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sanalaylaSo, you’ve got to ask yourself: what are you going to do with all your spare time when “SV” and “SPN” end their runs in May 2011? My response: start reading. On the surface, you’d think that I’d tell you to just start obsessing over some other TV shows. But – honestly – there are a lot of awesome books out there that are much better than TV.
That’s why I’m going to take a minute to share my love of Kresley Cole’s paranormal series called “Immortals After Dark”. If you’re really into vampires and fantasy stuff, then you’ll probably enjoy this series. If you’re sick and tired of vampires and would rather stake one than read about them, I would pose the argument that you’ll STILL love this series. Because Cole’s vamps are not the focus of every book and they are also not little emo vamps who cry over whether they should eat the girl they sit next to in English. Nor do they sparkle. They kill things and torture things. They have hot sex. But they do not cry or sparkle. (Except for one exception, but she’s a female half-vamp, so I’ll give her a pass. However, do note that she also does not sparkle.)
The reason I love Cole’s series is because she has a knack for writing kick-ass heroines. Not ALL of her heroines are kick-ass, but the majority of them are. (I find that the ones that do not have K.A. heroines are my least favorite books of hers. But others, apparently, love those.) She writes her males VERY ALPHA. Which can either be a turn on for you or a turn off. For me, it depends on whether the underlying love story is written well and she is quite good at writing a good love story. If you’re a person who likes good smut (and I understand that not all of you are into that) then Cole will blow your socks off. She knows good smut. She has that knack where she can believably build up the UST until you’re ready to explode, and when the H/HR get their moment, you’re so there with them. And there is always that pay-off.
The other thing that she’s great at is the world-building. The key to a good paranormal/fantasy series is the creation of a realistic world that the reader can bury themselves in, but never feel is too surreal. The reader should want to walk away from the book feeling like they want to live in that world. (This is one of the best things about the Harry Potter verse.) Now, of course, Cole is no JK Rowling, but she’s still pretty damn good at creating a world you can believe in. And it’s a pretty cool world, filled with all kinds of demons, valkyries, lykae, vampires, witches, sorceresses, and a whole other assortment of creatures that go bump in the night. (Think “SPN” with awesome female leads and lots of hot romance.)
Since Cole has such a variety of “species” in the IAD world, I also feel that the books never really become repetitive. The first book in the series features a lykae (werewolf) and a female vampire, whereas the second book in the series features a male vampire and a valkyrie. Another book will feature a rage demon and a sorceress. So the conflict in each of the books is very different from the others and the characters aren’t cookie-cutter.
One constant underlying theme in the books is the idea that every single person has a fated soulmate. Whether they like it or not. That is where a lot of the conflicts stem from. (Think arranged marriage with a lot fighting, sex, and magic.) If you’ve got a problem with the whole “destined to be together” thing, then you’ll probably hate these books. I’m going to be honest, I usually hate those sorts of stories, too. For some reason, they work for me in Cole’s universe. Probably because her heroines are always so hell bent on CHANGING destiny. They always go down kicking and fighting. And I gotta kind of love that.
Vampires – in Cole’s world – become ‘blooded’ when they meet their True Love. Meaning, their heart begins to beat again for the first time since becoming a vampire. This is a huge conflict in what is, arguably, my favorite book in the series, “No Rest for the Wicked”. Sebastian meets Kaderin (a Valkyrie) and realizes she’s The One. Unfortunately, the first time they meet, Kade is trying to kill him, because she’s a vampire hunter. What follows is a steamy love story that makes you want to give them both a hug, while you simultaneously want to kill Kade for not just realizing what a catch he is. She has her reasons and they rung true to me. Did I mention that he has a huge Clark Kent-bumbling nerd-but-oh-so-hot thing going on? And that she’s a lot like Lois Lane?
