Tribes of the Vampire 1: Redeemer of Shadows Dark Fantasy Romance
As a fierce and undeniable destiny pulls them together, vampiric forces beyond their control conspire to tear them apart.
A dark night, a wrong turn, and Hathor Vinceti stumbles into a sinister London underworld that will change her life--forever. Reality as she knows it shatters as she is exposed to the self-seeking indulgences of a group of bored vampires, but also a mystery man who calls to her across the ages.
Servaes, the Marquis de Normant, survives immortality with a barely restrained hostility against the vampire who sired him, and the young ones who abuse their power. Eternity has never seemed so endless, until Hathor catches his eye.
Warning: This book is an epic vampire tale with very dark themes, evil vampires, and no sparkles. If you like dark and slightly twisted (in a good way), you'll like these. Contains explicit language and graphic violence.
This novel contains adult content. Must be 18 years or older to read.
📚 New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author of All Things Romance 🌎 www.MichellePillow.com
Michelle M. Pillow is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with millions of books sold worldwide. Best known for her paranormal and sci-fi romance and paranormal women’s fiction, she writes captivating stories that blend heart, humor, adventure, and a touch of magic—perfect for readers who love immersive worlds and unforgettable characters.
Her bestselling series include Dragon Lords, Lords of the Var®, Warlocks MacGregor®, Order of Magic, and Merely Mortal.
A relentless explorer of both the real and the supernatural, Michelle has chased history through ancient ruins, climbed Mayan temples in Belize, and investigated haunted locations. She believes life is an adventure best fueled by curiosity, creativity, and copious amounts of coffee.
Now based in the American South, Michelle is involved in film and documentary projects with her talented husband. She is mom to a talented artist, and under the strict supervision of her furry overlords (a dog and a cat) who ensure she meets her deadlines. Most days, she can be found in her office wearing pajama pants, writing, plotting, and occasionally dancing to get the creative juices flowing.
She’s the award-winning author of the historical Maiden and the Monster and paranormal romance Love Potions. If you love dragon shifters, mischievous warlocks, and strong heroines who take charge of their destiny, her books are a perfect fit.
NEWS: Fans of Realm Immortal (high fantasy romance) and Tribes of the Vampire series (urban fantasy romance), I just signed a contract with Pan Macmillan's Tor Bramble for new pretty print editions, audiobooks, and worldwide translations for these seven books.
I’m thrilled to share that Natalie Naudus (as Victoria Mei) will narrate the Tribes of the Vampire series. This book will release Feb 2026 in audio. Hardbacks should be on the horizon. Ebooks are on sale now.
This book (and audiobook) is a spicy, fun, ferocious, addictive and dangerous good-time read !!! If you love stories about true love, fated mates, soul mates and vampires you will absolutely love this one !!! So good !
The book dives straight into a decadent vampire club and keeps up the tensions and passion throughout. I loved Hathors discovery of herself throughout. Servaes was interview with a vampire style and really enjoyed all the historical touches.
The narrator for the audio was really good and although I don’t normally like solo with one person doing the male and female voices I found the voices done really well in this audio.
I've read 25 plus books by this author which I loved but this book is on a whole other level. It's much longer and detailed and I feel she really had room to weave her story and get to grips with the characters. I found it hard going at first as I was used to her other style of writing but once I got into the novel I couldn't put it down. I'm going to read the whole series. Absolutely blown away.
This book was pretty good. I saw another reader compare it to the Twilight series and Anita Blake series.....that is a bad comparison. It is more of a Interview with a vampire story with a dash of Anita Blake spice. I found myself skipping a lot of the book (Mostly the filler stuff with Aunt Georgia)just to get to the story parts about the vamp. Those were pretty interesting. She did a good job laying a believable historical back ground. I have purchased the second book. I hope it doesn't disappoint. :)
I loved the plot of he story. A vampire who has lost his love but didn't realize he would meet her in the future. I loved it very original. However the heroine killed the story for me. She seemed weak, annoying, naive and in some parts ignorant even though the truth was right there. I couldn't relate to her nor did I want to. I really enjoyed Servaes' character he was on that threshold between despicable and gentlemanly. The story flowed and the only reason I read the rest and not stopped was to find out the end so I could say hey I finished it.
I have not read those books in order, starting first with The Jaded Hunter, but the order in which you read them doesn't matter in the least, as each story seems to be its own, with only several recurring characters.
