Lothaire (Immortals After Dark)

I have been highly anticipating Lothaire for some time now, especially after seeing a lot of him in the previous book, Dreams of a Dark Warrior. Lothaire, the Enemy of Old, an extremely old and feared vampire who is set upon revenge. As the bastard child of the King of the Horde, Stefanovich, he promised his Dacian vampire mother before she was tortured and killed that he would slay Stefanovich so the Horde will ultimately swear fealty to Lothaire. He then plans to unite the Dacian and Horde kingdoms together. He has spent century after century set to accomplish his endgame and refuses to be stopped. Extremely smart, arrogant and lethal, he has so many in the Lore who owe him. This makes him very feared but also one of the most-hunted people in the Lore. But now one of the most feared vampires is about to be mated to a mortal.

Elizabeth Pierce, or Ellie, comes from a poor mining family in the Appalachian Mountains. At 19 she became possessed by the demon Saroya and is desperate to get rid of her. Saroya was once a goddess (a death goddess), but has been condemned to live in mortal bodies. She likes Ellie's body. Ellie is beautiful and strong -- maybe a little too strong, as Ellie often can fight to keep Saroya hidden deep within her. When Saroya rises, though, she is very violent, killing all in her path, which is how Ellie ends up on Death Row.

When Lothaire meets Ellie/Saroya, he becomes "blooded": His body becomes alive with a heartbeat, and he has breath. He assumes his bride must be Saroya, because she is a goddess, not the mere mortal Elizabeth:

*******
"Because fate would not slight me so unspeakably. I'd seek a noon-day sun if I were paired with one such as you."
"Such as me," she repeated blandly. She'd been mocked too often over her lifetime to take offense. Her skin was as thick as armor.
"Yes, you. An ignorant, mortal Kmart checkout girl." He took the sharpest knife from his place setting, absently turning it between his left thumb and forefinger.
"Kmart? I should have been so lucky. Those jobs were hard to come by. I worked at my uncle's outfitter shop."
"Then you're even worse. You're an outfitter checkout girl with aspirations for Kmart."
"Still better than a demon."
******

He has spent the five years Ellie has spent in prison trying to track down a special ring that he hopes can extinguish Ellie's soul. That way, Saroya can use Ellie's body to become an immortal vampire, getting around the curse, and become Lothaire's bride so he can reclaim the Horde throne. When Lothaire nabs Ellie off of Death Row in the nick of time, he is stuck keeping her body safe until he can figure out how to extinguish Ellie's soul so Saroya can fully take over her body. But Ellie isn't going down without a fight.

As I sit here and try to think how to explain Lothaire, all I can really is say is that he is just one of a kind. There isn't a lot of gray in his world. He is so old and his arrogance is so ingrained, that it is his way or else. Kresley Cole allows him to fall in love -- and still retain these characteristics. Because of his age, and the fact that when he drinks from people, he retains their memories, he is not lucid at all times. He is skirting the edge of insanity and fears he may not make it to exact his revenge.

At times I wanted to slap him for how he acted, but he has gotten his way for centuries, so he knows nothing else. At times I felt sorry for him. While he keeps a ledger of everyone who is indebted to him -- looking through all the names gives him a sense of peace -- he barely has any friends. He has lived his entire existence trying to get revenge and hasn't really experienced happiness. Now that he has a mortal who is not only extremely fragile in his world, but one who says "no" to him, he is baffled. He can't comprehend how one would not be attracted to him or not think he is making the best decisions for her. As we learn, he is "Lothairistic."

*****
"First of all, I'm not narcissistic." When she opened her lips to argue, he said, "I know Narkissos of Thespiae -- while we might share traits, I came first, so he's Lothairistic, not the other way around."
*****

Ellie, thinking she only has days before Lothaire finds the ring and kills her soul, doesn't have a lot to lose. She is spunky and stubborn and, although they have a difficult journey together, I loved how their romance plays out. They have to work hard for it, but it is very believable and well done. I also have to say the sex in this book is the best Kresley Cole has written.

