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A review by isitcake
Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole
adventurous
fast-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? Yes
4.5
Ok I wasn't excited for any of these books about the Daciano vampire cousins but this book has completely changed my mind.
Trehan Daciano is the Prince of Shadows, the kingdom's assassin and he's out to kill the death demon (they get stronger for every kill they make) Caspion, because the rule is that you can only enter Dacia, not leave, since its a hidden kingdom and no one can be allowed to know how to get to it. He tracks him to the demon kingdom Abaddon but is drawn up to a spire where he encounters Princess Bettina in the dark, who immediately gets naked and Trehan while shocked goes along with because he recognizes her as his Bridge, and she "bloods" him. But before too much can happen she realizes her mistake, that it's not Caspion in her bed.
Bettina is the princess in the tower. She's only 22 years old (Trehan is 900+), half-demon half-sorceress but she was nearly killed by Vrekeners a few months ago while out in the mortal realm, and her power that can stop hearts (she was the Queen of Hearts) was taken from her using this magic black staff. Luckily she's summoned back to Abbadon before she's killed and is nursed back to health, but her demon guardian Raum "went medieval" on her and is hosting this tournament to find her a protector and ruler for the realm to marry her, and he's opened it up to ALL species (death demons don't carry if another species rules them - they respect strength). Bettina was hoping Caspion would take her virginity the night before the tournament begins to get out of it. She thinks she's in love with him as they are childhood friends who've bonded over the years, but by the end of the book she finally realizes its only sisterly feelings of love (but it takes her forever to get to that realization!).
Trehan is pissed about her feelings for Caspion, especially since he's out to kill him. But they both enter the tournament (Trehan because he can't resist his Bride, Caspion as a sacrifice to "save" Bettina even though marrying her means he'll never find his own mate). Cerrunos, fire demons, a slug demon, a troll, a rapid Lykae, a Horde vampire, and a primordial Gourlav among other enter the tournament. Trehan uses the first free-for-all melee to kill competitors in exchange for 10 "boons" from Bettina. He uses these boons to seduce her (forcing her to bathe him, a kiss, etc.). Bettina can't help her attraction to him but is conflicted about her feelings for Caspion.
This book takes place simultaneously with the events in Lothaire. We stay in Bettina's POV as Trehan disappears for stretches of time where he's doing the events in Lothaire; tracking him, protecting him, eventually working with his cousins to make him king, so that by the end of the book Lothaire and his Bride Elizabeth are well established as the Dacian rulers. Trehan continues to advance in the tournament until finally there's only 6 left and it's the "lady's choice" round. This round they must each bring a gift and Bettina will choose the 3 she likes best, not knowing who they're from. The worst 3 will be instantly executed. The worst 3 are ponies, jewelry, and a phoenix so the rapid Lykae, a fire demon, and some other die. It's easy to guess that concert tickets are from Caspion so she delcares him the winner and he advances to the final round.
At this point Trehan has had a tiny bit of her blood from kissing/fang scratch and he uses her memories to track down, torture and kill the Vrekeners who beat her by using this scry crystal which lets him track and trace to anyone - this is a huge deal that he can trace to the Vrekeners' Skye Hall. He gifts her a bag of their heads. She declares him the runner-up, which wins him a "private tour" with her but also means he has to face Gourlav. Primordials can't be bled for if their blood touches the ground then terror monsters will spawn from it. So how to kill a being without making them bleed? Luckily while killing the Vrekeners, Trehan also stole their magic black staff which he uses fire power somehow to slice through Gourlav's head and instantly cauterize it before blood can spill. But he takes a massive beating.
Trehan is now bruised, sexually frustrated, starving for her blood so he's a bit crazed when Bettina turns up to talk before the final match. The night before on their "tour" (in the gardens he finally took her virginity while giving her back her courage too) he revealed that there's a loophole in the tournament contract that she can plead Mercy for a competitor. But she doesn't the like the idea of Caspion looking weak, considering he's struggled his entire life to be accepted. This pisses Trehan off. She makes him drink a glass of blood thinking he's hangry. Turns out that blood was poisoned by the squire of the Horde vampire Trehan killed and whose tent he's commandeered. So in the final match, Caspion nearly kills HIM and Bettina screams for Mercy for TREHAN. But Trehan just needed time, he's so old he can cast off the poison effects. But now he thinks she and Caspion are in league, he recognizes he was poisoned and that it was Bettina who gave him the cup. He nearly kills Caspion, but right before this Morgana gave Bettina back her Heart power and Bettina uses this AGAINST TREHAN. Trehan has won but he forsakes Bettina. Right then the events with Lothaire are going down so he makes his cousins agree to let him back into Dacia in exchange for helping.