This said, I fell in love with Hathor's and Servaes' love story, one that transcends time. And once I really got time to sit and enjoy the book, I was completely and utterly lost.
Only a warning: it's not a book for the faint of heart. Some scenes are vivid in cruelty and are not made for every reader.
Hathor has come to visit her aunt and only living family. She gets lost on an outing and stumbles into a club the likes of which shes never seen. Servaes is performing on stage and catches sight of Hathor. They are drawn to each other but Hathor sneaks out before Servaes reaches her. So many twists and turns in this amazing story. I highly recommend this book.
great box set so far all u.f. books. having fun reading it so far the first story I read was The Guardians by Mandy M. Roth then Redeemer of Shadows by Michelle M. Pillow. which I will say are my usual go to authors and they do it again with their series books. I cant wait to finish this set because they always team up with more authors that make you want to jump into their books too.
I have been reading/listening to Michelle Pillows warlock McGregor saga's since I got the first 2 as a free offer. This series does not follow that same pattern of quiet humorous characters and is darker and deeper. The end of the book was uncertain and the tension maintained. I look forward to the next in this series.
This was a difficult read for me, however I got attached to the characters even though they fought the inevitable way to long for my taste. So I gave it four stars because of the characters but would give it a three for the writing style.
This great book has a dark storyline that is lightened by intense emotions, humor and excellent character development. You won't go wrong with this book and I can't wait to read the next!
What a great new twist on a Vampire love story! I am so excited to read the next book in this series. I don’t want to give anything away so you just have to read it for yourself!
WOW . What a Wonderful way to start a series. This book is loaded with lots of twists and turns that shocked and surprised me throughout this entire book.
Plot: Kinda drier than a vamps finished meal. Not much plot to speak of Very character driven. The time travel aspect was cool to be fair! Until maybe the last few chapters where a new (to me) lore cropped up but because I wasn’t fully invested it didny hit as much as it could have 🤷🏼♀️
Characters: Servaes was sad boi but think he was just done in - tends to happen with vampys living so long and life getting a bit dull. Was a bit of a dick at times but guess he just wanted to protect Hathor. Didn’t give sexii vibes at all. Liked getting some of his backstory 👌🏼
Hathor was so naive and a bit irritating - was nice to see her be a bit less of a pussy in the end tho and fight for what she wanted.
The villains seemed one dimensional and usual “I want I should get” but not very complex.
I needed more character development and relationship building rather than horndawgss.
Vibes: “scorching spicy” seems a bit of a stretch. It was slow to spice but some how also instalove 😵💫(Instalust very on brand for vampires but the love was a bit too fast) but not sure I felt the chemistry - just felt very focused on the physical and SAYING love but I didn’t get the feels.
I could have done with more yearning, atmosphere and gore.
The time period was kinda confusing coz I think was supposed to be modern day London BUT the vampires still being old fashioned and I think the dialogue and even some of the way Hathor thought/spoke still sounded old timely
Liked the 3rd person POV
Narrator: Victoria done a great job but maybe dual narration would have helped 🤔 or maybe I just wish Servaes wasn’t French. Narrator⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Takeaway: This does sound all negative AF BUT if you want an easy listening vampire story with a bit of time travel and spice then then go for it
This is the first book in the Tribes Of The Vampire series and from that title, I was pretty sure about this being a paranormal, vampire story.
Beyond this, I went in blind and having never read this author before, I was excited to find out what this book would hold.
There was so much going on through this storyline and I was easily sucked into the depths of a murky London where vampires ran rife.
I loved this dark setting which started in the club that Hathor stumbled into one evening, lost in her new home town.
This seedy-looking club set the scene for the rest of the book - and I was there for every second!
I loved Hathor's character and the development that turned her from a meek and pretty staid newcomer to this feisty and fearless woman that she became towards the end of the book.
Her acceptance of Servaes was beautiful and the absolute certainty that they should be together was pounding off the pages.
I obviously hadn't expected the twists and turns that came with this connection - but this whole storyline was perfection.
I did get a little frustrated at the way Servaes changed after his and Hathor's initial connection - it felt a little brutal and continues a little too long for my liking - but I understand that he was just trying to keep her safe.
The world building of the vampire community here in London and the conflict that ensued between both them and Hathor and also Servaes and his creator added an extra something to this beyond just the standard dark romance and I'm really keen to see how this extends beyond this book.
