Review: Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole

Book Description

A foundling raised in a world of humans

Growing up, orphaned Josephine didn’t know who or what she was—just that she was “bad,” an outcast with strange powers. Protecting her baby brother Thaddeus became her entire life. The day he was taken away began Jo’s transition from angry girl…to would-be superhero…to enchanting villain.

A lethally sensual enforcer on a mission

Whether by bow or in bed, archer Rune the Baneblood never fails to eliminate his target. In his sights: the oldest living Valkyrie. Yet before he can strike, he encounters a vampiric creature whose beauty mesmerizes him. With one bite, she pierces him with aching pleasure, stealing his forbidden blood—and jeopardizing the secrets of his brethren.

A boundless passion that will lead to sweet ruin…

Could this exquisite female be a spy sent by the very Valkyrie he hunts? Rune knows he must not trust Josephine, yet he’s unable to turn her away. When Jo betrays the identity of the one man she will die to protect, she and Rune become locked in a treacherous battle of wills that pits ultimate loyalty against unbridled lust.

My Review

Nix has always been one of my favorite characters in this series so I was glad to see a little of her here. She is badass and shows off just how badass she is just a little in this book. But I have to say that Orion is the one who is making me a little uneasy. He speaks in riddles most of the time, he's vague and the fact that he saved Rune from being a sex slave and then gave him a job that made him use sex to get information...yeah, he's kinda creepy to me. 

The Morior are supposed to be the bad guys in this series while the Vertas are the good guys but we see things a little different in this book as we get to know some of the characters from both sides so now it's hard to know who the real good guys are. Are the leaders not telling their people the whole truth? I am having a harder and harder time trusting Orion who is the leader of the Morior because he doesn't seem to be truthful, but who knows. It could be that each side really thinks they are doing the right thing. I don't think we'll really know the truth until the author shows us what she has in store for this storyline. 

Jo is every bit the street girl that she portrays herself to be. Not knowing where she came from or even what she is, has made her life very hard. Her earliest memory is waking up with Thaddie in her arms and knowing that she had to take care of her baby brother. So she tried but being a street kid, stealing from the wrong people can have its consequences and she was killed and had to leave her brother with a lady who was taking care of him. Even though she didn't 'die' she was reborn into something else but what she isn't sure. 

Rune is part fey and part demon. He uses sex to get information and the women he's with don't seem to mind as long as he has sex with them. Because of what he is, his blood is poisonous and he has to be careful not to kiss or scratch anyone he doesn't want to die a horrible death. He spent centuries as a sex slave and he is seven thousand years old, so he's been around a while. He was saved by Orion and now woks for the man as an information gatherer and hitman who uses hit bow and deadly arrows to kill those he's been assigned to kill. 

Rune is sent to kill Nix, the leader of the Vertas but Jo thinks he is aiming at her brother so she stops him and that's when things get really interesting because these two even though they don't trust each other are drawn to each other. Jo has some secrets she's not willing to reveal about herself until she has to and I loved how shocked everyone is about what she can do and what she actually is. It was a nice twist. 

You can read this book as a stand alone but in order to really understand all of the characters, it's best to start from the beginning. 

I give this book 5 stars.

If you'd like to buy this book for yourself, you can find it here.