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Queen of Blood
For one hundred years, Seri’s people have lived under the thumb of the Blood, the cruel and mysterious rulers of Athon. Seri wants nothing more than to put food on the table and marry the hotheaded but handsome Rilen come spring. But when a noblewoman asks Seri to be her handmaiden, Rilen insists she move to the enemy’s castle . . . and spy on the newly arrived prince.
Prince Graeme has grown weary of his family’s curse. The Blood are powerful and immortal, but doomed to live in the shadows, flitting from lover to lover, always in search of the mythic Eterna—the one woman who will sate their hunger. Now his father has sent him to the outskirts of the empire to stamp out a rebellious Vidari faction. But when a wild and alluring Vidari girl shows up at court, he finds himself torn between following his father’s orders and following his heart . . .
A war is brewing between Athonite and Vidari, between Blood and man. As uprisings sweep through the land, Seri and Graeme find themselves at the center of a storm with only one choice: betray each other, or betray their people.
Prince Graeme has grown weary of his family’s curse. The Blood are powerful and immortal, but doomed to live in the shadows, flitting from lover to lover, always in search of the mythic Eterna—the one woman who will sate their hunger. Now his father has sent him to the outskirts of the empire to stamp out a rebellious Vidari faction. But when a wild and alluring Vidari girl shows up at court, he finds himself torn between following his father’s orders and following his heart . . .
A war is brewing between Athonite and Vidari, between Blood and man. As uprisings sweep through the land, Seri and Graeme find themselves at the center of a storm with only one choice: betray each other, or betray their people.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2015
47 people are currently reading
1468 people want to read
About the author
Jill Myles
39 books1,677 followersJILL MYLES writes as Jessica Clare and Jessica Sims.
A NOTE ABOUT FRIENDING: I will happily friend you back if you friend me! Goodreads is, after all, about discussing books we both love. I will NEVER self-promote my books to you. And if you self-promote your books to me, no matter how nicely, I'm deleting you off my list. Sorry. Goodreads is about fun, not spam.
A NOTE ABOUT MY REVIEWS: Hey, look at that! Most of my reviews are really positive! This is not me kissing ass - It's because at heart, I am a lazy reader. If I'm not enjoying a book, I don't finish it. I don't review anything I didn't finish, ergo, most of the reviews I put up here are pretty much positive across the board because I finished them and was happy with the story. Makes sense, right?
A NOTE ABOUT FRIENDING: I will happily friend you back if you friend me! Goodreads is, after all, about discussing books we both love. I will NEVER self-promote my books to you. And if you self-promote your books to me, no matter how nicely, I'm deleting you off my list. Sorry. Goodreads is about fun, not spam.
A NOTE ABOUT MY REVIEWS: Hey, look at that! Most of my reviews are really positive! This is not me kissing ass - It's because at heart, I am a lazy reader. If I'm not enjoying a book, I don't finish it. I don't review anything I didn't finish, ergo, most of the reviews I put up here are pretty much positive across the board because I finished them and was happy with the story. Makes sense, right?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
September 29, 2017
***I was provided a complimentary ARC of this book by Netgalley.com in exchange for honest feedback.***
At first, the story seemed a little slow and I wasn't sure that I was going to get into it. However, once Seri was appointed by the goddess as the betrothed wife for Prince Graeme, the story had my rapt attention. I absolutely fell in love with this unlikely pair!
This book had many of my favorite themes, forbidden love, a love triangle, moral dilemmas, action and a super-sexy vampire! I honestly can't think of anything this story lacked. The characters were well-developed and easy to relate to. The love story was compelling. The sex scenes were steamy, but not over-done or gratuitous.
This book is definitely a new favorite of mine! I loved it! The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because there were a significant amount of errors related to the typeface. Words were randomly combined. However, I'm sure that is a formatting issue that is related to my ARC and will be resolved in the published editions.
At first, the story seemed a little slow and I wasn't sure that I was going to get into it. However, once Seri was appointed by the goddess as the betrothed wife for Prince Graeme, the story had my rapt attention. I absolutely fell in love with this unlikely pair!
This book had many of my favorite themes, forbidden love, a love triangle, moral dilemmas, action and a super-sexy vampire! I honestly can't think of anything this story lacked. The characters were well-developed and easy to relate to. The love story was compelling. The sex scenes were steamy, but not over-done or gratuitous.
This book is definitely a new favorite of mine! I loved it! The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because there were a significant amount of errors related to the typeface. Words were randomly combined. However, I'm sure that is a formatting issue that is related to my ARC and will be resolved in the published editions.
January 12, 2019
4.5 Stars
This was so much more than I expected! It's left me feeling all giddy and happy. Yes - happy! And that coming from me (a miserable fucker), is really saying something!
While this started off quite slowly, the writing was engaging enough to keep it from be boring. The world setting, the different customs, the side characters - everything was set up and played out very well. Even the pace of the romance was just right. And Graeme - sigh.
The only thing I can moan about is that this wasn't enough. It could very easily have been made into a series, with books from her sister and the other Blood members. I want to read more about the world created in this book, simply because I loved it.
This was so much more than I expected! It's left me feeling all giddy and happy. Yes - happy! And that coming from me (a miserable fucker), is really saying something!
While this started off quite slowly, the writing was engaging enough to keep it from be boring. The world setting, the different customs, the side characters - everything was set up and played out very well. Even the pace of the romance was just right. And Graeme - sigh.
The only thing I can moan about is that this wasn't enough. It could very easily have been made into a series, with books from her sister and the other Blood members. I want to read more about the world created in this book, simply because I loved it.
July 12, 2015
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Arc kindly provided by the publisher, via netGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
So I was thinking about rating this book with 3 stars but I decided against it because I couldn’t find reasons to do so.
It was a quick, easy read. I had no trouble following the plot and I could relate to the characters. I loved the era the story was set in and I enjoyed the love romance. So why would I rate this book less than 4 stars, right?
Let’s start with Seri, a Vitari girl who was trying to survive along with her family. She was going to get married and live a happily ever after. Everything changed when she was told that she was an Eterna, the other half of a Prince Blood and that she was meant to be with him. Seri didn’t like that and she fought till the end to change it. She tried to murder her Prince husband and worked as an insider in order to help her people start a revolution.
I was glad that Seri didn’t fall in love immediately and that she didn’t betray her life style over a man. She remained loyal to her religion and her beliefs. Yes, she fell in love with the prince but he was worth it and Seri deserved him.
Prince Graeme was lovely. He was nothing like his cruel father and brother. He was willing to make his kingdom better and fair and he was always trying for the best. When he found Seri he was patient and hopeful even though he didn’t wanted her as well. Eventually he saw how precious Seri was and he fought to win her heart and make her life better.
I loved the intrigue around the war and the mystery of plotting a revolution. I enjoyed all the attempts that Seri made in order to murder Graeme. The battle between what was supposed to be right and her morals made the character more real and approachable. I could relate to her and her thoughts or feelings and I could absolutely understand her dilemma.
I don’t have more things to say because I read the book over a night and I didn’t even thought about keeping notes like I always do. That’s a good thing.
I suggest you read the book in a summer night, while drinking wine or something cold and refreshing.
Thank you for reading.
Check out my twitter BookLand@twitter
Also you can like my fb page Bookland@facebook
Arc kindly provided by the publisher, via netGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
So I was thinking about rating this book with 3 stars but I decided against it because I couldn’t find reasons to do so.
It was a quick, easy read. I had no trouble following the plot and I could relate to the characters. I loved the era the story was set in and I enjoyed the love romance. So why would I rate this book less than 4 stars, right?
Let’s start with Seri, a Vitari girl who was trying to survive along with her family. She was going to get married and live a happily ever after. Everything changed when she was told that she was an Eterna, the other half of a Prince Blood and that she was meant to be with him. Seri didn’t like that and she fought till the end to change it. She tried to murder her Prince husband and worked as an insider in order to help her people start a revolution.
I was glad that Seri didn’t fall in love immediately and that she didn’t betray her life style over a man. She remained loyal to her religion and her beliefs. Yes, she fell in love with the prince but he was worth it and Seri deserved him.
Prince Graeme was lovely. He was nothing like his cruel father and brother. He was willing to make his kingdom better and fair and he was always trying for the best. When he found Seri he was patient and hopeful even though he didn’t wanted her as well. Eventually he saw how precious Seri was and he fought to win her heart and make her life better.
I loved the intrigue around the war and the mystery of plotting a revolution. I enjoyed all the attempts that Seri made in order to murder Graeme. The battle between what was supposed to be right and her morals made the character more real and approachable. I could relate to her and her thoughts or feelings and I could absolutely understand her dilemma.
I don’t have more things to say because I read the book over a night and I didn’t even thought about keeping notes like I always do. That’s a good thing.
I suggest you read the book in a summer night, while drinking wine or something cold and refreshing.
Thank you for reading.
June 29, 2015
Once, long ago, the Blood were normal men but there was a ruthless ruler—a king who changed it all.
Prince Graeme has grown weary of his family’s curse.
The Blood are powerful and immortal, but doomed to live in the shadows, flitting from lover to lover, always in search of the mythic Eterna—the one woman who will sate their hunger.
Now his father has sent him to the outskirts of the empire to stamp out a rebellious Vidari faction.
For one hundred years, Seri’s people have lived under the thumb of the Blood.
Seri wants nothing more than to put food on the table and marry the hotheaded but handsome Rilen come spring.
A war is brewing between Athonite and Vidari, between Blood and man. As uprisings sweep through the land, Seri and Graeme find themselves at the center of a storm with only one choice: betray each other, or betray their people.
Read it & Loved it!!!!
