness.

Néomi is something of a bad girl, as she’s a burlesque dancer turned ballerina who thrived in the 1920s. Prohibition didn’t affect our girl’s partying at all, not just because she lived in New Orleans. She’s a happy person, and a great foil for Conrad, who didn’t have the cheeriest of experiences even before he became a vampire. Still, Néomi has substance and depth. She knows that life isn’t always sunshine and butterflies, and it often takes real effort to be happy. Her past also helps her reach out to Conrad, and for him to open up to her.

I liked Néomi well enough, but I really liked Conrad. He’s a character you definitely empathize with, and feel for. He’s been betrayed on all sides, but underneath what he’s become, he’s still a good man. Conrad is extremely tortured, so all his bad deeds are rather easily forgiven.

This book embodies what I enjoy about series, because characters you met in the previous books make cameo appearances and help the plot along, but they don’t overtake it and outshine the hero and heroine. There’s the perfect blend of catching up with “old friends” but the distinct sense that the story entirely belongs to Néomi and Conrad.

Poor Néomi and Conrad seem to have more obstacles than most, yet it all ends well. Their interaction has the perfect amount of give and take. They’re both strong characters, who slowly bend to meet in the middle. A very enjoyable read.

Grade: B

Read Gwen’s review here.

     Summary:

     A RAVEN-HAIRED TEMPTRESS OF THE DARK… Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a pas century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers-until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.

     A VAMPIRE WARRIOR CONSUMED BY MADNESS… To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth’s brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

     HOW FAR WILL HE GO TO CLAIM HER? Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

     Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Read Sandy’s review of Book 3.

Coming next:

Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark, Book 5) , coming 20 May 08!

Gwen’s review of Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (Immortals After Dark, Book 4) by Kresley Cole
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Pocket 29 Apr 08

This series is just getting better and better with each book. I read the ARC of this book and I understand there may have been changes by the time it got to final printing. I can honestly say, I don’t think it needed any changes – it was excellent as is.

The hero and heroine of this book, Conrad and Néomi, were wholly likable, believable, and sympathetic. I liked and believed in their relationship. I liked and believed in the challenges to their being together. I read romance novels to get into the heads of other people (albeit fictional ones) and see how they deal with life and love. I totally got that from this book. We crawl up inside them for a good long look and it’s wonderful.

I think what I liked best is DNaNE is very much a character study of a very flawed hero. Conrad is quite literally mad for much of first part of the book. He’s only a bit less mad by the end, but he’s dealing with life better because of an amazing woman. I love that.

What came in second in my “what I liked” was I’d be sitting there reading and wondering how the hell were the h/h were going to make it. The hurdles to their love and to a life together just seemed insurmountable. And it’s all resolved in a believable manner. Cole does a tremendous job suspending disbelief.

A third thing i liked was the secondary characters are important to the book’s plot, driving key elements of the story.  They’re not just visits with old friends from books past. That is a nice change to what I frequently see in series romance. In addition, the house where most of the action takes place is as much a character in the book as the characters themselves.

If you’re a fan of this series you canNOT miss this book. For those of you new to the series, this one stands alone just fine. I highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance and paranormal romance. It’s very paranormal, though, so if that’s not your bag, you may not like it. Though it is an excellent character study and you’ll be missing out if you don’t read it.

Grade: A

     From the back cover:

     Bestselling author Kresley Cole continues her seductive Immortals After Dark series with this tale of a vampire shunned even by his own kind and a beautiful phantom, bound together by a passion they cannot resist.

     A RAVEN-HAIRED TEMPTRESS OF THE DARK… Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers — until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.

     A VAMPIRE WARRIOR CONSUMED BY MADNESS… To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth’s brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

     HOW FAR WILL HE GO TO CLAIM HER? Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

     Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Read Sandy’s review of Book 3.

Coming next:

Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark, Book 5) , coming 20 May 08!