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Rite World: Vampire Wars #1
The Darkest Vampire
Supernaturals around Portland are turning up dead. I’m next … if the vampire I just made a powerful bond with doesn’t kill me first.
Magic is in a short supply for a half-witch like me, which makes things very difficult when I’m bound by a blood promise to avenge my parents.
With no leads left to follow, I make a bargain with a demon for help. Bad decision. The quest the demon sends me on binds me to a vampire named Killian, a half-mad, half-naked monster who hates my guts almost as much as he longs to drink my blood.
Killian swore to kill all witches on sight, but we agree to work together to solve the murders ravaging the city. He despises me, and I can’t stand him… but there’s an unexpected connection between us, something I can’t help but be curious about.
No, I can’t let anything distract me. Not even a hot and enraging vampire who presses all of my freaking buttons. I’m determined to find my parents’ killers, and stop the chaos taking over the supernatural world.
If only love didn’t get in the way.
A delicious slow-burn enemies to lovers novel, The Darkest Vampire is a new adult urban fantasy that’s full of dark romance, adventure, and twists you won’t see coming. Fans of Linsey Hall, Leia Stone, and Jaymin Eve are going to become obsessed with this brand-new paranormal series by Juliana Haygert!
Magic is in a short supply for a half-witch like me, which makes things very difficult when I’m bound by a blood promise to avenge my parents.
With no leads left to follow, I make a bargain with a demon for help. Bad decision. The quest the demon sends me on binds me to a vampire named Killian, a half-mad, half-naked monster who hates my guts almost as much as he longs to drink my blood.
Killian swore to kill all witches on sight, but we agree to work together to solve the murders ravaging the city. He despises me, and I can’t stand him… but there’s an unexpected connection between us, something I can’t help but be curious about.
No, I can’t let anything distract me. Not even a hot and enraging vampire who presses all of my freaking buttons. I’m determined to find my parents’ killers, and stop the chaos taking over the supernatural world.
If only love didn’t get in the way.
A delicious slow-burn enemies to lovers novel, The Darkest Vampire is a new adult urban fantasy that’s full of dark romance, adventure, and twists you won’t see coming. Fans of Linsey Hall, Leia Stone, and Jaymin Eve are going to become obsessed with this brand-new paranormal series by Juliana Haygert!
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 8, 2021
276 people are currently reading
2647 people want to read
About the author
Juliana Haygert
152 books1,826 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author.
While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. She resides in North Carolina and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.
Want to know about announcement, events, cover reveals, and other fun stuff related to my writing and my books? Sign up for my newsletter: bit.ly/JuHNL
While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. She resides in North Carolina and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.
Want to know about announcement, events, cover reveals, and other fun stuff related to my writing and my books? Sign up for my newsletter: bit.ly/JuHNL
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
April 5, 2023
Vampire in a box!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💜🖤
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎
Character development: 😠🙃😍😘
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Solo Narration
The heroine: Lavinia - she is part witch, but her magic is bound by a blood promise she made to her mother. She wants to free her magic so she can hunt down her parents killer and avenge their deaths. When she tries to have another witch break her blood promise, it doesn’t work, but later that night a demon named Tadon appears wanting something from her. He says he can break the blood promise and he said that he knows who killed her parents.
The Hero: Killian - he is a vampire from one of the most powerful vampire covens and is half mad when he is released from the prison he was held in for twenty years. He had sworn to kill all witches on sight. An evil warlock named Soren created the boxes which were to be the prisons for powerful supernaturals and allow the creator to have the power of the people who were imprisoned in the boxes. He had to fight monsters every second he was in there.
The Story: The demon wants Lavinia to steal something for him. She is a bit of a thief, working at a tea shop, she sometimes steals from the patrons, though only those who can afford it and she uses the money for good reasons. She agrees to steal the object in exchange for breaking the blood promise and for the name of her parents killer.
Lavinia uses some magic powder to commit the crime and is able to steal a stone block from a home in a gated community for Tadon. She feels magic in the stone block and white light shone from it like a box. What she finds is something she doesn’t understand and doesn’t know what to do with. So she takes it to her witch friend Delia who seems to know all about it.
When Lavinia and Killian find that the supernatural deaths that have been occurring recently match the M.O. of both Killian’s brothers death and Lavinia’s parents death, they decide to team up in order to find the killer and avenge the deaths. The story is good overall, with a bunch of magic and darkness, though Killian was obviously a good guy from the start. Lavinia and Killian had a ton of chemistry, but there were only a few steamy kisses.
