Taken by the Vampire King

Vampire Warrior Kings #3

by Laura Kaye

Seven ancient Vampires Kings.
One fight to save humanity…

Henrik Magnusson is supposed to be immortal, but a mysterious ailment leaves the Vampire Warrior King near death, and not even the blood of the Proffered—human virgins trained to feed and mate with the elite warriors—sustains him. Then he rescues a beautiful young woman from the Soul Eaters, his ancient enemies, and she sets off a bloodlust and a desire he hasn't felt for centuries.

Photographer Kaira Sorenson's life takes a nightmare turn when she's saved by a…vampire. But she’s seen too much, and now she’s his prisoner. All of which means she should be afraid of Henrik, but he’s regal, tormented, and hot as hell, and she can't deny her intense attraction to him. And then she learns that her blood may be his only salvation…

Kaira knows what it’s like to be sick, so she agrees to help Henrik. But when feeding turns into a scorching night of so much more, she must decide if she’s willing to be his forever—but will the king release her so she can freely choose?

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Novella, Short Stories

120 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

Laura Kaye is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary and erotic romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink, Raven Riders, Blasphemy, Heroes, and Hearts of the Anemoi series. Laura's hot, heartfelt stories are all about the universal desire for a place to belong. Laura grew up amidst family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. Laura also writes historical fiction as Laura Kamoie, and lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Reviews

[CC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Formulaic. Again, not bad. Just not much substance.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in 2013 at the very height of my vampire craze. I loved it then and I still love it now in 2021. Happy reading!

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author is the queen of short stories IMO. She’s already written the iconic Hearts In Darkness. This particular story was great I really liked it, only one problem I wanted more.

[Olga Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I really loved this book.

[Jan Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henrik Magnusson is dying and not even the virginal blood of the Proffered—human women trained to serve the blood needs of the vampire warrior class—can save him. He needs a blood-match, his mate’s blood.

Kaira Sorensen has CML—Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, a rare, cancerous blood disease. (As an RN, I want to praise Ms. Kaye for the way she handled this medical condition in this book.)

This, the third in the Vampire Warrior King series, stands alongside its predecessors, IN THE SERVICE OF THE KING and SEDUCED BY THE VAMPIRE KING, as another 5-star read. An especially great twist to this book is the fact that Kaira is unaware that Vampires exist. Another great twist…Nope! Not going to spoil it for you! Trust me to say, you will be pleased!

A short, very satisfying read that will touch your heart, tease your libido and leave you a very satisfied reader. Very well done, Laura!

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of this series that I have read, but the story is completely self-contained and utterly engrossing. The new to me vampire qualities and the setting in Norway was both well-defined and beautifully described. Laura Kaye has also inserted Scandinavian words and expressions into the story, providing several interesting word-nerd moments for me: thank you!

Henrik is instantly attracted to Kaira, her blood calls to him in a way that he hasn’t heard in years. From this point forward, their destinies are sealed; but the ride to the finish is both entertaining and wholly gripping.

Kaye has managed to create an interesting character in Henrik: it is not often that we see vampires who maintain their humanity from the blood they ingest, nor is it common to see the turmoil when they sense it fading away. Henrik had the perfect mix of bone tired frustration and pitiable sadness in his current condition, and his openness and frank speech to his brother and warriors about the worst case scenario is both realistic and believable.

In Kaira, her continual battle with the effects of her leukemia, and Kaye’s obviously well-researched, and while you worry for her she is nothing less than admirable in her determination. Together the two have an interesting and undeniable connection with her blood being so affected by the treatments that it not only nourishes him, but heals him. With some incredibly sexy feeding scenes, and the obvious physical attraction the two have for one another: this is one seriously hot story that is even more appealing for the interactions and emotions that the two display in their concern and caring for one another. I now have to read the first two in this series as I wait for the next installment.

I received an eBook from the publisher for purpose of honest review for the Jeep Diva. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Alex (HEABookNerd) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate that each book in this series has been a bit different in how the couples meet. I was worried at the beginning that each one would be a Proffering scenario but that's not the case. I liked that Kaira had no knowledge of vampires so it was a completely new world to her. Again, the world Laura Kaye has created is very intricate and it's an impressive amount of developed history and culture considering the shorter length of the book. I loved Kaira's spunk and her fire as well as her compassion for others. In fact, she might be too understanding!

So the big thing that didn't work for me was the initial confrontation between Kaira and Henrik. Kaira is out walking when she's attacked by two Soul Eaters and then rescued by Henrik and his brother, Jakob. However, something happens when Henrik bites Kaira, right after she's been attacked and bitten by Soul Eaters. So he literally attacks her and drinks from her against her will right after another vampire has done the same. From there it's only compounded by Henrik keeping Kaira prisoner and will use her as a blood host whether she wants it or not, especially when he finds out Kaira might be able to cure him. There's a lot happening to Kaira against her will and she's rolling with it way too easily and falling in love with Henrik. It just all felt a little too icky and forced for me.

