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Royal House of Shadows #1
Lord of the Vampires
Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with a need for vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.
Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who can help him.
When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey. She's drawn to his dark sexuality and into his magical realm. But for this human, all is not a fairy tale. For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she's ever craved...
Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who can help him.
When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey. She's drawn to his dark sexuality and into his magical realm. But for this human, all is not a fairy tale. For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she's ever craved...
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 22, 2011
261 people are currently reading
9596 people want to read
About the author
Gena Showalter
262 books27.9k followersGena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 629 reviews
November 19, 2015
Warning! This book contains sex… wow. Hot, crazy, vampire sex! And lots of it.
Lord of the Vampires is the first book in the new Royal House of Shadows series, and my first read of Gena Showalter’s writing. I’ve heard her name mentioned time and time again as friends encouraged me to read her Lords of the Underworld series, but when I saw Lord of the Vampires listed on netgalley, I just couldn’t pass it up!
The first thing that really stood out, and I enjoyed very much, was just how edgy and vicious Nicolai is. Hell bent on a revenge he had to have but didn’t quite understand, he’s bloodthirsty and brutal in getting what he wants. Calling Nicolai “alpha” is like calling a tornado a gentle breeze. Caveman, Neanderthal, heathen… seriously, he’s the most over the top brute of any book I’ve read in a long time! And. I. Loved it! Every time Nicolai growled, “Mine” or “Want you…” I got all tingly inside!
The heroine's name is Jane.
Speaking of Nicolai – Have I mentioned how much I love him? A hot, sexy vampire, cursed, memory stolen, he can summon me any day!
Okay, about the book - I’d say the first half of the book was a solid 5 star rating for me. I was impressed with the world building, the unique storyline and interesting characters – especially Nicolai. Rawr! Then somewhere into the second half we suddenly started getting a lot of repetition of thoughts... internal rehashing of things that had already been hashed to death. That would have been fine had I been reading only a chapter or two every few days and needing reminders of things I’d previously read, but that wasn’t the case, so I found myself skipping over things, and being annoyed at having to do so! I wanted more Nicolai time, not time spent listening to Jane whine about being attacked by witches and nearly raped by Ogres. Whatever, Jane! Grow a set and get over it! Anyway, the second half of the book gets about 2.5-3 stars from me, so I’m giving it an overall rating of 3.5 stars.
Some of my favorite quotes from the story all come from Nicolai -
“Mine,” Nicolai snapped. “No touching.”
Behind her, she heard Nicolai jerking against his chains. “Mine!”
And her resistance…gods, he’d wanted to quash it. Still did.
Wanted her to know his bite, his kiss.
His possession.
Perhaps she was merely a challenge he had to triumph above. He didn’t care. Quite simply, she was his. That was not in question. Mine, his cells continued to scream. All mine.
“Mine,” he said more forcefully, perhaps sensing her doubts.
“What do you mean by that? Explain.”
“Want you. No secret of that. You want me, too.”
God, those short, abrupt sentences were sexy as hell.
As if his mind was locked on one thought—pleasure—and nothing could penetrate his determination to have it. With her and only her.
And last, but certainly not least, my very favorite -
"Want. You."
Be still my heart! So romantic, so hot, sooo... caveman!
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Lord of Rage which will be written by Jill Monroe.
I received this ARC to read and review from netgalley.com.
May 6, 2012
http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...
Once upon a time, a vampire prince named Nicolai was an arrogant seducer of anything with breasts. He lived happily, frolicking with his brothers and sister, learning to fight, to control his temper, to use his powers, and learn to heal...until one day, an evil sorcerer attacks. His parents, the king and queen, are slaughtered, and with their dying breaths, each casts a spell. His mother sends all 4 of her children to safety, while the king instills a need for vengeance against the Blood Sorcerer. Unfortunately the queen's spell sent her children to different places in their world. Nicolai finds himself naked in the sex slave market of Delfina, "a kingdom without time or age."
He escapes and is captured by the princess of the witches, Odette. She and her sister Laila have his memory erased and Odette forces him to become her sex slave.
Meanwhile, in a place far, far away, a cabin in the human realm, we find our heroine, Jane. Jane is recovering from a horrific car accident. A drunk driver hit her car and killed her family, paralyzing Jane, crushing her from waist down. After a long torturous year, she is up, walking, jogging every day to keep her muscles from stiffening, and she is dreaming of a chained vampire. Oh yes, she knows the hero's a vampire because she used to work in a research facility that interrogated the "others." She's a scientist who has been trying to send things over to Nicolai's realm-and she's succeeded with inanimate objects. But one day she finds a book on her doorstep. Opening it up and reading it, she can not only picture Nicolai, the vampire who wrote the lines, but she can see him as if she knows him. Does she?
Next thing she knows, Jane is transported into the Princess Odette's life. Everyone who sees her, sees Odette. Everyone, that is, except Nicolai. He convinces her to free him, and she is whipped by her "mother," the queen, but our hero, in a fit of rage tears through everyone to get to his woman. And that is really just the first 60 pages or so!
But never fear! Once they escape, danger is constantly dogging their heels. Jane is captured by *ahem* very lusty ogres. Even in her fat, ugly, Princess Odette disguise, they want her anyway. She does a good job of fighting one off, but more grab her, and unfortunately Nicolai fought them until he was incapacitated with some of his memories rushing back. Each time he gains more of his memories, it's painful and he loses time. Finding Jane is a priority, but his memories force him to re-live them, and each is a debilitating memory. But as his memory returns, so do his powers, and luckily he's able to find Jane each time.
The two of them find amazing amounts of danger! But I enjoyed watching Nicolai learn that he couldn't just use Jane to escape-he began to care for her, and respect her. The sex came pretty early on, and as we all know Showalter, that woman can write some steamy naughtiness. But I liked it. The world-building wasn't hard to follow, but the memory stealing was. I had a hard time remembering whose memories were stolen and by whom. And the ending was a bit abrupt. But other than that, it was a fun ride. I liked seeing the trademark Gena Showalter sense of humor and I really enjoyed the way Nicolai got possessive over Jane, but he didn't understand why. For those of you who are rolling your eyes at the love at first sight bit, stop right there-it wasn't. There's a sneaky little twist in there that lets us know they've met before. They were friends, but something happens that takes that away.
I liked it, I was confused a few times, but I am really looking forward to the next installment (which is actually written by Jill Monroe. And Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh have the 2 after that. This looks to be an intense series.
ETA: I've been told this is a variation of Alice in Wonderland, and that actually helped clarify some of the confusion for me.
**eARC courtesy of netgalley.com
Once upon a time, a vampire prince named Nicolai was an arrogant seducer of anything with breasts. He lived happily, frolicking with his brothers and sister, learning to fight, to control his temper, to use his powers, and learn to heal...until one day, an evil sorcerer attacks. His parents, the king and queen, are slaughtered, and with their dying breaths, each casts a spell. His mother sends all 4 of her children to safety, while the king instills a need for vengeance against the Blood Sorcerer. Unfortunately the queen's spell sent her children to different places in their world. Nicolai finds himself naked in the sex slave market of Delfina, "a kingdom without time or age."
He escapes and is captured by the princess of the witches, Odette. She and her sister Laila have his memory erased and Odette forces him to become her sex slave.
Meanwhile, in a place far, far away, a cabin in the human realm, we find our heroine, Jane. Jane is recovering from a horrific car accident. A drunk driver hit her car and killed her family, paralyzing Jane, crushing her from waist down. After a long torturous year, she is up, walking, jogging every day to keep her muscles from stiffening, and she is dreaming of a chained vampire. Oh yes, she knows the hero's a vampire because she used to work in a research facility that interrogated the "others." She's a scientist who has been trying to send things over to Nicolai's realm-and she's succeeded with inanimate objects. But one day she finds a book on her doorstep. Opening it up and reading it, she can not only picture Nicolai, the vampire who wrote the lines, but she can see him as if she knows him. Does she?
Next thing she knows, Jane is transported into the Princess Odette's life. Everyone who sees her, sees Odette. Everyone, that is, except Nicolai. He convinces her to free him, and she is whipped by her "mother," the queen, but our hero, in a fit of rage tears through everyone to get to his woman. And that is really just the first 60 pages or so!
But never fear! Once they escape, danger is constantly dogging their heels. Jane is captured by *ahem* very lusty ogres. Even in her fat, ugly, Princess Odette disguise, they want her anyway. She does a good job of fighting one off, but more grab her, and unfortunately Nicolai fought them until he was incapacitated with some of his memories rushing back. Each time he gains more of his memories, it's painful and he loses time. Finding Jane is a priority, but his memories force him to re-live them, and each is a debilitating memory. But as his memory returns, so do his powers, and luckily he's able to find Jane each time.
The two of them find amazing amounts of danger! But I enjoyed watching Nicolai learn that he couldn't just use Jane to escape-he began to care for her, and respect her. The sex came pretty early on, and as we all know Showalter, that woman can write some steamy naughtiness. But I liked it. The world-building wasn't hard to follow, but the memory stealing was. I had a hard time remembering whose memories were stolen and by whom. And the ending was a bit abrupt. But other than that, it was a fun ride. I liked seeing the trademark Gena Showalter sense of humor and I really enjoyed the way Nicolai got possessive over Jane, but he didn't understand why. For those of you who are rolling your eyes at the love at first sight bit, stop right there-it wasn't. There's a sneaky little twist in there that lets us know they've met before. They were friends, but something happens that takes that away.
I liked it, I was confused a few times, but I am really looking forward to the next installment (which is actually written by Jill Monroe. And Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh have the 2 after that. This looks to be an intense series.
ETA: I've been told this is a variation of Alice in Wonderland, and that actually helped clarify some of the confusion for me.
**eARC courtesy of netgalley.com
September 29, 2011
Sadly, I was pretty disappointed with this book. If it was written by another author that I didn't have higher expectations for, I would have liked it fairly well. But for Gena Showalter, and what I know she can write, this one didn't quite measure up. I think it's the Harlequin Nocturne curse. I've found that these books don't have enough content to make this PNR fan happy. Ms. Showalter seemed to have some issues with the word count restrictions. I think she did the best she could, but I felt that the storytelling wasn't as cohesive, and some aspects were less concrete that I would like. I think as a 400 page book, this could have been an awesome story. For a 281 page book, it's rather half-done.
