Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Book Review: Kresley Cole’s Dreams of a Dark Warrior

Kresely Cole’s latest book and 11th in the Immortals After Dark series is Dreams of a Dark Warrior.  Regin the Radient and Aiden the Fierce have quite a past.  Regin, one of the many daughters of the god, Woden, left heaven in search of her sister.  During her quest, Regin met Aiden, a Berserker and a warrior, and their lives were never the same.

Aiden was instantly obsessed with Regin, his godly charge who radiated a mystical glow.  He knew she was meant for him and from that moment, he vowed to protect her.  As a young child and even as a grown woman, Regin considered Aiden a lowly mortal.  As a Valkyrie who was destined to be an immortal, she was intrigued by Aiden but intuitively knew not to fall in love with him.  Even though Aiden was a Berserker - a being with immense power when raged, he was still mortal.  Aiden arrogantly vowed he’d be turned into an immortal, winning ohalla; a gift bestowed by Woden to mortals who fought 200 battles in his name.  That never happened, not in Aiden’s lifetime.  And their eternal curse set not too long after he claimed her for his own.

Several centuries later and during Aiden’s fifth reincarnation, Regin is captured by Declan Chase.  He’s Aiden’s reincarnation – that's for sure – and he’s a screwed up, militant-type guy, whose job is to collect, cage or kill immortals. Chase works as a hunter for the Order, a secret, specialized operation that considers all immortals as monsters. Chase is dark and menacing. He follows his orders no questions asked until he meets Regin and begins breaking all the rules.

What I loved about this book was how screwed up the characters were.  Regin’s mind was warped after repeatedly finding and living briefly with Aiden’s reincarnations. Each one of them different yet somehow still Aiden.  She had mere moments of bliss with all of them and then they died, forcing her to live in perpetual hell without her true mate.  Chase, has such an effed up past, it’s a wonder he doesn’t kill all immortals on site.  These two were a pair.

The story captivated me from the start, which is typical Kresley Cole style.  Aiden and Regin have such history together is makes sense their relationship would be doomed.  Still, Cole manages to bring it home, and beautifully too. I really liked this book…not only for his romantic elements but for its complexity of truly dark and mysterious characters.  Dreams of a Dark Warrior was easily a 4 for me.

Until next time…read anything by Kresley Cole and you won’t be disappointed.

Mina B.
Remember...
My FREE Book Contest for
Kresley Cole's Dreams of a Dark Warrior
ends March 17th eod.  Click here to enter!

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