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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
This was definitely very dated and super rapey in the beginning. There is some very dubious consent, and even nonconsent, so be aware of that going in.
With that said, this ended up being better than I thought it would be. I enjoyed Lachlan’s character development and Emma growing in to her own strength. I like that the Valkyrie’s are simultaneously the dangerous, murderous shield-maiden’s of old but also screeching cats who like shiny baubles. I wish Lachlan and Emma had more in common than an uncontrollable lust for one another, and that they had spent more time getting to know each other, rather than just going back and forth between fighting and fucking. However, once they got past their initial fighting, the character development was strong enough to offset the cosmic fated mates stuff that often prevents any real connection between the characters besides physical attraction.
With that said, this ended up being better than I thought it would be. I enjoyed Lachlan’s character development and Emma growing in to her own strength. I like that the Valkyrie’s are simultaneously the dangerous, murderous shield-maiden’s of old but also screeching cats who like shiny baubles. I wish Lachlan and Emma had more in common than an uncontrollable lust for one another, and that they had spent more time getting to know each other, rather than just going back and forth between fighting and fucking. However, once they got past their initial fighting, the character development was strong enough to offset the cosmic fated mates stuff that often prevents any real connection between the characters besides physical attraction.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first 280 pages are Lachlain trying to trick Emma into accepting him while assaulting her, then the last 100 pages suddenly have an outside plot and whirlwind of action happening, and then the book just brushes off the bad things that have happened to have a pretty little happy ending??
The fated mates truly felt like it existed just to justify Lachlain's abusive behavior, and the sudden plot speedrun at the end felt like it came out of nowhere. The inter-species conflict and dynamics could have been interesting, but it felt shoved in there and not developed well enough for this book to successfully make the romance + plot combination compelling or well-done (in my humble opinion).
Maybe the continuation of the series builds out more of the world-building, but I felt this did not read satisfyingly as a standalone.
The fated mates truly felt like it existed just to justify Lachlain's abusive behavior, and the sudden plot speedrun at the end felt like it came out of nowhere. The inter-species conflict and dynamics could have been interesting, but it felt shoved in there and not developed well enough for this book to successfully make the romance + plot combination compelling or well-done (in my humble opinion).
Maybe the continuation of the series builds out more of the world-building, but I felt this did not read satisfyingly as a standalone.
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I felt like this read was just okay. The writing itself wasn’t bad, but it felt like it was glorifying an alpha male rape trope. I enjoy my romances on the darker side, and many of those contain triggering content like dub-con, non-con, and SA, but something about this one just rubbed me the wrong way. I think it was the way it was written. It openly acknowledged that the MMC was forcing himself on the FMC, but then tried to excuse it in a really distasteful way with the whole “you’re my chosen mate” justification. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but it brings me to my next point: the fated mates trope.
It felt like every other aspect of the story was minimized just to spotlight that trope. It got old fast. I don’t have an issue with the fated mates concept—it’s actually why I picked this up—but the story leaned on it so heavily that anything else that could’ve made the book more compelling got pushed to the side.
The MMC and his companions were also very sexist, and they never really had to face their prejudice. Even when the FMC proved herself and came out on top, there wasn’t any real “aha” moment or growth from the MMC. That should’ve been a turning point imo, but it didn’t feel like one.
The ending felt really abrupt as well. I was genuinely shocked when I turned the page on my kindle, expecting more, only to find it was over, lol. So overall, I didn’t hate it enough to DNF, but I also didn’t like it enough to feel satisfied having read it. I can see how this book might work for others, but it just didn’t land for me. I doubt I’ll continue the series, at least not for a while.
It felt like every other aspect of the story was minimized just to spotlight that trope. It got old fast. I don’t have an issue with the fated mates concept—it’s actually why I picked this up—but the story leaned on it so heavily that anything else that could’ve made the book more compelling got pushed to the side.
The MMC and his companions were also very sexist, and they never really had to face their prejudice. Even when the FMC proved herself and came out on top, there wasn’t any real “aha” moment or growth from the MMC. That should’ve been a turning point imo, but it didn’t feel like one.
The ending felt really abrupt as well. I was genuinely shocked when I turned the page on my kindle, expecting more, only to find it was over, lol. So overall, I didn’t hate it enough to DNF, but I also didn’t like it enough to feel satisfied having read it. I can see how this book might work for others, but it just didn’t land for me. I doubt I’ll continue the series, at least not for a while.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this introduction to the Immortals After Dark series. The world building was fun, and the action was high octane and led this book to be very fast paced. I was expecting more interpersonal dynamics between the main characters and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of plot and action in this 336 page novel.
Having read Bride by Ali Hazelwood first, I certainly could see the parts of this story Ali adored and brought into her own. In Emma I see bits of Misery, and in Misery I see bits of Emma. The world building in both leads to similar story lines and separations of species, but we're also sufficiently different to feel enjoyable in the journey.
Having read Bride by Ali Hazelwood first, I certainly could see the parts of this story Ali adored and brought into her own. In Emma I see bits of Misery, and in Misery I see bits of Emma. The world building in both leads to similar story lines and separations of species, but we're also sufficiently different to feel enjoyable in the journey.
I will open this by saying that I am one of those people that loves the Fated Mates trope. Soulmates, reincarnated lovers, it's all my bag. So when I read the premise of this, I was like, hey it might be somewhere up my alley. Or at least fun trash.
This was not that. At all.
