As a born vampire
who has lived more than a thousand years, Lady Lyssa is one of the most
powerful vampires alive, if not the most powerful. Her power makes her a
target for other vampires eager to seize her territory. Having contracted a
mysterious and debilitating disease, it is the worst time for her to be
without a human servant. Yet, still reeling from the loss of her beloved
servant Thomas, she is reluctant to accept a new servant, much less train
one.
But the dearly departed Thomas has taken matters out of her hand, by leaving
her with one last gift – a new manservant in the form of Jacob, trained by
Thomas himself during his final days.
Lyssa finds herself unable to reject Thomas outright, but recognizes that
his alpha nature will never give her the true submission that a vampire
requires in their servants. Yet Jacob is relentless in his bid as her
vassal, and Lyssa comes to depend on him more and more…
Having read and loved several of author Joey W. Hill’s digital books
previously, I thought I knew what to expect with her new print release,
The Vampire Queen’s Servant, at least regarding the general tone
and feel of the story. Hill managed to surprise me in more ways than one
with this new story, and I am in no way disappointed – far from it!
With her previous releases, she proved herself as an entertaining writer of
erotic romance, with a flair for the slightly wicked side of the sensual.
In this book, she takes her writing to a whole new level, penning a tome
that impressed me by the complexity of both the story and the characters.
I normally prefer the hero of a story to be dominant in the bedroom, but the
idea of a man with strong alpha tendencies forced to submit willingly to the
woman he loves, a woman who can normally protect herself better than he from
her enemies intrigued me on several levels. This story taught me that there
is as much strength of will in the act of submission as there is in
domination – perhaps more so for those with naturally dominant
predilections. For that is what Lady Lyssa requires in her servant –
willing submission. And Jacob soon learns that this concept is much
more difficult than it seemed.
The Vampire Queen’s Servant is laden with vampire politics.
Indeed, it is these very politics that make Jacob’s submission to Lyssa so
vital if he is to exist in her world and not undermine her power, inviting
attack by enemy vampires in the process.
I will be frank – Jacob’s training seems harsh at times, but it is the way
of the vampire world, and necessary to both his and Lyssa’s survival. The
story is rife with darkness, and some readers may find it hard to fathom
certain aspects of the vampire/servant relationship if they apply the rules
of the real world to this story. However, Ms. Hill engenders total
acceptance of these practices for those readers who allow themselves to
immerse their imaginations in the harsh world of this vampire society.
This book will be continued in a forthcoming sequel, titled The Mark
of the Vampire Queen. Note that I say the book will be
continued, for this story is very much a ‘part one’ to an ongoing story,
rather than a typical edition in a series. I would compare this to
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books, which are one story split
into three separate books. The Vampire Queen’s Servant is
merely the beginning to Lyssa and Jacob’s story, and while some of the story
is wrapped up in the end, readers will be very conscious that there are
storylines to be continued and more fully explored in the next book.
For those who enjoy a great paranormal tale with strong BDSM content, Joey
W. Hill’s newest release is one you won’t want to miss!
Reviewed by Jennifer