I wanted more world-building and stronger characterization. The world seemed a bit like a Saturday morning cartoon as far as the fairy land stricken by dark magic. I was left wanting more on that front. The bad guys were kind of cardboard. I love a wicked witch villainess, and this could have rocked in that sense. As is, the players were too sketchy for my tastes. As far as the romance/sexy bits, that was very well done as it was, although more time spent on Nicolai and Jane getting to know each other wouldn't have come amiss.
On the positive side, I really liked Jane as a heroine. Nicolai didn't impress me, but I wasn't necessarily disappointed. He was just okay. He was the standard rakish hero who happens to be a vampire. He didn't strike me as particularly tortured, but yes, he was sexy! I didn't mind the monosyllabic/neanderthal speech as much as some of my fellow readers. It fit Nicolai's character to me, so it didn't stick out. He's an elemental, primal kind of guy, and I would expect that of him for the woman he fell in love/felt a strong bond with. As far as the sex slave to beat all sex slaves angle, I think The Pleasure Slave has a somewhat similar scenario in some respects, but done much better, because there was more time for the story to ripen and bloom fully.
As much as it pains me, I can't give this one more than 3.25/5.0 stars. Ms. Showalter, you still rock for me, and I am still a loyal fan. I blame this more on the short format than on a lack of writing skills on your part. My fingers are crossed that I enjoy the following books in the series a little more. I'm not giving up on Harlequin Nocturnes yet, darn it!
I wanted more world-building and stronger characterization. The world seemed a bit like a Saturday morning cartoon as far as the fairy land stricken by dark magic. I was left wanting more on that front. The bad guys were kind of cardboard. I love a wicked witch villainess, and this could have rocked in that sense. As is, the players were too sketchy for my tastes. As far as the romance/sexy bits, that was very well done as it was, although more time spent on Nicolai and Jane getting to know each other wouldn't have come amiss.
On the positive side, I really liked Jane as a heroine. Nicolai didn't impress me, but I wasn't necessarily disappointed. He was just okay. He was the standard rakish hero who happens to be a vampire. He didn't strike me as particularly tortured, but yes, he was sexy! I didn't mind the monosyllabic/neanderthal speech as much as some of my fellow readers. It fit Nicolai's character to me, so it didn't stick out. He's an elemental, primal kind of guy, and I would expect that of him for the woman he fell in love/felt a strong bond with. As far as the sex slave to beat all sex slaves angle, I think The Pleasure Slave has a somewhat similar scenario in some respects, but done much better, because there was more time for the story to ripen and bloom fully.
As much as it pains me, I can't give this one more than 3.25/5.0 stars. Ms. Showalter, you still rock for me, and I am still a loyal fan. I blame this more on the short format than on a lack of writing skills on your part. My fingers are crossed that I enjoy the following books in the series a little more. I'm not giving up on Harlequin Nocturnes yet, darn it!
December 18, 2015
Look, if you're going to write about a heroine who's supposed to be a scientist,
please make sure that her thought process is rational, at the very least
. No amount of term dropping would convince me that she's smart if she acts like a bloody dimwit most of the time. Seriously. What self-respecting scientist would believe in vampires in the first place?
And oh, let's not forget this part, a sterling example of how fucking rational our Jane here is:
So let's get this straight. Jane keeps on dreaming about having sex with a vampire named Nicolai. Then, she finds a suspicious book and reads it. She starts having visions of Nicolai while reading the book. Ergo, Nicolai must be real???????????
Holy shit, that's some awesome deduction, Einstein! Amazing! You're a fucking genius!!!!!!
As if it wasn't bad enough that we have her as a heroine, look at what we have for our hero:
Isn't he just dreamy?
Hahaha.
Haha.
Ha.
She knew that vampires, shape-shifters and other creatures of the night existed, even though her coworkers on the quantum physics side of the equation had not been privy to the truth.
And oh, let's not forget this part, a sterling example of how fucking rational our Jane here is:
If Nicolai’s story was true, he was as trapped by those chains as surely as she had once been trapped by her body’s infirmities.
So let's get this straight. Jane keeps on dreaming about having sex with a vampire named Nicolai. Then, she finds a suspicious book and reads it. She starts having visions of Nicolai while reading the book. Ergo, Nicolai must be real???????????
Holy shit, that's some awesome deduction, Einstein! Amazing! You're a fucking genius!!!!!!
As if it wasn't bad enough that we have her as a heroine, look at what we have for our hero:
The real Odette was dead. He’d made sure of it. He had drained her, stabbed her, then shoved her over the cliffs outside this palace. Excessively violent, perhaps, but an enemy was an enemy, and his temper had been roused.
Isn't he just dreamy?
Hahaha.
Haha.
Ha.
March 3, 2020
3.5 Stars. I think I would have liked this more if I had read it vs listening to the audiobook. The narrator was good with most character voices...until she did the heroes voice. Unfortunately, her male voice made me cringe. I know I’m pretty picky about that, so I tried to ignore her performance of his character and enjoy the story despite it. I did like this story and will have to do a re-read with the book another time.
April 3, 2015
1½ Stars
September 30, 2011
e-ARC provided by netgalley.com
Edited rating : 3,5 stars
The first book of Royal House of Shadows series. The story about the crown prince of Elden, Nicolai, who turned to sex slave and need this woman, Jane Parker, to save him.
Nicolai, once a crown prince of Elden, the magical Kingdom. Knowing as Dark Seducer, he seduced many women as he want, never bother to search his queen. But when Blood Sorcerer took over his kingdom, the king and the queen was killed but before their last breath, they send their child out of kingdom. To vengeance, say the king, and to the safety, said the queen who love her children.
Next time when he awake, Nicolai discovered he had become a sex slave. Stripped from his memory and his magic, helpless to resist his captor, the princess of Deflina, the ageless kingdom, to use his body as they please. Soon, he use his magic that left a little, to summon a mortal woman, to save him.
After the accident, Jane Parker's life change drastically. But little she know, when she found a strange book in front of her house, that book will change her life forever. Jane then summoned to Deflina. As Odette, their princess,who assumed dead. Jane then realized she "appeared" as Odette, while the real Odette already dead, and her appearance is one of Nicolai's work. In order to save his kingdom, first Jane must rescue Nicolai from Deflina, then retrieve his memory and his magic. The journey so hard, difficult, many obstacles in front of them, while Nicolai and Jane attrach to each other. Together they must face their enemy and try to make their relationship work.
I'm a proud Gena Showalter fans! I read almost all of her books (maybe just her YA books that I don't read it yet) and when I know Gena Showalter write for Harlequin Nocturne, together with another 3 author, I'm so excited and more excited when NetGalley have this title. Glad they approve my request.
I want to give this 3 stars, despite this book written by my author goddess, Gena Showalter, seems like it's not write by her, but its change after a few chapter, I can recognize her writing style, so that's why I give one star more.
The story good, the plot good, some twist, some action, steamy, but not fans of the character, even I like Jane Parker , the heroine, a bit nearly the end of story. Nicolai, not so much. One more I hear he said "mine", I'll kick his ass. I don't mind an alpha hero, but too alpha, is not good. Some things that bothered me.. where's the humor? I expect to see Gena humor sense here, but just found a few. This book too serious for me, but I still enjoy this. There so many things the author want to tell us. It's a little bit overwhelming, and some part make me confused
If you are Gena Showalter hardcore fans, you don't want to miss this.
Do I want to buy the paperback edition even I already read the ARC version? Well, yes!
Looking forward to read another Nikolai's sibling, Dayn, Breena and Micah in the next installment of this series. Next is Breena's story in Lord of The Rage by Jill Monroe
Edited rating : 3,5 stars
The first book of Royal House of Shadows series. The story about the crown prince of Elden, Nicolai, who turned to sex slave and need this woman, Jane Parker, to save him.
Nicolai, once a crown prince of Elden, the magical Kingdom. Knowing as Dark Seducer, he seduced many women as he want, never bother to search his queen. But when Blood Sorcerer took over his kingdom, the king and the queen was killed but before their last breath, they send their child out of kingdom. To vengeance, say the king, and to the safety, said the queen who love her children.
Next time when he awake, Nicolai discovered he had become a sex slave. Stripped from his memory and his magic, helpless to resist his captor, the princess of Deflina, the ageless kingdom, to use his body as they please. Soon, he use his magic that left a little, to summon a mortal woman, to save him.
After the accident, Jane Parker's life change drastically. But little she know, when she found a strange book in front of her house, that book will change her life forever. Jane then summoned to Deflina. As Odette, their princess,who assumed dead. Jane then realized she "appeared" as Odette, while the real Odette already dead, and her appearance is one of Nicolai's work. In order to save his kingdom, first Jane must rescue Nicolai from Deflina, then retrieve his memory and his magic. The journey so hard, difficult, many obstacles in front of them, while Nicolai and Jane attrach to each other. Together they must face their enemy and try to make their relationship work.
I'm a proud Gena Showalter fans! I read almost all of her books (maybe just her YA books that I don't read it yet) and when I know Gena Showalter write for Harlequin Nocturne, together with another 3 author, I'm so excited and more excited when NetGalley have this title. Glad they approve my request.
I want to give this 3 stars, despite this book written by my author goddess, Gena Showalter, seems like it's not write by her, but its change after a few chapter, I can recognize her writing style, so that's why I give one star more.
The story good, the plot good, some twist, some action, steamy, but not fans of the character, even I like Jane Parker , the heroine, a bit nearly the end of story. Nicolai, not so much. One more I hear he said "mine", I'll kick his ass. I don't mind an alpha hero, but too alpha, is not good. Some things that bothered me.. where's the humor? I expect to see Gena humor sense here, but just found a few. This book too serious for me, but I still enjoy this. There so many things the author want to tell us. It's a little bit overwhelming, and some part make me confused
If you are Gena Showalter hardcore fans, you don't want to miss this.
Do I want to buy the paperback edition even I already read the ARC version? Well, yes!
Looking forward to read another Nikolai's sibling, Dayn, Breena and Micah in the next installment of this series. Next is Breena's story in Lord of The Rage by Jill Monroe
November 15, 2015
Lord of the Vampires was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Harlequin.
