Dev has lost his soul. His downward spiral started when his wife and son were murdered and continued with countless blood spilled keeping the Japanese out of Australia. He has nothing to loose and no longer cares if he lives or dies. Ignoring the air of danger that surrounds Lady D, he spends a night with her.

As they face Daniella’s sadistic, sexual world of vampires, their politics and their rituals, a bond forms. Determined to keep each other alive regardless of the cost, they each find their own salvation.

If there was ever a book that I’m not sure I liked, it's this one. I can’t say I enjoyed it even. Nevertheless, Joey’s powerful prose drew me in and kept me there. Driven to read every page, it’s dark, compelling, and rather disturbing at times. There are however, some tender moments and excellent Australian slang that I found amusing. The latter adds some light to an incredibly intense, dramatic novel.

It's a complex story. The characters and world building are exemplary and allows the reader an in depth knowledge of the hierarchy of the vampires and the humans who serve them. This enables the reader to understand the characters' motivations and what drives them -- which is no doubt why I felt driven to read every page. In fact, so much so, I’m looking forward to reading the next book set in this world. A Vampire’s Claim stands alone while still being part of the Vampire Queen Series.

Joey has me intrigued and hooked, very clever and not bad considering my original thoughts on this novel.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Abi
March 11, 2009