The Realm is sixth novel in The Vampire Royals series by Leigh Walker and kicks off Tamara’s branch of the series---Shifter Royals---as we finally see the composed and sophisticated Tamara come face to face with the unlikely male set to steal her heart; a werewolf king unlike anyone Tamara has ever known.
Tamara Layne always knew she was meant for big things. Since being on The Pageant, Tamara has embraced her role as Goodwill Ambassador and is happy within herself. All she needs is someone to share her life with…..and that certain someone is definitely not the feral werewolf King who has just asked her to marry him only moments after meeting. Quickly rebuffing Rhys initial attentions, Tamara is reluctant to participate in another show like the one she was previously a contestant on, but with Rhys wanting to find a Queen to rule beside him, it is decided that he will partake in another show to find his bride. Backed into a corner, Tamara becomes a contestant alongside four other young women. Yet as the contest progresses, Tamara finds herself beginning to fall for the surprisingly dashing King, but with her competition determine to win his affections as well, Tamara will need to decide how far she’s prepared to go and whether she will fight for Rhys heart even at the risk of her own……
Readers who are familiar with the previous novels such as myself will remember Tamara from The Pageant where she was a contestant to win the heart of vampire Prince Dallas Black. We all know that Dallas only ever had eyes for Gwyneth, so Tamara’s heart was never in danger, but in The Realm she is faced with a man---or werewolf I should say---who challenges her thoughts and ideals like no one before. Rhys is uncivilized and almost feral in nature; untamed and unrestrained---a far cry from the poised, and refined Tamara. They are complete opposites but Tamara finds herself drawn to him reluctantly throughout the novel while she bewitches him straight away with not just her beauty but her sharp tongue and intelligent words.
I went into The Realm with certain preconceived notions about Tamara. In The Pageant, she was the mean girl; the trouble maker who seemed to be all for herself. As time progressed Leigh Walker has developed her as a character and after six novels it has become clear that Tamara actually has a heart. She has developed genuine friendships with Gwyn, Blake, Shaye and Eve who were contestants alongside her in the pageant and she has forged a home for herself in the North. She’s not perfect and seems prone to jealousy---as anyone seeing the person she is coming to care about with other women would experience---but I think she is actually kind at her base. Tamara has just spent a lot of time guarding her heart that her shields have become a part of who she was.
Part of what I really loved about Rhys in the beginning was that he wasn’t like the poised male leads of the past novels---he was virile, wild and uncontained. Barefoot and shirtless he seemed the kind of man to run through the forest rather than dance and make nice. I think he lost some of this edge as The Realm progressed which made me a little sad as I would hate to see him become too refined. I’m hoping he retains his base nature during the next two novels as I think I prefer the savage werewolf over the composed king.
Leigh Walker has always satisfied me with her Vampire Royals novels and I believe that Shifter Royals will be the same. The Realm can be read on its own without the previous novels but I definitely think readers will have a better understanding of the characters if they have read The Vampire Royals series. The Realm ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to begin the next novel to see what will happen to Tamara and Rhys next.