It was alright. It felt a bit repetitive with the prequel, which was another vampire MMC and his Valkyrie bride. It’s very early 2000s with a lot of dubious consent and “nice guy” themes. I think it would have held my attention better if I took a longer break between books. I am really enjoying the world building though! 

I really liked the dynamic between Kaderin and Sebastian, as well as the scavenger hunt plot line, but this was all really finished by how all over the place Kaderin's characterization felt throughout the story. 

After AHLNO, I was skeptical about continuing this series, despite everyone singing it's praises. I'm so glad I did because I loved Sebastian and Kaderin's whirlwind romance! Watching Kaderin slowly thaw from her blessing as Sebastian warms up to the idea of his eternal life as a vampire was a delight. I enjoyed Sebastian's MUCH more respectful pursuit of his Katia (compared to Lachlain's pursuit of Emmaline). And watching Kaderin kinda freak out every time Sebastian's presence rustled up so many dormant emotions was a fun ride, especially as he started to piece together that it was his presence making her feel more and using it to a bit of his advantage.

I loved the introduction and development of the supporting cast, giving some hints about future books and pairings. I think so far I'm definitely enjoying (forebearer) vampire lovers the most!

Always love me a post-hook-up girl pretends nothing happened but boy doesn't let her forget about it trope, a subtype of the enemies to lovers trope. In this book, we have Mia's briefly mentioned Valkyrie half-sister, Kaderin, and her love interest, Sebastian Wroth, vampire brother to Myst's Nikolai. I was just as quickly sucked (pun intended) into this book as I was the first. I loved this quasi-Triwizard Tournament event (the Talisman's Hie) and a deeper peek into what Lore and mythology creatures and items run loose in this universe. An exciting, smoldering, and consistently fast pace throughout the book. Kresley Cole is quickly shaping up to be one of my favorite PNR authors yet.