The Vampire King (The Kings, #1)

Mar 24, 2012 Twiggy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampire

I really enjoyed the Big Bad Wolf series and was looking forward to this as the story was flagged at the end of the wolf series.

Unfortunately this was a bit of a disappointment and felt really insubstantial.

In essence: Roman gets a whiff of Evie, finds himself uncontrollably drawn to her, saves her life, rescues her from an attack by the Hunters and introduces himself as the Vampire King, who has a crush on her. Evie takes this all in good spirit and isn't too alarmed by the fact that she has...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Ӄıȶȶყ Ӄaȶ McCarthy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-kings, favourites

My Thoughts

In the words of Lalura - the wise advisor of the Kings:
“On a chess board, the queen is always more powerful than the King.”

Heather Killough-Walden delivers a fabulous tale of good vs. evil with deep characterization, enticing plot and lots of intrigue. She makes us truly care what the characters are feeling and what motivates them. The first novel in new paranormal romance series – The Kings - delivers us into an alternate reality of supernatural races – vampires, werewolves, Akyri, w...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Alyssa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is amazing!! I was always dying to know what happened to all of my favorite big bad wolf characters after Malachi Wraythe's spell was finally broken releasing female werewolves from oppression. The Vampire King starts a few weeks after the spell is broken showing how things have progressed, how all my favorite characters are coping, and introducing a whole new cast that has ties with the old characters. Oh and introduces a whole new dilemma, and hot new relationships, that our hunky he...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Poppet rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've decided I'm just a rebel. There's something about my perspective that's completely opposite to the flow (the masses)

When I sat down to write my review, I thought I'd browse the other reviews first. I often do this, just so I can address points made by other reviewers I disagree with.

And this time is no different. I'm reading *best ever* *fast pace* ... what?

Trust me I'm a fan, a big one. And it's because I'm a fan I'm coming in with the truth shield. Not the gush gush gush - but my honest o...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Kellie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I read this [of course you know that, why did I just open with that]? and once I got a few chapters in the only reason I kept going was because of just that reason, I was already a few chapters in may as well keep going in the hope it would get better. I felt that there was often too much going on, too many characters that you found it a little hard to fall in love with the main ones and there was nothing new. YES being that I have read a few vampire books now, but the I really like ones that ta...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Ruby Madden rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found the premise to the story very intriguing and believe that it could have been more developed to truly earn 4 or 5 stars. I'm giving it not quite 4 stars. The heroine is too similar to Bella in Twilight and I found myself dissatisfied by this since I personally don't find Bella to be a compelling character. Certainly a very successful paranormal, fiction character - but not compelling...

I appreciated the rich imagination by the writer and the potential for all the many other characters in...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Vampire King was a good novel, I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the characters and the different PoVs. I find that it always makes the book more interesting to have more than the main characters PoV. Mind you I don't like having too many either, because it just gets confusing to remember what is going on where. In this book we get to see through both Roman and Eve's eyes as well as the eyes of a killer. It made for an intense book that had me spellbound.

I am not going to go much into th...more The Vampire King was a good novel, I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the characters and the different PoVs. I find that it always makes the book more interesting to have more than the main characters PoV. Mind you I don't like having too many either, because it just gets confusing to remember what is going on where. In this book we get to see through both Roman and Eve's eyes as well as the eyes of a killer. It made for an intense book that had me spellbound.

I am not going to go much into the plot because what is written above is what it is all about. So first off we have Roman who has been the King of the vampires for centuries and he has always followed his rules and expects no less from others. When he encounters Eve he finds himself questioning some of his beliefs. I enjoyed reading his struggle to be a part of Eve's life without taking over. For once it was nice to see a Vamp actually feel bad for using his abilities on his mate. Sure he uses it anyway but at least he feels guilty for it. Roman sure had a battle ahead of him to win Eve over.

Now Eve is your basic everyday woman (kinda) except she just happens to have caught the attention if the most powerful vampire ever. She doesn't know what to think when she meets (and remembers) Roman. She finds out he is a vampire and that he has been around for three thousand years, not only that but that he is a King. She is a great mate for the sexy Roman. The best thing about Eve is that if she does understand something she doesn't go off the deep end about it. She was not willing to sit on the sidelines and keep on rose coloured glasses. I liked her character a lot. And of course that she is a paranormal romance author makes things fun.

