Shadow of the Vampire

Jun 15, 2012 Laura the Highland Hussy rated it 5 of 5 stars

***SPOILERS PRESENT***

I usually rate a book 5 stars for one of 2 reasons:
1. It was fantastic! The writing, the storyline, the characters. Fantastic.
2. I would re-read it. Some books even I can admit don't have the best writing, or a few plot holes...but I've re-read them. This one had both of those reasons! At no point did I skim, nor did I even want to. In fact, now I have a new reason to rate a book a fiver: I stayed up til almost 2am finishing this book. Mind you I was up with my 3 year old...more ***SPOILERS PRESENT***

I usually rate a book 5 stars for one of 2 reasons:
1. It was fantastic! The writing, the storyline, the characters. Fantastic.
2. I would re-read it. Some books even I can admit don't have the best writing, or a few plot holes...but I've re-read them. This one had both of those reasons! At no point did I skim, nor did I even want to. In fact, now I have a new reason to rate a book a fiver: I stayed up til almost 2am finishing this book. Mind you I was up with my 3 year old around 5 am.

It's been a long time since I've stayed up past 11:30 to read.

Okay, so, moving on. Alexia is a vampire. Her mother is the queen of the horde and she has a particularly brutal reputation. Or at least she did until recently. Ever since Lotharus came into their lives, he has gone from Queen's consort to actually ruling their matriarchal society from behind the scenes, going so far as to rape Alexia (our heroine) to keep her in fear of him. Can I just say, that a lot of villains annoy me. They either fall flat or just don't seem worthy of the good guys (ahem the Lessers from the BDB). I think that Lotharus was above and beyond the worst villain ever created. Man this guy's brutal. Not only do we hate him, but we want him to die a slow, horrible death. In fact his "comeuppance" and subsequent death weren't nearly enough for me. I mean homeboy raped our girl, drugs her mom, turns their people against them, tortures her man, tortures our girl some more, and steals her power and her mom's and kills her mom and almost kills our girl! I mean it was touch and go for a while.
And our hero? Holy moley do I want him for myself!!!!!

Declan Black is the King of the dragons, the sworn enemy of the vampires. But he is a new king seeing as Alexia's mom and psycho lover Lotharus have recently tortured and killed Declan's parents. Silver is deadly to dragons in this world, and Lotharus had their bodies cremated and then sprinkled the ashes into melted silver to make weapons. Sicko.

So Alexia captures the dragon king and from the first moment, those two are hitting sparks off of each other. In fact they are so sparky, that Declan is able to almost seduce Alexia right there in the first 15 pages...and it was fabulous!!! As I said, I want him for myself.
Alexia's no slouch either. She may be afraid of Lotharus but she can still hold her own as a warrior. In fact she helps Declan get free once she realizes just how psychotic and power hungry Lotharus really is. See the vampires are a matriarchal society, but they haven't always been, and Lotharus found some ancient journals from their first and only king. He wants to be king, and he will force the women to demean themselves since he has found a way to clone male warriors, and to strengthen them against the memories that come with drinking blood and against the sunlight...it's kind of cool how he uses the elder's pure blood to do all that.

I think that Declan and Alexia were a great couple, I loved how they thought, how they acted around each other, how Alexia could be strong as a warrior and yet cry on Declan's shoulder. I liked how the ending played out after her death (yes you heard me, she died!!! Well, came so close to death, that there's really no other word), and I just LOVED what happened when Declan fed her his blood and she turned. Her new life as a dragon queen will be hard, but I loved the concept. And apparently there may be another female heir to the vampire queendom...Declan sent out his Hunter and his sister to find someone important (I won't give it away), and his friend Falcon to find that alleged heir.

This book kept me on edge to the point that around midnight I brushed my teeth while not putting down the book, I tried to read and wash my face (that didn't work out so well) and I even propped it open so I could change and keep reading. The action just never stopped. be prepared to read this in one sitting because there are no good "stopping points" you'll just have to set aside 5 hours or so to read the whole book at once.(less)

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Sep 04, 2010 new_user rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Romantics, HQ fans

Shelves: paranormal-romance, first-reads

Enough of my friends gave Meagan Hatfield's Shadow of the Vampire a high rating that I won't feel so guilty when I give this paranormal romance a three-star. Cons just outweighed the pros.

First, I loved Hatfield's development of her dragons! Too many times I read a paranormal romance to find the "paranormal" aspect undeveloped, potential untapped- just an extra hairy dude. What's the point? Hatfield's dragons drink blood, form societies and dynamics, half-shifts, etc. She has definitely fashione...more Enough of my friends gave Meagan Hatfield's Shadow of the Vampire a high rating that I won't feel so guilty when I give this paranormal romance a three-star. Cons just outweighed the pros.

First, I loved Hatfield's development of her dragons! Too many times I read a paranormal romance to find the "paranormal" aspect undeveloped, potential untapped- just an extra hairy dude. What's the point? Hatfield's dragons drink blood, form societies and dynamics, half-shifts, etc. She has definitely fashioned her own mythos. Dragons in this secondary world even turn humans and vampires into dragons.

Hatfield's not afraid to incorporate Declan's tail-swinging side in fights (neat!)- and when he and the heroine are getting frisky. LOL! He has a tail, and he's not afraid to use it, folks. Declan's very endearing, however, when he uses his wings to cushion heroine Alexia's head. Yeah, he's sweet like that.

Alexia, on the other hand, seems rather incompetent. She's sympathetic because she isn't harsh and she faces scary mofos and she's appropriately scared without dissolving into tears or shrillness. That said, she isn't very proactive, and her efforts seem weak; she's a spectator in her fate. Declan was far more competent. Even after a thorough torture session, he comforts her. This relationship is believable, however, and demonstrated in some nuances, e.g. Alexia cries with him, when she so rarely allows herself to cry.

That brings me to the sex breaks. Too many. I was starting to dread them. I was afeared! LOL. Every time a scene started to get cozy, I thought, "Oh no!"

Sex breaks slowed Shadow's momentum. So did lengthy "build-up" when the heroine operates on a misconception we are expecting thanks to the author's prep, bemoans her fate for five more pages until someone disabuses her of her fool ideas with the solution we knew about twenty pages previous. Romancelandia hyperbole in the hero and heroine's inner dialogues -mostly in the heroine's, since the author lends them slightly different voices- also slowed momentum, emotion metaphors (black holes, dude), and a flowery, unsophisticated prose, e.g. "He beat his fist against the ground, relishing the dull ache vibrating into his head."

Sentences like these overweight with unnecessary articles, adjectives, etc. made the narrative slower, less lean. Though Hatfield tries to create fast-paced action scenes through the use of shorter sentences, she used mostly fragments- not my favorite device. I would have liked tighter writing, and that wordiness is really the cause of my low rating. A few clichés also detracted from my enjoyment.

Otherwise, Declan's a healthy, lively hero, we see plenty of interesting relationships and character dynamics -enough for a series, for sure- side plots and fighting, ra! I recommend this more for readers who consider themselves romantic, don't mind flowery, and love a hero with long locks. Then this is good stuff!(less)

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Apr 25, 2010 Laurie (Bitten by Paranormal Romance) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, keepers, netgalley, favorites

This was a excellent read! Hatfield has a wonderful talent that shows bright in this highly intense action packed sexy book. The talent she has is to take you in depth in the characters in a short length of time and add so many twist and turns you can’t seem to turn the pages fast enough to learn what’s happening next. In this book you get tons of intense action, torture, fighting, (dragons against vampires), betrayal, HOT Sex, and a huge cliffhanger that really makes you want the next book or m...more This was a excellent read! Hatfield has a wonderful talent that shows bright in this highly intense action packed sexy book. The talent she has is to take you in depth in the characters in a short length of time and add so many twist and turns you can’t seem to turn the pages fast enough to learn what’s happening next. In this book you get tons of intense action, torture, fighting, (dragons against vampires), betrayal, HOT Sex, and a huge cliffhanger that really makes you want the next book or maybe its two books yep, that’s it two books. I would like to give a warning to those that are of the faint of heart ,there is a lot of torture in the first of the book for both Declan and Alexia, so be prepared it starts right off. With everything going on in this book I never felt lost or confused on who is who or what is what. The way Meagan writes it, its very easy to read and understand.

