Immortals After Dark (XI) - Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole
And 11/18, featuring Regin the Radiant and… well, let’s just simply say someone who’s been going by more than just one name. Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Versprechen der Ewigkeit), originally published 2011, I read the 515 pages in English.
Centuries ago, Regin the Radiant left Valhalla to save her sister from a fate worse than death. And stumbled into Aiden, a mighty berserker keen to protect her – because he wants to marry her. Sheesh. Years later, she comes back to him, for a happily ever after. But he is assassinated. Reborn – and assassinated again. Regin and Aiden are cursed. This time, she vowed to never approach him. But when his newest incarnation captures her and her friends for torture and death, she has no choice. Unfortunately, Declan Chase’s just as evil as she thinks. But he is with good reason.
Now, Declan Chase, that little prick. Sure, he has a sob story that’s reason enough for him to be all sucker-up for Commander Webb’s lies and go all psychopath, but… seriously, that’s no excuse. He lets people get vivisected. That’s a dissection – only that you’re still alive. He lets so-called doctors cut people open while they are alive to show them their hearts. He tests weapons on them until they are sure they can do the most damage possible. It’s not just that he kills. That’s actually only a minor offense in the Lore, and after these books, you’re kinda used to it. But the horrors that are committed here – by Chase? That’s really atrocious. And that little idiot is still all like “Bad bad Regin for trying to play me to save her own butt – and probably the lives of several Lore creatures as well”. Idiot! And the worst in all of this? That Regin actually forgives him for what he’s done. Just because he has a bad background and didn’t mean to hurt her in particular, he hasn’t deserved his happy ending. He hasn’t, in fact, deserved her forgiveness. He used children to get what he wanted! No matter how much you hate a person in particular or a group of persons in general, and no matter whether they are actually going to exterminate you and your loved ones or not. There’s a line. For me, that line is waaay earlier than for most people I encounter, but in books and in war, it’s before torture, weapon testing on people, vivisection and almost and always before using children. I’m not trying to rant here about that people should be strong enough not to get brain-washed. Chase’s actions are only partly his fault. But there has to be some sort line even with brain-washed, and that line should be with children and with imposing what happened to you on others: Chase was a child when the Loreans happened to him, he should know better than doing the exact same thing to other, even younger kids. But he didn’t even blink at the idea of using Ruby against Carrow. Of killing Ruby, if need be. If he’d at least feel terrible and sick about it, okay, that shows that he at least has a heart before starting to remember Regin! Seriously, even some of the most brain-washed Nazis couldn’t take what happened in the camps, but Chase takes the doc’s work and all the torture he’s supposed to do quite calmly – even revels in it – as long as it doesn’t happen to the woman he loves. How can this be one of the good guys in this story who gets a happy ending?
Don’t misunderstand me, please. Chase has definitely a good side, and I like bad people in stories who turn out to be layered and eventually, if they do enough good, even get something nice. Like Sabine. But this goes too far. Especially because he shakes off the worst of his brain-washing so quickly after meeting Regin. It seems unrealistic. And even if it didn’t, he still went too far to be The Misunderstood Hero Who Took a Wrong Turn But Actually Is Quite Nice. Waaay too far. For me, he can’t be a good main character. And it’s narrative cuddling that he doesn’t get to pay the consequences of this evil act. For me, Chase could be a good guy under three circumstances: a) he feels way more sick about what he does than is the case in this book, b) Chase pays the consequences of his acts – and really paying, not “Oh, someone wants to kill him, but thankfully, Regin prohibits this and c) more time for him to actually shake the brain-washing off – and more time and reason for Regin to forgive him.
Spoiler:
Because it’s not realistic that she does it just like that – forgive him, not for what he did to her, but for what he did to others.
She’s the girl who left paradise to never come back at the age of twelve because she had the feeling her sister might be in danger. She knew nothing for sure, but still went - she has an insane sense of responsibility and right and wrong, of justice, even though it’s not that obvious because of her love for pranks. She’s the type who calls the girl that just hit her Best Friend, but hurt the people she loves, or the people that are weaker than her, and she holds a grudge for eternity.
Spoiler:
So, the only reason why I could imagine her trying to forgive Chase is Aiden. And even then, I can’t see her really managing to succeed in making herself do this.
Besides, being with someone because of whom he was centuries ago, in another life, is not a good idea. Especially because, ironically, Nïx is right to say that Chase was better for Regin than Aiden. Because the cruel prick accepts Regin, while Aiden tries to control her, doesn’t trust her to stick up to herself and acts like he owns her – barely lets her be her own person. As much as I dislike Chase, he tries to make her glow with happiness and doesn’t treat her like a porcelain doll. Or as if she was his by right. And Regin needs that kind of respect from her special someone. As a matter of fact, I can’t really see how someone couldn’t respect her, because she’s so damn inspiring. Her loyalty knows no bounds, she would have jumped into that cave for Lucia, no questions asked, no second hesitated. She’s awe-inspiring, quick to fight for what she believes in (or just for fun) and even quicker to laugh. And feels offended for not being invited to war. I love that girl!
Still. It’s not realistic that she lets what happened at the Order go like this.
Well.
I like the other incarnations of Aiden, too, and the curse and the idea behind the berserker itself is well done, too. But the best in this book is and always will be Nïx. And Bertil. Definitely Bertil. My Mom once gave me a bat-charm, I originally called him Freddy, but renamed him in Bertil’s honour. I love the Valkyrie-soothsayer and her new pet. They. Are. Gorgeous.
Another person who’s interesting is Natalya. And, of course Thaddeus! I’m so excited as to how he’s going to play out, just as much as Lothaire, Enemy of Old. La Dorada’s kinda creepy, definitely the new villain. And with the “Riiiiing” she could be the bigger, uglier, crazier and eviler sister of Golum.
That’s… basically all I can say about the story.
In brief:
Stars for style (it was tense) and ideas, minus one for characters due to Regin’s instant-forgiveness, minus one for content for the narrative cuddling of Declan.
Prequel:
(Carrow Graie, a.k.a. Carrow the Incarcerated, mercenary of the Wiccae, practitioner of love spells
& Malcome Slaine leader of the Trothan rebellion)
Sequel:
(Lothaire Konstantin Daciano, The Enemy of Old
& Saroya, sacred protectress of vampires, goddess of divine death
& Elizabeth “Ellie” Peirce, Expert in boys, reverse psychology and law-enforcement evasion)