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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
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)
-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
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!
4.5 Stars
Another solid performance from Cole, My fav part about this was that Trehan knew what he wanted from the get go & just didn't let go, LOVED his dedication to his one & only bride :)
Another solid performance from Cole, My fav part about this was that Trehan knew what he wanted from the get go & just didn't let go, LOVED his dedication to his one & only bride :)
4.5♥s
I'll try to give you the set-up without spoilers ...
Bettina, the future queen of the plane of Abaddon, survives a vicious attack by enemies. To appease her godparents, she agrees to marry the winner of a blood-sport tournament of suitors--an elimination match to the death. But her heart really belongs to Caspion, her childhood friend.
Trehan Daciano, the "Prince of Shadows" and a vampire, is a merciless assassin from the Realm of Blood and Shadows. Anyone who enters the secretive Realm is forbidden to leave. Trehan's task is to assassinate those who escape. Caspion entered the Realm and sneaked out, and Daciano is after him. Daciano himself is allowed to leave and return--unless he is seen.
After tracking Caspion to Abaddon, he gets mysteriously drawn to Bettina. He discovers that she is his Bride. She "bloods" him, which means that his heart starts beating, his lungs start breathing, and his … manly bits start working again. Although he lusts after Bettina (it's been one thousand years, after all), she also fascinates him. He brings her to life in more ways than one. He wants to win her over and claim her as his Bride, but Caspion and Trehan's need to assassinate him stand between them.
Trehan leaves his entire life--and his chance at the crown of the Realm of Blood and Mist--behind by showing himself at the tournament and entering the contest for Bettina's hand. But Caspion does, too. And only one can survive.
♥
Kresley Cole has done it again. She's written a sexy, suspenseful, action-packed page-turner with characters you'll love, subtle humor that will have you snickering, and dark moments that will kick you in the gut. You'll be sorry to read "The End" (so to speak).
What I love about Trehan is that he truly appreciated Bettina as a person, and not just as his fated Bride. I also love that he isn't perfect--at times he is even unsure of himself in spite of being a strong, decisive Alpha male. Bettina turns his world upside-down, and he doesn't know how to handle it.
Bettina has the best humorous inner dialog and lines. Watch for the subtle humor and inside jokes. Bettina doesn't have it easy, however. She has a long, difficult journey as she learns a number of lessons about life and the nature of love.
Shadow's Claim takes place in the Immortals After Dark universe. In the timeline, it runs roughly parallel to [b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803] ([b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803] gets 4.5♥s, and 5.0♥s for its sexy cover!). The events in [b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803] affect Trehan, as the Dacians affected events in [b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803]. We also see behind the scenes of those events. And why Trehan was so brooding in [b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803].
As a nod to fans, Cole includes cameo appearances in Shadow's Claim from some favorite Immortals After Dark characters. It would be a spoiler to name them. You'll just have to enjoy finding out for yourself.
[b:MacRieve|8158992|MacRieve (Immortals After Dark, #13)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344392086s/8158992.jpg|13001065] (Immortals After Dark, #13) has a brief set-up in Shadow's Claim. Judging by the topics of conversation, I believe that Immortals After Dark #14 does also. As of this writing, The Dacians #2 hasn't been announced. But I look forward to it!
Please see my full review at Paranormal Romance with Lisa Annesley. It includes a link to an article in which Kresley Cole talks about Lothaire, Shadow's Claim, and MacRieve.
I'll try to give you the set-up without spoilers ...
Bettina, the future queen of the plane of Abaddon, survives a vicious attack by enemies. To appease her godparents, she agrees to marry the winner of a blood-sport tournament of suitors--an elimination match to the death. But her heart really belongs to Caspion, her childhood friend.
Trehan Daciano, the "Prince of Shadows" and a vampire, is a merciless assassin from the Realm of Blood and Shadows. Anyone who enters the secretive Realm is forbidden to leave. Trehan's task is to assassinate those who escape. Caspion entered the Realm and sneaked out, and Daciano is after him. Daciano himself is allowed to leave and return--unless he is seen.
After tracking Caspion to Abaddon, he gets mysteriously drawn to Bettina. He discovers that she is his Bride. She "bloods" him, which means that his heart starts beating, his lungs start breathing, and his … manly bits start working again. Although he lusts after Bettina (it's been one thousand years, after all), she also fascinates him. He brings her to life in more ways than one. He wants to win her over and claim her as his Bride, but Caspion and Trehan's need to assassinate him stand between them.
Trehan leaves his entire life--and his chance at the crown of the Realm of Blood and Mist--behind by showing himself at the tournament and entering the contest for Bettina's hand. But Caspion does, too. And only one can survive.
♥
Kresley Cole has done it again. She's written a sexy, suspenseful, action-packed page-turner with characters you'll love, subtle humor that will have you snickering, and dark moments that will kick you in the gut. You'll be sorry to read "The End" (so to speak).
What I love about Trehan is that he truly appreciated Bettina as a person, and not just as his fated Bride. I also love that he isn't perfect--at times he is even unsure of himself in spite of being a strong, decisive Alpha male. Bettina turns his world upside-down, and he doesn't know how to handle it.
