Dreams of a Dark Warrior: Volume 11 (Immortals After Dark, #10)

by Kresley Cole

A ruthless Norse warrior will defeat anything standing between him and his beautiful obsession - even Death itself.

A millennium ago, Aidan the Fierce lost his heart to the Valkyrie Regin the Radiant, but he was murdered before he could win her. Since then, he has reincarnated into different identities, with his memory of the past buried deep. This time he has returned as Declan Chase, a human soldier bent on exterminating all immortals - including Regin, his newest captive.

The proud Northman that Regin still mourns has been replaced by a twisted madman. Once tortured by immortals, Chase now metes out vengeance against them, and he's fixated on her. Regin's only hope is to make him remember her, though she knows that whenever he recovers his memories, history will repeat itself, and he'll be lost to her again. . . .

• ISBN10: 1439136807
• ISBN13: 9781439136805
• Publish Date: 15 February 2011
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 528
• Language: English

Reviews

[FranJessca @ A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog]

(I originally read/reviewed Dreams of a Dark Warrior on my previous blog ‘Mrs. Papillion, aka “The Book Worm,” back in 2011, so this is a revised version after reading/listening to it a second time in 2019 and a third time in 2022.)

Storyline/My Thoughts: The first time I was introduced to Regin the Radiant in the Immortals After Dark, I immediately adored her character. She is the character everyone can rely on, and she can kick-butt. I was happy to finally get her story and find out who her fated mate was in the series. If you read the previous book in the series, then you would’ve gotten a sneak peek of who it was in the series. I also was glad that Kresley told the beginning of Regin’s story and how she ended up falling for the Berserker, Aidan the Fierce.

Now, Regin is faced with a reincarnation of Aidan the Fierce, and his name is now Declan Chase. Although, this time, he hates Regin. Declan kidnaps Regin and several other Lore creatures in this story and takes them to Torture Island, where the Order wants to experiment, take apart, or even destroy the lore kind. Declan intends to destroy Regin because that is what he’s supposed to do. He’s not supposed to have feelings for her or anyone in the Lore. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be comfortable when it comes to Regin because he becomes obsessed with her.

I love how Kresley Cole writes Regin’s and Declan’s story because she gives glimpses of Regin and Declan’s (Aidan) past together. She also goes into the other lives they had together. It’s not been easy, and I can see why Regin is reluctant to be with Declan. She doesn’t want to lose him again. I didn’t think I would love Declan, especially how he treated all the Lore characters in this book. After getting his POV in this book and reading some of his other past lives, I fell hard for the berserker. He’s still not my top male Lore guy, though. Malkom Slaine still has my heart. In this book, Kresley also introduces several other Lore characters that I can’t wait to know more about in future books. I have no idea how Kresley keeps up with all, but she is one fantastic storyteller, and I love how she keeps building this world even further.

Oh, and let’s not forget that Lothaire’s book is next and that Vampire did the unthinkable in this book. I don’t know if I should hate him or love him. All I know is this book gets five stars, and Kresley, you have a fan for life. 🙂

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Immortals After Dark series, and I recommend reading in order.

Steaminess: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Trope: Fated Mates; Enemies to Lovers

Would I recommend this book? Yes. I’ll keep bragging about this series forever, and I will always recommend it to Paranormal Romance readers.

[mitabird]

4.5 stars

[littleread1]

I am not sure. I kind of liked this? Kind of? But kind of not?

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

This is the story of Regin the Radiant and Aidan the Fierce/Declan Chase. Regin meets Aidan when she was still very young and hadn't even reached her immortality. Aidan is a berserker, who are mortals who have to earn their immortality by competing in battles in the name of Wōden. Unfortunately, Aidan is killed by vampires before he could earn his immortality, right after he seals his relationship with Regin. This happens three more times before he comes back as Declan Chase.

Declan Chase has had an extremely rough life and has more reason to hate immortals than anyone else. He walked in on some immortals torturing and eating his family while they were still alive. They also started in on Declan too. He is saved by his future father figure, who also is the leader of a secret organization, who is bent on killing all immortals. Declan joins and becomes one the ring leaders.

Chase and Regin have more to overcome than any of the previous couples in the IAD series. Chase has killed and tortured many of Regin's friends and allies. Chase has every reason to despise immortals. Watching how they come through this is truly amazing and not without complication. So far in the series, pretty much everyone has had difficulties, but nobody has the mountains to climb that these two have.

We meet Brandr, who is another berserker and Aidan's best friend. He won his immortality and vowed to keep Regin safe for Aidan. Thad, who is seventeen-years-old and is just learning that he is part of the Lore. He didn't even know it existed until he woke up at the compound. Also, no one know what he is. They do learn he is a halfling, but of what? Natalya, a dark fae, who shares a cell with Regin and Thad.

Let's not forget Lothaire, who has a much larger part in this book that I expected the first time I read it. It sets him up to be the hero of the next book. Yes, you read that right. The enemy of old is the hero of the next Immortals After Dark book. Even after having some time in his POV and lots of page time with him, you still have no idea what is going on with him.

Nix is still up to her old games. She has a bat named Bertil. She has some great "Up" references in this book, "Squirrel". She will always be my favorite character in this series.

Robert Petkoff does another great job with this book. I can't say enough about his ability to narrate this series. He does such a great job with both males and females. There are many different accents that he nails as well. He pulls off the coldness of Lothaire and the fun loving Regin. He really hits the bull's eye with La Dorada and her weird screaming.

I like to thank Simon & Schuster Audio for proving me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda]

The best of the Dark Warrior books! So much more background for Regin and Aiden, and also, another point of view as to what happened on the Order's island during the captivity of many from the Lore. Lothar is still up to no good, but finally, Regin has her berserker, forever.