I am amazed at this world Kresley Cole has created. It is so complex and vast, and while I appreciate that, I also think the amount of page time it takes to rehash events and remind us who everyone is weighs this book down in the beginning. Of course, I also needed that refresher, because I forget from book to book what is going on. So it is needed, but just be aware that the book starts a little slow. Once we get into it, though, it really takes off.

We also meet some new characters belonging to the very secretive Dacian, which will also star in her new spinoff series. (Lothaire's mother is Dacian.) I don't want to give away anything about them, but I really enjoyed what we get to see of them.

I think this is one of the few series that is actually getting better as it progresses. Lothaire is Book 12 and a definite favorite. I'm so intrigued by the characters. Nix is still walking around crazy, Furie is still chained somewhere at the bottom of the ocean, Thaddeus is 17 and turning into a stud -- and we meet Hag, who will definitely amuse you. And those are just a few of the many insane, sarcastic and engaging characters in this world. My favorite thing about these books is that Cole lets the characters act like immortals. They are so violent, so cunning and evil. And yet they are hilarious and smart and, of course, amazing in bed. I believe the last page of Lothaire gives us a hint as to whose book is next, and I can't wait.

FYI, pretty much spoiler-free, I think.

3+/3.5 stars overall. I'll be completely honest; I'm a little underwhelmed. I liked it...for the most part. There were parts I really liked, parts I didn't particularly like, and parts with which I was definitely squeamish/uncomfortable. This is a hard one for me to evaluate because I had been looking forward to it for QUITE some time (uh, check when I originally shelved this book - back in MAY 2011). Much like that feeling you get when you've planned a vacation to see, say, the Eiffel Tower, then after months of waiting, you get there and you're like "oh," I feel the anticipation for this book may have clouded my judgment.

HERE'S WHAT I LIKED

1. World-building! Back story! Introduction of the Dacians (a supposedly fabled but actually real vampire kingdom...that happens to be the subject of KC's spinoff series "Realm of Blood and Mist," arriving this summer)! Seeing other characters with whom I am familiar and of whom I am quite fond (hi, Thad! hi, Nixie!)!
- KC is really good at this. REALLY good at this. We get a lot of information about Lothaire's history, from his early formative years to...YES...his long history and odd frienemies status with Nix. If you're an IAD faithful *raises hand*, you'll also get a little thrill when you spot cameos of other IAD characters.
- Beyond that, we get a lot more of the world-building that makes the IAD world so fun. The biggest aspect of this world-building is the world of the Dacians. The vampire books generally are my least favorite of the IAD world, but KC does a nice job of giving her Dacian vamps individual personalities, whether it be brooding or surly. Mmmm...me likey. I'm curious enough to try out her new series set in that world.

2. The heroine, Elizabeth Ann Peirce (or "Ellie") - I liked her. A lot. Whoever thought to pair up a millenia-old, mortal-hating, filthy-rich, eviler-than-thou vamp with a human hillbilly from Appalachia? KC, that's who. Surprisingly, it worked for me. I had some fears that her character would be too much like the (loathed) trailer trash Tayla from Larissa Ione's "Pleasure Unbound," who was so unworthy of Eidolon, but Ellie wasn't like that. Ellie worked for me because she was intelligent, spunky, stood up for herself, and had backbone. And when you're paired up with Lothaire, the Enemy of Old, you need a backbone...or else he'll just rip it out for you. Even faced with her seemingly impossible position (um, from death row prisoner to captive of a vampire who is hell-bent on exterminating you so that he can use your body as the host for an evil ex-goddess? yeah, THAT doesn't sound daunting), she was still trying to scheme and plot her way into besting him. I liked that. It showed determination and grit.

3. Lothaire...as a character. To clarify, NOT as a hero. Yes, this is going to come as a weird one for all of those Lothaire groupies (of whom I still count myself a part), but yeah...he's not hero material. Sorry, folks. I think he's an awesome character with his dry DRY wit, his boundless arrogance, and his unwavering confidence. He had so many one liners that I couldn't keep track of them. He also had a really interesting back story, but yeah...that made him a great character. He didn't work (for me) as a romance hero. For more info thereon, see number 2. of "Here's what didn't work for me" below.