I liked the fact that most of Lavinia’s magic was bound, but she was still able to use some. She was also the only one who could open the box for some reason. Though, you know what I hate about some books? When the characters don’t ask the obvious questions about certain things that are pivotal to the plot. Like when Lavinia never bothered to ask Tadon what he wanted with the object she was supposed to steal. Especially after she knew what it was.
This story was told from Lavinia’s point of view, so even though there were two narrators, I consider this solo narration. It was narrated by Candace Joice and Maxx Pinkins. Candace Joice has a good voice, which is soft and feminine, though I don’t really like her male voice so much, there just isn’t that much different. Maxx Pinkins narrated just one a few minutes at the end of the book. I kind of liked how this had an ending, but then still had a cliffhanger.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💜🖤
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎
Character development: 😠🙃😍😘
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Solo Narration
The heroine: Lavinia - she is part witch, but her magic is bound by a blood promise she made to her mother. She wants to free her magic so she can hunt down her parents killer and avenge their deaths. When she tries to have another witch break her blood promise, it doesn’t work, but later that night a demon named Tadon appears wanting something from her. He says he can break the blood promise and he said that he knows who killed her parents.
The Hero: Killian - he is a vampire from one of the most powerful vampire covens and is half mad when he is released from the prison he was held in for twenty years. He had sworn to kill all witches on sight. An evil warlock named Soren created the boxes which were to be the prisons for powerful supernaturals and allow the creator to have the power of the people who were imprisoned in the boxes. He had to fight monsters every second he was in there.
The Story: The demon wants Lavinia to steal something for him. She is a bit of a thief, working at a tea shop, she sometimes steals from the patrons, though only those who can afford it and she uses the money for good reasons. She agrees to steal the object in exchange for breaking the blood promise and for the name of her parents killer.
Lavinia uses some magic powder to commit the crime and is able to steal a stone block from a home in a gated community for Tadon. She feels magic in the stone block and white light shone from it like a box. What she finds is something she doesn’t understand and doesn’t know what to do with. So she takes it to her witch friend Delia who seems to know all about it.
When Lavinia and Killian find that the supernatural deaths that have been occurring recently match the M.O. of both Killian’s brothers death and Lavinia’s parents death, they decide to team up in order to find the killer and avenge the deaths. The story is good overall, with a bunch of magic and darkness, though Killian was obviously a good guy from the start. Lavinia and Killian had a ton of chemistry, but there were only a few steamy kisses.
I liked the fact that most of Lavinia’s magic was bound, but she was still able to use some. She was also the only one who could open the box for some reason. Though, you know what I hate about some books? When the characters don’t ask the obvious questions about certain things that are pivotal to the plot. Like when Lavinia never bothered to ask Tadon what he wanted with the object she was supposed to steal. Especially after she knew what it was.
This story was told from Lavinia’s point of view, so even though there were two narrators, I consider this solo narration. It was narrated by Candace Joice and Maxx Pinkins. Candace Joice has a good voice, which is soft and feminine, though I don’t really like her male voice so much, there just isn’t that much different. Maxx Pinkins narrated just one a few minutes at the end of the book. I kind of liked how this had an ending, but then still had a cliffhanger.
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September 22, 2023
I got this book on a whim through Hoopla because I was waiting for another novel to be released. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! The story is interesting with steady pacing overall. The characters have motivations and actually feel like fully formed people. It was also action-packed which I was not expecting. This is the first novel I've read by this author and it definitely won't be the last! ♡
October 22, 2021
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an eARC of “The Darkest Vampire” in exchange for an honest review!
The Darkest Vampire is a new adult, urban paranormal fantasy with witches, vampires, demons, and various other supernatural creatures. I was immediately drawn in by the title and cover; it just felt dark and sexy—and I’m on a vampire kick right now.
The synopsis suggests a book filled with murder mystery, hidden magic, and slow burn dark romance. Supernatural creatures are being killed. And the deaths are tied to MC, Lavinia, a half-witch who lost her parents to a similar string of murders. But the intrigue stops here. The author continuously references the MC’s past as a driving force for the plot; Lavinia wants to avenge her family, no matter the cost. In her search for answers, Lavinia needs to remove a blood promise stifling her magic. But somehow, she’s also responsible for a string of supernatural kidnappings? And a search for magical boxes?
There are various covens and a complex magic system. There is also considerable in-fighting between the vampire and demon clans. But to what end? The characters feel one dimensional. Lavinia is not the strong, sassy protagonist I expected her to be. And coming from other books—such as The Plated Prisoner series, ACOSF, or FBAA—which expertly address trauma, this fell flat. Her love interest, the titular “darkest vampire,” also lacks depth. Maybe it’s because I’ve been mainlining vampire books this week, but I wanted more.
