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Immortals Untold #1
Ravenous
Not yet published
Expected 28 Jul 26From #1 New York Times bestseller Kresley Cole comes a darkly seductive new series where immortal passion collides with ruthless power.
Beyond the mortal world lies the Skein, a realm of mythic beauty and savage desire ruled by creatures of legend. Here, vampires, witches, demons, and wolves wage war-and hunt their pleasures just as fiercely.
Now, the Accession has begun, an ancient cycle of chaos and destiny that reignites old hostilities and forges fated bonds too hot to resist.
A witch queen on the rise defies the brutal wolf king who stands in her way. But when fate twists their battlefield into a bed of temptation, sworn enemies become something far more perilous. Lovers.
A vampire princess trades her crown for freedom, only to be bound to a scarred Berserker, a man whose possessive touch both terrifies and tempts her.
Beyond the mortal world lies the Skein, a realm of mythic beauty and savage desire ruled by creatures of legend. Here, vampires, witches, demons, and wolves wage war-and hunt their pleasures just as fiercely.
Now, the Accession has begun, an ancient cycle of chaos and destiny that reignites old hostilities and forges fated bonds too hot to resist.
A witch queen on the rise defies the brutal wolf king who stands in her way. But when fate twists their battlefield into a bed of temptation, sworn enemies become something far more perilous. Lovers.
A vampire princess trades her crown for freedom, only to be bound to a scarred Berserker, a man whose possessive touch both terrifies and tempts her.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 28, 2026
About the author
Kresley Cole
74 books27.6k followersKresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, the erotic Gamemakers series, and five award-winning historical romances.
A master’s grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings.
Her IAD books have been translated into 23 foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, a RWA Hall of Fame induction, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.
Cole lives in Florida with her family. Learn more about Kresley at: www.kresleycole.com & www.thearcanachronicles.com
A master’s grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings.
Her IAD books have been translated into 23 foreign languages, garnered three RITA awards, a RWA Hall of Fame induction, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.
Cole lives in Florida with her family. Learn more about Kresley at: www.kresleycole.com & www.thearcanachronicles.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
⤅ This is VERY different from the usual KC fare, in ways I both liked and didn't.
Bear with me, I have a lot of thoughts so this might get long... also, do NOT open the spoiler tags if you're not prepared to see spoilers, I am being so serious!!! Mild spoilers in the rest of the review too.
So: what we have here in this series is essentially a parallel world to 'Gaia' (i.e. the real world) where the main IAD series is set. It's called the Skein, and it's a bloodthirsty, violent hellhole world made up of all the immortal mythical species we encountered in the IAD series - vampires, berserkers, werewolves, Valkyries and more - with one glaring exception, no humans. The Skein also experiences an Accession every 500 years, when all the various species factions start warring with each other, and those events are just starting as the book begins.
It's immediately apparent as you begin reading that this is a multi-POV book. Each chapter is written in a different perspective, and while most of them are from the main 'recurring' characters (on which more later), some are from peripheral characters. I'm not generally a fan of multi-POV books, but I was able to tolerate it here because at least it's third person; had it been first person I probably would have been out by chapter 3.
Even in third person, there's some initial whiplash, as the reader has to deal simultaneously with getting accustomed to brand-new characters as well as brand-new worldbuilding (although of course, a lot is reprised from IAD). This gets better as the book progresses and you learn who everyone is.
At a very high level, the plot revolves around the following characters/pairings who are POV characters (but more on the romance aspect later too):
⤅ Lia: a 22-year-old vampire princess, the only innocent born to the depraved vampire royal family. I initially thought I'd dislike her, and my hopes were certainly not high when I discovered that she's essentially a vampire in name only: she doesn't drink blood AT ALL and doesn't even really have fangs. She ends up in an arranged marriage with...
⤅ Arctos: a 40-year-old berserker who hates vampires because they killed his family. To my surprise, the budding friendship between Lia and Arctos, as they move from distrust to respect, became unexpectedly a highlight of the book. One of Arctos's trusted friends and sources is...
⤅ Inkletter: an ancient incubus who seduces his targets for information. One of his marks is...
⤅ Nadje: a vampire handmaiden and Lia's former servant, who has made a name for herself bartering and smuggling goods throughout the Skein. One ultimate customer of her services is...
⤅ Thane: king of the werewolves. 1500 years old, jaded, and devoted to his people's safety, he's both horrified and grateful when he discovers his mate is...
⤅ Ditch: half demon, half witch, and the new high priestess of the witches, determined to destroy the werewolves and crush them under her heel. She's plagued by a shy, lovelorn second-in-command who is...
