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Shadow's Claim: Immortals After Dark: The Dacians [Kindle Edition]

Kresley Cole (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (333 customer reviews)
Print List Price: $7.99
Kindle Price: $6.83 includes free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: $1.16 (15%)
Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc

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Book Description

#1 New York Times bestseller Kresley Cole introduces The Dacians: Realm of Blood and Mist, a new paranormal series following the royal bloodline of Dacia, a vampire kingdom hidden within the Lore of the Immortals After Dark.

Shadow’s Claim features Prince Trehan, a ruthless master assassin who will do anything to possess Bettina, his beautiful sorceress mate, even compete for her hand in a blood-sport tournament— to the death.

HE WON’T BE DENIED

Trehan Daciano, known as the Prince of Shadows, has spent his life serving his people—striking in the night, quietly executing any threat to their realm. The coldly disciplined swordsman has never desired anything for himself—until he beholds Bettina, the sheltered ward of two of the Lore’s most fearsome villains.

SHE’S BOUND TO ANOTHER

Desperate to earn her guardians’ approval after a life-shattering mistake, young Bettina has no choice but to marry whichever suitor prevails—even though she’s lost her heart to another. Yet one lethal competitor, a mysterious cloaked swordsman, invades her dreams, tempting her with forbidden pleasure.

A BATTLE FOR HER BODY AND SOUL

Even if Trehan can survive the punishing contests to claim her as his wife, the true battle for Bettina’s heart is yet to come. And unleashing a millennium’s worth of savage need will either frighten his Bride away—or stoke Bettina’s own desires to a fever pitch. . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As is to be expected from a kick-ass Immortal Lore tale, there is plenty of bloodshed, passion, and death-defying thrills. This surefire hit will liven up even the dullest afternoon."  Top Pick (RT Book Reviews)
 
"I've not, to date, read one book from Cole that was average. Ever. This woman knows how to bring the heat, passion, and adventure like no other! These stories contain some of the most vivid worlds I've ever had the privilege of reading. I'm not just a fan, I am a willing and loyal slave to the words she lays down on the pages!" (ismellsheep.com)

"This paranormal romance is engrossing and unexpected; Kresley manages to pull laughs and tears from where I didn't expect to find any. If there were any way to introduce The Dacians, Trehan and Bettina's story is most definitely the way!"  (LoveyDoveyBooks.com)
 

About the Author

Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Immortals After Dark paranormal series. Her IAD books have been translated into seventeen foreign languages, garnered two RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad. She has also written five award-winning historical romances.Visit her website at KresleyCole.com.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • File Size: 1696 KB
  • Print Length: 496 pages
  • Publisher: Pocket Books (November 27, 2012)
  • Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B0061NT2RW
  • Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
  • X-Ray: Enabled
  • Lending: Not Enabled
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,490 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
(333)
4.5 out of 5 stars
See all 333 customer reviews
“ Enjoyed the story line, the characters were great. ” C. Castruita  |  63 reviewers made a similar statement
“ I really enjoyed this book I read it in 2 days- I didn't want to put it down. ” Nicole  |  47 reviewers made a similar statement
“ I just wanted to write a review to say that I really liked reading the book. ” ms geni  |  22 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
55 of 60 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I could spend a day inside Kresley's mind November 27, 2012
By Go Flash Go! TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
"You know you can do anything to me," she murmured. "I'm yours - I always will be." Those words could have been spoken by any number of Kresley Cole's heroines. In "Shadows's Claim," they were spoken by Princess Bettina of Abaddon, unfortunately, during a case of mistaken identity. Bettina is half-sorceress and half-demon and the heiress to her kingdom. Without a mate, her relatives decide to hold a fight-to-the-death tournament to select who will rule beside Tina as King. To say that Tina is not impressed with her potential mates (chosen for brawn, not looks or personality) would be an understatement.

Prince Trehan Daciano is the vampire master assassin of the House of Shadow. Trehan's current assassination assignment leads him to the demonic plane of Abaddon, and some unknown force compels him to enter Tina's chambers. He is an unblooded vampire, but not for long, even when Bettina mistakes him in the dark for her childhood love.

I wish I could spend a day in Kresley's mind. I've read all of her IAD books and novellas, two of her historical novels, and her recent YA novel, The Poison Princess. She seems to have a never-ending supply of imaginative worlds and an endlessly fascinating cast of characters at her fingertips. "Shadow's Claim" has all of Kresley's trademarks, including a heroine who might not initially know her real strength, but gains it over time, along with her confidence. Trehan knows Bettina is his Bride, and he will stop at nothing to possess her. Their passion is mixed with equal parts of lust and tenderness. Another one of Kresley's traits is to sprinkle doses of humor throughout, most notably with Bettina's sort of evil sorceress godmother, Morgana, who I'm fervently hoping gets her own book. Some familiar characters of the IAD series make appearance, but I'll leave those for a surprise.