I laughed at a few parts when the vampires are trying to control Eve with mind manipulation and it's not working. I can just picture that stumped look coming across Roman's face and him thinking "well it worked before". I loved watching the fireworks between the two, there was some serious chemistry going on. It made things a little light hearted. Something you definitely need once in a while. When all is said and done I really did enjoy reading The Vampire King. I can't wait to read about the next King to be taken by a Queen.

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Mar 25, 2012 jD rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, 2_kindle_own, romance_shifters, romance_mythology, romance_magicals, romance_vamps

This is a spin off of the Big Bad Wolf series by Ms. Killough-Walden. It was just okay for me. I like my vamps powerful but there was just too much the vamps could do. They do not appear to have any weaknesses at all. By the time it came down to the ass-kicking smackdown, it was anti-climatic. I liked Roman, the Vampire King, but the heroine was just so-so. I wasn't really feeling her. The side story with the hunters and the other kings looks promising. Ms. Killough-Walden is a good writer so I...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book has 677 pages on the Nook. This novel is the first book in a new series but we see appearances of some of the characters from the Big Bad Wolf series. Heather's novel are well written with good character development that keeps you turning the page. This is going to be a great new paranormal series. If you haven't read any of the Big Bad Wolf books now is the time to start. Happy reading !

It was immediate for Roman. In three thousand years, he’d never lost control of his emotions, or hi...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

Before a week and a half ago I had somehow not heard of Heather Killough-Walden even though she has a large following. I was looking for something new to read in paranormal romance and Heather Killough-Walden name came up. I was excited to see she had a new book out that is a spinoff of her very popular The Big Bad Wolf series, but The Vampire King is also the start of its own series. When I was checking it on Amazon and saw that The Vampire King had over 40 five stare reviews…well you know me I...more Before a week and a half ago I had somehow not heard of Heather Killough-Walden even though she has a large following. I was looking for something new to read in paranormal romance and Heather Killough-Walden name came up. I was excited to see she had a new book out that is a spinoff of her very popular The Big Bad Wolf series, but The Vampire King is also the start of its own series. When I was checking it on Amazon and saw that The Vampire King had over 40 five stare reviews…well you know me I had to read what everyone else says is so great.

I was a little worried that The Vampire King, being a spinoff, would be hard to follow at times, because there would be characters thrown in that would not be explained because I was supposed to know who they were. This was not a problem at all. There is a large cast of characters in The Vampire King, but each is introduced very well. Heather Killough-Walden does a beautiful job of making you feel the scene she has written so that I cared about each character and what was going on around them.

My absolute favorite character is Evie. Evie is a self published author with a strong coffee addiction. Evie has just about given up on sleep to keep up with her schedule of writing and doing everything she can to help with her parents, who are not in good health. Evie is just incredibly likable and believable. She writes paranormal romance but doesn’t actually believe in the paranormal, she has just always been disappointed with how normal real men are. When Evie found out that another character had read her mind she was angry that now they new all her little secrets about herself. This was her thought:

She recycled, but resented how difficult it always was.
She helped animals, but secretly couldn’t stand the way a stray dog smelled. She always glared at empty handicapped parking spaces when she couldn’t find a place to park. She swore like a sailor when she was alone, she forgot to shave for days at a time, and she rarely disinfected her shower.

How could I not like a character who got upset about others finding out she is just a real person.

I also really liked Roman. He has been vampire king for a long time, a title that is not just passed down. Even though Roman is this powerful bigger than life force I didn’t find him too alpha. I thought all his actions were fair and had good reason. I was really happy about this because way to often in PNR the male lead is all “ Because I say so, and I am great so it must be right.” Roman actually asked for advice and took it. Oh, and yes, Roman is a vampire king so of course he was hot beyond reason…um I was totally OK with that;)

So often times in any romance novel, well the lines can get a little cheesy. I so loved the fact that Heather Killough-Walden obviously knows that, still wrote what needed to be said and laughed right along with me.

Evie stared up at him, lost for words and mystified. Why? she thought. “Because you fill me with a passion I’ve never known,” he told her, once more answering her unspoken question as if he’d taken the thought from her mind. “You and I were made for one another, Evie. You are so much more than you think you are. So much more than you know.” He shook his head, his expression suddenly taking on a bewildered cast. “I wouldn’t feel this way about you if you weren’t special. Evie, I showed you my cave!”

