A Hero of Realms

A Shade of Vampire #20

by Bella Forrest

After the oracle's prediction of Ben's fate, what options does the Novak have left?
Will he attempt to fight his destiny? Can such a battle even be won?
Jeramiah still lurks in The Shade like a shadow. Why is he still on the island? Why did he even come in the first place?

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult, Magic

328 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2015

About the author

UPDATE MARCH 11, 2024:

BELLA IS BACK!

*** New, updated online store at https://BellaForrest.com

*** New books coming soon

*** Possible Film/TV series coming soon

*** Stay up to date by joining our e-mail list at https://BellaForrest.com/join

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Bella Forrest is a lover of fantasy, romance, action, and mystery infused stories with twists you don’t see coming. She has sold over fifteen million books since her first novel was published in 2012.

Check out her website for a full list of her books: https://BellaForrest.com

Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BellaForrest...

Here's a list of some of Bella's books:

DARKLIGHT

Darklight (Book 1)
Darkthirst (Book 2)
Darkworld (Book 3)
Darkblood (Book 4)
Darktide (Book 5)
Darkbirth (Book 6)
Darkfall (Book 7)
Darkwilds (Book 8)
Darkhunt (Book 9)

A LOVE THAT ENDURES (Trilogy)
A Love that Endures 1
A Love that Endures 2
A Love that Endures 3

HARLEY MERLIN AND THE SECRET COVEN

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (Book 1)
Harley Merlin and the Mystery Twins (Book 2)
Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (Book 3)
Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (Book 4)
Harley Merlin and the Broken Spell (Book 5)
Harley Merlin and the Cult of Eris (Book 6)
Harley Merlin and the Detector Fix (Book 7)
Harley Merlin and the Challenge of Chaos (Book 8)
Harley Merlin and the Mortal Pact (Book 9)
Finch Merlin and the Fount of Youth (Book 10)
Finch Merlin and the Lost Map (Book 11)
Finch Merlin and the Djinn's Curse (Book 12)
Finch Merlin and the Locked Gateway (Book 13)
Finch Merlin and the Forgotten Kingdom (Book 14)
Finch Merlin and the Everlasting Vow (Book 15)
Finch Merlin and the Blood Tie (Book 16)
Finch Merlin and the Legend of the Luminary
Persie Merlin and Leviathan's Gift (Book 18)
Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere (Book 19)
Persie Merlin and the Witch Hunters (Book 20)
Persie Merlin and the Dying Song (Book 21)

THE CHILD THIEF

The Child Thief (Book 1)
Deep Shadows (Book 2)
Thin Lines (Book 3)
Little Lies (Book 4)
Ghost Towns (Book 5)
Zero Hour (Book 6)

HOTBLOODS

Hotbloods (Book 1)
Hotbloods (Book 2): Coldbloods
Hotbloods (Book 3): Renegades
Hotbloods (Book 4): Venturers
Hotbloods (Book 5): Traitors
Hotbloods (Book 6): Allies
Hotbloods (Book 7): Invaders
Hotbloods (Book 8): Stargazers

THE GENDER GAME

The Gender Game (Book 1)
The Gender Secret (Book 2)
The Gender Lie (Book 3)
The Gender War (Book 4)
The Gender Fall (Book 5)
The Gender Plan (Book 6)
The Gender End (Book 7)

THE GIRL WHO DARED TO THINK

The Girl Who Dared to Think (Book 1)
The Girl Who Dared to Stand (Book 2)
The Girl Who Dared to Descend (Book 3)
The Girl Who Dared to Rise (Book 4)
The Girl Who Dared to Lead (Book 5)
The Girl Who Dared to Endure (Book 6
The Girl Who Dared to Fight (Book 7)

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE

Season 1: Derek & Sofia’s story

Books 1 to 7

Season 2: Rose & Caleb’s story

Books 8 to 16

Season 3: The Shade continues with a new hero...

Books 17 to 24

Season 4: A Clan of Novaks

Books 25 to 32

Season 5: A Dawn of Guardians

Books 33 to 41

Season 6: A Gift of Three

Books 42 to 50

Season 7: A Call of Vampires

Books 51 to 59

Season 8: A Voyage of Founders

Books 60 to 68

Season 9: A Birth of Fire

Books 69 to 77

Season 10: An Origin of Vampires
An Origin of Vampires (Book 78)
A Game of Death (Book 79)
A Veil of Dark (Book 80)
A Bringer of Night (Book 81)
A Circle of Nine (Book 82)
A Bender of Spirit (Book 83)
A Memory of Time (Book 84)
A Shard of Soul (Book 85)
A Break of Seals (Book 86)

Season 11: A Shade of Mystery
A Shade of Mystery (Book 87)
An Isle of Mirrors (Book 88)
A Sanctuary of Foes (Book 89)
A Ruler of Clones (Book 90)
A Gate of Light (Book 91)
A Dawn of Worlds (Book 92) ➜ Coming soon!

