A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole (2006, Paperback)

Huddled amidst my thousands of vintage Harlequin Desires and my 80's Super Romances, I was busily enjoying the works of a number of great earlier romance writers, unaware that the world was changing as I steeped myself in the thrilling pages I love so...until I decided to pick up an interesting-looking THICK paperback sitting nestled amidst the small array of more recent titles at my local grocer's constabulary.

I have always adored occult and fantasy novels, but here was one that combined the two great loves of my reading life...sexy romance and things mystical and magickal. Hmmm. Was it worth the $6.95 the price tag showed? Probably, but I'm not willing to pay full price when my favorite shopping mall is right at my computer keyboard! I looked at the date it was written and released, and naturally, I thought..."Let's check out the offerings on eBay!"

I was instantly gratified to find the book available from a seller in my ol' favorite hunting grounds, and I swept it into my possession. I certainly do not regret that impulse!

Kresley Cole's style is fast and decisive, and her mind is a wonderful mix of historical realism, red-hot romance, and a writing style that captures you the moment you open the first page, and keeps you there until your eyes bug out and you realize it's past 5:00 AM and you have to get up for work!

A Hunger Like No Other is, as you've most likely realized, the tale of wicked things that go bump in the night...but wicked in a wonderfully, lavishly sexy manner that makes the reader tingle with goosebumps not from fright, but rather from excitement! The novel takes us into a world where we discover that we are not alone in the universe...and I don't refer to extraterrestrial beings from outer space.

Kresley Cole's universe is filled with vampires, werewolves, ghouls, pixies, Valkyrie, witch covens whose powers are used for good or evil for whatever the going price may be, and an entire LORE of immortal creatures with fabulous magick, supernormal powers, and scintillating needs that sweep the reader along with breathtaking speed through a world where anything is possible!

The heroine of the piece is just like the rest of us...a mixed up bundle of contradictions and frustrations. The fact that she is a half-vampire, half Valkyrie immortal makes no difference. The fact that her fated lover is a 6 foot 6 inch werewolf from Scotland who hates everything about vampires is no problem at all--the fact that her missing, unknown father is the very vampire who created that burning hatred by imprisoning the immortal Lykae for a century and a half in hellfire, allowing him to burn slowly to death only to revive through his immortality and suffer the same agony and pain over and over and over--the fact that Emmaline The Timid is supposed to be a brave, ferocious, and deadly warrior like her wild and woolly Valkyrie half-sisters in her coven in New Orleans, but fears everything under the sun including having to drink blood to survive--oh, well.

Definitely NOT a book for teens under 16, and definitely not for the faint hearted. I love romance in any format, but Ms. Cole's romances are heart-poundingly exciting and imaginative, and her characters are wonderfully drawn, beautifully written and excitingly real! I liked it so much, I looked for her other romances as well, and found them...of course! On eBay! So if you are looking for a great read, and a great romance, I highly recommend this one!

My review for this paranormal werewolf paranormal is. . . intense action, devilishly passionate sexy and fascinating characters. Kresley Cole's latest effort is "wildly" delicious and entertaining. She has taken the paranormal genre and created her very own legends and lore...filled with ultra entertaining characters.

Emmaline is half vampire and half Valkyrie. She is known in her coven as Emma the timid. Her family is shocked when she decides she wants to travel to Paris alone to find out the truth about her father. While there she is attacked by a handsome, yummy, strong, yummy, scary...oh yes yummy man who scares the stuffing out of her. She is even more shocked to find out that in order to return to Louisiana she will have to help Lachlain MacRieve the leader of a Lykae Clan return to his home in Scotland. She'll do it believing she will be allowed to return home. She has no idea Lachlain is her forever mate and he has no plans on ever letting her get away.

Lachlain has spent the last hundred and fifty years being tortured by the vampire Demestriu. He is slowly going mad and then...he scents his mate. He has been waiting an eternity to find her and he is not going to let her get away now. He is shocked and somewhat disgusted when he finds out his long awaited mate is half vampire. But despite this he can't keep himself from feeling things for the wee little Emma.

RECOMMEND 5*'s

A Hunger like no other is a Steamy Book! I could NOT put this book down! This novel will Grab you and you can't let go! The Valkyrie Emma and the Werewolf Lachlain really are Gripping Characters. This book has it all Action, Mystery and Romance! The Desire Runs Rampant in this Super Sexy Novel! This is the first book in the Immortals After Dark Series by Kresley Cole. A Steamy Sexy Book you must Read!


Check my Guides for the READING ORDER!

A Hunger Like No Other is a very unique take on the paranormal romance. Much like Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series, Cole uses mythology quite heavily when creating her world of creatures. Instead of Greek or Atlantean lore, Cole's world includes a large dose of Norse mythology. The Valkyries are something I have never come across in a paranormal romance--and Cole does a great job making them real and not the cardboard cut-out characters you frequently find. There is every kind of supernatural creature imaginable in this book and at times it does feel crowded with them. This is a great book for readers who enjoy vampire and werewolf romances. There is a bit of gore--more explicit than Kenyon's series and about the same as Christine Feehan. I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.

My friend told me that "Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole" was a great book, and so I bought it. After reading this book, I had to agree with my friend. The book was great.