Review: Lord of the Abyss

Book Description:

As the Dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

Review:

The final book in The Royal House of Shadows was far and away my favorite of the series, and I'm sad to see the series end. How much fun did we all have reading these books, like a monthly installment plan, with each author creating a new spin on the classic fairy tale, embellishing the paranormal elements to create a new type of storytelling? I loved everything about this concept and hope that The Royal House of Shadows series was successful enough that maybe we will see this type of collaboration again. The consistency within the world was amazingly good throughout, with one highlight being the voice changes from book to book.

Lord of the Abyss was a Beauty meets the Beast retelling, with both characters sharing the roles of each because Micah wasn't entirely beastly and Liliana wasn't exactly your classic beauty. This role reversal worked very well for me and it was the one element that endeared me to the story in much the same way that the Disney version did. However, that is where I'd say the Disney comparisons should end. As with all of Nalini Singh's romantic couples, Micah and Lili are expertly written with plenty of passion and heat.

Spoiler-ish area: 

My only complaint is that the ending of the book felt rushed and the Blood Sorcerer was defeated quite easily. One one hand, this doesn't matter a whole lot if your focus is the relationship between Micah and Lili, and if that is the case then you are plenty satisfied because of all the endings this one felt the most complete in regards to the happily ever after that we associate with fairy tales. However, if you focused more on the curse of Elden, defeating the Blood Sorcerer, and the relationships of all the siblings, then you might feel that the ending was fast and lacked closure. I would have liked to see everyone together, battling and defeating evil, powerful and complete because love conquers all. That might just be me.



Website info:
Royal House of Shadows
Gena Showlater
Jill Monroe
Jessica Andersen
Nalini Singh

Books in the series:
Lord of the Vampires
Lord of Rage
Lord of the Wolfyn
Lord of the Abyss

Reviewed by Anna Dougherty
This book was obtained from NetGalley for review purposes

Double Review: Lord of Rage and Lord of the Wolfyn

Book Description:

Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage…in a dark bear of a man.

The golden-haired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the once-legendary mercenary had long buried. Now Osborn had a choice—risk his life or deny his princess her fairy-tale ending.

Review:

Lord of Rage (Nocturne, Oct) is book 2 in the Royal House of Shadows series and continues the fairy tale inspired stories of 4 siblings that are fighting to regain their rightful places in the kingdom of Elden. Each book is written by a different author and in this case I was introduced to the wonderful voice of Jill Monroe (How have I missed her all these years?) and I was treated to a dynamic couple that were a thrill to meet.


Osborn is the epitome of a fierce warrior, his instincts honed for battle, yet deep down he is a kind man capable of loving and needing on a level that many would not understand. His protective nature is a force in itself, but it comes from such a good place. Breena will give him balance, soothe his rough demeanor, and bring a calm to his soul. She is also a warrior in her own right, her need for vengeance is strong and justified. I do wish that both of them would have been more upfront a little earlier, but it took almost half the book for Osborn to even agree to help Breena. That plot point was just a bit too drawn out for my tastes, but in fairness, it was probably a necessary element and gave another layer to the conflict in the story. 

The romance in this story was simply beautiful and at times I swear that I felt a little weepy about it. Osborn may not have gushed and quoted poetry, but he definitely made a powerful point when it mattered. He made you feel the turmoil and uncertainty of falling in love, reminded what it felt like to share your most intimate thoughts with another person, and gave the reader a chance to see that underneath it all he was trying to guard is heart. Everything he did was to protect himself from feeling the loneliness that too much responsibility and isolation can bring. I adored him! I adored this book!


More about Jill Monroe and all her books:
http://www.jillmonroe.com/

Book Description:

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…

For practical Reda Weston, nothing could explain how reading a sexy version of Little Red Riding Hood catapulted her into another realm—face-to-fang with the legendary wolf-creature who seduced women. A wolf who transformed into a dark, virile man….

Dayn cursed the Sorcerer that turned him wolfyn and damned him to a lonely fate. As a beast, he mated with women to gain strength. Strength he needed to save Elden. But as a man, he craved Reda's heated, sizzling touch. With little time left, Dayn had to either embrace his wolf to save his kingdom…or fight it to save his woman.

Review:

Since I read both of these books back-to-back I thought it fitting that I review them in the same fashion. Again, I was treated to a new voice, and again, I was baffled that I had let this author escape my notice for so long. I'm adding all her titles to my reading list for sure.


Of all the books so far I think that the fairy tale element was much more prevalent than in previous books, and I thought it was woven flawlessly into the story. The worldbuilding was excellent and was very much like two worlds colliding. It amazes me that authors can collaborate on such a level, bringing readers into such an inventive and original place, filled with couples that steal your heart. So romantic. So steamy. Exactly the type of story that I like to read.


Dayn will capture your heart from the very beginning and according to my Kindle notes I fell a little in love with him at the 30% point in the book. 

If he had knee-jerked the "you're not a coward" response, she wouldn't have listened, just as she hadn't to anyone else who had said the words. She knew what she was. But instead, eyes darkening, he brought up his free hand to touch her cheek, as if brushing away a tear she hadn't shed. "Sweet Reda, you've had a time of it, haven't you? Don't worry about having my back. I can take care of us both."

Her heart shuddered at the quiet promise, which was backed up by the implacable determination in his eyes. He had so much riding on him already, yet he was stepping up to take more because she needed him to, which made him a better man-vampire or not-than the others in her life, save for the partner she had lost.

Dayn, too, was lost. But he was working to get himself found.

He seemed to know instinctively what Reda needed from him, comfort instead of pity, trust and truth in the face of impossible circumstances. They were an obvious match, yet nothing felt predictable or contrived. Both had serious obstacles to overcome and each had painful journeys to get to each other. Had things gone differently then they wouldn't have been able to find each other, making the story less interesting to be sure. 


As for the ongoing story with the evil sorcerer that stole Elden so long ago...with each new book we learn something new, discover more details and see the master plan come together. I'm looking forward to the next installment and am eager to see the siblings together once more.


Jessica Andersen website:
http://www.jessicaandersen.com/index.html

*Reviewed by Anna Dougherty and obtained for review purposes from NetGalley