Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark Series, Book 8)

Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark Series, Book 8) by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance- Aug 24, 2010
4 ½ stars

In her latest IAD Kresley Cole finally reveals where and why members of the Lore have been taken! And we find out more about missing Regin the Radiant. (I can't wait for her book!) We are also treated to a new type of demon one who has been changed against his will and been so traumatized and tortured that this reader cannot help but want him to find his fated mate.

Malkom is a bad tempered and miserable hero who trusts no one. Why? Because his only and best friend betrayed him. His mother sold him to an abusive vampire who used him for sex and blood. And now the demons he saved all want to kill him! Bitter, a little. Untrusting, a lot! Alone and living in Oblivion, a hellish plane with little resources his life is pure torture but he refuses to give up. But poor Malkom doesn't know what is coming at him next!

Carrow is one of the most beautiful witches in her coven but her powers are held in check by a collar and she is imprisoned against her will. When she is `asked' by her captors to find and lure the powerful demon/vampire Malkom into a trap she refuses. But when Ruby, a young witch that she cares for is taken hostage Carrow knows she must obey their orders or Ruby will be killed.

Carrow courageously enters Oblivion but when she finds Malkom she runs away in terror! He is huge and dirty. But his body is delicious... And Carrow knows if she doesn't capture him Ruby's life will be forfeit. As Carrow works to gain Malkom's trust she also comes to care deeply for the man hidden beneath all the grime. A man who has been so abused and mistreated. In his loneliness she sees her own. Although her background is wealthy, Carrow never had her parents love and she knows how it feels to be unwanted. But can she betray a man who has become more to her that she ever realized?

This story reminded me of Beauty and the Beast. It definitely was not one of the author's more lighthearted reads. The relationship between Malkom and Carrow is slow in the beginning since they both must learn to trust each other. I really felt for Malkom and admired his courage and ability to try to trust again after so many disappointments and betrayals. I found Carrow an interesting character and it did take me a while to warm up to her because I really wanted Malkom to have a mate who would be worthy of him and I didn't want her to betray him.

As with all of Kresley Cole's stories this was a moving story and I did find myself falling in love with Malkom. He really is an admirable character. Despite all of the injustices he has endured his caring nature shines through. I just really wanted for him to be happy.

But what I found myself enjoying the most were actually the secondary characters! The author alludes to Regin the Radiant and her capture and I wanted more details! Plus there is also a very intriguing story about a Sorceri named Lanthe and a fierce winged demon Vrekener who she has injured. And is he mad! If anything this book whet my appetite for her upcoming books which I hope will feature either Regin or Lanthe.

This book will have you anticpating the next IAD, please Kresley Cole, make it soon!!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

Amazingly, Kresley Cole has topped herself with a new Lore hero! Malkom Slaine, a vemon (1/2 demon /½ vampire), is damaged by his troubled past and has spent centuries being haunted by the beatings and betrayals he has had to endure. He lives for vengeance. Once you betray him, you pay. Enter Carrow Graie, party witch extraordinaire with her own damage. Carrow has been captured by The Order, an evil group rounding up immortals for their own nefarious reasons. The Order threaten to kill Ruby, Carrow's orphaned neice, if Carrow doesn't lure Malkom to the Order. Even though neither speaks the other's language, they are able to communicate. Many LOL moments with Malkom and Carrow "negotiating" in sign language! Though Carrow is falling for her vemon, she knows she must save Ruby. Yet another betrayal for Malkom, who is mesmerized by his mate. Will Malkom be able to forgive Carrow, just when she realizes she can't live without him? Whether he forgives her or not, Malkom's not about to let her go and will go to any lengths to keep her.

Kresley Cole delivers yet another amazing installment in the Immortals After Dark series! And as an extra treat we get to catch up with favorites like Mariketa and Bowen, Rydstrom and Sabine. Malkom and Carrow's book is a page-turner you won't be able to put down!

`Demon from the Dark' is the tenth book in Kresley Cole's `Immortals After Dark' paranormal romance series.

Carrow Graie has been kidnapped. Along with hundreds of other immortal creatures, from vampires to nymphs, she has been captured by human military-types who lock her up in glass cages and intend to do experiments on her witchy-self. The stakes are raised when a witch from Carrow's coven is murdered, and her daughter taken prisoner. Now Carrow has to rescue herself, and little witch Ruby. And it just so happens that the humans have a proposition for her...

