Books4Tomorrow: REVIEW: "A SHADE OF VAMPIRE"

Title: “A Shade of Vampire”

Author: Bella Forrest

Publisher: Self-published

Publication Date: December 14, 2012

Genre: YA, Paranormal

Reviewed by: Ellen Fritz

Source: Received from author for review

Ellen’s star rating: 5/5

SUMMARY

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

REVIEW

I was apprehensive when I saw the title of this book; instantly picturing a victimized Annastasia Steel cuffed to a medieval vampire torture device with a fanged Christian Grey hovering over her with who-knows-what in mind. What a wonderful surprise for me then when I started reading and found A Shade of Vampire an utterly enthralling, highly exciting and beautifully sensitive story. Sofia Claremont, the main character, who is captured and taken to the Blood Shade, home of the Novak vampire family and their coven, is not at all a victim. She has this to say about Victimhood:

“I know an excuse when I hear one. Don’t you dare deceive yourself into believing that you’re the victim.”

She is also not stupidly rebellious, brave or tough, and knows when to stand down for her own good when the odds are stacked against her. As the story unfolds we get to meet Lucas the not so nice brother, Ben - Sofia's more than best friend, Corrine the witch, and several very interesting, well crafted characters; and, yes, vampires also have some delicious intrigue in their society!

This story gets started and just never gives the reader a chance to get bored. Although fast paced, I still understood the plot and characters with the greatest ease. The author works information about the vampire world and society into conversations thus sparing the reader lengthy descriptions of the who, what, why, where and how.

I had thought that I was utterly immune to the handsome, romantic vampire male but, Derek Novak, the hero of this book, made me reconsider this attitude. The romantic relationship that develops during the story is so tender, caring and bittersweet that it often brought tears to my eyes while smiling at the same time. Talk about fate sealed with a kiss ... Oops, before I say too much, let me just point out that the title of the book was actually very well chosen.

I highly recommend this book to readers of paranormal romance or to anybody who just loves a thrilling, quick read with a liberal measure of depth and wisdom to it. Five stars and a standing ovation for A Shade of Vampire and its wonderful author, Bella Forrest.