For me, all of Kresley's books have ranged from good (just two of those) to fantastic (all the rest.) Shadow's Claim falls in the fantastic range of the spectrum. The tension, conflicts, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles between Bettina and Trehan felt real, and not forced for story purposes. Bettina is someone easy to root for, and Trehan is just...YUM - one of the best of Cole's heroes. Unlike far too many romance heroes, Trehan is not ridiculously angst-ridden and prone to temper tantrums - one of my big pet peeves in this genre. Yes, he's hot, strong, and willing to kill and die for Bettina. His personality mirrors his assassin profession in many ways - deliberate, thoughtful, and smooth. In other words, a nice change of pace from the more cliched types.

I don't know of another author who is able to write with such a balanced mix of passion, sensuality, and flat-out hot sex. Cole remains my favorite author, and I look forward to reading more of this new world. However, her next IAD book is "MacRieve," scheduled for May 2013. I'm already anxious to get my hands on that. I only wish Kresley could clone herself so she could write faster!
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27 of 30 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Good read, but not my favorite November 30, 2012
By A Book a Day TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I don't think you'll ever get a bad read by Kresley Cole. I absolutely love her IAD series and although this is technically a spinoff, it really didn't need to be. Characters that we know and love are interspersed throughout and all the ingredients of tension, drama, and sexy scenes are here, but I have to be honest, it wasn't near my favorite. I can't even imagine what this author must have for a posterboard timeline to keep all the facts straight and you'll likely enjoy this book a little more if you've read the previous books, or at a minimum, Lothaire, but it isn't a requirement.

In Lothaire, we're introduced to the Dacians, a race of vampires who live in the land of mist and shadow, a very different backdrop than our beloved New Orleans. Once you've been to the land of mist and shadow, you can never leave so when Caspion flees home to Abbadon, Trehan, the Dacian assassin, is sent to eliminate him. Only when Trehan arrives in Abbadon, he finds his bride, Bettina. The only problem is, Caspion is Bettina's best friend and she fancies herself in love with him. The easy thing to do would be to kill him, but she begs him not to and on his honor, he doesn't want to hurt her. Unfortunately he finds himself competing in an immortal death match to win Bettina's hand and Caspion is also a contestant.

The setup is absolutely fantastic rife with tension, confusion, and challenge, but once we got to the competition, it started to slide a bit for me. I was very uncomfortable with the premise of the death match in general, especially with innocents, because, boy oh, were there some and their deaths did not sit well with me. I much prefer peril against the "bad guys", but that's just me. Trehan is yet another sigh worthy addition to the delicious immortal males, but something just didn't work with Bettina. Bettina is very young and confused about her feelings and they evolve at a natural pace, but quite frankly, Trehan was too delicious to be slighted by Bettina who spends so much time pining over a manslore who has no interest in her that way. All in all, it was a good read and I'm happy with any additions Ms. Cole produces, but this is at the bottom with Lothaire in terms of my favorite installments. I'd actually say the best part is hints at Melanthe's story, which I'm simply chomping at the bit for.
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23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Shadow's Claim November 27, 2012
By LITERAL ADDICTION
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

*ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Shadow's Claim was an amazing blend of the best of the IAD series. It included some of my favorites of the Lore and overlaps beautifully with the timeline of the last release, Lothaire.

Unlike other `spin-off' series that I've read recently, wherein the plot of the debut book picks up where the last book of the previous series left off, Shadow's Claim takes a subset of characters and actually happens in parallel with the events of Lothaire. This was made even more enjoyable when the timelines mesh at the end of the book.

Our hero and heroine: Trehan and Bettina are phenomenal together and easily worked their way into my top 3 IAD power couples. Their journey is intense, riddled with emotion, sexy as sin, and full of surprises. I loved how it wasn't a foregone conclusion that things were going to work out and give us that "Happily Ever After" that we expect from Paranormal Romances, and I actually wondered if Kresley might make us wait for Book #2 to find out what would ultimately happen.

The world: The realm of blood and mist was magical and complex, and Shadow's Claim was made even more intricate by the fact that it took place in several different locales. Kresley painted the set beautifully with her descriptive prose, impeccable timing, and enthralling character interaction.

Overall story: The book was chock full of danger, intrigue, action, and romance. The multiple twists and turns that were introduced made things fabulously unpredictable and extremely entertaining.

Some of my favorite things...
1) Simply put, the depth of Trehan! It was completely mystifying, and he may very well have become one of my favorite PNR heroes. Yes he's a ruthless, detached assassin, but he's also a somewhat vulnerable, bookish introvert. He shows indications of being a closet romantic, an art aficionado, and a loyal family man, and somehow manages to perfectly balance being an uber alpha male with having a surprising and wonderful soft side.

