Blue Blood

Siring an Heir #1

by Xya Olsen

Bloodborne's ruler hides a dangerous secret.

Salem Summers is a rare vampire. The ruler of Nitehelm's blood-sucking kingdom possesses a gift—one that could well put a price on his head.

As a Blue Blood, Salem is gifted with the ability to conceive. A rare trait in Boodborne's cursed, infertile society.

Men like Salem are hunted by ruthless, mercenary predators who will exploit his fertility for their own nefarious purposes.

Salem must conceal his gift while he searches for his mates, but the clock is ticking. If he fails to conceive an heir by the next blood moon, Bloodborne faces certain extinction and will crumble beneath the sands of time.

To save his kingdom, Salem undertakes an ancient ceremony to summon his mates.

Three answer his call:​

Thoren—a werewolf whose first touch soothes Salem's battered heart.
Ulrich—a dragon shifter with a kiss that unravels Salem's defenses.
Cecil—a Sorcerean prince who casts a sultry spell over Salem's very soul.

For centuries, Salem has dreamed of his mates. The three men are so much more than he dared hope. Their days together, and their nights too, draws Salem closer to the child he so desperately yearns for. The bond between them is forged in iron. The physical connection burns hotter than molten steel.

But enemies lurk in the shadows. Hunters prowl the kingdom. Without an heir, he'll lose not just his kingdom, but the three fierce and protective men he's grown to love.

BLUE BLOOD is the first novel in Siring an Heir. Each book follows a different cast of characters from the Nitehelm universe. This story is filled with love, magic, action, steamy m/m(+) scenes, and features harem and mpreg. (Suitable for ages 18+)

Genres: M M Romance, Vampires, Shapeshifters, Dragons, Paranormal Romance, Polyamory

170 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2019

About the author

Xya Olsen is a MM author who writes wholesome paranormal fantasy romance. Her stories are filled to the brim with love and magic and features fated mates, harem, mpreg, and of course, lots of strong heroes yearning for their happily ever afters.

To sign up for Xya Olsen’s newsletter for release updates, visit https://www.xyaolsen.com/newsletter

Reviews

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars A very dynamic story with awesome magic, strength, foresight, true mates, tenderness and love.
Salem has dreams for decades, very erotic dreams where he has three mates.
To save his kind he has to get pregnant before a certain time.
Then there are Ulrich, Cecil, and Thoren, the mates he dreamed of. It seems they had the same dream.

With a curse on Salem’s kingdom and Hunters always there to destroy his kingdom, there isn’t a quiet moment. A lot of different events are happening. Like I said, a very dynamic read.

When a Hunter gets a chance to get near, Salem's future seems to end.

The whole story had something sparkling. It’s not a heavy story but quite entertaining. With Dragon and Wolf shifters, vampires, a magi prince, a lot of magic and strength of different creatures. It was a nicely written and well-developed story, the whole plot well thought out.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I so enjoyed this book. Salem is a sweet sheltered vampire who is special. He is very different then your normal vamps, he is a blue blood and is able to conceive. It has come time for him to call his mates and when he does, they are beyond hot and will do anything to protect Salem! Thoren, the werewolf made me want to smack the crap out of him at times! Ulrich the dragon wants to keep his treasures safe, and that is all of them. And sweet Cecil the Sorcerean prince was another sweetheart. Okay so the book was a sweet very quick read, with some danger thrown in, but it was over way too fast. I really wanted more. But I did love how they grew to love each other and made their polyunion work. I can’t wait for not only the next book in this series, but more from this author. I can't wait to read Damon Nightshade's book.

ARC provided by LesCourt Services in exchange for an honest review.

[JoAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally I marked this as DNF @ 54% and rated a 2 star since I had read at least half. Then I was having trouble finding something to read so I just sucked it up and continued. The below review still stands but I will add that end ending of this book really did pick up a little bit, it was like the author was finally getting comfortable in their writing. (Which is why I have bumped my rating up a little and rounded it to a 3)

Original review:

Everything in this book, and I mean everything... was very matter of fact and had a serious lack of depth....