⤅ Meera: nerdy and with negligible magical powers, compared to the showy and dramatic Ditch, Meera has stayed a virgin for almost a century - but her resolve is tested by...
⤅ Lowell: a charming werewolf and Thane's second-in-command, Lowell hasn't previously felt drawn to the plump witch, but now he's under Meera's spell. Too bad she's not his fated mate, but surely he'll never meet his mate so is free to pursue the pretty witch?
And that doesn't even cover all the POV characters, those are just the central ones!
Some of the characters are much better drawn than others; Ditch for instance shines through, I suspect because KC has form writing characters like her - honestly, she's basically Sabine, who is one of my all-time favourite characters so that's no bad thing. Someone like Inkletter frankly pales in comparison. Which leads me to the observation that, if what you want is good character development, not just a convenient media to convey plot events to the reader, you'd do better to have way fewer main characters and lavish more attention on them. Mathematically speaking, each character/relationship consists of just a fraction of the book, while a standard KC novel devotes all 400 pages to just one couple!
This means that some of the romances were unrealistically turbocharged while others dragged or lacked chemistry because they hadn't had enough attention. The blurb is INCREDIBLY misleading: Arctos does not have a 'possessive touch' for Lia, it's mildly protective at most; 'lust' does not feature as a 'gamble' for Inkletter and Nadje in any meaningful sense; and Meera and Lowell do not by any stretch of the imagination have a 'love that defies the gods.' I'm actually so baffled by these exaggerations (if not outright mistruths) that I've circled round to amused.
Speaking of the romance...
Right, if you're a veteran KC reader, I'm going to cut to the chase now and say something a bit shocking: I enjoyed the plot in this novel MUCH more than I did the romances, and that is also because KC has completely subverted some of the romance here in ways I honestly didn't like. If I am reading what I believe to be a romance novel, I HATE not knowing which character will end up with who; I was the sort of person who rejoiced when reverse harem novels became popular about a decade ago because it meant escape from the torment of the love triangle. I still won't read novels with love triangles, I just can't stand not knowing who the hero will be. And it honestly feels a bit cheap to me when authors play bait and switch with their heroes.
Okay, I've listed the negatives, so what did I like? First of all, the last 20% is GREAT from a purely plot perspective. It's fast-paced, dramatic, and full of twists and action. This definitely felt like the vintage KC which kept me hooked, compared to the weak watered-down versions of her I DNFed (like Mina's book). She absolutely hasn't shied away from portraying blood and gore.
Secondly, the book is genuinely funny in places. There are some good one-liners of the sort it feels KC hasn't written in years. It helps that the writing standard overall is high,
There's also a touch more diversity; the main IAD MCs, from what I recall, are all white, but here we have one Indian main character, a peripheral Japanese one, and even a budding lesbian romance.
Overall
If you go into this one without expecting to love the romance and while prepared for the cliffhanger - basically, read it as a fantasy novel really IMO - you should be good. It's certainly closer to Old KC than her most recent works.
___
Pre-review: Okay. So. This is obviously going straight onto my TBR list, but I'm also like... KC has now been writing the same Immortals After Dark series for almost 20 years, and it's nowhere NEAR completion. The latest books have either (i) taken ages to be released, (ii) featured characters we don't care about, (iii) not been as good as her earlier works, or (iv) all of the above. And now you tell me there's an entirely new spinoff series, when as far as we know there's not even been a title / couple reveal for the next IAD book yet, let alone a release date???
Bear with me, I have a lot of thoughts so this might get long... also, do NOT open the spoiler tags if you're not prepared to see spoilers, I am being so serious!!! Mild spoilers in the rest of the review too.
So: what we have here in this series is essentially a parallel world to 'Gaia' (i.e. the real world) where the main IAD series is set. It's called the Skein, and it's a bloodthirsty, violent hellhole world made up of all the immortal mythical species we encountered in the IAD series - vampires, berserkers, werewolves, Valkyries and more - with one glaring exception, no humans. The Skein also experiences an Accession every 500 years, when all the various species factions start warring with each other, and those events are just starting as the book begins.
It's immediately apparent as you begin reading that this is a multi-POV book. Each chapter is written in a different perspective, and while most of them are from the main 'recurring' characters (on which more later), some are from peripheral characters. I'm not generally a fan of multi-POV books, but I was able to tolerate it here because at least it's third person; had it been first person I probably would have been out by chapter 3.
Even in third person, there's some initial whiplash, as the reader has to deal simultaneously with getting accustomed to brand-new characters as well as brand-new worldbuilding (although of course, a lot is reprised from IAD). This gets better as the book progresses and you learn who everyone is.