June 16, 2017
*** 4 Stars ***
This is a classic love story with a vampire spin. You won't find the word 'vampire' anywhere in the book. The blood drinkers don't have any super strength, but they are almost immortal and hate sunlight.
There is a rebellion brewing on the land. The Vidari are tired of feeling oppressed, poor, and hungry due to the Athonite.
Prince Graeme of the Athonites is cursed with an unquenchable thirst, but finds his salvation in Seri, a very prideful Vidari.
Seri, however, promised to marry Rilen. As Rilen is fighting for the rebellion, he urges Seri to marry the prince for the cause and act as a spy. Seri's heart is torn in two. Does she act as a spy? Or does she betray her people?
There are some light sex scenes and I enjoyed every moment of it! BITE ME!
This is a classic love story with a vampire spin. You won't find the word 'vampire' anywhere in the book. The blood drinkers don't have any super strength, but they are almost immortal and hate sunlight.
There is a rebellion brewing on the land. The Vidari are tired of feeling oppressed, poor, and hungry due to the Athonite.
Prince Graeme of the Athonites is cursed with an unquenchable thirst, but finds his salvation in Seri, a very prideful Vidari.
Seri, however, promised to marry Rilen. As Rilen is fighting for the rebellion, he urges Seri to marry the prince for the cause and act as a spy. Seri's heart is torn in two. Does she act as a spy? Or does she betray her people?
There are some light sex scenes and I enjoyed every moment of it! BITE ME!
January 10, 2020
My first successful vampire read of the year!
I wasn't terribly excited to start this, despite my friend Nenia's glowing review, which caused me to add the book in the first place. I'd just started and quickly deleted several KU books that I didn't even bother adding, so I was feeling frustrated.
But I'm really glad I did! I got sucked into the story right away, and I ended up loving it. The heroine was perfectly portrayed as being of two worlds—torn between loyalty to her people and her growing understanding of the man she married. And the hero was reserved and at times icy—always guaranteed to make me swoon if done well.
This is my third book of the year—and my second 4 star rating. 2020 is off to a good start!
I wasn't terribly excited to start this, despite my friend Nenia's glowing review, which caused me to add the book in the first place. I'd just started and quickly deleted several KU books that I didn't even bother adding, so I was feeling frustrated.
But I'm really glad I did! I got sucked into the story right away, and I ended up loving it. The heroine was perfectly portrayed as being of two worlds—torn between loyalty to her people and her growing understanding of the man she married. And the hero was reserved and at times icy—always guaranteed to make me swoon if done well.
This is my third book of the year—and my second 4 star rating. 2020 is off to a good start!
July 31, 2015
Rating: 3.75-4 / 5 stars
If you've read Betrothed and decided to skip this because it's a "republished" version, I'm going to tell you to not skip it and read it.
Most of the plot/dialogue/etc is the same as the first book, except this time--plot holes, foreshadowing, etc are handled better.
And the last 10-11% of the book is very different from the original version.
A lot of people had wanted there to be more POVs that focused on Graeme, and I'm glad to say that there are a few more (not enough, but still).
If you've read Betrothed and decided to skip this because it's a "republished" version, I'm going to tell you to not skip it and read it.
Most of the plot/dialogue/etc is the same as the first book, except this time--plot holes, foreshadowing, etc are handled better.
And the last 10-11% of the book is very different from the original version.
A lot of people had wanted there to be more POVs that focused on Graeme, and I'm glad to say that there are a few more (not enough, but still).
March 16, 2017
*Received from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*
This book was soooo good. Great pace and romance. At first I was concerned there would be a love triangle from the blurb, but there wasn't. Just one loser, who showed his true colors in the end, and a prince Seri and I both grew to love. Plus, he bites your neck.. what girl doesn't love that? I loved how strong and proud Seri was, no matter how others looked at her. She made some not to smart decisions at times in the book, but they were with good intentions, so I can't fault her much for them. And Prince Graeme... well, well. Although he tried to seem cold at times in the book, his heart and kindness always shined through his façade. There wasn't anything left unanswered, but I hope there's a book 2 just to show what happens between Seri and Graeme and what happens with the Vidari lands.
This book was soooo good. Great pace and romance. At first I was concerned there would be a love triangle from the blurb, but there wasn't. Just one loser, who showed his true colors in the end, and a prince Seri and I both grew to love. Plus, he bites your neck.. what girl doesn't love that? I loved how strong and proud Seri was, no matter how others looked at her. She made some not to smart decisions at times in the book, but they were with good intentions, so I can't fault her much for them. And Prince Graeme... well, well. Although he tried to seem cold at times in the book, his heart and kindness always shined through his façade. There wasn't anything left unanswered, but I hope there's a book 2 just to show what happens between Seri and Graeme and what happens with the Vidari lands.
June 28, 2015
I am laying on my bed and staring at the ceiling after reading and all I can think is-
I really, really love this book. Everything here was so sweet, the characters were original and fantastic. The problems in the book were minor and wasn't a great disturbance but rather something forgettable.
I could compare this with The Selection series by Kiera Cass but that would be comparing light and darkness.
I think fans of The selection would probably appeal to this book. A castle, a prince, a rebellion, a marriage omg what more do you want in life?!!
Yeah, yeah I know.
So I have been craving a prince and princess story for a while now but have been disappointed until now.
When i first read the synopsis of the book, i was like--ugh so chessy. But i swallowed my tongue when i started reading.
But really the synopsis sounded cheesy, a prince meeting a savage girl and then we all know what will happen but honestly things isn't that back and white nor is it black, white and gray. Theres only red, the red of blood here.
The Vidari, a tribe who were imprisoned and defeated by a larger nation called the Athonites. The monarch of the Athonites were cursed by their goddess a long time ago for the cruelness shown to her daughters.
The curse was that generations of the Royal bloodline shall never see the daylight, they would feed from others but will never be sated and would live forever---except if they find an Eterna and only if the leader was not cruel and could feel pity and sympathy for others. Theres a lot of If
The search for the mysterious Eterna has been going on for centuries, even everyone had begun giving up on the "Eterna" thinking it was just a cruel joke from the goddess until now.
So from the curse you could see that They were Vampires but in the book they were called the Blood. Where does our Mc come in?
Yes our main.character who was a true heroine with faults and strength was a Vidari. The Vidari were not slaves to the Anthonites but lived as one because of the defeat against them, they had nothing and only survived with sheer luck. The vidari were tired of all the labour and suffering while the Anthonites waste and enjoy.
They are angry, tired and just wanted equality. They just wanted to stop the hardship, the suffering and so a rebellion was born of hate and sorrow.
What they were not counting on was the goddess choosing some goosegirl especially as a bride to a proud and arrogant(Sexy) Anthonite prince.
This is where the story spins off though the book plot revolved around these opposites.
To him she was a savage, a wild thing. To her he was the enemy how would they ever settle this?
This book is not just some love story, the author focused on them but not all the time. The rebellion was the main plot, the marriage just a wood for the fire.
That was the fun part, the book was hilarious and heart crushing. I was an emotional rollercoaster throughout. I learned to love the characters and how the Author resolved everything in one book is a deep mystery because there was everything in this book;Growth of characters, a lot of plot twist and oh the heart crushing moments. The book wasn't too fast but oh how i wish the author could put more depth in the ending.
I loved it all! The book was altogether captivating and interesting something to grab your mind and heart.
I would gladly recommend to my friends because they just have to experience this.
I received this from netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
I really, really love this book. Everything here was so sweet, the characters were original and fantastic. The problems in the book were minor and wasn't a great disturbance but rather something forgettable.
I could compare this with The Selection series by Kiera Cass but that would be comparing light and darkness.
I think fans of The selection would probably appeal to this book. A castle, a prince, a rebellion, a marriage omg what more do you want in life?!!
Yeah, yeah I know.
So I have been craving a prince and princess story for a while now but have been disappointed until now.
When i first read the synopsis of the book, i was like--ugh so chessy. But i swallowed my tongue when i started reading.
But really the synopsis sounded cheesy, a prince meeting a savage girl and then we all know what will happen but honestly things isn't that back and white nor is it black, white and gray. Theres only red, the red of blood here.
The Vidari, a tribe who were imprisoned and defeated by a larger nation called the Athonites. The monarch of the Athonites were cursed by their goddess a long time ago for the cruelness shown to her daughters.
The curse was that generations of the Royal bloodline shall never see the daylight, they would feed from others but will never be sated and would live forever---except if they find an Eterna and only if the leader was not cruel and could feel pity and sympathy for others. Theres a lot of If
The search for the mysterious Eterna has been going on for centuries, even everyone had begun giving up on the "Eterna" thinking it was just a cruel joke from the goddess until now.
So from the curse you could see that They were Vampires but in the book they were called the Blood. Where does our Mc come in?
Yes our main.character who was a true heroine with faults and strength was a Vidari. The Vidari were not slaves to the Anthonites but lived as one because of the defeat against them, they had nothing and only survived with sheer luck. The vidari were tired of all the labour and suffering while the Anthonites waste and enjoy.
They are angry, tired and just wanted equality. They just wanted to stop the hardship, the suffering and so a rebellion was born of hate and sorrow.
What they were not counting on was the goddess choosing some goosegirl especially as a bride to a proud and arrogant(Sexy) Anthonite prince.
This is where the story spins off though the book plot revolved around these opposites.
To him she was a savage, a wild thing. To her he was the enemy how would they ever settle this?
This book is not just some love story, the author focused on them but not all the time. The rebellion was the main plot, the marriage just a wood for the fire.
That was the fun part, the book was hilarious and heart crushing. I was an emotional rollercoaster throughout. I learned to love the characters and how the Author resolved everything in one book is a deep mystery because there was everything in this book;Growth of characters, a lot of plot twist and oh the heart crushing moments. The book wasn't too fast but oh how i wish the author could put more depth in the ending.