Reviews

[Val. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a little disappointed with The Shade series lately, but this one right here?! Better than I expected! I like the story being on the darker side and it's always a plus that Rose wasn't in it!

[J. Kahele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elders

This part of the series takes us deeper into the story of Ben and the Elder that has imprinted on his soul. Ben finds out that the more human blood he drinks the stronger he makes the elder within him. He must find a way to stop, the rise of the Elders again would only bring terror to all the realms. But if he was to not exist, it would all stop. Is suicide the only way to stop it?

[Judy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

DIVINELY ENTERTAINING !!!
Title: A Hero of Realms
Series: A Shade of Vampire
Designation: Book Twenty of a Multi-Novel series, NOT a Standalone Read
Author: Bella Forrest
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Reading Platform: Kindle Unlimited
My Rating: FIVE MAGNIFICENT STARS *****
Wow! Best-selling author Bella Forrest has dazzled her readers yet again with A Hero of Realms, the twentieth release in her spellbinding mega-hit series, A Shade of Vampire and she has totally left me breathless- again! Like thousands of my fellow Shaddicts, I've been hooked from the very first book of the series and now anxiously await each release. I simply can't get enough! I was turning the pages so fast, my Kindle Fire couldn't keep up! Just when I think there's no way this series can get any better - wham - Bella hits us with another knockout! Bella has surprised us all with another riveting adventure that curls our toes, makes our hearts pound and keeps us begging for more! This is a paranormal/supernatural/fantasy/adventure saga so unlike any other I've ever read. It is exciting, well crafted, original, unique, imaginative, thrilling, fast paced, riveting, action packed, mysterious, suspenseful, enchanting, heartbreaking, heartwarming, seductive and oh so romantic. Whew, what a mouthful, but these are only a few of the words that come to mind after reading this incredible chronicle of the Shade, its inhabitants and its enemies. Can you tell that I really love this story? The narrative is exceptionally well written in the first person with a multitude of alternating points of view. Each chapter is told by one of the characters which I feel gives so much more depth, intensity and perspective to the story and adds to the complexity and understanding of the characters. The dialogue is smart, exceptionally well executed, well edited and flows effortlessly. Although the story is compelling and the dialogue is exceptional, it's truly the magnificent, comprehensive cast of larger than life characters that makes the biggest impact. They are well developed, captivating, intriguing, engaging, endearing and quite literally, out of this world sexy! They explode from the page, grab your imagination, capture your heart and hold you totally enthralled from beginning to end. Forrest skillfully combines these elements to craft a stunningly brilliant masterpiece of paranormal romance filled to the brim with action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, suspense, magic, supernatural beings, love, passion, loyalty, heartbreak, hope and plot twists that will blow your mind.