At a very high level, the plot revolves around the following characters/pairings who are POV characters (but more on the romance aspect later too):
⤅ Lia: a 22-year-old vampire princess, the only innocent born to the depraved vampire royal family. I initially thought I'd dislike her, and my hopes were certainly not high when I discovered that she's essentially a vampire in name only: she doesn't drink blood AT ALL and doesn't even really have fangs. She ends up in an arranged marriage with...
⤅ Arctos: a 40-year-old berserker who hates vampires because they killed his family. To my surprise, the budding friendship between Lia and Arctos, as they move from distrust to respect, became unexpectedly a highlight of the book. One of Arctos's trusted friends and sources is...
⤅ Inkletter: an ancient incubus who seduces his targets for information. One of his marks is...
⤅ Nadje: a vampire handmaiden and Lia's former servant, who has made a name for herself bartering and smuggling goods throughout the Skein. One ultimate customer of her services is...
⤅ Thane: king of the werewolves. 1500 years old, jaded, and devoted to his people's safety, he's both horrified and grateful when he discovers his mate is...
⤅ Ditch: half demon, half witch, and the new high priestess of the witches, determined to destroy the werewolves and crush them under her heel. She's plagued by a shy, lovelorn second-in-command who is...
⤅ Meera: nerdy and with negligible magical powers, compared to the showy and dramatic Ditch, Meera has stayed a virgin for almost a century - but her resolve is tested by...
⤅ Lowell: a charming werewolf and Thane's second-in-command, Lowell hasn't previously felt drawn to the plump witch, but now he's under Meera's spell. Too bad she's not his fated mate, but surely he'll never meet his mate so is free to pursue the pretty witch?
And that doesn't even cover all the POV characters, those are just the central ones!
Some of the characters are much better drawn than others; Ditch for instance shines through, I suspect because KC has form writing characters like her - honestly, she's basically Sabine, who is one of my all-time favourite characters so that's no bad thing. Someone like Inkletter frankly pales in comparison. Which leads me to the observation that, if what you want is good character development, not just a convenient media to convey plot events to the reader, you'd do better to have way fewer main characters and lavish more attention on them. Mathematically speaking, each character/relationship consists of just a fraction of the book, while a standard KC novel devotes all 400 pages to just one couple!
This means that some of the romances were unrealistically turbocharged while others dragged or lacked chemistry because they hadn't had enough attention. The blurb is INCREDIBLY misleading: Arctos does not have a 'possessive touch' for Lia, it's mildly protective at most; 'lust' does not feature as a 'gamble' for Inkletter and Nadje in any meaningful sense; and Meera and Lowell do not by any stretch of the imagination have a 'love that defies the gods.' I'm actually so baffled by these exaggerations (if not outright mistruths) that I've circled round to amused.
Speaking of the romance...
Right, if you're a veteran KC reader, I'm going to cut to the chase now and say something a bit shocking: I enjoyed the plot in this novel MUCH more than I did the romances, and that is also because KC has completely subverted some of the romance here in ways I honestly didn't like. If I am reading what I believe to be a romance novel, I HATE not knowing which character will end up with who; I was the sort of person who rejoiced when reverse harem novels became popular about a decade ago because it meant escape from the torment of the love triangle. I still won't read novels with love triangles, I just can't stand not knowing who the hero will be. And it honestly feels a bit cheap to me when authors play bait and switch with their heroes.
Okay, I've listed the negatives, so what did I like? First of all, the last 20% is GREAT from a purely plot perspective. It's fast-paced, dramatic, and full of twists and action. This definitely felt like the vintage KC which kept me hooked, compared to the weak watered-down versions of her I DNFed (like Mina's book). She absolutely hasn't shied away from portraying blood and gore.
Secondly, the book is genuinely funny in places. There are some good one-liners of the sort it feels KC hasn't written in years. It helps that the writing standard overall is high,
There's also a touch more diversity; the main IAD MCs, from what I recall, are all white, but here we have one Indian main character, a peripheral Japanese one, and even a budding lesbian romance.
Overall
If you go into this one without expecting to love the romance and while prepared for the cliffhanger - basically, read it as a fantasy novel really IMO - you should be good. It's certainly closer to Old KC than her most recent works.
___
Pre-review: Okay. So. This is obviously going straight onto my TBR list, but I'm also like... KC has now been writing the same Immortals After Dark series for almost 20 years, and it's nowhere NEAR completion. The latest books have either (i) taken ages to be released, (ii) featured characters we don't care about, (iii) not been as good as her earlier works, or (iv) all of the above. And now you tell me there's an entirely new spinoff series, when as far as we know there's not even been a title / couple reveal for the next IAD book yet, let alone a release date???
not-out-yet
February 28, 2026A NEW SERIES????? AAAAAhhhh I'm so excited!!
