LOTHAIRE, the enemy of old 
 Lothaire was excellent, not just the book, I mean the man! 
 I have a thing for a sociopathic male protagonist. Some may find the bad boy, smoking. Others may find the tortured soul hero, compelling. I, on the other hand, find a man with questionable moral behavior, intriguing. This, for me, makes or breaks a book. It just trips my trigger. 
 With this said, I find a female protagonist who puts up with their shit, weak. I think that is the draw for me, they are a true challenge. I wouldn't put up with them(sociopath-bf) for a second. That is the beauty of the book Lothaire. Elizabeth Pierce, aka: Ellie, The Goddess Soroya(possession) She didn't take his crap. Ellie is a fantastic character. A hillbilly with a will made of steel to deal with all the grief Lothaire and his thought-to-be mate, Soroya, put her through. 
 Throughout the book Lothaire has brief thoughts of, "I hope she isn't my mate. Nah, she can't be. I wouldn't do something so heinous to my mate." When the light bulb finally comes on inside Lothaire's mind he doesn't even apologize for it. If Ellie were to give him an inch he would have a continent. She doesn't give him an inch. She does, however, give him her middle finger, Literally . In her defense he does gift her with his black heart, torn free from his chest by his very claws. Aww, how romantic! 
 The romance, or should I say; abduction, rape, torture, emotionally/mentally/physically abusive, hijacking of her person. Yeah, that sounds better. The ROMANCE was scorching and highly inventive. The premise of the story was pretty weak. The book dragged on. *GASP* Did I just say that? Yup, pretty sure I did. It took a long time to get where it was going in the very thin plot. I did love the journey. Yeah, I took a star away because of this. Don't get me wrong, I loved every second of the book and will highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. But, Lothaire was one of my favorite characters from the series and I excepted a better plot. He was given a kick ass Queen, so no complaints there. I would have seethed if she weren't up to par, she's excellent for him! 
 The plot, or lack there of, climax was underwhelming. It resolved fast. "Yeah, Uncle Lothaire, we just gave the ring back to the creepy Zombie-esque lady and her zombie minions. She said thanks!" That's how it felt. Regarding the possession of Ellie by Soroya, the above mentioned baddie just pointed a finger and BAM! she was gone, just like that. All that build up and no release. I felt like I was at an orgy, *glanced around,feeling frustrated, noticed the relaxed participants* "Where's mine?" *Makes sad face* 
 Keep in mind that the climax resolved (its self?) about 100 pages before the end of the book. The Valkyrie kidnap Ellie just as she (in a moment of bloodlust) beheads Lothaire. I know I am supposed to be worried, but this is paranormal romance, a guaranteed HEA! I loved going to the Valkyrie's mansion. I missed them. But, I am far from an idiot. We have enjoyed them for 12 books, so (Kresley Cole), did you honestly believe we would think that you would have the Valkyries hurt Ellie? Not happening. While I loved it, it was also filler, so that we could see the Valkyries. Not cool! 
 The ending was Faery tale-ish, albeit enjoyable. The shocker cliffhanger, wasn't a shock to me. I knew who that babe was the moment it was mentioned. I loved this part of the story, back story, rather. 
 LOVED 
 I loved Ellie and her Hillfolk, their fierce loyalty to one another. I loved Ellie and the way she brought Lothaire to heel. I LOVED Lothaire. I liked the glimpse of the Valkyrie, though unneeded. I liked the set up for the next book. Nix, unpredictable, fantastic, NIX! 
 LOATHED 
 What disappointed me. The PLOT, as weak as it was, it wasn't solved by the protagonists. It was, "Who cares?" Lothaire and his back story, Ellie and her back story, they needed a better plot, actually, the needed a plot. The romance? Or assault? was fantastic. It felt as if Cole just filled in between. This was a filler book. No new strides were taken for the Ascension. Lothaire and Ellie deserved better. 
 With all this said, I still enjoyed the book as it pissed me off. I feel like Lothaire. Which is it? Did I love it or did I hate it? I guess you will have to read it and decide for yourself... 
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