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Paladin Warriors #3
Prince of Shadows
It's Forbidden for a Warrior of the Light to Love a Creature of the Dark...
Valin has never quite fit in with the rest of the Paladin warriors. His power to manipulate shadow has always put him at odds with their purpose of using heavenly Light to eradicate evil. His warrior brothers have no idea how close he is to being lost to his dark nature.
But Maybe He Was Never All That Light to Begin With...
When Valin meets the vampire Gabriella, she awakens within him something he thought long buried. But as he watched Gabriella's need for vengeance to drag her down into the same dark hell that he's living, he knows his only chance at redemption is bringing her out of the dark...
Valin has never quite fit in with the rest of the Paladin warriors. His power to manipulate shadow has always put him at odds with their purpose of using heavenly Light to eradicate evil. His warrior brothers have no idea how close he is to being lost to his dark nature.
But Maybe He Was Never All That Light to Begin With...
When Valin meets the vampire Gabriella, she awakens within him something he thought long buried. But as he watched Gabriella's need for vengeance to drag her down into the same dark hell that he's living, he knows his only chance at redemption is bringing her out of the dark...
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2013
8 people are currently reading
626 people want to read
About the author
Tes Hilaire
12 books152 followersDaphne Award-winning author Tes Hilaire started creating whole new worlds to escape upstate New York's harsh winters before finally fleeing to sultry North Carolina. Her stories are edgy, exciting, and bring a hint of dark fantasy to paranormal romance. And no one ever has to shovel snow.
From the author's website.
From the author's website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 16, 2016
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A heartbreaking story about two people who thought they were never meant for True Love. My only complaint was that the story wrapped up too fast for anything to be resolved.
Opening Sentence: Valin fought to breathe through the layers of dust shifting through the stale air of the cave.
The Review:
Prince of Shadows appears to be the final book in the Paladin Warrior Series. I have enjoyed how different this series has been from other paranormal books. Ultimately it has been a fight of good (light) against evil (dark) and how there can be a little bit of dark and light in each of us. It just depends on how we act that defines whether we truly are evil or good. This is a line that Valin and Gabriella have been skirting for quite some time.
Valin has been trying to catch Gabby for some time now. The wily vampire/succubus has managed to elude him. When Valin unexpectedly moves in with the group Gabby is training to help fight the dark, she can’t avoid him any longer. Valin has known that Gabby is his mate. He just has to show her that their feelings are real.
Gabby is dying. She is fighting her vampire side because she no longer wants to give in to those emotions. She will use what strength she has left to fight the evil demons who are trying to kill those who have weak powers. Valin has opened up emotions in Gabby that she never wanted to feel. After so many years of torment and torture, Gabby’s head won’t let her give in to these feelings.
Valin is a Paladin but he has always skirted the dark side. He has always been on the borderline of being not quite good but he’s never quite gone over the line. The Paladin’s are even wary of Valin’s power of being able to become a shadow. The only difference is that he doesn’t really care what others think of him. He values the brotherhood that he has with the other Paladin’s but mostly he just keeps to himself.
Gabby has had an unfortunate life. It is no wonder that she is ready to sacrifice herself. She wants to destroy those who have hurt her. When Valin shows how he feels, she can’t quite believe it. She thinks he has ulterior motives. I felt really sad for Gabby and the stuff that she had to go through. She has a lot in common with Valin but she doesn’t take the time to learn about him more.
Prince of Shadows could be read as a standalone but the events of this book fall entirely between events of the second book. It references back to Deliver Me From Temptation a few times. I would still recommend reading the full series just to get the whole story of the fight between good and evil.
There are quite a few point of views throughout this book. The story doesn’t just focus on Valin and Gabby’s relationship but also a budding relationship with Bennett and Annie. The big baddie also chimes in on his evil plans. I really enjoyed the dark atmosphere of this story and the quiet desperation of Valin and Gabby. These characters seem to be misunderstood.
My only complaint was that this story wrapped up way to fast. It was like major climax then turn the page and it’s over. There are so many things that never happened. I was really looking forward to the major battle but it never happened. Hell the big reveal didn’t happen, the story ended before that was unveiled. I really hope the author releases some kind of short story to wrap up this series. I know that probably isn’t going to happen but I would like to have known what the ultimate endgame would have been.
Notable Scene:
“You wanted to know why I care, right?” he asked, his thumb rubbing a circular path at the back of her neck. Damn but she had the softest skin. He wanted to touch every inch of it, brand it as his and his alone.
She nodded, though her brow was still pinched in confusion, her kiss-swollen lips clamped tight between her bottom teeth and one sweet little fang.
“The answer is simple, Gabby.” He rubbed his hips against hers, letting her feel how much he ached for her. “Your mine.”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re delusional.”
“Must suck to belong to a delusional man,” he said with a twisted smile, then crushed his mouth back down on hers.
FTC Advisory: Sourcebooks/Casablanca provided me with a copy of Prince of Shadows. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A heartbreaking story about two people who thought they were never meant for True Love. My only complaint was that the story wrapped up too fast for anything to be resolved.
Opening Sentence: Valin fought to breathe through the layers of dust shifting through the stale air of the cave.
The Review:
Prince of Shadows appears to be the final book in the Paladin Warrior Series. I have enjoyed how different this series has been from other paranormal books. Ultimately it has been a fight of good (light) against evil (dark) and how there can be a little bit of dark and light in each of us. It just depends on how we act that defines whether we truly are evil or good. This is a line that Valin and Gabriella have been skirting for quite some time.
Valin has been trying to catch Gabby for some time now. The wily vampire/succubus has managed to elude him. When Valin unexpectedly moves in with the group Gabby is training to help fight the dark, she can’t avoid him any longer. Valin has known that Gabby is his mate. He just has to show her that their feelings are real.
Gabby is dying. She is fighting her vampire side because she no longer wants to give in to those emotions. She will use what strength she has left to fight the evil demons who are trying to kill those who have weak powers. Valin has opened up emotions in Gabby that she never wanted to feel. After so many years of torment and torture, Gabby’s head won’t let her give in to these feelings.
Valin is a Paladin but he has always skirted the dark side. He has always been on the borderline of being not quite good but he’s never quite gone over the line. The Paladin’s are even wary of Valin’s power of being able to become a shadow. The only difference is that he doesn’t really care what others think of him. He values the brotherhood that he has with the other Paladin’s but mostly he just keeps to himself.
Gabby has had an unfortunate life. It is no wonder that she is ready to sacrifice herself. She wants to destroy those who have hurt her. When Valin shows how he feels, she can’t quite believe it. She thinks he has ulterior motives. I felt really sad for Gabby and the stuff that she had to go through. She has a lot in common with Valin but she doesn’t take the time to learn about him more.
Prince of Shadows could be read as a standalone but the events of this book fall entirely between events of the second book. It references back to Deliver Me From Temptation a few times. I would still recommend reading the full series just to get the whole story of the fight between good and evil.
There are quite a few point of views throughout this book. The story doesn’t just focus on Valin and Gabby’s relationship but also a budding relationship with Bennett and Annie. The big baddie also chimes in on his evil plans. I really enjoyed the dark atmosphere of this story and the quiet desperation of Valin and Gabby. These characters seem to be misunderstood.
My only complaint was that this story wrapped up way to fast. It was like major climax then turn the page and it’s over. There are so many things that never happened. I was really looking forward to the major battle but it never happened. Hell the big reveal didn’t happen, the story ended before that was unveiled. I really hope the author releases some kind of short story to wrap up this series. I know that probably isn’t going to happen but I would like to have known what the ultimate endgame would have been.
Notable Scene:
“You wanted to know why I care, right?” he asked, his thumb rubbing a circular path at the back of her neck. Damn but she had the softest skin. He wanted to touch every inch of it, brand it as his and his alone.
She nodded, though her brow was still pinched in confusion, her kiss-swollen lips clamped tight between her bottom teeth and one sweet little fang.