Evie froze. She blinked. The indomitable vampire king looked different in that moment – vulnerable, innocent. His chest rose and fell with emotion, all too human. He was right, he had shown her his cave. The notion was undeniably deep, romantically sweet, and passionately perfect. It was also hilarious.

I fell for this cast and world! There was one hiccup with Evie’s character that came to fast for me, but it would be a spoiler for me to mention what it was. I loved that I was given a villain that I could hate to the point of wanting him dead. I will definitely be continuing with this series! Now I must go read Heather Killough-Walden past books.

Happy Reading,
Rebecca
www.bendingthespine.blogspot.com (less)

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Feb 17, 2012 Nicky Cartwright Pashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Evie is a thirty year old, Kindle-published author, care giver to her disabled parents, volunteer at an animal shelter and disappointed with most people that she meets. They are all so ordinary!

Roman is gorgeous. Sex on legs! He is also three thousand years old. He is the Vampire King.

He has never taken a queen. He meets Evie and knows that he will never want another. However, Evie doesn’t really believe in the vampires that her books are about.

Evie finds herself catapulted from an ordinary lif...more Evie is a thirty year old, Kindle-published author, care giver to her disabled parents, volunteer at an animal shelter and disappointed with most people that she meets. They are all so ordinary!

Roman is gorgeous. Sex on legs! He is also three thousand years old. He is the Vampire King.

He has never taken a queen. He meets Evie and knows that he will never want another. However, Evie doesn’t really believe in the vampires that her books are about.

Evie finds herself catapulted from an ordinary life, with ordinary problems – to a supernatural world with supernatural problems. Roman is convinced that she isn’t quite human – an idea that seems preposterous to her.

Charles is a vampire with special skills. He has studied dark magic with his friend – a friend that Roman had killed. Charles is out for revenge - he wants to cause Roman as much pain as possible.

This is a story whose action builds. There are a lot of characters in the book but they are introduced gradually so as to not overwhelm the reader.

Evie feels believable – with her coffee addiction (which I can totally relate to!), familial responsibilities and panic attacks. The fact that her brother lives nearer her parents than she does but does less for them may strike a chord with some readers. Little details make her more realistic ~ going to the coffee shop to write (so that she can ignore the housework that needs doing), forgetting to brush her hair, the way that she wanders away from the distraction of Charles and stands outside talking her Dad through iphone apps. Her dissatisfaction with everyday life and it’s responsibilities but her need to persevere anyway. The way that she is vulnerable with an inner core of strength.

Heather Killough Walden creates images that are compelling and easily imagined. Roman isn’t just tall, dark and handsome. His authority as King is easily comprehended as we visualise this man mountain crackling with suppressed power, so great that it can be seen and felt by those around him. The reader can feel his passion and his anger in equal measures. However, he has a carefully hidden vulnerable side too - never more so than when he takes Evie to his secret home ~ where he has never taken another being before.

This author has taken the traditional vampire story and added her own interpretations. How magic and power interweave. How vampires can travel in sunlight. A truly supernatural world is created with vampires (Offspring), warlocks, Akyri, werewolves – healers, seers, magic casters - and once more, there is that theme that I have noted in other books by this author …. that very few people are wholly good or bad …. but hover somewhere in between.

Warning! There is an incredibly sensual sex scene near the end of the book that will make the reader want to grab their partner or head for a cold shower!

This was another great read by Heather killough Walden. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the sequel when it is published.
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Feb 15, 2012 Aisling rated it 5 of 5 stars

“The Vampire King” tells the story of Roman D’Angelo, Vampire King, who has ruled for 3,000 years and is known for his awesome powers, fairness, compassion and the sense of order he attempts to keep in the paranormal chaos. He has also ruled the whole time without a queen, although he has certainly had his share of lovers. Roman is 6’ 5”, with dark hair and eyes, and the sort of handsome that stops women midsentence when he walks into a room. But although he almost married once, Roman has never...more “The Vampire King” tells the story of Roman D’Angelo, Vampire King, who has ruled for 3,000 years and is known for his awesome powers, fairness, compassion and the sense of order he attempts to keep in the paranormal chaos. He has also ruled the whole time without a queen, although he has certainly had his share of lovers. Roman is 6’ 5”, with dark hair and eyes, and the sort of handsome that stops women midsentence when he walks into a room. But although he almost married once, Roman has never found the woman that he sensed was meant to be his queen. But then dreams begin and he seeks counsel with his dear friend Lalura Chantelle, a wise witch in her nineties, who has her own considerable gifts and is a powerful seer. Roman trusts her implicitly, and she encourages him to seek out the woman in his dreams, who she has sensed needs him and needs him quickly.