Content Warning: Dubious consent

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say. O. M. F. G. ******6 amazing stars!!!!!!!**** Laura Kaye has outdone herself with the latest installment of the vampire king book series. Taken by the Vampire king is by far my favorite to date! I absolutely loved the first two. I adore this one. Laura Kaye is able to do this and it leaves me in awe: like Hearts in darkness, she is able to create rich, complex, three-dimensional characters in such a short story. My only complaint, again; I wanted more!!!! I could not put this book down if my life depended on it. It's that good. Short, sweet, spicy, thrilling, sad, happy, sexy, all rolled into one neat, complete package. I truly hope there's more Vampire King novels. After all, there's seven Kings. Three books. Sigh. Loved. It!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not the narrator for this read. I was ready to give up after hearing or hero's voice. I convinced myself it was because he was sick. But no. then I get a hear of our heroine. That's absolutely when I jut resigned myself to the story only. I worked to block the irritating voices.

Wrong, wrong, wrong . . . I did enjoy the story just not the narration.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is a very quick read and yet another nice addition to this series. Laura Kaye has a way of creating a fascinating Vampire world with very engaging characters. I look forward to more books in this series.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Vampire King book by Laura Kaye. I didn't feel quite as much connection to the characters in Taken by the Vampire King as I did the previous two novels, but it was still a good read.

[Eleonora · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is getting repetitive

[Book Addict *D* · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I read this one just to finish the series. No character building, no storyline, just a quick read if you have an hour or two to waste.

[JmsBndGrl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Least favorite in the series. Relationship seemed more forced than the other 2.

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oddly enough, with these three stories, I have noticed that I liked the kings' second in command the most. Those guys always seemed to be more playful or funny, more personable, and kind of just more likeable. Which is a little unfortunate because I am all about royal mates.

This story was my least favorite of the three. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't all that great. Didn't really pull me in much. Both Henrik and Kaira are both slowly dying. Though he is an immortal vampire, Henrik has been struck by an illness none of his kind has ever seen that is slowly deteriorating his entire being. The blood of the proffered does nothing to help him, and if anything only makes things worse. But what frightens him the most though is that as he continues to weaken, the beast inside him gets stronger and he loses his humanity a little more each day. Kaira has leukemia and just wanted to go somewhere that she can forget all about that and pursue one of her dreams while she still has the time.

Kaira has made a great start toward that goal with her photography. She wants to be able to earn a living at it and managed to make it into a competition on the aurora borealis. What she hopes will be great stepping stone for her. It's there that she first encounters Henrik. While out with his warriors patrolling the city for the soul eaters, he wanders into the gallery and the moment Kaira steps next to him he wants her. This hasn't happened in such a long time and the intensity is more than he can control. Which ends up scaring Kaira despite the attraction she felt for him. Later that night Karia is attacked by the soul eaters, to be saved by Henrik, only then to be attacked by him. Needless to say she freaks out a little when she wakes up in Henrik's home and basically his prisoner. Despite the hope that her blood can cure him, Henrik wants to let her go because that's what she wants. But when he receives a phone call, things change. He cannot allow himself to die and will do whatever he must. Fortunately for him, he's already weaseled his way into Kaira's heart and in the end she chooses him over her her old life.

As there are seven of these vampire warrior kings, well, I guess really six now, I can't help but wonder if we will get stories on the rest of them. If we ever do, I would definitely check them out.

[Kimberly / Love Notes Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. This was a good novella! Taken by the Vampire King is the third book in the Vampire Warrior Kings series and is Kaira and Henrik's story. Henrik is one of the seven "good" vampire kings in the world who fight the "bad" vampires, Soul Eaters, who want to take over the world. He is dying from a mysterious illness and is about to give up on life when he meets Kaira. She is a photographer in town for a competition and she has leukemia. Henrik feels a connection to her and a hunger for her blood that may save his life. But she doesn't know vampires exist. Henrik and his men take her in hopes that she will help save his life and, in turn, if she takes his blood, it could cure her leukemia. She feels an instant connection to him and she lets him feed from her to save his life. It doesn't take them long to find out they are destined to be mates.

This book was a quick read, but had amazing world building. This book did feel a tad shorter than the others in the series. The story was interesting, suspenseful, sexy and sweet. The characters were well developed and had a great connection to each other. I really liked the atmosphere of this series too. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read! I binge read this series and was left wanting more!