Welcome to JoAnn’s horrible theatrics...

”so you summoned the 3 of us here to be your mates?”
“Yep”
“Ok”

The next morning

“So we need to have a baby by the next full moon, and I’ll be carrying it”
“You can carry babies”
“Yep”
“Ok”
“Cool my maid will fill you in, now if you would please excuse me I’m going to head outside for a stroll, as if I don’t have 3 new mates that have, I would presume, just been ripped from their usual lives and brought here without notice....


End scene... no kiss yet, no nothing, just full blow flat awkwardness... and that flat matter of factness continued through the 54% I read. Which is a shame really as I was really looking forward to this series... I still might continue this one another time or read the next one (when it’s at a sale price) to see how the authors writing and story telling has developed.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 🌟 rounded up

I really don't know how to explain my feelings about this book. The blurb looked awesome, and the beginning held a lot of promise. Unfortunately, at least insofar as the reverse harem went, Salem, the blue blood vampire king, has it best in his visions over the centuries. No matter what the characters actually said or thought after being united, nothing lived up to Salem's dreams. That is not to imply that the book is filled with sexy times, but the few there were actually seemed better when it was only one on one.

The four mates just didn't seem to fit. The author tries to force the relationship, but that's exactly how it feels; forced. But I digress. An heir must be born, regardless of the danger. I think what bothered me the most regarding the storyline is that I felt like I was reading a fairy tale, and not necessarily a YA version. If you took away the sexy times, I am pretty sure my little girl would have no difficulties reading and understanding the story. There was nothing complex about the writing style, but there are several loopholes left wide open.

The reason I decided on the 3 🌟 rating was that toward the end things got a little more interesting. There was some danger, both from outside forces and physiological. Again with the loopholes, and things wrapped up too neatly with no details about how or why, but this leads me back to the sometimes juvenile writing style. Nothing has to add up as long as the outcome is the desired result. But, the baby shower was intriguing, and if the next book is on KU, I might give it a shot if I have the time. But as things stand in the epilogue, the unique mates and their offspring have a happily for now ending.

* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *

[Kaila · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was enjoyable.. kept me interested and reading. fast paced and action packed. i enjoyed it.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to the new series. Salem, Thoren, Ulrich and Cecil together is fantastic and unique. Each of them are so different and fit perfectly. Salem is so sweet and he grabs you right from the start. A roller-coaster of suspense and magic. Harem books aren't my go-to type reads but am so happy I tried this and I can't wait for the next. I voluntarily reviewed an 'Advance Author’s Copy' of this book.

[Patricia Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fantastic, sweet, poignant, grab-you-by-the-feels, lovely, intriguing, charming, smoking hot, engaging, enjoyable, and delightful story. Salem, Thorrn. Ulrich, and Cecil-a dragon, a wolf, a magi, and a vampire-were wonderful together, and I was fascinated by how much they truly loved each other. I would recommend getting this gem ASAP.

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Blood is the first book in the Siring an Heir series by Xya Olsen. It is a paranormal reverse harem romance with shifters, magi, and vampires, an mpreg, magic, and an mmmm lovestory.

Thoren, Ulrich, Cecil and Salem are amazing characters that have a wonderful story. Drama, suspense, danger, and action.... steam and sweet love. This story grabbed myattention and kept me engrossed. I love it and cant wait to read the rest of the series.

I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story! The characters were great and the world was interesting. There’s a bit of insta-love between the main characters (poly romance) but that’s to be expected when reading a book with fated mates. I appreciated the MCs having no issues with being mates, and I loved how caring and tender they were to one another. Fans of Macy Blake’s Chosen One series would enjoy this story and its characters which include a dragon, a wolf, a magi, and a vampire!

This was a quick and entertaining mpreg story and while it ends in a HEA for the MCs, I’m looking forward to reading more from this world as the series continues!

