Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12)

Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12)
Lothaire - Immortals After Dark, Bk 12
Author: Kresley Cole
PBS Market Price: $8.09 or $4.19+1 credit
ISBN-13: 9781451683301
ISBN-10: 1451683308
Publication Date: 6/19/2012
Pages: 558
Rating:
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 83

4.2 stars, based on 83 ratings
Publisher: Pocket Books
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

21 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 929 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
My only complaint about this book was that there weren't enough Valkyries. I loved them, especially Nix. I did love the tender scenes between Lothaire and Nix (always thought they should have been a couple).

What made the book for me was Ellie. She and her family were like the Valkyries of the hillbillies. She was so clever and funny. She was even very touching. And she was a survivor. She didn't spend a lot of time crying over things she couldn't change but always tried to make the best of it.

I've always been intrigued by Lothaire because he was the ultimate bad boy that everyone hated. Yes, he was a jerk and an idiot which made it so much sweeter when he came begging or when Ellie outsmarted him.

I couldn't stop reading the book. Lost hours of sleep over it but the morning headache was worth it. I have to say the cover photo is super cheesy though.
iqb2001 avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 87 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Review originally posted at Ramblings From This Chick

When I received my long-awaited copy of Lothaire in the mail, I was ecstatic. Kresley Cole is definitely one of my favorite books and I might not have been super keen to read a book about Lothaire, I do love all of her books. I have many conflicting emotions now that I've finished this book. I actually put this book down a few times in the past week out of frustration and as of last night when I still had about 100 pages to go, this book was a firm 3 star rating. But now that I've finished the book it has definitely gone up to a solid 4 stars. In those last 100 pages I was finally able to understand Lothaire and I even began to like him a bit.

Lothaire is a jackass! There I said it. I just figured I'd get that out there. I actually spent most of the book really not liking him at all. For me what saved this book was Elizabeth. She saved this book for me. I loved her and she has quickly become one of my favorite heroines from Kresley Cole. She is spunky, loyal, smart, funny, caring and she stands up for herself. She doesn't back down when it comes to Lothaire and I loved that. I feel that she really was the perfect match for Lothaire. He needed someone to bring him down a notch and make him realize that he doesn't know everything and he isn't always right. I love that even though Lothaire thought she was so wrong for him, she was just so right.

I seriously wanted to slap Lothaire quite a few times. But I have to give credit to Kresley, Lothaire stayed true to who he was and the type of person we have all come to know from the previous books. I think that if he would have had a complete transformation and redemption it wouldn't have been believable. The way everything went down worked so well and made me a fan. Lothaire still might not be my favorite hero in this series but there are a few moments in the book that his actions tug at my heart strings. Though it was also hard to read some scenes with him and Elizabeth together. He really doesn't know how to treat others correctly and I know it's because he was never shown warmth and love but it was still hard to see him treat Elizabeth as if she's a pet.

I could try to summarize this book, but I really don't want to. What stands out the most to me is Lothaire. I might not have enjoyed him so much, but I did enjoy being a viewer of his 'world'. I liked being able to see what he is like in his element and what he cares about. In previous books he was such an enigma to me. I didn't really know what his plans were or what he was after or even who he really was. I get him now and I look forward to seeing more of him in future books.
reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I just finished reading this book and I absolutely loved it. Yes, Lothaire is a jerk most of the time but that is nothing new. There were several parts of the book that brought tears to my eyes. You really got to know Lothaire and see his very painful past. And Elizabeth was perfect for him. I loved everything about this book. Can't wait for the next in the series.
ladybird avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 44 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Wow! Excellent book! This has to be my favorite in the IAD series! In my experience, usually when a author decides to do a book about the bad guy in a series, it turns out aweful (I won't mention any names)! But this one was great! Some people didn't like the book because Lothaire was an ass. Well, of course he is! And I love that Ms. Cole kept him true to character. He is arrogant, condescending, and brutal. He has an aweful past and has never had any kind of relationship with anyone, ever (except maybe Nix). So he doesn't know how. I had been wondering what kind of female Lothaire would wind up with. Boy was I surprised, and Ms. Cole did an excellent job with the evolution of their relationship. Ellie is the perfect match for Lothaire. I expected him to be difficult, expecially when he didn't realize that Ellie was his Bride. But then he didn't get all soft and mushy when he realized that she was The One, and that he actually had feelings for her. It was totally unexpected and deviated from the usual (which I always love!). And his wit is superb! I laughed out loud so many times! This one is a keeper for me.
sfvamp avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 108 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I'm a die-hard Kresley Cole aficionado who believes that woman can pull off anything--except apparently make Lothaire a hero worth rooting for! I'm truly stunned at how much I despise this character. Normally I buy her books on their release date and spend all day devouring them. However, this particular book took me an excruciatingly long period of time to read because (for the first time ever!!!!) I didn't want to finish a Kresley Cole novel. The novel's overall writing is excellent. It flows and is inviting to read, as well as gives readers more information about Lore creatures like Dorada and Hag in only a few lines. (That's why I gave it three stars instead of one.) Despite this, I could not get over my distaste for Lothaire which ruined the whole story for me.