What would you do if the woman that compels you with hot passion is your enemy? The very one that could have killed or had a hand in killing of your parents, then she is the one that captures you and beats you then throws you in a dungeon. Is she the brutal monster or someone else? If not, is there anyway he can keep her without his family killing her.
They both also have another problem, she is a vampire and his family won’t accept her unless she is a dragon, now how are they going to be able to jump through that hoop.

Now for Spoilers! If you want to know more.
There is so much in this story I don’t want to give out to much, but yet I want to touch on what I enjoyed most, the only thing is I have a problem with that because I enjoyed it all. There’s a war going on between the vampires and the Dragons. Alexia (vampire) is soon to be queen, her mother (named Catija, vampire) is being controlled by the evil general ( named Lotharios, vampire). Alexia’s mother and the evil general kills the King and Queen of the dragons, well lets just say the dragon King and Queen was pretty much tortured to death by them. Now Alexia needs a crystal to have power, so this is were we get into the action, Alexia knows Declan (dragon) has it so she captures him in hopes he will tell her where the crystal is, when he doesn’t comply he thrown in the dungeon, later she comes to see him to see if she can get more information out of him, but what she finds is an attraction between each other. I know this is one big spoiler here, I just cant resist. After Declan and Alexia escape Declan is still in week state, but when Alexia is thrown off a cliff he jumps and changes into a dragon in mid flight avoiding the pain and the hard rain trying to get her, This is one intense moment where you really can’t turn the pages fast enough to see how he gets her and makes it back up the high cliff.

I do believe this book will hit this top of my favorites of this year right now it’s tied with the top one so far, that’s how much I enjoyed this story. I would recommend this book to anyone that reads PRN reader even some UF readers that enjoy a little sex would like this book.
Dragon Warrior will be released in 2010 check out Meagan website.

This is one version on this review if you want more sopilers you'll have to visit my blog on my page.(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Dija rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, uf-or-pnr, authors-i-stalk, my-reviews

And then he began telling her the story of them. How this beautiful, sexy woman, this little vampire, had managed to cage him when no one else could. How the first time he'd seen her, his body had reacted with a want his mind told him repeatedly he could not recognize. But that every time she came near him it became harder and harder to resist the pull, resist the urge to kiss her lovely lips, even though it went against everything he had ever been taught, ever believed. Even more amazing, he k

...more

And then he began telling her the story of them. How this beautiful, sexy woman, this little vampire, had managed to cage him when no one else could. How the first time he'd seen her, his body had reacted with a want his mind told him repeatedly he could not recognize. But that every time she came near him it became harder and harder to resist the pull, resist the urge to kiss her lovely lips, even though it went against everything he had ever been taught, ever believed. Even more amazing, he knew that every conflicting emotion, every spark of infatuation coursing through him echoed through her.

The dragon King and Queen, have just been tortured and murdered by the vampires, and their only son, Declan, is out for revenge. On his raid against the vampires, he quickly finds himself overpowered and outnumbered, and is held captive and tortured for information on the mystical crystal with immeasurable power.

The vampire clan responsible for murdering Declan's parents is being corrupted by the current Queen's lover, Lotharus. The Queen is growing weaker and weaker, both physically and emotionally, and Lotharus is pretty much ruling the clan. Alexia, who's the heir to the throne, means to interrogate Delican but finds herself allowing him to feel her up instead. Less than 10 pages in, and she's already falling for the guy because of how hot he is and how "gently" he's handling her. Is it just me or does that positively scream "Easy, cheap ho!!"?

Nothing she'd experienced in her hundred and twenty years felt this natural, this right.

Really? You haven't even said a single word to him, and already everything he does feels "natural" and "right"?!

My initial annoyance at Alexia's behavior quickly changed into admiration, however, for the strong woman she truly is. She's lonely, abused, scared, and terrified about what's happening to her clan, and her inability to do anything about it. She's just looking for some sincere company and all of that results in her instant trust in Declan. After the initial introduction, I truly began to see how much Declan and Alexia needed each other.

This book tore at my heart. The pain that both Declan and Alexia have suffered and continue to suffer throughout the story is heart-wrenching. I truly felt these characters and wanted a HEA ending for them from the bottom of my heart. Their's is one of the best love stories I've ever read. I literally devoured this book in 4 hours.

Alexia is an honest and strong heroine and I love how she never pretends to be more than what she really is. Lotharus was creepy and terrifying, but she never let him get to her, and faced him head-on like the royal queen she's destined to be.

And I really really want a dragon now! First Dragos from Dark Hunter, and now Delican. I'm not that crazy for vamps anymore; give me a dragon any day of the week! The things they can do with those tails, mmmm...

There's something almost legend-like and fairy tale-ish about the romance between Alexia and Delcan. I can just imagine Alexia telling her future kids: Once upon a time, there was a wild Dragon King, who fell in love with the beautiful Vampire Princess...(less)

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May 09, 2010 Diana Leigh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, shifters, paranormal-romance

An ancient prophecy spoke of a mysterious crystal with the power to rule all or destroy one. For hundreds of years, vampires and dragon-shifters have engaged in a bloody war, and they are both desperate to possess the Draco Crystal. The Dragon King and Queen have been murdered by the vampires, and their son Declan, the new king, finds the crystal in the vampires' catacombs, but before he can escape, he is taken prisoner by the Vampire Queen's daughter. Alexia is ordered to torture and kill Decla...more

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Jun 29, 2010 Wanda (Good Choice Reading) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, netgalley-arc, reviewed

Now I'm not really into Paranormal kind of books. But I'm going to be really honest. What brought my attention to the book was the cover. After I saw the cover I read the description and I was convinced. I had to read it.

Reading this book is like watching a movie in your head. For every word I read I imagined a scene in my head. Meagan knows how to write a scene so well that you envision yourself in her book as an extra.

Well in "Shadow of a Vampire" Alexa and Declan were rivals, she was a vampir...more

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Aug 17, 2010 LethalLovely~I'll Be Your River rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, pnr-monthly-reads, smack-a-bitch-upside-the-head

I'm actually giving this novel 3.5 stars. The romance was great. The storyline was great. The supporting characters were interesting. Even the villian was intriguing; Lotharus was a real piece of work. Why only 3.5 stars instead of 4 or 5, then? Because the hero & heroine were complete, lust-crazed idiots. My pinky toe has more common sense than Declan & Alexia had combined. At least when something's ready to come down on my foot, my pinky toe knows how to get the hell out the way! As my...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Yvonne rated it 5 of 5 stars

From the time Alexia and Declan met, I could tell that these two were destined to be together.
The heat from these two made it impossible for me to put the book down. Shadow Of A Vampire is my kind of book because it had me up half the night trying to finish it.

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Sep 23, 2012 t'irla ~The BookSlayer~ rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: PNR lovers

Recommended to t'irla ~The BookSlayer~ by: Bookie | The BookChick

Shelves: 4-star-read

Romeo and Juliet with a Dragonshifter/Vampire take on the story! Great read.

Description:

Even vampires should never sleep with the enemy.

Vampire princess Alexia Feodorovna has been undead for 125 years, so it's been a while since any man has made her pulse race. Until Declan Black. One look at his bronzed body and a fire like no other consumes her. Then she discovers that he's a dragon lord come to take revenge on the vamps who killed his parents. And claim a crystal said to imbue its owner with...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Lana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield was a book that made both a positive and a negative impression on me. Parts of the book were very well-written, and other parts were cliche-ridden.

