A Note:

6/2/13

I once told myself: IF I am accepted into grad school, this blog would no longer be updated. As it turns out, in April, I received news of my acceptance for the Fall 2013 semester, where I will attain a Master's degree of Science in Nutrition.

Running a blog, as many of you may already know, is a demanding side job once the excitement wears off. And once I fell out of the blogging community's loop (have you SEEN how many blogs there are now? Wow!), it was like the kiss of death. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get into a blogging routine once this happened due to the disconnect I felt from the community.

So I took a break. I struggled with the loss and with missing my blog. And then I realized I didn't have to run Book Faery to still be a book reviewer; I could read my books and post reviews online. I'm still a book review blogger, just not in the traditional sense.

I'll still be online. You can chat with me on Twitter, where I'll be posting links to my reviews and talking books. I'll also be posting links to nutrition articles. And if you'd like to connect with me where I guarantee I will post reviews, just add me as a friend on Goodreads.

So that's all, folks! It's been a fun and amazing journey, and I thank you all for listening to my thoughts about books. I hope we all can keep in touch elsewhere :)

Tori

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield


Even vampires should never sleep with the enemy.

Vampire princess Alexia Feodorovna has been undead for 125 years, so it's been a while since any man has made her pulse race. Until Declan Black. One look at his bronzed body and a fire like no other consumes her. Then she discovers that he's a dragon lord come to take revenge on the vamps who killed his parents. And claim a crystal said to imbue its owner with incredible powers.


Alexia is ordered to torture and kill the dragon lord. Yet with each reckless encounter, she finds herself consumed by his fiery passion. A passion Declan battles, as well. Will he be able to resist the fire of lust she kindles within him and keep revenge in his heart? Or will he risk everything to quench the burning desire and claim the vampire as his own?

Obtained:
Netgalley
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series:
1. Shadow of the Vampire
My Rating:

My Opinion:
An interesting read.  I, for the most part, found myself more invested with the romance between Declan and Alexia above all else.  They had a connection that sucked me into their world, and their initial interactions seduced me into wanting more.

As for most of the secondary characters, they fell a bit flat in the sense that they appeared slightly underdeveloped in the beginning.  I understood the prejudices vamps and dragons had, but a lot of the dragons were just.  I'm not sure.  I never felt a need to learn more about them.  I got tired of reading the scenes in their POV.  In particular, I did not care for Tallon.  She appeared intriguing in the initial stages of the book, but then her change--a change that I suppose is understandable due to the trauma her family has experienced thus far--made me dislike her.  She came off as whiney and selfish at times, yet at the same time, she wasn't entirely.  There was just something about her that was off....

Until around the last 50 pages in the book.  It was at this point where something seemed to click in my head.  Her anguish suddenly went from bratty and annoying to something I genuinely cared about.  The descriptions Meagan used for the scene before Tallon goes to try and beat up her fellow dragon resonated within me.  I think a lot of people can connect, on some level, with the anguish she was suffering from.  THAT is what made her seem real to me, and that is what ultimately redeemed her in my eyes.

The action scenes tended to be a bit chaotic for my tastes--but fitting for the chaos that was occurring throughout story--and tended to drag on for a bit longer than necessary.  Perhaps this is simply my preference speaking right now, but I'd rather it be short, sweet, and kick-ass, instead of slow, chaotic, and slightly confusing (from my perspective).  I couldn't understand the motivation behind some of Alexia/Declan's decisions about halfway into the book when all hell breaks loose at the Horde's caves.  It could just be that I was tired when I was reading this on my laptop, and maybe I would appreciate these scenes a bit more on paper... who knows.

Back to the romance: it was sweet.  It was seductive.  It had me giggling at times.  I loved the scenes where Declan and Alexia meet, and then the one following in the dungeon, and then the one that concludes the story.  The initial teaser successfully kept me hooked until the very end.  Their relationship was bittersweet also.  Suffice to say, I felt the connection between the two.

If you're into paranormal romances, if you like dragons, and if you like vampires, chances are, you will enjoy Shadow of the Vampire.  Despite my initial reluctance, if this turns into a series, and if the next book is about Tallon (which I think it is), I would definitely be interested in checking it out.



5 comments:

  1. I've been curious about this book since I haven't read anything about Meagan Hatfield yet..the vamp and dragon combo sounds interesting though..great review!

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  2. I enjoyed her writing. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I wasn't forced to read it on the computer ;)

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  3. I feel like I'm going blind if I read on the computer too long - u must get yourself an e-reader! There seems to be lots o' contests that give away e-readers with new releases now - you should go sign up and win ;)

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  4. Seriously? I've been seeing only one or two in regards to authors & new releases.

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  5. I like your review, it is honest and straight forward.
    I have been pulling for Meagan for awhile and am so happy she got a print book published. I really enjoyed the book and would definetly recommend it to others. The connection between dragons and vampires rocks in my opinion. I am hoping she is able to do a long series with this. I would love to win the signed copy because it is a keeper for me. I definetly like print books vs ebooks, it would kill my eyes to read them on the computer. :) I know the publishing world seems to be going that way though.

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