My other favorite character in the whole series is named Sabine and she’s the Queen of Illusions (a sorceress). Her hero, Rydstrom, is a demon king who is hell bent on re-gaining his throne. The story (“Kiss of a Demon King”) opens with Sabine kidnapping Rydstrom and trying to get him to get her pregnant. (There’s a reason, trust me.) The two are fated to be together, so Sabine – being the bitch she is – decides to roll with it and use it to her advantage. This leads to the point where Rydstrom is able to turn the tables on her and what ensues is a very hot “Taming of the Shrew” situation. Since Rydstrom is actually famous for being a very ethical guy who is uptight and all about the rules, he and Sabine spend a great deal of time debating the finer points of morality. As they fall in love, you can see them struggle with what it means to be with someone who is the polar opposite of you and the compromises that need to be made to make a relationship work.
On final reason I love these books: It's set in the "here and now" and features main characters who actually do things like quote "South Park" and talk like normal people. A lot of pop cultural references and characters with a sense of humor. A lot of the female characters are good friends and their conversations can be quite hilarious. Conversely, you've got some female characters who want to kill each other, but that's also a nice change of pace every now and then.
Anyway… all this to say: when you a spare moment (beginning May 2011), give these books a try. Here’s a link to Cole’s website, that tells you a little bit more about the books and the world she’s created:
http://kresleycole.com/books/immortals-after-dark-series.html
That’s why I’m going to take a minute to share my love of Kresley Cole’s paranormal series called “Immortals After Dark”. If you’re really into vampires and fantasy stuff, then you’ll probably enjoy this series. If you’re sick and tired of vampires and would rather stake one than read about them, I would pose the argument that you’ll STILL love this series. Because Cole’s vamps are not the focus of every book and they are also not little emo vamps who cry over whether they should eat the girl they sit next to in English. Nor do they sparkle. They kill things and torture things. They have hot sex. But they do not cry or sparkle. (Except for one exception, but she’s a female half-vamp, so I’ll give her a pass. However, do note that she also does not sparkle.)
The reason I love Cole’s series is because she has a knack for writing kick-ass heroines. Not ALL of her heroines are kick-ass, but the majority of them are. (I find that the ones that do not have K.A. heroines are my least favorite books of hers. But others, apparently, love those.) She writes her males VERY ALPHA. Which can either be a turn on for you or a turn off. For me, it depends on whether the underlying love story is written well and she is quite good at writing a good love story. If you’re a person who likes good smut (and I understand that not all of you are into that) then Cole will blow your socks off. She knows good smut. She has that knack where she can believably build up the UST until you’re ready to explode, and when the H/HR get their moment, you’re so there with them. And there is always that pay-off.
The other thing that she’s great at is the world-building. The key to a good paranormal/fantasy series is the creation of a realistic world that the reader can bury themselves in, but never feel is too surreal. The reader should want to walk away from the book feeling like they want to live in that world. (This is one of the best things about the Harry Potter verse.) Now, of course, Cole is no JK Rowling, but she’s still pretty damn good at creating a world you can believe in. And it’s a pretty cool world, filled with all kinds of demons, valkyries, lykae, vampires, witches, sorceresses, and a whole other assortment of creatures that go bump in the night. (Think “SPN” with awesome female leads and lots of hot romance.)
Since Cole has such a variety of “species” in the IAD world, I also feel that the books never really become repetitive. The first book in the series features a lykae (werewolf) and a female vampire, whereas the second book in the series features a male vampire and a valkyrie. Another book will feature a rage demon and a sorceress. So the conflict in each of the books is very different from the others and the characters aren’t cookie-cutter.
One constant underlying theme in the books is the idea that every single person has a fated soulmate. Whether they like it or not. That is where a lot of the conflicts stem from. (Think arranged marriage with a lot fighting, sex, and magic.) If you’ve got a problem with the whole “destined to be together” thing, then you’ll probably hate these books. I’m going to be honest, I usually hate those sorts of stories, too. For some reason, they work for me in Cole’s universe. Probably because her heroines are always so hell bent on CHANGING destiny. They always go down kicking and fighting. And I gotta kind of love that.
