Book Review: A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Age: Adult
Format: Paperback
I adored this. This book gave me the exact paranormal/urban fantasy vibes that made me fall in love with both genres back as a teenager. However, if you are considering picking this up, please heed the trigger warnings. 2006 may not seem like that long ago to some of us, but when I think back to my teen years I’m reminded it really was a different world (it was, after all, 20 years ago now. I apologise to others my age currently scoffing and insisting no, it couldn’t be, because the 80s were only 20 years ago! I know, I feel your pain).
There is sexual assault in this book. I will talk about it a little, but it does need to be mentioned upfront and I can understand how it’s impacted people’s reading experiences and their reactions to the MMC.
Lachlain, leader of the Lykae Clan, escapes from his prison to find his fated mate. Who just so happens to be part vampire, therefore part of the vampire horde, who imprisoned him. Sheltered Emmaline just wanted to find out about her deceased parents – her Valkyrie mother and vampire father. Lachlain claims her, taking her back to his home in Scotland, where Emmaline starts to learn more about the Lykae and herself.
A Hunger Like No Other sets up this world really well, giving just enough information at just the right time, drawing you in and leaving you desperate to read more. The way Cole has crafted the different paranormal beings in this world is fascinating, and I can understand why this series is so beloved. I loved the way the fated mates idea was crafted, too, especially with the fact Lachlain has been searching for his mate for so long, and at the point where they finally meet, it seems the supernatural beings of this world are heading for war.
There’s also a good deal of mystery surrounding Emmaline and her parentage, and through various other characters we see how the whole idea of ‘mates’ impacts other beings, as well as the consequences of a fated pair not remaining together.
It is important to be aware going in that there is sexual assault/rape. I admit, I don’t typically respond well to scenes of this nature, however I don’t think sexual assault should be completely avoided in fiction either. I would encourage possible readers to either evaluate whether or not they are able to safely read this, or to be aware going in so you can do whatever you need to do to look after yourself. And what follows is completely my own opinion – there will be disagreements and debates over this, but this is just my own thoughts.
I think the behaviour displayed by Lachlain makes sense for his character and situation. He is not human, and doesn’t have human morals, but he’s also been locked away for so long he doesn’t have any kind of 21st Century morals, either. He’s not in his right mind when he meets Emmaline, is so obsessed with finding his mate he cuts his own leg off to escape and find her, and expects her to react as a werewolf would – with as much desperation and desire as he feels, eager to be together and mate. He doesn’t understand Emmaline’s reactions, misreads her completely, and it results in a situation that gets uncomfortable. It’s not an excuse for his actions, but it explains them, and when he realises he has crossed a line and hurt her, he stops. There are a few other incidences later on, too, where he’s driven out of his mind by her and struggles to pull back, as well as moments where Emmaline can’t think straight, either. For this particular story, in this particular context, it works, and it gives the reader a strong sense of fated mates within this universe. Again, I understand people avoiding the book because of it, and understand the uncomfortableness with these scenes, but this very much sits in the darker side of paranormal romance.
I don’t typically tend to like the alpha male trope, and it’s credit to Cole that I really liked it here, but it’s also combined with a FMC who makes her own choices, has her own agency as much as she can, pushes back against Lachlain and ultimately does things no other character has been able to do. She kicks ass! Despite spending a lot of the book questioning herself and her own abilities, and feeling uncertain about Lachlain because she can’t imagine he doesn’t have a line of women waiting for him, she really grows throughout this. She stands up for herself, and when she pushes back against Lachlain’s actions, he tends to toe the line.
The characters are very much Not Human and don’t act as humans, and in the context it works. This applies to the way they fight, their relationships, some of them particularly enjoy violence (especially against their enemies) and when they do have to interact with humans it’s a struggle. I really liked the different dynamics throughout and the supporting characters help to build up the series really well. I am very excited to continue with No Rest for the Wicked and return to the world of Immortals After Dark.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I purchased this book.