All in all, The Darkest Vampire is a short book that is easily digestible. But if you want a bold, spicy, urban paranormal romance, you won’t find it here.
The Darkest Vampire is a new adult, urban paranormal fantasy with witches, vampires, demons, and various other supernatural creatures. I was immediately drawn in by the title and cover; it just felt dark and sexy—and I’m on a vampire kick right now.
The synopsis suggests a book filled with murder mystery, hidden magic, and slow burn dark romance. Supernatural creatures are being killed. And the deaths are tied to MC, Lavinia, a half-witch who lost her parents to a similar string of murders. But the intrigue stops here. The author continuously references the MC’s past as a driving force for the plot; Lavinia wants to avenge her family, no matter the cost. In her search for answers, Lavinia needs to remove a blood promise stifling her magic. But somehow, she’s also responsible for a string of supernatural kidnappings? And a search for magical boxes?
There are various covens and a complex magic system. There is also considerable in-fighting between the vampire and demon clans. But to what end? The characters feel one dimensional. Lavinia is not the strong, sassy protagonist I expected her to be. And coming from other books—such as The Plated Prisoner series, ACOSF, or FBAA—which expertly address trauma, this fell flat. Her love interest, the titular “darkest vampire,” also lacks depth. Maybe it’s because I’ve been mainlining vampire books this week, but I wanted more.
All in all, The Darkest Vampire is a short book that is easily digestible. But if you want a bold, spicy, urban paranormal romance, you won’t find it here.
October 12, 2021
This was a disappointment on many levels, starting with the title, series title and the cover, none of which match the contents. We do have a vampire, but he’s far from the darkest. He’s fairly nice, actually, and the best part of the book. There’s no vampire war, there’s a group of serial killers killing supernaturals. And we don’t have a badass, sassy leading lady depicted on the cover. We have a whiny little girl. There isn’t much of a romance, which is merciful, really; a two hundred year old vampire with a child would be repulsive. Nothing sizzles. The story is too long for the plot (took me days to slog through) and it doesn’t advance organically. Lavinia is doing her thing, trying to break a spell, which doesn’t happen, and then the bad guys sweep in and are defeated. The end. Except … not. I’m not entirely sure what the last chapter was about, but I’m not eager to find out.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2021
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Another new sub-series of Ms Haygert's Rite World................. YAY!
I always really enjoy her Fantasy books. Easy to read, (though not dumbed down), fun & the evil characters aren't bad enough to give anyone nightmares over the age of 12 or so!
I see other reviewers have already summarized the plot. So what do I say other than I really enjoyed it & can't wait for the other volumes?
Ms. Haygert's style works well for me, especially when I need something fun & relaxing to read in this awful world (much worse here in the "real world" than in her alternate universe, imo). Maybe that's what we need is more supernaturals!
It's also fun to be reminded of characters I read about & "bonded with" in the past. She brings several characters from previous books back for cameos here. I also felt like the "cliffhanger" at the end was moderate enough that I can wait for the next book for partial resolution without feeling frustrated.
This is her 2nd Vampire series in the Rite World universe & the theme is witches & vampires learning to live (& love) together.
My only complaint is the 2 protagonists (Killian the Vampire & Lavinia the Witch) obviously totally fell for each other before they were willing to admit it to themselves. I think that sub plot may have been dragged out a bit too far. The author (I assume intentionally) makes what is going on obvious to the reader; but somehow the 2 main characters don't catch on until near the end of the book. And it is left for book #2 to explain the Vampire's hesitation. We are given reasons for the Witch's hesitation (you'll have to read it to find out what they are, heh heh!).
Again, all in all good stuff! I look forward to reading the entire 3 book series when the others are released, & highly recommend Darkest Vampire for those into the Young Adult Supernatural genre. Ms Haygert's writing is miles beyond most of her contemporaries, many of whom go way over the top with steamy teen romance. She minimizes that & instead focuses on character & plot development.
Another new sub-series of Ms Haygert's Rite World................. YAY!
I always really enjoy her Fantasy books. Easy to read, (though not dumbed down), fun & the evil characters aren't bad enough to give anyone nightmares over the age of 12 or so!
I see other reviewers have already summarized the plot. So what do I say other than I really enjoyed it & can't wait for the other volumes?
Ms. Haygert's style works well for me, especially when I need something fun & relaxing to read in this awful world (much worse here in the "real world" than in her alternate universe, imo). Maybe that's what we need is more supernaturals!