Vampires – in Cole’s world – become ‘blooded’ when they meet their True Love. Meaning, their heart begins to beat again for the first time since becoming a vampire. This is a huge conflict in what is, arguably, my favorite book in the series, “No Rest for the Wicked”. Sebastian meets Kaderin (a Valkyrie) and realizes she’s The One. Unfortunately, the first time they meet, Kade is trying to kill him, because she’s a vampire hunter. What follows is a steamy love story that makes you want to give them both a hug, while you simultaneously want to kill Kade for not just realizing what a catch he is. She has her reasons and they rung true to me. Did I mention that he has a huge Clark Kent-bumbling nerd-but-oh-so-hot thing going on? And that she’s a lot like Lois Lane?
My other favorite character in the whole series is named Sabine and she’s the Queen of Illusions (a sorceress). Her hero, Rydstrom, is a demon king who is hell bent on re-gaining his throne. The story (“Kiss of a Demon King”) opens with Sabine kidnapping Rydstrom and trying to get him to get her pregnant. (There’s a reason, trust me.) The two are fated to be together, so Sabine – being the bitch she is – decides to roll with it and use it to her advantage. This leads to the point where Rydstrom is able to turn the tables on her and what ensues is a very hot “Taming of the Shrew” situation. Since Rydstrom is actually famous for being a very ethical guy who is uptight and all about the rules, he and Sabine spend a great deal of time debating the finer points of morality. As they fall in love, you can see them struggle with what it means to be with someone who is the polar opposite of you and the compromises that need to be made to make a relationship work.
On final reason I love these books: It's set in the "here and now" and features main characters who actually do things like quote "South Park" and talk like normal people. A lot of pop cultural references and characters with a sense of humor. A lot of the female characters are good friends and their conversations can be quite hilarious. Conversely, you've got some female characters who want to kill each other, but that's also a nice change of pace every now and then.
Anyway… all this to say: when you a spare moment (beginning May 2011), give these books a try. Here’s a link to Cole’s website, that tells you a little bit more about the books and the world she’s created:
http://kresleycole.com/books/immortals-after-dark-series.html
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no subject
Date: 2010-11-11 12:49 am (UTC)I'm glad you seem to not be a fan as well.
If you like vampires then I recommend you to start watching Vampire Diaries. Now, don’t be such a skeptic. The books are...well, not very good, but the show is brilliant! Seriously. Great female leads and really tight writing. I just have two issues: 1) I hope they have the guts to be more like Whedon and less like J.J. Abrahams, if you know what I mean; and 2) I wish they would be on a different network ‘cause you know DO can’t be trusted with good shows – Smallville is a prime example. Oh and they want to sexy-fy NIKITA for Merlin’ sake!
Thanks for the rec, anyway! I've seen some of Cole's books around stores. Guess I'll be making a trip downtown sometime soon to pick the first Immortal!
no subject
Date: 2010-11-11 01:25 am (UTC)And, yes, I hate "Twilight" with the passion of a 1000 burning suns. I cannot fathom how/why/what/where/when/why this woman got to be this huge.
I'm actually not that huge of a fan of vampire books, to be honest. I mean, I watched "BVS" and "Angel". And I've read Anne Rice (not a huge fan, though). But I can't say I'm attracted to vampire stuff specifically. I picked up these particular books on a whim and was just really pleasantly shocked at how much I loved them.
Now, about the "VD" business. I attempted to watch the show when it first came out. The Pilot and the second episode. The parallels to Clana just turned me off. The girl is sitting in the cemetery! And there seemed to be a hint of "Twilight" there with the whole falling in love at first sight thing and all that crap. Anyway... so I never went back to watch it again.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-11 06:26 pm (UTC)Oh, I know what you mean Sana! The show started for me exactly how you've described it: like a crossover between Clana and Twilight and maybe if I had seen the first season when it began airing in the US and had had to wait week after week for a new ep, I might have quit it all together. Those first 4 or 5 eps are really heavy on the teenage drama stuff, of the moping kind and of the fall in love at first sight blah-wtf kind. But after a while I started to see what they were really trying to do. Four things I’ve learned watching the show:
1) After those first few eps, the parallels with Clana and Twilight just come to a screeching halt and the story changes to the best vampire story – heck, the best love story, save for Lois and Clark - on any medium right now. Edward Cullen wishes he could BE Stefan Salvatore and have a brother like Damon!