In Book Twenty, our story resumes with Ben now back at the Oasis after having pledged himself to Oueen Nuriya of the Nasiri Jinn and true mistress of the Oasis in exchange for freeing his friends and family of The Shade who were being held as prisoners. Rather than join her family, River has chosen to remain with Ben and our two unlikely heroes have finally professed their love for the other, but the Prince of the Shade refuses to allow River to sacrifice her life for him. After learning in Book Nineteen from the Oracle that the evil Elder, Basilius, imprinted upon him as an infant while being held captive by the Hawks, Ben is now convinced that he must seek to rid himself of this curse alone. Despite River's objections, Ben convinces Corrine, who was left behind as a prisoner at the Oasis, to transport River back to the Shade without her consent while she was asleep. Despite Ben's determination to make his journey alone, he finds that he must unfortunately rely on the aid of the Jinn, a Hawk and a newly acquainted vampire to join him in his quest to free not only himself from Basilius but to also save both the human and supernatural realms from the ominous threat of the resurrection and return to power of the malevolent Elders. Tragically, Ben learns too late that some enemies as well as friends should never be trusted. As predicted, Ben finds himself at a fork with the weight of worlds upon his shoulders, where he must choose to become a soldier of shadows and destroyer of worlds, or a hero of realms. Oh my! New characters are introduced and more pieces to the puzzle are slowly revealed only to be replaced by even more perplexing questions. Will Ben discover the answers he so desperately needs before it's too late??? Will Ben ever be able to free himself from the life with which he has now been cursed to live??? Will Jeramiah finally be able to exact his revenge??? We'll see!!! No spoilers from me but I will say this......Handsome, guilt-stricken, newly turned vampire who can't control his bloodlust-check! Beautiful half-blood heroine who gets caught up in what she once thought to be only fantasy and fairy tales-check! A plethora of supernatural characters including vampires, werewolves, witches, dragons, harpys, ogres, hawks, jinn, mermaids, mermen and even a hellhound-you bet! Danger, drama, adventure, suspense, mind blowing plot twists, an unexpected betrayal, an old enemy returns and a dangerous new enemy emerges-you bet! A confession of love between Ben and River-oh yes!!! That and a whole lot more! I love it! I never tire of visiting my friends of 'The Shade'. It always feels like returning home. If you love heart-wrenching young adult paranormal romance, heartbreaking angst, tantalizing magic, out of this world fantasy, spine-tingling suspense, hold your breath action, malevolent enemies, evil machinations, unexpected plot twists and heart-pounding adventure, then you will surely enjoy A Shade of Vampire series. Buckle up my lovelies! It's another wild, wonderful and thrilling ride! Please keep in mind, this is a series - not a stand alone story and the books should be read in order of their release - and it does contain nail biting cliffhangers that will leave you on the edge of your seat panting for more - which I love! Bella always keeps us on our toes but lovingly rewards our patience with each new release. Well done, Bella, very well done! I can hardly wait to read what happens next with Derek, Sophia, Caleb, Rose, Ben, River, Claudia, Yuri, Vivienne, Xavier, Aiden, Corrine, Ibrahim and all the other wonderful residents of the Shade when Ben's adventure continues in Book 21! And a few of our old favorites from the early books even make a return! Charmingly captivating, seriously sexy, powerfully compelling and delightfully entertaining!!!
My Rating: FIVE MAGNIFICENTLY ENTERTAINING STARS *****

[J.E. Benoit · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When the road forks, your route will be clear. Either a destroyer or hero of realms you shall be.”

There’s really not much left to say about this series that I haven’t already said in my previous reviews, but I still love this series and I think it’s still going strong even after so many books! Things really heated up for Ben and his quest to “cure” himself (I won’t say from what in case you haven’t read book 19 yet!) and talk about a cliffhanger!! I really am counting the days until the next book is released because after that ending I can’t wait to see what that all means now! One thing about this series is that you really can’t guess anything because you’ll probably be wrong. Bella Forrest has the most amazing imagination that I’ve ever seen, how she can continue to come up with all these twists and turns and new storylines is mind boggling to me, but I am very thankful because it’s given us so many good books to enjoy and one epic adventure after another! This is one of my favorite long running series and I hope that it’ll continue for a long time to come!

[Starla Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Holly hell does it never end? when i i read the first book i really loved it and it just went on and on and on and on, even though it switched who the focus was on all the characters seemed to blend. all the male charaters seemed to have the same personality. i kept reading because i got so deep into the series i thought i should just keep going. but now i dont think it will ever end so im DONE i was done 5 books ago

[Kimberly L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's happened to Benjamin!!!

I swear these stories get me sooo anxious and then ending with these cliffhangers! Ms. Forrest, your killin' me!! Now I'm left with nightmares and what if's as far as Ben is concerned

[Cyrena Lindhorst · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is young adult category. A great read. I read this whole series of 23 or more books but worth it for a decent fantasy, immortal or paranormal book series. I would let my young grandchildren read it.

[Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this series, now I actually have to wait for boo 21. I can't believe how addicting this series it. SO glad i have Kindle Unlimited, otherwise I would never been able to read this entire series.
I highly recommend to the paranormal lovers like me out there.
I just started the Kiev series to hold me over till book 21 is out.

[Makenzie Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok so this book kinda frusterated me when Ben turned into a ghost. He shouldn't have to be a ghost, or at least Bella Forrest should've allowed him to talk to his family! Maybe even let Corrine or one of the witches turn him back to human! He isn't dead for crying out loud!!!! I'm so sorry River, plz let her find another boy that she'll like or let Ben turn to human plz plz plzzz!!!!!!

[Jess Swann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un tome qui se centre intégralement sur Ben qui est celui qui a la parole tout du long... Du coup, on perd complétement de vue Jeremy et son plan (zut) ainsi que les actes de Sofia et des autres (bon ok on se doute bien qu'ils s'allient à d'autres djinns mais on a pas de recul sur les événements..)

La relation Ben/River passe également au second plan et nous n'avons que peu de nouvelles de la jeune femme

Sur Ben, je trouve que sa quête est un peu longue, j'avoue que tout le côté "on cherche une écaille de dragon, une dent de loup garou et le machin qui pousse sous les eaux..." m'a ennuyée car je n'ai pas vu ce que ça apportait à l'histoire attendu que la seule information valable est donnée par Julie ( un bon personnage par contre)

Au final, j'ai vraiment eu du mal à venir à bout de ce tome car je me suis ennuyée en dépit des Djinns que j'apprécie toujours


Ce que j'aime : le personnage de Julie, l'histoire de la boite, les djinns


Ce que j'aime moins : beaucoup de déplacements inutiles qui ne font pas avancer l'histoire, un tome trop centré sur Ben et pas assez de nouvelles des autres personnages


En bref : Un tome qui ne fait que peu progresser l'histoire et nous laisse sur un cliffhanger


Ma note


5,5/10

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was please that this story followed on from the previous book. As I said in the review for that book I wasn't keen on the snippets we got from Derek and Sofia and that was the same in regard to this book up until the Jinni left Ben in order to save Nuriya and I released Bella had subtly tires the two together which I loved.
What made me really enjoy this particular book was the constant guessing of where bens journey would not only lead him but who was really on his side. Just when I had started to believe in Julie the betrayal came. I cannot wait to find out more of the missing pieces in the next book and what will happen now Ben is supposedly a ghost?!

[Yasmin Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. A war hero. That is what we expect of a Novak, but every person is entitled to choose their own fate even if destiny says otherwise.

What will Ben choose?

Can Vivienne forsake the unknowing of what is to come?

How do parents handle having everything they love, only to have it torn from their grasps?

~

A hero of realms seems predictable however it is nothing of the sort, readers are thrust into a story line that they we wouldn’t be able to comprehend. LOVE this story and the evolution of Ben! But who is Julie...?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[D.R.Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero of Realms

I fine myself repeatedly writing it's a worthy read and now I have my family hooked to the series. Wonderment never cease to amaze me when a family member enjoys the supernatural realm. The novels leave the readers with cliffhanger ending. Causing the reader to prevail and move forward with another and another. So invest in the lengthy time and indulge in a glass of wine while you while embrace " The Shade of Vampire"

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Ben

Most of this was told from Ben's perspective. Although I was certain I was gonna miss not knowing what River was going through or what she was thinking and other characters I've fallen in love with, I found myself wanting to know more about what was happening with Ben. I was not disappointed.

[Maria Banales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I can’t believe how good these books are.. The story line just keeps getting better and better, I love the way the author goes from one character to another to let you know what is going on with everyone else in the story.. I just can’t stop reading this series..

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As good as always

This series has me hooked. The continuing story of Ben and River is so good. And of course the continuation of the dramas and action surrounding all the characters and overall story line is awesome. Can't wait to read book 21

[Dawn Talks Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Shaddict

This series is amazing! I've been hooked since the first book and each one is better than the last! It's 9am and I'm still awake, up all night reading because I just can't put them down.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read

Ben's story continues and we meet more new characters. I'm ready to find out what Ben turns out to be.

[Sheila gullick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love rhis series.

Love this series. Cant get.enough of.it. The characters are great. And strong. I am so glad she keeps.writting more amd more. Ready for.the next one.

[Ashley Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh the possibilities!

Continuing Ben’s story we venture into many realms of the past. So many changes, excitement and revelations in this book!!

[Kelly Gunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! Brilliant. On to the next one .

[Hollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

👍

[Toni Vincett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly I really struggled with this one Ben isn’t my fave character so far I don’t know why

[Julie Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge fan of the series and this one did not disappoint.

[Tiffany C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooooooooo good. Especially the end. Love Bens story. Can’t wait to continue when I’m on WiFi and not data and can download the next book

[Kharynn France · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to finish

As I've said before great series dnt wait to finish. You will enjoy this series. Keeps you in suspense the whole time

[Hollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best vampire supernatural series I've ever read, so easy to read and follow.

[Peggy S Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing read!!!!

Loved this continuing saga. Can not wait to read the next in this series! Bells Forrest and a shade of vampire rocks!!!!!!!

[Cassandra Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome as always

I chose 4 because I felt the story slow and it didn't answer many questions.

But I still am looking forward to reading more!