3 stars - but only because of the originality of the story.
“They called him Nicolai,” and he is one of the four royal heirs to the kingdom of Elden. After his father the King and his mother the Queen cast spells in a poor attempt to protect their children, the spells go awry and Nicolai winds up having his powers bound, his memory wiped clean, and being the prisoner of Odette, princess of the witches in Delfina, “a kingdom without time or age”.
Jane is a scientist in the modern world who is recovering from serious injuries from a recent car accident where a drunk driver killed her mother, father, and sister; Jane was the only survivor. She has recently experienced dreams of a man chained up and being held against his will. His name is Nicolai and he is a vampire. Jane receives a book in the mail that was written by Nicolai. There is no explanation for why she knows this, she just does because she feels that she knows Nicolai… and not just from what she dreams about. Jane falls asleep reading Nicolai’s writing and wakes up in another time and place… in Delfina, as princess Odette. Jane of course having no clue how this has happened is glad to find that Nicolai is in fact real. She manages to free him and they escape Delfina together and that’s when their troubles begin.
This book is the definition of paranormal romance… which is probably why I ended up not being the hugest fan of this book. I originally thought this leaned towards urban fantasy but I guessed wrong. I had a hard time with this book. I felt myself scrunching my forehead for the majority of the book trying to figure out what was going on. The memory issue and how they would come to Nicolai in spurts was confusing and a bit hard to follow at first.
The overall story was quite original and I actually found it quite interesting. But if I had to read ‘tented loincloth’ one more time I swear I was going to scream. Overall, I’m sure this was a great novel for paranormal romance lovers, unfortunately… it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
3 stars - but only because of the originality of the story.
“They called him Nicolai,” and he is one of the four royal heirs to the kingdom of Elden. After his father the King and his mother the Queen cast spells in a poor attempt to protect their children, the spells go awry and Nicolai winds up having his powers bound, his memory wiped clean, and being the prisoner of Odette, princess of the witches in Delfina, “a kingdom without time or age”.
Jane is a scientist in the modern world who is recovering from serious injuries from a recent car accident where a drunk driver killed her mother, father, and sister; Jane was the only survivor. She has recently experienced dreams of a man chained up and being held against his will. His name is Nicolai and he is a vampire. Jane receives a book in the mail that was written by Nicolai. There is no explanation for why she knows this, she just does because she feels that she knows Nicolai… and not just from what she dreams about. Jane falls asleep reading Nicolai’s writing and wakes up in another time and place… in Delfina, as princess Odette. Jane of course having no clue how this has happened is glad to find that Nicolai is in fact real. She manages to free him and they escape Delfina together and that’s when their troubles begin.
This book is the definition of paranormal romance… which is probably why I ended up not being the hugest fan of this book. I originally thought this leaned towards urban fantasy but I guessed wrong. I had a hard time with this book. I felt myself scrunching my forehead for the majority of the book trying to figure out what was going on. The memory issue and how they would come to Nicolai in spurts was confusing and a bit hard to follow at first.
The overall story was quite original and I actually found it quite interesting. But if I had to read ‘tented loincloth’ one more time I swear I was going to scream. Overall, I’m sure this was a great novel for paranormal romance lovers, unfortunately… it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
July 26, 2011
This was my first read by Gena Showalter and I am happy to say that I was very pleased with this story. Lately, I’ve had a difficult time find good paranormal romance novels that I could really get involved with. I enjoy my PNR with solid world building, believable characters, and hot and heavy on the romance; “Lord of the Vampire’s” was full of both.
After the king and queen of Elden are tragically slain, their four children are cast out being protected by a spell cast by their witch mother. Along with the protection spell, the four children are filled with a need for extreme vengeance against those who tore their family apart. The first book in this series is about eldest son and Vampire, Nicolai.
Nicolai has quite the reputation with the ladies, and it’s no surprise to see multiple women in his bed at one time. But when Nicolai wakes up from the spell that was cast, not only does he discover he is now a sex slave to the evil princesses Odette and Laila, he also has no recollection of how he was brought to this place, nor of the life he led before. He knows that only one person can save him, and he calls out to her desperate to have her rescue him…
Jane lives in present day USA and works for the government in a group that investigates paranormal beings and the ways of their lives. She is also the sole survivor of a tragic car accident that claimed the lives of everyone else in her family. Jane has no real passion in life and merely exists. Nothing exciting or interesting happens to her. When she comes home one day and finds a box on her doorstep with a mysterious book inside it, all the excitement she’s been missing suddenly comes to life. After reading the book, Jane realizes the man that’s haunted her dreams is calling out to her. As she finally falls asleep, she imagines she’s there with Nicolai, there within the same castle as he, and when she wakes up, lo and behold, she is.
The attraction between Nicolai and Jane is immediate and I N T E N S E!! Together, they come up with a plan to help Nicolai escape. They flee the castle together and encounter creatures of all types, dark magic, and dangerous situations. They also discover a hunger for one another that is every bit as necessary as breathing.
The world building in this novel was fantastic. The author did a great job of creating a believable world that I found to be interesting and realistic. Elden and Delfina are filled with paranormal creature and magic around every corner and it was very enjoyable to read.
The sex between Jane and Nicolai was steaming, sizzling hot and I was sweating throughout the novel and completely addicted to their chemistry. Couldn’t get enough of it.
Hands down, favorite part of this book; Nicolai. Oooooh, I just love the way his name rolls off my tongue. I loved his bad boy alpha self and his possessiveness over Jane. I couldn’t get enough of his short and to the point sentences. "Want you. Now”……Um…..YES PLEASE!!! Good grief I was swooning over this man.
This book is full of paranormal elements, action, and hot steamy sex. I highly recommend it to any lover of PNR. Looking forward to the rest in the series. Four Solid Stars.
This book was provided to me via NetGalley
After the king and queen of Elden are tragically slain, their four children are cast out being protected by a spell cast by their witch mother. Along with the protection spell, the four children are filled with a need for extreme vengeance against those who tore their family apart. The first book in this series is about eldest son and Vampire, Nicolai.
Nicolai has quite the reputation with the ladies, and it’s no surprise to see multiple women in his bed at one time. But when Nicolai wakes up from the spell that was cast, not only does he discover he is now a sex slave to the evil princesses Odette and Laila, he also has no recollection of how he was brought to this place, nor of the life he led before. He knows that only one person can save him, and he calls out to her desperate to have her rescue him…
Jane lives in present day USA and works for the government in a group that investigates paranormal beings and the ways of their lives. She is also the sole survivor of a tragic car accident that claimed the lives of everyone else in her family. Jane has no real passion in life and merely exists. Nothing exciting or interesting happens to her. When she comes home one day and finds a box on her doorstep with a mysterious book inside it, all the excitement she’s been missing suddenly comes to life. After reading the book, Jane realizes the man that’s haunted her dreams is calling out to her. As she finally falls asleep, she imagines she’s there with Nicolai, there within the same castle as he, and when she wakes up, lo and behold, she is.
The attraction between Nicolai and Jane is immediate and I N T E N S E!! Together, they come up with a plan to help Nicolai escape. They flee the castle together and encounter creatures of all types, dark magic, and dangerous situations. They also discover a hunger for one another that is every bit as necessary as breathing.
The world building in this novel was fantastic. The author did a great job of creating a believable world that I found to be interesting and realistic. Elden and Delfina are filled with paranormal creature and magic around every corner and it was very enjoyable to read.
The sex between Jane and Nicolai was steaming, sizzling hot and I was sweating throughout the novel and completely addicted to their chemistry. Couldn’t get enough of it.
Hands down, favorite part of this book; Nicolai. Oooooh, I just love the way his name rolls off my tongue. I loved his bad boy alpha self and his possessiveness over Jane. I couldn’t get enough of his short and to the point sentences. "Want you. Now”……Um…..YES PLEASE!!! Good grief I was swooning over this man.
This book is full of paranormal elements, action, and hot steamy sex. I highly recommend it to any lover of PNR. Looking forward to the rest in the series. Four Solid Stars.
This book was provided to me via NetGalley
August 26, 2013
http://hayaletokuyucu.blogspot.com/20...
Vasat bir kitaptı. Olaylar o kadar çabuk başlayıp gelişti ki nolduğunu anlamadım bile. Tamam kitap ince ama olayların bu kadar çabuk gerçekleşmesine gerek yoktu. Ayrıca Allah aşkına şu Romance/Paranormal Romance yazarları azıcık kendilerini geliştirsinler ya. Oturdukları yerden sadece seks sahnesi yazmakla olmaz bu işler. Tamam arada harbiden iyi konu yazanlar çıkıyor ama çoğu zaman araya değişik bir konu eklemeye çalıştıklarında batırıyorlar. Bu kitapta olduğu gibi.
Karakterlere sinir oldum hele kadın karaktere. Neymiş efendim kendisi bilim insanıymış, çok zekiymiş okula çok erken gitmiş falan ama bilim ona istediğini vermiyormuş artık, yetmiyormuş ona o da bırakmış bilimle ilgilenmeyi. Bak bak bak bilim yetmiyormuşum hanım efendiye. Ayrıca kitaplarda görmüş vampirleri gerçek olduğuna kanaat getirmiş. Kendi çapında ava çıkıp vampirler yakalamış, onları incelemiş. Bizde o kadar vampir okuyoruz, şu yorumu bitireyim de bir iki tane vampir arayayım kendime. Ayrıca küçük hanım ışınlanmayı başardı. Eskiden küçük cisimleri ışınlamış, sonra kendini ışınladı. Vay be teknoloji ne kadar gelişmiş.
Neyse bu işte zamanında kaza geçirmiş ailesi ölmüş, zaten bilimden de sıkıldığından eve hapsetmiş kendini. Sonra bir gün bir kitap geliyor buna. O da o kitabı okuyor heyecanla derken kendini başka bir diyarda buluyor. Sonra erkek karakterimizle karşılaşıyor. Hemen havada bir cinsel gerilim efendime söyleyeyim bir çekim oluyor. Her ikisi de aman Allah'ım hemen sevişmeliyiz moduna geçiyorlar. Tabi o ilk görüşte birbirlerinin hayatlarının aşkları olduğunu anladıkları kısmı söylememe gerek bile yok.
