Auntee's Reviews > Lothaire

What did I think? What did I think?...
I think this book is fantastic! Hands down the most erotic of the whole fabulous series, and one of the hardest to put down. I stayed up until 3:00am to finish this one...and then I was so keyed up I couldn't fall asleep! And it's days later and I'm still thinking about it...and rereading it.:)

No synopsis here, except to say this in the vampire Lothaire's story, the "Enemy of Old", the guy who's been in just about every book of the whole IAD series; the baddest of bad boys. Lothaire is quite a character--he's evil, he's a bit mad, he's calculating, he's self-absorbed, he's intelligent, he's selfish, he's arrogant, he's sarcastic, he's cruel, he's condescending...but he's also vulnerable (he really needs to know what love is), brave, fearless, sexy-as-all-get-out, and one of his best qualities--he's funny! He's got some great lines in this book, as does his future bride, 'mountain girl' Elizabeth "Ellie" Peirce.

Elizabeth...


Lothaire...


I loved this pairing between the 24-year-old (view spoiler)[virgin (hide spoiler)] and this centuries old vampire...holy cow could Ellie go toe-to-toe with Lothaire, matching him with her wits and her words. The absolute perfect partner for him, someone who wouldn't take his crap or let him get away with anything (if she could), and manages to teach him how to 'give', and not just 'take'. Anyway, when Lothaire and Ellie first meet she's being possessed by this b**** soul reaper named Saroya, who has inhabited her body and does all sorts of evil things (murders) when she's in control. Lothaire comes alive (his heart stars beating again after years of being one of the 'walking dead') when he's around Saroya (in Ellie's body) and he thinks that Saroya is his Bride (and his future). (Ha!) With Saroya by his side he will rule the vampire Horde and become king of Dacia (his mother's hidden vampire kingdom)...once he destroys Ellie's soul so Saroya can inhabit her body--permanently. But what if Saroya isn't Lothaire's Bride? What if his Bride is the unthinkable--a mortal? How will that affect all the plans Lothaire's made, all the debts owed to him, all that he's been working towards...how will that affect his so-called 'Endgame'?

Okay, I'm not going to say any more. If you're reading this review it's because you already have read all the books in this series and you think you know Lothaire--but you won't really know him until you read about his early life...and then you'll see how that shaped him to be the vampire that he is. Some sad, sad stuff here, and it made me forgive him when he was being an absolute ass towards Ellie. But even though I forgave him and could understand his behavior, he still had some shaping up to do to be a worthy hero (and that's what he turned out to be). No spoilers now, but just some pictures to tell the story...


Ellie comes from humble beginnings in rural Appalachia...


Lothaire faced tragedy and horror as a young boy...


OMG, this forest...


and this tree...*shudders*...


Lothaire's a complex guy, with a keen mind. He likes mechanical puzzles...


Lothaire 'saves' Ellie from this...


Lothaire can be suave...


...brooding...


sexy...


I'm coming for you, Elizavetta...


This settee sees a lot of action...


"I'm the sucker punch that you never saw coming."


Could Elizabeth be Lothaire's Bride?


Would she have to become...a vampire?


Is the Black Castle in Dacia in Lothaire's future?


Can 'Lizvetta' show 'Leo' how to be happy?


Just lovers...or something more?


Lothaire proves his love for Elizavetta...


To sum up--Lothaire is not to be missed, for fans of the series or anyone who enjoys a lusty paranormal. Yes it's true, these books should be read in order, so don't be tempted to skip to this one if you haven't read all the previous ones. But know that it's no hardship to read all the books that lead up to this one--they are all truly excellent and worthy of your reading time. Once again, Kresley Cole has knocked one out of the park---in fact, Lothaire is the grand slam of the whole series. Tension, humor, sex (Yowza--wait until you read chapter 32...and 33, 34...and 41 and 42!), suspense, terror, and love, all wrapped up in one very big satisfying book. 5 huge stars.

*P.S.: Is it just me, or did anyone else get the feeling that Woody from "Cheers" was speaking for young Thad? Whenever he said "Mr. Lothaire"...:)