#TravelingtoTerminus Audio Review ~ Dark Deeds at Night's Edge ~ Kresley Cole

Dark Deeds at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole
Immortals After Dark #5
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
Release Date: November 1, 2012
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased on Audible
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Challenges: #TravelingtoTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
A RAVEN-HAIRED TEMPTRESS OF THE DARK... Neomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers -- until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Neomi herself. 
A VAMPIRE WARRIOR CONSUMED BY MADNESS... To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth's brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own. 
HOW FAR WILL HE GO TO CLAIM HER? Yet even if Conrad can win Neomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

I was rather looking forward to Conrad Wroth's story. A fallen vampire, I was curious how and if he could be "saved". Despite his story not being a favorite in the series, because of the lack of action, I was nonetheless happy with Conrad's tale.

Conrad has had a difficult vampiric life as he'd sworn his human life to hunting and killing vampires so becoming a thing he hated didn't sit well. Particularly when the group he'd sworn allegiance to turned their sights on him. In his 300 years as a vampire, he's become a highly skilled and feared assassin. And because of the lives he's taken, he's on the brink of madness - a state his brothers are determined to keep at bay. If only they could help him find his Bride.

Enter Neomi. Neomi is a ghost having been murdered in her hoe by a scorned lover. She's "lived" 80+ years in her home unable to leave and unable to speak to anyone...until Conrad. Conrad can see and hear her. At first, neither can understand why, but Conrad eventually determines it's because she's fated for him. Now, I don't typically enjoy a romance where part of the couple is a ghost. However, Kresley handled this situation in a way that worked. Well.

As for the lack of action, well, it made sense of course since Neomi was a ghost and couldn't leave her home. So I was forgiving of the lack of action, especially when we got some towards the end. I also delighted in seeing favorite characters from previous installments, getting hints as to what will come next, and of course, the humor provided through them - especially Nyx.

Robert Petkoff's narration is, as always, top notch and I'm sure a large part of the reason I'm enjoying this series in audio so much. His voices and accents, both male and female, are simply incredible. He keeps the pacing perfectly and he's able to convey emotions so well, he can give me goosebumps.

So even though I missed the action and was leery of a ghost as a love interest, Dark Deeds at Night's Edge was still an excellent installment. I'm anxious to dive into the next!

New Release Review ~ Haunted by the King of Death ~ Felicity Heaton

Haunted by the King of Death by Felicity Heaton
Eternal Mates #11
Release Date: July 30, 2016
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2016NewRelease, #COYER
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

Synopsis
A ruthless vampire warrior, Gave Van der Garde rules the mercenary Preux Chevaliers with an iron fist, determined to retain his hard-won position as one of the most powerful men in Hell and his reputation as the heartless King of Death. But beneath the cold facade beats the heart of a vampire torn between love and hate, ripped in two directions by a single ethereally beautiful female--his fated phantom mate.

Driven by her phantom instincts, Isla used a spell to make her solid in order to deceive the vampire who killed her sister's demon mate and have revenge on him, condemning him with a single kiss to become a phantom too. But her plan took an unexpected turn when she fell in love with him, and with her new life, and the night she betrayed him shattered both of their hearts. Now, he lives to make her suffer through their connection, one that is fading with them as they begin to slop into the phantom world, and she must face the monster she created if she is to save herself and the vampire she still loves.

With a demon from Grave's past determined to destroy him and everything he holds dear, and the clock ticking down to their inevitable doom, can he and Isla overcome their past and their pride to work together to secure the future they both desire deep in their hearts? Or will death finally catch up with the vampire king and his phantom mate?

It is quite a feat to carry a series to 11 books and keep it entertaining and engaging. Heaton has certainly accomplished that feat. Not only was Haunted by the King of Death entertaining but she managed to keep me captivated with Grave and Isla's story...so captivated I didn't miss my favorite characters from previous installments. That is something I didn't think possible!

Grave has always intrigued me. He's a vampire for one thing. But he's also an enigma. I've been eager for his story for awhile...and what a story! I enjoyed getting better acquainted with him, learning his story and finding that he's not simply a cold-hearted mercenary. In Isla, I learned about phantoms in this world - their nature and particular makeup. I warmed immediately to her and understood her earlier actions as well as felt for she's suffered because of those actions.

Their story - finding their way back to one another via a threat to them both as well as their families - was... well, I was enraptured. There was so much going on and Heaton wove in her masterfully choreographed fight scenes around solving a problem and protecting family and each other. I found it all utterly exciting!

Eternal Mates is one of my favorite series as Heaton keeps me engaged and entertained. I can't wait for the next in this series and, thanks to some of the characters I met here, I'm thinking I need to immerse myself in her Vampirerotique series as well. :D