I loved it all! The book was altogether captivating and interesting something to grab your mind and heart.
I would gladly recommend to my friends because they just have to experience this.
I received this from netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
January 12, 2020
Hey look! It's me. Suckered into reading this book because of the name and cover. This book was just there, a prefect fairytale full of repetitive emotions and the nice romance at the end.
June 25, 2015
This was a really great book and I read it cover to cover in less than 24 hours.
Seri is a Vidari girl struggling to look after her blind sister and ill father. Rilen is a local boy she has grown up with, and her future husband to be. Rilen is chomping at the bit for rebellion against the ruling Athonites and he gets actively involved when the Athonite Prince Graeme arrives on Vidari lands to occupy the newly renovated Castle. Rilen was poisoned by hatred and it blinds him to everything else, including love.
Graeme is one of the Blood and he has lived a long life. Essentially he's a vampire, though it's never mentioned as such. However, he doesn't eat, drinks blood, can't go out in the sun etc. I don't read vampire books much anymore as they have been done to death in my opinion, but this book is clever. I never actually felt like it was a vampire book because of the way it was written.
Seri and the Prince's paths cross and intertwine when she is revealed to be his Eterna. Both resist the Goddesses' will at first but as the story progresses they being to fall in love with each other.
Rilen manipulates Seri into helping the rebel cause and in the end he would betray her rather than give up the fight. I was so glad with the choices Seri made towards the end, and it shows good character development and maturity. I know it can't have been easy.
I totally love Prince Graeme. While he appeared sullen at the start, as he opened up to Seri and the reader, we discover what a great guy he is. Refusing to be bound by legacy and history, he forges his own path and goes out of his way to be fair, to do the right thing.
It's obvious that Jill Myles is an experienced author as the writing is accomplished. While I felt the pace was a little slow in the early chapters, it flowed smoothly after that. There aren't any huge plot surprises in the story, nothing I was like 'ah, I wasn't expecting that' but nevertheless it was a fantastic read all the same.
I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my blog: http://myyanabookobsession.com
Seri is a Vidari girl struggling to look after her blind sister and ill father. Rilen is a local boy she has grown up with, and her future husband to be. Rilen is chomping at the bit for rebellion against the ruling Athonites and he gets actively involved when the Athonite Prince Graeme arrives on Vidari lands to occupy the newly renovated Castle. Rilen was poisoned by hatred and it blinds him to everything else, including love.
Graeme is one of the Blood and he has lived a long life. Essentially he's a vampire, though it's never mentioned as such. However, he doesn't eat, drinks blood, can't go out in the sun etc. I don't read vampire books much anymore as they have been done to death in my opinion, but this book is clever. I never actually felt like it was a vampire book because of the way it was written.
Seri and the Prince's paths cross and intertwine when she is revealed to be his Eterna. Both resist the Goddesses' will at first but as the story progresses they being to fall in love with each other.
Rilen manipulates Seri into helping the rebel cause and in the end he would betray her rather than give up the fight. I was so glad with the choices Seri made towards the end, and it shows good character development and maturity. I know it can't have been easy.
I totally love Prince Graeme. While he appeared sullen at the start, as he opened up to Seri and the reader, we discover what a great guy he is. Refusing to be bound by legacy and history, he forges his own path and goes out of his way to be fair, to do the right thing.
It's obvious that Jill Myles is an experienced author as the writing is accomplished. While I felt the pace was a little slow in the early chapters, it flowed smoothly after that. There aren't any huge plot surprises in the story, nothing I was like 'ah, I wasn't expecting that' but nevertheless it was a fantastic read all the same.
I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my blog: http://myyanabookobsession.com
September 9, 2024
DNF 38%
Somehow the FMC who’s been a farmer her entire life becomes a BA boss babe queen in 1.5 seconds. She’s pretty annoying too. She has the whole “I demand respect” over actually earning it vibe going for her 🙃🙃🙃
Somehow the FMC who’s been a farmer her entire life becomes a BA boss babe queen in 1.5 seconds. She’s pretty annoying too. She has the whole “I demand respect” over actually earning it vibe going for her 🙃🙃🙃
March 31, 2021
I haven’t read a good vampire romance in a while. Queen of Blood was much better than I dared to hope. It was about a prince and a princess who must choose between their desires and their loyalty.
I enjoyed the fact that these people come from very different backgrounds. Despite Seri being a “savage” from the tribe of Vidari, she is fiercely proud of her heritage. Her people have been enslaved for a hundred years to a cursed people called the Athonites. They really brought the curse down upon themselves by being so terrible to the daughters of the Goddess. She cursed them until someone actually worthy would find love in a person called an Eterna. The Eterna is chosen by the Goddess. Those that don’t find their Eterna are doomed to wander forever in the dark, with a hunger that won’t be quenched. All of the Athonites are cursed until they can find a leader worthy of an Eterna.
My description sounds really technical and a bit boring, but this book was anything but boring. The differences between the Vidari and the Athonites was so profound. The Athonites are in power. They have royalty, money, and only one God(dess). The Vidari are poor, enslaved to the Athonites, and they worship four Gods. The Vidari are enslaved near a Athonite ruin of a castle, happy to be far away from the kingdom, but not far enough to be free. When the Athonite Prince decides to take up residence in the ruined castle to keep a closer eye on the Vidari, these two cultures clash.
Seri and Graeme are magical together. From a chance meeting in town to the choosing ceremony, those two have no idea that the Goddess means for them to break the curse. At first, they really don’t like each other. Graeme is royalty and Seri bows to no man. Graeme and his family are of the blood. The author was careful not to use the word vampire throughout the story. These blood are immortal and insatiable. They choose partners based on their ability to satisfy the hunger, but the thirst is never really quenched. Seri and Graeme have this undeniable attraction that just makes them need each other. The Goddess made them choose each other, but it won’t be easy.
I loved that Seri didn’t give in to her desires. In this story, she fights tooth and nail to not succumb to her instant attraction. To her it doesn’t make sense. The goddess that set that desire in motion was not hers and so she needed a lot of convincing. I felt like these two were very different but they both wanted the same things. Unfortunately for them they must either betray their desires, or betray their own people.
I have to mention that there were some sex scenes. (oh my gosh, my virgin imagination) This is not a YA paranormal romance. I really enjoyed a more mature look at lust with vampires (yaas please!), but the scenes were honestly tame enough. This isn’t erotica at all.
I think the characters were well developed, even if the world they were living in wasn’t. The rules for both cultures was well laid out as well. And hey, VAMPIRES! Even though to me it didn’t make sense that the Athonites were so frightened of the Vidari. They really didn’t want to get their hands dirty with those savages. The author did a fantastic job of translating the frustration and wants of the characters, but I would have liked to see more of the terrain. That’s just me. Except for the world building, this was a great read. I devoured it in two days. I would definitely like to see more from this author.
Want to read
August 21, 2020GUUUYYYYYSSSSS
I don't know if this one is good, it must be as it's a KU elite book.
Remember, this is free on KU! With so many books for free on KU you don't need to visit free reading sites that you know? are never really free, they feed terrorist groups!!
Consume KU books!! They're the best!
I don't know if this one is good, it must be as it's a KU elite book.
Remember, this is free on KU! With so many books for free on KU you don't need to visit free reading sites that you know? are never really free, they feed terrorist groups!!
Consume KU books!! They're the best!
October 6, 2017
Saw this book listed on a friend's wall; liked the synopsis, decided to give it a read and was not disappointed. At all. Fantasy romance about a h from a downtrodden, gypsy like community and an arrogant H of a ruling Vampiric race. The angst was good and their love story was well developed. Definitely worth a read.
June 25, 2015
Seri is a simple Vidari goose girl. All she cares about is taking care of her family and getting married to Rilen in the spring. But when the Athonite court arrives, and Seri is given an opportunity to work for an Athonite noblewoman, she goes into the enemy’s castle to earn some money and to spy on the Prince. She soon finds out that the curse of The Blood is real and that the reigning royals are literal monsters who live on blood. When a twist of fate lands Seri and Prince Graeme together – bonds are forged, loyalties are tested and they each have to find a way to make things work.
I liked Seri from the beginning. She comes across this normal village girl who works hard to take care of her family. Her world revolves around her father, sister and her love interest, Rilen. She is pretty much resigned to the life that has been dealt to her. Later in the book though, I was really mad at Seri when she had the chance to get her parents out and up to the castle for a better life, she really dragged her feet. Her father had been sick and could have had a cure and medicines, yet she really did not do much to get them there. She did send for them, though a bit late, but never really followed up on it. It just did not feel right to me that she was enjoying the grandeur of the castle while her family was left behind. Rilen on the other hand came off as a really good guy in the beginning. He seemed to care for Seri and even gave up his daily earning to make sure she and her family had enough food. He also seemed to be an idealistic, who wanted to fight for his freedom from the oppression of the Athonites. But his ideas and fight for freedom took him down the wrong path… I really stopped liking Rilen when he sent Seri back to the castle. Prince Graeme made an ‘okay’ impression on me. He could do more… really more if he wanted to. But I guess after growing up under the expectations, he needed time. I also liked Prince Graeme’s sister, she is such a darling. I wish she had a bigger role to play.
The world building was fascinating. The concept of Athonites and Vidari and their difference in cultures was interesting. Also the concept of mortal and immortals were handles in a different manner. The book has Vampires, yet the word Vampire was never used. I would have liked more details and more history though… Like about the rest of Graeme’s family and even more about Graeme before he came to the Vidari lands. Also, I do understand the author’s need to explore the bond between the two main characters, but I sure wish there was less sex and more talking between the two.