Böyle bu kadının davranışları görünüşte çok sert gözüküyor. Eli maşalı tiplerden. Ama ağzını bir açıyor vallahi gerizekalı. Hani animelerde mutlaka utangaç bir karakter olur. Kimseyle yüzü kızarmadan, kekelemeden konuşamaz. Heh bu da öyle bir şey oluyor. Sonra bir ara tekrar eli maşalı. Saçmalığın daniskası yani.
Şu kitabı alacağım diye ne uğraştım üstelik. Salaklığıma yanayım işte. Bitti de kurtuldum en azından.
Vasat bir kitaptı. Olaylar o kadar çabuk başlayıp gelişti ki nolduğunu anlamadım bile. Tamam kitap ince ama olayların bu kadar çabuk gerçekleşmesine gerek yoktu. Ayrıca Allah aşkına şu Romance/Paranormal Romance yazarları azıcık kendilerini geliştirsinler ya. Oturdukları yerden sadece seks sahnesi yazmakla olmaz bu işler. Tamam arada harbiden iyi konu yazanlar çıkıyor ama çoğu zaman araya değişik bir konu eklemeye çalıştıklarında batırıyorlar. Bu kitapta olduğu gibi.
Karakterlere sinir oldum hele kadın karaktere. Neymiş efendim kendisi bilim insanıymış, çok zekiymiş okula çok erken gitmiş falan ama bilim ona istediğini vermiyormuş artık, yetmiyormuş ona o da bırakmış bilimle ilgilenmeyi. Bak bak bak bilim yetmiyormuşum hanım efendiye. Ayrıca kitaplarda görmüş vampirleri gerçek olduğuna kanaat getirmiş. Kendi çapında ava çıkıp vampirler yakalamış, onları incelemiş. Bizde o kadar vampir okuyoruz, şu yorumu bitireyim de bir iki tane vampir arayayım kendime. Ayrıca küçük hanım ışınlanmayı başardı. Eskiden küçük cisimleri ışınlamış, sonra kendini ışınladı. Vay be teknoloji ne kadar gelişmiş.
Neyse bu işte zamanında kaza geçirmiş ailesi ölmüş, zaten bilimden de sıkıldığından eve hapsetmiş kendini. Sonra bir gün bir kitap geliyor buna. O da o kitabı okuyor heyecanla derken kendini başka bir diyarda buluyor. Sonra erkek karakterimizle karşılaşıyor. Hemen havada bir cinsel gerilim efendime söyleyeyim bir çekim oluyor. Her ikisi de aman Allah'ım hemen sevişmeliyiz moduna geçiyorlar. Tabi o ilk görüşte birbirlerinin hayatlarının aşkları olduğunu anladıkları kısmı söylememe gerek bile yok.
Böyle bu kadının davranışları görünüşte çok sert gözüküyor. Eli maşalı tiplerden. Ama ağzını bir açıyor vallahi gerizekalı. Hani animelerde mutlaka utangaç bir karakter olur. Kimseyle yüzü kızarmadan, kekelemeden konuşamaz. Heh bu da öyle bir şey oluyor. Sonra bir ara tekrar eli maşalı. Saçmalığın daniskası yani.
Şu kitabı alacağım diye ne uğraştım üstelik. Salaklığıma yanayım işte. Bitti de kurtuldum en azından.
November 20, 2023
Quickie Review-May Contain Spoilers-Read at Your Own Risk
Lord of the Vampires is the first book of the series. When I read Nalini Singh's installment of the series I was really intrigued and wanted to read the siblings books and I picked this one up and it was utterly delightful. I had so much fun with Nicolai and Jane's book and it was completely different from what I expected it to be. Seeing how this story actually ends for the siblings (very happily) I was definitely eager to read this one. It does end with a bit of a teaser, probably so the reader will read the series to see the finale that is in Micah's book.
I really enjoyed how this book progressed and it was so unique and fun. I loved how these two work together and find their way as a team. It had a very much feel of couple against the world type of vibe and the level of trust that these two have for each other was so brilliant. I also enjoyed the heroine being brought into the fantastical reality of sorts. I found the premise of the story intrigued and it does have a mind of Wonderland vibes in this one. Not a strict retellings, just some loose connections that I think readers will enjoy.
If you are a fan of this author, or just want a great paranormal fantasy like story to read that is a good palette cleanser, I highly recommend this one here. Its packed with adventure, romance, kick ass fighting and delicious spice that balances out the story so well.
Lord of the Vampires is the first book of the series. When I read Nalini Singh's installment of the series I was really intrigued and wanted to read the siblings books and I picked this one up and it was utterly delightful. I had so much fun with Nicolai and Jane's book and it was completely different from what I expected it to be. Seeing how this story actually ends for the siblings (very happily) I was definitely eager to read this one. It does end with a bit of a teaser, probably so the reader will read the series to see the finale that is in Micah's book.
I really enjoyed how this book progressed and it was so unique and fun. I loved how these two work together and find their way as a team. It had a very much feel of couple against the world type of vibe and the level of trust that these two have for each other was so brilliant. I also enjoyed the heroine being brought into the fantastical reality of sorts. I found the premise of the story intrigued and it does have a mind of Wonderland vibes in this one. Not a strict retellings, just some loose connections that I think readers will enjoy.
If you are a fan of this author, or just want a great paranormal fantasy like story to read that is a good palette cleanser, I highly recommend this one here. Its packed with adventure, romance, kick ass fighting and delicious spice that balances out the story so well.
November 11, 2011
This is the first book I have picked up from Gena Showalter, though I have a few of her ebooks in my TBR shelf. I was completely unimpressed.
The writing style felt stilted, the story had holes the size of Uluru in it, not to mention that the characters were so two dimensional it was off-putting. The only thing this story had going for it was the steam factor, but even then, I quickly came to the conclusion that I'd rather have good plot and wit than mediocre storytelling with a touch of smexiness. And let's face it, with the abundance of PNR novels out these days, I think I can have my pick of it all.
I am extremely reluctant to pick up another Gena Showalter book now.
The writing style felt stilted, the story had holes the size of Uluru in it, not to mention that the characters were so two dimensional it was off-putting. The only thing this story had going for it was the steam factor, but even then, I quickly came to the conclusion that I'd rather have good plot and wit than mediocre storytelling with a touch of smexiness. And let's face it, with the abundance of PNR novels out these days, I think I can have my pick of it all.
I am extremely reluctant to pick up another Gena Showalter book now.
September 12, 2015
I love the concept of the Royal House of Shadows. It's a bit fairytale, a bit paranormal, and some time traveling.
Nicolai is a vampire. He was bought as a slave years ago and has been kept prisoner, and used as a sex slave. He now finds a way to bring a human female to him to rescue him. He is in a land where there is not time. And to escape, this human comes in the form of one of his captors. Only he can see her true self. He is a bit of a caveman, sometimes he can't put complete sentences together, but I find it endearing and cute! Although it could get annoying to some. He was sexy and georgeous and alpha and definetely my favorite element in this book.
Jane is a completely different story. She annoyed me. She is one of those people who carries on conversations with herself in her mind. Her mind is best described as a cute little puppy. No attention span. She has gone through some difficult things in her life you would think she could be a little more mature.
The world building was fun and entertaining, and I can't wait to read the other books in the series, which will be about Nicolai's siblings.
Favorite Quote:
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I might be a vampire so I don't give a shit."
Nicolai is a vampire. He was bought as a slave years ago and has been kept prisoner, and used as a sex slave. He now finds a way to bring a human female to him to rescue him. He is in a land where there is not time. And to escape, this human comes in the form of one of his captors. Only he can see her true self. He is a bit of a caveman, sometimes he can't put complete sentences together, but I find it endearing and cute! Although it could get annoying to some. He was sexy and georgeous and alpha and definetely my favorite element in this book.
Jane is a completely different story. She annoyed me. She is one of those people who carries on conversations with herself in her mind. Her mind is best described as a cute little puppy. No attention span. She has gone through some difficult things in her life you would think she could be a little more mature.
The world building was fun and entertaining, and I can't wait to read the other books in the series, which will be about Nicolai's siblings.
Favorite Quote:
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I might be a vampire so I don't give a shit."
December 5, 2011
Okay I just want to start off by saying that I love Gena Showalter and the Lord of the Underworld Series. I had high hopes for this book, "Lord of the Vampires" (Royal House of Shadows, #1.) But I was sadly disappointed.
It starts off in typical Gena Showalter fashion. Some mythical, wild kingdom...history, fable, history, a few mythical beings to set the stage and then bammmmm we are in the present and everything is as normal as the readers life. Before you can exit chapter 1 you already know the problems and difficulties that the Hero & heroine are facing. No laboring to get into the book or try to figure out what is going on....you jump into the deep end. Or rather you are pulled in.
This guy is enslaved and begging "Jane" who is in our realm to come to him and save him...free him....as he commands it. The heroine hears his voice calling her and receives this mysterious old book which also pulls her toward him.
She is drawn to him but part of her thinks she is crazy. She must be, she reasons, because these things don't really happen.....She decides to sleep on it, get some rest and have a few "Coffee IV's" in the morning before tackling such a difficult problem........is that too funny? She and I have alot in common with the coffee thing.
So far in the book, I am enjoying the build up but in the back of my mind I am thinking something is missing. Parts are missing...there are no bridges from one thought to another. But I trudged on.
They meet and are attracted to one another-big surprise. Found this great quote....Love this quote from the book: "A freaken' orgasm from a fantasy man, and I didn't even need to touch myself!" But the further I keep reading the more this books is just falling apart and it is not making sense. The heroine is acting in a way which is not logical...without explanation that is.
And the hero, Nicholai, is labeled a self-centered, arrogant jerk who is used to getting everything he wants. How can he all the sudden become caring to another individual...what is the catylist for this change? Again, no explanation. I really don't like him much or even feel sorry for him...I mostly want to get away from him.
I pushed myself through this book...kept going page after page. I hate to waste money on something I don't finish.....but it was really bad and it is starting to upset me the further I got into it.
By the last chapters I was begging someone to please take out Jane Parker for me. Come on now....Who in their right mind trusts a vampire who sucks you into some imaginary kingdom against your will to free him because he is enslaved there? She know NOTHING about him....