It's also fun to be reminded of characters I read about & "bonded with" in the past. She brings several characters from previous books back for cameos here. I also felt like the "cliffhanger" at the end was moderate enough that I can wait for the next book for partial resolution without feeling frustrated.
This is her 2nd Vampire series in the Rite World universe & the theme is witches & vampires learning to live (& love) together.
My only complaint is the 2 protagonists (Killian the Vampire & Lavinia the Witch) obviously totally fell for each other before they were willing to admit it to themselves. I think that sub plot may have been dragged out a bit too far. The author (I assume intentionally) makes what is going on obvious to the reader; but somehow the 2 main characters don't catch on until near the end of the book. And it is left for book #2 to explain the Vampire's hesitation. We are given reasons for the Witch's hesitation (you'll have to read it to find out what they are, heh heh!).
Again, all in all good stuff! I look forward to reading the entire 3 book series when the others are released, & highly recommend Darkest Vampire for those into the Young Adult Supernatural genre. Ms Haygert's writing is miles beyond most of her contemporaries, many of whom go way over the top with steamy teen romance. She minimizes that & instead focuses on character & plot development.
October 17, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the opportunity to read this ARC. This honest review was based off my experience reading an ARC, which in no way biased me.
This vampire book has witches, demons and other supernatural species? 🤔 I love when there is more than one species in one book, it’s always interesting to see how they interact.
TW: for a brief mention of past SA of a side character, infant death, and miscarriage (Chapter 7 & 8)
The info dump was a lot to drop in one chapter and difficult to follow, but luckily as the book goes on it’s easier to keep track.
A vampire who hates witches. Is this an enemies to lovers situation? Oh man. I wish this would have been dual POV.
OOOOO SUPERNATURAL MURDER MYSTERY? A witch and vampire (who happens to hate witches) get to play Nancy Drew. I will say the way this is resolved seems TOO EASY, like “ha I’m the villain and I caught you and I’m going to explain everything in my weird monologue”. Don’t take it too seriously and you’ll enjoy the ride.
Overall, it was a short book that kept my interest. I love grumpy love interests so of course I’m very invested in Killian and Lavinia’s ship.
This seemed to lay a lot of the groundwork for future books and I’m interested to see where it goes.
This vampire book has witches, demons and other supernatural species? 🤔 I love when there is more than one species in one book, it’s always interesting to see how they interact.
TW: for a brief mention of past SA of a side character, infant death, and miscarriage (Chapter 7 & 8)
The info dump was a lot to drop in one chapter and difficult to follow, but luckily as the book goes on it’s easier to keep track.
A vampire who hates witches. Is this an enemies to lovers situation? Oh man. I wish this would have been dual POV.
OOOOO SUPERNATURAL MURDER MYSTERY? A witch and vampire (who happens to hate witches) get to play Nancy Drew. I will say the way this is resolved seems TOO EASY, like “ha I’m the villain and I caught you and I’m going to explain everything in my weird monologue”. Don’t take it too seriously and you’ll enjoy the ride.
Overall, it was a short book that kept my interest. I love grumpy love interests so of course I’m very invested in Killian and Lavinia’s ship.
This seemed to lay a lot of the groundwork for future books and I’m interested to see where it goes.
October 28, 2021
This is a great start to this series. It’s a fantastic slow-burn enemies to lovers read that once you pick up you will not be able to put it down. This adult urban fantasy is action packed and full of dark romance, adventure, and twists and turns you will not see coming. A gripping and exciting storyline with witches, vampires and demons, murder, mystery and magic and great characters, I look forward to reading more.
March 11, 2022
This is a good clean vampire romance with a bit of a mystery. The world building is good enough that it makes me want to read the other books set in this universe. I do wish Killian had gotten more page time.
October 23, 2021
The Darkest Vampire is the first book in the Vampire Wars that is immersed in the Rite World and is completely fascinating.
Lavinia who seeks the one who murdered her parents and the way to break the curse that binds her magic and Killian the vampire who returns to the current world which has changed in her absence, make the story completely intriguing. The connection between them is intense and is present from the first moment.
I love that Lavinia doesn't give up so easily and like Killian despite her prejudice for witches, he ends up helping her.
Love how this book connects with all the stories that belong to this incredible world and how little by little this world is expanding.
Certain being supernatural caught my attention and I hope to know more about him.
The Darkest Vampire has twists that you don't see coming and they are truly amazing.
I can't wait to read the next book.