Carrow is to travel to a demon dimension and retrieve a vemon (demon-vampire hybrid) to be bought back to the prison for experimentation. There are only for vemons in the entire world, so Malkom Slaine is very rare indeed. . .

Carrow is on a mission - capture Malkom and bring him back to be experimented and tortured. Should be easy, since Malkom is a horned, ravenous, hairy beast. . . but what happens when Carrow introduces him to personal hygiene and he keeps saving her life in the demon dimension? What happens when Malkom turns out to be hot and hunky and Carrow suddenly can't stand the idea of betraying him?

I wasn't sure going into this tenth instalment, since I've had a few hits and misses with the `Immortals After Dark' series. I tend to only like the books concerning the Lycans and Valkyries - because I love the Lycan's Scottish brogue and the Valkyrie have some hilarious secondary characters (Nucking Futs Nix!).

I was also a little sceptical about this tenth book because Carrow and Malkom were completely unknown characters to me. I hadn't been anticipating their story, because they weren't secondary characters in past book. Carrow may have been mentioned in passing, but not enough to pique my interest about her HEA.

So I went in to `Demon from the Dark' very sceptical, but I came out with a new `Immortals' heartthrob to lust after!
`Demon from the Dark' is a paranormal retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Carrow is a witchy party-girl who grew up in the lap of luxury, but had an isolated childhood. She's had many boyfriends, but few honest relationships... until she travels to a demon dimension and meets Malkom Slaine.

I was initially wary of Malkom as a love interest because his physical description is so foul. He's tall and towering; with wildly long hair, no concept of tooth-brushing, caked-on dirt and he eats chicken blood. Eew. To top it off, Malkom has two large horns above his ears and is a blood-drinking vampire. Carrow's first-impression of Malkom is not helped by a language barrier between them. Malkom can only speak demon but no English, Carrow knows some Anglish and neither of them can understand a word the other says. . . Kresly Cole's signature hilarity ensues.

Malkom definitely starts out beastly, but is eventually transformed. Carrow bathes him, introduces him to a tooth-brush and cuts his hair, and realizes that beneath the dirt is a burning hunk o' vemon man! We also learn that there's more to Malkom than the ravening beast he starts out as. He actually has a very tragic past; he was a child blood-whore and sex slave, then he was a prince's friend, royal betrayer and when Carrow meets him he is in the midst of his centuries-long punishment. . . he's perhaps the most complicated `Immortals' man we've met in the series, but he's also the sexiest.

Carrow and Malkom's sexual relationship starts out rocky. Malkom recognizes Carrow as his mate from the moment he smells her, but the language-barrier prevents him from explaining his maddening lust to her. . . there's no rape, but Carrow has to lay down the law where Malkom's lustfulness is concerned.

But when these two do get hot n' heavy. . . watch out! They burn up the page! These two are the absolute cutest couple to come out of the `Immortals After Dark' series. Their Beauty and the Beast, will-they-or-won't-they tension is delicious and Malkom is so manly and rough around the edges! I loved these two together, and I especially adored Malkom. `Demon from the Dark' is my favourite `Immortals' book after `A Hunger Like no Other' - and that's a big call!

I have been a huge fan of Kresley Cole since the first book of her's I have read. I love the universe of the Immortals After Dark series and if a genie could put me into any book for a day I would totally be partying with the Valkyries. So I almost took it personally when I saw a huge drop in quality with this book. One of the things I've loved about the series is the integration of bad-ass immortals into modern life and this book takes place almost entirely outside of our universe. The direction of the series seems to take a sudden and unexpected turn, making a group of faceless, mindless, and needlessly evil group of humans the bad guys. This group has somehow managed to capture and rend helpless a huge number of these supposedly bad-ass immortals. That's right, thousands of years of fighting other immortals hasn't taken down them down but a group of army reserve drop outs with a magical necklace makes them powerless. Our heroine spends most of the book making bad decision after bad decision but that's ok because thanks to one deus ex machina plot device after another it all works out. I can't really say more without getting into spoiler territory but if you are not already hooked on this series do yourself a favor and skip this one. If all you need to be happy with a paranormal romance is a hulking guy with magical abilities and a broken inner child who is made whole by a sassy heroine with heart of gold then this will probably not be a problem for you. But for me it it was such a come down in quality that I can't help but feel much more disappointed than I would be if it were from an author I liked less.

