Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Promising premise, but with pacing issues, August 2, 2010
This review is from: Shadow of the Vampire (Mass Market Paperback)
In Meagan Hatfield's paranormal romance Shadow of the Vampire, Alexia is on the cusp of taking over the vampire horde from her mother. She's powerful, but her mother's adviser and fiance is far from excited about Alexia taking over. He leads the search for a crystal that will give the vampires total power.
The vampire's enemies are the dragons who live high in the mountains. When dragon lord Declan is captured, Alexia is ordered to torture him for information on the crystal. Instead she falls in love. Something about him draws her to him over and over. He can't resist her either, even though he came to vampires to take revenge for his parents' deaths.
Hatfield writes vivid love scenes that keep readers rapt. Her attention to detail for all senses is notable and helps immerse the reader in the world she's created.
The strong cultures of both the vampires and dragons help paint an intriguing world for the characters of Shadow of the Vampire. One that, despite the book's flaws, I would be interested in seeing more of, with or without the same characters.
There were two things that held me back from truly enjoying Shadow of the Vampire. The first relates to characterization. We're given good background on the characters in the novel. This, of course, is a big plus. The problem comes in when some of their reactions don't ring true given said background. My real problem is that Alexia has been a victim of rape, yet early on reacts positively to the idea of being helpless during sex. Declan is sensitive to the idea and he's mindful of not being overbearing in that way, which fits with his character (and what readers want from him), but Alexia's reactions just don't fit. Later, sure, but from the get-go? No, I felt like Hatfield was just placating readers' enjoyment, mine included, of that type of interaction. The scene I'm referring to would have been great if I didn't already have this knowledge about our heroine's past.
Secondly, the book drags on a bit. Certain chapters, particularly toward the end of the novel, have prompt pacing but you had to work to get to them.
Shadow of the Vampire shows promise, strong characterization and Hatfield has the command of prose that can really grab readers, if you can get past the pacing issues.
This review was originally posted at [...]
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Promising new series, July 11, 2010
This review is from: Shadow of the Vampire (Mass Market Paperback)
Why three stars after all these glowing reviews? There were some things that simply weren't answered that should have been for the first book in a series. This book read like the third or fourth book in an already establish story verse the very first. Three because there was no back story on dragons/vampires.
Declan: um....he was okay. He could have been wall paper. There was nothing extraordinary about him. He just was. The norm. He cared for the heroine, lusted after her, was in a emotional upheaval, had to fight against the odds, showed great valor when it comes down to it and knows how to take a beating! hmm, i think that's the same guy in EVERY book. M(r)s. Hatfield didn't delve enough into his psych to make him a memorable character for me. The only thing different was his name....
Alexis: I found her to be very weak when she was the author was trying to portray her as damage but fierce. She fell flat. She never came off strong to me even when she should have been. Yes, the villain, pretty much took away her strength but if she is some powerful being why couldn't she fight off or at the very least keep things from happening to her???
Aside: The mother was also BEYOND weak despite being the QUEEN and having UNTOLD powers...wtf? What happened to her had me scratching my head trying to understand if Lotharus was RIGHT and women had no reason to be on the throne.....She, like her daughter, were mere muppets that Lotharus easily controlled desipte Alexis have seened through him.
Lotharus: the villain. He was truly bad to the bone. One of the best villain I ever read. I tip my hat off to the author for him. His cruelty knew no bounds and he simply didn't care. He had a plan and he went for it. He probably was crazed but he still thought everything out carefully and didnt act rash. I wish there had been MORE insight onto why he believed the things he did although....
Secondary characters: eh. There have been better but she did bring them enough into the book that you could see who where getting there own books and who could possibly be interested. It wasn't at all overwhelming as JR Ward likes to do her secondary character where they become the focus. In fact, I think she should have flesh them out MORE because I cant say any of them sounded the least interesting to want to read their books as they find love '_'
Sex: Good! No complaint there.
Romance/Love: I appreciate that they didn't proclaim their love asap and started saying ily after three seconds. But they did fall into their 'romance' (if you will) way too easily. It was odd since they hate what the other stand for and hate each other upon principle yet they are in an uncompromising position within their first meeting. There was no push/pull and they had faith in the other so their romance was good.
Fight: This is a DARK paranormal romance. People are get beat up and its graphic. It not a fade to black type of writing...so if reading about people being hurt/abuse this is not for you
Plot: Interesting! The world building she did was intriguing and that's really the ONLY reason I would buy her next book is to find out what happens next within the story that is picking up in the next one. She didn't fully explain WHY the vamps hate the dragons and vice versa. They just do...ok.... In every series of this type (i.e. vamps against were, vamps against a society trying to kill them) its clear why they are fighting each other and what either side is hoping to gain. Which is what this story lacks. She didnt do enough back story for me to hate the vampire or to believe dragons are the good ones. Also, what makes a dragon lord? Meaning how do you become one? Is it having pure blood? Why was Declan's mother able to become a dragon after drinking the dragon king's blood? How did he know that could happen?
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Review from the book review blog, Book Faery, June 30, 2010
This review is from: Shadow of the Vampire (Mass Market Paperback)
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.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