Lothaire is one of those characters who always seemed like a better side character than the main protagonist, dropping in a scene to lend it some witty banter, a bit of snark, and a lot of evil deeds to progress the plot. It turns out that what was amusing and intriguing in those small cameos didn't translate into a 400+ page novel like I'd hoped. He just never transitioned into the makings of a good romance hero. Cole has pulled off some pretty awesome feats when it comes to straddling the line between dangerously damaged hero and crossing the line into unforgivable psychopath. I've fallen in love with every one of her previous heroes no matter how bad they started. But Lothaire is the first protagonist I just couldn't stomach. His inability to see beyond his own needs, his violent approach to sex with/ rape of his Bride completely undermine any endearing traits he exhibits. Not only is he bats**t crazy, but he's so damaged and abusive that even as strong a character as his Bride, Ellie, shouldn't have to settle for one like him. I actually think the novel would have been more romantic if Lothaire had died and Ellie was free to find a more decent lover.

Lothaire's mate, Ellie, is a strong, likable character whom Cole is always careful not to turn into a victim so the story isn't as in-your-face abusive as it could have been. This is good I suppose. But if anyone has ever lived with an abusive personality type, she will have serious doubts as to how Ellie could have so easily succumbed sexually, if not always emotionally, to this monster (and no I don't think that is too harsh a word to describe Lothaire!). I don't care how liberated or healthy your libido is, I don't understand how anyone can get off when your partner is telling you he is going to kill you and finds you lacking compared to the psychopath sharing your body.

Plus the novel was waaaaaay too long. There are simply too many scenes of Ellie's isolation and imprisonment with Lothaire from which the reader is not given any relief. It's almost as if we are supposed to share in the Stockholm Syndrome alongside Ellie. Well, this is one hostage who would have had no problem shoving the vampire into the sun and watching him burn.

If I hadn't already been addicted to this series for several years and if I hadn't been so anxious to find hints on upcoming future characters and stories, I would have donated this book to PBS without finishing it. That is how strongly I dislike Lothaire. The character never captured my heart like he did several fans, but I had begun to warm up to his character during Dreams of a Dark Warrior. Yet everything I liked about him in DoaDW was absent from this novel. Even his "wit" was labored and lacking. I suppose I feel so betrayed because I rely on Cole to provide guaranteed good reads. Plus this book took so long to be published, was the first hardcover IAD novel, was published before the long-awaited Thronos and Lanthe book, and was promised on the fan forums to be "the best IAD book yet." For me it is the worse yet and I hope and pray that her spin-off series, The Dacians:Realm of Blood and Mist, will be worth the disappointment of Lothaire when it comes out this summer.
reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book!!! The whole series is great but this book had an extra something for me. If you love seeing the bad guy melt in the hands of the woman he loves, throw in some very funny stuff, a little action and a whole lot of hot sex, this book is for you!!!
reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 35 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A superb book! Leave it to Kresley to throw in such an interesting character with an immortal. I loved the interaction, the thought process, loved learning more about Nix and the other fey's. I had almost forgotten how much I loved her series. I am ready to go back and read them all again and the man who did the audio book for her was PERFECT this is just an A+ all the way around, A MUST READ. CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE THE ENDING WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY!! and that's all I'm gonna tell you about that!
reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 503 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
The thing about Lothaire is...he's a total dick. He's been a jerk in every book from the first time we met him 12 books ago. Just because he has found his Bride doesn't mean he's suddenly Mr. Heroic. I rather like that about this book, Cole doesn't make Lothaire into a different vampire just because he's found love, he continues to control and manipulate everyone around him from cover to cover. As with all IAD books, there's a lot of sensuality and Cole always manages to find a new way to describe people having sex.