I do not know if there is going to be a sequel, (there is no mention and this book works as a standalone with an acceptable ending) but I hope for more. I would like to know more about how Graeme and Seri end up ruling their people and about Seri’s daughters. I am left wanting more…
I liked Seri from the beginning. She comes across this normal village girl who works hard to take care of her family. Her world revolves around her father, sister and her love interest, Rilen. She is pretty much resigned to the life that has been dealt to her. Later in the book though, I was really mad at Seri when she had the chance to get her parents out and up to the castle for a better life, she really dragged her feet. Her father had been sick and could have had a cure and medicines, yet she really did not do much to get them there. She did send for them, though a bit late, but never really followed up on it. It just did not feel right to me that she was enjoying the grandeur of the castle while her family was left behind. Rilen on the other hand came off as a really good guy in the beginning. He seemed to care for Seri and even gave up his daily earning to make sure she and her family had enough food. He also seemed to be an idealistic, who wanted to fight for his freedom from the oppression of the Athonites. But his ideas and fight for freedom took him down the wrong path… I really stopped liking Rilen when he sent Seri back to the castle. Prince Graeme made an ‘okay’ impression on me. He could do more… really more if he wanted to. But I guess after growing up under the expectations, he needed time. I also liked Prince Graeme’s sister, she is such a darling. I wish she had a bigger role to play.
The world building was fascinating. The concept of Athonites and Vidari and their difference in cultures was interesting. Also the concept of mortal and immortals were handles in a different manner. The book has Vampires, yet the word Vampire was never used. I would have liked more details and more history though… Like about the rest of Graeme’s family and even more about Graeme before he came to the Vidari lands. Also, I do understand the author’s need to explore the bond between the two main characters, but I sure wish there was less sex and more talking between the two.
I do not know if there is going to be a sequel, (there is no mention and this book works as a standalone with an acceptable ending) but I hope for more. I would like to know more about how Graeme and Seri end up ruling their people and about Seri’s daughters. I am left wanting more…
January 23, 2017
This was a really frustrating book, Seri just seems to spend most of it hiding from reality and avoiding dealing with the situation. I hated how easily Rilen manipulated her and how she repeatedly just went along with whatever he said without thinking about it.
January 24, 2017
I just... The book would have been way better if the heroine wasn't such a dumbass.
August 13, 2023
A lovely, almost gentle read that I absolutely needed.
July 10, 2015
Queen of Blood by Jill Myles is a book I just happened to come across as I was scanning NetGalley one day and I am so happy I took a chance on it. I found myself flipping through the pages to see what was going to happen. This was an interesting twist on the standard vampire story and I enjoyed it a lot.
Seri is a poor, Vidari, goose girl who really just wants to take care of her father and her sister. She is also looking forward to getting hand-fasted to the boy she loves, Rilen. As we learn more about her, we find out that Rilen is a rebel who doesn’t believe that the rulers of Athon should control their people and it is this belief that changes everything for Seri.
By chance, she crosses path with an Athon noble woman who wants to stand out in a crowd of nobles trying to gain the attention of the Prince. Her thought is to have a “wild” Vidari as her attendant. At first, Seri refuses but when she tells her story to Rilen, he realizes this is the best way for him and his rebels to get inside the castle. By convincing Seri to do this, her life is changed completely.
The other piece to this story is the Athon Prince, Graeme. His father has sent him to the lands of Vidara just in time for his Betrothal Ceremony. Not only is he searching for his Eterna, the one woman who will be his eternal-mate and help quench the thirst the curse on his family has created, but he is also there to determine how best to take care of the rebels and get them in line.
The curse I mentioned was a direct result of the King of Athon offending the Goddess. Because of his actions, the Goddess determined his line would never be granted any daughters (because he killed his own) and he would only have sons that were as cursed as he is. They would also not be able to stand the sun and forced to drink the blood of others to survive. The key to this is that they would never be satisfied because the blood would quickly lose it draw and they would be forever hungry. Here’s the twist…an Eterna would end it all but there has never been one found in recorded history so to say that Graeme is a bit pessimistic that he will find his is probably fair.
You can probably guess where I am going with this story. With Seri right in the line of fire, she is found to be Graeme’s Eterna and following the will of the Goddess, Graeme follows through with the marriage.
Their relationship is rough although I have to say, Graeme goes into it with an open mind. Granted he doesn’t really know what Seri is up to but he definitely has a different outlook about the Vidari than his Athonite people do and he is also willing to give their marriage a chance. As the story progresses, Seri and Graeme definitely change and really I would say that Seri changes the most. Graeme seemed to have a different feeling toward Seri than she did toward him but he is also the one with all of the power. Because of that, even though he never really thought he would marry a Vidari, he still wasn't forced into the marriage in the same way that Seri was so I can sympathize with her.
As for characters, I liked Seri. There were times that I really wanted her to see what Rilen was up to and how he was using her but of course, she was looking at him as the boy she loved and wanted to spend her life with, why would he betray and use her. Rilen annoyed me. He only thought about himself and his end goal, not about the danger he was putting Seri in and in the end I wasn’t saddened by how things went for him.
I thought Myles did a wonderful job of creating this world and the story within. As I mentioned, I flew through this book. It is a quick read and yes, some of it is obvious but I didn’t think it hurt the story. I thought there was plenty of action, intrigue, and swoony bits to keep me entertained. If you are looking for a vampire story with a bit of a twist definitely check this one out - I'm glad I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
Seri is a poor, Vidari, goose girl who really just wants to take care of her father and her sister. She is also looking forward to getting hand-fasted to the boy she loves, Rilen. As we learn more about her, we find out that Rilen is a rebel who doesn’t believe that the rulers of Athon should control their people and it is this belief that changes everything for Seri.
By chance, she crosses path with an Athon noble woman who wants to stand out in a crowd of nobles trying to gain the attention of the Prince. Her thought is to have a “wild” Vidari as her attendant. At first, Seri refuses but when she tells her story to Rilen, he realizes this is the best way for him and his rebels to get inside the castle. By convincing Seri to do this, her life is changed completely.
The other piece to this story is the Athon Prince, Graeme. His father has sent him to the lands of Vidara just in time for his Betrothal Ceremony. Not only is he searching for his Eterna, the one woman who will be his eternal-mate and help quench the thirst the curse on his family has created, but he is also there to determine how best to take care of the rebels and get them in line.
The curse I mentioned was a direct result of the King of Athon offending the Goddess. Because of his actions, the Goddess determined his line would never be granted any daughters (because he killed his own) and he would only have sons that were as cursed as he is. They would also not be able to stand the sun and forced to drink the blood of others to survive. The key to this is that they would never be satisfied because the blood would quickly lose it draw and they would be forever hungry. Here’s the twist…an Eterna would end it all but there has never been one found in recorded history so to say that Graeme is a bit pessimistic that he will find his is probably fair.
You can probably guess where I am going with this story. With Seri right in the line of fire, she is found to be Graeme’s Eterna and following the will of the Goddess, Graeme follows through with the marriage.
Their relationship is rough although I have to say, Graeme goes into it with an open mind. Granted he doesn’t really know what Seri is up to but he definitely has a different outlook about the Vidari than his Athonite people do and he is also willing to give their marriage a chance. As the story progresses, Seri and Graeme definitely change and really I would say that Seri changes the most. Graeme seemed to have a different feeling toward Seri than she did toward him but he is also the one with all of the power. Because of that, even though he never really thought he would marry a Vidari, he still wasn't forced into the marriage in the same way that Seri was so I can sympathize with her.
As for characters, I liked Seri. There were times that I really wanted her to see what Rilen was up to and how he was using her but of course, she was looking at him as the boy she loved and wanted to spend her life with, why would he betray and use her. Rilen annoyed me. He only thought about himself and his end goal, not about the danger he was putting Seri in and in the end I wasn’t saddened by how things went for him.
I thought Myles did a wonderful job of creating this world and the story within. As I mentioned, I flew through this book. It is a quick read and yes, some of it is obvious but I didn’t think it hurt the story. I thought there was plenty of action, intrigue, and swoony bits to keep me entertained. If you are looking for a vampire story with a bit of a twist definitely check this one out - I'm glad I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
June 22, 2015
I received this ARC from Alloy Entertainment via NG in return for an honest review
May I just begin with speaking about that cover- I really like that cover!! It suits this book really well.
Okay ladies and gents, let's have a chat about the plot!
"Once, long ago, the Blood were normal men."
Okay! So, this is NOT A YOUNG ADULT!!!!!
I thought it was at first, because i've read young adult books from this author but um, let's just say this one has um...a fair bit of bedroom tango going on.
As a whole, I really liked this story, i was thoroughly engrossed in the world- building and the concept of the Vidari and Athonite people. It was a REALLY well written book and it was engaging from start to finish. Plus, the way this book began was stupendous!
At first i felt nauseated when I saw the Love Triangle because Seri is already engaged to Rilen who mind you is such a piece of kfjanbwfkweafoiahwfpo *coughs* sorry about that.
But then as the book progresses and you see relationships bloom, you have a smile on your face and you realise who is falling in love.
Yes, it was a bit cliche and slightly deja- vu. I mean the concept of two people getting from different backgrounds getting married and being hated for it, is not something we haven't read before. However, that doesn't mean it was a nice read...that is if you can ignore the bedroom salsa lesson.
It actually reminded me a lot of the book Radiance (Wraith Kings) by Grace Draven, which is actually a pretty great book on its own.
I really liked these characters too, they had depth and their emotions weren't irritating. You understood their mistrust and anguish, also Prince Graeme had that cold facade description down to a T!
I really liked that, and the ending was highly satisfying!
But like I said, there's probably one too many bedroom scenes in here.
but I digress,
the Fantasy/ paranormal aspect and romance combo was very well done!
Stay wonderful!!
