Lord of the Vampires: Book 1 in The Royal House of Shadows

      Author: Gena Showalter     Publisher:   Harlequin Books     Rating:       In a world very few humans are aware of, Nicolai is the crown prince of the Kingdom of Elden. He,  however has no remembrance of that fact because of the evil witches who have enslaved him for their depraved, sadistic pleasures. He knows two things. He knows he is a powerful vampire, and that Jane Parker will set him free.  Jane Parker doesn’t know who the vampire is that haunts her dreams. The fact that he’s a vampire isn’t surprising to her, she is one of the few that know of his kind and his world. Before the accident that claimed her family and almost the use of her legs, she worked as a researcher, running experiments and dissecting his kind. When Jane wakes up in his world, she knows two things. She’s not in Kansas anymore, and she’ll do whatever it takes to free Nicolai from his captors.    Loved this book, but it’s Gena Showalter, so come on, you knew I would,  but even if Barney the Dinosaur had written it, it would still be a damn fine read.  The first book in a series always has a great deal of information to impart. It has the responsibility of laying the ground work for the following works. Don’t let this put you off. This book is GOLD. Jane Parker is a phenomenal heroine. By the end of the book, she’s as bloodthirsty as her vampire hero. Yay!! Nicolai may not win any popularity contests at first, but he reminds me a little of a pre-Bella Zhadist. Their experiences are similar, and no one comes out of that kind of abuse singing and dancing.   The story is very fast paced with a lot of twists, turns and action. Sometimes really graphic, gory action. Once again, Yay! The villains are especially vicious and nasty. The Ogre royal court was a hoot though. I kept imaging Shreck as the king and cracking myself up. This being a typical Showalter book, the sex is steamy and the dialogue witty. It was a brilliant move to make this the first book because now I’m so invested, I have to read the others. Check this book out because you’ll regret it if you wait.