Hi everyone! I wanted my first official review to be a special one, so to celebrate the release of this stunning book here is my review of Elise Kova's A DUEL WITH THE VAMPIRE LORD!
Please note: Before I start, I do want to disclose that as a member of Elise Kova’s Street Team I was provided a free eARC of A DUEL WITH THE VAMPIRE LORD in exchange for an honest review. This did not in any way influence the contents of this review.
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| Image provided by Elise Kova for promotional use |
DUEL starts off with Floriane and the people of Hunter’s Hamlet preparing to defend humanity against the Vampire Lord on the night of the Blood Moon, which comes every 500 years. Floriane, the Hamlet’s forge maiden, worries for her twin brother as he is one of the hunters who leaves their walled settlement to fight the vampires. When Floriane, who has been secretly training to fight vampires with her brother, goes out to save him, she ends up taking on the Vampire Lord, Ruvan, himself and then being kidnapped and taken to Midscape.
In Midscape, Floriane finds out that not all is as it seems with the vampires, and that she herself may be the key to ending their curse. Will Floriane and Ruvan’s relationship end in blood spilled, or blood shared?
Man, this book was my favorite yet in the Married to Magic series! I loved the lore and realm of the vampires, with the spookiness and magic of it all. I loved the relationship with Ruvan and Floriane, though one of the things I disliked about the book was the constant “will they, won’t they” aspect. Their love was so well-written, but their prejudices they grew up with constantly hindered their ability to truly buy-in to their relationship. Which, while it did make sense and I am glad this wasn't another case of insta-love, the constant back and forth felt slightly repetitive at times and distracted me from the story. However, all in all I was a big fan! One of my favorite parts of the Married to Magic series is it’s strong female characters, and Floriane fits in that role nicely. Not only is she physically strong due to her love of the forge (which, is an unusual occupation in this genre and I loved how well Elise described Floriane's forge work!), but she is also a strong character in that she stands on her own, recognizes her faults, and grows past them. I am such a huge fan of her!
One of the strengths of this novel is how it portrayed the struggles in overcoming deeply held prejudices. I thought Elise tackled this concept brilliantly, and it really seemed poignant in regards to relating to current events. Not only was this seen throughout the relationship of Floriane and Ruvan, but also with the other characters in the novel. The people of Hunter's Hamlet and the vampires under Ruvan's leadership all hold deeply rooted, opposing viewpoints, and how Elise navigated that aspect was so masterful. Another topic of the novel that I thought was a big strength was the mystery surrounding the curse, which was a nice classic “whodunnit” mystery. I really enjoyed how Elise slowly revealed the answers, and while I was able to figure out some of it ahead of time, I was still left pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the plot! I always love having a legitimate surprise at the end of the novel, and the twist in this one was so good!
Additionally, while I had my one complaint about the romance in this novel, I do have to clarify that I do love the main couple! I dearly hope there is a way to catch up with them in the future, as I would love to know how this part of Midscape progresses past where VAMPIRE LORD ends off.
All in all, I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, though it was nearly a 5 out of 5. I really loved this book, and I look forward to the next in the Married to Magic series. Elise, as always, hit it out of the park!
4.5/5 stars
A DUEL WITH THE VAMPIRE LORD released on August 18, 2022. Click on this link to order the book now! It is also available on Kindle Unlimited if, like me, you love getting books that way!
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