Bettina has the best humorous inner dialog and lines. Watch for the subtle humor and inside jokes. Bettina doesn't have it easy, however. She has a long, difficult journey as she learns a number of lessons about life and the nature of love.
Shadow's Claim takes place in the Immortals After Dark universe. In the timeline, it runs roughly parallel to [b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803] ([b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803] gets 4.5♥s, and 5.0♥s for its sexy cover!). The events in [b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803] affect Trehan, as the Dacians affected events in [b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803]. We also see behind the scenes of those events. And why Trehan was so brooding in [b:Lothaire|10790516|Lothaire (Immortals After Dark, #12)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327888249s/10790516.jpg|15702803].
As a nod to fans, Cole includes cameo appearances in Shadow's Claim from some favorite Immortals After Dark characters. It would be a spoiler to name them. You'll just have to enjoy finding out for yourself.
[b:MacRieve|8158992|MacRieve (Immortals After Dark, #13)|Kresley Cole|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344392086s/8158992.jpg|13001065] (Immortals After Dark, #13) has a brief set-up in Shadow's Claim. Judging by the topics of conversation, I believe that Immortals After Dark #14 does also. As of this writing, The Dacians #2 hasn't been announced. But I look forward to it!
Please see my full review at Paranormal Romance with Lisa Annesley. It includes a link to an article in which Kresley Cole talks about Lothaire, Shadow's Claim, and MacRieve.
Classic Cole
Fans of the IAD series will have no trouble getting into this new spin-off. Other than it not being set in the human realm, and having a new type of "misting" vampire to learn about, it was pretty much business as usual. Which in Cole's case means a wonderful mix of outrageously alpha males, feisty yet strangely vulnerable females, off-the-charts sexual tension, and plenty of humour, which is about the only thing that makes these over-the-top men tolerable! They do and say some pretty jaw-dropping stuff, let me tell you!
This time, we have a half Sorceress Bettina in one corner, and Trehan, Prince of Shadows in the other, and, somewhat annoyingly, Caspion, her best friend since childhood, whom Bettina thinks she's in love with, in the middle. Complicated, sure, but then these cross-species matings always are, which is part of the charm of the series. Seeing the conflicts, the seemingly immovable obstacles, the head-smackingly aggravating misunderstandings, all battling against overwhelming base instincts and primal urges. But nothing is ever a strong enough barrier against true love. Awww.
This story features an immortal contest which brought me back to the days of the Talisman's Hie from books two and three of IAD. During it, we caught glimpses of several werewolves which has me so excited for MacRieve, the next IAD book, which is due out in July. It's about time we were back with the Weres, don't you think? Yummy.
My only complaints were that this book was over-long and had slow parts. The Caspion thing dragged on a bit, and the mystery of her Sorcery powers fizzled out into nothing. So, while not one of my favourites, Cole simply doesn't know how to write a truly bad book, and I still found much to enjoy.
4 Stars ★★★★
Fans of the IAD series will have no trouble getting into this new spin-off. Other than it not being set in the human realm, and having a new type of "misting" vampire to learn about, it was pretty much business as usual. Which in Cole's case means a wonderful mix of outrageously alpha males, feisty yet strangely vulnerable females, off-the-charts sexual tension, and plenty of humour, which is about the only thing that makes these over-the-top men tolerable! They do and say some pretty jaw-dropping stuff, let me tell you!
This time, we have a half Sorceress Bettina in one corner, and Trehan, Prince of Shadows in the other, and, somewhat annoyingly, Caspion, her best friend since childhood, whom Bettina thinks she's in love with, in the middle. Complicated, sure, but then these cross-species matings always are, which is part of the charm of the series. Seeing the conflicts, the seemingly immovable obstacles, the head-smackingly aggravating misunderstandings, all battling against overwhelming base instincts and primal urges. But nothing is ever a strong enough barrier against true love. Awww.
This story features an immortal contest which brought me back to the days of the Talisman's Hie from books two and three of IAD. During it, we caught glimpses of several werewolves which has me so excited for MacRieve, the next IAD book, which is due out in July. It's about time we were back with the Weres, don't you think? Yummy.
My only complaints were that this book was over-long and had slow parts. The Caspion thing dragged on a bit, and the mystery of her Sorcery powers fizzled out into nothing. So, while not one of my favourites, Cole simply doesn't know how to write a truly bad book, and I still found much to enjoy.
4 Stars ★★★★
I thoroughly enjoyed Shadow's Claim!! It took a while to figure out the world and how the different races fit in, but I loved the main characters, the struggle between the Vampire and her Demon friend, and the fight to win her hand. It was thrilling and I loved her descriptions. It had a real nice fantasy story plot that felt real and had good momentum. Her characters really had a lot of depth and fullness of being. Can't wait to read more of her stuff!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
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.
This is a good read- keeps your interest and you can't help rooting for Trehan to win Bettina's heart.
This is a good read- keeps your interest and you can't help rooting for Trehan to win Bettina's heart.
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an interesting ride. I’m not sure how I feel about the main couple in this one but the Excession is getting interesting. I’m interested enough to continue the series.