Lavinia who seeks the one who murdered her parents and the way to break the curse that binds her magic and Killian the vampire who returns to the current world which has changed in her absence, make the story completely intriguing. The connection between them is intense and is present from the first moment.
I love that Lavinia doesn't give up so easily and like Killian despite her prejudice for witches, he ends up helping her.
Love how this book connects with all the stories that belong to this incredible world and how little by little this world is expanding.
Certain being supernatural caught my attention and I hope to know more about him.
The Darkest Vampire has twists that you don't see coming and they are truly amazing.
I can't wait to read the next book.
October 26, 2021
I'm really hoping that because I got an ARC that the final book will be edited better. There were a lot of wrong words and missing words here. Bad enough I actually stopped to try and figure out what was trying to be said a number of times.
I was expecting to like this a lot more than I did, but it was all kind of boring. Not to the point where it was a chore to continue, but more like everything felt mediocre and not exciting. Also, when you say a book is an "enemies to lovers" book the main couple should #1 be enemies, and #2 become lovers. These two were never really enemies because they didn't even know each other. And holding hands once or twice and kissing maybe a couple times is hardly considered being lovers.
Lavinia is a witch that has had her witchly powers sealed by blood promise formed by her mother. When her life is in danger she is able to use them okay, but all the rest of the time it's barely a trickle. Her parents were brutally murdered when she was a child and she is determined to avenge their deaths. First step is to get her power unbound. Unfortunately, with each new person she goes to, it just seems more and more hopeless. Until a demon shows up in her apartment with an offer she can't refuse. Even if she knows better than to believe him. The deal is simple. Steal a specific stone for him and he will tell her who killed her parents. Too bad there's more to that stone than either of them know.
Killian is a very powerful vampire that, as it turns out, has been sealed inside that stone for 20 years. Because it's actually a box. A box with truly nefarious purposes. For some reason, when Lavinia touches the box, it releases him and now this half starved, angry vampire is free. Killian hates witches with a passion but decides to work with Lavinia and another in order to get answers.
So basically, the same people that killed Lavinia's parents also killed Killian's brother. They decide to work together to get answers because, seemingly, the same people are still going around killing supernaturals now. Which is what the majority of this book is. These two going around talking to people to try fix Lavinia's power problem and trying to find any clues about the killers. And of course during this time Lavinia is falling for Killian while Killian finds himself conflicted about his attraction to her.
In the end, the bad guys come to them. They're quite talkative for a group of bad guys who go around killing indiscriminately too. One more death gets added to their tally before they get what they deserve. Now Killian and Lavinia need to decide what they will do with this box and if they'll do it together. A decision made easy when more demons show up looking not only to steal the box, but also take Lavinia with them.
Admittedly, that epilogue of a sort does have me interested in the next book. But I don't know....it could be better than this one....but it could also not be. So I'm on the fence about whether or not I even want to check it out.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
I was expecting to like this a lot more than I did, but it was all kind of boring. Not to the point where it was a chore to continue, but more like everything felt mediocre and not exciting. Also, when you say a book is an "enemies to lovers" book the main couple should #1 be enemies, and #2 become lovers. These two were never really enemies because they didn't even know each other. And holding hands once or twice and kissing maybe a couple times is hardly considered being lovers.
Lavinia is a witch that has had her witchly powers sealed by blood promise formed by her mother. When her life is in danger she is able to use them okay, but all the rest of the time it's barely a trickle. Her parents were brutally murdered when she was a child and she is determined to avenge their deaths. First step is to get her power unbound. Unfortunately, with each new person she goes to, it just seems more and more hopeless. Until a demon shows up in her apartment with an offer she can't refuse. Even if she knows better than to believe him. The deal is simple. Steal a specific stone for him and he will tell her who killed her parents. Too bad there's more to that stone than either of them know.
Killian is a very powerful vampire that, as it turns out, has been sealed inside that stone for 20 years. Because it's actually a box. A box with truly nefarious purposes. For some reason, when Lavinia touches the box, it releases him and now this half starved, angry vampire is free. Killian hates witches with a passion but decides to work with Lavinia and another in order to get answers.
So basically, the same people that killed Lavinia's parents also killed Killian's brother. They decide to work together to get answers because, seemingly, the same people are still going around killing supernaturals now. Which is what the majority of this book is. These two going around talking to people to try fix Lavinia's power problem and trying to find any clues about the killers. And of course during this time Lavinia is falling for Killian while Killian finds himself conflicted about his attraction to her.