“The answer is simple, Gabby.” He rubbed his hips against hers, letting her feel how much he ached for her. “Your mine.”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “You’re delusional.”
“Must suck to belong to a delusional man,” he said with a twisted smile, then crushed his mouth back down on hers.
FTC Advisory: Sourcebooks/Casablanca provided me with a copy of Prince of Shadows. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
November 24, 2013
Originally Reviewed For: Tea and Book
One of my personal peeves in Paranormal Romance is in the need to be creative, in the need to add mythos, legend and fantasy, authors will not just invent gods, or even use the ones already invented, but they also work really hard to defame the one God concept. Usually if there is a One God mentioned.. that God is petty, evil, devious, you name it.. It irks me, tremendously.. That is one of the reasons that Tes Hilaire's Paladin Warrior's Series intrigues me so. These guys are working for Him!! They are His team.. working against evil, all evil leading up to the very hands of Lucifer himself.
No mealy mouth sit on the fence angels these.. nope these guys are out for evil's blood! Yes, there are those who think they are better than others, those that want to exclude anyone not of their righteous ranks.. but that makes sense, because these warriors, while not quite human have human hearts.
Valin, lives in the shadows, literally.. he is a Paladin who suffers from self esteem issues. Always the one to get his hands dirty, the one who can do the job no one else wants to. Spy, Assassin, whatever needs to be done, he does it. Alone for what seems like forever, since the death of his best friend/wife and their unborn child. Valin is convinced he will stand alone.. but one pesky vampire girl manages to turn his world upside down.
Gabby was born the mix of a succubus and a Paladin.. raised in the darkness and turned vampire at the young age of 14. She has managed to spend 79 years voiding off evil but now she is on the brink. She is dying.. evil is slowly invading her because she refuses to drink human blood. She will only drink the blood of the evil she kills.. This has aged her, sent her through puberty (whew) but yes is killing her. But she is determined to spend her last days fighting evil.
When Valin met Gabby.. Gabby was a cocksure vamp who didn't die in the sunlight, she had a pure soul and he knew, just knew she was his.. but she disappeared. Now four months later she's not a kid anymore and her soul, well it's not quite so pure. Honestly, Valin doesn't care.. sure he wants to remove that stain from her soul for her sake but for his.. all that matters is she is his.
Gabby isn't a huge fan of sex, as a succubus, one would think she would be.. but she has been used enough in her short life and to her.. sex is about control. So she can only imagine what Valin wants her for.. and when he finds out what she knows about his wife's death.. yeah, so not gonna be a happy camper.
Power struggles ignite . between good and evil. Between love and hate. Between a father's love and a maker's deceit.. Choices must be made for redemption to be found. Are these two strong enough to stand in the light? A great, great book..
Prince of Shadow is book three in Ms. Hilaire's Novels of The Paladin Warriors Series.
Shauni
This review is based on the ARC of Prince of Shadows provided by netgalley and is scheduled to be released on December 3, 2013
September 10, 2016
I really like Tes Hilaire’s style of writing. She’s consistent, and I know what I’m in for when I pick up one of her books. The Paladin Warriors series is something I look forward to yearly, and I can’t WAIT to read the next installment – pleasepleaseplease tell me Bennett & Annie are the next book! There. Now that the whining and begging are out of the way… let’s hit the good stuff!
First, I want to talk about Camp Half Blood. Well, not really. That’s a different series, but it kinda works! See, the humans with ‘gifts’ were all congregating under Jacob’s leadership in an old school. They’re training to fight the ‘good fight’ and be victorious over evil. Yay for exterminating baddies! Of all the people hangin’ out there, Annie was the most important, in my opinion. She’s what they termed a ‘null’ – she could nullify the powers of anyone, including the Paladin. Pretty cool trick, huh? A lot of the story took place here, and around this pretty militant gathering. I liked. It was structured, but not insanely so. Annie also has eyes for Bennett, one of the Paladin. Ooh la la!
We were introduced to Gabby and Valin, our main couple, in previous titles. I was ecstatic to read their story. The chemistry between these characters is pretty stellar. I was also glad to hear a bit about Logan – even though he’s not doing too well *sadface*. Seeing Roland and Karissa was awesome as well…and speaking of them, they’re part of a pretty cool plot twist! I am standing mute on the bad guys, however. I don’t want to be spoiler-y. Ms. Hilaire did a great job developing the nefarious plot, and I gotta respect that. Y’all are going to have to pick up Prince of Shadows and say a whole lotta ‘oh, HECK no!’ just like I did! Even though this is the third book of the Paladin Warriors series, it could probably stand-alone. Although I wouldn’t advise it. You’ll most definitely be intrigued enough to read the next title, and heck, probably want to go pick up the first two titles, as well.
Alpha male fan? Valin’s your boy. When I read PNR, I really like my males alpha. Practically beating their chests with overloads of testosterone. When one of these drool-worthy hotties finds his other half, the one that makes him feel complete, I love watching the transformation, and Valin’s road to happiness was no exception. When the story opens, Valin is searching for something. Or rather, someONE. But, it was business-as-usual for a Paladin. Find the merkers, kill the merkers, rinse, repeat. As the plot progressed, he knew that Gabby was HIS. That whole ‘Me Tarzan, you Jane’ thing. Giving the stink-eye to any guy that showed the slightest interest. You get the picture. He had to win her over though, and that was one road filled with pot-holes (think Michigan dirt road in the spring). What was the most intriguing about Valin, though, was his ‘gift’. He was able to disappear into the shadows – an unusual talent for one born of light. The little catch with Valin’s talent was that he couldn’t take any possessions with him. No clothes. No weapons. No. Nothing. One of my favorite descriptions was of Valin and his irreverent version of Hide and Go Seek:
“…Valin had made a game of wagging his naked jangles in the universal taunt of the ages…then hiding and ghosting in time to avoid becoming a crispy critter. At least mostly un-crispy. More like the original recipe perhaps.”
Valin’s naked jangles make several appearances throughout the title. I’m not going to apologize for my glee.
Gabby is a unique one. Her mom’s a succubus, and we’re not quite sure who’s her daddy. For a while, anyway. Poor girl was turned into a vampire, and her diet is less than optimal. She’s got physical evidence of her poor diet – much like that friend that eats only junk food. So much so, that Valin barely recognizes her when he sees her the first time. The awesome thing about Gabby is that even though she’s been dealt a crappy hand in her (after)life, she perseveres. She keeps trying to do the right thing, even though it’s really not in her best interests. Some might say she’s a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I really like how spunky she is – sassy, even though she’s completely messed up in the head. I should also add that even though I like Gabby, she’s got the lowest self-esteem in the world. I felt sorry for her most of the way through the book. Makes me sad to see someone feel that way about themselves. I was a bit giddy when she hooked-up with Valin, though. I … well, I suppose I shouldn’t spoil the epic hotness of their consummation, huh? (but seriously, me likey!)
Tes Hilaire’s Warrior Paladin series is definitely on my auto-read list. Prince of Shadows definitely didn’t disappoint. Fans of alpha males and spunky heroines will adore Valin and Gabby. Can’t wait to read the next title in the series!
Rating: A- -- Enjoyed A Lot
First, I want to talk about Camp Half Blood. Well, not really. That’s a different series, but it kinda works! See, the humans with ‘gifts’ were all congregating under Jacob’s leadership in an old school. They’re training to fight the ‘good fight’ and be victorious over evil. Yay for exterminating baddies! Of all the people hangin’ out there, Annie was the most important, in my opinion. She’s what they termed a ‘null’ – she could nullify the powers of anyone, including the Paladin. Pretty cool trick, huh? A lot of the story took place here, and around this pretty militant gathering. I liked. It was structured, but not insanely so. Annie also has eyes for Bennett, one of the Paladin. Ooh la la!