Want to Read
October 11, 2025
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Okay. Here we go, and I hope you stay with me. This will be a bit long.
I have been a Kresley Cole fan for ages and have been reading IAD for almost two decades now. I am saying that not as a flex, but because it absolutely shapes how I read this book. I would really love to hear what newer readers think too, either in the comments or in your own reviews, because I am so curious how this lands if you are not coming in with years of baggage, affection, and opinions like the rest of us.
Like a lot of longtime fans, I was sceptical when Ravenous was announced. Mostly because IAD already feels a little never-ending at this point, even though I will obviously keep reading every single book Kresley puts out. But I am also at the stage where I want older characters to get their stories finished and their arcs tied up, not necessarily yet another whole new set of people to get attached to.
That said... I ended up really liking this.
First, this is a multi-POV book, and that changes the reading experience a lot. Think Throne of Glass in terms of POV structure only. Imagine if Lachlain and Emma, Kaderin and Sebastian, Bowen and Mariketa, and Cade and Holly were all unfolding in the same book at the same time. That is the kind of setup we have here. Which means this feels very different from the usual IAD format, where you more or less know who the couple is, watch them get there, and by the end you get the HEA. That is NOT what this book is doing.
And that took some adjusting.
Because while the world is still very much IAD, the storytelling is different. We are following multiple arcs at once, and by the end we get a cliffhanger instead of a neatly wrapped romance. Since this is meant to be a four book series, that makes sense, but it definitely changes the vibe. By the end, a lot is still up in the air.
This book was also very fast-paced. Things were constantly happening, which honestly helped a lot with such a big cast and so much setup. And the last 20%? Fully unhinged in the best way. So much was happening!!!!
I was also a little worried I would not connect with the characters, because there are already so many people in this universe and, if I am honest, some of the later books have not been the most memorable for me. But I loved this cast.. I have favourites, obviously, but overall I ended up caring about all of them, and I absolutely want to know what happens next!!
And the writing? Excellent. Kresley is a strong writer anyway, but this really reminded me of her older work in terms of quality. I honestly think the traditional publishing side showed here, in a good way. It felt polished, sharp, and very confident. But more than that, it felt extra witty and smart (Valkyrie style;)).
Also, older fans might catch a few little Easter eggs. Nothing too obvious, but enough to make me start forming theories immediately. If you have any, message me, because I would love to compare notes!!!
The worldbuilding and storytelling were both really strong. There is a lot of lore here, and I am very curious how newer readers will process it. I thought the book explained things well without feeling overly repetitive for longtime readers, but it is still A LOT. Almost like getting several IAD books’ worth of lore at once.
So... dare I say it?
I think we might be back!!!!
I am genuinely excited for book 2, and I have not felt this way about an IAD book in a long time. Honestly, the last time I remember feeling this invested was MacRieve.
Which, for me, says a lot.
I have been a Kresley Cole fan for ages and have been reading IAD for almost two decades now. I am saying that not as a flex, but because it absolutely shapes how I read this book. I would really love to hear what newer readers think too, either in the comments or in your own reviews, because I am so curious how this lands if you are not coming in with years of baggage, affection, and opinions like the rest of us.
Like a lot of longtime fans, I was sceptical when Ravenous was announced. Mostly because IAD already feels a little never-ending at this point, even though I will obviously keep reading every single book Kresley puts out. But I am also at the stage where I want older characters to get their stories finished and their arcs tied up, not necessarily yet another whole new set of people to get attached to.
That said... I ended up really liking this.
First, this is a multi-POV book, and that changes the reading experience a lot. Think Throne of Glass in terms of POV structure only. Imagine if Lachlain and Emma, Kaderin and Sebastian, Bowen and Mariketa, and Cade and Holly were all unfolding in the same book at the same time. That is the kind of setup we have here. Which means this feels very different from the usual IAD format, where you more or less know who the couple is, watch them get there, and by the end you get the HEA. That is NOT what this book is doing.
And that took some adjusting.
Because while the world is still very much IAD, the storytelling is different. We are following multiple arcs at once, and by the end we get a cliffhanger instead of a neatly wrapped romance. Since this is meant to be a four book series, that makes sense, but it definitely changes the vibe. By the end, a lot is still up in the air.
This book was also very fast-paced. Things were constantly happening, which honestly helped a lot with such a big cast and so much setup. And the last 20%? Fully unhinged in the best way. So much was happening!!!!