-The Book Herald
tweet me @thebookherald
May I just begin with speaking about that cover- I really like that cover!! It suits this book really well.
Okay ladies and gents, let's have a chat about the plot!
"Once, long ago, the Blood were normal men."
"Seri is a simple goose girl who struggles to take care of her dying Father and her blind sister.
To make it worst, she is Vidari...considered lower that an animal.
The Athonite Prince Graeme has suffered his curse for annums.
As one cursed of the 'blood' he is doomed to never find the woman he loves, doomed to never have daughters, doomed to always drink blood and never walk in the sunlight.
The legend of the Eterna is a myth.
The Goddess ruins them with the hope that one of the blood will be able to find an Eterna, a woman to finally break this curse.
When traveling to the Vidari land which is on the cusp of rebellion, Prince Graeme never thought to find his Eterna in a Vidari girl.
Disgust, hate, love, anguish.
The worst part,
The Vidari girl seems to want to kill him above all else.
The worst part, they cannot control or rule what their hearts long for.
Suddenly poison, stabbing and mutiny will come about, and one thing that could separate them once and for all.
War.
Okay! So, this is NOT A YOUNG ADULT!!!!!
I thought it was at first, because i've read young adult books from this author but um, let's just say this one has um...a fair bit of bedroom tango going on.
As a whole, I really liked this story, i was thoroughly engrossed in the world- building and the concept of the Vidari and Athonite people. It was a REALLY well written book and it was engaging from start to finish. Plus, the way this book began was stupendous!
At first i felt nauseated when I saw the Love Triangle because Seri is already engaged to Rilen who mind you is such a piece of kfjanbwfkweafoiahwfpo *coughs* sorry about that.
But then as the book progresses and you see relationships bloom, you have a smile on your face and you realise who is falling in love.
Yes, it was a bit cliche and slightly deja- vu. I mean the concept of two people getting from different backgrounds getting married and being hated for it, is not something we haven't read before. However, that doesn't mean it was a nice read...that is if you can ignore the bedroom salsa lesson.
It actually reminded me a lot of the book Radiance (Wraith Kings) by Grace Draven, which is actually a pretty great book on its own.
I really liked these characters too, they had depth and their emotions weren't irritating. You understood their mistrust and anguish, also Prince Graeme had that cold facade description down to a T!
I really liked that, and the ending was highly satisfying!
But like I said, there's probably one too many bedroom scenes in here.
but I digress,
the Fantasy/ paranormal aspect and romance combo was very well done!
Stay wonderful!!
-The Book Herald
tweet me @thebookherald
June 28, 2015
I went into this book not really knowing much about the book, and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this book! I got completely absorbed in the world Jill Myles created in this novel. I would hope to see more books from this world in the future, because I want to continue to learn more and more about the world. This book had a really creative spin on "vampires" that I have never seen done before. I think Jill's take on vampires was very refreshing and creative. I was eating up this book with just that aspect alone.
My favorite character in this book was Graeme. He was a great leader, and it was easy to see that he truly cared about the people that he ruled over. Graeme was genuine and extremely caring. Even though he didn't want to be forced into marriage, he was completely devoted to his wife from the start. He was always so sweet and understanding. Graeme also knew how to make a girl swoon. I fell head over heels in love with him in this book. I wish there would have been more back story on his character. I would have liked to learn more about him and his past. I just want to know more about him in general.
To be honest, the main character, Seri, was kind of annoying. She was quite selfish through out the entire book. She would constantly do stupid things, and then regret it immediately it. Seri also acted very immature and would keep secrets from Graeme all the time. I understood where she was coming from, but it didn't mean that I did not want to smack some sense into her numerous times in the book.
Thankfully, by the end of the book, Seri was making logical decisions and I liked her a lot more. I was very happy to see her character grow from a selfish and annoying girl to a strong and smart woman. Seri definitely had some great character development.
Some of the plot lines in this book were a little predictable, but I still enjoyed the book a lot. I found the story to be quite addicting. The romance was very well written as well. I loved watching Seri and Graeme grow from hating each other to loving each other. They had some extremely sweet moments together, and some extremely steamy moments. I was rooting for them to fall in love through out the entire book. My only issue with the romance was that I would have like to see more romantic moments between the two characters.
Overall, I liked this book a whole lot! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fantasy/paranormal romance. I hope this book will be part of a series, and not a stand alone. I want to see more of these characters and more of this world.
4 / 5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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*I received this complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review *
My favorite character in this book was Graeme. He was a great leader, and it was easy to see that he truly cared about the people that he ruled over. Graeme was genuine and extremely caring. Even though he didn't want to be forced into marriage, he was completely devoted to his wife from the start. He was always so sweet and understanding. Graeme also knew how to make a girl swoon. I fell head over heels in love with him in this book. I wish there would have been more back story on his character. I would have liked to learn more about him and his past. I just want to know more about him in general.
To be honest, the main character, Seri, was kind of annoying. She was quite selfish through out the entire book. She would constantly do stupid things, and then regret it immediately it. Seri also acted very immature and would keep secrets from Graeme all the time. I understood where she was coming from, but it didn't mean that I did not want to smack some sense into her numerous times in the book.
Thankfully, by the end of the book, Seri was making logical decisions and I liked her a lot more. I was very happy to see her character grow from a selfish and annoying girl to a strong and smart woman. Seri definitely had some great character development.
Some of the plot lines in this book were a little predictable, but I still enjoyed the book a lot. I found the story to be quite addicting. The romance was very well written as well. I loved watching Seri and Graeme grow from hating each other to loving each other. They had some extremely sweet moments together, and some extremely steamy moments. I was rooting for them to fall in love through out the entire book. My only issue with the romance was that I would have like to see more romantic moments between the two characters.
Overall, I liked this book a whole lot! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fantasy/paranormal romance. I hope this book will be part of a series, and not a stand alone. I want to see more of these characters and more of this world.
4 / 5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
*I received this complimentary ebook in exchange for an honest review *
October 9, 2015
Full review @http://www.abookishescape.com/2015/10...
The End, it was nice there was resolution but I think it needed a bit more. The fade out scene leaves the reader with good feelings. So the HEA is there for sure but like I mentioned before it would have been wonderful to have more closure. Maybe a further look into the future, could have given the reader a better sense of finality. I say this because I really enjoyed the premise of this story! This was original but it held fast to the traditional basics of vampire lore. I just loved that aspect a fan of the original I’m slightly outraged when people mess with the core of what makes a vampire. The ending was good and I recommend this for people who are into romance stories that truly evolve from despising to cherishing. Though there are some clanging swords do not be mistaken as this is not an action novel. Wonderful book!
My Rating
4.0 Four Gods, One Goddess, One Hut, One Castle, Hate to Love wonderful little tale full stars!
The End, it was nice there was resolution but I think it needed a bit more. The fade out scene leaves the reader with good feelings. So the HEA is there for sure but like I mentioned before it would have been wonderful to have more closure. Maybe a further look into the future, could have given the reader a better sense of finality. I say this because I really enjoyed the premise of this story! This was original but it held fast to the traditional basics of vampire lore. I just loved that aspect a fan of the original I’m slightly outraged when people mess with the core of what makes a vampire. The ending was good and I recommend this for people who are into romance stories that truly evolve from despising to cherishing. Though there are some clanging swords do not be mistaken as this is not an action novel. Wonderful book!
My Rating
4.0 Four Gods, One Goddess, One Hut, One Castle, Hate to Love wonderful little tale full stars!
October 7, 2017
3.5 stars because I am on a roll with this author's books! Now I need to go through all of Jill Myles' books because first
The Scarecrow King
was surprisingly entertaining and now this book. [Edit: never mind about going through the rest of of her books -- apparently, the rest are eroticas. Haha. Whelllp.]
Period piece/middle ages fantasy setting, vampire curse, arranged marriage, rebellion/uprising, culture clash. Delicious.
THE GOOD
1) Book chemistry -- what can I say? It had all the best parts of two of my higher-rated YA books: the somewhat love triangle, hidden-agenda arranged marriage setup, uprising disgruntlement, and culture/kingdom clash from The Wrath & the Dawn as well as the similar arranged marriage, strained courtship, and faster-paced plot from The Queen of All That Dies.
2) The first half or so of this book was addicting. You really could take the general sentiment and tone from the first couple chapters of The Wrath & the Dawn and put a paranormal and darker spin on it instead. There is tension and poverty and desperation and secret plans and oooh, all my favorite things.
3) Vampires! I'm not into paranormal anymore, so I appreciated the attempt (read emphasis on attempt) at using vampirism as a more subtle plot device.
THE BAD
All the bad parts of The Wrath & the Dawn and The Queen of All That Dies.
1) The marriage/romance...was uncomfortable. Forced marriage = forced sex...and even though raging hormones saves it from becoming statutory rape, it's still as questionable and discomforting as Wrath and Queen. Unlike Wrath, though, it also never quite becomes a convincing enough love...which makes it even more uncomfortable.
2) Seri never becomes a likeable character. True, she's torn between her native people and the people of the kingdom that she was force-married into, but once ish goes down it becomes clear what Seri should have done versus what she does instead in the name of neutrality and loyalty.
3) And...there's a bit of a sexist tone going on that irked the feminist side of me.
Unless I missed it, this belief never got refuted....which isn't a terrific message.
4) The ending was a tremendous letdown. The entire last 40% was a letdown, really.
THE VERDICT
Easy to read and intriguing enough to continue reading. It lagged a lot after the initial hook and after the characters started losing their intrigue...but it was still an entertaining read!
Period piece/middle ages fantasy setting, vampire curse, arranged marriage, rebellion/uprising, culture clash. Delicious.
