Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh

There is a lineage of blood that ties mother to child, a lineage that can never be broken. And it is this lineage the queen used to cast her children away from Elden, to safety, so they could one day return and reclaim their stolen birthright.

It was a mother’s last loving gift, yet the Blood Sorcerer boasts even now that Queen Alvina failed, that he twisted her magic at the end so that instead of finding safe harbor, the heirs of Elden fell into death. There is no one left alive to contradict him.

—From the Royal Chronicles of Elden, on the third day of the Reign of the Blood Sorcerer

Lord of the Abyss is the fourth and final book in the Royal House of Shadows series and one of the sweetest, sexiest, most romantic books I’ve read in a very long time. It doesn’t often happen that I find myself in love with both the hero and the heroine, but Micah and Liliana are amazing people who I couldn’t help but adore. Both tortured by pasts very different from one another are yet so very much alike in their single mindedness and honor, and they will do the right thing regardless of the cost to themselves. They are, quite simply put, the stuff legends are made of.

The world that Nalini Singh created in this installment of the series was awesome. The creatures, the beings… Mouse, Jissa and Bard, I loved them all, even the ghosts who roam the halls of the Black Castle! And speaking of the Black Castle, the lore surrounding it and the Abyss is magically fairytaleesque and so vivid. In my mind’s eye I could see every room, every plant, every food, every… everything and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next. I was totally captivated by the entire tale and as I read I felt somehow honored to be privy to their thoughts and feelings.

Now, about the story. In the previous books, Lord of the Vampires, Lord of Rage and Lord of the Wolfyn, we learn that when their kingdom was attacked by the Blood Sorcerer, Aelfric and Alvina, the King and Queen of Elden, fought for all they held dear, willing to give up their lives if needed to protect their children, their kingdom, and all who dwelt there. When they realized that they were going to die, their final act was one of love, one last effort to protect their children by weaving a powerful spell which sent the four royal heirs, Nicolai, Breena, Dayn and Micah, into different realms in hopes that one day they’d find their way home and defeat the Blood Sorcerer. Each book tells the story of one of the siblings and their journey back to Elden, not knowing exactly what they’d find when they got there.

The way the story develops throughout the first three books, I expected a battle of epic proportions in Lord of the Abyss, but when the battle actually takes place, it really wasn’t much of a battle at all. And much to my disappointment, there was little interaction between these siblings who are seeing each other for the first time in twenty years. Twenty years apart and yet there was no celebration! Or at least, not one we were invited to. So while I loved the story overall, truly loved it, I was very disappointed that we didn’t see some kind of grand reunion, or even a so-so reunion… but there was really nothing much at all, and that’s my only complaint about the book. Had it not ended so abruptly, this would have easily been a 5+++ star read, but even with the ending as it is, I’m still rating this 5 stars, and adding Micah and Liliana to my Top Couples Of All Time shelf.

The bottom line – I still breathe a sigh of contentment when I think of Micah and Liliana, and how very happy their story made me. Dark yet hopeful, tragic yet joyous, Lord of the Abyss is one of my very favorite stories and I know, without a doubt, I’ll be reading it time and time again.

My sincerest thanks to netgalley.com and Harlequin books for providing me with a copy of this wonderful ARC ebook.

Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen

Lord of the Wolfyn is the third book in the Royal House of Shadows series and is written by Jessica Andersen who is also the author of the popular Final Prophecy series. Lord of the Wolfyn is my first read by Ms. Andersen and I really enjoyed her writing. I found it an easy style to read and follow, and to be honest, I saw shades of J.R. Ward (one of my very favorite authors) scattered throughout—not too surprising considering that they are critique partners. Or perhaps I have it wrong and there are shades of Ms. Andersen in J.R. Ward’s writing? Hmmm…

Anyway…

So as I said, I enjoyed the writing. I felt it flowed well and the story Ms. Andersen created was interesting, to say the least, however, I didn’t fall in love with the characters the way I must in order to really be WOW’d by a story. I never became connected to them, or invested in them. Dayn seemed “flat” to me, spending much of his time trying to appease Reda, who in my opinion, was kind of mental. I was talking with a Goodreads friend about them, and she made the point that Reda’s concern about being brainwashed or controlled was definitely bordering on paranoia, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Laurie had nailed what I hadn’t been able to put my finger on. A big part of my issues with Reda and her behavior was something I found… I don’t know… unreasonable based on what we, the readers, were given. And Dayn was so wrapped up in trying to make her happy, so concerned about her, that it made him seem kind of… wimpy.

Even though I’m giving Lord of the Wolfyn 3 stars, which means I did like it, I have to admit that I was also a bit disappointed. I really had hoped for something more from this book, and I hate to say it, but that something more - that buildup to final battle in Lord of the Abyss, the next and last book of the series, just wasn’t delivered.

