Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield

Publisher:  HQN, Harlequin Enterprises
Pages:  368

(Release Date:  July 1, 2010)

From the Cover:

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?

******may contain spoilers******

Alexia has two days to wait for her ascension, Queen of the horde, if she survives.  Her mother and the current Queen, Queen Catija, has been unwell.  She has let her lover and adviser, Lotharus, run her life, her kingdom, and now, when Alexia ascends to the throne, they will marry.  But what Catija doesn't know is that Lotharus has other plans.  He's tired of taking orders from females, lowly creatures not fit to lead let alone command him, and, if the Queen continues to drink his elixir, she won't live to see the wedding and Alexia her ascension.  Lotharus has found the Dark Prince's journals, they say he went mad .... maybe from imbibing in the life blood of his victims and other vampires, a practice Lotharus plans to revive.

Declan Black will be claimed the next King, Dragon Lord, by the council.  His parents were brutally and savagely murdered after days of being tortured when they attempted to take the crystal that has been prophesied to allow the holder to rule over them all.  Dragons and Vampires have long been enemies, but recently the horde has been more vicious, corrupt, and murderous.  He can't believe they have take his parents, he longs for the blood of his enemies to flow through his fingers.  But there is one more thing he has to do before he can rightfully accept the King's throne.  He must finish what his parents attempted.  He must claim the crystal, before the vampires can make use of it.

Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield is an excellently told tale of an unusual vampire/shifter love story.  The vampires used to be rule by a mad Dark Prince, but since his overthrow hundreds of years ago, the horde has been calm, grown happy, that is until Catija ascends to the throne.  The old Queen was kind, ruling with a stern, but gentle hand.  Catija has shown bloodthirstiness and her name is more than a little feared.  Lotharus is a new breed of evil and he has become the Queens closest adviser, but he suspects Catija has figured out his dastardly plan.  Lotharus is everything evil, he's brutal, malignant, where he soul once lived, vileness has taken it's place and he's one of the ancients, hard to defeat.  He has outlived his usefulness, and when Alexia ascends to the throne, she'd love to see him receive just what he needs, a long overdue death.  He is very deserving.  Declan is captured by Alexia, and Lotharus demands he be tortured to death as he had his parents, the Dragons have stolen the ancient scrolls and he wants them back.  Dragons are extremely powerful creatures, but with one weakness, silver.  And silver is what the vampires use to torture and kill the creatures.  When Declan sees Alexia, he'd like nothing better than to take her in his claws and rips her to pieces, but everytime she comes near, another passion grips him instead.  The vampires slaughtered his parents, and now, they're going to slaughter him too, he knows it, the silver piercing his body won't let him forget.  But Alexia does the unexpected.  She tries to help Declan.  Can there be more than what he can see to this little vampire?

Shadow of the Vampire is a darkly told paranormal romance/urban fantasy.  Alexia doesn't know what to do.  She knows that Lotharus would like nothing better than to control the horde, massacre everyone he considers his enemy.  And now the Dragon Lord is making Alexia's own body a treacherous place to be, he's the enemy, and all she wants to do is comfort him.  Declan knows that the next time Alexia sneaks into the dungeon, he should kill her, end her life like his parents have been murdered.  But the little vampire wiggles under his scales, and now he can't shake the feel of her body against his.  Shadow of the Vampire is an erotically told little tale with loads of fighting and excitement, legends of the vampire horde, and an intricately woven world between the two societies that I'd like to get to know better.  There is graphic violence and sexuality, so if this bothers you, pick something else to read.  If you enjoy a darkly erotic romance/fantasy as much as I do, I highly recommend Shadow of the Vampire.  It's a quick little read that hooked me immediately and keeps the reader engage within the story, and it has a great cliffhanger ending.  You see, Declan sends of his Dragons in search of.....  Well, it would be kind of unfair to tell you.  You'll just have to pick it up and read to find out.  It's not at all what you expect and it may change all of their lives.

I received this book for review from Harlequin Enterprises and Net Galley.  All opinions expressed are my own.