Once Burned
(Night Prince, #1)
By: Jeaniene Frost
Publisher: Avon
Published: June 26, 2012
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:
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She’s a mortal with dark powers…
After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person’s darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude…until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world’s most infamous vampire…He’s the Prince of Night…
Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don’t call him Dracula. Vlad’s ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.
Due to a tragic accident when she was younger, Leila has some interesting abilities. Not only does she have electricity running through her entire body that could kill someone with the simplest touch, but she can also see someone’s past, present, and future by touching them or an object that they’ve touched. Due to these abilities, she has joined the circus. A place where if she accidentally electrocutes someone, not only would people think it’s part of the show, but by the time they figured out it wasn’t, Leila and the crew would be long gone. However, one night while out she bumps into a girl and sees her murder flash before her eyes. She reveals her gift for foresight in order to save her life but in doing so she just put a bulls-eye over her head.
Leila was a great character to read from. She has some snark but not so much that it got irritating. Due to the fact that Vlad can read minds, her musings weren’t just for her and the reader to share, but Vlad was in on it too and never pretended like he couldn’t hear her. So even though there may have been inner dialect, she might as well have been having a spoken conversation. Leila wasn’t a character to cower either. When Vlad saves her from one vampire set on using her gifts, she doesn’t just meekly sit in his castle. She’s not afraid to speak up and take charge, and I really liked that about her character.
Vlad was a pleasure to read when he made appearances in the Night Huntress Series. So when I found out that he had his own book… I was ecstatic! Even though the book is written in Leila’s point of view, there is a lot of face time with Vlad. He shows his softer side as well as a playful side that we didn’t get to see too often in the other series. There’s even a part in this book where he lets it be known that his men can pursue Leila if they so choose and if she is willing. He does this because Leila is convinced that he thinks just because he’s immune to her electric touch, that she will fall at his feet and be his. So to prove to her that not only will he not force her to be his lover but that she really does want him, he lets his men court her. This really stepped Vlad up for me. He wasn’t just a egotistic man, he was willing to gamble on what he wanted.
There were a lot of funny moments in this book that had me breaking into a smile. The author definitely knows how to write funny stuff. My only complaint on this book is that nothing gets accomplished. There was no ending to it. No concussion or closure. Granted, it wasn’t a cliffhanger but still, I felt like there was no point to it other than to bring these two character together and to have them begin to trust each other. Sure there was humor and sexy scenes but I like to feel like I read a complete story when I finish a book, not a snippet of a series. It just felt like the author wrote this in a way so that people would have to purchase the next book in order to get anywhere in the story. I may still pick up the next book but I won’t be purchasing it like I did with this one. I will borrow it from the library.
That one tickled. If electrocution is your way of flirting, I commend you on your originality.”
I did really enjoy getting more exposure to Vlad’s sense of humor — he was always one of my favorite characters, but I kind of missed the humorous side of Vlad when he was so focused on arguing with Bones in the main series.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Vlad books. I’m curious to see what you think of the next two books when you get to them. I have to admit it’s a bit refreshing to see a review that’s more than just gushing about how awesome one of these books is. 🙂
I loved the beginning of the Night Huntress series and then I sort of lost interest the moment the author started doing spin-off series that needed to be read in order to fully follow along the NH storyline. I HATE it when authors do that. So I gave up on it. I am sure I will get to more of Vlad later. I just hope that I don’t pick up the second book and they start talking about something that happened in the NH series because I will put it down and walk away.
I don’t remember for sure, but I think it might. I know there’s 1 reference to the NH books in the third book, but it’s just a short little mention. I honestly don’t remember w/ the second Night Prince.
It normally bugs me when I miss bits from spin-offs too (esp since I normally don’t read them). I’ll admit that this only reason this one hasn’t annoyed me considerably for that reason is because at the time the first spin-off came out, I was reading these with a book club, and THAT forced me to do the spin-offs in order. Otherwise I never would have read any of the side novels.
I seriously loved him in the main series and thought he was so funny. For me in this one it totally lacked in the humor department and he felt like such a different character. Other than having the same name. I was pretty bummed about that. Haven’t decided if I’ll go on to the next or not. I’m glad you found some fun in it though! I think I was like the only one. lol
I have the 1st two books forever but just have not been in the mood to read them. I think it is because I have them in PB and can not get into PB. It sucks when first novel does not have any conclusion.
Yeah. I bought this book right when it came out. It was good getting to see Vlad but I think I will get a heavily discounted book online or try to find a copy at my library.
I’m with Anna on this one. I totally loved Vlad in the original series… but he is a little lackluster for me in his own series. I feel like we are missing most of the humor that I loved between him and Cat. And he was pretty much a jerk for the first book. But I will keep reading in the hopes that we get the funny Vlad back!