I actually was hooked and couldn't put this down and cannot wait to get my hands on book 2 to see where this series heads next.
Thank you to NetGallery and Macmillan UK Audio for this eARC And of course Michelle M. Pillow.
This review contains NO spoilers! And all that is said is my honest and non-biased opinion.
I am not going to give spoilers or massive details of what happens in this book. That would be silly and counterproductive!
Release date for this book is 5th Feb 2026
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really wish I could give this more stars. I loved the idea of the plot and where it could have gone, I hated the characters, FMC was annoying and entitled and really arrogant, MMC was one dimensional and as cold as ice. I found the Spice and romance very cringe, instant take a ride to i love you but nothing in-between, no yeaning, no building. The structure and dialogue seemed so formal throughout!? Why?
Overall, I gave this 3 ⭐️ For the idea plot. Very original. Maybe this series will not be for me, hopefully others find what they need in this 😊
Thank you so much again to Netgallery, Michelle M. Pillow and Macmillan UK Audio
Redeemer of Shadows gave everything I want in a vampire story. When I heard about this book, I was so excited. It's been a while since I read a good vampire story. Hathor and Servaes were destined to be together but dark forces are determined to destroy them. There are also forces intervening on their behalf because their success brings hope.
The author took us back in time to see how Servaes became a vampire. I like a good time travel story line that is intertwined with the present. The dark theme was well executed and shows this is not the typical swoony vampire romance.
Victoria Mei's narration was perfect, distinguishing between the different voices. I can't wait to see what she does with the rest of the series.
Thank you NetGalley, Michelle M. Pillow and Tor Bramble. I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Dnf- 11% Normally I love vampire novels. Normally I like Ms. Pillows’s novels. This time around, I loved neither.
Perhaps it was too dark of a read too soon.I had just finished an audiobook where a serial killer kidnapped, tortured, and raped teenaged boys. I can handle dark but being immersed in it for too long, too often isn’t a good idea.
That being said, I wasn’t feeling the FMC. She seemed dumb and dazed. The large body count after only two nights wasn’t sitting too well with me either. That many dead/missing people, even in a city as London, seemed unrealistic. I know, realism in a vampire book isn’t to be expected but it’s nice.
Maybe I’ll give it another go sometime. Maybe not.
Honestly I was disappointed by this novel. The author is normally a solid read and I've been in a bit of a book funk lately, so I was hoping this would lift me out. Sadly I was instead doomed to dislike this story from the get go.
I didn't like either main characters, with the female lead feeling entitled and winey while the male lead was arrogant and cold. The prose of the novel I also found distracting with descriptions like "the agile balls of her feet" frustrating me. Alas this novel was not for me.
I hope others enjoy the authors world building skills, but this series is not for me.
Redeemer of Shadows has an interesting paranormal premise, but for me it leaned much more into spice than I expected. In contrast to Interview with the Vampire, which focuses heavily on atmosphere, introspection, and emotional complexity, this book places far more emphasis on physical romance. The world-building and supernatural elements were engaging, and the story itself is well paced. The audiobook narration by Victoria Mei was strong and added intensity to the characters and action. However, the level of spice often pulled my attention away from the darker, moodier elements I was hoping for. Readers who enjoy high-heat paranormal romance will likely appreciate this more than I did.
Are all vampires good looking? Hathor meets her first vampire by accident and is instantly attracted, but also afraid of her fascination. Servaes is cultured, attractive and mysterious. They are drawn together but other vampires want them to be together and will do all they can to sabotage them, even try to kill them.
Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Very good characters in a well paced intriguing novel. There is lust, respect, fear and complex relationships. Is being a vampire a gift or a curse?
I've tried several vampire books over the years and have never really got into them except for the Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton. I only picked up this one by Michelle M Pillow because I really enjoyed her Qurilixen series. But alas I just couldn't get into this book, I got as far as halfway through chapter 6 & stopped, it just wasn't for me.
Awesome start to a series 😄. Great story, a bit long winded, but worth the time to read 😀. Thanks Michelle, I'll try the next book just because I'm wanting to know what happens next 🤓.
This book contains many of the standard vampire tropes, but there were some surprises that make this story unique and enjoyable! The writing is kind of formal, but it fits with the characters and the seriousness of the plot. Looking forward to the next book!