Does anyone else realize that if you replace the word "Demon" with "Caveman" in this story you have a better book? Throwing in a little blood and biting, and fear of the sun, does not make it part of the vampire genre.
The entire time Malkom and Carrow are in the cave, I kept picturing him as a slumped-over beast with a large club in his hand. There was nothing sexy about him! Five chapters were devoted to teaching him how to take a shower and then FINALLY having sex in the shower. Five chapters??
Besides the author telling us Malkom was a vampire/demon, nothing in the story seemed to back it up. Once again, just your normal, everyday Caveman...till the very end when he finally does something amazing. Took the entire book to get to that point.
I'm also disappointed with the back cover of the book. The story's description does not accurately describe the book I muddled through. Carrow hiding her sorrows, living for the next party or prank? The only sorrow she had was her relationship with her parents. That's it! Nothing else!
Unless you are into Cavemen, save your money and pass on this book.

First, the good points: the characters, Carrow and Malkom, are interesting and entertaining. Carrow, as is usual with Cole's heroines, has a humorous "popular culture" style of expression. Cole's imaginative "Lore" world keeps growing with ever-new and fascinating additions to the collection of paranormal creatures.
Then, the annoying points:
1. the "great betrayal" plot-line where the heroine becomes more and more anguished about the up-coming betrayal and where the hero is deeply wounded about the betrayal is hackneyed. Cole is a talented and imaginative writer. She can definitely do better. Much better.
2. detailed torture scenes now count as light reading entertainment? Must Malkom have had such a miserable youth (described in stomach-turning detail) in order for readers to like him and identify with him? No. Must the series now have grueling, detailed torture scenes in order to be published? Please, say no!

I read Cole's After Dark series for fun and for light-hearted escapism. There is nothing fun or light-hearted about deeply disturbing torture/rape scenes of children and/or adults as plot devices.

Conclusion:
The novel is a mildly intriguing addition to Cole's series if you are already a fan and would like to see glimpses of other characters. The Malkom/Carrow plot-line is only mediocre because of the yawingly predictable "great betrayel" arc. (Again, Cole creates Malkom and Carrow as appealing characters - the author certainly could have created a much stronger and more absorbing story around them.) If you had not read any of the rest of the series, you probably would not be inspired to go out and buy the other books. Sadly, in this book, we don't see very much of the author's very real talent, imagination or sense of humor that shine through in her other books (example: A Hunger Like No Other.)

Personal Note:
I will skim Cole's next "After Dark" book in the bookstore before I think about buying it - any more torture/rape scenes/details and it's a "Do Not Purchase".

Another reviewer wrote that they didn't like the demon stories. I have to agree. I haven't finished a single one of them. I love the ones about the vamps and the Lykae, but the demons leave me cold. I don't know why, maybe the demons feel too much like animals to me? This one is no different. In fact, it's the worst one yet. Malkom, with his inability to control himself, is not sexy. It's not sexy to be physically hurt by someone no matter how sorry they are afterwards. And the idea that he hurts her, then she uses the power she's leeched from him while he was hurting her to heal herself? That just seemed sick. But that isn't even the main problem. The main problem was having to slog through 140 pages in the first half of the book where the two lead characters interact solely with one another in a cave they never leave. It was beyond tedious. 140 pages where no real action occurred that wasn't sexual in nature grew tiresome very quickly. I didn't finish this book, maybe it gets better, I don't know, although many reviewers here suggest the second half has plenty of problems as well. I gave it 212 pages and it left me very sorry I'd wasted my time. I read this one from my local library. You may wish to do the same. I almost bought this one based on all the 4 and 5 star reviews, now I'm very glad I did not.

I always know, without a doubt, that when I crack open a book written by the talented Kresley Cole, I will absolutely adore it. How can I not? She's created numerous witty and tortured characters who have made me laugh hysterically with their wacky banter and tear up in sympathy when they struggle to overcome their pasts and differences. She's created characters who never cease to grow old in my eyes. She created Scottish werewolves, who are pretty much the coolest creation in the paranormal world!

