The most expected of all allies to Poseidon’s Warriors has chosen to be the fiercest – Daniel, a vampire and Nightwalker Guild mage. But even the strongest alliance can be destroyed when an eleven-thousand-year-old desire is reborn…
A vampire’s oath, a maiden’s quest…
Daniel, vampire and ally of the Warriors of Poseidon, has fought on the side of humanity- even against his fellow creatures of the night – for more than eleven thousand years. But the crushing weight of futility and the reality of always being starkly, utterly alone has forced him to finally give in to despair. He took the first step into the sunlight that would destroy him – and instead walked into Atlantis.
And the blackest of magic that could consume them both…
Eleven thousand years ago, Serai was one of a group who agreed to be placed into magical stasis to ensure the future of the Atlantean race. When a dark sorceress steals the gemstone that protects her sleeping sisters, she awakens to a vastly changed world – and the one man she could never, ever forget. And with an ancient evil tracking their every step, the long-lost lovers must battle both the darkest of magic and the treacheries of their own hearts.
I had to wait a very long time for this book to land on my doormat, but it sure was worth the wait. If you plan on reading this book, believe me, do not read the blurb as it is mostly nonsense, just dive in the book and don’t stop reading until it is finished.
I have been curious about Daniel in the previous books in this series, and now his story is finally told. He was a young blacksmith’s apprentice when he met Serai of Atlantis, and fell in love with her instantly. He almost died when he tried to keep her safe from a band of marauders who were after the items in the jewellers shop he was working in. And Serai made the choice to have him turned into a vampire, to safe his life. But right then, she is taken away by her fathers’ guards and taken home. Only to be told by her father that she is one of the chosen maids to go into stasis, to serve as a future Queen to Atlantis. She refuses, but has no choice, and even attempting suicide doesn’t help.
Kept in stasis for 11.000 years is just plain wrong, and she hates the ones who do this to her. The same magic that keeps them in stasis, and in very good shape as well, is keeping them aware of the changes in the world, teaching languages, even slang. And her magical powers keep growing as well, exposed to the magic of the Emperor, a very large amethyst, and one of the jewels of Poseidon’s Trident. But someone dirtside has found it, and is messing with its powers, causing Serai to awaken fully. But o, how it hurts, the powers surging through the jewel.
Escaping her crystal pod, Serai is still able to walk after all this time, and she quickly flees the chamber where the maidens are kept. She is determined to leave Atlantis, she will not be imprisoned again! How dare that Prince Conlan marry a mortal human, and leave her to her faith! Not that she ever wanted to marry him, even in all those years she never once could forget Daniel, her one true love.
And just when she is ready, the portal guards are unconscious thanks to her magic, and the portal is waiting, Daniel appears at her feet. She is elated with joy, but also suspicious. Did he know where she was all that time? Doesn’t matter, they have to leave at once. And the portal brings them safely to a cave, as it was daylight when he tried to kill himself. But now that he has found his Serai, alive, he has all the reasons to live again. The portal delivers them to the cave the rebels are hiding, with Quinn and Jack, and a lot of others, including Reisen, the Atlantean Lord who tried to change the course of action for Atlantis when Prince Conlan was still missing. Called a traitor and losing his hand to the evil vampire who captured him has changed Reisen. He is fighting with the rebels to redeem his honor, asking for the most dangerous missions, and succeeding in them. And now he has to work together with a computer hacker, the strangest human woman he has ever seen.
Jack attacks Daniel on sight, and of course Daniel fights back. But Serai turns herself into a sabertooth tiger to help him. And at the sight of that, Jack turns onto his back, acknowledging the other tiger as dominant. Not something he has ever done before!
Daniel will do anything to keep Serai safe, even if that means fighting his friends and allies.
Serai keeps feeling the pull of the Emperor, and together with Daniel she sets out to find the gem, and safe her sisters in stasis, who are slowly dying, without ever having the chance to life first. But she is still weak from the stasis, using magic drains her fast. And soon Daniel has no other choice but to give her some of his own blood, forging the first blood bond with her. But Serai doesn’t mind that. First, he saved her life doing that, second, she is not planning to ever let him get away from her again, even if he foolishly believes she needs an Atlantean prince to take care of her, and not an evil bloodsucker.
Even the bad guys in this book are made lovable. The sorceress wielding the stone for instance, as she does so only because they threaten her son’s life. The vampire Nicholas, who wants to become Primator, the job Daniel just quit, to make sure vampires stop killing humans for no reason. He believes the powers of the gem can make him rich enough to get that function. And why is he falling for the witch and her son? Why does he admire them so?
Prince Conlan and Ven appear, trying to get Serai back to Atlantis, but she refuses, and she has the magic to back that refusal up. They will not imprison her again, or marry her of, Conlan has no right to decide her future, and certainly not the right to deny her Daniel! She will be free to do as she very well pleases to do! She will not be coddled, she doesn’t need a protector, she is powerful enough to take care of herself.
Another great instalment in a great series! Vampire in Atlantis was everything I expected, Alyssa Day sure writes an intriguing lovestory. I never thought such a romance would have worked, but it did.
Serai is still a maiden and blushes easily when Daniel teases her. But there is no evolution gap or something, as the magic kept her appraised of all the changes in the world. Which of course does not mean she is all-knowing. But what she needs to know, to be able to blend in, she knows. She is resolute, can and will take care of herself, and of Daniel if needed. She doesn’t look at him in disgust when he reveals the truth of his past to her, the things he did. She sees the good he has done and is still doing as well. And she has loved him for such a very long time.
And Daniel, mysterious Daniel, who has been helping the rebels and Atlanteans in his many guises. When he finally surfaced from the bloodlust of the just-turned, not only Serai was gone, the whole of Atlantis had disappeared! Even if he believed her still alive, he could not get to her. So he went into hibernation for 10.000 years, and hoped the world would be less evil when he would wake up again. Which, of course, is not so. There is evil everywhere, no matter be they human, shapeshifter, vampire, witch or other.
And now, just when he was ready to face the sun, he finds himself in Atlantis, and face to face with the one woman he could never forget: Serai. How is it possible that she is still alive, still as young as back then? If he knew, he would have found a way to get to her, even if he had to fight Poseidon himself!
During their trip together, they tell each other what happened after that dreadful day. And of course, they become lovers. Something Conlan sure is not happy about. A vampire and an Atlantean woman? It is just not permitted.
I liked both the romance, as the story itself. Only one more gem to retrieve now, and Alaric and Quinn are up next. I wonder where they went together … Unfortunately, not a single word about Denal, and I really want to know what happened to him. So now we wait again till February 2012, and the next book in this wonderful series.
9 stars.
Yay that you liked it so much :D There is nothing better than a fav series that never looses its touch
BeantwoordenVerwijderen