THE GOOD
1) Book chemistry -- what can I say? It had all the best parts of two of my higher-rated YA books: the somewhat love triangle, hidden-agenda arranged marriage setup, uprising disgruntlement, and culture/kingdom clash from The Wrath & the Dawn as well as the similar arranged marriage, strained courtship, and faster-paced plot from The Queen of All That Dies.
2) The first half or so of this book was addicting. You really could take the general sentiment and tone from the first couple chapters of The Wrath & the Dawn and put a paranormal and darker spin on it instead. There is tension and poverty and desperation and secret plans and oooh, all my favorite things.
3) Vampires! I'm not into paranormal anymore, so I appreciated the attempt (read emphasis on attempt) at using vampirism as a more subtle plot device.
THE BAD
All the bad parts of The Wrath & the Dawn and The Queen of All That Dies.
1) The marriage/romance...was uncomfortable. Forced marriage = forced sex...and even though raging hormones saves it from becoming statutory rape, it's still as questionable and discomforting as Wrath and Queen. Unlike Wrath, though, it also never quite becomes a convincing enough love...which makes it even more uncomfortable.
2) Seri never becomes a likeable character. True, she's torn between her native people and the people of the kingdom that she was force-married into, but once ish goes down it becomes clear what Seri should have done versus what she does instead in the name of neutrality and loyalty.
3) And...there's a bit of a sexist tone going on that irked the feminist side of me.
Melene’s lips tightened. “I see. But you married my brother instead. You must give up your old hopes and focus on being a good wife to him and a good Eterna to the Athonite people. You are married to one of us now.”
Unless I missed it, this belief never got refuted....which isn't a terrific message.
4) The ending was a tremendous letdown. The entire last 40% was a letdown, really.
THE VERDICT
Easy to read and intriguing enough to continue reading. It lagged a lot after the initial hook and after the characters started losing their intrigue...but it was still an entertaining read!
August 18, 2015
Originally posted on my blog With Her Head in a Book.
Thank you Netgalley and Jill Myles for this ARC edition of Queen of Blood.
Thousands of years ago, the daughter of a ruthless king swore to devote her life to the Goddess against her father’s command. In the king’s rage, he took revenge on all the priests and priestesses in his kingdom, including his daughter, for being traitors. The Goddess became outraged and cursed the king and his lineage. He would never again conceive a daughter and all of his sons would be as cursed as him, unable to thrive underneath the sun and compelled by a powerful thirst for blood. The spell will only be broken if an Eterna is found, but people are beginning to believe they are a myth.
Queen of Blood is a novel dipped with Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Goose Girl references. Seri is a Vidari young woman scrambling to make ends meet as a goose girl. With her father frightfully ill and her sister blind, she is left to tend to their farm on her own. When possible her husband-to-be, Rilen, lends a hand, but he’s more caught up in the rebellion against the Athonite which has only grown in size as Prince Graeme of Athon recently moved into the nearby Vidari castle.
The best part of the novel is the world building which shows best in the very different cultural expectations of the Vidari and Athonite. The two countries are severely divided by their cultures. Rumors fly and create wicked stereotypes. For example, the Vidari are said to be wild savages. The women must be whores because their knees and necks are clearly visible. Some even say Prince Graeme is one of the Blood, a group of men that survive by sucking on blood, avoid the sun, and all around resemble a vampire, but you’ll never see mention of such in the novel.
Of course, Seri and Graeme fall in love, Their relationship isn’t exactly healthy, but their sex life sure is! They don’t talk about their issues, but instead rough it out over the bed. Romance is the number one aspect of the novel despite other plot elements screaming with potential. The rebellion and soon-to-arrive King of Athon (and evil dictator) are both heavily neglected. Pure romances are perfectly acceptable, but I expected a bit more since the rebellion was made out to be an important issue and ultimately wasn’t.
It’s a quick read. Without realizing what I was doing, I was done with the book in a day. There are no twists. Each moment that is supposed to be an unexpected development is very cliche and mimics earlier scenes. The novel also suffers from “saying the wrong thing at the wrong time repeatedly for plot development.” Again, there were some very interesting aspects to the story that could have made up for the weak plot devices, but unfortunately the author didn’t take advantage of her story’s strengths. The use of two points of view doesn’t exactly add to the story either, but there aren’t too many chapters where we see from Graeme’s side of things so his POV isn’t distracting. It would have been good if his chapters included information about his family and life before coming to the castle.
The ending is also very abrupt and not very satisfying. It left me wanting to know more about how the events smoothed out. I wanted reassurances for the future more detailed than the epilogue. What about their daughters? How does the world change by their union? And
The idea of Queen of Blood is truly exciting. I couldn’t wait to pick up the novel. It has it’s fair share of issues, but was an enjoyable read. All things considered, I would recommend this for those that enjoyed The Selection, another novel that I truly wanted to like but couldn’t (even though I read every single novel and novella as quick as I humanly could). So if you liked the rebellion and royal romance of The Selection and want to add a dash of steamy sex scenes, pick up Queen of Blood.
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
All Around Idea: 4/5
Final Score: 2/5
Thank you Netgalley and Jill Myles for this ARC edition of Queen of Blood.
Thousands of years ago, the daughter of a ruthless king swore to devote her life to the Goddess against her father’s command. In the king’s rage, he took revenge on all the priests and priestesses in his kingdom, including his daughter, for being traitors. The Goddess became outraged and cursed the king and his lineage. He would never again conceive a daughter and all of his sons would be as cursed as him, unable to thrive underneath the sun and compelled by a powerful thirst for blood. The spell will only be broken if an Eterna is found, but people are beginning to believe they are a myth.
Queen of Blood is a novel dipped with Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Goose Girl references. Seri is a Vidari young woman scrambling to make ends meet as a goose girl. With her father frightfully ill and her sister blind, she is left to tend to their farm on her own. When possible her husband-to-be, Rilen, lends a hand, but he’s more caught up in the rebellion against the Athonite which has only grown in size as Prince Graeme of Athon recently moved into the nearby Vidari castle.
The best part of the novel is the world building which shows best in the very different cultural expectations of the Vidari and Athonite. The two countries are severely divided by their cultures. Rumors fly and create wicked stereotypes. For example, the Vidari are said to be wild savages. The women must be whores because their knees and necks are clearly visible. Some even say Prince Graeme is one of the Blood, a group of men that survive by sucking on blood, avoid the sun, and all around resemble a vampire, but you’ll never see mention of such in the novel.
Of course, Seri and Graeme fall in love, Their relationship isn’t exactly healthy, but their sex life sure is! They don’t talk about their issues, but instead rough it out over the bed. Romance is the number one aspect of the novel despite other plot elements screaming with potential. The rebellion and soon-to-arrive King of Athon (and evil dictator) are both heavily neglected. Pure romances are perfectly acceptable, but I expected a bit more since the rebellion was made out to be an important issue and ultimately wasn’t.
It’s a quick read. Without realizing what I was doing, I was done with the book in a day. There are no twists. Each moment that is supposed to be an unexpected development is very cliche and mimics earlier scenes. The novel also suffers from “saying the wrong thing at the wrong time repeatedly for plot development.” Again, there were some very interesting aspects to the story that could have made up for the weak plot devices, but unfortunately the author didn’t take advantage of her story’s strengths. The use of two points of view doesn’t exactly add to the story either, but there aren’t too many chapters where we see from Graeme’s side of things so his POV isn’t distracting. It would have been good if his chapters included information about his family and life before coming to the castle.
The ending is also very abrupt and not very satisfying. It left me wanting to know more about how the events smoothed out. I wanted reassurances for the future more detailed than the epilogue. What about their daughters? How does the world change by their union? And
The idea of Queen of Blood is truly exciting. I couldn’t wait to pick up the novel. It has it’s fair share of issues, but was an enjoyable read. All things considered, I would recommend this for those that enjoyed The Selection, another novel that I truly wanted to like but couldn’t (even though I read every single novel and novella as quick as I humanly could). So if you liked the rebellion and royal romance of The Selection and want to add a dash of steamy sex scenes, pick up Queen of Blood.
Plot: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
All Around Idea: 4/5
Final Score: 2/5
July 6, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
For one hundred years, Seri’s people have lived under the thumb of the Blood, the cruel and mysterious rulers of Athon. Seri wants nothing more than to put food on the table and marry the hotheaded but handsome Rilen come spring. But when a noblewoman asks Seri to be her handmaiden, Rilen insists she move to the enemy’s castle … and spy on the newly arrived prince.
Prince Graeme has grown weary of his family’s curse. The Blood are powerful and immortal, but doomed to live in the shadows, flitting from lover to lover, always in search of the mythic Eterna—the one woman who will sate their hunger. Now his father has sent him to the outskirts of the empire to stamp out a rebellious Vidari faction. But when a wild and alluring Vidari girl shows up at court, he finds himself torn between following his father’s orders and following his heart …
A war is brewing between Athonite and Vidari, between Blood and man. As uprisings sweep through the land, Seri and Graeme find themselves at the center of a storm with only one choice: betray each other, or betray their people.
This is a new edition of the previously self-published novel Betrothed.
Hello, this is A and I’m writing a review on Jill Myles’ Queen of Blood. :)
When I found out about this, I was really excited. I’ve read Betrothed before - and while it was quite short, I fell in love with the way it was written. I was expecting this edition to explain the gaps and provide more substance to Seri and Graeme’s story.
To start this off, I’d like to say that I love the cover. I prefer this one over the previous versions. It’s quite interesting how the artist portrayed it and I’m really pleased that this looks quite good. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to read this version. Once I finished reading, I realized that Jill Myles is still able to draw me in and the way she writes still allows me to paint their story in my mind.
In this edition, I felt like I was able to understand Seri and Graeme more as a character. It managed to expound what I previously read (and was confused by) in Betrothed.
