No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole
My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars
Paranormal Romance with an Adventure and an Adorable Hero
“He beseeched with those eyes, and she realized he hungered for an end. He wanted the death blow she’d come to his decrepit castle to deliver.”
FINAL DECISION: Amusing and adventurous, this book is the story of two people who have been alone for a long time. I especially loved how Sebastian is a tough, strong alpha hero but also sweet and a bit innocent around women.
THE STORY: Sebastian Wroth is a reluctant vampire. Turned against his will by his older brothers, Sebastian has spent three centuries fighting against his new nature. One day, Kaderin, the Cold Hearted, a Valkyrie, comes to his castle to kill him. Kaderin has spared the life of a vampire before. That act of mercy cost the lives of her two sisters. Devastated by their deaths, she asked for numbness from her grief and that was granted…but Kaderin now feels nothing — not sadness, not joy, not passion. She has now spent a thousand years killing vampires when she comes to Sebastian’s castle. Failing to kill Sebastian, Kaderin enters the legendary month long contest that is similar to the Amazing Race. Sebastian follows her in the competition intending to win the woman who is his Bride.
OPINION: I love how these two characters bring life to one another. Their story is at times painful because opening up one another emotionally means that they can hurt one another. Sebastian is such a sweet hero. He is a reluctant vampire and through this book comes to accept his own existence. He is almost immediately devoted to Kaderin and spends the remainder of the book chasing her. The adventure really works well with this couple. It brings a lightness and adventure to the story.
The book overlaps the stories of other books and I find it interesting that each book hints at the mysteries of the other books and the motivations of the characters. It makes me interested in continuing to read the series.
WORTH MENTIONING: I love the integration of the modern pop culture world with the paranormal world in this series.
CONNECTED BOOKS: NO REST OR THE WICKED is the third book in the Immortals After Dark series. It can be read as a standalone but is much better after reading the first two books.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4.25 stars.