From Goodreads:Full of court intrigue, queer romance, and terrifying monsters—this gothic epic fantasy will appeal to fans of Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree and the adult animated series Castlevania.
Remy Pendergast is many things: the only son of the Duke of Valenbonne (though his father might wish otherwise), an elite bounty hunter of rogue vampires, and an outcast among his fellow Reapers. His mother was the subject of gossip even before she eloped with a vampire, giving rise to the rumors that Remy is half-vampire himself. Though the kingdom of Aluria barely tolerates him, Remy's father has been shaping him into a weapon to fight for the kingdom at any cost.
When a terrifying new breed of vampire is sighted outside of the city, Remy prepares to investigate alone. But then he encounters the shockingly warmhearted vampire heiress Xiaodan Song and her infuriatingly arrogant fiancé, vampire lord Zidan Malekh, who may hold the key to defeating the creatures—though he knows associating with them won't do his reputation any favors. When he's offered a spot alongside them to find the truth about the mutating virus Rot that's plaguing the kingdom, Remy faces a choice.
It's one he's certain he'll regret.
But as the three face dangerous hardships during their journey, Remy develops fond and complicated feelings for the couple. He begins to question what he holds true about vampires, as well as the story behind his own family legacy. As the Rot continues to spread across the kingdom, Remy must decide where his loyalties lie: with his father and the kingdom he's been trained all his life to defend or the vampires who might just be the death of him.
My Review:
Oh wow, I loved reading this book! There's a good chance that this will be one of my top favourite books of the year, or be very close to the top! I had such a great time reading it, it was an incredible story and these characters were so amazing!
The world that Rin Chupeco has created, of vampires and the courts and the history is just stunning! I loved the scope of it, and with this new zombie vampire creation going on, causing havoc, I couldn't get enough! I loved how there was science, and that cold Malekh was the one pursuing it, was really great!
All three of the main characters had depth. Remy is tied to his father because an incident when he was a child crippled his father, and he has to avenge his mother's death. He never thinks about himself, puts himself at risk for others, and they hate him for what he is and that's a really awful situation! Plus he doesn't think he's worthy of anything, and I felt so badly for him!
Malekh has been a vampire a long time, and has a complicated past. He was a part of the First Court, but the leader had the ability to compel, make he do what he didn't want to.And Xiaodan has the ability to basically be the sun, which is a vampire's weakness, and she's been ostracized for it. I loved the three of them together!
This book was half their romance, with them coaxing Remy into their bed, because of his issues, he does take effort. And the half was the investigation into the Rot, and all the politics there, there's a lot going on, and the way that it ended...wow!
I desperately need a sequel, and looking at other reviews of this book, I'm not alone in that sentiment. First off, this world and these characters are too awesome to just only have one book. Secondly, there's the whole plot of his mom and the threat that she faces that has to be dealt with, and I want to see it!
I loved reading this book, and I really, really hope that we'll get a sequel!
Author: Rin Chupeco
Read: January 26th, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: I love her writing, and it's a SAC 2023 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press
Published: September 13th 2022
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