Seri is not the flawless and perfect heroine who will fall in love at the drop of the hat. It was a process for her because of her beliefs and prejudice. On the other hand, for Graeme, it was more like accepting that this person is the ‘one’ for him - but doesn’t really want him. He accepts his fate, but he’s stubborn. He doesn’t want her pity or her charity, he actually gave her a choice. And, I really respect that. Usually, it’s a whirlwind romance with the guy relentlessly pursuing the heroine. Moreover, unlike the previous version, the latest edition was able to fully explore Graeme and Seri’s relationship. It has much more sense and substance.
This novel is still very entertaining to me as it depicts a vampire story so unlike the others. The story was not driven by their love story alone - but highlights the need to change their society which can only happen under their combined leadership. But, I’ll have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with this version.
First, I still didn’t line the way the revolution was depicted. I think it was downplayed a bit - and it would’ve been better if the way it was shown is not that antagonistic. I mean, if it doesn’t fully sympathize with the ruler. It really lacks the portion that justifies clearly the cause of their rebellion and why, in certain circumstances, they are right. Second, I prefer Betrothed’sversion of the last chapter. It was much more gripping and emotional. I actually felt my heart was being torn when I was reading that. But, Queen of Blood’s ending is still satisfying so I’m not really complaining. I just wished there’s much more emotion and angst involved.
All the same, Jilly Myles is still an author I’d recommend to anyone who wants to read a book worth reading. :)
My rating for this book? A 4/5.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
For one hundred years, Seri’s people have lived under the thumb of the Blood, the cruel and mysterious rulers of Athon. Seri wants nothing more than to put food on the table and marry the hotheaded but handsome Rilen come spring. But when a noblewoman asks Seri to be her handmaiden, Rilen insists she move to the enemy’s castle … and spy on the newly arrived prince.
Prince Graeme has grown weary of his family’s curse. The Blood are powerful and immortal, but doomed to live in the shadows, flitting from lover to lover, always in search of the mythic Eterna—the one woman who will sate their hunger. Now his father has sent him to the outskirts of the empire to stamp out a rebellious Vidari faction. But when a wild and alluring Vidari girl shows up at court, he finds himself torn between following his father’s orders and following his heart …
A war is brewing between Athonite and Vidari, between Blood and man. As uprisings sweep through the land, Seri and Graeme find themselves at the center of a storm with only one choice: betray each other, or betray their people.
This is a new edition of the previously self-published novel Betrothed.
Hello, this is A and I’m writing a review on Jill Myles’ Queen of Blood. :)
When I found out about this, I was really excited. I’ve read Betrothed before - and while it was quite short, I fell in love with the way it was written. I was expecting this edition to explain the gaps and provide more substance to Seri and Graeme’s story.
To start this off, I’d like to say that I love the cover. I prefer this one over the previous versions. It’s quite interesting how the artist portrayed it and I’m really pleased that this looks quite good. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to read this version. Once I finished reading, I realized that Jill Myles is still able to draw me in and the way she writes still allows me to paint their story in my mind.
In this edition, I felt like I was able to understand Seri and Graeme more as a character. It managed to expound what I previously read (and was confused by) in Betrothed.
Seri is not the flawless and perfect heroine who will fall in love at the drop of the hat. It was a process for her because of her beliefs and prejudice. On the other hand, for Graeme, it was more like accepting that this person is the ‘one’ for him - but doesn’t really want him. He accepts his fate, but he’s stubborn. He doesn’t want her pity or her charity, he actually gave her a choice. And, I really respect that. Usually, it’s a whirlwind romance with the guy relentlessly pursuing the heroine. Moreover, unlike the previous version, the latest edition was able to fully explore Graeme and Seri’s relationship. It has much more sense and substance.
This novel is still very entertaining to me as it depicts a vampire story so unlike the others. The story was not driven by their love story alone - but highlights the need to change their society which can only happen under their combined leadership. But, I’ll have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with this version.
First, I still didn’t line the way the revolution was depicted. I think it was downplayed a bit - and it would’ve been better if the way it was shown is not that antagonistic. I mean, if it doesn’t fully sympathize with the ruler. It really lacks the portion that justifies clearly the cause of their rebellion and why, in certain circumstances, they are right. Second, I prefer Betrothed’sversion of the last chapter. It was much more gripping and emotional. I actually felt my heart was being torn when I was reading that. But, Queen of Blood’s ending is still satisfying so I’m not really complaining. I just wished there’s much more emotion and angst involved.
All the same, Jilly Myles is still an author I’d recommend to anyone who wants to read a book worth reading. :)
My rating for this book? A 4/5.
June 22, 2018
Same Review Posted Here:Dreamy Addictions
It’s a beautiful romantic vampire love story that will definitely captivate the readers.I love reading Vampire fiction novels and the blurb looked intriguing so I definitely wanted to give it a try and I’m so glad that it far reached my expectations.It was my first book from Jill Myles and I totally loved it.I was kind of enraptured by the entire plot that I couldn’t even put it down even for a second and just completed in one sitting.It was well written and engaging from start till the end.
The Story is about a girl named Seri who belonged to Vidari faction and she looks after her sick father and blind sister. 100 years ago Vidari’s have been defeated by the rulers of Anthon and now the Vidari is ruled under Anthon in which the Vidari people are treated as slaves. Seri is so poor that she has hard time earning money for food, and she can’t even afford the medicine for her ill father. She was looking forward to be married to her sweetheart Rilen, so he might look after her and her family too.Every one in Vidari is quite surprised with the new entrance of the prince of Athon “Graeme” who was going to stay in a run down Vidari palace. One day her path crossed with Lady Mila who is actually an Athonite noble woman and she makes a deal with her being her attendant in a ball organised by the prince so she could get the attention of the prince with a wild Vidari as her attendant.Seri is in desperate need of money so she could buy medicine for her father so she agrees to the deal.At the ball when the goddess of the Athonite chooses Seri as an Eterna[eternal mate] for the prince her fate completely changes.
The character seri is a well built tough character who got so much pride, spunk and quite temper in her.She was easy to get connected to and I really liked her.She is also caring person who looks after her blind sister and ill father, and she still loves Rilen even after he user her for the sake of the uprising. Rilen started as a good character but as the plot goes further I began to hate him because he forces seri to be a spy so he could gather information inside the palace even after knowing that if caught, the only sentence would be death.Well, coming to Graeme also the prince of Athone, he is quite charming character who is arrogant and also physically strong.At start Seri and Graeme totally hated each other, but Graeme can’t change the fate written by the Athonite goddess who cursed his whole bloodline. Seri wanted to hate Graeme but she couldn’t control her attraction towards him.There is a triangle between Rilen, Seri and Graeme and I always rooted for Graeme even if he was rude to her at the start and I was quite annoyed with seri who was naive enough to love Rilen, a rebel who was blinded by the uprising and forced her to do things which seemed too risky.
This book mostly focuses on the love story between Seri and Graeme and if you are looking for an adventurous vampire tale then look somewhere else.The plot was truly compelling with amazing world building even though there isn’t much briefed because it was only a romantic tale but I hoped there is a sequel to it so I can explore this world more.The Romance in this book is scorching hot and it isn’t for the young adults so be warned and If you are comfortable with New Adult genre then definitely read this book.
The Author’s writing style is creative and perfect for the plot.It’s a quick read and stand-alone novel so you definitely don’t have to worry about the sequel.The pacing of the plot is steady enough that’ll keep us engaged to the whole story till the end.Finally, the book ended with HEA and I’m so glad that I’ve read this book. I highly recommend this book to the readers who love Paranormal romance genre with vampire fiction.
It’s a beautiful romantic vampire love story that will definitely captivate the readers.I love reading Vampire fiction novels and the blurb looked intriguing so I definitely wanted to give it a try and I’m so glad that it far reached my expectations.It was my first book from Jill Myles and I totally loved it.I was kind of enraptured by the entire plot that I couldn’t even put it down even for a second and just completed in one sitting.It was well written and engaging from start till the end.
The Story is about a girl named Seri who belonged to Vidari faction and she looks after her sick father and blind sister. 100 years ago Vidari’s have been defeated by the rulers of Anthon and now the Vidari is ruled under Anthon in which the Vidari people are treated as slaves. Seri is so poor that she has hard time earning money for food, and she can’t even afford the medicine for her ill father. She was looking forward to be married to her sweetheart Rilen, so he might look after her and her family too.Every one in Vidari is quite surprised with the new entrance of the prince of Athon “Graeme” who was going to stay in a run down Vidari palace. One day her path crossed with Lady Mila who is actually an Athonite noble woman and she makes a deal with her being her attendant in a ball organised by the prince so she could get the attention of the prince with a wild Vidari as her attendant.Seri is in desperate need of money so she could buy medicine for her father so she agrees to the deal.At the ball when the goddess of the Athonite chooses Seri as an Eterna[eternal mate] for the prince her fate completely changes.
The character seri is a well built tough character who got so much pride, spunk and quite temper in her.She was easy to get connected to and I really liked her.She is also caring person who looks after her blind sister and ill father, and she still loves Rilen even after he user her for the sake of the uprising. Rilen started as a good character but as the plot goes further I began to hate him because he forces seri to be a spy so he could gather information inside the palace even after knowing that if caught, the only sentence would be death.Well, coming to Graeme also the prince of Athone, he is quite charming character who is arrogant and also physically strong.At start Seri and Graeme totally hated each other, but Graeme can’t change the fate written by the Athonite goddess who cursed his whole bloodline. Seri wanted to hate Graeme but she couldn’t control her attraction towards him.There is a triangle between Rilen, Seri and Graeme and I always rooted for Graeme even if he was rude to her at the start and I was quite annoyed with seri who was naive enough to love Rilen, a rebel who was blinded by the uprising and forced her to do things which seemed too risky.
