RAVENOUS

A huge cast of immortal creatures prepare themselves for war and unrest in the first of a new series from the author of the Immortals After Dark novels.

Generations ago, immortals were cast out of the mortal realm of Gaia and into the Skein. The witches, Lykae, vampires, and Berserkers have all created heavily fortified settlements as bulwarks against invasions from other immortal factions in their new, violent world. Now, the Accession is looming, an intense cycle of warfare and matchmaking that happens every 500 years. The reader is quickly introduced to more than a dozen point-of-view characters. Eight of them quickly develop romantic entanglements that may or may not last through the coming Accession: A young female vampire determined to flee her evil family is paired with a Berserker; her vampire servant bargains with an incubus sent to spy on the vampire clan; a Lykae king recognizes a high priestess from the witch coven as his mate; and the witch and Lykae seconds-in-command drift into an affair. Other primary characters include a pair of Valkyrie sisters as well as assorted allies or enemies across the clans. Cole sinks her considerable storytelling energy into describing the setting and landscape of the Skein and introducing a truly dizzying number of characters, but she makes almost no attempt to create a coherent, overarching plot. Eventually, each of the subplots coalesces and drives toward a single point on the timeline, an upcoming full moon when it’s foretold that a portal to Gaia will open. Cole’s writing is sharp and entertaining, but the sheer number of subplots results in too many characters, and the book feels both rushed and underdeveloped. Cliffhanger endings for each of the plotlines promise to be picked up in future books in the series.

Frenetic, fast-paced, and unfulfilling.