On the down side, Lothaire (the book) is overly long, by at least 100 pages. The story jumps in with us finding out that Lothaire's Bride is either Elizabeth, a youthful hillbilly, or Saroya, a Vampire Goddess, both (in)conveniently occupying the same body. However it takes far too long for Lothaire to figure out who is the real Bride, and it takes Cole far too long to get the story progressing. The story was engaging but it felt repetitious and by the middle of the book one started wondering when it would be over.

Cole introduces us to the Daci, a race of vampires living in a world that is so hard to find, nobody in the Lore really believes it exists anymore. We hang out with Thadeus and Hag (Balery) and a FANTASTIC scene with Nix but don't see much of any of our other beloved characters. Visiting them and catching up each book is partly why we all love this series. Her next book is Shadow's Claim, taking place on Dacia and unlikely to show us any of our beloved Valkyrie or Lykae, however the following book I think is called MacRieve and stars Uilliam, hopefully full of those we love best.

Overall it is another wonderful book by a terrific author. Totally worth the read.
cmoonlight avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 47 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Finally...we get Lothaire's side of the story!!!
Lothaire has been the villain you love to hate for years. Here we finally see what made him into the man he is.
We also get the pleasure of the seeing the one small woman who can make his head spin. It was GREAT!!!
Lothaire, The Enemy of Old has definitely earned his name with all of his devious plots, schemes, and deeds.
He'll do what ever it takes to get what he wants and is a master strategist.

Elizabeth "Ellie" is a down to earth mountain girl who has the misfortune of being possessed by Saroya the cursed murderous Vampire Goddess. Ellie is a strong willed young lady and Saroya has difficulty controlling Ellie when she is not sleeping or weakened in some way. The question though is who is truly Lothaire's Bride, Ellie or Saroya?

I loved this book. Because of his past, I did not want to see Lothaire completely transformed into some soft pushover. I was glad that Kresley Cole did not ruin his character that way in the book. I liked seeing that Lothaire actually needed someone and that he actually made sacrifices for someone other than himself. And the love scenes were smoking hot!

This is probably the best new book I've read so far this year!!!
niki26 avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 21 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Lothaire.....what can I say? I think he is one of the most interesting character of the IAD. I loved this book! So much so,I read it three times before I moved on to another book. I thought the Ellie was the perfect mate for him. She teased and intrigued him. Read it for yourself. You will love it!
reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 503 more book reviews
The thing about Lothaire is...he's a total dick. He's been a jerk in every book from the first time we met him 12 books ago. Just because he has found his Bride doesn't mean he's suddenly Mr. Heroic. I rather like that about this book, Cole doesn't make Lothaire into a different vampire just because he's found love, he continues to control and manipulate everyone around him from cover to cover. As with all IAD books, there's a lot of sensuality and Cole always manages to find a new way to describe people having sex.

On the down side, Lothaire (the book) is overly long, by at least 100 pages. The story jumps in with us finding out that Lothaire's Bride is either Elizabeth, a youthful hillbilly, or Saroya, a Vampire Goddess, both (in)conveniently occupying the same body. However it takes far too long for Lothaire to figure out who is the real Bride, and it takes Cole far too long to get the story progressing. The story was engaging but it felt repetitious and by the middle of the book one started wondering when it would be over.

Cole introduces us to the Daci, a race of vampires living in a world that is so hard to find, nobody in the Lore really believes it exists anymore. We hang out with Thadeus and Hag (Balery) and a FANTASTIC scene with Nix but don't see much of any of our other beloved characters. Visiting them and catching up each book is partly why we all love this series. Her next book is Shadow's Claim, taking place on Dacia and unlikely to show us any of our beloved Valkyrie or Lykae, however the following book I think is called MacRieve and stars Uilliam, hopefully full of those we love best.

