Scan barcode
friends2lovers's review against another edition
emotional
tense
3.0
Deep Kiss of Winter is two separate stories compiled into one book. This review is just for Untouchable by Kresley Cole. I did not read Gena Showalter's story.
The coolest (ha!) thing about this book was learning about the Ice Fey. I wish more of the plot had revolved around Danii in the Icere kingdom, since it sounds so fantastical and interesting! Instead, much of this book is a rehashing of the events from previous books. Timelines overlap a lot in this series, but this is the first time it felt like we were retreading over old ground. Usually, Cole will reference or incorporate the events happening in the same timeframe into the current book in a way that feels fresh and different. That wasn’t the case here. I kind of wonder if this book was meant to be a summary of the previous books in the series, like a recap for those who have already read them, or an introduction for new readers.
The coolest (ha!) thing about this book was learning about the Ice Fey. I wish more of the plot had revolved around Danii in the Icere kingdom, since it sounds so fantastical and interesting! Instead, much of this book is a rehashing of the events from previous books. Timelines overlap a lot in this series, but this is the first time it felt like we were retreading over old ground. Usually, Cole will reference or incorporate the events happening in the same timeframe into the current book in a way that feels fresh and different. That wasn’t the case here. I kind of wonder if this book was meant to be a summary of the previous books in the series, like a recap for those who have already read them, or an introduction for new readers.
I also didn’t like the development of the romance here. And I think the main reason is because of the lack of depth in the characterization. The Wroth brothers are all very similar, with the exception of one or two superficial “traits.” Sebastian is intellectual, Nikolai is a leader, Conrad is an enigma, and Murdoch is a rake. Or at least he was, back when he was a human and could actually sleep with women. But, he’s been an unblooded vampire for hundreds of years now, so why does his rakish reputation have any bearing on the events and characters now? At the end of the book, Myst jokes about how Danii is now an expert on how to reform rakes. But, he wasn’t a rake when he met her!
Maybe it was a bad idea to read this soon after finishing A Lady Awakened, which has well-developed, complex characterization and relationships. IAD is a fun series, but I have to be in the mood for it, or else I just get really nitpicky. I’ve felt for a couple weeks now that I need to take a break from this series, and I think it’s time for me to actually follow through with that and not read the next book until I’m craving this world again.
______________
Endnotes
Series: Immortals After Dark #7
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Setting: Present-day, New Orleans, LA, and a lodge in Siberia
Hero: Murdoch Wroth, vampire, forebearer
Heroine: Daniela “Danii”, Valkyrie/ice fey, rightful heir to the Queendom of the Icere
Tropes: virgin heroine, touch aversion, reformed rake, caretaking/nursed back to health, heroine in peril
Format: hardcover of Deep Kiss of Winter borrowed from my local library
Length: 329 pages, 89k words (just for Untouchable, estimated as 60% of Deep Kiss of Winter)
Read Date: January 17, 2022
Heat Index: 4.2 🌡️🌡️🌡️🌡️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Violence
More...