In the end, the bad guys come to them. They're quite talkative for a group of bad guys who go around killing indiscriminately too. One more death gets added to their tally before they get what they deserve. Now Killian and Lavinia need to decide what they will do with this box and if they'll do it together. A decision made easy when more demons show up looking not only to steal the box, but also take Lavinia with them.
Admittedly, that epilogue of a sort does have me interested in the next book. But I don't know....it could be better than this one....but it could also not be. So I'm on the fence about whether or not I even want to check it out.
ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
September 23, 2021
The Darkest Vampire.....Juliana Haygert
I was given a copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review:
I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading about the main character, "a 1/2 Witch named Lavinia, who lived for the most part as a Human who made special Teas for her Boss and friend Beth in a town called Forest Creek." Surprised because I hadn't expected her to bring a tie-in to her other series like Blackthorn, and Rite World, Vampire Wars and the Light Grove Witches.
It was a subtle introduction starting with Lavinia having moved her after her parents were killed by unknown killers while she was magically locked and hidden in a closest and hearing but not seeing who killed them. Her Mother had her make a Blood Promise (very strong and unbreakable by most) not to access her full power to keep her safe from hunters. She was taken under the wing of an older Witch in Portland, Delia by name, who kept her safe and raised her until she was an adult.
Lavinia's main purpose in life is to find her Parents Killers and destroy them, but the killing had stopped, until they didn't. Now with Witches dying again, and while at the same time she's trying to find a way to break the spell on her powers, a Demon comes to her and asks her to steal a box from a very rich Man, and since she needed the money she agreed. She found out that Box came with a very interesting prisoner, a curse, and it only opens for her. Now the adventure begins.
Exciting, suspenseful, and full of unexpected treats that I won't reveal, but I read this in two days and I normally like to draw it out. Once you start, you won't want to quit so get ready for a sometimes messy but fun ride.
January 31, 2022
This was a big fat "Meh" for me. I think the author had an interesting idea, but the execution is just SO FLAT. The main characters basically run around reacting to things. The heroine has no agency of her own. (She's certainly not all bad-ass, like the woman on the cover.) The 'romance' barely fizzles. The villains, who have flat out murdered all the other victims, mysteriously choose to tie the heroine and her friends up and talk to them first. And that talk is the cliched mu-wha-ha-ha villain monologue where they tell their whole dastardly plan with basically no prompting. Then, they are vanquished far too easily.
I read an ARC. So, I won't comment on editing. The mechanically writing seems fine though. It's just the flatness of everything that lets the book down.
I read an ARC. So, I won't comment on editing. The mechanically writing seems fine though. It's just the flatness of everything that lets the book down.
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October 30, 2021The Darkest Vampire is the first book in Juliana Haygert’s new series Rite World: Vampire Wars. I’m excited to be returning to the Rite World with a new series, new characters, but also some familiar characters as well. The author introduces readers to a young woman by the name of Lavinia. She’s a witch, but only half. Her parents were murdered when she was a child, but before tragedy struck her mother made her promise to never use her powers except for in extreme danger. This wasn’t just any promise though – it was a blood promise. Now, Laviana is looking for someone to break this “curse” off of her so that she can live life as a witch. But her life is about to be thrown for a loop when a demon asks her to steal something for him. In exchange? He promises information – about who killed her parents.
The Darkest Vampire is a really engaging novel and once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. Laviana lost her parents, and was traumatized by having to listen to their final moments trapped in a closet. She’s vowed revenge, but with little to no information to go on, she’s really going no where fast. But then similar murders begin happening again. They seem to be following Laviana. But things take a big twist when she steals a “stone” and finds out it’s more than meets the eye when it glows, opens up, and releases a vampire.
The twists and surprises in this book are pretty good and kept me engaged in the novel. I will admit that I found Laviana bratty at times, but thankfully it’s not heavy-handed. Killian is interesting as well. I wanted a bit more drama from him though. He's a starved vampire, who's being drained by a mysterious box. I was expecting more drama from him in the aspect of his evil or good? I'm disappointed in the constant focus of Laviana having a dagger. She's had this dagger for years, has wanted to avenge her parents for years, but has never taken the time to at least learn how to use/handle/fight with a dagger? Big miss.
The ending of this book is a mild cliffhanger, but it’s nothing too crazy. It left me eager for the next book so that I can find out what happens next. I’m rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. It’s good to return to the Rite World again, and I’m looking forward to what comes next with these characters and the storyline.
The Darkest Vampire is a really engaging novel and once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. Laviana lost her parents, and was traumatized by having to listen to their final moments trapped in a closet. She’s vowed revenge, but with little to no information to go on, she’s really going no where fast. But then similar murders begin happening again. They seem to be following Laviana. But things take a big twist when she steals a “stone” and finds out it’s more than meets the eye when it glows, opens up, and releases a vampire.
