Alasdair (Masters Among Monsters Book 1) by Ella Frank
Date of Publication: October 13, 2015
Blurb
A DANGEROUS ALLURE
Bestowed with eternal life by the Ancient Vasilios, Alasdair Kyriakous is one of the most feared and ruthless vampires in existence. His name carries weight across all of the seven continents.
But he is a mystery to his kind, an anomaly among the self-indulgent. While he enjoys the pleasures of the flesh, he is exceptionally particular in his choice of partners and prides himself on his ironclad self-control.
Yet with one look his control will become a thing of the past, and Alasdair will discover that eternal life doesn’t always last forever…
A DEADLY ATTRACTION
Thrust into a world he could never have imagined, Leo Chapel awakens in his worst nightmare. Taken hostage by the dangerously mesmerizing vampire, Alasdair, Leo must rely on his intelligence to escape before he reveals a secret he isn’t even aware he’s hiding.
A FORBIDDEN DESIRE
Unaware that they’ve been brought together by an outside force and are little more than pawns to a higher power, Alasdair and Leo spend time trying to uncover the other’s secrets, the attraction between them growing stronger all the while.
But enemies are watching and preparing to act against them. When decisions that will alter lives and destinies have to be made—can a dead, grey heart learn to beat again?
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REVIEW:
I think the most appealing part of this book was how unique the story was. I’ve read dozens of vampire stories and none of them were like this one. I don’t know if I’d really classify this as a romance/love story. It was definitely going that way but there were no lovey dovey new relationship stuff in this book but the potential was there, for sure. What cannot be argued is this author can write a steamy friggin story. Holy CRAP!!! This book was off the charts HOT and it didn’t even have all that much sex in it!!! I didn’t even mind the ménage situations because they were some of the hotter parts.
But that does lead to the first of two issues I had with the story. The first being the lack of defining the relationship I wanted to know what they were to each other. I wanted to know how Leonidas factored into the relationship that was all but written in stone between Vasilios and Alasdair. Nothing was really clear then to top it off there’s this HUGE cliffhanger. I wasn’t ready or prepared for this to end. Which leads to my last issue I can deal with cliffhangers I’m a firm believer of “good things come to those who wait” what I’m frustrated with is the fact that it seems like Book 2 may be M/F considering the title. I’m still unclear but it’s pretty ambiguous.
I don’t want to give too much of the plot away but essentially Alasdair is a very old vampire. One night looking for his next meal he sees Leonidas walking down the street and is drawn to him. He starts seeking him out, stalking him essentially for weeks. The night he decides to strike something unexpected happens and it changes both Leonidas and Alasdair’s fate.
There are several intriguing side characters and sub plots going on in the story. There’s also quite a bit of flashbacks all designed to pull the reader further and further into the story.
Like I said this is a very unique vampire story and I loved the way it was told. All things considered I would recommend this story. I really enjoyed it. But keep in mind this is a cliffhanger, no real relationships are established….and still I’m quite looking forward to Book 2….
RATING:
About Ella Frank
Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”
A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction and lives with her husband in Portland, OR. You can reach her on the web at www.ellafrank.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ella.frank.author
Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.
Find Ella Frank Online
Teaser
With no more than a flash of thought, he was inside the man’s room and standing at the foot of a large bed.
Locks. Such a useless human defense.
He cocked his head to the side and examined the book splayed open on the man’s naked chest. It looked as though it had fallen there when he’d drifted off to sleep, his fingers still resting against the glossy cover.
Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths.
Now that is an unlikely coincidence.
A sinister smile morphed Alasdair’s lips, and he touched the tip of his tongue to the fangs elongating from his upper gums. The familiar surge of adrenaline caused his skin to come alive with awareness as his body prepared itself to do what it had been created for.
Raising his hand, he flicked his wrist and the covers whisked back. The man beneath was no more aware of the action than a slight shift in the air as a low sigh escaped him and he stretched his body, turning his head on the pillow.
The sight that greeted Alasdair made the hours he’d spent tracking well worth the time. When the human took a breath, the knotted drawstring tie of his linen lounge pants caught his attention. Fuck, that made him want to indulge his carnal side first.
Maybe this was the root of his current obsession. In fact, that thought was followed by one truer to his perverse nature. How long would it take to have him clutching those covers from lust if I wanted it? And as Alasdair continued to observe the human, he realized just how much he wanted it.
The chest where the book was lying was covered in a light dusting of blond hair. It trailed a path along the center of the man’s sternum to his stomach, which looked as hard as his own. However, unlike his own abdomen, this man’s skin would be warm to the touch.
Perhaps he could take a moment or two and… No, he didn’t have the time, and that really was a shame. A meeting had been called this evening, and he was due at the Assembly Hall soon. The last thing he wanted to do was piss off the Ancients by being late.
So, with the speed and the stealth only his kind possessed, he was on the bed and stretched out above the man, and his mouth hovered over the ear closest to him.
He threw the book, which landed with a loud thump on the floor, and couldn’t stop himself from slipping one of his hands beneath those thin pants to curl his fingers around the flaccid cock he found inside. When a soft groan left the human, Alasdair used his other hand to capture his captive’s wrists like iron shackles and pin them above his head. Before the man had a chance to wake, he delved inside his head and projected an image of where this hunt would finally end.
Contest
Sounds like an interesting read. Thank you for the interview and teaser!