2) Everything is connected. From vampires to werewolves to witches to regular teenage kids, from high school theme parties to fancy masquerade balls, from the 19th century to the 15th century to the 21st century – there’s a point to everything and everything has a meaning. Every week is adding one more clue, one more piece to the gigantic puzzle that is Elena’s existence.
3) Stefan-Elena-Damon is the triangle to end all triangles. That is all.
4) Nina Dobrev is NOT Kristin Kreuk OR Kristen Stewart. She plays 2 completely different characters week in and week out – in one ep she even manage to be on every single scene! - and they are both compelling and strong. And she’s rumored to be playing a third character. And she’s effervescent on and off the screen. So yeah, I really like her.
Fortunately I watched the 1st season online and it took me just one week. By the end of it - and especially after those first 4 or 5 eps - I have to admit I was completely hooked. And I’m not THAT much of Vampire fan per se. I was never a fan of Anne Rice and Bram Stoker is the basis of all things vampire to me. But TVD got me good this time.
Okay...maybe it wasn't such a "quick" note after all. Meh. :)
no subject
Date: 2010-11-12 05:52 pm (UTC)This may end up being like "Fringe". I hated the first two episodes (couldn't stand the actress who plays Olivia) and so I gave up. This summer, a friend told me to give it a shot, because Season 2 was going to blow my mind. I decided to go ahead and catch up, based on her recommendation, and she was totally right. Now, I'm watching Season 3 in real time and LOVING it. (Still wished a different actress played Olivia, though.)
In this case, I loved Nina Dobrev before this show came out and she was the only reason I even tried to watch. She was my favorite actress on DeGrassi.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-11 05:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-11 06:48 pm (UTC)Really sorry!
no subject
Date: 2010-11-12 05:53 pm (UTC)In all seriousness, I love getting recommendations and I love talking TV. So, trust me, I was happy to read your post.
no subject
Date: 2010-12-12 09:56 pm (UTC)Have you read A Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost? I loved them. The heroine is a strong half human/half vampire named Cat and her hero is a master vampire named Bone. I love them. I love their love for each other. There are 4 books in the series so far. And 2 spin off but I don't care for those since they're not Cat/Bone books.
My favorite series though has nothing to do with vampire but it's still in a mythical type of world is Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop. There are 3 books for the main story. There have been 5 more continuation/spin off and I enjoyed them all.
I also read Eileen Wilks' Lupi series with a strong female lead in Lily Yu and her Lupi prince Rule Turner.
I used to follow Sherrilyn Kenyon with her Dark Hunters series but it got to be a never ending series where you no longer know who's more powerful than who and who has what power so it was good when Archeron was still omnipotent. :-)
I also read J.D. Robb with her Death series starring Lt. Eve Dallas and her oh so rich and handsome and supportive husband Roarke.
I also like Anne Perry series with British policeman Thomas Pitt and his wife Charlotte (victorian era). I read Terry Goodkind series The Sword of Truth...very good books to read. I didn't care for the TV show adaptation other than the lead actors were gorgeous.
I love to read so there are more books I can list but I just realized it might be in bad taste and rude to continue because it's not my thread. I did the same with your ships/TV shows thread. Sorry.
Thanks for the recommendation, I'm going to go find my copies and re-read them and continue.
simulation rachat de credit immobilier
Date: 2011-05-01 11:55 pm (UTC)My blog:
regroupement de credit (http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regroupement_de_credit) ou sos Rachat de Credit (http://www.rachatdecredit.net)