Doesn't she read PNR? He is enslaved...and no doubt hungry...he might lie to her to help him...at the very least suck her dry in his uncontrolled hunger... she means nothing to him emotionally and he is angry, hungry and feral! DID that ever occur to the puny Jane Parker?
He is using her-he even says so in the beginning...When he escapes....will he leave her behind? He says he might. What loyalty does he have for her? Does she even wonder? This is why you hear women crying over men who use them and leave them....they are stupid! Read the signs Jane...open your eyes.
Note: he does latch on and protect Jane at one point in the book but I don't buy it...It would never really happen like that...Maybe there are parts of this book which are missing...maybe my copy got chopped up and the parts which make it realistic and believable got taken out?
And Nicholai can die too come to think of it. If I hear "MINE" one more time or that stupid caveman talk....I swear I am going to slit my throat!
I really believe that maybe an editor had his/her hands on this book. How can someone write LOU with book after book good-to-great and then come out with this? It could have worked with some missing parts kept in. It was very disconnected and I didn't understand everyone's motives or why they did anything they did. Things happened that were not explained....I was confused quite a bit of the time...and I had to do the work to figure things out instead of the author.
Final Assessment-save your money.
It starts off in typical Gena Showalter fashion. Some mythical, wild kingdom...history, fable, history, a few mythical beings to set the stage and then bammmmm we are in the present and everything is as normal as the readers life. Before you can exit chapter 1 you already know the problems and difficulties that the Hero & heroine are facing. No laboring to get into the book or try to figure out what is going on....you jump into the deep end. Or rather you are pulled in.
This guy is enslaved and begging "Jane" who is in our realm to come to him and save him...free him....as he commands it. The heroine hears his voice calling her and receives this mysterious old book which also pulls her toward him.
She is drawn to him but part of her thinks she is crazy. She must be, she reasons, because these things don't really happen.....She decides to sleep on it, get some rest and have a few "Coffee IV's" in the morning before tackling such a difficult problem........is that too funny? She and I have alot in common with the coffee thing.
So far in the book, I am enjoying the build up but in the back of my mind I am thinking something is missing. Parts are missing...there are no bridges from one thought to another. But I trudged on.
They meet and are attracted to one another-big surprise. Found this great quote....Love this quote from the book: "A freaken' orgasm from a fantasy man, and I didn't even need to touch myself!" But the further I keep reading the more this books is just falling apart and it is not making sense. The heroine is acting in a way which is not logical...without explanation that is.
And the hero, Nicholai, is labeled a self-centered, arrogant jerk who is used to getting everything he wants. How can he all the sudden become caring to another individual...what is the catylist for this change? Again, no explanation. I really don't like him much or even feel sorry for him...I mostly want to get away from him.
I pushed myself through this book...kept going page after page. I hate to waste money on something I don't finish.....but it was really bad and it is starting to upset me the further I got into it.
By the last chapters I was begging someone to please take out Jane Parker for me. Come on now....Who in their right mind trusts a vampire who sucks you into some imaginary kingdom against your will to free him because he is enslaved there? She know NOTHING about him....
Doesn't she read PNR? He is enslaved...and no doubt hungry...he might lie to her to help him...at the very least suck her dry in his uncontrolled hunger... she means nothing to him emotionally and he is angry, hungry and feral! DID that ever occur to the puny Jane Parker?
He is using her-he even says so in the beginning...When he escapes....will he leave her behind? He says he might. What loyalty does he have for her? Does she even wonder? This is why you hear women crying over men who use them and leave them....they are stupid! Read the signs Jane...open your eyes.
Note: he does latch on and protect Jane at one point in the book but I don't buy it...It would never really happen like that...Maybe there are parts of this book which are missing...maybe my copy got chopped up and the parts which make it realistic and believable got taken out?
And Nicholai can die too come to think of it. If I hear "MINE" one more time or that stupid caveman talk....I swear I am going to slit my throat!
I really believe that maybe an editor had his/her hands on this book. How can someone write LOU with book after book good-to-great and then come out with this? It could have worked with some missing parts kept in. It was very disconnected and I didn't understand everyone's motives or why they did anything they did. Things happened that were not explained....I was confused quite a bit of the time...and I had to do the work to figure things out instead of the author.
Final Assessment-save your money.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2011
ARC provided by Netgalley & Harlequin.
Lord of the Vampires is the first book in the 4-part “Royal House of Shadows” series by Gena Showalter, Jill Monroe, Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh about four royal siblings who are sent to different kingdoms by their parents after being defeated by the corrupt “Blood Sorcerer.” The hero is Nicolai, a dark-haired vampire with a frustrating case of memory loss who fights and seduces with equal passion. The heroine, Jane, is an intelligent scientist recovering from a devastating accident. With the help of magic, the two cross paths and so the story begins!
I’m going to be honest; I did not enjoy this book at first. Which is a bit of a shocker because I love me some Gena Showalter. I’d marry her if she’d have me. Get on one knee for the chance at a lifetime of terrific romances…Okay, back to the story. Jane came off like a sex-starved idiot from the very beginning. Almost all of her thoughts revolved around making sweet, sweet love to the scorching hot man in her dreams. And when she met the man of her dreams, Nicolai, it only went downhill from there. She’s one of those women who claim to be extremely intelligent but are lacking in common sense. Like the scene with the Ogres where she thought her self-defense classes would turn her into Betina Badass. I had a hard time warming up to her as a heroine, since all we seemed to have in common is that we both like sex. A lot. Or maybe that’s just me.
And Nicolai? Well, I couldn’t relate to him either. I saw him more as a horny teenager with anger management issues than as “The Dark Seducer” the blurb proclaims. There’s only so many times a man can wax poetic about a woman’s luscious everything before I’ll start advising him to invest in a blow up doll.
But it all got better towards the middle of this book. Jane quit lusting-as much. Nicolai quit playing with himself-as much. The plot line of him trying to get his memories back moved along nicely. There was a lot of action and intrigue along the way that kept me entertained and a ruthless Princess who deserved every bad thing coming to her. And the sex scenes? WOW. They make you want to knock Jane down a well just so you can have Nicolai all to yourself. For the first time, I started to believe that there was more to the attraction between Jane and Nicolai than the burning urge to insert tab A into slot B. When those two love, they love like complete idiots. But isn’t everyone a fool in love? I can’t wait to continue this series with the next book, Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe.
My favorite quote from “Lord of the Vampires”:
Jane: “I lied. You’re ugly and mean and I wouldn’t give myself to you even if a flesh eating bacteria was ravaging this world, and your cock held the only immunization.”
Lord of the Vampires is the first book in the 4-part “Royal House of Shadows” series by Gena Showalter, Jill Monroe, Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh about four royal siblings who are sent to different kingdoms by their parents after being defeated by the corrupt “Blood Sorcerer.” The hero is Nicolai, a dark-haired vampire with a frustrating case of memory loss who fights and seduces with equal passion. The heroine, Jane, is an intelligent scientist recovering from a devastating accident. With the help of magic, the two cross paths and so the story begins!
I’m going to be honest; I did not enjoy this book at first. Which is a bit of a shocker because I love me some Gena Showalter. I’d marry her if she’d have me. Get on one knee for the chance at a lifetime of terrific romances…Okay, back to the story. Jane came off like a sex-starved idiot from the very beginning. Almost all of her thoughts revolved around making sweet, sweet love to the scorching hot man in her dreams. And when she met the man of her dreams, Nicolai, it only went downhill from there. She’s one of those women who claim to be extremely intelligent but are lacking in common sense. Like the scene with the Ogres where she thought her self-defense classes would turn her into Betina Badass. I had a hard time warming up to her as a heroine, since all we seemed to have in common is that we both like sex. A lot. Or maybe that’s just me.
And Nicolai? Well, I couldn’t relate to him either. I saw him more as a horny teenager with anger management issues than as “The Dark Seducer” the blurb proclaims. There’s only so many times a man can wax poetic about a woman’s luscious everything before I’ll start advising him to invest in a blow up doll.
But it all got better towards the middle of this book. Jane quit lusting-as much. Nicolai quit playing with himself-as much. The plot line of him trying to get his memories back moved along nicely. There was a lot of action and intrigue along the way that kept me entertained and a ruthless Princess who deserved every bad thing coming to her. And the sex scenes? WOW. They make you want to knock Jane down a well just so you can have Nicolai all to yourself. For the first time, I started to believe that there was more to the attraction between Jane and Nicolai than the burning urge to insert tab A into slot B. When those two love, they love like complete idiots. But isn’t everyone a fool in love? I can’t wait to continue this series with the next book, Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe.
My favorite quote from “Lord of the Vampires”:
Jane: “I lied. You’re ugly and mean and I wouldn’t give myself to you even if a flesh eating bacteria was ravaging this world, and your cock held the only immunization.”
July 22, 2011
Nicolai is a slave, his past gone, only the thirst for revenge remaining. Well, and the desire to kill the princesses that tortured and used him for years. But to escape his prison he needs help. Help that comes in shape of a human woman, a scientist that researches his kind. But the moment he sees her, his planes change. There's no way he could sacrifice her life in exchange for his freedom. The best laid plans...
Jane is incredibly surprised to find herself in a strange bedroom with people calling her princess Odette. She just knows it has something to do with the mysterious book and the enticing man she keeps dreaming of. When she realizes what kind of life he's been living she knows she has to save them. And then there's that connection between them...
I like Nicolai and his whole "Mine! You're mine!" attitude. I've always liked the predestined mates plot, and then there's our hero with the animal in him screaming that Jane is his, that he should protect her. He does have some violent mood swings - from homicidal to gentle lover, and a lot of his conversations include short sentences where every third word was "Mine", but it worked for me.
Jane isn't a fainting damsel waiting for her prince to save her. She knows how to protect herself and does that a few times. She had to learn to, since her whole family died in a car accident that almost crippled her.
The book was good, but it took me a while to place everything and to understand the world. I would've also liked to see more of their HEA. I know that not everything can be resolved since there are three more books in the series, but there was just something missing.
I am curious about Nicolai's siblings and their stories. I will definitely look for those books.
Rating:
3.5 stars
*ARC received from NetGalley*
Jane is incredibly surprised to find herself in a strange bedroom with people calling her princess Odette. She just knows it has something to do with the mysterious book and the enticing man she keeps dreaming of. When she realizes what kind of life he's been living she knows she has to save them. And then there's that connection between them...
