In the first book of the highly anticipated The Dacians series, Paranormal Romance queen Kresley Cole introduces rabid readers to another set of immortals who are from The Realm of Blood and Mist, a hidden vampire home lost to most immortals. Prince Trehan, also known as the Prince of Shadows is a cold-blooded assassin vampire. His weapons and his ruthlessness are what defines him. However, when he is set on an assignment to kill Caspion, a death demon who has done his people wrong, he is mistaken by Princess Bettina as the target he is meant to kill. This chance encounter soon turns into a life altering experience as Trehan learns that this sorceress his really his Bride, his Fated mate.

Bettina is fated to marry whomever wins the blood-sport tournament even though her heart is lost to another. However, Caspion doesn't see Bettina has a potential lover or his mate, he sees her as a younger sister to be protected. As a result, he enters the competition in an attempt to guard her while Trehan enters to simply claim his Bride...and take out any competition at the same time.

Kresley Cole has a unique way of writing that pulls readers right in until you feel as if you are transferred into one of her books. With her unique signature humor and larger than life characters, readers are completely immersed in the Lore of immortals with no intention of leaving. I get this feeling every time I read a Kresley Cole book and SHADOW'S CLAIM is no exception.

Trehan is an exceptional hero. Arrogant, deadly and sexy, he possessed all that a woman could want in a leading man. For me, he was the shining star of this book. It's going to be hard to top him, but I have faith in Cole's expertise. Bettina, on the other hand, was sweet and strong at the same time. Her restraint bothered me midway when she was so reluctant to fall into Trehan's arms, even after all that they experienced together. I think she held out for too long.

However, my favorite part of the book is the intimate perusal of shared passions between Trehan and Bettina. As a creator and artist, Bettina loves to make unique weapons while Trehan is the one who wields them. Kresley Cole spends a lot of time on the romance, making sure that our protagonists fall in love, inch by inch. By the end, I believed in their love and was convinced of a happily-ever- after. It's nice to see an author who doesn't take romance for granted and enjoys spending considerable time building the relationship from the ground up.

SHADOW'S CLAIM is a solid start to The Dacians series. I can't wait to see what else Cole has up her sleeve next!

Book Summary

HE WON'T BE DENIED

Trehan Daciano, the Prince of Shadows, has spent his life serving his people, striking in the night, quietly executing any threat to their realm. The coldly disciplined swordsman has never desired anything for himself - until he beholds Bettina, the sheltered ward of two of the Lore's most fearsome villains.

SHE'S BOUND TO ANOTHER
Desperate to earn her guardians' approval after a life-shattering mistake, young Bettina has no choice but to marry whichever suitor prevails - even though she's lost her heart to another. Yet one lethal competitor, a mysterious cloaked swordsman, invades her dreams tempting her with forbidden pleasure.

A BATTLE FOR HER BODY AND SOUL
Even if Trehan can survive the punishing contests to claim her as his wife, the true battle for Bettina's heart is yet to come. And unleashing a millennium's worth of savage need will either frighten his bride away - or stoke Bettina's own desires to fever pitch.....