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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Not too bad - I liked the hero more than the heroine. It was interesting to learn about a new group of characters.
Maybe 3 stars????
Since I'm a huge Kresley Cole fan it pains me to admit that this is probably my least favorite book by her.... ever. I absolutely HATED the heroine. In my opinion she was whiney, irritating, obtuse, selfish and completely absorbed by a guy that repeatedly told her that he didn't want her like that. She played the tease with Trehan over and over again then kept choosing her bff over him. It was sad. I hated her. Even at the end she was STILL playing the sad, misunderstood little girl who has been wronged by the big, crazy vampire and STILL blaming him for embarrassing her and her bff. Then at the end she was all "my bad, no biggie, it's all good, let's make-up now". What a freaking little bitch. I wish KC would have just let her bff Cas have her and for them to be miserable.
Since I'm a huge Kresley Cole fan it pains me to admit that this is probably my least favorite book by her.... ever. I absolutely HATED the heroine. In my opinion she was whiney, irritating, obtuse, selfish and completely absorbed by a guy that repeatedly told her that he didn't want her like that. She played the tease with Trehan over and over again then kept choosing her bff over him. It was sad. I hated her. Even at the end she was STILL playing the sad, misunderstood little girl who has been wronged by the big, crazy vampire and STILL blaming him for embarrassing her and her bff. Then at the end she was all "my bad, no biggie, it's all good, let's make-up now". What a freaking little bitch. I wish KC would have just let her bff Cas have her and for them to be miserable.
Reread complete 10/30/14
Still giving 5 stars and hoping Cole decides to keep the Dacian's in a spin off series so I get 2 IAD reads/year. Yes. I'm greedy.
Still giving 5 stars and hoping Cole decides to keep the Dacian's in a spin off series so I get 2 IAD reads/year. Yes. I'm greedy.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely love Kresley Cole's IAD series and this book is a great start of a mini-arc within the IAD series.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Among all Lorekind so far, at least that I can remember, Trehan seems the most gentlemanly. Seems like demons and Lykae just keep letting their temper and rage get the best of them. Plus the whole Dacian thing of being civilized vampires, unlike the Horde. Then the backdrop of the tournament, which is like King Arthur style knights jousting, only with more gore and death, and, ah, a nymph floorshow. So altogether you have a more romanticized atmosphere.
I think that's why this relationship between Trehan and Bettina seemed the least violent, which was what I'd come to expect from the typical immortal being relationship. When you start reading an IAD book, after the shock of the first handful, you start unconsciously bracing yourself for the brutality. And when here there isn't much of that, it's... refreshing?
I did get inexplicably affected by the death of that one turned werewolf. :(
Favorite quote: “Take care, lest you lose a male who'll desire only you - and gain a male who'll desire only others.” - Trehan
I think that's why this relationship between Trehan and Bettina seemed the least violent, which was what I'd come to expect from the typical immortal being relationship. When you start reading an IAD book, after the shock of the first handful, you start unconsciously bracing yourself for the brutality. And when here there isn't much of that, it's... refreshing?
I did get inexplicably affected by the death of that one turned werewolf. :(
Favorite quote: “Take care, lest you lose a male who'll desire only you - and gain a male who'll desire only others.” - Trehan
Read Count: 2
- Main Couple: Trehan (vampire) / Bettina (sorceress)
- POVs Included: Dual (Trehan, Bettina)
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RE-READ 2/13/2022
UPDATED RATING (4 STARS)
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ORIGINAL REVIEW (4/22/2013):
ORIGINAL RATING (5 STARS)
Shadow's Claim is the first book in Kresley Cole's new Dacians series. At first I thought this might be an entirely different world from her Immortals After Dark Series, but it's actually a series-within-a-series. Not really a spin-off, but a branch per se. The same over-arcing storyline involving the Accession and Nix trying to line up allies is going on -- she even makes a few discreet appearances in the background. So I was happy to see this because I knew I'd love it.
The main difference I noticed in this "series" though is that it's not as sarcastic/witty. But, I think that has to do more with the characters' personalities than anything. We've moved away from sassy Valkyries and cocky Lykaes. Instead we have a rather mysterious race of vampires known as the Dacians. They appeared in Lothaire's book where we learned a bit about them but in this book we learn a bit more. They are a race of vampires who have taken to hiding in the mountains and mist to prevent a vampire disease that wiped out the majority of female vampires in the world from spreading to them. They rarely come out of the mist except in the case where someone like Trehan needs to hunt down a person who has entered their realm and then left, because that's the one rule about coming into their territory -- you can never leave for fear of their existence becoming known and therefore their safety being hindered.
Like most books by Kresley Cole this one was very well-written and layered. The time-line falls pretty much simultaneous to Lothaire's book. While I did miss the sarcastic females and cocky males in this one, I can't help but appreciate that even without the touches of humor, this book grabbed me at page one and held me into the story.
Trehan is an interesting vampire. He isn't necessarily afraid or intimidated by finding his Bride like most of the vampires we've met in the IAD series. Instead, he's thrilled and has determined that he will do anything to win over his Bride's affections -- even if that Bride is already in love with someone else. I found him to be really refreshing and fell for him quickly. He's a bit old-fashioned because of the nature of his secluded race, but I thought that aspect of him was kind of sweet. Bettina is a bit innocent and a little immature, but she's also been through a lot in her life and now she's being forced to question all of her feelings when she meets Trehan. Their romance was well-written and while they both felt physical attraction for each other I think that their deeper feelings were gradually explored and I really felt them falling in love slowly along the way.
Overall I'm not surprised that I loved this book. The Immortals After Dark is by far my favorite paranormal romance series and one of my favorite all-time series' around. If you're interested in this book or any other book in the series they can be read as stand-alones but I recommend reading them in order because of the over-arcing Accession storyline, which I believe will come into larger play in the future books. Kresley also likes to introduce us to characters well-before they get their full book so we can have a taste for them and therefore be even more excited once their love story finally does come around. For example, just one of the new characters we meet in this book is Salem -- who I can't wait to read more about! So seriously pick up this series if you're a fan of paranormal romance because you won't regret it!
- Main Couple: Trehan (vampire) / Bettina (sorceress)
- POVs Included: Dual (Trehan, Bettina)
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
RE-READ 2/13/2022
UPDATED RATING (4 STARS)
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
ORIGINAL REVIEW (4/22/2013):
ORIGINAL RATING (5 STARS)
Shadow's Claim is the first book in Kresley Cole's new Dacians series. At first I thought this might be an entirely different world from her Immortals After Dark Series, but it's actually a series-within-a-series. Not really a spin-off, but a branch per se. The same over-arcing storyline involving the Accession and Nix trying to line up allies is going on -- she even makes a few discreet appearances in the background. So I was happy to see this because I knew I'd love it.
The main difference I noticed in this "series" though is that it's not as sarcastic/witty. But, I think that has to do more with the characters' personalities than anything. We've moved away from sassy Valkyries and cocky Lykaes. Instead we have a rather mysterious race of vampires known as the Dacians. They appeared in Lothaire's book where we learned a bit about them but in this book we learn a bit more. They are a race of vampires who have taken to hiding in the mountains and mist to prevent a vampire disease that wiped out the majority of female vampires in the world from spreading to them. They rarely come out of the mist except in the case where someone like Trehan needs to hunt down a person who has entered their realm and then left, because that's the one rule about coming into their territory -- you can never leave for fear of their existence becoming known and therefore their safety being hindered.
Like most books by Kresley Cole this one was very well-written and layered. The time-line falls pretty much simultaneous to Lothaire's book. While I did miss the sarcastic females and cocky males in this one, I can't help but appreciate that even without the touches of humor, this book grabbed me at page one and held me into the story.
Trehan is an interesting vampire. He isn't necessarily afraid or intimidated by finding his Bride like most of the vampires we've met in the IAD series. Instead, he's thrilled and has determined that he will do anything to win over his Bride's affections -- even if that Bride is already in love with someone else. I found him to be really refreshing and fell for him quickly. He's a bit old-fashioned because of the nature of his secluded race, but I thought that aspect of him was kind of sweet. Bettina is a bit innocent and a little immature, but she's also been through a lot in her life and now she's being forced to question all of her feelings when she meets Trehan. Their romance was well-written and while they both felt physical attraction for each other I think that their deeper feelings were gradually explored and I really felt them falling in love slowly along the way.
Overall I'm not surprised that I loved this book. The Immortals After Dark is by far my favorite paranormal romance series and one of my favorite all-time series' around. If you're interested in this book or any other book in the series they can be read as stand-alones but I recommend reading them in order because of the over-arcing Accession storyline, which I believe will come into larger play in the future books. Kresley also likes to introduce us to characters well-before they get their full book so we can have a taste for them and therefore be even more excited once their love story finally does come around. For example, just one of the new characters we meet in this book is Salem -- who I can't wait to read more about! So seriously pick up this series if you're a fan of paranormal romance because you won't regret it!