I like Nicolai and his whole "Mine! You're mine!" attitude. I've always liked the predestined mates plot, and then there's our hero with the animal in him screaming that Jane is his, that he should protect her. He does have some violent mood swings - from homicidal to gentle lover, and a lot of his conversations include short sentences where every third word was "Mine", but it worked for me.
Jane isn't a fainting damsel waiting for her prince to save her. She knows how to protect herself and does that a few times. She had to learn to, since her whole family died in a car accident that almost crippled her.
The book was good, but it took me a while to place everything and to understand the world. I would've also liked to see more of their HEA. I know that not everything can be resolved since there are three more books in the series, but there was just something missing.
I am curious about Nicolai's siblings and their stories. I will definitely look for those books.
Rating:
3.5 stars
*ARC received from NetGalley*
July 16, 2011
3.5 Stars
Since I started reading The Lords of the Underworld series my heart starts to beat a little faster whenever I hear of a new Gena Showalter release.
Gena is a brilliantly talented author! She has a flair for hunky sexy hero’s who make my knees weak, an amazing sense of humour that draws me in and the ability to make me hang on her every word.....so it pains me to say that I didn’t feel a great deal of any of that in this book.
Lord of the Vampires contained the style of writing I have grown accustomed to with Gena’s writing – short, sharp and precise but for some reason I didn’t feel the flair and excitement that I usually do.
Nicolai was a little too prehistoric for my liking. I pictured him more as a caveman than the sexy vampire lord that I needed him to be.
Jane on the other hand was moderately likeable but didn’t contain any distinct qualities to make me fall in love with her – then I felt like she kicked me in the teeth right at the end of the story with a comment she made. Unfortunately I can’t be more specific because I don’t want to ruin it for people who haven’t read it.
But after saying all my dislikes, I wanted to make one major point known.
Gena Showalter is a fabulous writer.
Although I may not have enjoyed this book as much as her others, it is still an enjoyable read. I don’t deny that maybe my high standards for this wonderful lady probably had me expecting more from this book.
I WILL read the next installment in this series and Gena has definitely NOT been taken out of my top 5 authors, she just didn’t send my panties a-quivering this time.
Since I started reading The Lords of the Underworld series my heart starts to beat a little faster whenever I hear of a new Gena Showalter release.
Gena is a brilliantly talented author! She has a flair for hunky sexy hero’s who make my knees weak, an amazing sense of humour that draws me in and the ability to make me hang on her every word.....so it pains me to say that I didn’t feel a great deal of any of that in this book.
Lord of the Vampires contained the style of writing I have grown accustomed to with Gena’s writing – short, sharp and precise but for some reason I didn’t feel the flair and excitement that I usually do.
Nicolai was a little too prehistoric for my liking. I pictured him more as a caveman than the sexy vampire lord that I needed him to be.
Jane on the other hand was moderately likeable but didn’t contain any distinct qualities to make me fall in love with her – then I felt like she kicked me in the teeth right at the end of the story with a comment she made. Unfortunately I can’t be more specific because I don’t want to ruin it for people who haven’t read it.
But after saying all my dislikes, I wanted to make one major point known.
Gena Showalter is a fabulous writer.
Although I may not have enjoyed this book as much as her others, it is still an enjoyable read. I don’t deny that maybe my high standards for this wonderful lady probably had me expecting more from this book.
I WILL read the next installment in this series and Gena has definitely NOT been taken out of my top 5 authors, she just didn’t send my panties a-quivering this time.
Read
September 12, 2015Could not finish this book, will leave for later
1.5** for only the parts I read which was 1/3 of the book.
1.5** for only the parts I read which was 1/3 of the book.
August 3, 2011
This is a group review for Under the Covers
Lord of the Vampires is the first book in the Royal House of Shadows series. This series tells the tale of three brothers and one sister, each is a prince or princess in the royal house of Elden, that is until their home is destroyed and their parents, the King and Queen, murdered by the Blood Sorcerer who now rules cruelly and desecrates their land. We loved the sound of this series, and as massive fans of Gena Showalter we had to pick it up and read it, but what makes this series really different is that each book, each sibling’s story, is written by a different author! This is such a great idea, it will keep the series fresh and interesting as we read each authors unique writing style writing in the same world toward the same goal adding perhaps to the idea that we are in a different characters head in each book we read.
The first book concerns the eldest of the siblings the Crown Prince Nicolai, not that he knows that his memory has been wiped and he is now kept as a sex slave by a cruel princess in a different kingdom. Chained up and longing for vengeance against the princess who has stolen his freedom and his identity he tries to summon someone who can help him escape. When Jane wakes up and finds she has fallen down the rabbit hole and is now in Wonderland she can’t believe it, and when she sees the silver eyed vampire who has been haunting her dreams she knows she must help him escape.
We loved the idea of this book, it was like a fairy tale in reverse rather than a damsel in distress waiting for her knight in shining armour to come, we have a hot hunky vampire in distress waiting for his damsel to come and in more ways than one! And the start of this book was fantastic, living up to all our expectations’ the prologue drags you in and throws you into a sensual paranormal fairy land of evil sorcerers, noble kings and queens and vampire princes.
The vampire prince in question is Nicolai and what a delicious vampire he was, tortured but strong, vulnerable yet dangerous an irresistible combination that surely no woman can resist! He was a good hero to read about and as a sucker for men who get all protective and monosyllabic when their woman is either in peril or when he is about to bang her brains out, we completely loved him. Jane Parker the woman who Nicolai gets all monosyllabic about was also a good character, although she may not be our favourite heroine of all time she was smart, gutsy and little bit quirky. I think one of the main complaints about Jane was her constant ramblings in her head, it was starting to get a bit distracting.
However, we were a little disappointed with this book. It seemed to be building up to a big ending but then…nothing. It was very anti climatic, we weren’t expecting him to march in and defeat the big bad guy; after all there are three more books to go. However, why wasn’t there more about the fight for Elden? Or about the search for his siblings? It just felt like there should have been more in the story then there was. And also the blood curse thing going on with Jane, was that not the simplest curse to overcome in the history of all paranormal romance or was that just us?!
However, we did enjoy this book, it was very funny and sexy and we will definitely be reading the next book as soon as we can get our grubby little hands on it. After reading the blurb we are very excited!
Nicolai in a bad mood…
He snarled like a panther, bit like a shark and held on to whatever he clamped his teeth into like a pit bull.
Jane in a bad mood…
"You’re ugly and mean I wouldn’t give myself to you even if a flesh eating bacteria was ravaging this world and you cock held the only immunization.”
The awww moment…
“I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you. I want to wed you. To be with you always. I choose you, Jane. Over my crown, my people and my vengeance.”
* eARC provided by netGalley
November 25, 2011
Kardeşlerden en büyüğü ,babasının yerine elden krallığının tacını takacak olan vampir Nicolai'ın kitabı. Diğer kardeşleri Dayn 'de bir kan içici ama hayvanlar üzerinde hakimiyet yeteneği var , kız kardeşleri anneleri gibi bir cadı , en küçükleri micah ise toprak büyücüsü. Nicolai annesi tarafından başka ir yere gönderildiğinde seks kölesi olacak kadar kadersizmiş. Hafızası silinmiş ve kötü bir kraliçenin kızları tarafından esir alınmış.Jane ise günümüzde yaşayan zeki bir araştırmaacı. Günümüzdeki paranormal olayları araştırıyor yani vampirler üzerinde inceleme yapıyor. Günün birinde incelemek üzere yakaladıkları bir vampir eşinin tehlikede olduğunu sezip onu bırakmaları için yalvarıyor ama jane ve ekibi onu bırakmıyor. vampirin eşi ölünce o da kendi boğazını pençeleriyle yırtmadan önce jane'e lanet edip -sende birgün ruh eşini bulacak ve onu kaybedeceksin -diyor. Nicolai zindanda tutulurken jane ruhen ona çekiliyor. ama bedenen gelemiyor. nicolai jane'in onu esaretten kurtaracağını düşünerek onu bedenende gelmesi için büyü yapıyor. ama jane nicolai'ın öldürdüğü prenses odette görünümünde geliyor. nicolai ise odette olarak değil kendisi olarak görebiliyor.
Burada sonra olaylar jane'in nicolai'ı kurtarması birikte kaçma çabaları,diğer kötü kız kardeş laila (bunlar cadılar) nın onlar kovalaması ,nicolai ve jane'in mate olması aşkları ve jane'in nicolai'ın kanını içmesi yüzünden vampire dönüşmesinden ibaret. Kitap iyi güzel ama gena showalter'ın en iyi işlerindne biri değil maalesef. Kitabın sonuda size pat diye bitivermiş gibi görünebilir. Hadi elden'e gidip biraz kıç tekmeleyelim. the end :D bundan sonrasını diğer kitapta okuyamayacağız tabi çünkü dayn'ın elden'e gitme hikayesini okuyacağız. yani bu kitaptaki bitişler hep havada kalacak. ta ki son kitap micah'nın kitabına kadar. asıl sonu orada okuyoruz. Büyücüyü en güçlüleri nicolai öldürmüyor ,micah bizim kahramanımız ... Micaaaaaaaaaaaah <3<3<3 önceki kitapları zaten micah'nın küçüklüğünde nasıl olduğunu bilmek için okuyorum. mükemmel yaratık :D
Burada sonra olaylar jane'in nicolai'ı kurtarması birikte kaçma çabaları,diğer kötü kız kardeş laila (bunlar cadılar) nın onlar kovalaması ,nicolai ve jane'in mate olması aşkları ve jane'in nicolai'ın kanını içmesi yüzünden vampire dönüşmesinden ibaret. Kitap iyi güzel ama gena showalter'ın en iyi işlerindne biri değil maalesef. Kitabın sonuda size pat diye bitivermiş gibi görünebilir. Hadi elden'e gidip biraz kıç tekmeleyelim. the end :D bundan sonrasını diğer kitapta okuyamayacağız tabi çünkü dayn'ın elden'e gitme hikayesini okuyacağız. yani bu kitaptaki bitişler hep havada kalacak. ta ki son kitap micah'nın kitabına kadar. asıl sonu orada okuyoruz. Büyücüyü en güçlüleri nicolai öldürmüyor ,micah bizim kahramanımız ... Micaaaaaaaaaaaah <3<3<3 önceki kitapları zaten micah'nın küçüklüğünde nasıl olduğunu bilmek için okuyorum. mükemmel yaratık :D
August 21, 2019
Lord of the Vampires
2 Stars
Synopsis:
Once a vampire renowned for his virility, Nicolai is currently a sex slave to a revolting family of witches. When he summons help, the most unlikely of women is unable to disobey his call. Jane Parker is a human scientist who finds herself in a magical realm and must save the life of the only man she has ever craved.
