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Vampire Queen #2
The Mark of the Vampire Queen
In the sequel to The Vampire Queen's Servant, Jacob, a vampire hunter, finds himself struggling to come to terms with his new role as servant and sex slave to Lady Lyssa, falling in love with his mistress despite his better judgment. Original.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2008
73 people are currently reading
2123 people want to read
About the author
Joey W. Hill
117 books3,542 followers"BDSM Romance for the Heart & Soul"
A submissive herself, Hill brings authenticity to her intensely emotional BDSM love stories. With over fifty titles and seven series, her contemporary and paranormal romances feature everything from billionaires, bikers, SEALs, firefighters, cops and housemaids, to vampires, mermaids, witches and angels.
"Joey translates the world of BDSM with such intense power and exquisite beauty. LOVE is the most powerful element entwined through the Dominance and submission.” –Goodreads, Pink Lady
Joey is the recipient of the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Erotic Romance, and she loves to hear from her readers!
If you're on Bookbub, she'd love for you to follow her:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/joey-...
You can also find her here:
Website: storywitch.com
Facebook: @JoeyWHillAuthor
MeWe: mewe.com/i/joeywhill
Twitter: @JoeyWHill
A submissive herself, Hill brings authenticity to her intensely emotional BDSM love stories. With over fifty titles and seven series, her contemporary and paranormal romances feature everything from billionaires, bikers, SEALs, firefighters, cops and housemaids, to vampires, mermaids, witches and angels.
"Joey translates the world of BDSM with such intense power and exquisite beauty. LOVE is the most powerful element entwined through the Dominance and submission.” –Goodreads, Pink Lady
Joey is the recipient of the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Erotic Romance, and she loves to hear from her readers!
If you're on Bookbub, she'd love for you to follow her:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/joey-...
You can also find her here:
Website: storywitch.com
Facebook: @JoeyWHillAuthor
MeWe: mewe.com/i/joeywhill
Twitter: @JoeyWHill
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
August 16, 2010
The second half of Vampire Queen Lady Lyssa and her human servant Jacob's story, started in The Vampire Queen's Servant, this book was an entirely underwhelming experience. Despite a full plate of conflict - Lyssa's fatal disease, volatile vampire politics, the nature of the romantic relationship itself - I failed to connect with it emotionally and ended up skimming through sex scene and exposition alike.
To begin with, it's plagued with telling in the character-focused first half. Too often the character would go and do something - like have a m/f/m threesome with Jacob, Lyssa and Jacob's brother Gideon - and then the author would go and expressly say why they did it in the POV prose - to relieve Gideon of his pressing loneliness and resentment, in the example I give. Not only is that my job as a reader to draw those conclusions on my own, I kept reading the explanations and disagreeing. Being managed by the author just kept me from connecting with the characters, and as there's little plot or action going on at this point, I was bored stiff.
The plot does pick up about halfway through when the Vampire Scout Jamboree...uh, Council Meetings convene in South America. There's all manner of intrigue, politics and entertainment as hundreds of vampires and their servants convene for a vamp G7 summit. Unfortunately, between the charged bits of intrigue, there's a lot of gratuitous kinky sexual nonsense that left me cold. It felt like filler to me, but if you like unemotional group sex with penetrative statues or choreographed group anal sex that sounded like a cross between Broadway and a porno-style gangbang, then holy hell, is this the book for you. As a bonus offer if you order now, you also get penetrative sex with a winged gargoyle-like creature. Hurry, sale ends soon.
The solution to Lyssa's disease opens up a whole host of other issues and spends no time at all dealing with them. The book ends as a steaming pile of deus ex machina lacking any emotional punch at all.
To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I loved the emotion in the EC published book of hers that I read, so I'm really surprised to have found these books to be emotional flatliners. I've heard great things about book four in this series, Beloved Vampire, so I may still read that. Maybe these two were a fluke. I don't know.
To begin with, it's plagued with telling in the character-focused first half. Too often the character would go and do something - like have a m/f/m threesome with Jacob, Lyssa and Jacob's brother Gideon - and then the author would go and expressly say why they did it in the POV prose - to relieve Gideon of his pressing loneliness and resentment, in the example I give. Not only is that my job as a reader to draw those conclusions on my own, I kept reading the explanations and disagreeing. Being managed by the author just kept me from connecting with the characters, and as there's little plot or action going on at this point, I was bored stiff.
The plot does pick up about halfway through when the Vampire Scout Jamboree...uh, Council Meetings convene in South America. There's all manner of intrigue, politics and entertainment as hundreds of vampires and their servants convene for a vamp G7 summit. Unfortunately, between the charged bits of intrigue, there's a lot of gratuitous kinky sexual nonsense that left me cold. It felt like filler to me, but if you like unemotional group sex with penetrative statues or choreographed group anal sex that sounded like a cross between Broadway and a porno-style gangbang, then holy hell, is this the book for you. As a bonus offer if you order now, you also get penetrative sex with a winged gargoyle-like creature. Hurry, sale ends soon.
The solution to Lyssa's disease opens up a whole host of other issues and spends no time at all dealing with them. The book ends as a steaming pile of deus ex machina lacking any emotional punch at all.
To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I loved the emotion in the EC published book of hers that I read, so I'm really surprised to have found these books to be emotional flatliners. I've heard great things about book four in this series, Beloved Vampire, so I may still read that. Maybe these two were a fluke. I don't know.
August 21, 2021
4.4s
The last few chapters were really the highlight of the book. Without it, it was médiocre at best.
The last few chapters were really the highlight of the book. Without it, it was médiocre at best.
March 10, 2024
I will give this 5 stars, really 4.5 rounded up. Between both books 1-2 I'd still give it 4.5, no rounding.
The good:
lyrical, good prose. passionate. emotional. involved. descriptive. great world building. made sense. wasn't flat.
The MCs were flawed (mostly the heroine, but if you take her vampire POV, she's damn near a saint), but empathetic. You rooted for them. Jacob is every woman's dream man. Protective. Strong. Knows when to command and when to serve. Can't help being who he is. Loyal. Loving. Selfless.
There was a scene where his protective nature comes through in the form of taking care of another woman. I didn't feel any jealousy in that multi-partner scene. Maybe because the way the author wrote his thoughts and actions was so focused on that protectiveness. The rest was simply physical mechanics. Nothing that engaged his emotions. Not even his lust. And also because there were 2 other men. It was a clear power struggle where one of them got his comeuppance, which was rather enjoyable to witness. SO I was mostly OK with that scene.
The h's reaction to that scene pissed me off. And Jacob's reaction to her irrational fury made me love him more but also feel that she didn't quite deserve him. Lyssa is a great character and worth of a vampire queen, but...I still like Jade Cicada best from
.
Of course, how it ended was foreshadowed right from the beginning, with all her regret around how Rex was never what she hoped. Clearly, Jacob will be. Is. Always.
And that cover! Wish Goodreads was like the old way where I can zoom in on that... his body is worth taking a closer look 😋
I also liked this installment because there was less of the requisite BDSM and more simple relationship development, intrigue and politics. More plot. I liked that even though Jacob kept submitting to Lyssa, he became more of her partner. And she acknowledged it. That was satisfying.
The good:
lyrical, good prose. passionate. emotional. involved. descriptive. great world building. made sense. wasn't flat.
The MCs were flawed (mostly the heroine, but if you take her vampire POV, she's damn near a saint), but empathetic. You rooted for them. Jacob is every woman's dream man. Protective. Strong. Knows when to command and when to serve. Can't help being who he is. Loyal. Loving. Selfless.
There was a scene where his protective nature comes through in the form of taking care of another woman. I didn't feel any jealousy in that multi-partner scene. Maybe because the way the author wrote his thoughts and actions was so focused on that protectiveness. The rest was simply physical mechanics. Nothing that engaged his emotions. Not even his lust. And also because there were 2 other men. It was a clear power struggle where one of them got his comeuppance, which was rather enjoyable to witness. SO I was mostly OK with that scene.
The h's reaction to that scene pissed me off. And Jacob's reaction to her irrational fury made me love him more but also feel that she didn't quite deserve him. Lyssa is a great character and worth of a vampire queen, but...I still like Jade Cicada best from
.Of course, how it ended was foreshadowed right from the beginning, with all her regret around how Rex was never what she hoped. Clearly, Jacob will be. Is. Always.
And that cover! Wish Goodreads was like the old way where I can zoom in on that... his body is worth taking a closer look 😋
I also liked this installment because there was less of the requisite BDSM and more simple relationship development, intrigue and politics. More plot. I liked that even though Jacob kept submitting to Lyssa, he became more of her partner. And she acknowledged it. That was satisfying.
November 7, 2011
Reviewed on Reading Lark: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2011/...
