The James Logan Courier

By Jessica Stewart, Courier Editor-in-Chief

“Here he waits and suffers, offered to a column of fire that may weaken but is never-ending—never-ending, just like his life. His existence is to burn to death repeatedly, only to have his dogged immortality revive him again.

Detailed fantasies of retribution have gotten him this far; nursing the rage in his heart is all he has.

Until her.”

A story about a werewolf and a vampire, A Hunger Like No Other is one of the best paranormal romances I have ever read. It is the first in Cole’s new series about a mystical world within our own, filled with werewolves (or Lykae, as they are often referred to in this novel), vampires, Valkyrie, demons and witches. It is the perfect read for the romantic soul on a chilly Halloween night.

Lachlain MacRieve, the leader of the Lykae Clan, was trapped under the earth by vampires, fated to burn to death over and over again because he is immortal. Then, after 150 years of the fiery torture, he scents his mate in the world above. Desperate to reach her, he breaks his own leg in order to escape. He reaches the world above, modern-day Paris, only to lose the scent of her. He refuses to let this stop him, and goes on the hunt.

Emmaline Troy (Emma for short) is half vampire and half Valkyrie, and thus forever destined to not belong. She goes to Paris in an attempt to find out more about her parents, and, in the process, about herself. She soon runs into one problem after another. She cannot for the life of her find somebody to sell her blood, her search for information about her parents is proving to be fruitless, and, to top it all off, she is chased down by a half-crazed giant of a man who proceeds to kidnap her for no apparent reason.

The half-crazed giant is Lachlain, who is dismayed to find out that his mate, Emma, is a vampire, a member of the very species that imprisoned him in his hellish prison for over a century. He refuses to believe that she is truly his mate, but will not let her go until he is sure.

Lachlain suffers through bouts of uncontrollable fury, especially when Emma refuses to have sex with him. Emma is the one who suffers from the brunt of his fiery temper and is desperate to escape his grasping clutches and attempts at seduction. As Lachlain learns to love her despite her ancestry, Emma learns to both despise and desire her captor.

When Emma is attacked by vampires, though, everything changes.. Lachlain rescues her and realizes just how different from the filthy bloodsuckers who take such joy in killing Emma really is. He is determined to keep her, for eternity. Emma is still terrified by Lachlain, but is starting to fall for him. Now they just have to face a few minor problems: their clans despise each other, the vampires are on the hunt for Emma and nobody knows why, and it’s almost the full moon, when Lachlain will be unable to stop himself from taking his newfound mate.

I really enjoyed this novel the first time I read it, and I keep going back to it. Cole writes with intelligence and wit, and I found myself laughing just as often as I found myself wondering about the possibilities. The fast-paced plot kept me on my toes until the very end, and left me hungry for more.

The only issue I had with the novel was that Emma is so passive, letting everybody walk over her, especially Lachlain, and she believes herself incapable of fighting back. What kind of message does this give to the readers? Fortunately, Emma redeems herself in the end, and it is interesting to watch her character develop a spine.

I recommend this novel to all paranormal romance readers, and to all people out there looking for a romantic read perfect for a spooky Halloween night.