It doesn’t take long before Roman finds the subject of his dreams, a woman readers have already met as the Indie author Evelynne Farrow. Evie is beautiful, strong-willed and has many serious responsibilities in her life. She is also secretly being pursued by a handsome but very evil warlock, Charles Ward. Ward has a grudge against D’Angelo and has decided Evie is the best way to seek revenge. He knows who she is even before Roman does. The circumstances under which Evie meets Roman are chaotic the first time, and then the second time, when he attempts the normalcy of joining her for coffee, they are disrupted by violence again. I felt great compassion early on for both Evie and Roman. Evie for all she goes through as she evolves, and Roman because he has waited so long and is desperately in love with Evie, a love that he believes has been thousands of years in the making, yet his attempts at winning her over keep blowing up in his face and she finds herself angrier and angrier with him.

There is a great deal going on in this book, but the primary story is about Roman and Evie. I suggest reading the other stories seriously, but primarily focusing on the story of Roman D’Angelo and Evelynne Farrow and how it plays out. There are many paranormal moments throughout that influence the outcome and mind-blowing fantastical characters that assist Roman and Evie. It is a great story indeed, with such introspection into Evie and Roman’s characters, separately as well as together as they travel through this story, that I suggest slowing down a little and experiencing it. The story is great, and the storytelling is brilliant.
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Feb 13, 2012 Cassie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: auto-buy-author, fantasy-type-story, hero-i-like, heroine-i-love, other-world-alternate-world

The vampire king

This book was fantastic, Once I began to read it I couldn't put it down!!
The basic outline of the story is in our world we live as humans whilst the supernatural live amongst us without our knowledge, There are 12 kings for each of these races as well as an overseer for the Werewolves. This book is obviously the story of the Vampire king and how he meets his Queen.

Firstly the prologue is very dark, I read it and a part of me wasn't sure if I wanted to continue but a bigger part (...more The vampire king

This book was fantastic, Once I began to read it I couldn't put it down!!
The basic outline of the story is in our world we live as humans whilst the supernatural live amongst us without our knowledge, There are 12 kings for each of these races as well as an overseer for the Werewolves. This book is obviously the story of the Vampire king and how he meets his Queen.

Firstly the prologue is very dark, I read it and a part of me wasn't sure if I wanted to continue but a bigger part (the nosey part) needed to know.
Evie Farrow is a 30 year old indie author with an incredibly vivid imagination and a penchant for vampires. She also has a lot of responsibilities, a very caring heart and a coffee addiction. Roman D'angelo is the vampire king and rules his race fairly but with an iron fist and sets of rules that nobody has broken in his reign. A chance meeting changes everything for both of them.

This is a story about finding the one but as with a lot of stories there is also the element of bad running alongside it with the 'bad guy' looking to ruin everything and destroy people. I love how Evie didn't just accept the vampires and other supernatural races were real and argued as much as she could, I also love the fact that her fantastic imagine and hidden depths of character gave her more dimensions.
I hated the ending as it was all wrapped up nicely for my liking (well their story anyway not the secondary characters we meet throughout the story) and wham a spanner is thrown in and we are left on a cliff edge waiting but hey I am a softy who just wants hea LOL.

In the other reviews I have read, they all seem to say that you have to read a whole series of books before you can read this one, I have not read any of that series and found that I wasn't lacking any information to my mind to be able to read this story, I do feel that there were elements that were left unexplained but to me that is more to lead us on to the rest of this series and give us a foundation for the books to come.

I am now eagerly and impatiently awaiting the next installment :o) (less)

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Feb 12, 2012 Violet rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Vampire King is the story of Roman, the Vampire King, and Evie, an indie author who writes stories about vampires. Evie has always dreamed of meeting a vampire, she’s always felt that human men weren’t enough for her. Roman was responsible for the death of the Warlock King, Malachai Wraith (from The Hunt) and Malachai’s friend, Charles Ward, and a member of Roman’s vampire court is out for revenge against Roman. Charles decides the best way for him to get revenge against Roman is to kidnap R...more

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Feb 07, 2012 DiAnn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished The Vampire King by Heather Killough-Walden and the first word out of my mouth was "WOW!" This author has laid out a fast paced, exciting storyline that makes it almost impossible for the reader to put this book/ebook reader down.

