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keilexandraThe Vampire Queen's Servant
by Joey W. Hill
373 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Romance/Fantasy
I've been hedging about this book for a while now. I had two reliable recs, but it went out-of-stock at my local Borders so I used that as an excuse to delay purchasing. It was in-stock at the King of Prussia Borders though, and I had a 30% coupon; so I finally bought it, and I'm so glad I did.
First, I will give the same warning I was given: this romance is intense and BDSM-heavy. Someone said that Lyssa and Jacob's relationship resembles the classic abuse cycle, and in several ways it does. The plot is essentially dom vs. dom conflict with vampires and submission thrown in. But explicitness aside, it really hit home with me. In a way, this is the fucked-up relationship that I've been trying to write, except through gender politics as a fantasy of manners instead of a BDSM romance. The romance is absolutely the main plot, but the world is also well-developed and the emotional aspect is never neglected. Lyssa is truly mecurial, simultaneously brutal and loving, and her interactions with Jacob are fascinating. Hill's vampires are uniquely twisted.
I'm not so fond of the cover, though it's representative. Just seems like the targeted demographic underscores the Hill's tremendous talent. Her prose could use a little more polish (overuse of the word "cognizant," for instance), but POV slides smoothly even mid-scene. And have I mentioned how much I adore her characters? This novel kept me riveted and neglecting everything else until I'd read the last page. The ending is perfect--open for the direct sequel (The Mark of the Vampire Queen, which I will be buying as soon as it comes out), but tying up enough plotlines that I was satisfied.
It's been a while since I found a new author who captured my attention so fully, and I'm ecstatic. If you've kept with Laurell K. Hamilton despite her numerous flaws, and you don't mind BDSM, this is the book for you.
by Joey W. Hill
373 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Romance/Fantasy
I've been hedging about this book for a while now. I had two reliable recs, but it went out-of-stock at my local Borders so I used that as an excuse to delay purchasing. It was in-stock at the King of Prussia Borders though, and I had a 30% coupon; so I finally bought it, and I'm so glad I did.
First, I will give the same warning I was given: this romance is intense and BDSM-heavy. Someone said that Lyssa and Jacob's relationship resembles the classic abuse cycle, and in several ways it does. The plot is essentially dom vs. dom conflict with vampires and submission thrown in. But explicitness aside, it really hit home with me. In a way, this is the fucked-up relationship that I've been trying to write, except through gender politics as a fantasy of manners instead of a BDSM romance. The romance is absolutely the main plot, but the world is also well-developed and the emotional aspect is never neglected. Lyssa is truly mecurial, simultaneously brutal and loving, and her interactions with Jacob are fascinating. Hill's vampires are uniquely twisted.
I'm not so fond of the cover, though it's representative. Just seems like the targeted demographic underscores the Hill's tremendous talent. Her prose could use a little more polish (overuse of the word "cognizant," for instance), but POV slides smoothly even mid-scene. And have I mentioned how much I adore her characters? This novel kept me riveted and neglecting everything else until I'd read the last page. The ending is perfect--open for the direct sequel (The Mark of the Vampire Queen, which I will be buying as soon as it comes out), but tying up enough plotlines that I was satisfied.
It's been a while since I found a new author who captured my attention so fully, and I'm ecstatic. If you've kept with Laurell K. Hamilton despite her numerous flaws, and you don't mind BDSM, this is the book for you.
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Date: 2007-11-25 03:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-25 06:09 am (UTC)