The writing was immediately over the top and juvenile, and the dynamic between the love interests toxic and gross, and the attempted SA in the first 12 pages of the book was deeply fucked up in a story where you're trying to get me to root for this couple (like, I can get behind some fictional dub-con depending on the story and how it's written, but this was not at all that; this shit was straight up non-con).
There's a better way to write Fated Mates, I know there is. And this is not one of them. This was not my cup of tea at all.
P.S. - Please, I'm begging authors: stop 👏 writing 👏 out 👏 the 👏 Scottish 👏 accent.
This was not that. At all.
The writing was immediately over the top and juvenile, and the dynamic between the love interests toxic and gross, and the attempted SA in the first 12 pages of the book was deeply fucked up in a story where you're trying to get me to root for this couple (like, I can get behind some fictional dub-con depending on the story and how it's written, but this was not at all that; this shit was straight up non-con).
There's a better way to write Fated Mates, I know there is. And this is not one of them. This was not my cup of tea at all.
P.S. - Please, I'm begging authors: stop 👏 writing 👏 out 👏 the 👏 Scottish 👏 accent.
2.25
This book is so 2006 it’s not even funny, and I just know that if I had read this when I was like 14 I would have been obsessed.
Obviously, this book is like off the charts uncomfortable and non-consensual. It brings me back to a very specific time in the mid to late 2000s where everyone was surprisingly cool about stories like this, even though it’s very clearly outrageously rapey. Like, it’s that obsessive, controlling, toxic and borderline Stockholm Syndrome relationship that was seriously romanticized when I was a tween but can now recognize is a major red flag.
But also, it’s just like not written very well. Story-wise I didn’t hate it, but I like a monster romance and a modern world that secretly has mystical creatures. It’s just that the pacing is not good and the writing is bad. Like, the ending is so rushed it feels unbelievable, and some of the passages are borderline non-sensical and the dialogue is weird. I did like some of the banter between Emma and Lachlain, but at other times I was like…two people having a conversation don’t talk like that.
Please don’t even get me started on the other mythical creatures and stuff. I was genuinely so confused, because this book is billed as book 1 in this series when it clearly is not! Like there is a book labeled 0.5 on Goodreads which makes me think it’s just a novella, especially because it’s less than 200 pages but I hope there is a lot more world-building and information in that book because I was so confused here.
All that being said, I did unfortunately devour this book. It wasn’t good, but at the end of the day I did kind of enjoy it and will probably come back to this series.
This book is so 2006 it’s not even funny, and I just know that if I had read this when I was like 14 I would have been obsessed.
Obviously, this book is like off the charts uncomfortable and non-consensual. It brings me back to a very specific time in the mid to late 2000s where everyone was surprisingly cool about stories like this, even though it’s very clearly outrageously rapey. Like, it’s that obsessive, controlling, toxic and borderline Stockholm Syndrome relationship that was seriously romanticized when I was a tween but can now recognize is a major red flag.
But also, it’s just like not written very well. Story-wise I didn’t hate it, but I like a monster romance and a modern world that secretly has mystical creatures. It’s just that the pacing is not good and the writing is bad. Like, the ending is so rushed it feels unbelievable, and some of the passages are borderline non-sensical and the dialogue is weird. I did like some of the banter between Emma and Lachlain, but at other times I was like…two people having a conversation don’t talk like that.
Please don’t even get me started on the other mythical creatures and stuff. I was genuinely so confused, because this book is billed as book 1 in this series when it clearly is not! Like there is a book labeled 0.5 on Goodreads which makes me think it’s just a novella, especially because it’s less than 200 pages but I hope there is a lot more world-building and information in that book because I was so confused here.
All that being said, I did unfortunately devour this book. It wasn’t good, but at the end of the day I did kind of enjoy it and will probably come back to this series.
A paranormal series where ancient groups of vampires, Valkyrie, Werewolves or Lykae, demons and other creatures of Lore co-exit in the human world without our knowledge.
The heroine is Emmaline, the only known half vampire/Valkyrie in existence who is basically kidnapped by Lykae king, Lachlain when he discovers that she is is long awaited mate. Unfortunately for them the Lykae and vampires are immortal enemies and Lachlain has a massive vendetta against the Vampire Horde. Emma has been raised in secret by her Valkyrie aunts after her mother's death so has little knowledge of her vampire heritage except for the obvious limitations it places on her (no sunlight, blood for sustenance etc).
Emma is not at all what Lachlain was expecting in a mate and Emma has no idea what's going on with this crazy guy who has basically abducted her.
I really enjoyed getting to know this world and the two main characters are great. I loved Emma, who is a really timid pacifist at the outset, but learns to stick up for herself and shows her true strength as the story progresses.
This book contains many descriptive love scenes.
RE-READ 2024: still fun
The heroine is Emmaline, the only known half vampire/Valkyrie in existence who is basically kidnapped by Lykae king, Lachlain when he discovers that she is is long awaited mate. Unfortunately for them the Lykae and vampires are immortal enemies and Lachlain has a massive vendetta against the Vampire Horde. Emma has been raised in secret by her Valkyrie aunts after her mother's death so has little knowledge of her vampire heritage except for the obvious limitations it places on her (no sunlight, blood for sustenance etc).
Emma is not at all what Lachlain was expecting in a mate and Emma has no idea what's going on with this crazy guy who has basically abducted her.
I really enjoyed getting to know this world and the two main characters are great. I loved Emma, who is a really timid pacifist at the outset, but learns to stick up for herself and shows her true strength as the story progresses.
This book contains many descriptive love scenes.
RE-READ 2024: still fun
