With the blood of the Van Helsing slayers in my veins and the legacy of Dracula himself in my bones, I’m primed to be the most powerful vampire alive.
I want nothing to do with the crown placed upon my head or the throne carved into my future, yet the weight of my parent’s love and their expectations have paralyzed me. But that’s the trap, isn’t it? Living for them means dying for me.
One fateful night I’m pushed to the brink and escape to the human realm with nothing but my dreams of mundane days full of art and peace pushing me forward. I’m quickly confronted with the reality of why my parents strictly forbade going there.
Two human brothers disarm me with wit, charm, and a shared dream of the arts. I think I’ve found kindred spirits. What I find instead is the doorway into their family’s nightmare. I’m caged by supernatural hunters, tortured for the magic in my blood, and starved to the brink as I fight to mend their inflicted wounds night after night.
They try to break me, to shatter my spirit. Yet every cut of their blades ushers my soul closer to the darkness that’s always lived inside of me. A desire blooms to become the killer I was born to be. I am no one’s pawn, and not even the gods will be able to help the man who tries to take my freedom from me again.
Yet even monsters can find devotion and love in the most unexpected places, and it turns out I’m not the only one held by chains in this compound.
Three humans I once swore to kill vow to break me out and protect me. They’re meant only to be a means of escape—until they bleed for me, beg for me, and worship me. Somewhere along my path of vengeance, they become the very people my soul craves.
Before we can discover if there’s a world that allows us to choose each other, together we must face the demons we’re running from. Only then will we know if love can save us, or if it will demand we bleed for it.
Wow, this book was pretty dark! Those who have triggers, be sure to check the warnings.
Briar, the daughter of Alina and her three husbands (if you haven’t read the previous Blood Oath series, go read it!), feels trapped in the loving cage her parents have her in. She longs to attend NYU, pursue her studies, and create art, not play politics. Her parents, however, are keenly aware of the dangers lurking in the human world and want to protect her at any cost. So, Briar leaves, and as the saying goes, she goes from the fire into the frying pan.
There is a significant amount of pain in this instalment. Not just physical, but also emotional. Dreams are shattered, and innocence is lost. But within that darkness, there is also love: love for family, and love found in the unlikeliest of places.
The book is well-written, keeping my attention throughout with good pacing and flow. While there wasn’t extensive new world-building, as we’re already familiar with the setting, new readers won’t be lost; the story provides all the necessary information. Character development was good, with our cast embarking on a journey of self-discovery, realizing what is truly important, what lines they won’t cross, and what they are willing to do for freedom and love.
Though I thoroughly enjoyed the book itself, the epilogues were, for me, the absolute best part. Beware… you will feel all the feels, and it will be completely worth it!
All in all, this is a great read, even if it leans heavily toward the dark side (so please, check those trigger warnings!).