The story of self-published author Evelynne Farrow, who has always believed in vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures, is that of a hard-working young woman who spends most of her time writing stories and taking care of her infirmed pare...more

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May 01, 2013 Taria Reed rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: shifters, vampires, romance, psychic

I was very annoyed with all the head hopping in this book. I was doubly annoyed with all the info the author felt needed to be in this book. I can get behind the need to introduce characters that will be in future books but damn, you don't have to introduce the entire cast for the next 13 or so books. I was also annoyed with the constant repetition. A character would be introduced, and then in the next paragraph of she would again state who the new guy is. WTF! ALSO!! seriously, guys don't look...more I was very annoyed with all the head hopping in this book. I was doubly annoyed with all the info the author felt needed to be in this book. I can get behind the need to introduce characters that will be in future books but damn, you don't have to introduce the entire cast for the next 13 or so books. I was also annoyed with the constant repetition. A character would be introduced, and then in the next paragraph of she would again state who the new guy is. WTF! ALSO!! seriously, guys don't look at another guy and think, "There's Jim. He's a very big and tall man. Very handsome, with piercing grey eyes, and a strong jaw." Dudes just don't do that, and each character described was done so that way and mostly through the eyes of another guy. Not that I have a problem with that, but c'mon!!

the "love story" was totally unbelievable. Roman loves Evie after two days, but yet in the beginning of the book we get a "this is where we are in the story, and now let's bring you to three weeks earlier to tell you how we got there". THAT MATH DOESN'T ADD UP!! There was no real passion between Evie and Roman until the one and only sex scene, and even that I'm not sure about since he practically fucked her to death. (view spoiler)

I hate when an author doesn't have a clear vision of the vampire rules in their world. I didn't like the weaving in of so many glimpses of a story.

Story 2
narrator 2

I LOVE Antony Ferguson's historical narrations, but this story just didn't work for him. I guess it's because the characters are american and he is a Brit. ALL of his characters had an accent, he didn't even try to produce an american accent. The vampires could have gotten away with the accents but Evie was from Portland for goodness sake.

Not sure if I'll get the next books in the series, I was NOT impressed with this effort.(less)

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Apr 24, 2013 Yui rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-in-series, new-by-authors-ive-read-liked, o-g-series-same-char, romance-romance, vampire-novels

Fluctuating between 3-3.5 stars.

Let me get the down sides out of the way.
First of all, the killing of humans every few weeks. I've read quite a lot of vampire lore. Some I totally detest, others just sparkly weird. Strangely one aspect about the vampires in this novel bothers me more than ever. It is strange because this nature is compulsory. Why must I condemn those who have no choice more than the vampire that kills for sport? The only reason I can come up with is for image and it a disturbing...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Becca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: show-me-your-teeth, big-girl-books

Kay so this is going to sound weird, but i REALLY liked this book, for the most part, and sure i would recommend it but there are somethings that i wish had been different, but i will get to that.

For song choice: "Won't Go Home Without You" by Maroon 5. I think that is pretty self explanatory

Kay so first thoughts: It is a fast read, but here is one of my my problems with this book, might be actually the biggest...You probably have to read Heather Killough-Walden's other series, the werewolf one...more Kay so this is going to sound weird, but i REALLY liked this book, for the most part, and sure i would recommend it but there are somethings that i wish had been different, but i will get to that.

For song choice: "Won't Go Home Without You" by Maroon 5. I think that is pretty self explanatory

Kay so first thoughts: It is a fast read, but here is one of my my problems with this book, might be actually the biggest...You probably have to read Heather Killough-Walden's other series, the werewolf ones, "The Big Bad Wolf" Series, and i liked those books too, and i think they are free? Maybe...anyways i read them ohh maybe a year or so ago, but i never finished the entire series, i didn't read the last book, and i kinda guessed what had happened when it was mentioned in this book, but honestly there isn't much explanation on some of the creatures of this world in this book so if you don't know from the other series you might be a little (lot) lost and slightly annoyed, because i couldn't quite remember everything from the werewolf series i was like...um i sort know what that is i suppose...anyways so that is a big fat warning for you if you are interested but haven't read the Big Bad Wolf series, and i do realize this is a spin off series but it should take time to explain some of those things because not everyone is going to have read the werewolf series...and this is me stepping off the soap box for that little rant.