2) The fact that Bettina's entire future hinged on the outcome of a gladiator style life and death tournament was unique and made for high anxiety reading. It also paved the way for some very interesting little surprises that Kresley introduced, as well as some wonderful dialogue.

3) The supporting characters were solid and felt necessary to the story. I found myself finding favorites among them outside of our leading couple and hoping that we find out even more in future releases. In addition, we get cameos from some great IAD veterans and more storyline on a couple that were only briefly mentioned before, therefore making me yearn for the future releases because there is just so much potential with these characters in play.

All in all, LITERAL ADDICTION gives Shadow's Claim 5 Skulls and would recommend it to ALL Kresley Cole IMMORTALS AFTER DARK fans.

While I don't think it's 100% necessary to read the entire IAD series before reading Shadow's Claim, I do feel that having done so made Shadow's Claim more enjoyable. Reading Lothaire before Shadow's Claim was a definite plus. With that said, IMMORTALS AFTER DARK is an incredible series and should be devoured by paranormal romance lovers far and wide, so take the plunge and get lost in the Lore. You won't be disappointed! :)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars love this series
Would recommend to anyone. Well written, relevant, funny, emotional, great character development. An all around great author, can't wait for the next one.
Published 2 days ago by Sherellyn A. Purcell
5.0 out of 5 stars If this is paranormal, I don't want to be normal!
I have always loved Kresley Cole's style of writing. I've read all the books in her "Immortals After Dark" series and have always waited anxioulsy for them to be released. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Pinky1979
4.0 out of 5 stars I CAN'T WAIT TO THE NEXT BOOK IN THIS SERIES COMES OUT
I LOVE KRESLEY COLE AND WILL FOLLOW THIS SERIES FOR SURE I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THE DACIANOS WANT TO FIND OUT HOW LOTHARIE WILL TEACH THEM TO BE TRUE VAMPIRES
Published 3 days ago by carmen nickens
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
You get drawn into the story line and the detail and referal to previous books character is exeptional. Love it
Published 4 days ago by Elzanne` Smit
5.0 out of 5 stars Most certianly not my last Cole book!
I have never highlighted more passages or bookmarked more pages than I did while reading this book. Honestly this review is going to be difficult to write without just quoting the... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Little Read Riding Hood
5.0 out of 5 stars More Lore from one of my favorite authors!
I am such a fan of The Immortals After Dark series. I was not super thrilled when I found that Cole was starting a different series, The Dacians. Read more
Published 8 days ago by jcat
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Yet another great read from Kresley Cole. Loved seeing more of the Dacians world. Eager to read the next book in the series.
Published 9 days ago by Sarah Benoit
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
I've read all of Kresley Cole's books and really love her books and this book is no exception. I couldn't put the book down!
Published 9 days ago by lrpnkster
4.0 out of 5 stars i like this new series of kresley cole the immortals after dark...
i like this new series of the immortals after dark: the dacians. i would recommend it to anyone who like books about mythical creatures as i do. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Indira Rampershad
5.0 out of 5 stars Captivated Once Again
Every time I finish another of Kresley Cole's books, I always think, "Wow, the next book can't possibly get any better than this." And every time I find myself eating my words. Read more
Published 12 days ago by cyn thia
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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Kresley Cole Page
Kresley Cole
Kresley Cole is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series, the young adult Arcana Chronicles series, as well as five award-winning historical romances.

A master's grad and former athlete, she has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. Two of her favorite places to visit include the rain forests of Central America and the Far North Queensland area of Australia (where, by the way, she would not recommend swimming outside of the stinger nets--at night).

Cole's trademark action, sensuality, and humor are best exemplified in her Immortals After Dark Series, which revolves around the Lore, a secret stratum of hundreds of immortal creatures--ranging from Vampires to Lykae, Furies to Shifters, and Fey to Valkyrie--that each have their strengths, weaknesses, and age old prejudices against the others. Though they secretly live among humans, they constantly war among themselves, which gives her a lot of material.

Her IAD books have been translated into seventeen foreign languages, garnered two RITA awards, and consistently appear on the bestseller lists, in the U.S. and abroad.

Cole lives in Florida with her family and "far too many animals." She spends any free time traveling and enjoys all things related to boats and water. You can learn more about her and her work at www.kresleycole.com.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#23 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic
#24 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary
#61 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction
#62 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy
#79 in Books > Romance
#23 in Books > Romance > Fantasy & Futuristic
#24 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary
#61 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction
#62 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy
#79 in Books > Romance

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Price!!!
I agree! Though Kresley Cole is the only author I would just about pay any price to read, I quickly pre-ordered for $7.99. I'm pretty sure I saw either $9.99 or $10.99 originally.
Sep 10, 2012 by gbaby |  See all 6 posts
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