This is the second of the Vampire Queen series. In the first book, The Vampire Queen's Servant, we find Jacob struggling to gain the acceptance of Lady Lyssa, to earn his third mark to become her full servant and prove to her that he has what it takes to be a human servant. Through a battle of the wills, he accomplishes his goal and they settle into a not so easy routine of preparing for the Council Meeting. The Mark of the Vampire Queen opens with a dramatic prologue, fueling the belief that Jacob and Lyssa are soul mates who have been together for centuries, through two of Jacob's previous lives. This emotional and sentimental prologue sets the tone for this second book. We have moved past the violent battle of the wills between two alphas and moved to place where lovers are struggling to protect what is theirs while enjoying the last of their time together. It is not an easy ride, as the two are far from equals, but there is a definite shift in the undercurrent of the story.
First of all, I have to say this: Best. Prologue. Ever! If I hadn't already been drawn into the story from the first book, that prologue alone would have sucked me in. It made my heart break for Lady Lyssa's loss of her Knight, while also showing me that Jacob had in fact, come to Lyssa's aid more than this once over her centuries of life. Her previous servant Thomas, the scholarly monk, held the belief that Jacob and Lyssa were soul mates and that Jacob had been in Lyssa's life twice before their current partnering. According to Thomas, Jacob comes to Lyssa when she needs him most, when her life is in danger, and her life is most certainly in danger right now. Not only is Lady Lyssa facing a terminal illness, but she is also facing the fact that she has doomed the one person on earth she has ever loved to death along with her. Together she and Jacob must find a way to save the refugees in her territory while keeping her illness a secret.
As much as I loved The Vampire Queen's Servant, I loved this one even more. The emotions were so much stronger, and I loved watching Lyssa come to terms with the fact that Jacob was more than just her servant. The two became such a unit, a true couple in many ways, through the course of this book. Lyssa finally allowed herself to be vulnerable and to trust Jacob with her heart, and she finally admitted to herself and to Jacob that she did in fact love him. Both Jacob's and Lyssa's reactions to these new-found feelings were so much fun to anticipate, and I have to admit that both characters surprised me on more than one occasion.
There was enough action and suspense to keep me guessing. I absolutely adored the scene at the faire for Jacob's birthday; total swoon moments aplenty! Through the whole book, I kept steeling myself for Lyssa's (and thus Jacob's) death. Surely they wouldn't really die, right? I mean - how could they?! All I will say about that scene is that I have never cried that hard during a book in my life. I'm talking blubbering all over my pillow, barely able to see the words to keep reading crying.
And while the ending was absolutely perfect, it left me wanting more. Other than the complete shift in tone and emotion in this book, another significant difference for me was that I met other vampire master/servant and mistress/servant couples who I wanted to know more about. In the first book, all I cared about were Lyssa and Jacob. By the end of this book, I wanted more not only of them but also two other couples who had gained my interest. I have the third book in the series loaded into my Nook and ready to go. I can't wait to see where Ms. Hill will take me next.
This is the second of the Vampire Queen series. In the first book, The Vampire Queen's Servant, we find Jacob struggling to gain the acceptance of Lady Lyssa, to earn his third mark to become her full servant and prove to her that he has what it takes to be a human servant. Through a battle of the wills, he accomplishes his goal and they settle into a not so easy routine of preparing for the Council Meeting. The Mark of the Vampire Queen opens with a dramatic prologue, fueling the belief that Jacob and Lyssa are soul mates who have been together for centuries, through two of Jacob's previous lives. This emotional and sentimental prologue sets the tone for this second book. We have moved past the violent battle of the wills between two alphas and moved to place where lovers are struggling to protect what is theirs while enjoying the last of their time together. It is not an easy ride, as the two are far from equals, but there is a definite shift in the undercurrent of the story.
First of all, I have to say this: Best. Prologue. Ever! If I hadn't already been drawn into the story from the first book, that prologue alone would have sucked me in. It made my heart break for Lady Lyssa's loss of her Knight, while also showing me that Jacob had in fact, come to Lyssa's aid more than this once over her centuries of life. Her previous servant Thomas, the scholarly monk, held the belief that Jacob and Lyssa were soul mates and that Jacob had been in Lyssa's life twice before their current partnering. According to Thomas, Jacob comes to Lyssa when she needs him most, when her life is in danger, and her life is most certainly in danger right now. Not only is Lady Lyssa facing a terminal illness, but she is also facing the fact that she has doomed the one person on earth she has ever loved to death along with her. Together she and Jacob must find a way to save the refugees in her territory while keeping her illness a secret.
As much as I loved The Vampire Queen's Servant, I loved this one even more. The emotions were so much stronger, and I loved watching Lyssa come to terms with the fact that Jacob was more than just her servant. The two became such a unit, a true couple in many ways, through the course of this book. Lyssa finally allowed herself to be vulnerable and to trust Jacob with her heart, and she finally admitted to herself and to Jacob that she did in fact love him. Both Jacob's and Lyssa's reactions to these new-found feelings were so much fun to anticipate, and I have to admit that both characters surprised me on more than one occasion.
There was enough action and suspense to keep me guessing. I absolutely adored the scene at the faire for Jacob's birthday; total swoon moments aplenty! Through the whole book, I kept steeling myself for Lyssa's (and thus Jacob's) death. Surely they wouldn't really die, right? I mean - how could they?! All I will say about that scene is that I have never cried that hard during a book in my life. I'm talking blubbering all over my pillow, barely able to see the words to keep reading crying.
And while the ending was absolutely perfect, it left me wanting more. Other than the complete shift in tone and emotion in this book, another significant difference for me was that I met other vampire master/servant and mistress/servant couples who I wanted to know more about. In the first book, all I cared about were Lyssa and Jacob. By the end of this book, I wanted more not only of them but also two other couples who had gained my interest. I have the third book in the series loaded into my Nook and ready to go. I can't wait to see where Ms. Hill will take me next.
September 30, 2021
Giving this a high rating out of principle (I want more erotic recs of vampire queen-human servant power dynamic, GoodReads!)
Lyssa and Jacob have chemistry together as the alpha female with alpha male in a subservient role to alpha female couple, which is why I think this book is often on lists for paranormal BDSM. There are some great erotic scenes, and I mean, who WOULDN'T love Jacob?
I loved how much of a shining knight/puppy dog slave he was for his Lyssa. Way too many heroines find no purpose in their life until they meet the hero (boo). While the best thing would be for both H+h to have meaning both within and outside of romantic love, at least in the meantime we can enjoy this alpha male bending the knee.
A lot of reviews that I read that didn't like this book usually do not because of this dynamic, and while I did roll my eyes that he was romanticized as a drifter who had no purpose in life until he saw Lyssa (I'm paraphrasing his own POV), I liked that he was obsessed with Lyssa and would do anything for her, including putting himself through ritual abasement that he also enjoys!
It doesn't sound like he is an alpha, but I think Hill does a great job of portraying a whipped alpha that enjoys his role of serving, but also subverts it too. In the first book, he had to learn to "surrender", not the way he thinks he did before where he would "let" the woman dominate him, but give it up completely. At the same time, he was constantly breaking out of his wrist holds, showing Lyssa that he's not *just* a human.
In The Mark of the Vampire Queen, Jacob and Lyssa have a much more secure relationship, and the only turbulence involves Debra, Brian's human servant, and how Jacob treats her with care that makes Lyssa irrationally jealous, which was honestly a very minor scene at about the 70% mark.
There is one more book with Lyssa and Jacob in this series that I want to read. I'll probably check out Mason's book but unsure about Gideon's book. We'll see.
Also, I think I mentioned in my review of The Vampire Queen's Servant that Lyssa can turn into a bat, but I was wrong... it's more like a gargoyle creature because of her vampire mother and fae father. I'm going to update that in my review.
Lyssa and Jacob have chemistry together as the alpha female with alpha male in a subservient role to alpha female couple, which is why I think this book is often on lists for paranormal BDSM. There are some great erotic scenes, and I mean, who WOULDN'T love Jacob?
I loved how much of a shining knight/puppy dog slave he was for his Lyssa. Way too many heroines find no purpose in their life until they meet the hero (boo). While the best thing would be for both H+h to have meaning both within and outside of romantic love, at least in the meantime we can enjoy this alpha male bending the knee.
A lot of reviews that I read that didn't like this book usually do not because of this dynamic, and while I did roll my eyes that he was romanticized as a drifter who had no purpose in life until he saw Lyssa (I'm paraphrasing his own POV), I liked that he was obsessed with Lyssa and would do anything for her, including putting himself through ritual abasement that he also enjoys!
It doesn't sound like he is an alpha, but I think Hill does a great job of portraying a whipped alpha that enjoys his role of serving, but also subverts it too. In the first book, he had to learn to "surrender", not the way he thinks he did before where he would "let" the woman dominate him, but give it up completely. At the same time, he was constantly breaking out of his wrist holds, showing Lyssa that he's not *just* a human.
In The Mark of the Vampire Queen, Jacob and Lyssa have a much more secure relationship, and the only turbulence involves Debra, Brian's human servant, and how Jacob treats her with care that makes Lyssa irrationally jealous, which was honestly a very minor scene at about the 70% mark.
There is one more book with Lyssa and Jacob in this series that I want to read. I'll probably check out Mason's book but unsure about Gideon's book. We'll see.
Also, I think I mentioned in my review of The Vampire Queen's Servant that Lyssa can turn into a bat, but I was wrong... it's more like a gargoyle creature because of her vampire mother and fae father. I'm going to update that in my review.
