Kaderin has spent a thousand years numb, bearing the weight of her sisters' deaths without feeling anything—until she encounters Bastian Wroth. Bastian is a vampire, turned against his will, and when Kaderin meets him, she’s thrown off by her sudden reluctance to kill him. She’s further surprised by the rush of emotions his presence stirs in her and by his unexpected claim that she’s his fated bride.

This take on the enemies-to-lovers trope has a gentler twist. Rather than fierce hatred, their tension stems from mutual frustration and the shock of being destined for each other. Kaderin grapples with her newfound emotions, lamenting the loss of her “blessing” of emotional numbness, yet she finds herself unable to abandon Bastian, even though Valkyrie vampire hunters being with vampires is unheard of.

Bastian’s story is deeply tragic. In life, he struggled with intimacy, and becoming a vampire wasn’t his choice. For years, he’s been disillusioned with life, but meeting Kaderin rekindles his will to live. Kaderin’s initial rejection wounds him deeply, as he’s haunted by the idea that no woman could ever truly want him.

Adding to the excitement is The Hie, a globe-spanning scavenger hunt for paranormal beings led by the goddess Riora. Contestants race to collect mystical objects, and the competition comes with real risks—both from the challenges and from rivals. Familiar faces like Myst, Niklaus, Nix, and Regin make appearances, and as always, the Valkyrie interactions bring plenty of chaos and fun, with their wild personalities and love of collecting trinkets and technology.

This series has been a thrill so far, and this installment has easily become my favorite.

3.75 stars ⭐️ Sebastian and Kaderin meet and at first one might think that it’s an insta-love situation but it’s not. Yes, they are drawn to each other (she is his Bride and he makes her feel again) but boy, does she not want anything to do with him. This man (well, vampire) follows her around and she’s basically like dude, leave me alone. The competition aspect is fun and their relationship throughout it is fun. I will say I was a bit confused by the fact that it’s set in modern times, but overall I did enjoy the story, the progression of the main characters relationship and how it ended.

This series has quickly become one of my new favorites for paranormal romance, and the new cover is absolutely stunning!

No Rest for the Wicked introduces us to Kaderin the Cold-Hearted, a vampire-slaying Valkyrie, and Sebastian Wroth, a vampire turned by his brothers. Kaderin and Sebastian realize she is his Bride after she is unable to kill him and flees. This book also introduces the Hie, a deadly competition between the Lore creatures for magical prizes. Kaderin and Sebastian work together in the challenges, while Sebastian tries to win her over and show he is not like other vampires.

This might be my favorite book in the series so far! The Hie raised the stakes and introduced new Lore to the story, making it unique from the others in this series. Sebastian is a breath of fresh air in this series as well! He is not as experienced as most MMCs and needs to prove himself to Kaderin. He is down bad for her! She is more confident in their relationship and tends to push his buttons. They both learn to trust each other in the challenges, and their romantic relationship

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The third entry in Immortals After Dark and we have another Wroth brother down. In No Rest for the Wicked there’s still a Valkyrie FMC, but instead of the Lychae clan, the MMC is once again one of the Wroth brothers (vampires). (The first Wroth Brother’s story is novella The Warlord Wants Forever.) Kresley Cole has done a magnificent job of making the IAD a series of interconnected stories that can be read as standalones, but have so much more depth when read together. The stories overlap in terms of timeline and characters, not picking up exactly where the previous one left off, but still moving the overall world forward.

No Rest for the Wicked contains The Hie, described as an immortal Amazing Race, which is always fun to read about even if Bowen and Marriketa, who are the MCs of the next book in the series, might edge out Kaderin and Sebastian as my favorite competitors. It’s a fun adventure plot that I always love rereading. Whether you’ve read Kresley Cole’s entire catalogue multiple times or are completely new to her writing, I highly recommend picking up No Rest for the Wicked.

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for my copy to review.