The twists and surprises in this book are pretty good and kept me engaged in the novel. I will admit that I found Laviana bratty at times, but thankfully it’s not heavy-handed. Killian is interesting as well. I wanted a bit more drama from him though. He's a starved vampire, who's being drained by a mysterious box. I was expecting more drama from him in the aspect of his evil or good? I'm disappointed in the constant focus of Laviana having a dagger. She's had this dagger for years, has wanted to avenge her parents for years, but has never taken the time to at least learn how to use/handle/fight with a dagger? Big miss.
The ending of this book is a mild cliffhanger, but it’s nothing too crazy. It left me eager for the next book so that I can find out what happens next. I’m rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. It’s good to return to the Rite World again, and I’m looking forward to what comes next with these characters and the storyline.
October 29, 2021
An interesting start into a new series with a ties to the previous work of the author - it can be read as a standalone, but readers that haven't read any of the previous series can easily get lost in some parts or don't understand the explanations. For me this was thankfully not an issue :) The whole main plot with Lavinia being a with with limited powers due to being bound with a blood promise, her quest to break it and free her powers, and taking on thefts on the side which brought her trouble as expected (just not with the police) was good and nicely developed though sometimes subdued, overshadowed by the romantic interest and focus on the relationship, or occasionally simply not smooth. Killian is an interesting character, though I definitely do not see the fit between the title and his actions in the book - he might have dark past but in this book there wasn't much to label him as the darkest vampire. The demon who owned the box seemed darker to me than him. I liked the slow burn romance, sometimes predictable but enjoyable. Would like to see more fireworks in the climax fighting the murderers but it wasn't bad. In general it was a nice and fast read.
October 4, 2021
Overall, The Darkest Vampire was an enjoyable read that I finished over two nights. The plot was interesting and held my attention throughout, and Lavinia was an engaging character it was easy to get behind. The prose was easy reading, and the ending left me intrigued to see what would happen next. The only thing that didn't quite work for me was the romance, which felt a little forced; however, I think some of that was because we saw everything from Lavinia's POV, so we didn't connect deeply with or really get to know Killian in the same way we did her. Perhaps that will change as we move into the next book in the series. I am giving this 3.5 stars. I didn't fall head over heels in love with this tale, but I enjoyed it and, on the strength of this book, I would read on in this series and consider picking up some of the author's other works. Therefore I will round up to 4 stars rather than down to 3 in this instance.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 2, 2021
This is book one in the Rite World: Vampire Wars. There is a large number of companion books to this series but you do not need to read them in order to enjoy this book. I do however recommend looking at the reading order as this will only enhance this book and series for you.
I read this book in 2 seatings and the only reason I didn't finish in one, was because I had to go to work the next day. This book follows Lavinia who is hell bent on finding who murdered her parents. She goes on a quest to find the murderers but runs into a bit of trouble when she tries to steal a box in exchange for information regarding her parents. What follows is an intense adventure running from killers and meeting a very sexy vampire name Killian. They both need to trust each other in order to survive.
I loved this book and am really interested in the books prior to this new beginning. There are several mentions of the previous series but as I said before you can read this without knowing anything about the others. I loved the storyline and where it is going. I also enjoyed the very slow burn between Lavinia and Killian. Some questions were answered but the ending also brought new ones. I look forward to reading the next in the series. I give this book 5 bloodthirsty stars!
I read this book in 2 seatings and the only reason I didn't finish in one, was because I had to go to work the next day. This book follows Lavinia who is hell bent on finding who murdered her parents. She goes on a quest to find the murderers but runs into a bit of trouble when she tries to steal a box in exchange for information regarding her parents. What follows is an intense adventure running from killers and meeting a very sexy vampire name Killian. They both need to trust each other in order to survive.
I loved this book and am really interested in the books prior to this new beginning. There are several mentions of the previous series but as I said before you can read this without knowing anything about the others. I loved the storyline and where it is going. I also enjoyed the very slow burn between Lavinia and Killian. Some questions were answered but the ending also brought new ones. I look forward to reading the next in the series. I give this book 5 bloodthirsty stars!
November 7, 2021
Juliana Haygert is one of my favorite authors, because she consistently produces books that are well written and just plain fun. With that as a starting point, it’s no surprise that I was excited to get the first book of her’s in a new series, The Darkest Vampire (Rite World: Vampire Wars, Book 1). As for Lavina and Killian’s story? Well, it more than I exceeded expectations. Two wonderfully crafted characters in a complex and developing relationship (which, to say the least, does not start well) in a Rite World setting that I’m happy to be back in. Superb writing, a great story line and the start of what looks to be a really neat story arc. I mean, what more could I ask for? Easy to highly recommend.