December 26, 2010
Wow, if this story could be compared to a roller coaster, then it's one with a lot of sudden stops, drops, plunges, and loops. With this story, I'm more and more intrigued not just by the series, but by the other works of Ms Hill.
It started where the first one left off, with Jacob hoping for a cure for the Delilah virus, then there's Gideon's appearance, the usual characters, and they're gearing for the Council Gathering. Jacob does everything for her, and because she is his Mistress, there are certain scenes where she hurts him, but not necessarily enjoys it.
There were a lot of unpredictable scenes, but some more perceptive readers might have seen it coming. Well, I haven't and I read this with an open mind, eager for adventure. (SPOILER: I didn't rate this full a full 5 stars because of the gay sex)
I want to borrow the words of one reviewer: “Sweet yet erotic . . . will linger in your heart long after the story is over.” That's exactly how I feel with this book. The emotions just inundated, I felt anger, anxiety, sorrow (yes, there was one point I cried), relief, and excitement.
What I like about the characters is there's always something new to them, they're extraordinary, resilient, and in love. It was touching how, after centuries, Lyssa finally found her soulmate in Jacob, that she admitted she was ready to die before meeting him, but suddenly eternity seemed too short. There were a lot of things she gave him - her trust, her heart, mind, body, and soul - and because of this love they have that survived through different lifetimes, he didn't hesitate to offer his life.
It's not often I read about soul-deep love, and even with the frenzy of lust, the eroticism of their acts, I felt it. Because of Ms Hill's brilliant writing, I was absorbed in this world, and feel very familiar with the characters. Their love is one that surpasses the physical and paranormal. Ms Hill wrote of a love story that is timeless. Because of that, she's now one of my favorite authors.
The ending really hooked me in reading the next, because the author left me breathless...and anxious.
It started where the first one left off, with Jacob hoping for a cure for the Delilah virus, then there's Gideon's appearance, the usual characters, and they're gearing for the Council Gathering. Jacob does everything for her, and because she is his Mistress, there are certain scenes where she hurts him, but not necessarily enjoys it.
There were a lot of unpredictable scenes, but some more perceptive readers might have seen it coming. Well, I haven't and I read this with an open mind, eager for adventure. (SPOILER: I didn't rate this full a full 5 stars because of the gay sex)
I want to borrow the words of one reviewer: “Sweet yet erotic . . . will linger in your heart long after the story is over.” That's exactly how I feel with this book. The emotions just inundated, I felt anger, anxiety, sorrow (yes, there was one point I cried), relief, and excitement.
What I like about the characters is there's always something new to them, they're extraordinary, resilient, and in love. It was touching how, after centuries, Lyssa finally found her soulmate in Jacob, that she admitted she was ready to die before meeting him, but suddenly eternity seemed too short. There were a lot of things she gave him - her trust, her heart, mind, body, and soul - and because of this love they have that survived through different lifetimes, he didn't hesitate to offer his life.
It's not often I read about soul-deep love, and even with the frenzy of lust, the eroticism of their acts, I felt it. Because of Ms Hill's brilliant writing, I was absorbed in this world, and feel very familiar with the characters. Their love is one that surpasses the physical and paranormal. Ms Hill wrote of a love story that is timeless. Because of that, she's now one of my favorite authors.
The ending really hooked me in reading the next, because the author left me breathless...and anxious.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2017
3 Stars
August 6, 2012
Wow, really enjoyed this one! Great story-telling, characterisation, sexy as hell, unputdownable read..
"My place is by your side. In front of you, behind you, wherever you most need me to be. That will always be my place, now and forever."
"My place is by your side. In front of you, behind you, wherever you most need me to be. That will always be my place, now and forever."
May 22, 2011
I can't even begin to describe my feelings about this book. It is simply amazing....AMAZING!!! The quality of writing transcends any stereotype you may have in regards to erotica. Not once did I feel like I was reading anything other than beautiful literature. The Mark is edgy, dark and overwhelmingly romantic--so much so, that I was brought to tears many times during the dynamic relationship of Jacob and Lyssa. Jacob's devotion to Lyssa is extremely heartfelt portraying loyalty and adoration. Lyssa's love for Jacob is something that is looked down upon in her society. Her displays of affection for Jacob before the gathering is nothing compared to the lengths she would go to in protecting him. Which says alot, because her affections are absolutely wonderful to see. The introduction of Gideon and Lord Mason were equally powerful. The relationships between Jacob and Gideon/ Lyssa and Lord Mason were fantastic. The respect that Lord Mason shows Lyssa by interuppting her dance with Jacob was beautiful.
One of my most favorite scenes (and there were alot!) was after Lyssa's annual kill--absolutely one of the most intense intimate scenes I've ever read. I was so twisted up during the gatherering(I was actually blushing! I. was. blushing. people!!!!) --my mouth was hanging open in anticipation to all the events. The fears I had for both Jacob and Lyssa had me in tears. The level of emotion never waivered for me. I was completely mesmerized from prologue to epilogue. AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING!!!
One of my most favorite scenes (and there were alot!) was after Lyssa's annual kill--absolutely one of the most intense intimate scenes I've ever read. I was so twisted up during the gatherering(I was actually blushing! I. was. blushing. people!!!!) --my mouth was hanging open in anticipation to all the events. The fears I had for both Jacob and Lyssa had me in tears. The level of emotion never waivered for me. I was completely mesmerized from prologue to epilogue. AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING!!!
March 8, 2011
This novel is the sequel to The Vampire Queens Servant and as such this review can contain mild spoilers. Just so your warned! Right from the get-go I have to say that THE MARK OF THE VAMPIRE QUEEN is a very character and romance driven story, it doesn’t mean there wasn’t a plot, there was, it just played second violin. The torch of Jacob and Lyssa’s love burns bright which translated in sexual desires and feelings running so deep, it left a permanent mark on both main protagonists. The love unfolds itself on a backdrop where a vampire society is internally vying for control and this presents danger for Lady Elyssa Amaterasu Yamato Wentworth, the last vampire queen of the Far East Clan.
Joey W Hill immediately sets an emotionally fraught tone with a past life memory between Lyssa and Jacob, in which he was a knight, and it irrevocable drew me in. From there I felt flairs of pending danger but it was the deepening, the exploring of Jacob and Lyssa’s love that took the main stage. I slowly savored the growing bond and I got intimately acquainted with all they felt, wanted and needed. These two fascinating characters dueled with each other on every level; emotionally and physically, as with the heart and the soul. They challenged each other which translated in dynamic dialogues and along with an erotic force sizzling between them they were without a doubt each other’s match.
Since this is the sequel I got to know Jacob and Lyssa on an even more intimate level. The devotion of Jacob to Lyssa is moving – it doesn’t make him a lesser or weaker man – oh no, far from it! He is a man ingrained with valor, strength, chivalry and honor, but it is all encompassed by a matching arrogance and Alpha attitude. He is a hero that can drive you nuts but has you loving every minute of it, just because he cares so deeply for those in his heart.
Now Lyssa remains a captivating leading lady, she has a feral side to her, she is after all the last Vampire Queen and knows how her world works. Still, as the story progresses I got to witness more and more of her depth in the heart and soul. The intensity and extend in the way she cares, how she deems to shows that is something that I never would’ve expected reading in TVQS. She became one of those strong heroines that impresses profoundly, not by her physical strength or her Amazon attitude, but by the strength of her heart and her compassion.
Next to the courting, the issues that arise between Jacob and Lyssa and present danger, there is also a scorching passion blazing between them. It could go form gentle loving to a male/female power clash and it was all spiced up with a bit of variation to explore the sexual appetite. I loved it, it never bored me to feel the hunger emanating between Jacob and Lyssa, and that is not where it ended. As the plot gained more attention the council gathering became a plateau of inhibitive eroticism that was very arousing. It varied from a bit of M/M to group sexing and the use of certain toys wasn’t shied from either.
Of course there are mind games to be played, these vampires crave power and leave no chance unused to gain it. The vampire culture fascinated me with their rules, customs and rituals. I think Joey W Hill has created a great foundation for her world building and I’m eager to explore this culture further! The first half was very romance and character driven and the second half deepened on this and added a few plot twists that were hinted at in TVQS and the first half of this story. I will not go in to detail, that is for each to find out but for me the second half of the story was a perfect balance of character, romance and plot development.
I feel like I can go on and on about the awesomeness of this series, perhaps it’s just me, that this author knows how to find my hot buttons and keeps pushing it over and over again. I feel like a fan girl squeeing about characters who will never be forgotten and how their stories keep affecting me so. The only thing I want to add is that the secondary cast of characters equally piqued my interest. I met Jacob’s brother Gideon and their shared erotic moment with Lyssa was uber sensual. Gideon is a male who demands, period. I can’t wait to find out more about this tormented vampire hunter. Next to him vampire Mason also triggered my interest and Lady Daniella from Australia with her servant Devlin are also characters I hope to meet again later in the series.
THE MARK OF THE VAMPIRE QUEEN is an erotic romance of sheer excellence and I can understand the need for another story of Lyssa and Jacob. Their story is concluded but who doesn’t want more from such stellar characters? I feel like I’ve just been floored by a grand romance and have a hard time touching back to reality. A poignant story, that through the prose of Joey W Hill, delivered an epic romance between a vampire queen and a human servant which will deliver a thrill-ride of a read!
4,5 stars
Quote Jacob to Gideon:
“So love is all about meeting your terms, is it?” Idiot, stubborn, hardheaded jackass. You used to sing me when I had a nightmare. You used to smile. Gideon turned farther away, hunching a shoulder, but to Jacob’s surprise, he responded, his voice low and gruff. “I’m past loving anyone, Jacob. I just can’t handle it anymore. This is probably just the way it’s meant to be.” The desolation in Gideon’s tone was as cold as death, and Jacob wondered if the analogy was uneasily close to the reality of his brother’s life.
Quote Lyssa:
She’d left him a note, on the opposite side of the bed. “I made sure your brother took some breakfast with him. He thanked me for my hospitality and said if I ever hurt you he’d stake me out in the sunlight and happily watch me burn. I kissed him goodbye until his toes curled and he couldn’t walk without embarrassing himself. Maybe we should invite him to join us for Christmas.”
Quote Jacob [I feel this quote really give a good definition of who Lyssa is]:
He looked at her and saw the vampire queen, a warrioress. A cruel tyrant, a gentle nurse. A girl. A cold, haughty bitch, a generous and loving woman. A woman who loved fiercely. She’d stayed by a husband who’d been lost to violent madness. She shielded Thomas with her own life and risked all the power she was now trying to protect, all for the benefit of other.
Joey W Hill immediately sets an emotionally fraught tone with a past life memory between Lyssa and Jacob, in which he was a knight, and it irrevocable drew me in. From there I felt flairs of pending danger but it was the deepening, the exploring of Jacob and Lyssa’s love that took the main stage. I slowly savored the growing bond and I got intimately acquainted with all they felt, wanted and needed. These two fascinating characters dueled with each other on every level; emotionally and physically, as with the heart and the soul. They challenged each other which translated in dynamic dialogues and along with an erotic force sizzling between them they were without a doubt each other’s match.
Since this is the sequel I got to know Jacob and Lyssa on an even more intimate level. The devotion of Jacob to Lyssa is moving – it doesn’t make him a lesser or weaker man – oh no, far from it! He is a man ingrained with valor, strength, chivalry and honor, but it is all encompassed by a matching arrogance and Alpha attitude. He is a hero that can drive you nuts but has you loving every minute of it, just because he cares so deeply for those in his heart.
Now Lyssa remains a captivating leading lady, she has a feral side to her, she is after all the last Vampire Queen and knows how her world works. Still, as the story progresses I got to witness more and more of her depth in the heart and soul. The intensity and extend in the way she cares, how she deems to shows that is something that I never would’ve expected reading in TVQS. She became one of those strong heroines that impresses profoundly, not by her physical strength or her Amazon attitude, but by the strength of her heart and her compassion.
Next to the courting, the issues that arise between Jacob and Lyssa and present danger, there is also a scorching passion blazing between them. It could go form gentle loving to a male/female power clash and it was all spiced up with a bit of variation to explore the sexual appetite. I loved it, it never bored me to feel the hunger emanating between Jacob and Lyssa, and that is not where it ended. As the plot gained more attention the council gathering became a plateau of inhibitive eroticism that was very arousing. It varied from a bit of M/M to group sexing and the use of certain toys wasn’t shied from either.
Of course there are mind games to be played, these vampires crave power and leave no chance unused to gain it. The vampire culture fascinated me with their rules, customs and rituals. I think Joey W Hill has created a great foundation for her world building and I’m eager to explore this culture further! The first half was very romance and character driven and the second half deepened on this and added a few plot twists that were hinted at in TVQS and the first half of this story. I will not go in to detail, that is for each to find out but for me the second half of the story was a perfect balance of character, romance and plot development.
I feel like I can go on and on about the awesomeness of this series, perhaps it’s just me, that this author knows how to find my hot buttons and keeps pushing it over and over again. I feel like a fan girl squeeing about characters who will never be forgotten and how their stories keep affecting me so. The only thing I want to add is that the secondary cast of characters equally piqued my interest. I met Jacob’s brother Gideon and their shared erotic moment with Lyssa was uber sensual. Gideon is a male who demands, period. I can’t wait to find out more about this tormented vampire hunter. Next to him vampire Mason also triggered my interest and Lady Daniella from Australia with her servant Devlin are also characters I hope to meet again later in the series.
THE MARK OF THE VAMPIRE QUEEN is an erotic romance of sheer excellence and I can understand the need for another story of Lyssa and Jacob. Their story is concluded but who doesn’t want more from such stellar characters? I feel like I’ve just been floored by a grand romance and have a hard time touching back to reality. A poignant story, that through the prose of Joey W Hill, delivered an epic romance between a vampire queen and a human servant which will deliver a thrill-ride of a read!
4,5 stars
Quote Jacob to Gideon:
“So love is all about meeting your terms, is it?” Idiot, stubborn, hardheaded jackass. You used to sing me when I had a nightmare. You used to smile. Gideon turned farther away, hunching a shoulder, but to Jacob’s surprise, he responded, his voice low and gruff. “I’m past loving anyone, Jacob. I just can’t handle it anymore. This is probably just the way it’s meant to be.” The desolation in Gideon’s tone was as cold as death, and Jacob wondered if the analogy was uneasily close to the reality of his brother’s life.
Quote Lyssa:
She’d left him a note, on the opposite side of the bed. “I made sure your brother took some breakfast with him. He thanked me for my hospitality and said if I ever hurt you he’d stake me out in the sunlight and happily watch me burn. I kissed him goodbye until his toes curled and he couldn’t walk without embarrassing himself. Maybe we should invite him to join us for Christmas.”
Quote Jacob [I feel this quote really give a good definition of who Lyssa is]:
He looked at her and saw the vampire queen, a warrioress. A cruel tyrant, a gentle nurse. A girl. A cold, haughty bitch, a generous and loving woman. A woman who loved fiercely. She’d stayed by a husband who’d been lost to violent madness. She shielded Thomas with her own life and risked all the power she was now trying to protect, all for the benefit of other.
December 6, 2016
“The Mark of the Vampire Queen” was much more interesting than the first book. Don’t get me wrong, I loved seeing Jacob get under Lady Lyssa’s defenses, making her care more for him than she should for a servant. By the second book, we have a feel of their unique relationship. Jacob knows when and when not to push Lady Lyssa, especially since she could kill him with a flick of her finger.
This book starts off reminding us that Lady Lyssa only has so much time to live. We get introduced to Gideon, Jacob’s vampire hunter brother. Even though Gideon was only there for a short time, I felt sympathy for his chaotic emotions. He lost someone he loved to a vampire, so of course his path was chosen for him. Amazingly, I actually liked the scene where Lady Lyssa helps him relieve some of his rage and pain by giving him her body. Yes, he hates vampires, but a small part of him thanked Lady Lyssa for what she did.
Yes, they had sex. With Jacob. The brothers basically made a Lyssa sandwich. Sooo hot.
For such an erotic book, the characters felt so damn real to me. They breathed, they moved, they loved, and it didn’t feel at all fake. I could see them as clear as day. Hell, even characters that only had a few scenes or came in late in the book felt real. The entire world Joey Hill has created is amazing. I will definitely read the next book in the series because I don’t want to say goodbye to this world.
The whole giant orgy thing was not what I had expected. Joey Hill isn’t afraid to show us that sex between a man and a woman isn’t the only thing out there. I won’t go into detail, but holy hot dayum. Get a fan when you get to the point where Jacob, Debra, Devlin, and Malachi get together.
When Carnal and his evil followers reveal to the vampire hunters the location of the Council, shit hits the fan. At the same time, the virus that Lady Lyssa has reaches the final stages. She and Jacob nearly die from it, but the cure is found just in time. I felt that was a little too convenient. I saw it coming a mile away. What I did NOT see was Lady Lyssa losing her vampire/human form and becoming a true Fey, which looks kinda like a gargoyle with wicked fangs, claws, and wings. She turns Jacob at the last moment, but loses her form.
The Vampires decide to kill her because of her “deception”, but change their minds when their lives are threatened by the hunters. In the end, Lady Lyssa leaves Jacob because she doesn’t want him to get hurt and she will be hunted; and because he needs to be trained as a new vampire, something she cannot do because she no longer is a vampire herself.
Confusing, I know.
In the end, they are together, pregnant. I was so damn happy to see the ending, but I still wanted their story to continue.
This book starts off reminding us that Lady Lyssa only has so much time to live. We get introduced to Gideon, Jacob’s vampire hunter brother. Even though Gideon was only there for a short time, I felt sympathy for his chaotic emotions. He lost someone he loved to a vampire, so of course his path was chosen for him. Amazingly, I actually liked the scene where Lady Lyssa helps him relieve some of his rage and pain by giving him her body. Yes, he hates vampires, but a small part of him thanked Lady Lyssa for what she did.