*arc provided in exchange for an honest review*

[Whispers From · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henrik is one of the seven vampire kings that try to protect the humans. Henrik has a mysterious illness that is causing him to slowly die. They have tried everything and not even the blood from the Proffered slows down his sickness. Kaira is a photographer with leukemia, in Norway she is participating in a photography exhibit/contest at a gallery, when she is attacked by the Soul Eaters. Henrik rescues her and because he is almost in bloodlust, he drinks from her. They take her back to their castle to help her heal, then they won’t let her leave. Henrik feels a little better after drinking her blood and can tell she’s his mate. Will he let her go to pursue her dreams or convince her to stay where she’ll be his queen?
Loved this story. Sexy and romantic. A journey into the world of vampires. A woman with little time left and orphaned at a young age. A vampire who has given up and prepares to die.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for the author *

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henrik doesn't know who the young women who took such wonderful picture of the aurora borealis is, but he knows he wants her. When she is attacked walking back to her hotel, he knows he has to save her. For the first time in a long time he's found a woman whose blood calls to him.
When Kaira is attacked on her way back to her hotel, she's terrified by her attackers, and almost more so by the men who rescue her. When she wakes in an unfamiliar place, she knows she's in trouble yet she can't ignore the captivating man with the beautiful eyes who rescued her. Until she sees his fangs as he takes her wrist.

This third book in Laura Kaye's Vampire Warrior Kings is just as intriguing, just as hot as the first two books in the series. I highly recommend it (and the earlier books in the series) for a quick, entertaining read.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taken by the Vampire King is the third book in the Vampire Warrior Kings series.

Henrik Magnusson is one of the remaining Warrior Kings. Even though he’s supposed to be immortal, he has an unnamed sickness that is slowing killing him. Kaira Sorenson is a gifted photographer trying to live as much of her life as possible before her sickness ends her life. Will their union be the cure to both their illnesses?

The books in this series are short, but are perfect if you’re looking for a quick read with a hot vampire and a happy ending. However, I do wish they were longer, and I wish I could find information as to whether or not the series will continue. There are three (I think) remaining Warrior Kings who need their stories, and I’m also curious if the Kings will unite to destroy the Soul Eaters.

[Lori Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading this third novella in Laura's Vampire Warrior King series. I really liked all three of these short stories and would love to have a more fleshed out book for each of them. as it is all three are more or less the same just slightly different situations and in a different location. I felt the characters could definitely come to life if given a longer chance. if you want a quick sexy read with an interesting concept then grab these novellas and jump into the vampire world of Laura Kaye.

[Jenniekenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henrick is a vampire king who is dying. No blood sustains him from ranges anymore. Kaira has a rare disease. She has no family as they died when she was young. Henrick saves her from Soul Eaters. She is bitten and he smells her blood and is over come. Her blood calls to him. He and his warriors notice subtle changes when he has her blood. She feels a connection with him immediately but what is it. What I love is that he gives her a choice to live her life or come back to him. It made me tear up. I loved this story so very much.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henrik is a Vampire King with a mysterious illness. He has tried many different women's blood, to find the Proffered who will save him. Kaira is a human woman, a photographer who is saved by Henrik after being attacked by Soul Eaters. He is cured by drinking her blood, he gives her 3 days to finish up her work before the mating ceremony. She says yes, and they head off to their forever.
Laura wrote amazing colors of the Aurora Borealis, I want to go to Norway to see them in person. They way she colors them is so beautiful.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a better story than the first two. I really liked getting to know what each of the characters needed, plus the author gives a bit of background for each character. I liked that apart Henrik and Kaira weren't whole, but together they were stronger, more powerful than before. I liked that each had something the other needed to heal. I also really liked the character of Jacob, Henrik's younger brother. I hope the author has plans for more stories in this series. Well done to the author and the narrator.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaira and Henrik. Henrik makes his peace with the fact that he's dying. Unable to find a Proffered to heal him. His brother Jacob wants him to fight, but he doesn't have much control. Kaira is an artist, weak from fighting cancer trying to make it at an art gallery. She meets Henrik, and when attacked by Soul Eaters she can calm Henrik and her blood heals him. Of course he kidnaps her for himself. Both can save the other, with a growing attraction together.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was probably my favorite out of the three and it think it’s because the king was less than perfect but he still won the girl. It also showed the Soul Eaters for the first time and explained how the war was heating up. I could definitely go for another book!

*I received a free copy for any honest review*

[Phyllis Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third Book Is The Charm!

This was the strongest of all 3 books. Henrik the Vampire King was a very strong and noble character. Kaira Sorenson was in the wrong place when Henrik finds her. They seem to need to save each other. Can they or will indescribable fate destroy both of them. A must read.

[Carol orr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fated vampire romance

No plot spoilers
No potential triggers
I don't generally like short stories, but for this series I make an exception. Laura Kaye has long been a favourite author of mine, her ability to create excellent characterisation one of the reasons I love her books, and even though they are short stories the books in this series still deliver a good read supported by well written characters.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of the 3, Kiara was simply kick butt! and I may have a thing for russian accents...
But again whhhhhhy a novella? It's such a waste. There is so much here.... it's just not fair to end it so early when it's so fricken good...

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Sickness

Kaira is dying from cancer and vampire, Henrik, is wasting away from an unknown illness. A chance meeting brings these two together and gives them a chance at forever in this wonderful tale.

[Mindy Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet vampire romance

Short and sweet romance. Both hero and heroine are sick and they find just what they need in the other. Our heroine was scared yet brave and the hero was such a sweetheart. Nice chemistry and sex was pretty good

HEA✅-still no epilogue...