The main male character, the hero, is a dragon-man, a shapeshifter. I'll admit to a fascination with dragons that started in my early teen years with the first Pern book I ever read (though these dragons' resemblance to Pern dragons ends with the word dragon). Declan is a strong figure, physically attractive, a...more Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield was a book that made both a positive and a negative impression on me. Parts of the book were very well-written, and other parts were cliche-ridden.

The main male character, the hero, is a dragon-man, a shapeshifter. I'll admit to a fascination with dragons that started in my early teen years with the first Pern book I ever read (though these dragons' resemblance to Pern dragons ends with the word dragon). Declan is a strong figure, physically attractive, and head of the dragon clan after his parents' deaths. He's full of angst over their manner of death and his unexpected ascendance as head of the clan.

Alexia is a 125 year old vampire, daughter of the current Queen, and heir-apparent. In some places, she's smarter than she appears to be, and in others, she's just dumb as a rock. I don't really understand why she puts up with Lotharus at all, except to appease her mother, whose "lover" he is. I wouldn't put up with that for MY mother....

There's a feud between dragons and vampires, a la Underworld's vampire/lycan struggle, and the background for this feud is scattered about in little bits and pieces, with not much organization. Ultimately, all I really understand is that the vampires hate the dragons and vice versa, with no real inkling as to why exactly this is so. Maybe there's a previous book or story I missed reading before this one.

The villain of the piece, Lotharus, is easy for me to hate, as he is abusive (verbally, physically, sexually) and a bigot. His secret plot to take over the vampire clan is threaded throughout the story, until the denouement decides his fate once and for all.

Alexia's mother, the Queen of the vampire clan, is mostly an afterthought tucked into chapters here and there, though she does play a major role in the climactic fight for "survival" of the clan.

The chemistry between Alexia and Declan fairly crackles, and this is a part of the book with which I'm pleased. Their growing care for each other, and the internal struggles each experiences, create obstacles with which most of us can identify from our own romantic hobgoblin-strewn past.

The most obvious place for my displeasure in this book is one single word: conscious. In no less than six places, this word is incorrectly used instead of conscience. As the daughter of an English teacher, I tend to see mistakes like this in blinking neon letters, and it not only irritates me that a mistake of this kind passed the editing process, but also these mistakes tend to take me out of the story in a highly abrupt manner. Thus does even an otherwise nearly perfect book lose a star, or even two, in my own personal rating system (not that this one was nearly perfect). No, I do not use the English language perfectly, though I do try to keep my errors in the spoken arena of use, rather than the written. I have high expectations of a published work, and this one falls down on the job. Conscious and conscience just aren't interchangeable in the English language, and the repetition of the mistake really chapped my hide.

Fight scenes are an obvious part of the plot, both between the dragons and the vampires, and internally amongst the vampire sects. For the most part, the fight scenes are well-written, though sometimes they do spring up from practically nowhere. The private scenes with Declan and Alexia are probably the most engaging, and there are enough to keep the reader interested in finding out how this relationship resolves in the end.

In this universe, dragons have powers, and sometimes those powers (such as telepathy) appear out of nowhere to move the overall arc forward, but in reality as a form of exposition. It's not overused, but often enough that I remember it.

One of the biggest wtf's (and yes, I am aware that is not proper English, lol) in this book is an entire chapter dedicated to Declan's sister, Tallon, and her newfound attraction to lone wolf Griffon. Had it been interwoven into the book from the beginning, it might have worked. As written, though, one single chapter in the middle of nowhere, it stuck out like a sore thumb, and did nothing whatsoever to impact the plot in any way. It deserves its own story, not being stuffed into the middle of Declan's, particularly as this chapter shows Tallon and Griffon dancing around her sprung-out-of-nowhere attraction, and finally falling into a fairly hot love scene. Turn the page, and we're back to Declan and Alexia.

Bottom line: I enjoyed parts of this book, but none of it was really memorable beyond reading, with the exception of the word conscious and the fact that the villain was an abuser. I remembered those two points! In order to write this review, I had to open the book a couple of dozen times to random pages and rescan to remember names or plot points. If you like dragons or vampires or feuds or paranormal in general, you might enjoy this book. If you read with a critical eye, you will probably not enjoy this book. (less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Bookcrazy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-german-2012

Der Auftakt einer neuen Serie...

Inhalt:
Zwischen den Drachen und den Vampiren herrscht seit Jahrhunderten Krieg. Als eines Tages ausgerechnet der Herr der Drachen, kurz nachdem er den Kristall zurückgestohlen hat, in die Hände der Gegner fällt, begegnet er der Alexia - der Vampirprinzessin. Wird sie ihn foltern um den Kristall von ihrem Erzfeind zu bekommen oder gibt sie ihrer Anziehung nach?

Ein tolles Buch! Es gab zwar ein paar Dinge die mich störten, vor allem das Cover, aufgrund dessen ich das...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Lisa Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-books, paranormal, contemporary, physical-collection

Meagan Hatfield's novel is an amazing story of power, betrayal, and passion, with a cast of emotionally driven characters. Hatfield has created her own paranormal Romeo and Juliet by crafting a tale about two people destined to be together, yet everything and everyone working to tear them apart.

Shadow of the Vampire is the story of two facets of power...Declan as King of the Dragons and Alexia as Princess to the vampires. Both are fighting for a crystal with supernatural powers. The vampires and...more Meagan Hatfield's novel is an amazing story of power, betrayal, and passion, with a cast of emotionally driven characters. Hatfield has created her own paranormal Romeo and Juliet by crafting a tale about two people destined to be together, yet everything and everyone working to tear them apart.

Shadow of the Vampire is the story of two facets of power...Declan as King of the Dragons and Alexia as Princess to the vampires. Both are fighting for a crystal with supernatural powers. The vampires and the dragons believe this crystal is a source of the ultimate control and power of their universe. When the dragons finally get the crystal in there control Declan is kidnaped by the vampires. Alexia wishes for Declan to reveal the location of the crystal, but she will only go so far to obtain it. Her mother’s consort, Lotharus, isn’t so benevolent and has no limits on the torture he will put the dragon through until the location of the crystal is revealed.

Declan is prepared to die in his prison, vowing to never reveal the location of the crystal. Alexia on the other hand, is facing an inner struggle with all the events taking place around her. She doesn’t trust Lotharus, and worries he is plotting a takeover to be ruler of the Vampires. Meanwhile, her mother is suffering bouts of amnesia and becoming very ill. Alexia’s ascension to be Queen of the Vampires is days away, and despite all of this, she still find herself drawn to the dragon lord, her sworn enemy.

In the writing world of everything paranormal, dragons are one species that is not very popular. So the setup of a vampire and a dragon was a concept that brought something new and original and was very enjoyable. In most paranormal series, you are familiar with the vampires, the shapeshifters and other creatures of lore, but rarely get to see into the world of dragons. With that being said, not only were the dragons enjoyable to read about but their King Declan, was a perfect hero. He was a passionate strong man, who you knew immediately would be impossible to break. He didn’t want the crystal for power, but rather to keep it safe and hopefully work towards a time of peace with the vampires. His heart is always in the right place as were his priorities. Declan always values the lives of his people before himself.

“So, you’re telling me you choose to be shackled in a hovel of a dungeon? And for what? To die as some martyr to a cause no one will remember?”

“No, I sit, shackled in a dungeon, surrounded by the corpses of my kin, for the slight spark of hope that my sacrifice can make a difference. That our kind still has a place in this modern world.” Her gaze softened and he made an effort to strip the harsh tone from his voice. “If I don’t believe that, then the future of dragon, vampire, man alike will be different and perhaps wiped out forever. That is something I will not allow to take place as long as I draw breath on this earth.”

Alexia is very similar to Declan in all the right ways. She is a strong, passionate female who is trying to learn the best ways she can help her people when she becomes Queen. Lotharus has hurt Alexia in the past, so she can sympathize with Declan as a prisoner and victim of Lortharus’ wrath. She sees what her mother’s lover is becoming and knows she wants nothing to do with it...knows that is not the way to rule her people. She is a smart, intelligent Princess who see beyond the lies to the truth.

