I am a huge fan of Kat Kinney’s Texas Shifters series, and after reading the finale, I’ve been waiting for a new spicy paranormal romance saga from this author. Finally, this month, the first book in the Immortal Royals series was published, and it proved worth the wait. The Girard sisters are as relatable, complex, at times totally infuriating, and at times, impossibly lovable as the Caldwell brothers from the Texas Shifters series.
The dystopian setting is dark and merciless, with cold, hunger, and social unrest ravaging the city. Just as it happens in real life, when facing the hardships they have no control over, people choose to fight with what they can endure. Some join the resistance, some accept things as they are, hoping the worst won’t happen to them, and others make decisions they know they would come to regret. For Dani, it is more complicated than that. She isn’t afraid to help the resistance effort. She refuses to accept the grim fate, even though the worst has already happened to her family. But she is stripped of the chance to make a choice. The only one left, she knows, she will bitterly regret.
Dani lives in a world where humans are reduced to nothing. Vampires are a ruling class. And to them, humans have only one thing of value. Their blood. That thing Dani is prepared to sell to save her little sister. She knows the price for her ultimately will be higher than the monetary gain. But for her, her sister’s life is more valuable than her own. So, she enters the auction house for the rich and influential vampires who would pay an exorbitant price for her blood, holding her head high and thinking that she is ready for the consequences.
Very soon, the reality hits her hard. She isn’t ready. The consequences of her decision are more dire than she made herself believe. And after she has gone this far, there is no way back.
“Sold to the Dark Vampire Prince” has everything to keep fans of the genre satisfied. Rich and beautiful vampires living in castles, a long-lasting feud with werewolves, a complicated relationship with the fae royal house, and plenty of spicy scenes between the main characters. But there is more to the story. The author shows the controversial dynamics within families in a way that makes it hard to judge or put labels. “Cages could just as easily be made of silver and gold as steel.” Everyone has their reasons, motivations, and bad moments.
The inclusion of the character with chronic illness in a dystopian tale works perfectly, like a punch in the gut. The vulnerability of people whose lives depend on the availability of medicines puts the whole setting into sharp perspective. These people cannot fight to bring about change. Someone else must fight so that they can have a future. And here enters the importance of having those who love you and are ready to fight so that you can live. The importance of having a family.
I can’t wait to read the story of vampire princess Sera and fae king Finneas. I’ve already pre-ordered their book, “Bride of the Cruel Fae King.”
Leave a comment