Now for plot: I liked the idea of the story, but when the summary says it was immediate for Roman, it was LEGIT immediate. Like he decides it so, and its so. I guess i was hoping for a bit more development in his relationship with Evie, and i loved that Evie didn't automatically go head over heels for him but it did only take a day or two for her too, but again i understand under the circumstances yes i could see heightened emotions. Alright so more time in their relationship in development. The pacing was pretty good for the most part, though i will admit i was a little upset how it started because all i wanted to do was to get to that part. anyways its one of those its a good starting for the author, but bad for me because i have to wait so long! Anyways okay there were these really REALLY out of place, random ass, POV shifts, for like one chapter and that character that was introduced doesn't get another chapter again like ever. It was a little strange and bothered me, still does a little bit. I get that she is starting to introduce the character now because his book is in like two books, but still i was like why in the middle of the book? In the middle of everything? So yup. Okay and that last sexy scene...um there was like not build up and was just BAM and that was like me going...huh..i guess we are doing this now?

Character time!!!

Roman: ALPHA Male time! Well i have a feeling all these Kings will be. Anyways he was very immediate about his love for Evie, and i know have already mentioned it, but it is true. I liked him though because even if he felt so strongly about her, he didn't go all like "lets have sex right this minute even though you just joined my world!" And that i dig like no one business. He was very considerate...at times, but he did think things through and didn't make many stupid mistakes. Though instead of learning everything about Evie by talking to her, he just stalks her a bit, you know normal vampire/paranormal thing to do.

Evie: she was stronger than she thought she was, and i kinda of like that about a character, and i liked in her because it was handled well, it was like she was one person inside her head, and another with her actions because like i said there are multiple POVs here. Anyways she was smart funny, and brave whether she didn't think she was or not. She is a good person, like really good. Anyways i liked her.

That are the characters i am going to write about because each book of this series is new characters, i am thinking that are introduced in the book before it, so you don't get to know about them until i know about them in the next book...which brings me to the ending

I think that this is going to be a really good beginning to a maybe very long series, and there were very intriguing paranormals introduced and OH man am i excited about certain ones...anyways the ending isn't very cliffhangery but i can sense there will be a building conflict...not sense but i know there will be so ha! So if you are wondering if i am going to move on to the next in the series, probably yes.

So if you enjoyed my thoughts on this book, or you hated it, and you want to spite me by finding more books i have reviewed then you check out of this really weird thing that i do with my friend called a blog, yeah you have a dirty mind if you thought i was going to say something a little more kinky, haha! yeah okay awkwardness.... at least i was nice enough to mention this at the end of my review....anyways if you enjoyed this and you wan to check out other books i reviewed then here is the linky link: http://theviolethourbookreviews.wordp...(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Starry rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It was immediate for Roman. In three thousand years, he’d never lost control of his emotions, or his heart. But the moment he laid eyes on Evelynne Farrow, he knew she was the woman who haunted his dreams. And everything changed.

Everything.

Evie Farrow has always loved a good vampire romance. In fact, she makes a living writing them. While sitting in a coffee shop and working on her next mega-hot book, Evie is approached by a tall, dark, and handsome man who could have been pulled directly from...more

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May 17, 2012 Carmen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vamps

I enjoyed the book once the storyline was developed and focused. The first half of the book jumped around a bit, including a scene with wolves from a different series. A problem for a reader not familiar with the earlier writings and I wasn't. The premise of the 13 kings and queens sounds intriguing and promising though and worth reading more from HK-W's dipped pen.

It was immediate for Roman. In three thousand years, he’d never lost control of his emotions, or his heart. But the moment he laid e...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Heather Wiese rated it 3 of 5 stars

I kind of have a hard time rating this one. There were some parts that I found very interesting and others I didn't...

The introduction=holy information dump Batman! Apparently if you have read the other series by this author (about werewolves...which I haven't) you will understand what is going on more because there is a lot of events and people referenced. I know this is a spin-off of the first series, but grrr.

The dialogue=some of it was interesting, some of it was not.

The hero (Roman)=hot. A...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Nikki Wilde rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to hear about this author through one of my other favorite authors links. I'm so very happy I found her. From the second I started reading this I was hooked. It just sucked me in.

I've been reading a lot of books recently where I can't seem to connect with the characters. I had no such issue with book. I completely connected with them almost instantly. I loved Evie from the minute we met her. She was strong and courageous and sweet and amazing. Roman on the other hand was a dev...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Sally rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr, read-2012

The Vampire King is the first book in the Kings series, which is a spin off from the much-loved Big Bad Wolf series.