4. Sexytimes. Pretty smokin' hot. Like...hotter than all the other IAD books, I think. And Lothaire when he loses control over his puny mortal (then doesn't want to cop to it) is pretty great. *evil grin*

HERE'S WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME

1. Sexytimes. Yes, this shows up on both lists. Pretty smokin' hot sexytimes, but I just couldn't get past my squeamishness over what felt like questionable consent scenarios. And pretty much all of them fell under that category. I mean...super-powerful vamp who torments his kidnappee matched up with human captive? The power dynamic just felt SO wrong to me that I couldn't get comfortable with their sexytimes scenes, especially when Lothaire was such a jerk afterwards and any time he was with her otherwise, even if the sexytimes themselves were hot and choreographed nicely. There was just such a weird dynamic overall to the relationship that, even though Ellie tried to do all that she could to best Lothaire, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was doing these things (namely, seducing him) not necessarily of her own free will, but because (a) she was overpowered and had no choice and (b) she had her own endgame in mind.

2. Lothaire...as a romance hero. Yeah, he's alpha. Gamma, even? Yeah, he knows his way around a bedroom (and a settee...and a kitchen counter...etc.). But yeah...he wasn't...romantic. And he didn't protect and cherish Ellie like a vamp should his Bride. Now, I'm usually on board with KC's alpha heroes. Give me a demon with lickable horns who's dragging a reluctant newfound Valkyrie cross-country, and I totally signed up for that. It's not like I expected a reformed Lothaire or anything. He could continue with his badassery, End Game, and death dealing (which he does in this book). I just wanted a little more...outlook adjustment, I suppose? At the very least with respect to his Bride? After he recognizes Ellie as his Bride and subsequently mulls over his really UN-heroic actions towards her, I was rubbing my hands in anticipation of some major groveling. Alas, such did not appear. Some of his actions were thoughtful, which I understand for Lothaire is a MAJOR leap already, but I just couldn't connect with him as a hero. He's fun to watch and a fantastic character, sure, but I didn't really think he was a hero in this case.

3. Saroya possession. *sigh* I was really indifferent towards the first 30% or so of the book. I knew it had something to do with the Saroya possession aspect, but I couldn't pinpoint it at the time. I finally figured out just why this bothered me so much. It was totally TOTALLY an "other woman"/cheating scenario, and what made this one different was you actually got narrative from the OW's POV. *cringe* I'm sure it added to the story in some way what with Lothaire's not knowing who his Bride was, but this part didn't really work for me. I know I know...I'm just a huge wuss when it comes to these evil chicks (I also hated Sabine from "Kiss of a Demon King," but at least she could be funny), but nobody said this review was going to be anything but completely subjective.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

This was a really cool addition to the IAD world, and I loved seeing the IAD characters from earlier books. KC has a great imagination, and reading about some of the baddies and their world was a fun ride through less charted territory. However, the romance didn't really blossom as a romance, in my opinion. The inherent skewed relationship between kidnapper and captive just didn't really work to establish a believable connection between the two main characters, especially when one is adamant in his belief that a mere mortal couldn't possibly be his Bride and continues to degrade and insult her at every turn. Sure, I didn't really expect kittens and roses - it's Lothaire, after all - but I did expect...something more. I dunno...let's just say that I've done rereads of almost every other IAD book, but this one...might not be on that rotation as often as I would originally have expected.

I guess what it boils down to is this: I got caught up in this book and kept reading it, but NOT for the romance, which is a strange strange thing to say about a romance novel.

Here's hoping that the Dacians live up to their promise in this summer's "Shadow's Claim."

It's Lothaire's story, and he's...well, he's Lothaire. He's still a villain; Cole didn't do a 180 to make him more palatable as a romantic hero, and he's not a romantic hero, really. He's arrogant and deeply self-absorbed, so much so that he can't even conceive of a woman not being honored to be with him and accept whatever treatment he dishes out. I *love* that Kresley Cole maintained his character, and I love the likable, gritty heroine she created, Ellie Peirce (not a typo), who's strong enough to bend rather than break in her determination to survive and protect her family. And yes, the book is crazy hot. Hot like fire, seriously.