December 18, 2021
The Author never disappoints.
Well written, with a lot of depth to a very fast paced story.
The heroine with her magic power tied moves effortlessly from one situation to another and at the same time manages to overcome her limitations to difficulties which seem beyond her control - all this with the help of a vampire that she has released from his prison.
Interesting! Different! Exciting!
I highly recommend this book!
I am voluntarily writing this review after reading an ARC copy of this book,
Well written, with a lot of depth to a very fast paced story.
The heroine with her magic power tied moves effortlessly from one situation to another and at the same time manages to overcome her limitations to difficulties which seem beyond her control - all this with the help of a vampire that she has released from his prison.
Interesting! Different! Exciting!
I highly recommend this book!
I am voluntarily writing this review after reading an ARC copy of this book,
October 20, 2021
Well was really surprised with how this read storyline was really well written and add the hot old vamp in the mix well who wouldn't want to read it hey lavina is half witch derminted to who murdered her mum and dad, meanwhile add killian the hot vamp who doesn't really like witches all that much and his brother in the same way strange murder start happening in the same way can they find out who is causing the well read and find out lol fantastic read loved it
October 24, 2021
This is a great paranormal romance/urban fantasy.. I liked it very much.. Fascinating, exciting and fun to read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 18, 2021
The first book in this series does not disappoint! I could not put it down from the first page. I love that there are mentions of old characters and I can't wait to see what develops. Lavinia and Killian have so much chemistry from the start and I can not wait to see what happens!
March 10, 2022
Great can cover, great plot, superb blurb. I read this in one sitting. The story drags you in and keeps you there until the end. Love the characters and the fmc. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 12, 2022
This is the first time I am reading this author and I really loved how the author has described everything soo thoroughly. I loved how the author has made the characters, especially the monsters which never heard of. So overall it was an exciting read for me.
October 30, 2021
Witches, vampires and demons and more to make your reading special. An amazing beginning to a new series.
October 29, 2021
I love heroes who aren’t perfect, who sit on the edge. This is by far my favorite in the Rite World, because the characters are relatable and edgy.
November 9, 2021
A rating. A fantastic start to this new series. I haven't read any of the other related series (something I need to rectify) but I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I can't wait for more.
November 23, 2021
Wow, wow, wow! This book was phenomenal and blew my mind. Vampires, demons, witches and a bunch of other supernatural creatures along with drama, suspense, adventure and action all make for a very good read. Looking forward to the next book.
December 6, 2021
OMG Lavinia and Killian are stunning and Lavinia is so awesome I love how she would make a deal with a demon just to find out who killed her parents. I can't wait to read book 2.
October 29, 2021
Amazing start of this new series!!! 🖤
This is the first book of Juliana's I have read and I totally loved it!!! 😍
Is true that this series is set in a world already established and the story mentions characters from the previous series, but is nothing that afeccts the development or plot of this book, what it did to me was pique my interest and now I *need* to start from the first book, I need to know everything!!! 🥰
**Please remember this is a slow burn story, so don’t expect the characters to jump each other 😅
But the attraction between Lavinia and Killian is real and I can’t wait to see them bonding 🥵
There is a lot of action, twists and turns that will keep you enthralled, and a cliffhanger that promises an amazing sequel 🤩
So looking forward to the rest of the books in this series!!! 💕
This is the first book of Juliana's I have read and I totally loved it!!! 😍
Is true that this series is set in a world already established and the story mentions characters from the previous series, but is nothing that afeccts the development or plot of this book, what it did to me was pique my interest and now I *need* to start from the first book, I need to know everything!!! 🥰
**Please remember this is a slow burn story, so don’t expect the characters to jump each other 😅
But the attraction between Lavinia and Killian is real and I can’t wait to see them bonding 🥵
There is a lot of action, twists and turns that will keep you enthralled, and a cliffhanger that promises an amazing sequel 🤩
So looking forward to the rest of the books in this series!!! 💕
October 29, 2021
Brilliant
Oh I love this world.
I just couldn’t stop reading.
Killian & Lavinia’s story is action packed.
I hope there’s more to come.
Recommend to all
Oh I love this world.
I just couldn’t stop reading.
Killian & Lavinia’s story is action packed.
I hope there’s more to come.
Recommend to all
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews