Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (Immortals After Dark 4) [Paperback]

I write this review assuming you have read the first two books in the Immortals After Dark series. Although these books can be read out of order, because they cross over chronologically, I would recommend you go back and read from the start of the series. 'A Hunger Like No Other' is first, followed by 'No Rest For The Wicked'.

You are first introduced to Bowen in 'A Hunger Like No Other' and then again in 'No Rest For the Wicked'. In both books Bowen is a dark and tormented character pining for his lost mate Mariah. As a Lykae he only gets one mate and has mourned Mariah's loss for centuries. He blames himself for her death because she died running from him. On the night they were to mate and seal their bond, Mariah falters and flees from Bowen. During her frantic escape she tragically dies. Not able to cope with the loss Bowen changes and becomes a shell of his former self.

When Bowen meets Mariketa in 'No Rest For The Wicked' they are both competing in the Talismans' Hie, a mystical version of the Amazing Race, where the prize for winning is the chance to go back in time. This is Bowen's chance to get his mate back. However while competing in The Hie, for the first time since Mariah he is attracted to another woman. Mariketa is a witch, and because of this Bowen assumes his feelings for her are due to a spell she has cast on him. By the time you finish 'No Rest For the Wicked' Bowen has caused Mariketa to be trapped as retaliation for her sorcery, cursing him not only with feelings for her but also restricting his ability to heal from the gruesome injuries he's sustained in The Hie.

'Wicked Deed on a Winter's Night' is an immediate follow on from ' No Rest For The Wicked'. Bowen discovers that his entrapment of Mariketa is about to start a war between the Lykae and the House of Witches. He is tasked with retrieving her by the next full moon in order to avoid war. Upon his return to Mariketa he finds that in spite of her power she was not able to escape as he had assumed she would. In fact nothing about her is as he assumed. The book continues as they race against time to get Mariketa out of the jungle and back to The House of Witches. Can she remove the spells she placed on him? But more importantly, will Bowen want her to remove her enchantments? Can he go against everything he knows and forsake his one true mate and truly fall for Mariketa?

Mariketa the Awaited is a powerful witch and it is prophesised that she will be the most powerful and biggest asset to The House of Witches. However she is only 21 years old, has not yet been set into her immortality and when she tries to cast a spell she tends to blow things up more often than she would like. When she is confronted with the gruff Lykae he acts as a tuning fork for her spell casting but only on spells she casts at him. Once she is freed, she finds herself still trapped, only this time it's by a Lykae who treats her as his mate. Will this free-spirited witch flee him at first opportunity?

Kresley Cole has a wonderfully fluid style of writing which keeps you hooked as you progress through her books and series'. I always find it very hard to put her IAD books down and have re-read them several times. If you are a fan of paranormal romance I would highly recommend her to you.

I love this book - it's is one of my favourite Kresley Cole books. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I wonder as I close the third novel, Wicked deeds on a winter's night: Can the Immortal after dark series get any sweeter then this?

Bowen is desperate for the prize of The Hie, his heart knows and feels only one yearning: the return of his murdered mate Mariah to his life, to his body, to his heart. There isn't much that he wouldn't do to reach that goal. During the hunt for the artifacts Bowen meets a witch Mariketa and instantly passion ignites. Still Bowen focuses on his goal and raises his natural barrier of hate for witches and refuses his hunger which is thrumming through his veins. In the end he traps Mariketa with a few others in the cave not knowing something evil lurks in the dark....

In the next weeks both Bowen and Mariketa find out what torture can be like and through circumstances their paths cross again. Though it was a matter of weeks much has changed as the Lykae inside of Bowen roars: Mine his mind roars: No! Yet as they both travel they cannot escape their Destiny, whether it is one they experience together will demand the strength of love, the healing of hope and the power of forgiveness.

With Bowen's story I was thrown back in to the last days of The Hie, only witnessing it from a different perspective this time. Though it felt a bit awkward in the beginning as I knew certain things would happen and the why of it all. It made me feel a bit torn up as Kresley Cole took me to the other side, to the side of Bowen. He grabbed my heart so early on in this series and with his story it only amplified. With a masterful skill in setting up a story and giving voice to devilishly good developed characters she gave me a tortured hero whom evolved throughout the story in such a man any reader of the paranormal genre would pine for. I could do no other then fall head over heels for him, his gruff attitude, his sometimes tactless behavior and then suddenly being utter seductive or thoughtful, all this reflected a great and powerful Lykae whom still made mistakes.

Mistakes Mariketa could not always forgive so easily and there is one time that I actually empathized with Mariketa. She is an interesting mixture of vulnerability and awakening strength which made me attach myself to her with very little effort, I enjoyed her every moment as she had her own Destiny to grow towards. Mariketa and Bowen together are equal to a Bonfire, hot, scorching and consuming, teased with small erotic encounters they fill the pages with heated interaction and a sensuality that is tantalizing slow working its way up to crest in to a possessive passion that I longed for.

The characterization skills and the way Kresley Cole makes it all come alive is something that I revel in as a reader. The investment of time she put in the research is evident in her world building, the set up of each novel in her Immortals after dark series, with each separate thread of Lore, Faction, The Hie and The Accession she interlaces it all into a spectacular background for the characters to shine in. With a solid quality and maybe with a quiet grace the author won me over instantly wanting the next entry in this series!

Another thing that had me rapidly reading the pages is the plot in Wicked deeds on a winter's night, though the start of the book was a crossover with No rest for the wicked it quickly took me in to another direction with Mariketa being the accelerator. There are a few twists and turns that I just didn't see coming and had a huge effect on both me and the story. I dreaded the fact that the ending of this novel came into sight knowing that the author gave Bowen a worthy story and a incredible HEA. The only thing that lessens the frustration of ending it is that I can re-read it and that other novels are in the works.

Immortals after dark is as addictive as dark chocolate!

Reviewed by Leontine
Courtesy of Realms on our Bookshelves

And Bowen? he's to die for!
Let me say after the last book 'No Rest for the Wicked ' which I didn't like, I wasn't sure what to expect in this one. All I can say is that I couldn't put this book down until I finished, and what a climatic ending. Absolutely loved it.
The romantic aspect of this book was so very believable. Bowen and Mari were perfect together.

At 1200 years, Bowen, a ruthless warrior who had lost his mate grew even colder, never taking another to his bed, until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited reawakens his darkest desires. And finds his Instincts kicking up soon after meeting Mari much to his horror since Bowen as a deep hatred of witches.
Mari is a fiery red-haired witch only 23 and mortal.
Bowen's only aim in life is to win Thrane's Key, that will allow him to go back in time to save his mate who died almost 200 yrs ago. Hence his taking part in the 'Hie'. All the while doing this he tries to fight his insane attraction to Mari, accusing her of enchanting him with a love spell.

Bowen is one gorgeous Lykae, with a big chip on his shoulder. Finding out how this couple fight every obstacle, sometimes apart and sometimes together, to finally overcome the enemy and get together makes for enthralling reading.
You feel the emotions they go through, when things seem to come apart. This book is a fast-paced fantasy adventure, filled with rage, anger, passion and finally love.

Absolutely great story! Can't wait to start the next book.