Reviewed by Amanda on
I have A Hunger Like No Other rated four stars on Goodreads even though it really translates out into something more like a 3.5 for me. Though there is a possibility the short story that comes before this would have oriented me better in the Immortals After Dark world, I felt like this book suffers from some of the same world disorientation that other beginning books in series suffer from (Dark-Hunter, for example). However, I suspect that, like many other series, the world in this series will improve with each book. But my point here was that it took me about 200 pages to feel comfortable with the story and characters, which didn’t matter in the end because the story was good (hence the four stars on Goodreads), but upon further reflection caused me to drop the enjoyment scale rating. Of course, even though it took me quite a few pages before I really felt comfortable with the story, it was hard for me to put down from the very start.
Though I was a bit disoriented, once I managed to sort out some of the world, I have to appreciate the uniqueness of the Immortals After Dark world. We were really only introduced to three distinct immortals in this book: vampires, Lykae (werewolves), and Valkyrie. The Valkyrie don’t make an appearance in many paranormal books that I know of, so their presence lent itself to the uniqueness of the world. The mythology surrounding the Lykae and vampires is different as well. Which is always a plus when one considers the onslaught of vampire and werewolf stories available to read. And the fact that each type of immortal has its own form of mate (well, mate for Lykae and Bride for vampires, and there is more, but I forget already) makes A Hunger Like No Other, and the Immortals After Dark series, one that is my kind of romance.
And speaking of the romance specifically, I have to say that the beginning made me a little wary. It straddled the line between insta-lust/insta-hate and something forced. If they had had sex at any point between Lachlain basically kidnapping Emmaline and their arrival at his castle, I think I might have put the book down and walked away. But, they didn’t. And the story backed off that line and slowly got really, really good. The second half of the book hit all the right notes for me when it comes to romance. The emotional push and pull with the characters, the intense attraction, and the overwhelming desire to do anything for one’s mate.
Like so many romance novels, the characters actually pale in comparison to the emotions evoked in the romance itself. Though I did eventually make a strong connection to Lachlain and Emmaline, the lasting impression of the book is their romance. And that is what a romance should be. For me, anyway. There was also a small focus on secondary characters. Enough so that I am already looking forward to the next books in the series.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 24 February, 2012: Finished reading
- 24 February, 2012: Reviewed