Book Review-Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole

Title: Shadow's Claim 

Author: Kresley Cole 

Series: The Dacians 

Format: Paperback 

Release Date: November 27 2012 

Publisher: Pocket Books 

Pages: 481 Pages 

Genre: Paranormal Romance 

ISBN: 978-1-4516-5005-1

Where To Find: Author's Website|Amazon|B&N|Goodreads|LibraryThing

Synopsis

#1 New York Times bestseller Kresley Cole introduces The Dacians: Realm of Blood and Mist, a new paranormal series following the royal bloodline of Dacia, a vampire kingdom hidden within the Lore of the Immortals After Dark. Shadow’s Claim features Prince Trehan, a ruthless master assassin who will do anything to possess Bettina, his beautiful sorceress mate, even compete for her hand in a blood-sport tournament— to the death.


HE WON'T BE DENIED...

Trehan Daciano, known as the Prince of Shadows, has spent his life serving his people—striking in the night, quietly executing any threat to their realm. The coldly disciplined swordsman has never desired anything for himself - until he beholds Bettina, the sheltered ward of two of the Lore’s most fearsome villains.

SHE’S BOUND TO ANOTHER...

Desperate to earn her guardians’ approval after a life-shattering mistake, young Bettina has no choice but to marry whichever suitor prevails—even though she’s lost her heart to another. Yet one lethal competitor, a mysterious cloaked swordsman, invades her dreams, tempting her with forbidden pleasure.

A BATTLE FOR HER BODY AND SOUL

Even if Trehan can survive the punishing contests to claim her as his wife, the true battle for Bettina’s heart is yet to come. And unleashing a millennium’s worth of savage need will either frighten his Bride away - or stoke Bettina’s own desires to a fever pitch...

My Review

Bettina, lost her parents when she was young, and then she was captured and tortured by the same creatures who killed her mother and destroyed her father, and now she has no choice but to trust in her guardians, who have planned a way for her to get married, a death match of the fiercest warriors, for she will be queen of the demons. There is one man she has loved more than any other, who has been her friend since she was a child, and wants more than anything to be his wife. But her friend, has a death sentence by the one man who is a merciless killer, and a assassin, who is cold and calculating, and through a series of circumstances, she learns that she is his mate. A man that will fight with every weapon at his disposal to claim  her as his for eternity. To her horror both her best friend and Trehan have entered the "till death" contest. As the fighting  and competitions begins, a fire burns between Trehan and Bettina, and Bettina will have to choose between her closest friend and the man that holds her desire and her heart...

What a wild ride of dangerous paranormal elements that had me at the edge of this page turner!!! Utterly shocking and tantalizing and fierce and passionate in every way. This was one hell of a story and it has been a LONG time since I have read a story that had me so intense and I just had to read this as fast as I could. There was so much emotion and compelling characters, and this scenario that Kresley Cole has played out for us, WHEW....Ladies and Gentleman buckle your seat belts, for this is one ride you might not come out of alive if you don't watch it.

The heat between Bettina and Trehan is so HOT and I almost got burned....they sure know how to create fireworks, and with one kiss I betcha you all will need to open your windows--yes yes I know its winter, but seriously you will burn to a crisp if you don..hehehehe. These characters are so fascinating and I had such a fun time with them, there is quite depth to each of them, even the side characters. I know at first this seems like a triangle romance...but HELL NO!!! (Shaking finger...don't you guys think that way and let that be a deterrent to reading this....you will be so ashamed if you turn away from this one. Kresley Cole is a truly talented individual, who has the capacity of creating a story that is witty, smart and full on sexy. What else can you ask for? And quite frankly...you won't regret it!! I guarantee it. Just make sure you have plenty time on your hands, some delicious treats, plenty of water (by the gallons), and a nice comfy sitting arrangement, and you will be in the perfect mind frame to get the full aspect to enjoy this one to its fullest. DARING AND PASSIONATE!!

This book and series is connected to Immortals After Dark but isn't officially part of that series. I haven't read Lothaire, and even though there is some reference to him, it doesn't spoil anything from what I could tell. But boy do I need to read that one. :) 

Favorite Quotes (Warning: May Contain Spoilers)

“I spent the morning as the ceiling in the warlocks’ tent. Found out that the hobbies of Those Best Forgotten include long walks on the beach and sacrificing nymphs on altars. I mean, who’d want to hurt a nymph? That’s like kicking a rainbow in the nuts.”  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm a good killer. A talented scholar. Fuck. How could she possibly resist?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Take care, lest you lose a male who'll desire only you - and gain a male who'll desire only others.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“My Bride poisoned me so that I would lose a match against the demon male she loves.”
Lothaire hiked his shoulders. “So?”
“Did you not hear me? She dumped toxins into a goblet of blood, then handed it to me, urging me to drink”

“Who doesn’t have petty spats during courtship? So fucking what?”

“So she doesn’t fucking want me!”

Lothaire roared back, “She doesn’t get a godsdamned say in the matter!”

“Trehan’s brows drew together. “What are you advising “advising—that I abduct her? As you recently did the Forbearer king? And your Bride before him?”

Lothaire snapped his fingers. “Exactly”

My Rating

5 Blossoms

Heat Rating

Steamy