Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Lord of the Vampires (Royal House of Shadows Book 1)

Top positive review

Amazing fairytale romance! Couldn’t put it down!

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2019

Amazing fairytale romance! Couldn’t put it down! Wow! Wow! I absolutely loved every minute of this book series (Royal House of Shadows)! I started reading the 4th one & I couldn't put it down! Then I read the other ones, and I loved them! I loved everything about the story plot, the rich fairytale fantasy, the wonderful suspense, the romances, every twist and turn of the stories... and I wish they would write another! What an amazing work! What wonderful storytellers! Will be highly recommending the series to all my friends; I just loved it!!! Thank you Ladies, for your amazing books! Can't wait to read your other ones! Keep writing!

Top critical review

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Bree Zee

disappointing - not sure i can finish

Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2012

I read the 4th book of the series first (and it was FABULOUS!!), not realizing it was a series so was anxious to go back and read the stories of the other children of Elden. I've not read anything by Showalter before but if this is an example of her work, then I won't be reading anything else.

The basic premise is simple: the 4 children of murdered parents are sent away by magic before their parents' murderer can get to them. This is the story of the oldest, Nicolai.

I thought I could get past the bad dialogue (think Tarzan: Jane, Mine.) I thought I could get past the pages upon pages of telling backstory that is used to try and flesh out each character rather than showing in present tense how they grow and develop as people. And it's repetitive, as if the author couldn't find new things to fill in the history of the characters.

I just couldn't get past the confusing and muddled way Showalter tried to weave together a plot. I got so confused at one point trying to understand whether or not Jane and Nicolai had met before I read several chapters twice and still found myself scratching my head. There's no continuity. No connection between scenes at times, or even between events within a single scene.

I couldn't even enjoy the love scenes because they are so muddled with bad dialogue and awkwardness that I found them amusing rather than sensual.

So why didn't I give it a single star? Because I'll keep reading just in hopes that I'll understand the final book a little better.

7 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Marie C.

Amazing fairytale romance! Couldn’t put it down!

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2019

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Bree Zee

disappointing - not sure i can finish

Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2012

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7 people found this helpful

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Zia

a good story

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2015

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Nikolai has always been quite the lady's man. He was seducing a new woman every night and when that got boring would bring two or three to his bed. He never wanted to settle down with just one person. Until he was to meet Jane. The night the castle is attacked he was with a woman one minute and the next he had landed in a slave market where he was captured by a disgusting princess of Delfina.

Jane has a very quiet, lonely life. After a car accident took away all of her family and she pushed away her boyfriend, she went thru months of brutal rehab and surgeries just to be able to walk again. She doesn't have to work because she's got more than enough money so she moves to a cabin in the middle of nowhere. She's had dreams of a vampire and one day when she returns from her jog she finds a book on her doorstep and it makes her think of him. Falling asleep with it in her arms she's transported to a different world where she appears with the facade of a horrible princess. One that Nikolai had actually just killed. Stripped of his memories with his powers sealed, he only knows he has to get back to Elden and kill the king there. But his powers are coming back to him as he's the one who summoned Jane to his world and cast her in a glamor of the dead princess. Waking up in an unknown place, Jane is thoroughly confused but is determined to figure out what's going on. When she first goes to him in his cell, Nikolai is overwhelmed with his need to have her but still only sees her as a means to his freedom. Jane deals with the role she must play in order to survive and Nikolai does what he can to protect her after something in him snaps at witnessing an act against her that he is powerless to prevent. But it doesn't always go well for him. As his memories break thru he can't always control where he goes or even remain standing because of the pain. Despite that, Nikolai truly is a fearsome man and slays anyone who dares harm Jane (it really is totally hot). Which is good because they not only have to deal with the guards from the castle and the other evil princess, but they get attacked by ogres as well. He knows he must reclaim his home but chooses Jane above all else. But that's fine because together they defeat their immediate enemy and go off to get Nikolai his crown and kingdom back.

I loved most of the book. But things at the end I just didn't. Like how she got back to him. And what happened to her. I'm also not sure how I feel about what her job was. It kind of made sense to add it, but it seemed to be just so out of place and ...off. I don't know.

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Gypsy

Book 1 of The Royal House of Shadows Series

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2012

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Here crown prince Nicolai, son of a vampire and a witch, is magically transported out of danger and his homeland. Known for his handsomeness Prince Nicolai uses the most beautiful of the fairer sex freely but somewhere during his magic escape Karma had taken a hand in his destination. Prince Nicolai somehow ends up as a sex slave... even worse his memory is wiped out, and he doesn't even remember that he can use MAGIC... or does he???

Jane Parker, or Plain Jane as she was nicknamed, Has dreams of her handsome prince. Thinking he dream prince is not real she dismisses him until she gets a book. This book is hand written and tells of Nicolai's imprisonment but besides tell his story it is a magic key to get to her dream prince. Only once she sets him free will Nicolai discard PLAIN JANE like he has the most beautiful women of the realm?

The Royal House of Shadows Series:

1. Lord of the Vampires (Gena Showalter)

2. Lord of Rage (Jill Monroe)

3. Lord of the Wolfyn (Jessica Andersen)

4. Lord of the Abyss (Nalini Singh)

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Kindle Customer

Lord of the Vampires (Royal House of Shadows Book 1).

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2020

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Well, this is integral also interesting to see how these two came through all the mind control. Following their great love and the willingness to belong to each other. In the beginning, it was to used one to get the basic needs of freedom. Yet all ups and downs that were placed in their mind great did not succeed! Keeping them apart.

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Lady Hecate

Not her best

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2012

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I hate to write this, but I was very disappointed in this book. I simply could not get into the characters of Nicolai and Jane, most particularly Nicolai. I must say, I do love a good vampire romance book with steamy sex in it and a vampire biting on the neck instead of drinking out of some bag of blood and this book had all three. However, something was missing. I was not pulled into the character of Nicolai. I could not feel the alpha male that I have felt in her other books. The story itself did not pull me in either. Something was missing but I cannot put my hands on it. I guess it did not have the depth that usually her books have. It was an okay read and a book that I could finish, unlike some other books I had the misfortune of buying even after reading the reviews.

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Sarah Lazowski

Was the book updated?

Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2020

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Huge parts of the book seem to be missing. The audio book doesn't match the words in the book. I love Gena Showalter. I will still read more books by her.

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Tia Druskis

Um... waste of time!

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2018

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What the hell was Gena thinking when she wrote this book?! I am shocked and disappointed. It took days to get through this one. I was so bored watching paint dry would have been more entertaining. The main characters were absolutely boring and predictable. The "Omg I love you" straight out the box is unbelievable for any story I don't care how hot the guy is.

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