A review by discarded_dust_jacket
Lord of Eternal Night by Ben Alderson

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

I wanted to like this, I really really did. It has so many of the elements I typically like in a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers vampire romance. 

But I think the story was so focused on being a Beauty and the Beast retelling, that it forgot to properly explain any of the context necessary to understand the plot.

There are a few paragraphs in the opening chapters that attempt to hastily explain what “the Claiming” actually is and why it’s necessary, but even after having finished the book, I find I have more questions than answers. 

Like: Why is it called that? Why does it happen once a year and what does the blood moon have to do with it? Why does the “Claim” have to spend a month at the castle before the curse takes over? What is Marius’s motivation for allowing it? Does he just think “oh look, the town’s folk are offering me a free meal again, how lovely!” And for that matter, what is the coven’s motivation for sacrificing people they know won’t be able to kill the beast for the 99 years before Jak is born? The significance of Katharine and why her family is special is also just, never explained. Are we to assume that might be answered in future books? Idk.