[Warning: Minor to moderate spoilers]

I know some reviewers are greatly bothered by the dubious consent; it's a reasonable concern, and it gave me a moment or two of pause myself. But ultimately I consider the bond Cole's described between the heroes and heroines in her Immortals After Dark series to undermine consent on its own. An unbelievably powerful attraction dictated not by choice, but supernatural selection? I understand its function in the books (yowsa!), but I do find it a cheat. It almost functions as a drug to keep the couple together and narcoticized on great sex until real feelings, independent of the bond, can form. YMMV, of course.

Lothaire hasn't merely been without his Bride for millenia, he's been without *anyone* for all that time. He hasn't loved anyone since his mother died. He's existed in a solipsistic cocoon since then; it's like expecting a lawn chair to know how to have a healthy relationship. When he absorbs Ellie's experiences the only way he can, by dreaming them after taking her blood, he's horrified by his actions. As soon as his eyes are opened, he repents of his treatment of her ... while still remaining a brat prince (okay, king) who looks forward to building up his big book of debts.

At times I wasn't convinced of whether Cole could make a happy ending believable. Ultimately she did, to my mind. One of the best of the IAD series.

* may contain some small spoilers*

Let me start out by saying I am a huge fan of Cole's IAD series and love, love Lothaire and I know I will get slammed for this, but I find that this book has some serious issues for me. It is extremely difficult for any writer to transform any *truly* evil character into a hero; to make the reader essentially forgive all his past transgressions and make him a likeable, loving person. Is Lothaire that person at the end of his book? Maybe. Maybe not.

The good-
There are many parts of this book that I found heartwarming. Recalling Lothaire's past as a little vampire, standing up for his mother, was utterly heartbreaking. His lack of family, friends, and anyone to trust made me ache for him. I just wanted to grab hold of him and hug him and tell him it'll be OK. Its so sad that Lothaire's loneliness is so a part of him that he doesn't even realize its a bad thing until he is given an alternative, an opportunity to find happiness. *Happiness *-something that is such a foreign concept to him that he is initially confused by it. The poor fool doesn't even know how to smile. And when he finally realizes that Ellie is his bride, its nearly comical seeing him wrestle with his emotions.

The awesome-
Thaddeus -yummmmmmy! Nix (as always).

Snooze worthy-
Lothaire's book of blood debts that goes nowhere. Saroya's boring demise. La Dorada's anti climatic cameo.

Unfortunately the bad-
The heinous acts he commits against others are forgivable. They are mostly against characters that the reader doesn't have a vested emotional interest in. Acts he commits against his Bride? Potentially forgivable, but does he deserve it? I'm not sure about that. Remorse is key concept, but where is it? Is it enough to say 'I'm sorry" (after all that he did to poor Ellie) and that's it? A few trinkets, trips and lovemaking? Where are the heartfelt words/actions? What is Lothaire's sacrifice? I will not spoil it for anyone and go into specific details but I found his high handedness extreme at times and he shows not even a twinge of regret over it. It doesn't matter if he is right or wrong. The whole point is his attitude. And as much as it pains me to write this, I also think that a case can be made for rape. Yes, reread those those chapters again and I challenge you to disagree. No means no, I don't care how many orgasms you have. As for Ellie, she essentially has a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome. The time period is too short for anything otherwise.

Overall I think my biggest gripe boils down to the short time period. A scant few weeks is not enough to even partially reform a complex character like Lothaire. Perhaps I'm too picky, I know this isn't reality. People can fall in love in a blink of an eye. Forgiveness can be given just as fast. But, I don't know, I just wanted MORE. More emotion, more love, more romance. More pages? I would have like to have seen Lothaire grow more as a character. There are glimpses of goodness but not enough to satisfy. He has the potential to be the absolute best reformed hero ever, but I just don't see that here. If you've ever read Cole's [[ASIN:1416503617 If You Deceive (The MacCarrick Brothers, Book 3)]] you know exactly what this book is missing and the potential of this author to create drama -that's why I gave this book 3 stars. A great beginning but not nearly enough growth in character.