That said, I'm definitely looking forward to reading Lord of the Abyss which is written by Nalini Singh.

Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who only really lived when she dreamed. Then one day she woke up surrounded by three glowering bears. With patience and love she tamed the fiercest, and with a kiss transformed the beast into a prince.

Jill Monroe takes pen in hand (or fingers to keyboard) to bring us the second installment of the Royal House of Shadows series, Lord of Rage. This is the story of Princess Breena of Elden, and Osborn, the oldest of three Berserker brothers. If you read the first book, Lord of Vampires which was written by Gena Showalter, you’ll recall that Breena is Nicolai’s sister and like her older brother, she was magically transported away from the tragic massacre that claimed the lives of her parents as well as many of the people of Elden. As this story opens, Breena finds herself lost in a forest, being drawn in a particular direction, but not fully understanding of where or why. The words revenge and survive keep playing through her mind, and so do the memories of her warrior, the man who had awaken her body to sensual pleasure – but only in her dreams.

Ten years before the attack on Elden, on the night of his Bärenjagd, Osborn left childhood behind and became a man. In an ancient ritual that not everyone survived, he journeyed to sacred land looking for the bear he’d do battle with. If he survived, Osborn would become a Berserker, a being both revered and feared for his terrifying strength and killing abilities. He knew that one of them would die this night, and Osborn didn’t plan to be the one.

When he and his father returned to their village after the ritual, they found it under attack by Elden's vampires. It was a well planned attack, taking place when the men were away with their sons who were completing the same ritual as Osborn, and even though they returned as Berserkers, they were too late. On that night Osborn vowed to hunt down and kill all of those responsible for the massacre of his people.

Believe it or not, all of the above takes place in the prologue and first chapter!

Now fast forward to the present time of the story and Breena finds her way to a small cottage, and in Goldilocks and the Three Bears fashion, makes herself right at home, only to be rudely awaken by a gruff man who she recognizes as her dream warrior! Her memories have been slowly returning and she knows that this is the man who can help her get the revenge she so desperately needs.

I really enjoyed the world Jill Monroe created, and while it's very different from that of the first book, it's supposed to be! Each of the royal heirs has a different power or ability, so it stands to reason the worlds in which their stories take place would be different, too.

As for the characters, Osborn, Breena, and Osborn's brothers, Bernt and Torben, I think one of the reasons shorter books seldom get more than 4 stars from me is because there isn't enough time to develop the players into people I really care about. That said, I know that the next books in this series are about the royal heirs, Dayn and Micah, but I wish they were about Bernt and Torben, who I became very fond of. I'm hoping we'll see more of them in the next two books, or perhaps a spin off or a series extension. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed!

Now, while I know the Berserker part of the story told in this book is fictional, it captivated me none-the-less because I've always been interested in ancient traditions and rituals, and the deep meanings they hold within different cultures. As I mentioned, Osborn goes through his Bärenjagd and I appreciated the reverence with which this scene was written. I have such a profound respect for these ages old customs, and while they often ended in violence, they weren’t just for sport. Even though he came out the victor, Osborn felt the weight of what he’d done as he realized it was much harder to take a life than he had thought it would be. But his father’s guidance and wisdom would stay with Osborn for as long as he lived and I'm including this quote because it speaks volumes as to the man Osborn would become.

“It was harder than I thought. I didn’t think I’d feel this way,” Osborn blurted out for no reason he could guess. He regretted his rash words instantly.

That was a boy’s sentiments. Not a man’s. Not a warrior’s.

“It’s not supposed to be easy. Taking of a life, any life, should never be something done without need and compassion.” He stood, slinging his pack over his shoulder. “Guide me to the bear. We must prepare it.”

They trekked silently together, crossing into the sacred land to where the bear had taken its final breaths. His father taught him to honor the bear in the ancient ways, then they set to work.

“Now you possess the heart of the bear. As a warrior of Ursa, you will carry the bear’s spirit with you. Your ber spirit will always be there, waiting silent within you, ready for your call. The strength of the bear comes to you when you wear your Bärenhaut,” his father told him, lifting up the bear pelt. “Do not don your pelt without thought and careful consideration. You will be able to kill, Osborn, and kill easily. But only with honor.”

The bottom line - Lord of Rage is an entertaining installment to the Royal House of Shadows series, but it started strong then hit a plateau that lasted through most of the book. I enjoyed the training scenes, and getting to know Osborn's younger brothers was one of the highlights of this book for me. The ending felt a bit anticlimactic but I was still left wanting to know more about this family! I want to see them come together and, in the end, triumph over the evil which has invaded Elden.

This ARC ebook was provided free of charge by netgalley.com in behalf of Harlequin. This had no influence on my rating or my review.


3.5/5