This book mostly focuses on the love story between Seri and Graeme and if you are looking for an adventurous vampire tale then look somewhere else.The plot was truly compelling with amazing world building even though there isn’t much briefed because it was only a romantic tale but I hoped there is a sequel to it so I can explore this world more.The Romance in this book is scorching hot and it isn’t for the young adults so be warned and If you are comfortable with New Adult genre then definitely read this book.
The Author’s writing style is creative and perfect for the plot.It’s a quick read and stand-alone novel so you definitely don’t have to worry about the sequel.The pacing of the plot is steady enough that’ll keep us engaged to the whole story till the end.Finally, the book ended with HEA and I’m so glad that I’ve read this book. I highly recommend this book to the readers who love Paranormal romance genre with vampire fiction.
May 6, 2018
This was an interesting twist on vampire origins, although they are not called that but rather are known as The Blood. When a greedy king punishes her daughter for defying his order to marry another despot king and escaping to serve the goddess as she wished, he kills her and all those who serve the her. As a punishment, she curses him to a long life, where they must drink blood to survive, never being satisfied but force to go to one woman after another as they live for centuries and only able to create sons who are also born cursed until she finds one man along them whom she will bless with an woman called the Eterna. For centuries, every man among the Blood has searched for this woman who will be the salivation o them all; her blood will satisfy him and she will be able to give him daughters who in turn will become Eterna’s for others of the Blood. Unlike the mythical Vampires, they can be killed without being staked through the heart, decapitated or burned to ashes.
While it was interesting and different I have some problems with this premise. The first is although they don not live forever, the do several centuries and though each man could have a different mother it seems a little to incestuous as all of the Blood are descendants of the original tyrant that was cursed. The next this is that the story premises reminds me of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series were the god Apollo cursed the descendents of those that killed his mistress by forcing them to drink blood to stay alive and never see the sun until they died at 27, the same age as his mistress was when she was murdered. It also cursed both male and female, but it was the same premise; angry deities punishing stupid and arrogant humans. Kenyon fleshed out the series for many books that were interesting until she went way too dark; the stories became too trite and monotonous (IMHO).
I’ve never read anything by this under any name that she uses but I would consider reader others because she definitely knows how to write. I loved the characters and tee choice that she made for who the Eterna would be; I like the world that she created and the time period. I also liked that the characters were not as needy, bratty, whiney and annoying as so many are in novels that are targeted for Tees/YA. I found it be a quick, easy and enjoyable read; it held my attention enough that I finished it in a few hours. It was also refreshing to read a stand alone novel. I am so sick of series that you have to wait for an indefinite period of time to find out how the story ends. By the 10the of this month I had already read 150 books and this has been a slow year for me; I don’t want to wait months or years to read the next book in a series. I read across all genres, but next year I may be more into literature and not reading fantasy or others as much as I am now. I don’t want to have to try and remember details about something I read hundreds of books in the past or try and do a quick reread to refresh my memory.
3.5/5 **I want to thank the author and/or the publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
While it was interesting and different I have some problems with this premise. The first is although they don not live forever, the do several centuries and though each man could have a different mother it seems a little to incestuous as all of the Blood are descendants of the original tyrant that was cursed. The next this is that the story premises reminds me of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series were the god Apollo cursed the descendents of those that killed his mistress by forcing them to drink blood to stay alive and never see the sun until they died at 27, the same age as his mistress was when she was murdered. It also cursed both male and female, but it was the same premise; angry deities punishing stupid and arrogant humans. Kenyon fleshed out the series for many books that were interesting until she went way too dark; the stories became too trite and monotonous (IMHO).
I’ve never read anything by this under any name that she uses but I would consider reader others because she definitely knows how to write. I loved the characters and tee choice that she made for who the Eterna would be; I like the world that she created and the time period. I also liked that the characters were not as needy, bratty, whiney and annoying as so many are in novels that are targeted for Tees/YA. I found it be a quick, easy and enjoyable read; it held my attention enough that I finished it in a few hours. It was also refreshing to read a stand alone novel. I am so sick of series that you have to wait for an indefinite period of time to find out how the story ends. By the 10the of this month I had already read 150 books and this has been a slow year for me; I don’t want to wait months or years to read the next book in a series. I read across all genres, but next year I may be more into literature and not reading fantasy or others as much as I am now. I don’t want to have to try and remember details about something I read hundreds of books in the past or try and do a quick reread to refresh my memory.
3.5/5 **I want to thank the author and/or the publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine.**
July 2, 2015
Oh, Jill Myles. I forgot how much I love reading your books.
Queen of Blood was so addictive to read that even though I was having an absolutely crazy week at work, I just had to read at least a few chapters every night. And while I was at work I tried to work out ways to sneak a few more in.
It was bad, y'all, but oh so good.
Seri was one of those leads that I love to read. She wasn't some amazing, one-of-a kind person with super powers or something. She was a normal person of her land dealing with a crazy situation the best way she knew how. She made some really critical errors, but she realized that and moved forward.
And then there is Graeme. There was no insta-love here, just a slowly building relationship () between two people who were quite unhappy with the fate they had been dealt. I liked Graeme for much the same reasons I liked Seri; they are totally believable and relatable characters. He has flaws and you see them up close and personal at several times, but again... He recognizes them and isn't an ass about it.
Now, all that isn't to say I didn't have some issues with a few spots. There was a definitely patriarchal theme
Long story short, I am planning on going on a Myles binge soon. I never read the last in her Succubus series, partly because I didn't want it to end, but I'm going back and reading the whole series again because I remember how much I liked it.
Copy courtesy of Alloy Entertainment, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Queen of Blood was so addictive to read that even though I was having an absolutely crazy week at work, I just had to read at least a few chapters every night. And while I was at work I tried to work out ways to sneak a few more in.
It was bad, y'all, but oh so good.
Seri was one of those leads that I love to read. She wasn't some amazing, one-of-a kind person with super powers or something. She was a normal person of her land dealing with a crazy situation the best way she knew how. She made some really critical errors, but she realized that and moved forward.
And then there is Graeme. There was no insta-love here, just a slowly building relationship () between two people who were quite unhappy with the fate they had been dealt. I liked Graeme for much the same reasons I liked Seri; they are totally believable and relatable characters. He has flaws and you see them up close and personal at several times, but again... He recognizes them and isn't an ass about it.
Now, all that isn't to say I didn't have some issues with a few spots. There was a definitely patriarchal theme
Long story short, I am planning on going on a Myles binge soon. I never read the last in her Succubus series, partly because I didn't want it to end, but I'm going back and reading the whole series again because I remember how much I liked it.
Copy courtesy of Alloy Entertainment, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
What a interesting read. Saw this while flipping through Netgalley and I didn't even need to be approved! LOVE IT!
This story follows Seri, a Vidari girl whose people have been conquered by the Athonites 100 years ago. A new Athonite Prince has moved into the run down castle and skirmished have put everybody on edge. All Seri cares about though is marrying her childhood sweetheart, Rilen and taking care of her sick father and blind sister. While trying to sell wares at the Night Market one of the Athonite high class lady wanted Seri as her wild and savage handmaiden to use to impress the Prince. Seri says yes because of the money but that is only when her troubles began. Meeting the prince, Seri never thought much beyond getting her money but when a white light surrounds her everything begins to change.
Things I liked:
Seri was a great character. She started out as naive and maybe just a tad bit too much but she had spunk and a temper that I connected with really well. I was so in tuned to what she was going to say next and how she was going to act. (don't know if that's because it was predictable or because I just really connected with her)
The pacing was great. No slow parts and I liked how it switched POVs when the time was right. It wasn't throughout the whole novel where one was alternatively speaking, it was just when it was needed and I really liked that a lot.
The backstory was really interesting and a new take on the whole vampire thing and it didn't take away from the story. It was more of an afterthought and though I wish for more history of the Prince, it was a good start.
The steamy scenes were awesome! ;) *wink*
Things I didn't like:
I wish for more of a world setting. The descriptions were great but I wanted more about the whole world and its inhabitants.
I felt like this could have been so much more in the sense that it felt a little rushed at the end. A second book would have been nice.
What a interesting read. Saw this while flipping through Netgalley and I didn't even need to be approved! LOVE IT!
This story follows Seri, a Vidari girl whose people have been conquered by the Athonites 100 years ago. A new Athonite Prince has moved into the run down castle and skirmished have put everybody on edge. All Seri cares about though is marrying her childhood sweetheart, Rilen and taking care of her sick father and blind sister. While trying to sell wares at the Night Market one of the Athonite high class lady wanted Seri as her wild and savage handmaiden to use to impress the Prince. Seri says yes because of the money but that is only when her troubles began. Meeting the prince, Seri never thought much beyond getting her money but when a white light surrounds her everything begins to change.
Things I liked:
Seri was a great character. She started out as naive and maybe just a tad bit too much but she had spunk and a temper that I connected with really well. I was so in tuned to what she was going to say next and how she was going to act. (don't know if that's because it was predictable or because I just really connected with her)
The pacing was great. No slow parts and I liked how it switched POVs when the time was right. It wasn't throughout the whole novel where one was alternatively speaking, it was just when it was needed and I really liked that a lot.
The backstory was really interesting and a new take on the whole vampire thing and it didn't take away from the story. It was more of an afterthought and though I wish for more history of the Prince, it was a good start.
The steamy scenes were awesome! ;) *wink*
Things I didn't like:
I wish for more of a world setting. The descriptions were great but I wanted more about the whole world and its inhabitants.
I felt like this could have been so much more in the sense that it felt a little rushed at the end. A second book would have been nice.
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