Overall it is another wonderful book by a terrific author. Totally worth the read.
taskmaster avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 17 more book reviews
I read the entire series and I LOVE how Kresley Cole is able to bring elements from each book into the current one! She is fantastic author! This soty kept me reading nonstop!! Love to hate Lothaire!!! Awesome read!!
vwcameron avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on
I have read this entire series and was eagerly anticipating this book. What a disappointment. Usually I stay up all night in order to finish books from this series because I literally can't put them down, but I actually had to force myself to even finish this book at all.

First of all, I understand that Lothaire is not a good guy. That has been established in the previous books; however, I feel like his behavior could have been spun differently so as to make him at least likeable in this book, which Cole just did not do. She tried to set up a background for Lothaire to explain why he is the way he is (which I wont go into here), but it just fell short for me. Also, if I had to read the words end game one more time I probably would have thrown the book across the room.

I thought the whole premise of Ellie being possessed by Lothaires potential vampire bride, Saroya, was brilliant. And it started off really well. Somewhere along the way, however, (perhaps midway through) Cole seemed to lose steam. The story just wasnt going anywhere and the constant discussion about doing something to get the ring from La Dorada and subsequently banishing Ellies soul just became redundant. It was almost like, enough already, stop talking about it and do it or shut up.

Also, SPOILER ALERT, I understand that Lothaire is an uber alpha male and all that, which I usually love. But when he turns Ellie into a vampire against her will, in the face of her flagrant and vehemently stated objections, I was annoyed. And when he didnt even apologize, flying the I know whats best for you flag, I was even more annoyed. BUT when Ellie, who up until that point was pretty strong and independent, just kind of accepted that without a fight, I was just over the book.

I felt like there was a lot of build up around the premise of Lothaire realizing and accepting mortal Ellie as his bride, but when it actually happened it was pretty anticlimactic. And he didnt really accept her as a mortal. I felt like he didnt accept her until he turned her (against her will) and made her into an immortal, which to me doesnt scream true and unconditional love. Long story short, it almost seemed like Cole just said screw it and wanted to finish the book.
reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on
Big YAWN... It was not intriguing. Unlike previous books, it lacked suspense and a likable story. I could not bring myself to like the main characters. Best part of the book was a possible glimpse at future books(Nix?? Hag from Nystrom's story and a new halflin named Thad).
Love Kresley's work, but not this one.
IDOLFAN avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 51 more book reviews
Enjoyed reading this book.
jsue avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 74 more book reviews
It was impressive how well the "I hate you while I also love you" worked in this book. This may be a book I read over again. It did affirm my delight in Nix!!!
KellitaJ avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 550 more book reviews
I really have a hard time reading books about characters I do not like, and it's the author who makes me not like them. because I've read quite a few Kresley Cole books, I kept after this very long story, waiting for redemption, but didn't find much of it. Some of the other books in this Immortals After Dark series are worth a second read, but for me, reading about Lothaire once was enough.
reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 254 more book reviews
thos book kept me on my toes especially when I think what is coming next. Not was great story!
reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 215 more book reviews
I have been ultra curious about Lothaire since his appearance at the beginning of the series. I loved that he was/is super bad. I love that he was/is crazy. Did I want him to have a happy ever after, not so much. That being said, I enjoyed this piece of the series. I liked Ellie, great match for the Enemy of Old. With each installment Ms. Cole reveals another piece of the greater puzzle. I have to say that my absolute favorite character is Nix and this book sheds a bit more light on her, which was fantastic, so when do we get to read her story?
griz1girl avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 78 more book reviews
SOOOO disappointing! I was really expecting great things from this book--since all Cole's IAD books really rock.

However, Lothaire is NOTHING like her IAD books. Most of her books are fast-paced & funny with great snarky, witty characters and steamy-hot love affairs.

Lothaire fell totally flat. 100 pages into the book and it was so boring I had to start skimming ahead. I wasn't the least bit hooked. No action, no witty repartee, no steamy love.

She could've easily told this boring story in 200 pages--Cole didn't need to drag it out for 558 pages...YAWN.

I can't really recommend this book...sure, you read a series, you want to keep reading them all. But in this case, you could easily skip it & miss nothing!
melc avatar reviewed Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, Bk 12) on + 14 more book reviews
I started out really hating this book but I gave it a chance. I'm glad I did because I absolutely loved it.