Once Burned (Night Prince, Bk 1)
Author:
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Author:
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Bookfanatic reviewed on
This book is a keeper. I won't put my copy for swapping.
I didn't think I could find a vampire hero in this series that I would love as much as Bones, but Jeanine Frost created that hero in Vlad. He is all that Bones is, but so much more. Much deadlier, much scarier, much more alpha, but with all those deadly attributes, he is quite likable. Frost does a wonderful job of presenting a nuanced view of Vlad, the prototype for Dracula. Vlad is not a knight in shining armor. He clearly has a dark side. He doesn't hide the dark side either. If asked to choose between Bones and Vlad, I honestly don't know which male vamp I'd pick. That's how much I enjoyed Vlad's character. He has humor, loyalty and above all else, monogamy! Unlike Bones, this vampire doesn't sleep around. In fact, his "number" of conquests is shockingly low for someone who is several hundred years old. Having said that, the sexy scenes in the book are scorching hot (no pun intended) though not kinky.
I loved the female heroine in the story. She is feisty, very bright, quick witted, and emotionally stable. I can't stand reading some paranormal stories because the heroine is incredibly emotional. This heroine is not a weepy mess who needs rescuing from the big bad alpha vampire male. She has powers that are extraordinary and she is more than equal to Vlad's Master vampire powers. He senses in her a kindred spirit. Mencheres, Kira, Cat and Bones make a brief appearance. I liked the descriptions of those characters from the perspective of this heroine who hasn't seen them before.
I liked that the connection between the two happened slowly and is still in progress well into the next book. I hope Frost continues with Vlad's series. He is one of the most interesting characters in the series. My one complaint is that a first person point of view doesn't allow us to understand Vlad as well as we could have. The sections where the heroine got psychic impressions of Vlad's hidden thoughts were a good glimpse into the complex character he is, but I wished we had more entry into what goes on in that mind of his.
I didn't think I could find a vampire hero in this series that I would love as much as Bones, but Jeanine Frost created that hero in Vlad. He is all that Bones is, but so much more. Much deadlier, much scarier, much more alpha, but with all those deadly attributes, he is quite likable. Frost does a wonderful job of presenting a nuanced view of Vlad, the prototype for Dracula. Vlad is not a knight in shining armor. He clearly has a dark side. He doesn't hide the dark side either. If asked to choose between Bones and Vlad, I honestly don't know which male vamp I'd pick. That's how much I enjoyed Vlad's character. He has humor, loyalty and above all else, monogamy! Unlike Bones, this vampire doesn't sleep around. In fact, his "number" of conquests is shockingly low for someone who is several hundred years old. Having said that, the sexy scenes in the book are scorching hot (no pun intended) though not kinky.
I loved the female heroine in the story. She is feisty, very bright, quick witted, and emotionally stable. I can't stand reading some paranormal stories because the heroine is incredibly emotional. This heroine is not a weepy mess who needs rescuing from the big bad alpha vampire male. She has powers that are extraordinary and she is more than equal to Vlad's Master vampire powers. He senses in her a kindred spirit. Mencheres, Kira, Cat and Bones make a brief appearance. I liked the descriptions of those characters from the perspective of this heroine who hasn't seen them before.
I liked that the connection between the two happened slowly and is still in progress well into the next book. I hope Frost continues with Vlad's series. He is one of the most interesting characters in the series. My one complaint is that a first person point of view doesn't allow us to understand Vlad as well as we could have. The sections where the heroine got psychic impressions of Vlad's hidden thoughts were a good glimpse into the complex character he is, but I wished we had more entry into what goes on in that mind of his.
