Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield

Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Action/Adventure, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (361 pgs)
Heat Level: hot
ADULT CONTENT

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?

This was a paranormal twist on Romeo and Juliet, where a vampire and a dragon-shifter fall in love, even though their clans are in a war that has spanned centuries. Theirs is a destiny that neither could ever imagine. Can a vampire and dragon help their worlds merge together or will fate deal them a cruel hand?

Alexia, the vampire princess - destined to become queen of the horde, is a hard as nails, leather clad vampire vixen, and torturer extraordinaire. She never even realized that true love could exist until she met bronze-skinned, blue-eyed, dragon lord - Declan. Declan is caught by the temptress Alexia, and cannot believe that such a tiny vamp could be the one to finally chain him down in more ways than one. The first time that Alexia and Declan truly meet – she cannot believe that she could react so strongly to his sculpted and muscular body, when all she is ever used to seeing is the pale, sickly thin vampires surrounding her. As the first few scenes between the two lovers are revealed, their longing for each other and their frustrations of being from opposite sides of the war are evident and make you want to cheer for them to make it through this challenge.

The actual plot is quite intriguing as it reveals that there is a secret crystal that could change everything for good or bad. There are snippets of the history between the two clans throughout the novel, shown in memories and old writings that are discovered. It's just a matter of who will find and use the crystal first – for good or evil?

Meagan Hatfield has created the perfect villain in Lotharus, such a sneaky, vile and creepy thing that makes you cringe in every scene he has. Ms. Hatfield has also created some interesting supporting characters, Tallon, Griffon, and others, that seem to blossom in the last 50 pages of the novel, thus opening the story up to a sequel.

In the end, the sarcastic humour between characters, the super steamy scenes between our hero and heroine, and the perfection of the creepiest villain ever are the things that make up this tale of love, loss, and hope for the future.

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/shadow-of-vampire-by-meagan-hatfield.html