I was also a little worried I would not connect with the characters, because there are already so many people in this universe and, if I am honest, some of the later books have not been the most memorable for me. But I loved this cast.. I have favourites, obviously, but overall I ended up caring about all of them, and I absolutely want to know what happens next!!
And the writing? Excellent. Kresley is a strong writer anyway, but this really reminded me of her older work in terms of quality. I honestly think the traditional publishing side showed here, in a good way. It felt polished, sharp, and very confident. But more than that, it felt extra witty and smart (Valkyrie style;)).
Also, older fans might catch a few little Easter eggs. Nothing too obvious, but enough to make me start forming theories immediately. If you have any, message me, because I would love to compare notes!!!
The worldbuilding and storytelling were both really strong. There is a lot of lore here, and I am very curious how newer readers will process it. I thought the book explained things well without feeling overly repetitive for longtime readers, but it is still A LOT. Almost like getting several IAD books’ worth of lore at once.
So... dare I say it?
I think we might be back!!!!
I am genuinely excited for book 2, and I have not felt this way about an IAD book in a long time. Honestly, the last time I remember feeling this invested was MacRieve.
Which, for me, says a lot.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
ARC provided by Edelweiss and Publisher in exchange for a honest review.
RTC
As KC mentioned, “the format is different in this series, following several protagonists,” and that’s definitely true. It took a bit of getting used to at first, but once I settled in, it worked.
There’s a lot going on in this book. It’s very much laying the groundwork for a new world and introducing multiple protagonists, so it can feel a bit overwhelming at times. Going in, I’d recommend being prepared to keep track of quite a bit.
The premise itself is really intriguing:
“This new world is what happened when Nïx the Ever Knowing, a Valkyrie soothsayer and one of the most popular characters in the Immortals After Dark series, chose a different path thousands of years ago—one small change that reshaped distant immortal worlds.”
Also:
Welcome to the Skein: a brutal realm where scarce resources spark deadly rivalries between vampires, werewolves, witches, and other mythical creatures, delivering a storm of forbidden love, violent twists, and supernatural shocks. Discover the immortals whose songs have gone unsung as destiny awakens fated bonds and they all must fight for survival.
IMMORTALS UNTOLD is the perfect series for fans of gritty paranormal lore, seasoned with scorching love scenes and jaw-dropping surprises.
I was completely drawn into the story and invested in the characters, even with everything happening. It’s just one of those reads where you have to stay focused.
And that ending—WOW!!!!🤯
Also, it is a cliffhanger, so definitely be ready for that.
I’ll have a more detailed review later, though it might be tricky to go deeper without giving too much away. Overall, very well written.
RTC
As KC mentioned, “the format is different in this series, following several protagonists,” and that’s definitely true. It took a bit of getting used to at first, but once I settled in, it worked.
There’s a lot going on in this book. It’s very much laying the groundwork for a new world and introducing multiple protagonists, so it can feel a bit overwhelming at times. Going in, I’d recommend being prepared to keep track of quite a bit.
The premise itself is really intriguing:
“This new world is what happened when Nïx the Ever Knowing, a Valkyrie soothsayer and one of the most popular characters in the Immortals After Dark series, chose a different path thousands of years ago—one small change that reshaped distant immortal worlds.”
Also:
Welcome to the Skein: a brutal realm where scarce resources spark deadly rivalries between vampires, werewolves, witches, and other mythical creatures, delivering a storm of forbidden love, violent twists, and supernatural shocks. Discover the immortals whose songs have gone unsung as destiny awakens fated bonds and they all must fight for survival.
IMMORTALS UNTOLD is the perfect series for fans of gritty paranormal lore, seasoned with scorching love scenes and jaw-dropping surprises.
I was completely drawn into the story and invested in the characters, even with everything happening. It’s just one of those reads where you have to stay focused.
And that ending—WOW!!!!🤯
Also, it is a cliffhanger, so definitely be ready for that.
I’ll have a more detailed review later, though it might be tricky to go deeper without giving too much away. Overall, very well written.
Want to Read
April 18, 2026Okey so l'm confused does this mean IAD is cancelled/on hold indefinitely. I wish we would have gotten one last book at least just to close the series. It's been frustrating to wait so long for alot of the characters that the books were building towards. To now get a spin off of random characters in a whole different timeliness.
Read
November 10, 2025One of my edits, publishing in May, 2026!
https://www.editsbykristi.com/ravenous
https://www.editsbykristi.com/ravenous
Read
April 8, 2026*nods enthusiastically* it's giving the vibes of sjm, metal slinger, direbound, plated prisoner
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