A vampire warrior who yearns for death. . .Three hundred years ago, Sebastian Wroth's brothers forced him to become a vampire-a nightmare in his mind. Shamed and alone for ages, he longs to die. Until an exquisite creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead. A beautiful assassin dispatched to destroy him. . .When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow-accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters the vampire with his grave eyes, her feelings-particularly lust-emerge multiplied. For the first time, she's unable to complete a kill.
The prize is a key powerful enough to resurrect her sisters. Not understanding the key's import, Sebastian hinders her against other opponents by using her new feelings to seduce her and earn her love. But when Kaderin is forced to choose between finally killing Sebastian and reuniting her family, how can she live without either. . . ?
Kaderin, the Cold Hearted, is a Kickass Warrior Valkyrie who hates vampires with a vengeance after they killed her sisters. Sebastian Wroth, a warrior, was turned unknowingly by his brothers centuries ago to save him. He left his ancestral home in anger and has never taken blood from a living source. He instead drinks animal blood. Sebastian is a nomad who has chosen to live off the grid, disgusted by his own existence. We all know where this is going right? So of course when Kaderin crosses his path she makes his heart beat again. The two share a hot and heated encounter before she takes off leaving him behind. The romance that unfolds is slow building and filled with sexual tension, humor and character growth.
Their story intertwines with a quest or "amazing race" type of event. Kaderin has won in previous years and is determined to hold that honor again. This year the prize will grant her her heart's desire and no one will stop her. Sebastian tags along, or pops in to aid Kaderin much to her annoyance. I loved the banter and snark. The two of them totally surprised each other, as did their reactions to things. The "amazing race" was fantastic. Cole's description of the challenges, creatures they encounter and lore were delightful. This race allowed the romance to develop slowly and be tested. It also gave Cole room to showcase and flesh out these characters. They felt genuine, and I connected on a much more personal level than the previous book.
Cole also gives us plenty of humor, updates on previous characters and hints of things to come. I adore the Valkyrie home in NOLA and the men who have fallen for these women. Conversations between them and our main characters had me chuckling. Such mischief.
Robert Petkoff once again narrates, and I love his voice for these strong, alpha male characters. Petkoff gave me a delightfully feminine Kaderin, while still capturing her fierceness. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Reading updates
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Started reading
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20 December, 2016:
Finished reading
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20 December, 2016:
Reviewed