A Book Obsession..: Lord of Rage (Early Review)

Lord of Rage (Early Review)

, by Kt Clapsadl

Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe

Royal House of Shadows #2

Once upon a time...the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden.

To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs...and time is running out....

Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage...in a dark bear of a man.

The golden-haired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the once-legendary mercenary had long buried. Now Osborn had a choice—risk his life or deny his princess her fairy-tale ending.

Princess Breena was thrown from her homeland into a mysterious new realm. She stumbles her way unto a cottage that just happens to be the home of the Warrior she has been dreaming of. Only problem is that Osborn isn't the savior she dreamt him to be. He is a scary, imposing dangerous man, yet she is still inexplicably drawn to him. Much to his dismay, he can't seem to stay away from her either. He has turned his back on the very thing she wants him to be, a mercenary for her people. He swore never to sell his skills out again due to a severe betrayal in his past. Tensions run high as they each fight their own natures and each other, but will love or pride win out in the end?

I think the thing that made the romance in Lord of Rage the most believable was how they didn't fall into one another's arms instantly despite the attraction between them. Breena knew him from her dreams, yet when she meets him in person and sees the warrior he is up close, she actually is quite scared. That's exactly the reaction I would expect from a young sheltered princess, and I'm so glad she wasn't made into being a little seductress without any experience. Also, for someone who thinks he is just a mindless killer who has lost his honor, Osborn sure acted quite honorably when it came to his treatment of her. Yes, he is quite gruff and downright angry towards her at times, but he still tries to keep his distance from her sexually as he feels she is meant for a more worthy man. I think by doing that he showed just how worthy he is instead.

While Lord of Rage was an enjoyable read, I can't really say that either Breena nor Osborn were my favorite characters. Breena just seemed to be so naive and weak, and while I do realize she was raised to be that way, it was quite frustrating at times. Underneath it all you could really sense her inner strength, yet it took so long for her to grow the confidence she needed, especially when it came to standing up for herself to Osborn. Now he is a whole other can of worms, because he came off as so strong, to the point of ridiculous levels. He just seemed to be trying too hard to come off as tough and uncaring when underneath he was a world of emotion. Time and time again, I wish Breena had told him to get over himself, or at least not put up with him pushing her away, but her backbone was hidden for just a little too long.

I was a little confused with the time line as in the first installment of this series, Lord of the Vampires, several years from the siege of Elden had passed. Yet this installment is set back to the very beginning. I wonder if there is some kind of time gap between realms that allows more years to pass in one than another, or if this story is simply set before the previous one. I'm very curious to see if I am right about this, and when the battle with the blood sorcerer will take place, and possibly in whose time line. Putting that aside, Lord of Rage was a pretty good read, and I am eager to read the next installment in the series.

(Received a copy from Netgalley)

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