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Review
4.5 stars!
Once again, Kresley Cole has taken me on another heart-pumping, action-packed journey that is laugh-out-loud funny, deliciously sexy and beautifully romantic, all set within a strong and well-developed paranormal world that I blissfully lose myself in each and every time I pick up one of these books.
Still a part of the Immortals After Dark series, this is the first in the Dacians books, a species that were introduced in Lothaire, and who are an intriguing bunch who effortlessly fit into this intriguing and seemingly unending world. The timeline of this book crosses over with Lothaire so beware spoilers, and as part of the IAD world, I wouldn’t recommend reading this one as a standalone.
Trehan Daciano is known as the Prince of Shadows and is part of the royal family of Dacia, the secretive realm of blood and mist that is hidden from the Lore. Trehan is a centuries old Dacian – a type of vampire that can hide within the mist, allowing him to become a feared and unstoppable assassin.
Princess Bettina, is a halfling – half demon, half sorceri – and heir to the demon throne of Abaddon. At only 22 years old and an orphan, she is the ward of two of the Lore’s most powerful beings, and after experiencing happiness in the human world only to be almost destroyed in a devastating attack, she has been kept sheltered and protected under her godfather’s watchful eye. She is preparing to take up the rule of her kingdom, but her guardians have insisted she be married first, and have organised a tournament for her hand, and for half of the throne. Bettina is powerless to stop the event, wanting nothing more than a future with her childhood best friend, Caspion who she is not-so-secretly in love with – even though he is a manwhoring demon who has no interest in her beyond their close friendship.
When Caspion ventures too far in his eternal search for debauchery, he becomes Trehan’s newest target. But Trehan’s hunt for his prey brings him to Bettina, and with one look at the beautiful princess he recognises her as his bride – his fated mate and the woman who brings his body back to life – in all ways. The only way Trehan can have a future with his bride is to enter the tournament and in her hand. But even if he manages that, he still has to win her heart, which belongs to another. And with Caspion entering the tournament in order to protect his best friend from the horrors of the other entrants (a puss demon? Ewww!), the stage is set for an epic showdown.
OMG, I loved this story! It’s non-stop from start to finish, and I thought the blend of the violence and action of the tournament with the laugh-out-loud humour of the characters, and the beautifully sweet and swoony romance was just perfect.
Trehan Daciano is one determined vampire! He absolutely blew me away with his complete and utter devotion to his bride, and he constantly had me swooning. He is the perfect mix of alpha vampire, sweet and tender lover and red hot seductor, and his efforts to win Bettina – body and soul – were just gorgeous.
There’s a strong focus on the romance, which has a really strong emotional element as Trehan has to battle to win Bettina’s heart from Caspion – a battle which becomes frustrating at times because we can all see who is the better male, and as strong and resilient as Bettina is, it took her a while to come around (but it did allow for some character development for her which was sorely needed, and which I really enjoyed).
“One day you’ll convince me that you’ll always want him.” Just before he traced away, he murmured in her ear, “Take care, lest you lose a male who’ll desire only you—and gain a male who’ll desire only others.”
Comic relief comes in the form of Bettina’s companion, a crude, foul-mouthed, wisecracking phantom. Salem is freaking hilarious and a complete scene-stealer, I loved him!
“I spent the morning as the ceiling in the warlocks’ tent. Found out that the hobbies of Those Best Forgotten include long walks on the beach and sacrificing nymphs on altars. I mean, who’d want to hurt a nymph? That’s like kicking a rainbow in the nuts.”
It’s an exciting, emotional journey for Trehan and Bettina, and I loved it! I loved the characters, their sweet romance, their steamy passion and their emotional coming together as they battled towards their future. I loved exploring the Dacian world, getting to know Trehan’s family, and the way that this book ties into Lothaire and Elizabeth’s book including a cameo from the two of them and hilarious romantic advice from the enemy of old. There’s even a tie in with earlier characters from the series, and hints at future stories to come.
I listened to this as an audiobook and again, Robert Petkoff did an incredible job bringing it to life. I would never actually read one of these books because I fear I would miss so much in his absolutely perfect narration that adds so much to the story.
Absolutely fantastic, I can’t wait to continue on.
4.5 stars.
For full series info, see our Immortals After Dark series page.