This first instalment sees Roman D’Angelo, a three thousand year old vampire who is also the King off the vampire race, has been dreaming about a beautiful female for weeks and never knew why, until a freak accident in Portland changed his world forever and discovers the identity of his Queen.

Evelynne Grace Farrow, Evie to her friends and family, is a 30 year old indie writer who i...more

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May 23, 2012 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-it

The Vampire King

I have almost read everything that Heather Killough-Walden has written and if I haven’t read it then it is in my TBR pile. This book is a spin off series on the Big Bad Wolf series. You don’t have to read the Big Bad Wolf series first, but I would recommend it because you will have a better understanding of some of the side characters and their motivations.

Summary:
The vampire king is Roman D’Angelo and he has been the king for over 3,000 years. There are 12 other kings (we haven’...more The Vampire King

I have almost read everything that Heather Killough-Walden has written and if I haven’t read it then it is in my TBR pile. This book is a spin off series on the Big Bad Wolf series. You don’t have to read the Big Bad Wolf series first, but I would recommend it because you will have a better understanding of some of the side characters and their motivations.

Summary:
The vampire king is Roman D’Angelo and he has been the king for over 3,000 years. There are 12 other kings (we haven’t met them all so I don’t exactly know what they are kings of). The foe is revealed early on as Charles Ward who is a vampire but was good friends with the warlock king (whom Roman helped to eliminate in the last book of the Big Bad Wolf series). Roman meets Evie and wants her for his queen. I believe that the other books in the series about the kings will be about them finding their queens. They must have all been queen-less this whole time.

Thoughts:
I didn’t like that the book started out with an excerpt from the ending and then went back 3 weeks. Once I had already read that part it was almost frustrating to go to the beginning at that point, but I was drawn in quickly and was interested to read how Evie and Roman get along.

The other part that I found a little frustrating was that it seemed like Evie went straight from trying to run away from Roman to being his queen. There wasn’t any time in there spent their blossoming relationship. I can see that with the timeline that there wasn’t any time in which to do that, but should have been an “ah ha” moment for Evie when she should have realized that she loved him.

Overall, it was very entertaining. We got to meet the Phantom King who is the star of the next book. We met the new warlock king. We briefly met Ramses and it is hard to tell if he is a full blown bad guy or is functioning under a misunderstanding. There is so much going on in this story line it would be impossible to discuss all the side characters (so I guess you must read the Big Bad wolf series first!)
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Jul 20, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crushing-hard-on-the-cover

I haven't read the Big Bad series, but I rather enjoyed this book for my first introduction to Heather Killough-Walden. The book had so much going on and so many story lines going on that it kept me interested the whole time. I liked how even though there were sub plots to the book, it did not take away from the MC's

I thought Evie was a great character. Charming, witty, and beautiful. And Roman, wow! He was so intimidating and sexy I found myself smiling whenever he was around. By far, one of m...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, vampires, romance, paranormal, shapeshifters, magic, ghosts-death-afterlife, reviewed

This was short and sweet. I am not really sure how long it was since its Kindle only, but it felt short.

There was an instant and supernatural connection between Roman and Evie, so there wasnt a lot of time for their relationship to develop. It was pretty much insta-love, but I am ok with that when an explanation is given. They are like soul mates, so tis all good. But still, would have preferred more scenes between Roman and Evie. The plot was really interesting though, and the world it created...more

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May 30, 2012 April rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm a fan of Heather Killough-Walden. I've read all the Big Bad Wolf books and really enjoyed them. I'm excited about The Kings Series and just finished The Vampire King. The book flowed smoothly. It was nice to see characters from the Big Bad Wolf appear in this book. I hope to see more of them in future King Series books. I would have rated the book at least a 4 star but there were a few issues that bugged me. First, the relationship between Roman and Evie felt rushed. I wished there had been...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Shirley rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Big Bad Wolfe Series was my first introduction to Heather Killough-Walden and her writing. I think those books were my first introduction to paranormal romance that didn’t involve vampires. They were also some of the first books I read on my Kindle App on my computer before I decided to get an actual Kindle to read them on. Needless to say, I’ve come along way in my reading since then, but those books, stories and characters are still some of my favorites. I was sad to see the series end, bu...more The Big Bad Wolfe Series was my first introduction to Heather Killough-Walden and her writing. I think those books were my first introduction to paranormal romance that didn’t involve vampires. They were also some of the first books I read on my Kindle App on my computer before I decided to get an actual Kindle to read them on. Needless to say, I’ve come along way in my reading since then, but those books, stories and characters are still some of my favorites. I was sad to see the series end, but I was happy to read whatever else she published. Heather’s been busy!

