Review: A GraveTells Review: Steamy & heartfelt, this is how you do a vampire novella!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 1, 2012
The culture of In the Service of the King is reminiscent of the Midnight Breed series, where all the vampires are born male, cannot be made, and their mates lives are extended by drinking their blood.  Kael, warrior king of his vampires, must feed from a virgin human female every three months or risk losing his immortality and the strength of his humanity.  If that weren't pressure enough, none of Kael's vampire warriors will feed until he does... so if he continues to sacrifice his own welfare by putting off the ritual, so will they.  The Proferring, the ritual night of sex and blood-taking, reminds Kael of all he has lost and his heart fears to take even a chance on finding another mate.Kael. Mmmm yummy, alpha, vulnerable Kael. Ms Kaye knows how to write a gently commanding yet scrumptiously tantalizing hero.  In contrast to the sexy king, Shayla is the perfect combination of sweetly submissive and confidently demanding. I loved her graceful courage, her thirst for knowledge and sensual abandon. These two burn up the pages, even when they're not in bed! The sex is SEARING. Achingly passionate and deliciously unbridled. I might have made a few little sighs of my own just reading it, but if you asked, of course, I'd never admit to such shenanigans. *wink*There is an elegance to Laura Kaye's writing, subtle descriptors and skillful turn of phrase, that enhance and imply and insinuate, all without leaving the text feeling bloated or flowery. Heavy on the relationship intrigues, with no fighting or violence at all, this story fairly flew by.  In the Service of the King is a novella that concentrates 100% on the connection between our two stubborn soul mates, yet still leaves open a few intriguing avenues to expand the series.Whether you're already a fan of Laura Kaye's passionate, heart-wrenching style or a new reader looking for your next fix, you absolutely must read In the Service of the King!  Laura is fairly new to the PNR scene and has already garnered several awards, both for her books and on her merit as an author, so come see what all the fuss is about and move this smokin' hot novella right to the top of your TBR list!Score = 4.5/5