Review:
An intriguing reverse fairytale plot, however, the execution is exceedingly disappointing.
While I’m usually a fan of dominant alpha males, Nicolai is just too much for me – the man is a complete Neanderthal. Jane is supposed to be an intelligent scientist but comes across as a naïve and idiotic simpleton. While their sexual connection is intense and steamy, their dialogue is repetitive and ridiculous. Moreover, the villains are utterly grotesque, which is not that bad but they also come across as cartoonish.
The overall story premise has potential but events become repetitious as the book progresses. There is very little foundation or build up and explanations appear to be tacked on as an afterthought. For example, the idea of Nicolai’s amnesia and returning memory has promise but ultimately misses the mark because the process is difficult to follow with abrupt transitions between reality and memory, and Jane’s role in the return of his memories is under-developed and vague.
Overall, I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief and was unable to become immersed in the fantasy world. Nevertheless, I will most likely continue reading the series as I am interested in seeing how a different author handles the same themes and world.
Lord of the Vampires is scheduled for release on August 23, 2011. An advance copy of the book was provided to me for review by the publisher and NetGalley.com.
2 Stars
Synopsis:
Once a vampire renowned for his virility, Nicolai is currently a sex slave to a revolting family of witches. When he summons help, the most unlikely of women is unable to disobey his call. Jane Parker is a human scientist who finds herself in a magical realm and must save the life of the only man she has ever craved.
Review:
An intriguing reverse fairytale plot, however, the execution is exceedingly disappointing.
While I’m usually a fan of dominant alpha males, Nicolai is just too much for me – the man is a complete Neanderthal. Jane is supposed to be an intelligent scientist but comes across as a naïve and idiotic simpleton. While their sexual connection is intense and steamy, their dialogue is repetitive and ridiculous. Moreover, the villains are utterly grotesque, which is not that bad but they also come across as cartoonish.
The overall story premise has potential but events become repetitious as the book progresses. There is very little foundation or build up and explanations appear to be tacked on as an afterthought. For example, the idea of Nicolai’s amnesia and returning memory has promise but ultimately misses the mark because the process is difficult to follow with abrupt transitions between reality and memory, and Jane’s role in the return of his memories is under-developed and vague.
Overall, I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief and was unable to become immersed in the fantasy world. Nevertheless, I will most likely continue reading the series as I am interested in seeing how a different author handles the same themes and world.
Lord of the Vampires is scheduled for release on August 23, 2011. An advance copy of the book was provided to me for review by the publisher and NetGalley.com.
December 30, 2011
Book Description:
Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who can help him.
When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey. She's drawn to his dark sexuality and into his magical realm. But for this human, all is not a fairy tale. For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she's ever craved.
My Thoughts:
This story was gawd awful. After reading up to the 20% mark I just had to stop reading because my shiny new Kindle Fire was in peril of being thrown into a wall. I cannot even articulate how bad this story was. The dialogue seemed to have been generated by a sixth grader. I was going to scream if I read the word "erection" or "mine" one more time. Remember, I am only at 20% mark so I can only imagine that the rest of the story is chockablock full of these two words.
I'm sorry Gena but this was a delete, never to be read again kind of book. Folks, save your money, invest in Gena's Lords of the Underworld series...not this drivel.
Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who can help him.
When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey. She's drawn to his dark sexuality and into his magical realm. But for this human, all is not a fairy tale. For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she's ever craved.
My Thoughts:
This story was gawd awful. After reading up to the 20% mark I just had to stop reading because my shiny new Kindle Fire was in peril of being thrown into a wall. I cannot even articulate how bad this story was. The dialogue seemed to have been generated by a sixth grader. I was going to scream if I read the word "erection" or "mine" one more time. Remember, I am only at 20% mark so I can only imagine that the rest of the story is chockablock full of these two words.
I'm sorry Gena but this was a delete, never to be read again kind of book. Folks, save your money, invest in Gena's Lords of the Underworld series...not this drivel.
September 15, 2017
My gods that was painful...so freaking painful and so disappointing, I really expected more from Gena Showalter.
I did not like any of the characters.
Story line wise there was some potential but it I couldn't see past it. If not for a challenge I would have gladly dnf it.
Jane finds a book one evening on her door step, the text is directed to her. Come safe me...blah blah she poof wakes up in another world they all think she's a princess, lots sex and saying of the word mine, I'm yours, mine. Blah blah....just no. She's cursed to lose the man she loves...blah blah. She can travel back and forth because she drank some of his blood. Funny the dig at Twilight's sparkly vampires when good ol' Nicolai and this book was just as sucky (no pun intended)
1.3 for me finding some of the story to have had potential.
I did not like any of the characters.
Story line wise there was some potential but it I couldn't see past it. If not for a challenge I would have gladly dnf it.
Jane finds a book one evening on her door step, the text is directed to her. Come safe me...blah blah she poof wakes up in another world they all think she's a princess, lots sex and saying of the word mine, I'm yours, mine. Blah blah....just no. She's cursed to lose the man she loves...blah blah. She can travel back and forth because she drank some of his blood. Funny the dig at Twilight's sparkly vampires when good ol' Nicolai and this book was just as sucky (no pun intended)
1.3 for me finding some of the story to have had potential.
May 5, 2017
When I first heard about this series, I was really intrigued by the idea that four different authors were going to write one of the four books. And I was really looking forward to the Gena Showalter and Nalini Singh ones.
Despite hearing that this wasn't one of Gena's best, I really liked it. It may not be my "Oh my God, this is totally my favorite of hers!" book, but it was still really good. I liked the world she started building up and I loved Nicolai and Jane. They were a great couple.
My only complaint is that it was too short! It is significantly smaller than pretty much anything Gena has written to date. That made Leah sad. And I've noticed the other books are just as short. Buuuut, I suppose I will get over it. At least they are consistent in the lengths.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait to read about Breena, Dayn, and Micah! Jill, Jessica, and Nalini, here I come!
Despite hearing that this wasn't one of Gena's best, I really liked it. It may not be my "Oh my God, this is totally my favorite of hers!" book, but it was still really good. I liked the world she started building up and I loved Nicolai and Jane. They were a great couple.
My only complaint is that it was too short! It is significantly smaller than pretty much anything Gena has written to date. That made Leah sad. And I've noticed the other books are just as short. Buuuut, I suppose I will get over it. At least they are consistent in the lengths.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait to read about Breena, Dayn, and Micah! Jill, Jessica, and Nalini, here I come!
November 9, 2011
2-2.5 stars. This was my first Gena Showalter and it was ok. I'm kind of disappointed that other than Jane and Nicolai getting together, nothing happened. He didn't even make it back to his home land. Yeah, I get that he'll need his brothers and sister to fight and defeat the Blood Sorcerer, but he could have started the journey to either find his family or to his home land. There was lots of SEX. Not that I'm against reading that, cause I'm definitely not. But it seemed like all they were doing was leading to that act or the act itself.
Will I read the rest of the series? Yes. Will I read another book by this author? Yes, I'll give her another try and see if I like something else she's written better.
Will I read the rest of the series? Yes. Will I read another book by this author? Yes, I'll give her another try and see if I like something else she's written better.
July 8, 2011
I liked Nicolai and Jane and the story well enough, but just hated the ending. And I hated it not only because it was too rushed but also because it was left as a cliff hanger. I guess, we'll only know what really happens to Nicolai and his kingdom after the fourth book.
Each book in the Royal House of Shadows series was written by different author, so will be a hit or a miss with each one.
Each book in the Royal House of Shadows series was written by different author, so will be a hit or a miss with each one.
April 20, 2019
Bu kadın ne yazsa okunur ya
August 1, 2011
Notes: I read the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book. The book will be released August 23rd. Contains violence in the form of attempted rape and murder.
The Royal House of Elden was attacked. In an effort to save their children, the Queen cast a spell to send each of them to a different kingdom. At the same time, the King cast a spell so that each of his children would seek vengeance upon the Blood Sorcerer. Each child possess a silver timepiece which connects each child to the other and to Elden. When the King cast his spell it somehow bonded with the timepieces as well as his children. When the Queen's spell transported Nicolai, however, he ended up in a Sex Market. Oops!
When Jane Parker received a package in the mail she thought someone was messing with her. The mysterious message said, "I need your help", and something about the book enclosed reminded her of the dream lover who'd invaded her dreams. When she magically transported to another place and another identity she wonders if she's losing her mind. That is until she meets the man who has been causing her hormones to go into overdrive at night.
This is the first book of four in the Royal House of Shadows series. Each book is written by a different author. So in a way, the series is like an anthology, but with full length stories instead of novellas. I think I like this new trend. I will definitely be getting the rest of the books in the series.
I really enjoyed this book. The story was seductive and had me enthralled from the beginning. While the book did contain quite a bit of violence, I think it's only to be expected in this type of story. Truthfully, there wasn't much I didn't love. The way Jane dealt with Princess Laila was fun. I kind of wished we could have seen how the Princess fared.
Nicolai lived up to his reputation of being a "Dark Seducer". Gena Showalter writes such devilishly delicious male heroes that they could make a good girl go bad. The heat that comes off the pages is scorching hot. A year ago, I created a secondary rating scale for romance novels. I felt sometimes an additional rating scale is needed for the hotness level in romances. I call it the Lisarenee's Romance Rating Scale. Here is the break down:
Smile - a lady always tries to be polite so a smile should suffice (ie no heat whatsoever)
Blush - at the beginning stages of romance where something is just starting to be stirred
Fan - the temperature in the room seems to have suddenly gone up a couple of degrees and a fan would be nice
Steam - a little too hot for a fan, but I still got a handle on things
Shower - a cold shower is necessary (need I say more?)