The Vampire King is the first of Heather’s The King’s Series. Although it includes characters that were first introduced in her Big Bad Wolf Series, it is most definitely a series that can stand on its own. I know that I’m speaking as one who has already read the previous series, but it’ been a while. Some of the characters I recognized from the previous books and some I vaguely remembered, but couldn’t quite place. That didn’t deter at all from my enjoyment in reading The Vampire King, however, I will admit, it did make me want to pick the series up again from start to finish. What can I say? There are just some books I can’t get enough of. ;)

Roman and Evie were a great couple to start the series with. They were both tortured in their own way and their was more to Evie than even she was aware of. As is the norm with Heather Killough-Walden’s books, the bad guy in this one was beyond bad, yet there is always some small layer to even her bad guys that make you feel just a little sorry for them. Nothing is ever simple, or black and white. I think that’s why I like her writing so much. You never know quite what to expect. It makes for a very eventful read.

I loved the supporting characters in The Vampire King. I also liked getting glimpses into characters from The Big Bad Wolfe Series, even though they were fleeting. Just enough to give you a sense of connection. Being the first book in the series there is also a fair amount of background given and introductions to some of the other Kings. Although it took a little away from the main characters, it was necessary. I can’t wait to find out how the other Kings find their queens and what Heather has in store for the rest of the characters. The Kings Series is definitely one that I will be following closely.(less)

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Jun 13, 2013 Lilly ~ Lihllith~ rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I've learned that there IS such a thing as "To much information".

It was made perfectly clear to me that the writer is attempting to turn this into a epic series but she doesn't realize she's just on book 1.

I've been introduced to WAY to many characters and given a magical, biological and historical lesson in vampire lore or is it warlock magic. Either way it was a lot to take in and made me a bit cross eyed. Characters are being introduced and tons of detailed explanations as to why this charac...more I've learned that there IS such a thing as "To much information".

It was made perfectly clear to me that the writer is attempting to turn this into a epic series but she doesn't realize she's just on book 1.

I've been introduced to WAY to many characters and given a magical, biological and historical lesson in vampire lore or is it warlock magic. Either way it was a lot to take in and made me a bit cross eyed. Characters are being introduced and tons of detailed explanations as to why this character is the way they are as apposed to learning as we go.

I felt like all the details got in the way of the story between the hero, the heroine and the villain. She just unleashed all her secrets about this world she built in those pages and killed any chances of a big reveals.

Its like hearing an explosion, getting all the chemical details the explosion, architecture detail and history on the building where it happened including back stories on all the firefighters involved. In the mist of all that detail just to insert a sliver of a story about the couple that was rescued from the building falling in love.

Which brings me to this point. How many analogies does someone need to refer to someone hair or lips or anything for that matter? Her tears fell like... Her hair was like... Her eyes were like... Her lips were like... Then is was back to, Her tears were like... I fucking get it!

Then finally at the end of it all comes THEE worst sex scene I've ever read. Ever... I'm sure there are worse out there but this one was a first for me. I think I'd rather the author not have a sex scene if they're going to write it like that.

That whole scene was awkward, confusing and what made it worse was there was all kinds of position switching going on at vampire speed... Which I must say was a bit odd.

What a shame, I really wanted this series to work out for me because I liked her concept. A council of different beings coming to a United Nations type set up but it all got lost. Too bad it became so complicated. I don't think I will continue the series unless someone who's read them can inform me that the series improves dramatically. (less)

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Feb 17, 2012 Steph rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-read

The Kings series is a spinoff from the Big Bad Wolf series, which I loved.

We meet Roman D'Angelo briefly in The Hunt, I was really intrigued by him, I couldn't wait to see what the King of all vampires would be like. He was so commanding, strong, respected and confident, all of the things I knew that he would be, Oh and let's not forget that he is frickin gorgeous. But there was so much more to him than we first see. He has a beautiful vulnerability about him, he really puts himself out there...more

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The Vampire King (The Kings #1)

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