17.
Title: Lothaire
Author: Kresley Cole
Pages: 506 pages
Genre: supernatural kidnapping/rape fantasy "romance"
Medium: kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 3, 2012
Rating: *

Lothaire, a vampire known as "The Enemy of Old," well-deserves his reputation among the Lorean: his actions prove again and again that he is truly evil. Though he forms an odd bond with a young Lorean in a previous book, this broken "Friendship" is the one positive relationship the vampire seems to have. So, casting Lothaire as the male protagonist in her latest supernatural romance is both intriguing and thrilling, and suggests great potential for the narrative.

The product is what may be called the "Cole Special": abduction, imprisonment, rape and abuse, and a healthy case of Stockholm syndrome called "love."

The adjective that most frequently came to mind while reading Lothaire was "repugnant." I, who generally have very few quibbles with nontraditional sexual and romantic relationships, was repulsed by the "romance" between Lothaire and Ellie. Ellie is a victim time and time again, both at the hands of a "vampire goddess" whose murders land Ellie on death row, and then at the hands of Lothaire himself. He is physically and emotionally abusive to an extreme degree, even after the couple's "fated love" is confirmed. At times it seemed as if Cole was attempting to rectify and repair the damage that Lothaire had created, but it only got worse. The conclusion of the novel is a justification of abuse, a kind of "he did it for her own good" suggestion that rankles.

Oh, but she's his "fated Bride," so it's all ok. If she can get over it, then we should, too.

I've had enough; "good" sex does not make up for extreme abuse, whether it is kidnapping and threatening one's family for compliance and oral sex, kidnapping and dissection while one is alive, or rape followed by kidnapping (all actual plots in the series). I just can't accept that controlling sadists can make good partners.

And a minor quibble compared to the basic content of the novel: I loathe laziness in writing. Specifically, the use of generic descriptions such as "old fashioned." They wore "old-fashioned" clothes, hhmm? Old-fashioned as in ... oh-so-1992? 1950? Renaissance? Medieval? Mammoth-skin? If your own vocabulary and research is so lacking, you can at least go with generic descriptions! Is she wearing a bodice and full skirt, or a long fitted gown? Is he wearing a stiff collar and boots to his cod piece? Or is it too difficult to imagine anything other than manually ripping one's hymen because it's in the way?

I'm amazed at myself that I even bothered to finish the book, but I wanted to give it the chance to recover. It never does.