I felt this book should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol This one definitely gets a Shower rating. Hmmm.... I may need rethink this scale and add another level. ;) I gave this book a 4 out of 5 roses.
Order of series:
1. Lord of the Vampires
2. Lord of Rage
3. Lord of the Wolfyn
4. Lord of the Abyss
The Royal House of Elden was attacked. In an effort to save their children, the Queen cast a spell to send each of them to a different kingdom. At the same time, the King cast a spell so that each of his children would seek vengeance upon the Blood Sorcerer. Each child possess a silver timepiece which connects each child to the other and to Elden. When the King cast his spell it somehow bonded with the timepieces as well as his children. When the Queen's spell transported Nicolai, however, he ended up in a Sex Market. Oops!
When Jane Parker received a package in the mail she thought someone was messing with her. The mysterious message said, "I need your help", and something about the book enclosed reminded her of the dream lover who'd invaded her dreams. When she magically transported to another place and another identity she wonders if she's losing her mind. That is until she meets the man who has been causing her hormones to go into overdrive at night.
This is the first book of four in the Royal House of Shadows series. Each book is written by a different author. So in a way, the series is like an anthology, but with full length stories instead of novellas. I think I like this new trend. I will definitely be getting the rest of the books in the series.
I really enjoyed this book. The story was seductive and had me enthralled from the beginning. While the book did contain quite a bit of violence, I think it's only to be expected in this type of story. Truthfully, there wasn't much I didn't love. The way Jane dealt with Princess Laila was fun. I kind of wished we could have seen how the Princess fared.
Nicolai lived up to his reputation of being a "Dark Seducer". Gena Showalter writes such devilishly delicious male heroes that they could make a good girl go bad. The heat that comes off the pages is scorching hot. A year ago, I created a secondary rating scale for romance novels. I felt sometimes an additional rating scale is needed for the hotness level in romances. I call it the Lisarenee's Romance Rating Scale. Here is the break down:
Smile - a lady always tries to be polite so a smile should suffice (ie no heat whatsoever)
Blush - at the beginning stages of romance where something is just starting to be stirred
Fan - the temperature in the room seems to have suddenly gone up a couple of degrees and a fan would be nice
Steam - a little too hot for a fan, but I still got a handle on things
Shower - a cold shower is necessary (need I say more?)
I felt this book should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol This one definitely gets a Shower rating. Hmmm.... I may need rethink this scale and add another level. ;) I gave this book a 4 out of 5 roses.
Order of series:
1. Lord of the Vampires
2. Lord of Rage
3. Lord of the Wolfyn
4. Lord of the Abyss
July 20, 2011
I feel like a traitor. I LOVE Gena Showalter. She is one of my top go-to authors for paranormal romance. So when I found out about this book and the Royal House of Shadows series, I was sooo excited. But (I can't believe I'm saying this) I was disappointed. This book had all the hot sex you'd expect from a Showalter story, but for me, it was missing something substantial. I couldn't connect with it; I couldn't feel what the characters were feeling.
The premise of the series is this: An evil sorcerer has killed the king and queen of the magical world of Elden. But before they died, the sovereigns used their last bits of power to reach out to their four children. The king instilled in them a burning need for vengeance; while the queen wished them away to safety. Each of the four gets his or her own book, penned by a different author. Showalter's book features the eldest prince, Nicolai.
When his mother's magic whisked him away from the castle, he was in the middle of a sexual conquest... And with the strange way the magic worked, he reappeared as a sex slave. Some evil witch princesses bought him and had his memory erased. He doesn't remember who he is, but his need for revenge still burns in him and on some level, he knows he is more than a slave.
Using magic, Nicolai summons a human named Jane to free him. (The how and why of this are revealed over the course of the book.) Jane appears in the visage of one of the princesses and together, they flee from the royal court.
The two are instantly attracted to each other. It's one of those "mine-at-first-sight" things. I'm not usually bothered by the whole alpha-male "mine" mentality, but here, it went on and on. And while I am a big fan of some steamy love scenes, I tend to enjoy them most when they resolve an underlying sexual tension. I just didn't feel the tension here... the two of them were ready to get busy with each other from the first moment they saw each other. No build-up at all. Nothing to grab me and say, "If I can't see these two get together soon, I'll die." Their attraction was explained later, but it was too little, too late.
Beyond that, I never felt a fear that something would come between them. Jane's concerns about Nicolai's reaction to her job felt out of left-field and contrived. Worries that he might have a woman floating around out there... suffice it to say, I wasn't worried. Then to top it all off, I didn't understand how Jane resolved the final obstacle to their happily ever after. Nicolai sends her a note telling her to "use her head" and then all of a sudden her science experiment works in a way it's never worked before? I'm just... kind of at a loss.
I'm sorry, Gena, because I really do think you're awesome. 3 stars.
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
The premise of the series is this: An evil sorcerer has killed the king and queen of the magical world of Elden. But before they died, the sovereigns used their last bits of power to reach out to their four children. The king instilled in them a burning need for vengeance; while the queen wished them away to safety. Each of the four gets his or her own book, penned by a different author. Showalter's book features the eldest prince, Nicolai.
When his mother's magic whisked him away from the castle, he was in the middle of a sexual conquest... And with the strange way the magic worked, he reappeared as a sex slave. Some evil witch princesses bought him and had his memory erased. He doesn't remember who he is, but his need for revenge still burns in him and on some level, he knows he is more than a slave.
Using magic, Nicolai summons a human named Jane to free him. (The how and why of this are revealed over the course of the book.) Jane appears in the visage of one of the princesses and together, they flee from the royal court.
The two are instantly attracted to each other. It's one of those "mine-at-first-sight" things. I'm not usually bothered by the whole alpha-male "mine" mentality, but here, it went on and on. And while I am a big fan of some steamy love scenes, I tend to enjoy them most when they resolve an underlying sexual tension. I just didn't feel the tension here... the two of them were ready to get busy with each other from the first moment they saw each other. No build-up at all. Nothing to grab me and say, "If I can't see these two get together soon, I'll die." Their attraction was explained later, but it was too little, too late.
Beyond that, I never felt a fear that something would come between them. Jane's concerns about Nicolai's reaction to her job felt out of left-field and contrived. Worries that he might have a woman floating around out there... suffice it to say, I wasn't worried. Then to top it all off, I didn't understand how Jane resolved the final obstacle to their happily ever after. Nicolai sends her a note telling her to "use her head" and then all of a sudden her science experiment works in a way it's never worked before? I'm just... kind of at a loss.
I'm sorry, Gena, because I really do think you're awesome. 3 stars.
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
July 10, 2011
Nicolai is one of four children who at the time of his parent’s death were sent away from the royal palace that was under attack. Only a time piece that he is no longer in possession of links him to his siblings. He is not even aware of a missing timepiece though. His lusty ways and an error in magic cast by a dying parent sent him to the slave market, as a sex slave. His purchasers have wiped his memory repeatedly. In an attempt to escape he writes magic into a book and draw a modern time human Jane to come assist in his escape. Jane works for a sect of the government that studies the supernatural. So she is not shocked that the chained vampire she has been dreaming of for the past several months is in this book. She is also not shaken that she has been brought into another realm by the chained vampire. Jane’s a trooper. She agrees to help Nicolai. She has a gazillion questions and her scientific mind questions everything, but she atrocities that he has dealt with and feels the need to help him obtain his freedom.
I have no idea why but I loved Nicolai’s short choppy sentence caveman speak. Not to mention the really hot over used “Mine.” When I say over used I mean in this book alone, not as readers see it in so many books. Nicolai might as well been shouting this as his mantra when in Jane’s presence. I also liked Jane and Nicolai’s connection. As a couple they really worked for me. I give much of that credit to Jane not freaking out about popping up in an alternate realm where magic is used and vampires exist. I also really enjoyed all the flashbacks that Nicolai had while his memories randomly trickled back to him. The catalyst that caused his memories to begin surfacing was captivating too. I am one who typically does not enjoy a historical like fantasy world (that what this book is) but I really enjoyed the magical elements and the setting was perfect.
This was a very fast paced book. I was also amazed at how much action was squeezed into the 288 pages. Loved what the books big evil doer got in the end. Justice was served in the most appropriate way. Very interested to see where this series goes. The readers are given very little information of the other siblings. Nicolai shows the readers small memories of his siblings as he is getting his memories back. Once he has all of his memories back he still only knows vague hunches or rumors. The location and well-being of the others for the most part is unknown. Thus I’m tremendously intrigued. I will definitely read the next book in the series, which is Breena’s (the only female sibling) story. At the end of Lord of the Vampires, Nicolai has found out that she is possibly with Berserkers. A series that has been written by four different seems quite interesting!
Favorite quote, from Jane: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I might be a vampire so I don't give a shit."
I have no idea why but I loved Nicolai’s short choppy sentence caveman speak. Not to mention the really hot over used “Mine.” When I say over used I mean in this book alone, not as readers see it in so many books. Nicolai might as well been shouting this as his mantra when in Jane’s presence. I also liked Jane and Nicolai’s connection. As a couple they really worked for me. I give much of that credit to Jane not freaking out about popping up in an alternate realm where magic is used and vampires exist. I also really enjoyed all the flashbacks that Nicolai had while his memories randomly trickled back to him. The catalyst that caused his memories to begin surfacing was captivating too. I am one who typically does not enjoy a historical like fantasy world (that what this book is) but I really enjoyed the magical elements and the setting was perfect.
This was a very fast paced book. I was also amazed at how much action was squeezed into the 288 pages. Loved what the books big evil doer got in the end. Justice was served in the most appropriate way. Very interested to see where this series goes. The readers are given very little information of the other siblings. Nicolai shows the readers small memories of his siblings as he is getting his memories back. Once he has all of his memories back he still only knows vague hunches or rumors. The location and well-being of the others for the most part is unknown. Thus I’m tremendously intrigued. I will definitely read the next book in the series, which is Breena’s (the only female sibling) story. At the end of Lord of the Vampires, Nicolai has found out that she is possibly with Berserkers. A series that has been written by four different seems quite interesting!
Favorite quote, from Jane: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but I might be a vampire so I don't give a shit."
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