We were introduced to Gabby and Valin, our main couple, in previous titles. I was ecstatic to read their story. The chemistry between these characters is pretty stellar. I was also glad to hear a bit about Logan – even though he’s not doing too well *sadface*. Seeing Roland and Karissa was awesome as well…and speaking of them, they’re part of a pretty cool plot twist! I am standing mute on the bad guys, however. I don’t want to be spoiler-y. Ms. Hilaire did a great job developing the nefarious plot, and I gotta respect that. Y’all are going to have to pick up Prince of Shadows and say a whole lotta ‘oh, HECK no!’ just like I did! Even though this is the third book of the Paladin Warriors series, it could probably stand-alone. Although I wouldn’t advise it. You’ll most definitely be intrigued enough to read the next title, and heck, probably want to go pick up the first two titles, as well.
Alpha male fan? Valin’s your boy. When I read PNR, I really like my males alpha. Practically beating their chests with overloads of testosterone. When one of these drool-worthy hotties finds his other half, the one that makes him feel complete, I love watching the transformation, and Valin’s road to happiness was no exception. When the story opens, Valin is searching for something. Or rather, someONE. But, it was business-as-usual for a Paladin. Find the merkers, kill the merkers, rinse, repeat. As the plot progressed, he knew that Gabby was HIS. That whole ‘Me Tarzan, you Jane’ thing. Giving the stink-eye to any guy that showed the slightest interest. You get the picture. He had to win her over though, and that was one road filled with pot-holes (think Michigan dirt road in the spring). What was the most intriguing about Valin, though, was his ‘gift’. He was able to disappear into the shadows – an unusual talent for one born of light. The little catch with Valin’s talent was that he couldn’t take any possessions with him. No clothes. No weapons. No. Nothing. One of my favorite descriptions was of Valin and his irreverent version of Hide and Go Seek:
“…Valin had made a game of wagging his naked jangles in the universal taunt of the ages…then hiding and ghosting in time to avoid becoming a crispy critter. At least mostly un-crispy. More like the original recipe perhaps.”
Valin’s naked jangles make several appearances throughout the title. I’m not going to apologize for my glee.
Gabby is a unique one. Her mom’s a succubus, and we’re not quite sure who’s her daddy. For a while, anyway. Poor girl was turned into a vampire, and her diet is less than optimal. She’s got physical evidence of her poor diet – much like that friend that eats only junk food. So much so, that Valin barely recognizes her when he sees her the first time. The awesome thing about Gabby is that even though she’s been dealt a crappy hand in her (after)life, she perseveres. She keeps trying to do the right thing, even though it’s really not in her best interests. Some might say she’s a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I really like how spunky she is – sassy, even though she’s completely messed up in the head. I should also add that even though I like Gabby, she’s got the lowest self-esteem in the world. I felt sorry for her most of the way through the book. Makes me sad to see someone feel that way about themselves. I was a bit giddy when she hooked-up with Valin, though. I … well, I suppose I shouldn’t spoil the epic hotness of their consummation, huh? (but seriously, me likey!)
Tes Hilaire’s Warrior Paladin series is definitely on my auto-read list. Prince of Shadows definitely didn’t disappoint. Fans of alpha males and spunky heroines will adore Valin and Gabby. Can’t wait to read the next title in the series!
Rating: A- -- Enjoyed A Lot
July 24, 2016
Setting: Paladin’s mansion; Paladin warrior wannabe’s mansion; park & streets of city;
Theme: worthiness vs unworthiness; power of love – for one another as well as for God’s love;
Characters:
Valin: Paladin; can move/melt into the Shade – a kind of neutral zone on the battlefield of good vs evil, the shades of gray between His light and complete darkness; doesn’t quite fit in with the other Paladin; has felt the loss of Gabby for 4 months since the cave-in/light infused destruction of Christos;
Angeline: Valin’s paired mate and best friend; pregnant; he was unable to protect/save her and still misses her;
Gabriella: part succubus, part Paladin, made vampire; “pint-sized pain in the ass. He knew nothing about her other than that she was stubborn, annoying, and… brave.” Mother a succubus working for Christos, who raped the Paladin Roland that had been captured; raised by Christos, who punished her with sex… learned that both succubus and vampire sex about power and control; fights with the good guys, and could walk in the light, due to Karissa’s blood; knows she is dying, refuses to take human blood (which makes her sick (tried bagged blood)) though a constant fight not to; takes blood from demons, but their evil invading her soul; training Jacob’s people;
Roland and Karissa: Gabby knows Roland is her father, but Roland has no idea; they help Valin and thus Gabby where they can; he genuinely happy when learns of his daughter;
Bennett: Paladin; Valin’s partner; staying with Valin in the complex, trying to convince them to join with the Paladin’s; denies to self that Annie is his lifemate… and hurts her in the end… hmmmm next book?
Jacob: recruited a small militia of gifted humans – wannabe warriors, untraced children of the Paladin; doing what they can to master their powers, and to aid humans;
Aaron: Jacob’s younger brother; likes Gabby – but takes it in stride when Valin shows up;
Annie: Jacob’s daughter; tall redhead; a null (eliminates magic energy); she wants more freedom, by her ability is like a beacon, and she puts them all at risk; offers herself to Bennett, who turns her down as gently as he can… shakes her up; gets captured by Christos;
Ganelon: trying to recover ground lost in Lucifer’s eyes;
Christos: reborn by Lucifer, with the blood sacrifices of many kinds of evil; kidnaps Annie, tricks and kidnaps Gabby;
Summary:
As Valin and Bennett try to help the new warriors, and try to get them to connect with the Paladins, Valin begins his campaign to rescue and claim Gabby; he can see the evil growing in her, and wants to banish it… he is always there… following her, talking to her, fighting with her… overwhelms her with his attraction to her… getting her to open up; Gabby feels unworthy… doesn’t want her darkness to contaminate him…
When he goes to free her, he is wounded… she is wounded… And Angeline comes to her, and Gabby offers her life for Valin’s… and Angeline sees the same stubbornness and unknowing of ones value that Valin shares… and God accepts Gabby’s offer = taking her vampire life – purging her of the evil … conceding to Valin’s offer that he needs powerful warriors on earth, and he’s only going back if Gabby is with him… ahhhh
Memorable scenes:
“Endless nights of searching, sleepless days of worrying. How long could he keep this up? Four months of nothing, then last week he’d seen her. It had been from a distance on a dark street and she’d been wearing a wig..”
“It would be worse than when he’d lost Angeline. She’d been his best friend, their unborn child his heart and hope, but Gabby… She’s my mate. My very soul.”
Gabby about Aaron, who won’t go away, “His lack of compliance was really beginning to put a chip in her ego of badass-extraordinaire, not to mention a throb in her fangs.” “ Short of cutting off her ears, there was no way to ignore the pounding heartbeat still throbbing against her eardrums. ‘Eats garlic. Probably tastes bad. And who would fix the base’s computer.’”
Not that she seemed to need to resort to anysort of magic given how she wieldedher knife and axe like a vengeful Valkyrie… And just watching her seductively lethal dance had him buzzing with adrenaline.”
Theme: worthiness vs unworthiness; power of love – for one another as well as for God’s love;
Characters:
Valin: Paladin; can move/melt into the Shade – a kind of neutral zone on the battlefield of good vs evil, the shades of gray between His light and complete darkness; doesn’t quite fit in with the other Paladin; has felt the loss of Gabby for 4 months since the cave-in/light infused destruction of Christos;
Angeline: Valin’s paired mate and best friend; pregnant; he was unable to protect/save her and still misses her;
Gabriella: part succubus, part Paladin, made vampire; “pint-sized pain in the ass. He knew nothing about her other than that she was stubborn, annoying, and… brave.” Mother a succubus working for Christos, who raped the Paladin Roland that had been captured; raised by Christos, who punished her with sex… learned that both succubus and vampire sex about power and control; fights with the good guys, and could walk in the light, due to Karissa’s blood; knows she is dying, refuses to take human blood (which makes her sick (tried bagged blood)) though a constant fight not to; takes blood from demons, but their evil invading her soul; training Jacob’s people;
Roland and Karissa: Gabby knows Roland is her father, but Roland has no idea; they help Valin and thus Gabby where they can; he genuinely happy when learns of his daughter;
Bennett: Paladin; Valin’s partner; staying with Valin in the complex, trying to convince them to join with the Paladin’s; denies to self that Annie is his lifemate… and hurts her in the end… hmmmm next book?