4.5 Stars

[❤Sharonica-Logic❤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome to 2020 and to a new realm filled with magic, mystery, and mayhem. A new writer is in our midst who has exemplary skills in the imagination department and is not afraid to use them.

Does Your Blood Run Harem Blue?
Salem(Vamp) Thoren(wolf) Ulrich(dragon) Cecil(mage)

In their first release, which also boasts to be the first in a series, Xya Olsen opens a door to another realm where the vampires are dying because of a fertility curse out on them by socerea. The vampire King, Salem is running out of time to perform a ritual to summon his fated fates, become pregnant with an heir, and pray what happened to his fathers does not happen to he and his future family.

The story is action packed with decent characters who just need a bit more fleshing out. I found myself confusing Theron and Ulrich from time to time because they didn't seem distinct enough. Other times though, they were spot on.

I found bits of the world confusing too. The only place I could picture well was "The Wilds."

This book is in need of a little TLC, meaning a good beta or two, and a good proofing team, but with this being the author's first, all of that will come with time. Once it does, this will be a 5🌟 read for sure.

The world in this book is original and imaginative. There is a buffet of goodness here that just needs a little salt to enhance the flavor. I will keep my eyes on this new author.

Until then, I am giving it a solid 3🌟🌟🌟

I also plan to check out book #2! I loved book #1's originality that much.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.💖

[Gabrielle Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

One vampire who could be the savior of his race and his mates struggle to find their way and keep him safe. When Salem finally meets his mates in real life and not just his dreams, he understands the importance of it all. His three mates are as different as they are important. Can they do what is needed and provide the vampires with a much-needed heir and survive the Hunters who plot to kill all that they can find?

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, but I found the story lacking something. The story moves rather quickly and at times it seems as if it was more of an outline for the book. When Salem dreams of his mates it is hot and steamy, and you can feel the connection between them yet once they are together in real life that connection seems to fade, and their relationship is more like friends with benefits. I liked Salem in the beginning but soon he became to aloof for me. I would have like a bit more details about the world and the inhabitants that they lived in and it would have been nice to see the men connect more. We do not see a lot of their personalities just their reactions. I liked that there were so many different beings in this world and that they all interacted with one another which makes for some interesting reading in the future of this series. Overall this book is an interesting read and if you are looking for a quick sweet read this one may be what you are looking for.

[Kendra T · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough one for me to rate. The premise is awesome. I love the reverse harem and paranormal genres, and having multiple mates opened the story for some great relationship-building opportunities. Unfortunately, this is the part I missed the most. All of the mates just jumped right into it and there was little getting to know them individually or as a group. I wish I had more of them together and building as a family rather than them all just saying "yup! I accept we are mates. Love you!". I would've liked to actually see them build to an "I love you" point rather than it skip ahead and *boom* there it is. I did like the overall dramatic plot point, but I did think it was too neatly tied up. I still have questions about Lord Nightshade and how/why his character made the decisions he did through the book. Perhaps that would be answered more in a future book.

I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by LesCourt Author Services

[Rachwithheadinabook · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 max.

What do you get when you cross a vampire, a dragon, a wolf shifter and a magi answer is in this book.

This is a book that is by a new author with what seems in the beginning to be a flair for paranormal storytelling, there is a good amount of world building and the characters were good, although I still had questions maybe they will get answered in subsequent books. It is a sweet quick read that has little angst and some danger in it, but it was over too quickly, I also had a bit of trouble with the fact that all the chemistry between the mates, happens in dreams before they ever met, so when they did meet it all seemed to fizzle down to resemble a platonic friendship rather than a redhot relationship but it was enjoyable enough that I am looking forward to seeing if the next book in the series is better at keeping the chemistry alive.

[Anabela.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting and hoping more from this book, because the blurb promised so much.

The beginning was good,but sadly the story telling started to get jumpy,from lulled to somewhat interesting and then back again. Salem had high hopes for him and his mates,considering the way he's dreamed of them for centuries, but I couldn't find that much of a connection between them all. I thought they were great by themselves or even one on one,but not as a whole.