Alone, Alexia and Declan are strong but together they are unstoppable. Their story is the odd version of Romeo and Juliet. These two people who are forbidden to be together, but don’t know if they can stand to be apart. They both have duties to their people, their history and yet they must decide where their hearts really lie. Their story was both passionate and heartbreaking. You go on this roller coaster ride of emotions with them, hoping for the best outcome. There are twists and turns, with a few surprises along the way, and you will enjoy every minute of it.

Overall, the book was a great read. The beginning was a bit slow, but about 50 pages in, the book really picks up and doesn’t stop. So whatever you do, don’t quit on this book. Invest into the first few chapters and you will be rewarded by the time you reach the last page. If you are a fan of paranormal romance, you cannot go wrong with Shadow of A Vampire. If you're looking for a new world, with new brilliant characters, this is the book for you. Her secondary characters made quiet an impression, so I look forward to reading their stories in the future.

Overall Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 4/5

Lisa@ Once Upon A Chapter(less)

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Jan 19, 2011 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

My, my, my! I think I was blushing the whole time while reading this book. Literally :).
Ok I'm not supose to read these books because they are STRONG with sexual conduct - but I REALLY liked this storyline!
It's not so much as vampires - he is ... The DRAGON LORD!!! I don't have this book with me I lent it to a friend - I read this book awhile ago just because I was mad at the world and wanted to get lost in a book I wasn't supose to - I had NO IDEA!!!
I want to live in this land - to be held th...more

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Nov 26, 2010 AleBelikov Mellark rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love this book from its title onward, is a bit of everything, action, passion, burning desire, betrayal and struggle ... the truth I never imagined such a hot romance between a vampire and a dragon I want a Dragon Lord and Declan for me xD, really a novelty, is fascinated .. the only bad thing was the open end so early in the most exciting and decisive moment in history, let us know how Meagan on tenterhooks xD.

This was an excellent read! Hatfield has a wonderful talent shows brilliantly in this...more Love this book from its title onward, is a bit of everything, action, passion, burning desire, betrayal and struggle ... the truth I never imagined such a hot romance between a vampire and a dragon I want a Dragon Lord and Declan for me xD, really a novelty, is fascinated .. the only bad thing was the open end so early in the most exciting and decisive moment in history, let us know how Meagan on tenterhooks xD.

This was an excellent read! Hatfield has a wonderful talent shows brilliantly in this book very intense action and does something so full of sexy. The talent he has is to take you in depth to know the characters in a short period of time and add so many twists that can not seem to turn the pages fast enough to know what's going on in this book get tons of intense action, torture, the struggle (against the vampires dragons), betrayal, hot sex, and an enormous desire to keep you glued to your seat, it really makes you want the next book or maybe even more so is plenty of material to cut Each character has their own passion and history. I would adevertir those who are for the weak of heart, there is much in the first part of the book, both for Declan to Alexia, so be prepared from the beginning ... . With everything that happens in this book I never felt lost or confused about who is who or what is what. Meagan how you write, is easy to read and understand.

I still wonder, what would you do if the person you love, and desire with such burning passion is your enemy @? It has the power to kill or have taken part in the murder of your parents? In this case Alexia is the protagonist, and then throws you into a dungeon. Is it the terrible monster or someone else? If not, is there any way he can integrate it without killing your family?
Both also have another problem that Declan is a vampire and his family did not accept it unless she is a dragon, now how will they be able to jump through that hole?

There is much in this story I want to give out a lot, but I still want to refer to what I liked, the only thing is I have a problem with that because I liked everything. There is a war between vampires and dragons. Alexia (vampires) is soon to be queen, her mother (called Catija, vampire) is being controlled by the evil general (called Lothario, vampire). Alexia's mother and general evil kill the king and queen of the dragons, and say that the dragon king and the queen was more or less tortured to death by them. Alexia now need a crystal to have power, so they went to get into the action, Alexia know Declan (dragon) that she has to catch with the hope that he will tell you where is the crystal, does not meet the cast in the dungeon, then come to see it to see if you can get more information from him, but what is that magnet is an attraction between them.

I think this book is one of my favorites of this year, that by how much I enjoy this story. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves hot readings, including some more adventurous readers who enjoy a little sex they'd love this book.

Dragon Warrior is a continuation of history so hot so Meagan visit its website.

This is a version of this review, for more sopilers have to visit my blog on my page.(less)

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Nov 08, 2010 Amy Jacobs rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Vampires and Dragons, oh my! Two types of paranormal creatures that are always hot and sexy! The cover is what attracted my attention to this book though. The pose and lighting were sensual and breathtaking! It screamed for me to give it a try. After reading the summary as well, I knew I had to give it a try.

This book had promise from the first chapter. I was intrigued and curious to see the struggle between Vampires and Dragons. In this book they are enemies and both searching for a crystal tha...more

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Oct 28, 2010 Chibineko rated it 4 of 5 stars

Are you a fan of steamy sex? Do you like vampires but are a little tired of some of the "stereotypical" types of vampires out there? Do you want something that's a little bit different? Even if you don't, you should still check out Hatfield's first entry into the paranormal romance field.

Alexia is not your average princess. For starters, she's not only a vampire but she's also a warrior who has been at battle with the dragons for more years than she can remember. Her days are filled not bloodshe...more Are you a fan of steamy sex? Do you like vampires but are a little tired of some of the "stereotypical" types of vampires out there? Do you want something that's a little bit different? Even if you don't, you should still check out Hatfield's first entry into the paranormal romance field.

Alexia is not your average princess. For starters, she's not only a vampire but she's also a warrior who has been at battle with the dragons for more years than she can remember. Her days are filled not bloodshed she wishes she could avoid- along with her mother's creepy fiancee Lotharus. It isn't until she has a run in with the handsome dragon lord Declan that she feels true desire for the first time in her long life. Despite her vows to defend her country,eradicate the dragons, & kill their king, Alexia finds herself drawn to Declan even as she knows that she should torture him for the location of a magical crystal that could give her people the advantage in the war. Her desire is more than met by this fierce warrior king as he finds himself equally drawn to her. Is their desire an abomination destined to ruin their kingdoms... or destiny itself?

Despite being a newcomer to the field, Hatfield proves that she has the talent to not only write an enticing romance but to draw in readers who might not normally read paranormal romance. Readers will be seduced by the sizzling hot scenes between Declan & Alexia as well as enticed by the much of the world that Hatfield brings us. People who want a little action to their stories will also enjoy that Alexia is no shrinking violet- she knows how to defend herself as well as kick a good sized piece of butt. And the villain? Readers will enjoy seeing a villain that is evil for the sole purpose of being evil.

The only shortcomings to this book was that some readers might want a little more explanation about the world that these supernatural beings live in as well as have more development of the secondary characters & the social structure of the dragon world. There's signs of both races interacting with the human world (technology, guns), yet no explanation of how they can go undetected by humans- especially if they're having large battles like in the book. There's no human interaction with dragons or vampires in this book & as such the modern technology just felt a little out of place. (With today's modern technology you'd think that humans would have detected the dragons or the vampires.) As for the secondary characters & the dragon culture, we do get glimpses of them but not as much as we do the vampire characters & their world.

Overall though, the shortcomings don't really draw away from how incredibly fun this book was to read & with Hatfield bringing out more books set in this world, I'm certain that we'll get more explanation about the world & cultures of these people. I'm looking forward to seeing Hatfield flesh out the series as well as reading about the future adventures of Declan's sister Tallon. (Can't specify without revealing spoilers!)

(ARC provided by Netgalley) (less)

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Sep 22, 2010 Chrystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 50-book-challenge-2010, romance

A paranormal twist on Romeo and Juliet, where a vampire and a dragon-shifter fall in love, even though their clans are in a war that has spanned centuries. Theirs is a destiny that neither could ever imagine. Can a vampire and dragon help their worlds merge together or will fate deal them a cruel hand?