I was really looking forward to Lothaire's story but he was such a jerk with no redeeming qualities and Ellie was a doormat who just took all his crap. The only good thing about this book was that I got it on sale and when finished immediately put it on Ebay and got more than I paid for it. Not worth the price of a hardcover, and not even worth the price of a paperback. The only thing I will look forward to and buy in this series is Nix's story. If this is the best that Kresley Cole can come up with, it's time to end this series. Save your money.

I was really looking forward to this book. Was really disappointed. Very graphic sex, Lothaire was really an abusive, think only of himself, jerk. He had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I've always liked Cole's books and she has been on my auto-buy list for ages, but I will now have to think about future purchases. Very hard to believe that "Lizvetta" was his true bride.

SPOILERS:
Then he turns her against her will, makes constant fun and ridicule of her, threatens her constantly and in the end she forgives all and loves him??!! Give ne a break. I would have liked to have seen her get with Thad.

Very disappointing, lengthy book. It could have been made much shorter and put into a paperback.

I absolutely loved the first books of the Immortals After Dark Series, but, like it happens with most other series that go over 5 books I was not totally satisfied with the last two books, even though when I heard this book was gonna be Lothaires story i was intrigued. So when I saw at 12.30 in the night that Lothaire had downloaded on my kindle I started reading, and couldn't stop until I had it finished at 5.30 in the morning. No need to say that I am exhausted right know but it was totally worth it.

The book is one of the best in the series with two complex main characters.
Lothaire is the Enemy of Old. After all this time he has finally found his bride. But is it really Saroya, the cursed, bloodthirsty Vampire goddess who possess the body of the human Ellie, or can it be that fate really would be so cruel as to pair Lothaire with a human who grew up in a trailer?

Ellie is a delight. Even though she has been posessed by Saroya since she was 18 she still doesn't give up. And she won't let Lothaire destroy her soul so that Soraya and he can live happily ever after. Ellie just spent her last five years in the death row, paying for Saroyas crimes.

After reading Lothaire I can't wait for the next book...I hope the last scene was a hint as to whose book comes next...

I have tried three times now to write a coherent, objective review of this book, but the fact is that I am not objective about this book specifically or this series as a whole. I love each and every book, each and every character, and each and every plot wholly and unabashedly. Writing an objective review of LOTHAIRE has been like trying to explain to someone why I love a family member--of COURSE there are real, objective reasons, but I can't get past the gibberish "OMG LOVE LOVE LOVE" to explain.

Suffice it to say, this book is fabulous. Kresley Cole showed us in [[ASIN:1439136807 Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Immortals After Dark Series, Book 9)]] that she is the queen of redeeming seemingly irredeemable heroes, and Lothaire is even worse than Declan was. I alternated between wanting to slap him for how he treated Ellie and wanting to cuddle him and make his pain go away. As for Ellie, she's strong and smart, and a smart-ass, which is exactly what Lothaire needs in a woman. I finished the book in one delicious sitting--staying up far too late to do so--and have since gone back to savor some of my favorite passages. The sexytimes in LOTHAIRE are perhaps the best KC has written so far--Ellie & Lothaire's first sexual encounter rivals the bath scene in [[ASIN:1439123128 Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark Series, Book 8)]] in my book. And, through all that, neither Lothaire nor Ellie lose what makes them unique--Lothaire is still quite deliciously evil, as the cliff-hanger ending exemplifies.

Characters IAD fans have met and come to love in previous books show up here, most notably Nix the Ever-knowing, Proto-Valkerie and self-professed "manizer." Her interactions with Lothaire are just wonderful, and let us see into her character and his. Thad, the young half-vamp from DoaDW is back with a vengeance, and the Hag we first met in [[ASIN:1416580948 Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark, Book 6)]] is a main character as well. I can't wait to read all three of their books!

In short: READ THIS SERIES. Then, READ THIS BOOK. I cannot stress this enough. If you are at all a fan of paranormal, urban fantasy, romance, or even well-plotted series in general (holy cow KC is playing a long game! It's quite Jim Butcher-esque, in its way) READ THIS SERIES.

Thus ends my "review."

When I finished this I was torn on how I felt about it. I think it's amazing in how all the story lines of the previous books tie together here - unbelievable writing talent there. However, I think Lothaire lets down in this book.

He's an incredibly intelligent vampire. Being able to see all the strings he needs to pull well in advance to get where he wants to go; however, he's stunted in how to deal with people. I can buy that and even sympathize with a hero who can grow and over come it for his heroine. Lothaire doesn't. I think his amazing arrogance is supposed to be part of his "charm", but towards the end I had had enough.

Ellie herself is okay. I guess you're supposed to root for her because she's the underdog. A mortal, from Appalachia, desperately poor. I liked her, but I never really knew why I'm supposed to want her to be with Lothaire. He imprisons her over and over again. Why does she love him again?

I'm not sure if KC was on a tight deadline or hit her word count, but some of the story of Lothaire and Ellie should have had more writing (details after the spoilers). I'd still recommend this book, just keep lower expectations.

***spoilers***

A few scenes that bother me. First is the most obvious one of Lothaire turning Ellie into a vampire when she specifically said no. No coxing, no convincing, no explaining. He has a ring that does everything. He could have tied her lifespan to his, made her immortal without being a vampire. If she needed to be a vampire to be his queen then - tell.her.that. This is probably where we're supposed to remember that Lothaire is stunted, sorry but the writing didn't take me there. It took me to OMG that a*hole! The fact that he let her keep the power to walk in the sun didn't really mitigate that he took the choice away from her - again.

The scene where Lothaire gives up his most prized possession - the book - what a let down. He just gives it up without a whimper. I guess you're supposed to realize that Ellie is now his most prized possession, but again the writing isn't there.

Lothaire cannot lie, but he does specifically tell Dorada, "Don't take Saroya sorceress." He's actually trying to get Dorada to kill Saroya so Ellie will be free. Probably a flub, but I did a double take there.

I was very much looking forward to this book, and I'm sad to say I was disappointed. The first few chapters previewed in Warlord wants Forever were fabulous, and I was sure we were in for a great book. Alas I had several problems with it.

First, the interaction between Ellie and Lothaire was pretty awful. As others have pointed out, he was physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive. I know we were supposed to understand that the human his father took as a mistress was linked to his Mother's fate, but it didn't seem like enough to justify that level of abuse. Others have equated Lothaire's treatment of Ellie to that of Declan's toward Regin, but I felt like Declan's motivations were much clearer and I could sympathize with Declan more than with Lothaire.

Second, I had a problem with Ellie. She was written inconsistently. Was she smart? Was she a hick? One minute she doesn't know the word phosphorescence, the next she's a cunning negotiator. She just didn't ring true to me as either.

Third, I felt like there was a lot of telling of the action, and little showing. We're told Lothaire is searching the ring high and low, but we're shown Ellie drinking beer with Hag in excruciating detail. We're told Lothaire is putting himself in danger to cure Ellie's catatonic state, but we're shown Ellie making out with Thad to test her attraction to Lothaire. And most annoying, when Lothaire finally recognizes Ellie as his Bride, we're given a few lukewarm pages about him showing her the world. I could have used less detail about the sex, and more about the romance. The book needed that to sell Lothaire and Ellie as a couple. It felt like Cole missed opportunities to show us Lothaire's actions and motivations, and she chose to tell us about them in tangential ways instead.

And finally, where were the other characters?? Sure, Nix was there, and Thad. And the Valkyrie, to some extent. but where were the others? I fully expected Lothaire to cash in on his favour from Rydstrom -- Cole made such a big deal of it in IAD 6 -- but it wasn't even mentioned. I expected to see the Enemy of Old doing his thing - using people to get want he wanted - and it didn't happen.

It wasn't all bad, obviously. The interaction between Nix and Lothaire was great, especially their last. And the ending was very interesting; I'm curious to see where this goes, especially since I suspect the next book will be Nix. Overall, not my least favourite, but certainly not among my top three IAD.