But there was enough of danger and plotting throughout the story that's kept me engrossed and of course,I wanted to see how the guys would overcome the obstacles put in their way.

[Kitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. I love reading MM, and a reverse harem MM? Yes, please! This is an interesting, dramatic, steamy story, with great characters. However, I felt it could have used a little more polishing. I wanted more background and depth to the characters, and sometimes it felt like the author shifted gears during a scene or conversation. That said, its a good story and I will be looking for the rest of the series. (This one is self-contained and can stand alone.)

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good effort from a new author. I really liked all four mates, though I would have liked to learn more about their individual histories. The world they lived in was interesting and filled with characters I look forward to revisiting. I was confused by the way a few things were explained or handled, and I questioned the mates' actions a few times; but I was happy with the overall story. I think this author is imaginative and talented, and I will definitely grab the next book in the series when it's available.

[Denise GremoryKohta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has engaging characters and a good plot. We get to learn about the world and it’s many players as we go through it. My issue is the hints and teasers you get that don’t lead to more. Like Salem’s parents and the backstories of his mates. You get the idea but more information would be nice. Also, why were the vampires cursed? Will we get to know that?I do think we will get more about Lord Nightshade though. Getting an arc of this and the author being one I haven’t read before has gotten me curious. I will definitely be watching to see how this develops.

[John-Torleif Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, but I didn't really connect with any of the characters

I would have liked to have gotten a bit more worldbuilding. Even with a shared dream for all for mates, I would imagine that being yanked from wherever each mate was to Salem would have been a wee bit disorienting. No one really acted like you'd expect. The mates didn't seem to be anxious to get to sex, and the complications with Salem's pregnancy were irritatingly vague.

[CMLH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salem has hidden a secret about himself since his earliest memory and has lost so many because of this secret. When he performs the mating call (can't remember exactly what it is called), he has three mates appear, Thoren, Ulrich, and Cecil. Each are different and yet all four of them form a relationship. When outside forces begin to threaten them, each must find their strength and figure out how to handle everything that is coming their way.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable m/m/m/m, good story

Very enjoyable story. Intriguing characters and storyline made the book go fast. Four men (vampire, wolf, dragon, and mage) mate to save a kingdom from extinction. I liked the ease they all felt together immediately. No worrying about fitting in or jealousy. Some strange rituals probably need to be explained better but I liked the book.

[Torhild Borg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was over before it had begun. Yes, a fast read for me. I liked the characters, but something was lacking. Couplewise they were great but I guess as all together something was missing. Although an ok read for e.

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful gay harem, fate mates, instalove story.
There's plenty of suspense and action to keep you guessing.
Great chemistry between the main characters, and an interesting world to be built upon.
I'll definitely be looking forward to more from this author.

[Ashlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great!

The reason it isn’t a 5 star is because I felt it was quite rushed, the plot was good but this whole event could have been lengthened in order to allow the mates to have more character. 💗

[Julie Bedwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shifters, magic, and vampires. What else needs to be said? This was a delightful book with some mystery and suspense. I like seeing how m/m/m/m partners are portrayed. This is a new to me author, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series

[P Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

3 stars

I had mixed feelings about this one. The blurb sounded so good but the story just didn’t pull me in as much as I’d hoped.

The four mates didn’t work well together. They were affectionate towards each other i.e. hugging or kissing but their love making came across disjointed. When they had sex as a pair - it was more intense and captured more emotion. However, when all the mates were getting down and dirty, it just didn’t work as well. Salem’s dreams were vivid, erotic and hot - shame that wasn’t the case when they all came together.

The story dragged on longer than it should have. There were moments I got a little bored and started to skim read. Things got interesting towards the end which I was grateful for.

Overall, the story was alright but dry in places with not a lot going on. The characters didn’t pull me in and their fated mate bond wasn’t convincing, it lacked in heat, passion and emotion. As a unit they didn’t really work.

[H · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d within first 15% for mediocre writing and no relationship or character development.