Jacob: recruited a small militia of gifted humans – wannabe warriors, untraced children of the Paladin; doing what they can to master their powers, and to aid humans;
Aaron: Jacob’s younger brother; likes Gabby – but takes it in stride when Valin shows up;
Annie: Jacob’s daughter; tall redhead; a null (eliminates magic energy); she wants more freedom, by her ability is like a beacon, and she puts them all at risk; offers herself to Bennett, who turns her down as gently as he can… shakes her up; gets captured by Christos;
Ganelon: trying to recover ground lost in Lucifer’s eyes;
Christos: reborn by Lucifer, with the blood sacrifices of many kinds of evil; kidnaps Annie, tricks and kidnaps Gabby;
Summary:
As Valin and Bennett try to help the new warriors, and try to get them to connect with the Paladins, Valin begins his campaign to rescue and claim Gabby; he can see the evil growing in her, and wants to banish it… he is always there… following her, talking to her, fighting with her… overwhelms her with his attraction to her… getting her to open up; Gabby feels unworthy… doesn’t want her darkness to contaminate him…
When he goes to free her, he is wounded… she is wounded… And Angeline comes to her, and Gabby offers her life for Valin’s… and Angeline sees the same stubbornness and unknowing of ones value that Valin shares… and God accepts Gabby’s offer = taking her vampire life – purging her of the evil … conceding to Valin’s offer that he needs powerful warriors on earth, and he’s only going back if Gabby is with him… ahhhh
Memorable scenes:
“Endless nights of searching, sleepless days of worrying. How long could he keep this up? Four months of nothing, then last week he’d seen her. It had been from a distance on a dark street and she’d been wearing a wig..”
“It would be worse than when he’d lost Angeline. She’d been his best friend, their unborn child his heart and hope, but Gabby… She’s my mate. My very soul.”
Gabby about Aaron, who won’t go away, “His lack of compliance was really beginning to put a chip in her ego of badass-extraordinaire, not to mention a throb in her fangs.” “ Short of cutting off her ears, there was no way to ignore the pounding heartbeat still throbbing against her eardrums. ‘Eats garlic. Probably tastes bad. And who would fix the base’s computer.’”
Not that she seemed to need to resort to anysort of magic given how she wieldedher knife and axe like a vengeful Valkyrie… And just watching her seductively lethal dance had him buzzing with adrenaline.”
December 5, 2013
This third installment of the Palladin Warriors series brings the story of Valin and Gabriella. Both were introduced in the first book as minor characters and now they get to be in the spotlight as the hero and heroine. A more unlikely pairing would be hard to find with Valin being a Palladin warrior of light and Gabby, a part-succubus part-vampire who seeks to do what she can for good to make up for her dark heritage. It was an exciting story that jumped right in with action and passion. There is a presumption that the reader has read the other books in the series.
Valin knows that Gabriella is his mate, but he thought her lost when they rescued Karissa from the evil Cristos. Then he spotted her- disguised, but very much alive. He had to get to her before one of his fellow Palladins did and ended her because she is a vampire and thought to be the enemy. He knows she is near and suspects she is working with a group of gifted humans who are also fighting the demons and vampires.
Gabby only lives for revenge now. She received the gift of light from Karissa so that she can walk in the light of day, but something happened and she can no longer get sustenance in her old way. She is starving and grows weaker and weaker, but she is determined to take as many evil ones with her as she can before she goes. But then her attention is grabbed when Valin and another Palladin jump in to help her and Aaron, a gifted human, in a fight with a superior force of vampires. He is all that she remembers and the attraction in still there, but self-disgust and doubt reign so she does a runner.
Valin has his hands on Gabby and then she slips away, but he finds her again hiding out with a force of gifted humans including the one who disrupted things earlier by bursting into the Haven to deliver her message. Something is wrong with Gabby and he senses it is really bad, but she keeps him at arms length playing a game of cat and mouse with him. His fellow Palladin, Bennett, reminds him of their mission to gain the humans cooperation with the council and to attempt to put the null, Annie, in protective custody, but Valin has his own mission and Gabby is it. While she's full of self-loathing, he's terrified of losing another mate, but even still they can't avoid the fiery attraction between them even as the powerful enemy sets their plans in motion.
The plot on this one primarily focused on Valin and Gabby's relationship, but the main story thread with the enemy trying to gain victory by capturing Annie was there as well as peek ins with Roland and Karissa and updates on Logan. Another story thread about Bennett emerged too that hopefully will get some further attention in the series. I wasn't as into this story as I was with Roland's story. It was good, but not as compelling for some reason. There were a few things that had me a bit confused or distracted so maybe that's what caused it. For instance, when it came to Gabby and why she couldn't feed normally and was dying or why she felt personally responsible for the death of Valin's mate, but this didn't really affect my enjoyment of the story so I don't know.
The characters were well-developed and worked well together. I felt sorry for Gabby and all she went through and I just wanted her to get her happy ending though I wasn't sure how that was going to work out. Valin deserved some happiness too and I felt bad that he finds his mate in time to discover she's dying. Not that this stopped them from enjoying each other for some sexy times. I loved how Valin got around her denials and gave them both what they wanted and needed. The twist of Gabby's connection to Roland was a good one. I always enjoy more page time with Roland and I missed Logan.
Overall, it was enjoyable and I look forward to what is to come from this series. Those who enjoy spicy paranormal romances that include angel warriors, demons, vampires and gifted humans should give this creatively drawn series a try.
My thanks to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Valin knows that Gabriella is his mate, but he thought her lost when they rescued Karissa from the evil Cristos. Then he spotted her- disguised, but very much alive. He had to get to her before one of his fellow Palladins did and ended her because she is a vampire and thought to be the enemy. He knows she is near and suspects she is working with a group of gifted humans who are also fighting the demons and vampires.
Gabby only lives for revenge now. She received the gift of light from Karissa so that she can walk in the light of day, but something happened and she can no longer get sustenance in her old way. She is starving and grows weaker and weaker, but she is determined to take as many evil ones with her as she can before she goes. But then her attention is grabbed when Valin and another Palladin jump in to help her and Aaron, a gifted human, in a fight with a superior force of vampires. He is all that she remembers and the attraction in still there, but self-disgust and doubt reign so she does a runner.
Valin has his hands on Gabby and then she slips away, but he finds her again hiding out with a force of gifted humans including the one who disrupted things earlier by bursting into the Haven to deliver her message. Something is wrong with Gabby and he senses it is really bad, but she keeps him at arms length playing a game of cat and mouse with him. His fellow Palladin, Bennett, reminds him of their mission to gain the humans cooperation with the council and to attempt to put the null, Annie, in protective custody, but Valin has his own mission and Gabby is it. While she's full of self-loathing, he's terrified of losing another mate, but even still they can't avoid the fiery attraction between them even as the powerful enemy sets their plans in motion.
The plot on this one primarily focused on Valin and Gabby's relationship, but the main story thread with the enemy trying to gain victory by capturing Annie was there as well as peek ins with Roland and Karissa and updates on Logan. Another story thread about Bennett emerged too that hopefully will get some further attention in the series. I wasn't as into this story as I was with Roland's story. It was good, but not as compelling for some reason. There were a few things that had me a bit confused or distracted so maybe that's what caused it. For instance, when it came to Gabby and why she couldn't feed normally and was dying or why she felt personally responsible for the death of Valin's mate, but this didn't really affect my enjoyment of the story so I don't know.
