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Publisher:
Berkley Trade
Release Date:
July 3, 2007
Genres:
Erotic
Paranormal Romance
Vampire
BDSM
ISBN:
Print
9780425215906
Kindle
No
ISBN
Bookmark Rating:
Reviewed by
Jennifer Ray
Review Posted:
April 2008
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As a born vampire who has
lived more than a thousand years, Lady Lyssa is one of the most powerful
vampires alive, if not the most powerful. Her power makes her a target for
other vampires eager to seize her territory. Having contracted a mysterious and
debilitating disease, it is the worst time for her to be without a human
servant. Yet, still reeling from the loss of her beloved servant Thomas, she is
reluctant to accept a new servant, much less train one.
But the dearly departed Thomas has taken matters out of her hand, by leaving her
with one last gift – a new manservant in the form of Jacob, trained by Thomas
himself during his final days.
Lyssa finds herself unable to reject Thomas outright, but recognizes that his
alpha nature will never give her the true submission that a vampire requires in
their servants. Yet Jacob is relentless in his bid as her vassal, and Lyssa
comes to depend on him more and more…
Having
read and loved several of author Joey W. Hill’s digital books previously, I
thought I knew what to expect with her new print release,
The Vampire Queen’s Servant,
at least regarding the general tone and feel of the story. Hill managed to
surprise me in more ways than one with this new story, and I am in no way
disappointed – far from it!
With her previous releases, she proved herself as an entertaining writer of
erotic romance, with a flair for the slightly wicked side of the sensual. In
this book, she takes her writing to a whole new level, penning a tome that
impressed me by the complexity of both the story and the characters.
I normally prefer the hero of a story to be dominant in the bedroom, but the
idea of a man with strong alpha tendencies forced to submit willingly to the
woman he loves, a woman who can normally protect herself better than he from her
enemies intrigued me on several levels. This story taught me that there is as
much strength of will in the act of submission as there is in domination –
perhaps more so for those with naturally dominant predilections. For that is
what Lady Lyssa requires in her servant – willing submission. And Jacob
soon learns that this concept is much more difficult than it seemed.
The Vampire Queen’s Servant
is laden with vampire politics. Indeed, it is these very politics that make
Jacob’s submission to Lyssa so vital if he is to exist in her world and not
undermine her power, inviting attack by enemy vampires in the process.
I will be frank – Jacob’s training seems harsh at times, but it is the way of
the vampire world, and necessary to both his and Lyssa’s survival. The story is
rife with darkness, and some readers may find it hard to fathom certain aspects
of the vampire/servant relationship if they apply the rules of the real world to
this story. However, Ms. Hill engenders total acceptance of these practices for
those readers who allow themselves to immerse their imaginations in the harsh
world of this vampire society.
This book will be continued in a forthcoming sequel, titled
The Mark of the Vampire Queen.
Note that I say the book will be continued, for this story is very much a
‘part one’ to an ongoing story, rather than a typical edition in a series. I
would compare this to Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books, which are one story
split into three separate books.
The Vampire Queen’s Servant is merely the beginning to Lyssa and
Jacob’s story, and while some of the story is wrapped up in the end, readers
will be very conscious that there are storylines to be continued and more fully
explored in the next book.
For those who enjoy a great paranormal tale with strong BDSM content, Joey W.
Hill’s newest release is one you won’t want to miss!
Note: This review was originally
written by Jennifer Ray for another review site. It is being reposted at
Wild on Books. |
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Buy it in Print
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