The Imperial

Bloodlines #2

by Shannon West

Colonel Tariq, of the prestigious Tygerian Imperial Guard, has lived a hard life. A war hero, wounded in battle, he lost his parents in a shocking way at an early age, and then lost his young husband after only two cycles of marriage. The tragedies have left him wary of relationships and too scared to love again. But now, he’s been given an offer he can’t refuse—an opportunity to “do King Davos a favor” and act as a personal bodyguard for the youngest prince of Tygeria, the famously blond, gorgeous and hard-to-handle Prince Rakkur.

Rakkur is on his way to meet a potential suitor on the faraway planet of Loros, where Prince Mikol now lives. It sounds easy enough—except for one major problem. Tariq has a huge secret when it comes to Rakkur. One that will challenge all he thought he knew about himself—one that will change literally everything.

Fasten your seatbelts and come along—it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Genres: M M Romance, Science Fiction, Aliens, Romance, Fantasy

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 22, 2024

Reviews

[Demetra Roussakis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this world. Rakkur was going to the world of Loros to meet a potential mate. He was supposed to go with a royal guard, but something happened and it changed to Colonel Tariq. Rakkur has a crush on him for years but thought he kept it secret. As Tariq and Rakkur are off, Tariq tries to keep away from him as he thinks that he is not good enough for a Prince. This is where their relationship started and how the bonding process first started. I cannot wait to see what happens next. Great world building and cannot wait to see what happens next.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloodlines Book 2
Rakkur is the youngest son of Blake and King Davos
from the Mate of the Tyger Prince series. He's seen as being a spoiled brat, beautiful, but hard to manage. So, of course the personal guard selected by his father is the Imperial Guard that he's always had a massive crush on!
The secrets of the past were heart-wrenching and the conspiracy uncovered is a scary time. High drama mixed with flashes of romance, old and new. A pleasing ending and a chuckle inducing epilogue. I hope book three comes soon. I want more of these mates!

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rakkur has a reputation for being headstrong and difficult.
The truth is much more complex and people only see his public facade, not his true, private self.
Tariq has been selected to be Rakkur's personal bodyguard.
He's hardened himself in order to protect his tender heart after loosing everything and everyone he's ever loved.
He was initially cold and cruel towards Rakkur.
Poor Rakkur's attempts at wooing Tariq ended awkwardly and causing trouble.
I'm glad he was so persistent and uneasily swayed.

[K-Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tariq is very hardened to any form of love after all he has lost in his life. I did understand him, but he was quite harsh with Rakkur to keep him distant. Rakkur was if nothing else persistent. I appreciated the humor and lightness his attempts at wooing Tariq brought on. They never seem to work or go as planned! I was routing for Rakkur to break through to Tariq the entire read. I would love an additional story with these two in the future loving on each other.

[Lisa Guertin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the world of the Tygerians. It’s always a pleasure to see Blake on the page again, especially his bantering with Davos. No one is more protective of his sons. Rakkur wants his grumpy bodyguard and doesn’t give up. Tariq has walled his emotions away to protect his heart after losing everyone he’s ever loved. Shannon West has such a gift with pacing a story and includes just the right amount of humor to offset the angst.

[Becky Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Imperial is book 2 in Bloodlines by Shannon West. It was a super enjoyable book. Rakkur and Venkarr were both great characters. I loved their ending. Make sure you read book 1, Rumors of War. Kudos.

[Dottie Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Imperial

Another awesome book by Shannon West. Five stars and more for the beautiful romance story and mystery unfolding of "who done it". I recommend this book and others penned by Shannon West.

[Pamela Daake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. Tygerians have some funky customs that backfired on these two! I like these characters and it was nice to have visits from old friends.

[LOLA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one.
Keeping me interested.

[P Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been looking forward to Rakkur’s story and it didn’t disappoint.

I wanted to scream at Tariq every time he hurt Rakkur with his hurtful words. Tariq held duty and honor above all else even if it meant losing the one that held his heart. He was frustrating with his hot and cold behaviour.

Rakkur was headstrong and persistent. I was laughing at his failed seduction attempts. Despite Tariq’s awful words, he never gave up which is something I really admired about him.

I’m looking forward to the next book. Tariq has a lot of making up to do and I’m hoping in the next book he’ll run towards Rakkur instead of away from him. The love between them isn’t quite there yet - some wooing is definitely needed.

*I voluntarily read this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else's*

[Kaylaaa✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been anticipating Rakkur's story since the Mate of the Tyger Prince series, Shannon West's latest release exceeded my expectations. Finally meeting and understanding Rakkur's personality was a delight, and Shannon did not disappoint with this book. It's destined to become a timeless favorite that I'll revisit repeatedly. As one of my cherished authors, Shannon's writing style and her ability to craft immersive worlds never fail to captivate me. The pacing of this book was just perfect, striking a balance that kept me consistently interested and invested in every page. The return of my favorite character, Blake, added an extra layer of joy to the narrative. In a standout moment, King Davos, simmering with protective rage for his son Rakkur, calmly demands, "Fetch him here, Colonel, so I can kill him." The raw intensity of his words immediately commands attention. However, the scene takes an unexpected twist when Blake, not known for rationality (I love him tho😂),surprisingly becomes the voice of reason, “No! Oh, for God’s sake, Davos, you can’t just kill people in our bedroom.” Amidst the charged atmosphere, the consort's exasperated plea adds a touch of humor, skillfully navigating the fine line between tension and levity. I wholeheartedly recommend not only this book but the entire Mate of the Tyger Prince series for a truly enchanting reading experience!