The characters were well-developed and worked well together. I felt sorry for Gabby and all she went through and I just wanted her to get her happy ending though I wasn't sure how that was going to work out. Valin deserved some happiness too and I felt bad that he finds his mate in time to discover she's dying. Not that this stopped them from enjoying each other for some sexy times. I loved how Valin got around her denials and gave them both what they wanted and needed. The twist of Gabby's connection to Roland was a good one. I always enjoy more page time with Roland and I missed Logan.
Overall, it was enjoyable and I look forward to what is to come from this series. Those who enjoy spicy paranormal romances that include angel warriors, demons, vampires and gifted humans should give this creatively drawn series a try.
My thanks to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this book.
February 21, 2023
Since last seeing his mate run away from him all those months ago, the hero has dedicated his life to finding her again. He doesn't care about the Paladin counsel, he's always been an outsider to those people and if it were up to them, his mate would have been killed simply because of what she is. Yes, a Paladin and a vampire/succubus mating is rare but this intense feelings of wanting her is honest and it's what drives the hero.
When he sees again he doesn't recognize her at first as she's disguised herself to hide from him but her dangerous fighting skills and reckless abandon gives her away. Before he's able to confront her, however, she is gone once again only this time, he knows where to find her. The heroine is tortured. She lives with the memories of her torture and rape and she lives with the suffering of denying herself the life blood she needs to live. The last thing she needs is this arrogant male giving her hope for a happier future that's not possible. He's given up his place with the Paladins to be by her side and fight on the side of the human rebellion and every single moment he's using that cocky seductive grin of his to tempt her beyond measure. The passion between them is on fire but for the heroine sex as always been the enemy. Men have always used her for her body and vowed that never again will any man use her like that again. Only, with the hero, she's slowly being that he's not like any other man she's ever meant. He treats her with respect and the sex between them is almost more disturbing than ever because of the feelings that come with. She tries to hide from them but he refuses to give up. But when a friend of hers is captured the heroine offers herself up in sacrifice because she's always felt less than worthy and this is a chance to be of use. When the connection between the hero and his mate is severed, he images she is dead and the cries that leave his body are intense and heart wrenching. He must believe she is alive, she has to be alive else his life is worth nothing. He must find her and save her before the darkness and despair takes her from him forever.
While I liked this book, I did find the general plotline to be severely lacking is both originality and substance. In fact, other than the resurrection of an old enemy, there was no story other than the heroine's reluctance to accept her feelings for the hero. They're story began in the previous books and while that's al fine and good, I didn't feel as if there was much of a story to be developed in this book. First of all, the book is under 300 pages and contains a subplot with another couple and the POV of the enemy so the main characters screen time is already short. So, what time they did have together was spent having sex. Mind you it was hot and passion sex but it wasn't emotionally driven. I would have loved for more time to explore this mate bond between the damaged vampire and her equally tormented immortal. There were moments of sparks like the hero crying when told how his wife and mother of his unborn child died. And when the heroine went crazy at the end and killed every vampire who dared to lay a hand on her. But, they were brief and few and far between. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't everything I was I expecting, especially as this seems to be the final to the series.
When he sees again he doesn't recognize her at first as she's disguised herself to hide from him but her dangerous fighting skills and reckless abandon gives her away. Before he's able to confront her, however, she is gone once again only this time, he knows where to find her. The heroine is tortured. She lives with the memories of her torture and rape and she lives with the suffering of denying herself the life blood she needs to live. The last thing she needs is this arrogant male giving her hope for a happier future that's not possible. He's given up his place with the Paladins to be by her side and fight on the side of the human rebellion and every single moment he's using that cocky seductive grin of his to tempt her beyond measure. The passion between them is on fire but for the heroine sex as always been the enemy. Men have always used her for her body and vowed that never again will any man use her like that again. Only, with the hero, she's slowly being that he's not like any other man she's ever meant. He treats her with respect and the sex between them is almost more disturbing than ever because of the feelings that come with. She tries to hide from them but he refuses to give up. But when a friend of hers is captured the heroine offers herself up in sacrifice because she's always felt less than worthy and this is a chance to be of use. When the connection between the hero and his mate is severed, he images she is dead and the cries that leave his body are intense and heart wrenching. He must believe she is alive, she has to be alive else his life is worth nothing. He must find her and save her before the darkness and despair takes her from him forever.
While I liked this book, I did find the general plotline to be severely lacking is both originality and substance. In fact, other than the resurrection of an old enemy, there was no story other than the heroine's reluctance to accept her feelings for the hero. They're story began in the previous books and while that's al fine and good, I didn't feel as if there was much of a story to be developed in this book. First of all, the book is under 300 pages and contains a subplot with another couple and the POV of the enemy so the main characters screen time is already short. So, what time they did have together was spent having sex. Mind you it was hot and passion sex but it wasn't emotionally driven. I would have loved for more time to explore this mate bond between the damaged vampire and her equally tormented immortal. There were moments of sparks like the hero crying when told how his wife and mother of his unborn child died. And when the heroine went crazy at the end and killed every vampire who dared to lay a hand on her. But, they were brief and few and far between. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't everything I was I expecting, especially as this seems to be the final to the series.
August 25, 2016
4.5♥s
My recap:
Valin is a Paladin, one of His Warriors. He protects humans from the evil that they aren't aware of and aren't capable of fighting.
Valin is the black sheep among the Warriors. He manipulates shadows to travel, whereas the Paladins are all about God's Light.
Gabriella is a mixed-breed, part-succubus vampire. Valin was attracted to her from the moment he met her. He went a bit crazy when he thought she'd died.
In Prince of Shadows, Valin catches a glimpse of her with a group of part-blood humans that she's training. And he sees a stain of evil on her soul that hadn't been there before. He's determined to remove that stain.
Because she is his.
But her vampire sire has other ideas.
My thoughts:
Valin is an alpha hero who is dark and deadly, and has a tragic past. But he's also protective of Gabby and even tender and vulnerable with her. And he's not about to let her go now that he's found her again. He'd do anything for her. And it does come down to "anything" in a fateful conclusion.
Gabby is a kick-butt heroine. But she feels unworthy of a Paladin because of her succubus mother and her vampire sire. Her biological father—whose identity she keeps to herself—inspires her to do what is right. But her insecurities keep her from succumbing to her love for Valin.
There are two secondary characters, Bennett and Annie, whose story is started in Prince of Shadows. Bennett begins to fall for Annie, kicking and screaming the whole way. It's fun to watch. I won't spoil things by telling you what happens, but suffice it to say that their story will continue in a later book. But not the next one. We'll have to wait a while for their HEA, according to Tes Hilaire.
Prince of Shadows is a hot book. Valin emphasizes making love verses having sex. Gabby wants to have sex without making love. In any case, the few love/sex scenes in the book are real scorchers. (Is it hot in here?)
The pace of the book is quick. From Valin's desperate bid to find Gabby to his desperate bid to keep her, you'll be turning the pages in between as fast as you can possibly read them.
Prince of Shadows is an excellent addition to the Paladin Warriors series. It can be read as a standalone book. However, the story arc will make more sense and be more enjoyable if it's read as a part of the series. Note: The timeline of Prince of Shadows runs concurrently with a portion of Deliver Me From Temptation, and ends before Temptation ends. Therefore, references to Temptation do not include the conclusion of that book.
The books in the series are listed below. Tes says that there will be more Paladin Warriors novels in the future, though she has no release dates yet. We have something to look forward to!
Happy reading!
My recap:
Valin is a Paladin, one of His Warriors. He protects humans from the evil that they aren't aware of and aren't capable of fighting.
Valin is the black sheep among the Warriors. He manipulates shadows to travel, whereas the Paladins are all about God's Light.