Of course it would be no surprise, then, that I would enjoy DEMON FROM THE DARK. What was surprising? That I enjoyed Carrow and Malkom almost as much as Mariketa and Bowen (who are THE ultimate PNR couple for me folks, they're the main characters in the book I've read about 9 times now that I've been going on and on about). So much, in fact, that I can guarantee you all I will be reading this particular story at least one more time this year.

I received DEMON FROM THE DARK courtesy of Kresley and her wonderful manager, Brooke, about a week before the release. I read it in two days--well, more like two nights. Carrow and Malkom were there for my entertainment when I needed a bit (okay, a lot) of cheering up. Their story helped distract me for hours on end. Their story made me smile. It made me laugh. It finally coaxed me into a relaxed state after hearing some bad family news. When the book and its characters have the ability to do that, one knows it's a keeper.

I'll admit I was somewhat worried when Ruby entered into Carrow's chaotic life. I primarily enjoyed Carrow's character because she and Mari were crazy. They're modern. They love to have fun. To suddenly have her transform from some crazy bachelorette into a protective, motherly figure... well, I thought it was going to be weird. Then I started worrying that she was going to become tame and boring.

This was not the case.

In fact, upon first meeting Malkom, Carrow is anything but tame. She's feisty and crazy and knows how to stand her ground. I loved the initial interactions betwixt the two. Loved how Kresley created an additional barrier that would make said interactions that much more difficult and taxing. It was both a unique and interesting approach, one that was skillfully accomplished and left me craving for more of those entertaining experiences.

Malkom is the epitome of an angsty alpha and I can't help but love him for it. He's just so... I don't even know how to describe him! Take the qualities of a protective, sweet, and caring individual and wrap them all up in a sexy package and that's Malkom for you. Chances are, you will absolutely adore him in the first half of the book when he gets to know Carrow. As for the second? Well, I think my sympathy split between the hero and heroine then. (And you should tell me if the same thing happened to you!)

I wasn't entirely thrilled with the way he treated Carrow later in the book, nor was I entirely happy with the way she simply put up with said behavior. For some reason, I expected her to stand her ground instead of being so timid. But hey, she did what she had to do to get her man back, so I can deal.

The plot is, like any of the other Immortals After Dark books, unique. What's even more exciting is the fact that Mariketa--my favorite heroine ever--had a few scenes in her point of view. Readers also, towards the end of the book, get reunited with quite a few of the other heroes and heroines from past books in this series. I always love when an author re-explores older characters and reassures readers that they haven't grown tame and... boring. Nope, these ladies were anything but tame!

Although I received an ARC of DEMON FROM THE DARK, I've got the final copy pre-ordered (along with Larissa Ione's SIN UNDONE). I eagerly anticipate receiving both next week, and cannot wait to dig into this story once again when I get a craving to explore this unique and interesting story line. For all you Kresley fans out there, DEMON FROM THE DARK does not disappoint. You love your heroes with tortured pasts? Malkom is as tortured as they come. You love your heroines to have a bit of spunk and feisty-ness? Carrow's your girl.

And for all of you unfamiliar with the Immortals After Dark series? What the hell are you waiting for? Jump on the bandwagon, because you guys are seriously missing out.

My favorite of the IAD series. I really like the beauty and the beast vibe, between witch Carrow and "Demon!" (vemon) Malkom Slaine. I couldn't put this novel down. I honestly have a soft spot for characters that are written in such a way that they will go to any length to be with and protect their fated mate. Malkom wanted his mate so much that he was willing to give up his deep seated revenge to go to the ends of the realm with Carrow, wherever she went, he went, no questions asked. The over powerful vemon with a soft and vulnerable side, and a charming, funny and sexy witch to match who must make a choice.... And, what I really loved about "Demon From the Dark," Carrow and Malkom didn't hate on each other like a lot of other IAD series characters are written. There wasn't any turmoil of, "Is she/he the one?" Instead, add a circumstance that denotes betrayal but an honorable one at that... BAM! Love story. And a sexy one at that!

I dont know how she does it but every book that Kresley Cole has written in the IAD series is just outstanding. Her plots are NOT all about sex. They are actualy plots that make a reader wonder how the heroine and hero will overcome the obstacles before them. Its riveting and funny. I love the banter between the characters. We even get to see some old ones in previous books make an appearance. I can't wait for the next IAD to come out. I hope Kresley doesnt lose her touch and keeps on writing these awesome storylines.