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Damien by Jacquelyn Frank
Series: The Nightwalkers #4
Publication date: June 1st, 2008
Pages: 358
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
They are the Nightwalkers, mysterious beings who dwell in the shadows of our world, and Damien, the Vampire Prince, is among the most powerful of them all. But one woman will tempt him with a desire unlike anything he has known, and together they will face a terrifying and relentless foe...
HE'D NEVER LOVED. BUT SHE WAS IRRESISTIBLE.
As reigning Vampire Prince, Damien has tasted every pleasure the world has to offer--consorting with kings and queens and delighting in sensual adventure. Now, tired of such pursuits, he devotes his energies to protecting his people. The war between human necromancers and Nightwalkers has escalated, and when the enemy makes a daring move, kidnapping Syreena, a Lycanthrope Princess, Damien boldly follows. He succeeds in rescuing her, but is unprepared for the erotic longing her lush sensuality awakens in him.
Gifted with rare abilities, Syreena grew up in a cloistered setting and was forbidden to form attachments to others, yet the connection Damien feels with her is immediate, intoxicating, and impossible for either to resist. But claiming Syreena as his mate could have shattering repercussions for every Nightwalker--and leave their enemies more dangerous than ever before...
Temptation tastes sweetest at night.
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Review:
As I continue down my road to complete the Nightwalker series, I now am introduced more thoroughly to Damien, the Vampire Prince, and Syreena, the Lycanthrope Princess and Siena's sister (mentioned previously in Elijah).
Damien is a dark and mysterious member of the Nightwalker world with a swagger in his step and a permanent smirk on his face. After living over 900 years, there is not much that really steals his focus. He lives a moderately usual existence as a vampire. He hunts, he hosts parties and shin-digs with his closest allies, and he defends his throne with an animalistic savagery. These are just common occurrences and need no more attention than to be done and move past.
Syreena is a cool cucumber with insurmountable pressure on her shoulders. She is the Queen of the Lycanthrope's advisor and as such she is meant to be the voice of reason when emotions are high. She is the one who is meant to think through a situation and offer the best course of action possible for her people. The problem is that all she truly wants is to be a wife and mother. She wants a life and love outside of the royal court. She loves her sister, the Queen, tremendously but she wants to explore the world outside of the Russian borders of the Lycanthrope.
Damien's mundane world is shaken when he first lays eyes on Syreena. After an impassioned argument in the new Nightwalker library discovered in Elijah, Syreena seeks solace beyond the library's walls and stumbles across the Nightwalker's enemy number one, Ruth. Ruth takes her captive and is set on using her as a statement to the Queen that she is not to be messed with. Syreena, ever the fighter, can do nothing but bite, claw, and scramble to keep alive until someone finds her and helps her. She is in poor disrepair when Damien follows her trail of blood to Ruth's hideaway. Dramatically Damien rescues the Princess and sweeps her into hiding to recover from her wounds. Damien must resort to drastic measures in order to save the young lycanthrope's life which binds them together and brings about questions about the true relationship between the Vampires and other Nightwalkers.
Damien and Syreena's chemistry is not met with good reactions. They are seen as a taboo couple and the Lycanthrope people want nothing to do with it. There is heavy threat of physical retaliation in order to keep the duo apart despite the community's love for Syreena as a future Queen and advisor. Of course, Damien has his enemies as well, who wish to dethrone him the only way possible... in his death. Can Damien and Syreena find a way to pacify all those who would move against them and also figure out why they are so drawn to each other in enough time to spurn Ruth from her maniacal plan for Nightwalker domination?
Another fine piece of literature brought to us by Jacquelyn Frank. I really liked Syreena. I find that the more level-headed a character is the more I like them. Siena was a bit emotional so she didn't speak to my heart as Syreena and Isabella do. Damien was also a very likable character. Although, I liked him for an entirely different reason. He was passionate when angered to the point of being vicious. Not sure why I am fond of females not being emotional and males being even more so, but that is how it is, I suppose. I thought that this pairing was interesting since a new element of the whole Imprinting aspect is brought to light. No spoilers, I promise.
Honestly, I would say read this book over some of the others in the series, but you really need to follow them in order. The underlying plot with Ruth and her necromancer minions is one you need to keep track of from book to book. However, if they are capable of being stand-alones... Damien is paranormal romance GOLD.