Gabriella is a mixed-breed, part-succubus vampire. Valin was attracted to her from the moment he met her. He went a bit crazy when he thought she'd died.
In Prince of Shadows, Valin catches a glimpse of her with a group of part-blood humans that she's training. And he sees a stain of evil on her soul that hadn't been there before. He's determined to remove that stain.
Because she is his.
But her vampire sire has other ideas.
My thoughts:
Valin is an alpha hero who is dark and deadly, and has a tragic past. But he's also protective of Gabby and even tender and vulnerable with her. And he's not about to let her go now that he's found her again. He'd do anything for her. And it does come down to "anything" in a fateful conclusion.
Gabby is a kick-butt heroine. But she feels unworthy of a Paladin because of her succubus mother and her vampire sire. Her biological father—whose identity she keeps to herself—inspires her to do what is right. But her insecurities keep her from succumbing to her love for Valin.
There are two secondary characters, Bennett and Annie, whose story is started in Prince of Shadows. Bennett begins to fall for Annie, kicking and screaming the whole way. It's fun to watch. I won't spoil things by telling you what happens, but suffice it to say that their story will continue in a later book. But not the next one. We'll have to wait a while for their HEA, according to Tes Hilaire.
Prince of Shadows is a hot book. Valin emphasizes making love verses having sex. Gabby wants to have sex without making love. In any case, the few love/sex scenes in the book are real scorchers. (Is it hot in here?)
The pace of the book is quick. From Valin's desperate bid to find Gabby to his desperate bid to keep her, you'll be turning the pages in between as fast as you can possibly read them.
Prince of Shadows is an excellent addition to the Paladin Warriors series. It can be read as a standalone book. However, the story arc will make more sense and be more enjoyable if it's read as a part of the series. Note: The timeline of Prince of Shadows runs concurrently with a portion of Deliver Me From Temptation, and ends before Temptation ends. Therefore, references to Temptation do not include the conclusion of that book.
The books in the series are listed below. Tes says that there will be more Paladin Warriors novels in the future, though she has no release dates yet. We have something to look forward to!
Happy reading!
November 28, 2013
Review from Backchatting Books
I've been patiently waiting for the Valin's story since we first encountered the Black Knight in "Deliver Me From Darkness". His ability was just so cool. In Prince of Shadows he finally gets the chance to woo Gabriella, the vampire with a slightly tarnished heart of gold. Both of them are seeking redemption from past sins which makes for quite a Byronic tale as they try to negotiate their relationship.
Valin was no stranger to loss as his wife (and best friend) Angeline and their unborn child were murdered by vampires. He feels guilty for not saving them which time has not erased. His skill which allows him to become one with the shadows sets him apart from other paladins who use light rather than darkness to defeat their foes. As the Black Knight he often takes on jobs such as assassination and spying which other paladins either can't or won't do. Despite loathing vampires, he has a very strong connection with Gabby and not knowing whether she is okay or not is pure torture.
Gabby is literally at war with herself as her biology fights with her vampiric nature. She was turned into a vampire against her will but refuses to yield to her urge to drink human blood. By starving herself and trying to sustain herself by drinking from evil beings she is frequently ill and ageing quickly. Instead of focusing on the difference she could make if she was healthy, she feels an incredible amount of guilt for simply being a vampire and is determined to martyr herself.
Valin and Gabby's relationship is fraught with tension and often involves her backing away whenever he makes overtures. Gabby can't understand why a man dedicated to fighting evil would want to offer her his vein and save her. Maybe her loyalty, strength of conviction, compassion and courage had something to do with it? Valin knows his window of opportunity is slipping away as Gabby progressively gets sicker and pushes harder which makes her reject him even more. A man from Gabby's past shows up and this increases the strain on their relationship. More than once I found myself wondering what else Hilaire was going to throw at these poor people.
Plot wise, the beginning, climax and denouement were fantastic but the middle seemed to drag a little. I had nearly hit my limit with Gabby's 'I'm not worthy' introspection when Hilaire introduced a couple of big twists and to be honest, they were well worth waiting for.
"Prince of Shadows", like all of the books in this series, is an enjoyable read. It is a dark, dark world that Hilaire has created and I'll happily dive back into it again.
I've been patiently waiting for the Valin's story since we first encountered the Black Knight in "Deliver Me From Darkness". His ability was just so cool. In Prince of Shadows he finally gets the chance to woo Gabriella, the vampire with a slightly tarnished heart of gold. Both of them are seeking redemption from past sins which makes for quite a Byronic tale as they try to negotiate their relationship.
Valin was no stranger to loss as his wife (and best friend) Angeline and their unborn child were murdered by vampires. He feels guilty for not saving them which time has not erased. His skill which allows him to become one with the shadows sets him apart from other paladins who use light rather than darkness to defeat their foes. As the Black Knight he often takes on jobs such as assassination and spying which other paladins either can't or won't do. Despite loathing vampires, he has a very strong connection with Gabby and not knowing whether she is okay or not is pure torture.
Gabby is literally at war with herself as her biology fights with her vampiric nature. She was turned into a vampire against her will but refuses to yield to her urge to drink human blood. By starving herself and trying to sustain herself by drinking from evil beings she is frequently ill and ageing quickly. Instead of focusing on the difference she could make if she was healthy, she feels an incredible amount of guilt for simply being a vampire and is determined to martyr herself.
Valin and Gabby's relationship is fraught with tension and often involves her backing away whenever he makes overtures. Gabby can't understand why a man dedicated to fighting evil would want to offer her his vein and save her. Maybe her loyalty, strength of conviction, compassion and courage had something to do with it? Valin knows his window of opportunity is slipping away as Gabby progressively gets sicker and pushes harder which makes her reject him even more. A man from Gabby's past shows up and this increases the strain on their relationship. More than once I found myself wondering what else Hilaire was going to throw at these poor people.
Plot wise, the beginning, climax and denouement were fantastic but the middle seemed to drag a little. I had nearly hit my limit with Gabby's 'I'm not worthy' introspection when Hilaire introduced a couple of big twists and to be honest, they were well worth waiting for.
"Prince of Shadows", like all of the books in this series, is an enjoyable read. It is a dark, dark world that Hilaire has created and I'll happily dive back into it again.
December 5, 2013
Book Review- Prince of Shadows by Tes Hilaire
Gabriella is a vampire. She was turned against her will and then used by her step-father Christos. She fights the vampire nature daily and refuses to feed from humans. Since that day four months ago in the cave, she has disguised herself and hidden from the Paladin and Valin. She blames herself for what happened and her part in it even though it was against her will. She has found a place among the enhanced humans and helps fight against those that have allied with Christos and Ganelon, Lucifer’s commander. She now hunts vampires and merkers.
Valin is a Paladin. He has been looking for Gabriella for four months. He knows she is alive after the explosion in the cave. She is his mate and he is determined to get to her before his brothers do.
He has to convince her and strives to take care of her. Something is happening to her that his is not sure of. Something isn’t right and she isn’t the girl from four months ago. He decides to stay with the humans for now and be close to her. They continue to fight along with the humans against Ganelon and his merkers. Then they realize that a major enemy is back when he kidnaps Annie, the daughter of the human leader and Gabriella. Valin has to do everything in his power to save them, even bargain his life.
I had a hard time getting into this book. I felt like I was missing important information. This was the third book in the series and the first one I have read. I suggest reading the first two then this one. I think it will make more sense in some places.
It got better as I read. The middle was pretty good with the battles and Valin chasing after Gabriella. I really didn’t like the ending. It was a happy one but I felt it was a bit cheesy for my tastes. I give it a 3 out of 5.
Gabriella is a vampire. She was turned against her will and then used by her step-father Christos. She fights the vampire nature daily and refuses to feed from humans. Since that day four months ago in the cave, she has disguised herself and hidden from the Paladin and Valin. She blames herself for what happened and her part in it even though it was against her will. She has found a place among the enhanced humans and helps fight against those that have allied with Christos and Ganelon, Lucifer’s commander. She now hunts vampires and merkers.
Valin is a Paladin. He has been looking for Gabriella for four months. He knows she is alive after the explosion in the cave. She is his mate and he is determined to get to her before his brothers do.
He has to convince her and strives to take care of her. Something is happening to her that his is not sure of. Something isn’t right and she isn’t the girl from four months ago. He decides to stay with the humans for now and be close to her. They continue to fight along with the humans against Ganelon and his merkers. Then they realize that a major enemy is back when he kidnaps Annie, the daughter of the human leader and Gabriella. Valin has to do everything in his power to save them, even bargain his life.
I had a hard time getting into this book. I felt like I was missing important information. This was the third book in the series and the first one I have read. I suggest reading the first two then this one. I think it will make more sense in some places.
It got better as I read. The middle was pretty good with the battles and Valin chasing after Gabriella. I really didn’t like the ending. It was a happy one but I felt it was a bit cheesy for my tastes. I give it a 3 out of 5.
December 27, 2013
Valin and Gabby's story was definitely one of my favorites. I have read the other two books in the series, and really enjoyed them as well, but this one kind of surprised me. There was an intense darkness in this book, which I expected. However, I expected it to be focused on Valin, so I found it very intriguing. While he does have his issues, Gabby seemed to be the one really struggling in this book. She is dealing with almost the exact opposite issues as Valin, but the two just work perfectly together. I loved their chemistry, and how their stories come together and overlap. I thought Valin would be the one running from a relationship and trying to keep to his private life, but he was actually very forward and open, and I loved seeing him that way. Even though he seemed different, that rough Valin-like edge was still intact. He knew what he wanted, and went for it. Paladin rules be damned! I love his sarcasm and attitude! Poor Gabby! While Valin's main issue is his past, Gabby's main concern is her future. She is trying to stay within the lonely shadows of her life, while Valin is trying to pull her out of them. Gabby's character development in this book was amazing! It went to depths I didn't even imagine for her. She can finally walk in the light, but there is a darkness consuming her. There were so many surprises in this book. I think I held my breath through the entire ending, especially the battle. Holy cliffhangers! I can't wait to find out about Annie and the knives! Bennett managed to slip under my radar until now. I want to know more about him too! I was a little confused about Logan, but a quick glance at book #2 cleared that right up. Once again Tes Hilaire has done a magnificent job!
November 26, 2025
Valin is a Paladin Warrior who remains on the fringes of the brotherhood. His powers are shadows which puts him in the dark more than the light of his fellow warriors. He discovered his mate, but lost her in an explosion of light. Once he finds her he plans on never letting her go again.
Gabriella was made into a vampire against her will, now she fights with ½ breeds against the forces of evil. Doing everything she can to keep from turning evil, Gabriella duels with her nature ever day When the sexy Valin offers her a chance to drink from his vein, its more than she can bear.
Valin plays the hold no bars he-man and is constantly chasing after Gabriella to rectify his mis-steps in wooing.
Gabriella is battling the darkness physically as well as mentally and vacillates between accepting the affections of Valin and running for the hills. Paladin eradicates her kind, why would Valin want her? How can they ever be happy with the dark constantly pulling her toward evil?
Prince of Shadows was a fast paced, action filled story with an electrifying attraction and a pretty great romance. Prince of Shadows is a fantastic story to take you away to this wonderful paranormal world of the Paladin Warriors. Definitely a book to check and a series to follow!
I received this ARC copy of Prince of Shadows from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication December 3, 2013.
Gabriella was made into a vampire against her will, now she fights with ½ breeds against the forces of evil. Doing everything she can to keep from turning evil, Gabriella duels with her nature ever day When the sexy Valin offers her a chance to drink from his vein, its more than she can bear.
Valin plays the hold no bars he-man and is constantly chasing after Gabriella to rectify his mis-steps in wooing.
Gabriella is battling the darkness physically as well as mentally and vacillates between accepting the affections of Valin and running for the hills. Paladin eradicates her kind, why would Valin want her? How can they ever be happy with the dark constantly pulling her toward evil?
Prince of Shadows was a fast paced, action filled story with an electrifying attraction and a pretty great romance. Prince of Shadows is a fantastic story to take you away to this wonderful paranormal world of the Paladin Warriors. Definitely a book to check and a series to follow!
I received this ARC copy of Prince of Shadows from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication December 3, 2013.
November 9, 2013
I have read every book in this series and this is one of the better ones although not the best one but even with that I have to say that Tes Hilaire writes some of the very best endings for all of these books in this whole genre.
The story of Valin and Gabby was great, it is one of those where everybody thinks they are unworthy but not to the point of me disliking the book.
There was a detailed setup for the next book and that heroine pushed the TSTL line really hard but hopefully when they get the next book (my assumption) she gets smarter.
Bottom Line: This is a great romance at the bottom of all the action and while the author does not give us details (thankfully) she tends to give her characters a very horrible time, usually the female lead character. So with all of the things I mention I might not like, the romance and the ending was awesome although I would hope they give us a bit more details in the next book because the epilog did not give me all the details I wanted, I give it about 4.3 Stars and round it down because I have read too many 5 Star books recently to put this in that same class, but make no mistake, this is a great series and this is a great book, bogs down a bit in the middle but the ending makes up for any misgivings.
The story of Valin and Gabby was great, it is one of those where everybody thinks they are unworthy but not to the point of me disliking the book.
There was a detailed setup for the next book and that heroine pushed the TSTL line really hard but hopefully when they get the next book (my assumption) she gets smarter.
Bottom Line: This is a great romance at the bottom of all the action and while the author does not give us details (thankfully) she tends to give her characters a very horrible time, usually the female lead character. So with all of the things I mention I might not like, the romance and the ending was awesome although I would hope they give us a bit more details in the next book because the epilog did not give me all the details I wanted, I give it about 4.3 Stars and round it down because I have read too many 5 Star books recently to put this in that same class, but make no mistake, this is a great series and this is a great book, bogs down a bit in the middle but the ending makes up for any misgivings.
November 30, 2013
Overall this story was one that left me crying, laughing, and thrilled. We got to know several more characters in the Paladin contingent as well as the troops of half human/half Paladin warriors. Valin and Gabbie are both interesting characters in their own rights, but seeing them working together, loving together, and finally finding their HEA, through a bit of terrifyingly heartbreaking and ultimately remarkable circumstances, far surpassed the greatness of their individuality. The heat between them is amazing to observe and seeing them together in the end despite it all shows that their faith was rewarded. Tes Hilaire certainly has a unique take on the war of good and evil and all the troops for both sides. I can’t wait to see where she will take the Paladin warriors and their allies in the coming pages of the series. The one thing I always take from her books is that change is eternal and embracing the changes in ourselves and others is the only way to understand the world around us and within us as well. Can’t wait to find out what’s next!
Rating: 4 stars
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Rating: 4 stars
For Full review see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.c...
December 24, 2013
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but was able to pick this book up and dive right in. It was a great blend of action, romance, smut, and unique paranormals.
While there were smaller storylines that I'm sure will star in the next few books, this one followed Gabby and Valin. Gabby is a half breed who was forcibly turned into a vampire. After years of abuse, she still managed to hold her own and eventually broke free of her tormentors. Now training a group of half-Paladin gifted warriors, she is determined to not fall in love with Valin. Valin, on the other hand, knows that Gabby is his mate. He's been searching for her since she last ran from him. Their cat and mouse game was really fun to watch and sucked me right in.
Something about their chemistry and the twists and turns of the story had me rapidly plowing through this book. The characters were entertaining and the story was something I haven't read before. I'm hooked and eager to see a certain null get her story told! I'll certainly be looking for the next books in this series.
I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but was able to pick this book up and dive right in. It was a great blend of action, romance, smut, and unique paranormals.
While there were smaller storylines that I'm sure will star in the next few books, this one followed Gabby and Valin. Gabby is a half breed who was forcibly turned into a vampire. After years of abuse, she still managed to hold her own and eventually broke free of her tormentors. Now training a group of half-Paladin gifted warriors, she is determined to not fall in love with Valin. Valin, on the other hand, knows that Gabby is his mate. He's been searching for her since she last ran from him. Their cat and mouse game was really fun to watch and sucked me right in.
Something about their chemistry and the twists and turns of the story had me rapidly plowing through this book. The characters were entertaining and the story was something I haven't read before. I'm hooked and eager to see a certain null get her story told! I'll certainly be looking for the next books in this series.
January 1, 2014
3 stars = I liked it. Coming back into this series, I didn't remember a great deal about the past books but I did remember the two leads Valin, who is warrior for the Light but a second class citizen in the Paladin world due to his mixed blood, and Gabby, who is a part succubus vampire struggling against the Dark side of her heritage. Since I remember all that Gabby and Valin had suffered in the past I was happy to see them get their HEA - and I liked the way that they actually end up getting that HEA when things look beyond hopeless for them.
Since a good deal of the setup for this pair was done in the previous book, I don't recommend starting this series with this book - unless you are just looking for steamy stuff and don't need a lot of character development to go with it - because the reader is expected to bring their knowledge of these characters with them into this story. And keeping with that pattern, Hillaire spent her character development bucks here setting up the next up pair, so of course now I really want their story.
Since a good deal of the setup for this pair was done in the previous book, I don't recommend starting this series with this book - unless you are just looking for steamy stuff and don't need a lot of character development to go with it - because the reader is expected to bring their knowledge of these characters with them into this story. And keeping with that pattern, Hillaire spent her character development bucks here setting up the next up pair, so of course now I really want their story.
July 27, 2016
This is by far, my favorite book of the series. I have always loved Gabriella and was really unsure how Tes was going to pull this off without the creepy factor (she was turned pretty young even though she is super old). Have no fears, at no point was there any creepoid factor and I actually loved Gabriella even more then before this book by the time I was a few chapters in. Add Valin, the super hot and slightly dark Paladin and the pages sizzled with chemistry as the two come together to fight on the side of "good". This book is part of a series and while you could read this as a stand alone, I think you would feel like you were missing out on some history as well as some of the emotional undercurrents that ran throughout the book. If you are a fan of this series, you really should snag this one now. I admit it, I am already waiting for the next book because I want more Paladin awesomeness asap.
August 19, 2015
Valin hasn't given up his search for Gabriella and suddenly finds her when they are fighting the same group of vampires. But something is definitely wrong. Gabriella looks aged. And she looks ill. It turns out Christos isn't really as done as everyone thought and Senior has dispatched paladins to use any means to gather information on the gifted ones.
This read was a mixed bag for me and I fluctuated between like and like a lot. Valin and Gabriella were a good couple and matched well, as were Bennett and Annie. I also enjoyed the gifted ones and getting the update on previous paladins. Let me not forget the thrill of Christos' rampant wickedness. What made it mixed was the pacing and some scenes felt overlong. Though this was only three books, I definitely wish there were more. I rather like this world.
This read was a mixed bag for me and I fluctuated between like and like a lot. Valin and Gabriella were a good couple and matched well, as were Bennett and Annie. I also enjoyed the gifted ones and getting the update on previous paladins. Let me not forget the thrill of Christos' rampant wickedness. What made it mixed was the pacing and some scenes felt overlong. Though this was only three books, I definitely wish there were more. I rather like this world.
April 5, 2015
3 1/2 stars
I was really excited about this book, as I loved Gabby and Valin in Deliver Me From Darkness and was eagerly awaiting their story. Unfortunately it didn't really live up to my expectations. I couldn't really engage with either of their characters, the miscommunication between them drove me insane and I wasn't really all that invested in the outcome. The epilogue also left me rather confused. I assume that Annie and Bennett's story will be up next and I will probably check it out, I liked Bennett a lot, and aside from her immaturity (which will probably have been tempered by her experiences in this book) Annie was likeable as well so the story has a lot of potential.
I was really excited about this book, as I loved Gabby and Valin in Deliver Me From Darkness and was eagerly awaiting their story. Unfortunately it didn't really live up to my expectations. I couldn't really engage with either of their characters, the miscommunication between them drove me insane and I wasn't really all that invested in the outcome. The epilogue also left me rather confused. I assume that Annie and Bennett's story will be up next and I will probably check it out, I liked Bennett a lot, and aside from her immaturity (which will probably have been tempered by her experiences in this book) Annie was likeable as well so the story has a lot of potential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2016
Tes is a great storyteller, and I love how she makes her characters so distinct. I really hope there will be another Paladin book. I must read Bennett and Annie's story. I thought the storyline of Prince of Shadows was good. There was real conflict and angst, but it moved at a nice pace. No drawn out wallowing, which I appreciated. I have to admit there were moments that made me uncomfortable in the story, but those moments accomplished its aim. There was an evil force at play, and there was no sugarcoating the bad guy. Well done!
December 9, 2013
The third book in the Paladin Warriors series is an intriguing and entertaining read with surprising twists. The author has created a fantastic paranormal world that has lots of depth, steamy romance, and is wonderfully entertaining. I was enthralled from the beginning and could not put this book down once I started it. I can’t wait to read the next story in the Paladin’s battle against the dark.
See my full review at:
http://www.thejeepdiva.com/review-pri...
See my full review at:
http://www.thejeepdiva.com/review-pri...
December 13, 2013
I really liked this book although I was confused for some of it. I mean, I read both previous books in this series, but it's been awhile so I totally forgot some of the issues going on in this one. It was a really good follow up and once I remembered some things the book got even better. Looking forward to seeing where the next book goes. Hopefully I won't have to wait to long for the next one.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
September 22, 2014
Besides with being just a TINY bit confused with the reference to Logan's grieving (I had to re-read the ending of the last book to make sure I hadn't MISSED something), I realized that these characters aren't aware of what happened. Other than that little confusion, I found a book I had trouble putting down. I liked Valin and Gabby's story very much and look forward to more in this series (maybe Bennett's and Annie's story??).
January 9, 2014
Because I've been waiting for this book for what felt too long, I finished it in a few hours. not only did it captivate my imagination, I swear I felt Valin's lips. The way Tes tells the story of their love, I could have cried for Gabrielle and Valin. Oh I just loved this book. Action, revenge, danger, lust, betrayal, forgiveness, what more could you need? #LovedIt
January 7, 2015
"Prince of Shadows" was a spectacular read. If you enjoy fast pace adventurous mystery type paranormal romances you will defiantly want to read this book. Val and Gabbys story is heart warming and sensual journey of healing that can be only achieved by one's true mate of the soul.I'd love to read Bennets & Ann's story..
January 11, 2014
Woo Hoo...I love this series...
Valin and Gabbie's story is so intense and filled with so much angst that I felt it in my gut.
This is a wonderful story filled with love and torment and sensuality.
A must read.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Valin and Gabbie's story is so intense and filled with so much angst that I felt it in my gut.
This is a wonderful story filled with love and torment and sensuality.
A must read.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
January 24, 2014
Paranormal romance at it's most diverse. You've got your vamps, telepaths, Warriors of God, nulls, and hybrids. And you've got sexy, hot men with a great love story. This world works and I've enjoyed every installment. Recommend this series.
December 18, 2013
like the story. seem to drag in some of the story
December 26, 2013
The story of Gabby and Valin was entertaining and enjoyable. The series does get better with each book released. I will definitely look forward to the next one
January 16, 2014
Loved it and can't wait for the next one! I love all the characters in this series and hope they all keep returning in the upcoming stories so we can continue to get to know them all!
February 27, 2015
Did not finish.
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