Yes, they had sex. With Jacob. The brothers basically made a Lyssa sandwich. Sooo hot.
For such an erotic book, the characters felt so damn real to me. They breathed, they moved, they loved, and it didn’t feel at all fake. I could see them as clear as day. Hell, even characters that only had a few scenes or came in late in the book felt real. The entire world Joey Hill has created is amazing. I will definitely read the next book in the series because I don’t want to say goodbye to this world.
The whole giant orgy thing was not what I had expected. Joey Hill isn’t afraid to show us that sex between a man and a woman isn’t the only thing out there. I won’t go into detail, but holy hot dayum. Get a fan when you get to the point where Jacob, Debra, Devlin, and Malachi get together.
When Carnal and his evil followers reveal to the vampire hunters the location of the Council, shit hits the fan. At the same time, the virus that Lady Lyssa has reaches the final stages. She and Jacob nearly die from it, but the cure is found just in time. I felt that was a little too convenient. I saw it coming a mile away. What I did NOT see was Lady Lyssa losing her vampire/human form and becoming a true Fey, which looks kinda like a gargoyle with wicked fangs, claws, and wings. She turns Jacob at the last moment, but loses her form.
The Vampires decide to kill her because of her “deception”, but change their minds when their lives are threatened by the hunters. In the end, Lady Lyssa leaves Jacob because she doesn’t want him to get hurt and she will be hunted; and because he needs to be trained as a new vampire, something she cannot do because she no longer is a vampire herself.
Confusing, I know.
In the end, they are together, pregnant. I was so damn happy to see the ending, but I still wanted their story to continue.
July 29, 2010
I'm teetering on this actually being 3.5 to 4 stars for me. It was so, SO much better than the 1st book & I am glad Hill continued Jacob & Lyssa's story b'c it really needed more fleshing out (which it definitely got).
There where some eye rolling moments in the beginning (uh hem...Gideon? Really?) but I soon forgot them once I started to get to know Lyssa & Jacob a lot more.
Hill gave us a lot more insight into Lyssa & why she was the way she was, I started to feel more empathy for her which helped me to come around.
Jacob is a very charming, cool MC. I like that Hill very much made him Alpha w/out the machismo - although he was really, if I am being honest, a "Gary Stu", in how he ticked so many wish fulfillment boxes. Still, I wasn't hating on him.
IMO, It's definitely mostly a romance novel w/erotica lite mixed in & really not BDSM heavy. In fact - I'm not really understanding why the 1st 2 books got labeled so heavy in that category. It's really tame by comparison to other stuff I have read.
There was one scene where it was a bit bondage/dominance but I didn't find it heavy b'c their was a larger psychological aspect at play (vampire politics - you actually did see how the human servants are used as political pawns) that I found myself more interested in.
There are many sex scenes, but the actions themselves are fairly redundant & Hill focuses in more on describing the emotion behind the MC's in the scene rather then focusing solely on full detailed action, or body parts, etc.
In fact many times - she'll leave the present scene & have either Jacob or Lyssa's narrative segue into a memory or analysis of the meaning behind what is going on, in order to give more substance & understanding to the emotional mechanism's, so when Hill snaps back to that present narrative - we have much more authentic reasoning behind it all.
I thought she handled that really deftly. So it comes across as less smutastic & more romantic with a bit of erotica lite. In fact, Hill definitely goes for playing with the heartstrings most of all.
I found that really helped to understand the characters better so I started getting more attached & liking them better & better.
I am looking forward to reading the next one (I liked these 2 characters in the last book) b'c as I said after the 1st book, I was majorly disappointed but Hill was so much better in this book, I'm hoping the buzz I heard about her is true. That she just keeps getting better & better.
There where some eye rolling moments in the beginning (uh hem...Gideon? Really?) but I soon forgot them once I started to get to know Lyssa & Jacob a lot more.
Hill gave us a lot more insight into Lyssa & why she was the way she was, I started to feel more empathy for her which helped me to come around.
Jacob is a very charming, cool MC. I like that Hill very much made him Alpha w/out the machismo - although he was really, if I am being honest, a "Gary Stu", in how he ticked so many wish fulfillment boxes. Still, I wasn't hating on him.
IMO, It's definitely mostly a romance novel w/erotica lite mixed in & really not BDSM heavy. In fact - I'm not really understanding why the 1st 2 books got labeled so heavy in that category. It's really tame by comparison to other stuff I have read.
There was one scene where it was a bit bondage/dominance but I didn't find it heavy b'c their was a larger psychological aspect at play (vampire politics - you actually did see how the human servants are used as political pawns) that I found myself more interested in.
There are many sex scenes, but the actions themselves are fairly redundant & Hill focuses in more on describing the emotion behind the MC's in the scene rather then focusing solely on full detailed action, or body parts, etc.
In fact many times - she'll leave the present scene & have either Jacob or Lyssa's narrative segue into a memory or analysis of the meaning behind what is going on, in order to give more substance & understanding to the emotional mechanism's, so when Hill snaps back to that present narrative - we have much more authentic reasoning behind it all.
I thought she handled that really deftly. So it comes across as less smutastic & more romantic with a bit of erotica lite. In fact, Hill definitely goes for playing with the heartstrings most of all.
I found that really helped to understand the characters better so I started getting more attached & liking them better & better.
I am looking forward to reading the next one (I liked these 2 characters in the last book) b'c as I said after the 1st book, I was majorly disappointed but Hill was so much better in this book, I'm hoping the buzz I heard about her is true. That she just keeps getting better & better.
December 24, 2011
First off let me say that I loved The Vampire Queen's Servant. This is part two in Jacob's quest to win his masters heart and soul. I will not say that you must read the first one... but to understand the world that Ms. Hill has created for these two and what they have gone through to get there, you really should read the first one.
Okay... moving forward...
The romance between Jacob and Lady Lyssa is very breathtaking. Their relationship blossoms into the fullest it possibly can. Jacob has received his third mark; which means that he has bound himself to his Master until death. Imagine saying our wedding, you say: till death do us part... now imagine if that were true, your spouse died, you died with him/her. This book does not deter away from the BDSM parts of Ms Hill's style. Her writing style just simply amazes me. To read her books (the two that I have) will throw you in a world of her very own. Be prepared to go on a journey you will sure to be enthralled in.
Lady Lyssa is slowly dying and Jacob will do everything in his power to stop that from happening. Along with her sickness, there is the meeting coming before the Council. Lady Lyssa is trying to pave a better future for the vampires. One of her goals is to address the issue of permanent asylum for the fugitives in her territory. And the other is to push for them to become more civilized by only needing to kill one human a year for them to maintain their strength. But some vampires do not agree with her thinking and want to over throw the Council. and her. So the plot thickens...
I will tell you this though, this story left me wanting more... It's in the ending, but I am not quiet sure where and that is my problem. I am not sure if her being of two heritages got me, or that she shifted, or that the love did not go the way I wanted it too (yea, I am selfish like that) or what... but something was missing for me. Maybe the power struggle... the grand ending. I will struggle with this and it will bother me... Because I love this woman's writing!!
I love what has become of Jacob and his Master. The journey he goes to get there. If there is a man out there like Jacob... oh please let yourself be known! This man will do anything, everything and back again for his woman. OMG... Jacob remains my Sex on a Stick man.
Okay... moving forward...
The romance between Jacob and Lady Lyssa is very breathtaking. Their relationship blossoms into the fullest it possibly can. Jacob has received his third mark; which means that he has bound himself to his Master until death. Imagine saying our wedding, you say: till death do us part... now imagine if that were true, your spouse died, you died with him/her. This book does not deter away from the BDSM parts of Ms Hill's style. Her writing style just simply amazes me. To read her books (the two that I have) will throw you in a world of her very own. Be prepared to go on a journey you will sure to be enthralled in.
Lady Lyssa is slowly dying and Jacob will do everything in his power to stop that from happening. Along with her sickness, there is the meeting coming before the Council. Lady Lyssa is trying to pave a better future for the vampires. One of her goals is to address the issue of permanent asylum for the fugitives in her territory. And the other is to push for them to become more civilized by only needing to kill one human a year for them to maintain their strength. But some vampires do not agree with her thinking and want to over throw the Council. and her. So the plot thickens...
I will tell you this though, this story left me wanting more... It's in the ending, but I am not quiet sure where and that is my problem. I am not sure if her being of two heritages got me, or that she shifted, or that the love did not go the way I wanted it too (yea, I am selfish like that) or what... but something was missing for me. Maybe the power struggle... the grand ending. I will struggle with this and it will bother me... Because I love this woman's writing!!
I love what has become of Jacob and his Master. The journey he goes to get there. If there is a man out there like Jacob... oh please let yourself be known! This man will do anything, everything and back again for his woman. OMG... Jacob remains my Sex on a Stick man.
December 23, 2011
The Mark of the Vampire Queen was a very hard one for me to finish, purely because it bored me.
Jacob is now a full servant of the vampire queen Lyssa. With this title comes the knowledge that Lyssa is very sick and dying, and now, because of his new stature, so will he die along with her.
This pains the pair of them as in their own way, they love each other, being soul mates throughout Lyssa’s incomparably long life and Jacob through his various incarnations, to have found each other in this capacity Jacob wants to hold on to as her for as long as he can.
I will be quite frank and say that this book bored me literally to sleep. There was far too much detail wrapped up in politics and medieval fairs that I had to force myself to finish just to have the pleasure of writing this review. The politics interest me, but the way they were written in reminding me of watching Parliament Time on the ABC, a lot of people talking quietly for two hours and once every three months having a raving blue with each other that can be quite entertaining.
I originally picked up this series because I read an excerpt of book five, Vampire Mistress, and thought it intriguing. It might still be, it’s just a shame that I will not get to it because of the quality of the first two books.
In hindsight I remember the first book being relatively slow, to the point of having to force myself through it as well. There just isn’t enough driving this story for me to enjoy it. Sure you have a problem in the form of Lyssa’s impending doom and the effect it will have on Jacob, you also have the likes of Carnal trying to upset the order Lyssa has been trying to build between vampires and humans for the last thousand years.
Yet when it’s put on paper in the way that Hill writes it, it just drags on and on. In the end I was marking chapter ends so I felt a small victory each time I reached one.
The sex was hot in this series overall, I will admit that, some of the scenes Hill came up with were especially well written, but there just wasn’t enough built around those scenes for me to remotely enjoy this story at all.
Find this review at storywings.com
Jacob is now a full servant of the vampire queen Lyssa. With this title comes the knowledge that Lyssa is very sick and dying, and now, because of his new stature, so will he die along with her.
This pains the pair of them as in their own way, they love each other, being soul mates throughout Lyssa’s incomparably long life and Jacob through his various incarnations, to have found each other in this capacity Jacob wants to hold on to as her for as long as he can.
I will be quite frank and say that this book bored me literally to sleep. There was far too much detail wrapped up in politics and medieval fairs that I had to force myself to finish just to have the pleasure of writing this review. The politics interest me, but the way they were written in reminding me of watching Parliament Time on the ABC, a lot of people talking quietly for two hours and once every three months having a raving blue with each other that can be quite entertaining.
I originally picked up this series because I read an excerpt of book five, Vampire Mistress, and thought it intriguing. It might still be, it’s just a shame that I will not get to it because of the quality of the first two books.
In hindsight I remember the first book being relatively slow, to the point of having to force myself through it as well. There just isn’t enough driving this story for me to enjoy it. Sure you have a problem in the form of Lyssa’s impending doom and the effect it will have on Jacob, you also have the likes of Carnal trying to upset the order Lyssa has been trying to build between vampires and humans for the last thousand years.
Yet when it’s put on paper in the way that Hill writes it, it just drags on and on. In the end I was marking chapter ends so I felt a small victory each time I reached one.
The sex was hot in this series overall, I will admit that, some of the scenes Hill came up with were especially well written, but there just wasn’t enough built around those scenes for me to remotely enjoy this story at all.
Find this review at storywings.com
June 10, 2010
The Mark of the Vampire Queen picks up right where The Vampire Queen's Servant left off. Lyssa is sick with an unknown disease that currently has no cure. Jacob her human servant is bound to her, which means when she dies he will too. Lyssa controls the Vampire territory of the Southeastern United States and is one of the most influencial members of the Vampire Council. Before she succombs to this illness, she needs to make sure her Vampires will have sanctuary when she dies. At the next council meeting she plans to bring this issue forth to the council. There are several obsticals that make this next to impossible to accomplish, Carnal a sadistic vampire out to demolish the Council, Jacob's vampire-hunter brother Gabriel, and Lyssa's illness.
This book really pushes the envelope, so to speak. Some of the things in this book made me uncomfortable. I think that was the author's intent, though. One of the aspects to Lyssa and Jacob's relationship is that they would both push the boundaries on what they were comfortable with. Lyssa would push Jacob to do things sexually that he normally would never think to do, nor imagine that they would arouse him as they do. In turn, Jacob would make Lyssa realize how much more her heart and soul was involved when having sex with Jacob. She was much more deeply involved with him than she has ever been with anyone else. So this was a very interesting dynamic to read.
I felt the pacing of the first half of the book was a little slow. Halfway through when Jacob and Lyssa attend the council meeting things really begin to pick up. When it came time for the climax of the story, I was hanging onto the edge of my seat. It was very intense, as there was a lot to take in and alot the characters had to deal with. I was surprised at the range of emotions I went through and came to realize that I had really connected to Jacob and Lyssa. I definitely want to continue with more of this series. I think Joey W. Hill is one of the better erotic romance authors I have read.
This book really pushes the envelope, so to speak. Some of the things in this book made me uncomfortable. I think that was the author's intent, though. One of the aspects to Lyssa and Jacob's relationship is that they would both push the boundaries on what they were comfortable with. Lyssa would push Jacob to do things sexually that he normally would never think to do, nor imagine that they would arouse him as they do. In turn, Jacob would make Lyssa realize how much more her heart and soul was involved when having sex with Jacob. She was much more deeply involved with him than she has ever been with anyone else. So this was a very interesting dynamic to read.
I felt the pacing of the first half of the book was a little slow. Halfway through when Jacob and Lyssa attend the council meeting things really begin to pick up. When it came time for the climax of the story, I was hanging onto the edge of my seat. It was very intense, as there was a lot to take in and alot the characters had to deal with. I was surprised at the range of emotions I went through and came to realize that I had really connected to Jacob and Lyssa. I definitely want to continue with more of this series. I think Joey W. Hill is one of the better erotic romance authors I have read.
May 12, 2011
Great book! I started this book with so many questions and all of them were answered within the first 90 pages. Beginning with the first page where it went back in time to show Jacob as a knight, I fell in love. It's hard for me to take BDSM seriously especially with all of the sex everyone is having in this book. The humans are slaves and in the vampire world are treated as sexual objects to please their Masters so to make this into a love story would be very difficult but she did it.
Jacob and his brother Gideon have the best brother relationship I have read. Jacob makes the ultimate sacrafice to Gideon and the two brothers scorched that scene being led by Lyssa because, living as long as she has and seeing what she has seen she knew what Gideon wanted and needed at that point. Jacob allowing his brother to have his mate that he claimed over lifetimes was just beautiful and sexy to the point of obscene but written so nicely that it broke my heart. Amazing.
Jacob turns from Sub to the Dom he has always been and as everyone recognized from the beginning even Lyssa knew it. I love how she surrenders at the end in front of everyone and chooses him for her dance to me that was when the real love story began, Jacob turning vampire Lyssa transforming to fey while Lord Mason fighting at her side and Gideon coming to his brothers rescue was so exciting. The ending was truly a romantic love story full of surprises.
There were a lot of characters I loves in this book besides the main ones. Brian and his Sub who Lyssa was so jealous of because she saw her as a mate that Jacob could've had if he had chosen a normal life, was really interesting. The way Jacob tries to treat her with respect while he is ordered to do sexual things to her was sweet as was the scene where she closes his eyes when he died. Mason is fascinating I cant wait to read his story as well as Gideons I really enjoyed this story and did I mention HOT HOT HOT amazing sex!
Jacob and his brother Gideon have the best brother relationship I have read. Jacob makes the ultimate sacrafice to Gideon and the two brothers scorched that scene being led by Lyssa because, living as long as she has and seeing what she has seen she knew what Gideon wanted and needed at that point. Jacob allowing his brother to have his mate that he claimed over lifetimes was just beautiful and sexy to the point of obscene but written so nicely that it broke my heart. Amazing.
Jacob turns from Sub to the Dom he has always been and as everyone recognized from the beginning even Lyssa knew it. I love how she surrenders at the end in front of everyone and chooses him for her dance to me that was when the real love story began, Jacob turning vampire Lyssa transforming to fey while Lord Mason fighting at her side and Gideon coming to his brothers rescue was so exciting. The ending was truly a romantic love story full of surprises.
There were a lot of characters I loves in this book besides the main ones. Brian and his Sub who Lyssa was so jealous of because she saw her as a mate that Jacob could've had if he had chosen a normal life, was really interesting. The way Jacob tries to treat her with respect while he is ordered to do sexual things to her was sweet as was the scene where she closes his eyes when he died. Mason is fascinating I cant wait to read his story as well as Gideons I really enjoyed this story and did I mention HOT HOT HOT amazing sex!
October 18, 2013
Wow.....wow...wow!
50 Shades of Grey is like the McDonald's soft serve as this book is to Haagen Dazs. Thought when i first forayed into BDSM themed stories it would make me cringe but the way it is described and the storyline that goes with it is just impressive.
Yay:
1) The love story between Jacob and Lyssa is just so emotional and sweet. I love the hero. Jacob's character is well described here. Strong yet gentle, very intelligent, great sense of humour, a quick temper (seriously....he is like the perfect male specimen). He is so devoted to his Mistress. And Lady Lyssa is so stubborn, arrogant and afraid to really love him. She's strong yet hides her vulnerability well, kind but does not show it, very wise.
2) Secondary characters (they have their own stories in the series...which are equally good)like Dev, Lady Danny, Gideon, Ingram and the mysterious Lord Mason. Can't help but be curious about them as their are intriguing in their own way. The story made me want to know more about them.
3) The way the writer describes the scenery, the smell and the mood of the environment. I could feel myself standing there as one of the characters. Well described. Some writers breeze through the "settings" of the story so the reader ends up feeling like the characters are walking around on an empty stage. Not this one though as it is easy to imagine everything. Like in 3D.
4) Plot twist at the end. A great cliffhanger as you know the story does not just end there.
Meh:
1) The push and pull, clash of characters between the 2 main characters tend to get over played throughout the story.
2) Epilogue felt a bit rushed.
All in all, a great read - a good continuation to the first book (The Vampire Queen's Servant). I would recommend it....but fair warning: not for those with "delicate sensibilities". It does make one feel randy after reading it though...LOL!
50 Shades of Grey is like the McDonald's soft serve as this book is to Haagen Dazs. Thought when i first forayed into BDSM themed stories it would make me cringe but the way it is described and the storyline that goes with it is just impressive.
Yay:
1) The love story between Jacob and Lyssa is just so emotional and sweet. I love the hero. Jacob's character is well described here. Strong yet gentle, very intelligent, great sense of humour, a quick temper (seriously....he is like the perfect male specimen). He is so devoted to his Mistress. And Lady Lyssa is so stubborn, arrogant and afraid to really love him. She's strong yet hides her vulnerability well, kind but does not show it, very wise.
2) Secondary characters (they have their own stories in the series...which are equally good)like Dev, Lady Danny, Gideon, Ingram and the mysterious Lord Mason. Can't help but be curious about them as their are intriguing in their own way. The story made me want to know more about them.
3) The way the writer describes the scenery, the smell and the mood of the environment. I could feel myself standing there as one of the characters. Well described. Some writers breeze through the "settings" of the story so the reader ends up feeling like the characters are walking around on an empty stage. Not this one though as it is easy to imagine everything. Like in 3D.
4) Plot twist at the end. A great cliffhanger as you know the story does not just end there.
Meh:
1) The push and pull, clash of characters between the 2 main characters tend to get over played throughout the story.
2) Epilogue felt a bit rushed.
All in all, a great read - a good continuation to the first book (The Vampire Queen's Servant). I would recommend it....but fair warning: not for those with "delicate sensibilities". It does make one feel randy after reading it though...LOL!
January 21, 2013
4.5 Stars
Ms. Hill strikes again. She has an ability to wrench emotion from the reader which never ceases to amaze me. She casts a spell with her pen & lures you into her world. This is probably one of the most erotic & romantic books I've ever read, rivaling Ice Queen & Mirror of My Soul. She seems to gravitate towards this theme of facing your own mortality makes you re-evaluate life & what’s important & she does it masterfully.
This is the continuation of Jacob & Lyssa's story. We get to see behind the iron curtain of Lady Lyssa in this one & see her heartbreaking vulnerability. She's not as cold as the Delilah virus begins to take hold. Her bond with Jacob becomes stronger as he grows in his role of protector, lover, servant & master (another theme she seems quite fond of or is it a Depeche Mode song? Hmmm...). Faced with their imminent demise, the tenor of this book is morbid, existential, introspective, filled with longing for what cannot be & unquenchable desire.
We also get introduced to several new characters namely Lord Mason, Devlin, Lady Daniela & Gideon, Jacob's brother. The action packed Vampire Council meeting ratchets up the steam with some public sexiness & the final showdown doesn’t disappoint. Highly recommend!
When you find the right love, eternity isn’t long enough.
Ms. Hill strikes again. She has an ability to wrench emotion from the reader which never ceases to amaze me. She casts a spell with her pen & lures you into her world. This is probably one of the most erotic & romantic books I've ever read, rivaling Ice Queen & Mirror of My Soul. She seems to gravitate towards this theme of facing your own mortality makes you re-evaluate life & what’s important & she does it masterfully.
This is the continuation of Jacob & Lyssa's story. We get to see behind the iron curtain of Lady Lyssa in this one & see her heartbreaking vulnerability. She's not as cold as the Delilah virus begins to take hold. Her bond with Jacob becomes stronger as he grows in his role of protector, lover, servant & master (another theme she seems quite fond of or is it a Depeche Mode song? Hmmm...). Faced with their imminent demise, the tenor of this book is morbid, existential, introspective, filled with longing for what cannot be & unquenchable desire.
We also get introduced to several new characters namely Lord Mason, Devlin, Lady Daniela & Gideon, Jacob's brother. The action packed Vampire Council meeting ratchets up the steam with some public sexiness & the final showdown doesn’t disappoint. Highly recommend!
March 12, 2010
Maybe a 3.5. I really wanted to like this book more. I agree with the ratings and other reviewers - much better than the first book. But compared to other vampire books/series, this series just doesn't do it for me. I finally figured out why: I do not care for the vampire world she has created. The major difference between this world and others are the intentional cruelty and uncaring of the vampires. This completely alters the relationship between vampires and human servants, and not in an enjoyable way for me. This was evident by the fact that I sort of plodded through this book and it took me over a week to read (which is really long for me!)
This book is better than the first because there is less cruelty between Lyssa and Jacob. However, it still exists and the 'love' between vampires and human servants is not the kind I enjoy reading about as compared to Hamilton, Ward, etc. It's not the sex...the sex scenes are a bit 'extreme' for BDSM and whatnot, and there is some male/male action (which I'm a fan of) so the sex is fine - hot in many scenes! It's the emotional/love parts because the underlying cruelty of vampires in the 'world' Hill has created doesn't do it for me. The end was really good though so I'm glad I read the whole book. The love and emotion in the last 80 pages was what the whole series should be like!
I believe I'm done reading the series. The next book intrigues me a little because of the characters it involves (they play secondary roles in this book) but it's still set in the same environment so I'll pass.
This book is better than the first because there is less cruelty between Lyssa and Jacob. However, it still exists and the 'love' between vampires and human servants is not the kind I enjoy reading about as compared to Hamilton, Ward, etc. It's not the sex...the sex scenes are a bit 'extreme' for BDSM and whatnot, and there is some male/male action (which I'm a fan of) so the sex is fine - hot in many scenes! It's the emotional/love parts because the underlying cruelty of vampires in the 'world' Hill has created doesn't do it for me. The end was really good though so I'm glad I read the whole book. The love and emotion in the last 80 pages was what the whole series should be like!
I believe I'm done reading the series. The next book intrigues me a little because of the characters it involves (they play secondary roles in this book) but it's still set in the same environment so I'll pass.
August 18, 2012
Confession time: I'm not a huge fan of the dominant woman scenario when I'm reading D/s books. However, this book works for me because Jacob is a Alpha in his own right who chooses to submit to his lady. Reading that, it doesn't sound like it should work but, OMG!, it does. Jacob pushes but he accepts his punishments when he goes too far. Lyssa needs the mental and physical stimulation of someone who challenges her and keeps her on her toes. Yet, she's still a Queen and she needs to be obeyed. It's a fine line the two of them balance on and Joey Hill makes it work.
As the disease eating away at Lyssa's immortality continues to ravage her, Jacob is frantic to find a way to extend her life long enough for her vampiric allies to find a cure. All while managing to keep the fact that she's contracted the disease a secret. The usual sexual shenanigans take place. Well, usual for vampires, I guess. I've never been to a full-out orgy like they have. I'm guessing that having foursomes on display are the way things are done. *shrug* I'm willing to believe it, in any case.
It's been a while since I read book 1 but I found the conclusions of Lyssa and Jacob's story to be immensely satisfying. Bad things are afoot and their world is in danger of crumbling around them. Yet they continue on, pushing one another and trying to do the best they can for the vampire community.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
As the disease eating away at Lyssa's immortality continues to ravage her, Jacob is frantic to find a way to extend her life long enough for her vampiric allies to find a cure. All while managing to keep the fact that she's contracted the disease a secret. The usual sexual shenanigans take place. Well, usual for vampires, I guess. I've never been to a full-out orgy like they have. I'm guessing that having foursomes on display are the way things are done. *shrug* I'm willing to believe it, in any case.
It's been a while since I read book 1 but I found the conclusions of Lyssa and Jacob's story to be immensely satisfying. Bad things are afoot and their world is in danger of crumbling around them. Yet they continue on, pushing one another and trying to do the best they can for the vampire community.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
May 2, 2011
I admit to being a Joey Hill fan ever since I read her book Natural Law. Fem Dom is a small corner of the erotic romance and erotic paranormal market, so those of us who enjoy reading books I call "woman in the driver's seat" have only a handful of authors to choose from, so I was delighted when I first learned about Ms. Hill's work. I've read several of her books, but shied away from her vampire stories until recently, because, well, I've probably read over a thousand and three vampire novels and have started to get sick of da vamp. Sorry. That being said, I knew eventually I had to buy the book that catapulted her onto the fem dom reading scene, and that meant I had to get The Mark of The Vampire Queen.
The story is just as graphic as you might expect, and then some. But somehow, in Ms. Hill's clever hands, the story flows beyond mere sex scenes into one of the most erotic and intriguing plots I've ever read. The characters are fully realized, their lives entangled so completely that you want them to make it through their problems and come out the other side victorious. I will say one thing about Ms. Hill, be forewarned, because this is an author who not only pushes the envelope, but she licks and mails the damn thing. :-P Places you wouldn't go or expect an author to go...well, yep, she goes there. So some scenes are not for the faint of heart.
The story is just as graphic as you might expect, and then some. But somehow, in Ms. Hill's clever hands, the story flows beyond mere sex scenes into one of the most erotic and intriguing plots I've ever read. The characters are fully realized, their lives entangled so completely that you want them to make it through their problems and come out the other side victorious. I will say one thing about Ms. Hill, be forewarned, because this is an author who not only pushes the envelope, but she licks and mails the damn thing. :-P Places you wouldn't go or expect an author to go...well, yep, she goes there. So some scenes are not for the faint of heart.
November 30, 2008
Wow. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish this book because there were so many twists in the last pages that I couldn't put the thing down! I read the first book in this series and wasn't all that impressed, but admitted then that I'd have to read this sequel to find out what happened to the queen and her servant. Well, I couldn't have predicted much of this story, and I was much more impressed with it than its predecessor. One of the chief things that bothered me about the first book reared its ugly head here(and you can take that literally) and I'm no fonder of it this time. It has to do with the fact that the vampire queen had a Fey father, and what her mixed parentage does to her ... well, her servant and lover Jacob can handle it (again, literally), but it gets too close to something outside my comfort zone (which has certainly expanded of late). I realize this is all very vague, but I don't want to ruin any of the surprises this book holds in store for those who read the first book. I don't really recommend this as a stand-alone, and if you can't handle some very explicit and "out there" sex scenes, you'd best steer clear.
September 11, 2016
Book #2 in the Vampire Queen series
The flow of this book vs. book 1 was much better for me. I was able to finish without having to take a time out, so that's always a plus.
Jacob is now a full servant to Lady Lyssa & he vows to put her needs & the needs of her territory above his. And boy does he deliver.
Lyssa realizes that her former servant, Thomas was correct & that Jacob is the soul of two other Knights who came to her rescue when she most needed it. And now she admits that she loves him & doesn't want to be without him. She's committed herself to making her territory safe for the other vampires under her domain after her death, even at the risk of her own rapidly decaying health.
During the Council Gathering, she & Jacob are tested to the limits of their personal commitment to each other as well as making sure the Council isn't defeated by vampires who wish to take over & re-make the rules to suit their greedy whims.
The flow of this book vs. book 1 was much better for me. I was able to finish without having to take a time out, so that's always a plus.
Jacob is now a full servant to Lady Lyssa & he vows to put her needs & the needs of her territory above his. And boy does he deliver.
Lyssa realizes that her former servant, Thomas was correct & that Jacob is the soul of two other Knights who came to her rescue when she most needed it. And now she admits that she loves him & doesn't want to be without him. She's committed herself to making her territory safe for the other vampires under her domain after her death, even at the risk of her own rapidly decaying health.
During the Council Gathering, she & Jacob are tested to the limits of their personal commitment to each other as well as making sure the Council isn't defeated by vampires who wish to take over & re-make the rules to suit their greedy whims.
July 21, 2012
This is the conclusion of "The Vampire Queen's Servant", the story of ancient, beautiful Lady Lyssa and her devoted human servant Jacob. It begins where the first book left off, after Lyssa gave Jacob the third mark binding his life to hers. So much happens during the course of this book it would be nearly impossible for me to explain it all. At one point it seemed there was no way it could possibly end happily. Somehow, magically, it does, and in a way I never would have expected.
Joey Hill is a master of everything that you look for in a Paranormal Erotic Romance. She writes emotional, arousing erotic scenes that no other writer can even hope to touch, her world-building is beyond imaginative yet believable, and her prose is a thing of beauty. She is now without a doubt my favorite writer. Even if your not a fan of PNR, I would highly recommend reading this series.
Joey Hill is a master of everything that you look for in a Paranormal Erotic Romance. She writes emotional, arousing erotic scenes that no other writer can even hope to touch, her world-building is beyond imaginative yet believable, and her prose is a thing of beauty. She is now without a doubt my favorite writer. Even if your not a fan of PNR, I would highly recommend reading this series.
April 26, 2014
If you has already sample the first book of Vampire Queen, you would love this second book as dearly as the first one. Once again, we moves on to the relationship between Lady Lyssa and Jacob.. they are HOT HOT HOT couple. Everything and Anything in this book is burning fire that makes us sweat and heavy breathing. The passion here is at full extreme.
In this book, we witness a whole new other level of limit of love. more BDSM.. HARD CORE!!! okay.. i have to admit, I don't prefer BDSM but this series have such a lovely storyline and characters that it offset the BDSM factors. if it's just typical BDSM, I would probably not continue reading. But BDSM in this book is used to emphasize the love and relationship of the characters. Once again, i'm in love.
I'm testing my limit here.
4.5/5 again
In this book, we witness a whole new other level of limit of love. more BDSM.. HARD CORE!!! okay.. i have to admit, I don't prefer BDSM but this series have such a lovely storyline and characters that it offset the BDSM factors. if it's just typical BDSM, I would probably not continue reading. But BDSM in this book is used to emphasize the love and relationship of the characters. Once again, i'm in love.
I'm testing my limit here.
4.5/5 again
September 9, 2011
This book was just as much an action-adventure fantasy novel as it was a romance.
The protagonists are those from The Vampire Queen's Servant, which I read and loved. Here we have an established relationship being tested by internal and external conflicts, and growing deeper as a result.
The descriptions of medical research, of battles, of wilderness really were fascinating. The worldbuilding here was excellent.
I really enjoyed the setting of the Council meeting, the tales of behind-the-scenes action and politicking in an otherworldly setting.
The sex scenes were fantastic.
I know I will enjoy reading this again.
The protagonists are those from The Vampire Queen's Servant, which I read and loved. Here we have an established relationship being tested by internal and external conflicts, and growing deeper as a result.
The descriptions of medical research, of battles, of wilderness really were fascinating. The worldbuilding here was excellent.
I really enjoyed the setting of the Council meeting, the tales of behind-the-scenes action and politicking in an otherworldly setting.
The sex scenes were fantastic.
I know I will enjoy reading this again.
September 8, 2009
I am currently reading the mark of the Vampire Queen and am enjoying it more than the previous book, The Vampire Queen's Sevant. I am finsgin myself liking Lady Lyssa more, in spite of her haughty ways at times, her love for Jacob is becoming more apparent. As in the last book, the sex is not vanilla. There are significant BDSM episodes and the submissive role Jacob has to assume in order to serve his mistress is tantilizing.
I finished this book last night and LOVED it. I cried. I literally cried at times and at the end I was amazed that the author brought it all together. Much better than the first book. Loved it!
I finished this book last night and LOVED it. I cried. I literally cried at times and at the end I was amazed that the author brought it all together. Much better than the first book. Loved it!
May 19, 2013
Everything that Lyssa and Jacob went through in The Vampire Queen's Servant was just sort of a prelude for this one.
Basically everything they had been working toward came down to the Vampire Council meeting. And Jacob has to go through some things that would test the resolve of any one who wanted to be a dedicated servant - or at least most any confidently heterosexual man.
Fortunately, though, for Jacob, the ending may mean that he doesn't have to go quite through such an experience again.
Basically everything they had been working toward came down to the Vampire Council meeting. And Jacob has to go through some things that would test the resolve of any one who wanted to be a dedicated servant - or at least most any confidently heterosexual man.
Fortunately, though, for Jacob, the ending may mean that he doesn't have to go quite through such an experience again.
June 22, 2015
This books continues the story of Lady Lyssa,Vampire Queen of the Far East Clan and Jacob. Thomas, Lady Lyssa's former human servant believes Jacob has served Lady Lyssa in two different lifetimes.
Again Lady Lyssa meets Jacob in yet another lifetime and the sparks fly.
Although vampires do not fall in love with humans, after all Lyssa had been throughout with her late husband Rex, she found a pulling desire to connect with Jacob.
The story keeps you on the edge wanting, anticipating what will happen next. I highly recommend this one.
Again Lady Lyssa meets Jacob in yet another lifetime and the sparks fly.
Although vampires do not fall in love with humans, after all Lyssa had been throughout with her late husband Rex, she found a pulling desire to connect with Jacob.
The story keeps you on the edge wanting, anticipating what will happen next. I highly recommend this one.
August 26, 2013
Well not my favorite vampire world at all! Dark and sadistic. It was truly terrifying at times. Yet I found myself shockingly excited by it all! It all just confirms how corrupt my mind has become! Jacob *fanning self* is the reason I kept reading. A true loyal hero! He could not be broken though Lyssa tried. She did get on my nerves most of the time with her arrogance and " this is for your own good " mentality. Such the martyr! It was a good story, different but good!
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