Weeks pass. Caspion was declared winner as runner-up, but since he was defeated no one respects him, he turns off his rulership to Bettina to rule alone and he plans to go live in some hell plane for centuries. Bettina goes with Sabine to a demon bar in NOLA to track down Nix to find Trehan but he turns up and "kidnaps" her back to Dacia where they reconcile.
Bettina is the princess in the tower. She's only 22 years old (Trehan is 900+), half-demon half-sorceress but she was nearly killed by Vrekeners a few months ago while out in the mortal realm, and her power that can stop hearts (she was the Queen of Hearts) was taken from her using this magic black staff. Luckily she's summoned back to Abbadon before she's killed and is nursed back to health, but her demon guardian Raum "went medieval" on her and is hosting this tournament to find her a protector and ruler for the realm to marry her, and he's opened it up to ALL species (death demons don't carry if another species rules them - they respect strength). Bettina was hoping Caspion would take her virginity the night before the tournament begins to get out of it. She thinks she's in love with him as they are childhood friends who've bonded over the years, but by the end of the book she finally realizes its only sisterly feelings of love (but it takes her forever to get to that realization!).
Trehan is pissed about her feelings for Caspion, especially since he's out to kill him. But they both enter the tournament (Trehan because he can't resist his Bride, Caspion as a sacrifice to "save" Bettina even though marrying her means he'll never find his own mate). Cerrunos, fire demons, a slug demon, a troll, a rapid Lykae, a Horde vampire, and a primordial Gourlav among other enter the tournament. Trehan uses the first free-for-all melee to kill competitors in exchange for 10 "boons" from Bettina. He uses these boons to seduce her (forcing her to bathe him, a kiss, etc.). Bettina can't help her attraction to him but is conflicted about her feelings for Caspion.
This book takes place simultaneously with the events in Lothaire. We stay in Bettina's POV as Trehan disappears for stretches of time where he's doing the events in Lothaire; tracking him, protecting him, eventually working with his cousins to make him king, so that by the end of the book Lothaire and his Bride Elizabeth are well established as the Dacian rulers. Trehan continues to advance in the tournament until finally there's only 6 left and it's the "lady's choice" round. This round they must each bring a gift and Bettina will choose the 3 she likes best, not knowing who they're from. The worst 3 will be instantly executed. The worst 3 are ponies, jewelry, and a phoenix so the rapid Lykae, a fire demon, and some other die. It's easy to guess that concert tickets are from Caspion so she delcares him the winner and he advances to the final round.
At this point Trehan has had a tiny bit of her blood from kissing/fang scratch and he uses her memories to track down, torture and kill the Vrekeners who beat her by using this scry crystal which lets him track and trace to anyone - this is a huge deal that he can trace to the Vrekeners' Skye Hall. He gifts her a bag of their heads. She declares him the runner-up, which wins him a "private tour" with her but also means he has to face Gourlav. Primordials can't be bled for if their blood touches the ground then terror monsters will spawn from it. So how to kill a being without making them bleed? Luckily while killing the Vrekeners, Trehan also stole their magic black staff which he uses fire power somehow to slice through Gourlav's head and instantly cauterize it before blood can spill. But he takes a massive beating.
Trehan is now bruised, sexually frustrated, starving for her blood so he's a bit crazed when Bettina turns up to talk before the final match. The night before on their "tour" (in the gardens he finally took her virginity while giving her back her courage too) he revealed that there's a loophole in the tournament contract that she can plead Mercy for a competitor. But she doesn't the like the idea of Caspion looking weak, considering he's struggled his entire life to be accepted. This pisses Trehan off. She makes him drink a glass of blood thinking he's hangry. Turns out that blood was poisoned by the squire of the Horde vampire Trehan killed and whose tent he's commandeered. So in the final match, Caspion nearly kills HIM and Bettina screams for Mercy for TREHAN. But Trehan just needed time, he's so old he can cast off the poison effects. But now he thinks she and Caspion are in league, he recognizes he was poisoned and that it was Bettina who gave him the cup. He nearly kills Caspion, but right before this Morgana gave Bettina back her Heart power and Bettina uses this AGAINST TREHAN. Trehan has won but he forsakes Bettina. Right then the events with Lothaire are going down so he makes his cousins agree to let him back into Dacia in exchange for helping.
Weeks pass. Caspion was declared winner as runner-up, but since he was defeated no one respects him, he turns off his rulership to Bettina to rule alone and he plans to go live in some hell plane for centuries. Bettina goes with Sabine to a demon bar in NOLA to track down Nix to find Trehan but he turns up and "kidnaps" her back to Dacia where they reconcile.