Alexia, the vampire princess - destined to become queen of the horde, is a hard as nails, leather clad vampire vixen, and torturer extraordinaire. She never even realized that true love could exist...more A paranormal twist on Romeo and Juliet, where a vampire and a dragon-shifter fall in love, even though their clans are in a war that has spanned centuries. Theirs is a destiny that neither could ever imagine. Can a vampire and dragon help their worlds merge together or will fate deal them a cruel hand?

Alexia, the vampire princess - destined to become queen of the horde, is a hard as nails, leather clad vampire vixen, and torturer extraordinaire. She never even realized that true love could exist until she met bronzed skinned, blue eyed, dragon lord - Declan. Declan is caught by the temptress Alexia, and cannot believe that such a tiny vamp could be the one to finally chain him down in more ways than one. The first time that Alexia and Declan truly meet – she cannot believe that she could react so strongly to his sculpted and muscular body, when all she is ever used to seeing is the pale, sickly thin vampires surrounding her. As the first few scenes between the two lovers are revealed, their longing for each other and their frustrations of being from opposite sides of the war are evident and make you want to cheer for them to make it through this challenge.

The actual plot is quite intriguing as it reveals that there is a secret crystal that could change everything for good or bad. There are snippets of the history between the two clans throughout the novel, shown in memories and old writings that are discovered. It's just a matter of who will find and use the crystal first – for good or evil?

Meagan Hatfield has created the perfect villain in Lotharus, such a sneaky, vile and creepy thing that makes you cringe in every scene he has. Ms. Hatfield has also created some interesting supporting characters, Tallon, Griffon, and others, that seem to blossom in the last 50 pages of the novel, thus opening the story up to a sequel.

In the end, the sarcastic humour between characters, the super steamy scenes between our hero and heroine, and the perfection of the creepiest villain ever are the things that make up this tale of love, loss, and hope for the future.(less)

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May 29, 2010 Jennifer M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Declan is a lord, forced by tragedy into leadership. Alexia is a princess about to ascend to her throne. They become "Romeo and Juliet" in a centuries old war. Only this Romeo has scaled wings, and his Juliet has fangs. With both their races clashing in a deadly battle to posess a crystal foretold to grant the owner power to rule all, Declan and Alexia have more than just their undeniable passion for each other to contend with.

This book starts off with a bang and the action just doesn't let up t...more Declan is a lord, forced by tragedy into leadership. Alexia is a princess about to ascend to her throne. They become "Romeo and Juliet" in a centuries old war. Only this Romeo has scaled wings, and his Juliet has fangs. With both their races clashing in a deadly battle to posess a crystal foretold to grant the owner power to rule all, Declan and Alexia have more than just their undeniable passion for each other to contend with.

This book starts off with a bang and the action just doesn't let up the whole way through! Dragons take the place of werewolves in the traditional archenemy role for vampires in this story, and let me just tell you, it works fantastically! (Who needs fur when you can have WINGS?)

I love that both of these main characters are in a transition in their respective societies. Both put in a position they are resigned to, but neither is really ready for. Throughout the story we get to see them both become the leaders they're intended to be. The descriptions of both the vampire horde and the dragon flock were so important to understanding the evolution of the characters. Not only what they lived with every day, but what they strived to create. I really liked that we learned more than just the names of many secondary characters. Too often characters that aren't the "main focus" of the story get shortchanged in the depth department. Including many points of view can sometimes be confusing, but it was done very well and brought some much needed clarity to parts of the story. I loved being able to get into the head of Catija and and Tallon especially. (Would have LOVED to get into Griffin's head a little, so I'm hoping that'll be a point of view for another book, oh... and Yuri, too... yummmeeeee.)

Declan and Alexia together were just incredible. They started out hot and just got hotter as the story went on. I loved that they didn't do the "does he really like me" "does she really like me" think that some couples do. The felt the attraction and were honest about it from the beginning. (A little early in the overall story, but I'll chat about that in a minute.) They knew they wanted each other, and fought through, literally, the heavens and the earth to be together.

Now, for my only two criticisms. I do understand that Declan and Alexia were attracted to each other from the start, that they felt a connection, or rightness with each other. That's fine, but it was a little hard for me to understand how they let down their guard for, at the time, an enemy, so soon in the story. I'm also not a big fan of extended bad-things-happening-to-good-people in a story. There were a few too many passages full of silver gunshot wounds and references to horrible acts perpetrated by Lotharus (or Lotharass, as I started calling him) for my taste. I know, things like that create drama and ways for a character to "overcome" in the story. I've been told that by authors time and time again. But I still don't like too much of it.

Overall, I really, really liked this book. I liked the action (most of it, lol) and loved the relationships, both the romantic ones, and the familial bonds. I honestly can't wait for the next book to come out. Luckily for all of us, there are a few plotlines screaming "please write about me" at the end of Shadow Of The Vampire. And I just realized that there will be a semi-prequel story available in July as well, Dragon Warrior, so we won't have long to wait!
(less)

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Apr 20, 2010 Damaris (GoodChoiceReading) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Damaris (GoodChoiceReading) by: goodchoicereadin@aol.com

Shelves: favorites

This book was like watching a movie! Every time I stopped reading I could not wait to get back to it and finish it. Everything just fell right into place. I liked how right from the beginning this book starts with the action. From the prologue till the end there is always something happening? This was definitely different from other Vampire books I've read. This book was different in the sense that for once the forbidden love was between Vampire and Dragon and not Human and Vampire or Wolf and V...more This book was like watching a movie! Every time I stopped reading I could not wait to get back to it and finish it. Everything just fell right into place. I liked how right from the beginning this book starts with the action. From the prologue till the end there is always something happening? This was definitely different from other Vampire books I've read. This book was different in the sense that for once the forbidden love was between Vampire and Dragon and not Human and Vampire or Wolf and Vampire. Definitely a change and I loved it. I've only ever read one other book about Dragons and it was more of he was a shape shifter.

Don't get me started on the hot scenes in this book! Hot hot hot! I loved that Meagan Hatfield did not only write the scenes between Alexia and Declan from one point of view. She gives you both point of views at that moment and how they are both feeling. So you get to read what Alexia is feeling and thinking and then Declan. I really liked that because it helps you feel the emotions and picture things better.

This book actually made me teary eyed a couple of times. I found it very sad at some of the things Alexia goes/went through. Then when she finally falls in love it's a little emotional because of her past. She doesn't know if she should stay or go since their love is forbidden. I was torn! But even with everything she went through she held her head up high and refused to give up on anything. I found myself also feeling sorry for her mother. I got teary eyed with a couple of scenes that involved her mother. Actually through out the book you get a little bit of almost every character. Which I liked a lot! Meagan's main focus of course is on Alexia and Declan, but she gives you a little of every character.

Declan, I love reading a story where the big and bad guy falls in love without even realizing how. I picture Declan as Mark Walberg ha-ha. For some reason his attitude in the beginning and through out the book reminded me of him. He was very sexy and strong. The way he wants to protect Alexia from her past and now was so romantic.

Lotharus is the perfect bad guy!!!! I hate him loll, but his character was thought up really well. He definitely had my yelling "you bastard!" ha-ha

Tallon, I really like this character a lot. She was so strong and such a warrior it was hard not to like her. She did not really fear anything but losing her brother Declan.

So if you want a book full of action, romance, twist, love and betrayal then this is the one for you! Meagan Hatfield wrote this book really well and it was my first book by her and won’t be my last. I definitely recommend this book.
(less)

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Jan 11, 2012 Bookie | The BookChick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-star-read, pnr, vampires

Book Description:
Vampire princess Alexia Feodorovna has been undead for 125 years, so it's been a while since any man has made her pulse race. Until Declan Black. One look at his bronzed body and a fire like no other consumes her. Then she discovers that he's a dragon lord come to take revenge on the vamps who killed his parents. And claim a crystal said to imbue its owner with incredible powers.

Alexia is ordered to torture and kill the dragon lord. Yet with each reckless encounter, she finds he...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Michelle (MsRomanticReads) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dragons, a-keeper, heroes-you-want-for-yourself, worth-re-reading, erotica, favorites, kickass-heroine, romance, paranormal, october-2011, suspense, vampire

Forget vampires! I want a dragon like Declan!

After the death of his parents at the hands of the ruthless vampire queen, Declan is the new King, and his first order of business is to retrieve a crystal said to bestow the owner with immeasurable power. Unfortunately he's captured by the vamps before he can escape. His captor is the beautiful Alexia, daughter of the queen. There's instant chemistry between Alexia and Declan. Not all is as it seems, but will they be able to look past their differenc...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Among The Muses rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: dark paranormal romance readers

Shelves: dark-paranormal-romance, dragons, recommend, vampires, yummy-alpha

In this amazing new novel by Meagan Hatfield, you will be swept up in the immediate action, intrigued by the mysterious events, and mesmerized by the dynamic characters and the tragedies and triumphs that surround them, that make up Shadow of the Vampire.

War between clans was growing more fierce, claiming too many lives. Desperate to change the course of events, a dragon King, one of the last of his kind, makes a bold and costly decision. He sets out to seek revenge on his enemies, the vampires,...more In this amazing new novel by Meagan Hatfield, you will be swept up in the immediate action, intrigued by the mysterious events, and mesmerized by the dynamic characters and the tragedies and triumphs that surround them, that make up Shadow of the Vampire.

War between clans was growing more fierce, claiming too many lives. Desperate to change the course of events, a dragon King, one of the last of his kind, makes a bold and costly decision. He sets out to seek revenge on his enemies, the vampires, for the deaths of his parents, and to capture a powerful crystal in their possession, said through ancient prophecy, that it had the ability to change the fates of his people.

Declan Black was determined not to see the remaining dragons, who looked to him as their new leader, be decimated in numbers until they eventually would cease to exist at all. But, little did he know that the daughter of the vampire Queen, Alexia, had too much at stake to simply allow Declan to walk in and take the valuable crystal out from underneath her nose. Unfortunately for Declan, he quickly finds himself in the hold of the enemy.

During the time of Declan's capture, under the watchful eye of his sexy, blond captor, both he and Alexia, sense that his time in captivity has unleashed a turn in emotions and leaves them questioning loyalties. Alexia, the sole heir to her mother's thrown, is tragically alone in the caves of her royal palace, without the necessary support, love, and guidance she desperately needs and seeks. With the surprising help of her new prisoner, Alexia is slowly awakened to reality that maybe not is all as it seems in her own kingdom, as well as the taught hate towards her enemy, and may have to lean on Declan for more than support.

Caught in the feud between clans, the demands of their positions, and the forbidden lust and love that develops between the two, bot Alexia and Declan are forced to make tough decisions that may have irreversible consequences for both them and their people.

Our hero and heroine both portray strong characteristics of those from two different clans with different perspectives. The tragic events (including physical and emotional abuse) and loneliness that surround Alexia, has you gaining more and more sympathy for her as you get to know her. But, not so much that you think her weak. In fact, I found her to be a survivor who wants to be the best leader for her people, and who grows stronger and more confident as the tale unfolds while still maintaining a sense of vulnerability. Declan, too, changes his opinions and personal characteristics throughout the story. Neither character is the same person that he, or she, started out the story as. I also truly enjoyed the way their growing desire and need for one another was written. It never felt rushed, but rather consuming with the high amounts of sexual tension.

The conflict is very strong in this story. Not only between the initial reactions of the hero and heroine's feelings towards one another and their forbidden love, but also the conflict between the protagonists and the antagonists. The antagonist -- specifically Lotharus, the vampire Queen's future husband, is definitely portrayed as an a villain! He's a vicious, power hungry male, who believes woman to be inferior. His cruel domination over Alexia will have you wanting to see to his demise immediately.

The secondary characters are just as strong. In fact, Hatfield includes some great additional characters with the perfect set-ups to see carried on in a series. I have my heart set on one character in particular -- Griffon! *mmm*

The style of writing in which Hatfield uses creates a great fast-paced action, with a believable plot that stays true to course, and subtle imagery that allows you to 'play out' the picture in your mind. I never felt like something was dragging on longer than necessary, and if the characters did stay in one place, we were only rewarded with new information. The only problem that I had was the ability for myself to come up a clear picture of the physical geographic setting. For example, it was mentioned that the vampires "inhabited the ground beneath the earth", but a couple of times I found myself questioning how some of the characteristics associated with their niche could be possible. But, I can't give examples for the sake of not including any spoilers.

With all the twists and turns in the plot and sub-plots, you'll be sitting on the edge of your seat right from the beginning. The steamy sexual tension that continues to build will leave you begging and pleading for closure as much as the two main characters do! And when it is finally rectified, you will not be disappointed!

This is definitely an adult category book based on the physical violence (including rape that is implied) and for sexual content.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a fantastic, action packed, highly engaging, dark paranormal romance! You will be pleasantly pleased -- and sated-- and sending out letters or requests, and crossing your fingers for Hatfield to turn this in to what could be a great series!(less)

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May 30, 2010 Paranormal Haven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-read-by-stephanie

Alexia is a vampire princess who fights to keep her people safe. A recently discovered crystal can give the one wielding it immense power. After an attack from her dragon enemies, Alexia must do all she can to get the stolen crystal back. Once she is face to face with the dragon, she realizes it will not be as easy as she thought. Declan Black is unlike any male she has come across and he brings out feelings in Alexia she didn't even knew she had.

Declan knows he should be trying to kill the lit...more Alexia is a vampire princess who fights to keep her people safe. A recently discovered crystal can give the one wielding it immense power. After an attack from her dragon enemies, Alexia must do all she can to get the stolen crystal back. Once she is face to face with the dragon, she realizes it will not be as easy as she thought. Declan Black is unlike any male she has come across and he brings out feelings in Alexia she didn't even knew she had.

Declan knows he should be trying to kill the little blonde vampire sent to torture him but his body has other things planned. Alexia is his enemy but all he can think about is kissing her soft lips again and protecting her from evil hidden within her own people. An evil that will stop at nothing to destroy them both.

Both Alexia and Declan have an immense amount of pressure and responsibility on their shoulders. Alexia is soon to become queen and is fighting against her own people for control of what is supposed to be her birth right. She is definitely one of the strongest princesses I've ever read about. She is a worthy fighter who just wants to protect and take care of those around her. I liked Alexia because everything she wanted, she wanted for her people. Even though she presented a tough exterior, she is scared she will fail them. Declan was perfect for her. Even though he was chained in the dungeon and beaten, he could only think about keeping Alexia safe and avenging a wrong that was done to her. Declan is a passionate character that you would definitely want as a friend and not as your enemy.

Lotharios is a vampire who leads the soldiers and he is not happy with a woman on the throne. He is a vile creature who enjoys torture, rape and murder. There is no question that he is evil from the moment you first read about him. He is the dark cloud hanging over Alexia and her mother and enjoyed torturing Declan. I couldn't decide if I wanted Alexia or Declan to be the one to finally put him out of every one's misery. The climatic fight between the three at the end was worth the wait.

The vampires and dragons are at war. It is an emotional one for both sides and they have each suffered great loss because of it. There is a lot of hate amongst the people and I want to keep reading to find out how it ends. Meagan Hatfield had me addicted from the beginning. I really hope the is the start of a series because Shadow of the Vampire left me wanting more. No really, there were two cliffhangers!

~Stephanie G(less)

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May 07, 2011 Raina rated it 2 of 5 stars

In Meagan Hatfield’s paranormal romance Shadow of the Vampire, Alexia is on the cusp of taking over the vampire horde from her mother. She’s powerful, but her mother’s adviser and fiance is far from excited about Alexia taking over. He leads the search for a crystal that will give the vampires total power. The vampire’s enemies are the dragons who live high in the mountains. When dragon lord Declan is captured, Alexia is ordered to torture him for information on the crystal. Instead she falls in...more In Meagan Hatfield’s paranormal romance Shadow of the Vampire, Alexia is on the cusp of taking over the vampire horde from her mother. She’s powerful, but her mother’s adviser and fiance is far from excited about Alexia taking over. He leads the search for a crystal that will give the vampires total power. The vampire’s enemies are the dragons who live high in the mountains. When dragon lord Declan is captured, Alexia is ordered to torture him for information on the crystal. Instead she falls in love. Something about him draws her to him over and over. He can’t resist her either, even though he came to vampires to take revenge for his parents’ deaths.

I loved Hatfield's development of her dragons. Too many times I read a paranormal romance to find the "paranormal" aspect undeveloped, potential untapped- just an extra hairy dude. What's the point? Hatfield's dragons drink blood, form societies and dynamics, half-shifts, etc. She has definitely fashioned her own mythos. Dragons in this secondary world even turn humans and vampires into dragons. Hatfield's not afraid to incorporate Declan's tail-swinging side in fights (neat!) and when he and the heroine are getting frisky. LOL! He has a tail, and he's not afraid to use it, folks. Declan's very endearing, however, when he uses his wings to cushion heroine Alexia's head. Yeah, he's sweet like that. Alexia, on the other hand, seems rather incompetent. She's sympathetic because she isn't harsh and she faces scary mall sorts of scary enemies and she's appropriately scared without dissolving into tears or shrillness. However, she isn't very proactive, and her efforts seem weak; she's a spectator in her fate as well as her own life. Declan was far more competent. Even after a thorough torture session, he comforts her. This relationship is believable, however, and demonstrated in some nuances, for example, Alexia cries with him, when she so rarely allows herself to cry. The strong cultures of both the vampires and dragons help paint an intriguing world for the characters of Shadow of the Vampire.

As for the sex scenes, there were just way too many. I was starting to dread them. Every time a scene started to get cozy, I thought, "Oh no!" The sex completely threw the entire pace of the novel. So did lengthy "build-up" when the heroine operates on a misconception we are expecting thanks to the author's prep, bemoans her fate for five more pages until someone disabuses her of her fool ideas with the solution we knew about twenty pages previously. Hatfield's sentences were overweight with unnecessary articles, adjectives, etc. which also made the narrative slower. Though she tries to create fast-paced action scenes through the use of shorter sentences, she used mostly fragments- not my favorite device. I would have liked tighter writing, and that wordiness is really the cause of my low rating. A few clichés also detracted from my enjoyment. (less)

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May 01, 2011 Tina Andersen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-the-lot-so-far, hot-stud-alert, phr-great-books-these-are-a-must-re

Drangons, half vampire half drangons, vampires, vampires that can be killed by by a gun, fist fights, shoot outs, torture, dirty dungeons, blood and gutts, death, love, lies, self sacrafice, passion in odd places, sex sences (oh boy long sex sences), rampid emotion, loss.

This book has it all and i loved it... it has none stop action, passion, all the good stuff. this is the first book i have read by meagan hatfield and i can tell you i wont be the last, she has done an amazing job with this book...more Drangons, half vampire half drangons, vampires, vampires that can be killed by by a gun, fist fights, shoot outs, torture, dirty dungeons, blood and gutts, death, love, lies, self sacrafice, passion in odd places, sex sences (oh boy long sex sences), rampid emotion, loss.

This book has it all and i loved it... it has none stop action, passion, all the good stuff. this is the first book i have read by meagan hatfield and i can tell you i wont be the last, she has done an amazing job with this book...

alexia the main female charactor of the book was shy and brave as it was needed, she was raped, tortured, beatten and almost killed and saved a number of times in this book.

declan the main male charator was brave and loyal to his kind was torture, beatten and almost killed a number of time throught the book.... are you seeing a pattern here.. OMG who saves who ??? lol

the bad guy lotharus is one you end up hating and dispising right from the word go.

the suporting charactor are great as well youll far inlove with the good guys and hate the bad ones..

meagan has written this book with such passion i find it touching...

ok a quick run down of the book (i hate when people tell to much of the story in a review but im going to turn not to do that)declan is the king of the dragons and at the start of the book has set of to finish what his parents dies trying to do, find a magic crystal which is in the hand of the vampires, he gets catch by alexia and her horde(vampire army) and is tortured all most killed to try to get the location of the crystal he stoll. he meets alexia the next inline of the throne of the horde/vampires and that were things get complated for the 2, they fallin in love and save each onther a number of time... so basical this book is about find and destorying the crystal so noone has the power it can hold...

the story in the book is awesome and as far as im conserned has no boring parts and i reconmend this book to anyone over the age of 18.. i just loved it..(less)

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Jun 21, 2010 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, review

Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: 7/1/10
How I got this book: eARC from NetGalley

Hatfield creates a fantastic paranormal Romeo and Juliette with her new release Shadow of the Vampire. Alexia is the Princess of the Vampire horde, just days away from her ascension to Queen. The war between the Vampires and Dragons has been going on for as long as she can remember, and have recently hit its pinnacle. Just a few short weeks prior, the Dragon King and Queen were captured, tortured, and murdered at the hands...more Publisher: HQN
Publish Date: 7/1/10
How I got this book: eARC from NetGalley

Hatfield creates a fantastic paranormal Romeo and Juliette with her new release Shadow of the Vampire. Alexia is the Princess of the Vampire horde, just days away from her ascension to Queen. The war between the Vampires and Dragons has been going on for as long as she can remember, and have recently hit its pinnacle. Just a few short weeks prior, the Dragon King and Queen were captured, tortured, and murdered at the hands of the Vampire Lotharus.

Declan, the only son and daughter of the recently murdered Dragon rulers, is now their Lord and leader. When the dragons find out that the Vampires have recently discovered a crystal that is said to have immense power, he sets off into enemy territory to retrieve the crystal from enemy hands. However, Declan is captured, and held prisoner by Lotharus.

As Declan is tortured, Alexia is coming to realize that everything is not as she once believed it to be. With the problems in the Vampire ranks, undermining of her authority by a vicious foe, and the constant attacks by the Dragons; Alexia and Declan will turn to each other and discover a passion neither has ever known before.

This paranormal Romeo and Juliette was fantastically done, and had just the right amount of passion, action, crazy twists and turns, and a wonderfully done happily ever after. I loved the way that Alexia was able to slowly realize that not everything is as it seems, and was able to uncover the lies of her past, and fight for what she truly believed was the right path for herself and her people.
Declan is the perfect shifter Lord and leader. He is sexy, totally selfless, and a great ruler. I was impressed by the way that Declan was forced to deal with some hard issues while dealing with his clan, and that he was strong and assertive when dealing with his people. The interplay between Declan and Alexia is both sweet and sexy.

The villain Lotharus is truly evil, and as we find out more and more about what he is up to, he develops into the absolutely perfect EVIL villain in my eyes. He is manipulative, undermining, and totally amoral. The twists and turns kept me guessing as to what was really going on, who was behind what, who could be trusted, and who would stab their friend or lover in the back.

All in all, I give Shadow of the Vampire 4.5 out of 5 magic crystals!(less)

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Aug 02, 2010 Chelsea [Vampire Book Club] rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: uf-pnr, vampires

You can also find this review at Vampire Book Club

In Meagan Hatfield’s paranormal romance Shadow of the Vampire, Alexia is on the cusp of taking over the vampire horde from her mother. She’s powerful, but her mother’s adviser and fiance is far from excited about Alexia taking over. He leads the search for a crystal that will give the vampires total power.

The vampire’s enemies are the dragons who live high in the mountains. When dragon lord Declan is captured, Alexia is ordered to torture him for...more You can also find this review at Vampire Book Club

In Meagan Hatfield’s paranormal romance Shadow of the Vampire, Alexia is on the cusp of taking over the vampire horde from her mother. She’s powerful, but her mother’s adviser and fiance is far from excited about Alexia taking over. He leads the search for a crystal that will give the vampires total power.

The vampire’s enemies are the dragons who live high in the mountains. When dragon lord Declan is captured, Alexia is ordered to torture him for information on the crystal. Instead she falls in love. Something about him draws her to him over and over. He can’t resist her either, even though he came to vampires to take revenge for his parents’ deaths.

Hatfield writes vivid love scenes that keep readers rapt. Her attention to detail for all senses is notable and helps immerse the reader in the world she’s created.

The strong cultures of both the vampires and dragons help paint an intriguing world for the characters of Shadow of the Vampire. One that, despite the book’s flaws, I would be interested in seeing more of, with or without the same characters.

There were two things that held me back from truly enjoying Shadow of the Vampire. The first relates to characterization. We’re given good background on the characters in the novel. This, of course, is a big plus. The problem comes in when some of their reactions don’t ring true given said background. My real problem is that Alexia has been a victim of rape, yet early on reacts positively to the idea of being helpless during sex. Declan is sensitive to the idea and he’s mindful of not being overbearing in that way, which fits with his character (and what readers want from him), but Alexia’s reactions just don’t fit. Later, sure, but from the get-go? No, I felt like Hatfield was just placating readers’ enjoyment, mine included, of that type of interaction. The scene I’m referring to would have been great if I didn’t already have this knowledge about our heroine’s past.

Secondly, the book drags on a bit. Certain chapters, particularly toward the end of the novel, have prompt pacing but you had to work to get to them.

Shadow of the Vampire shows promise, strong characterization and Hatfield has the command of prose that can really grab readers, if you can get past the pacing issues.
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Feb 06, 2012 Christina Madison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dragons, vampires-dhampirs, 2006-2010

Full review + excerpt here: http://zodiacbookreviews.blogspot.com...

Meagan Hatfield has created a unique world secluded from humans where vampires and dragon shape-shifters are at war in Shadow of the Vampire.

Alexia is the princess and soon-to-be queen of the vampire horde currently at war with the dragon flock. She cares deeply for her people and everything she does is with them in mind. But she and her people are oppressed by the power-hungry soldier, Lotharus. Alexia really fears Lotharus aft...more Full review + excerpt here: http://zodiacbookreviews.blogspot.com...

Meagan Hatfield has created a unique world secluded from humans where vampires and dragon shape-shifters are at war in Shadow of the Vampire.

Alexia is the princess and soon-to-be queen of the vampire horde currently at war with the dragon flock. She cares deeply for her people and everything she does is with them in mind. But she and her people are oppressed by the power-hungry soldier, Lotharus. Alexia really fears Lotharus after he forced her to submit to him and raped her. Now she's become passive and scared to stand up to him. But when Alexia meets Declan, the new dragon lord, her makes her feel strong, cared for, and truly wanted.

Declan became the King of his flock when the vampires murdered his parents. Seeking revenge and a crystal that could save or destroy them, Declan and his sister Tallon infiltrated the Horde's catacombs. To protect Tallon and the crystal, Declan orders her to leave with the crystal and is captured as a result. Imprisoned and tortured by the malicious Lotharus, Alexia provides a nice reprieve, and as he gets to know and care about her, he will do anything to protect her.

Both Alexia and Declan are rulers of great integrity and honor. Their respective peoples are their top priorities. Even when it comes to their personal wants they think about how it could impact their people. Although when it comes to one another, they will do practically anything for the other. Some may say that's selfish, but I think it's only selfish when it comes to something you want, not something you need. And Declan and Alexia literally need each other to function with any normality.

The world of Shadow of the Vampire is kind of shrouded in mystery. There's the vampire Horde that makes its home in the catacombs within the caves and caverns near the sea and below the earth. The dragon flock dwells in caves high in the mountains to avoid the human population. Despite the fact that the two clans are at war, they both favor caves as their dwelling places. The vampires are a matriarchal society ruled by a woman, whereas the dragons are ruled by a king and queen; the dragon lord and his mate. But we don't really know anything about the humans and their role in the world. It's almost like they don't exist. It's a mystical world where its inhabitants are at war; a war that may very well be misguided because of Lotharus's vicious influence.

I honestly didn't know if I'd like this book, but I ended up really enjoying it. I liked that the romance between Declan and Alexia wasn't instantaneous. It was allowed to grow with every one of Alexia's visits while Declan was imprisoned, and every time Declan came to Alexia's aide. The villain of the story, Lotharus, is especially cruel and vicious; delighting in murder, rape and torture. He's power-hungry and hates being ruled by women. He's one of the very worst of bad guys. And even though we don't know much about the world of the book, because it's a mystery it keeps you wondering. I'm really hoping that Shadow of the Vampire is the beginning of a new series. Though Meagan has two other books that are about other characters in this book, I'd really like to see where the story of Shadow of the Vampire can go. With the open ending and parts of the story not concluded, this book could easily be continued, possibly from Tallon's point of view.(less)

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Jun 30, 2010 Tori [Book Faery] rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, e-book, netgalley, reviewed, signed, read-in-2010

See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com

An interesting read. I, for the most part, found myself more invested with the romance between Declan and Alexia above all else. They had a connection that sucked me into their world, and their initial interactions seduced me into wanting more.

As for most of the secondary characters, they fell a bit flat in the sense that they appeared slightly underdeveloped in the beginning. I understood the prejudices vamps and dragons had,...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com

An interesting read. I, for the most part, found myself more invested with the romance between Declan and Alexia above all else. They had a connection that sucked me into their world, and their initial interactions seduced me into wanting more.

As for most of the secondary characters, they fell a bit flat in the sense that they appeared slightly underdeveloped in the beginning. I understood the prejudices vamps and dragons had, but a lot of the dragons were just. I'm not sure. I never felt a need to learn more about them. I got tired of reading the scenes in their POV. In particular, I did not care for Tallon. She appeared intriguing in the initial stages of the book, but then her change--a change that I suppose is understandable due to the trauma her family has experienced thus far--made me dislike her. She came off as whiney and selfish at times, yet at the same time, she wasn't entirely. There was just something about her that was off....

Until around the last 50 pages in the book. It was at this point where something seemed to click in my head. Her anguish suddenly went from bratty and annoying to something I genuinely cared about. The descriptions Meagan used for the scene before Tallon goes to try and beat up her fellow dragon resonated within me. I think a lot of people can connect, on some level, with the anguish she was suffering from. THAT is what made her seem real to me, and that is what ultimately redeemed her in my eyes.

The action scenes tended to be a bit chaotic for my tastes--but fitting for the chaos that was occurring throughout story--and tended to drag on for a bit longer than necessary. Perhaps this is simply my preference speaking right now, but I'd rather it be short, sweet, and kick-ass, instead of slow, chaotic, and slightly confusing (from my perspective). I couldn't understand the motivation behind some of Alexia/Declan's decisions about halfway into the book when all hell breaks loose at the Horde's caves. It could just be that I was tired when I was reading this on my laptop, and maybe I would appreciate these scenes a bit more on paper... who knows.

Back to the romance: it was sweet. It was seductive. It had me giggling at times. I loved the scenes where Declan and Alexia meet, and then the one following in the dungeon, and then the one that concludes the story. The initial teaser successfully kept me hooked until the very end. Their relationship was bittersweet also. Suffice to say, I felt the connection between the two.

If you're into paranormal romances, if you like dragons, and if you like vampires, chances are, you will enjoy Shadow of the Vampire. Despite my initial reluctance, if this turns into a series, and if the next book is about Tallon (which I think it is), I would definitely be interested in checking it out.(less)

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Jul 26, 2010 Shari rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Meagan Hatfield writes a steamy novel! By page 25 things were heating up in the steamy department. While I really enjoyed the spark between Alexia and Declan, I was a tiny bit confused about what was going on sometimes. However, by the time I finished the book a lot of the issues I was confused about were explained and the book ended with me feeling much more informed on the politics of the whole Vampire/Dragon shifter's past. I think I would have loved this book if there had been a little m...more

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