Shadow's Claim: Immortals After Dark: The Dacians, Book 1: Immortals After Dark, Book 13

By: Kresley Cole

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Number-one New York Times best seller Kresley Cole introduces The Dacians: Realm of Blood and Mist, a brand-new paranormal romance collection following the royal bloodline of Dacia, a mysterious vampire kingdom within The Lore (Cole's world of mythological creatures in her award-winning Immortals After Dark series).

Shadow's Claim features Prince Trehan Daciano, a ruthless master assassin who will use every lethal skill he possesses to defend his imperiled kingdom - as well as his newfound princess. When an ancient secret threatens to destroy them all, can Dacia's notorious prince of shadows keep his Bride alive against all odds?

©2012 Kresley Cole (P)2012 Simon & Schuster, Inc

Wowza what a steamer!!

I'm not sure why Ms. Cole decided to branch out and do this Dacians series but it doesn't matter. It's the same world as the Immortals series, and it's still Robert Petkoff, so this buy was a no-brainer. This book is for anyone who wants some seriously hot paranormal sex with a garnish of intrigue and adventure. And if you haven't listened to the Immortals series yet, I don't think you need to read them first. But if this book does for you what it did for me....be grateful these books are only $10 a pop.

Cole & Petkoff are the absolute BEST!!

There are no two better together than Cole and Petkoff! I've read every book by Cole and listened to every one by Petkoff and each time I anxiously await the other!!!

needs more

Could use one more voice actor for the female roles to give it more of a realistic feel...

Great start to another great series...

What did you like about this audiobook?

Great New Series

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

The Immortals After Dark books

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

As always, Robert Petkoff does a great job

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

Yes

OH MY GOD SO GOOD!!!!

Would you listen to Shadow's Claim again? Why?

YES!! IT WAS SO GOOD I COULDNT PUT IT DOWN!

What other book might you compare Shadow's Claim to and why?

ALL HER OTHER BOOKS. SHE IS THE BEST WRITER EVER! SHE DESERVES THE BEST SELLER OF THE YEAR!! OTHER AUTHER'S NEED TO TAKE NOTES FROM HER!!

Have you listened to any of Robert Petkoff’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I THINK HE IS PERFECT FOR HER BOOKS!! HE DOES A GREAT JOB!!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

AMAZING, AND EROTIC, AND A BEAUTFUL LOVE STORY.

Any additional comments?

I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE!!!

Good off shoot to her first series

This was good. Really well done characters. If you've read her first series than it's a world that you're already familiar with. It's always nice to know Nix is about even if it's just for a bit. The plot was a little bit predictable but the story telling is done so well you don't really mind.

The narrator did a good job.

Awesome!!

I love this book just like the others. Narration was absolutely on point throughout the story. Characters are very easy to get invested in.

Weg

Robert Petkoff is, in a word, delightful. 5 minutes into this audio book I said to myself, "This was a bad idea..." for all the most wonderful reasons! Thank god I didn't listen to MacRieve...I don't think my poor mortal body could have handled it. Kresley Cole has long been one of my favorite authors, but I had put off reading this particular book under the extremely misinformed guise that it wasn't pivotal to the IAD storyline. Truthfully, I only endeavored to read it after Dark Skye left some holes that so badly needed to be filled *snicker*. I found the audio book version and that was that! My mind had been made up. Kresley's weaving plotlines and Robert's enthusiastic storytelling left no doubt in my mind that the decision to download had been a good one.

Loved It!

As with many of the earlier books in this series, the timeframe of this book overlaps with earlier books. At times, I did have to stop and think for a few minutes to figure out the chronological order of various events and where everything fit in the grand scheme of things. However, it was easy enough to figure out and didn't detract from my enjoyment of this story.

This time around we get the story of Prince Trehan Daciano and Princess Bettina. If you read 'Lothaire' you might remember Trehan from his brief appearance toward the end of that book, when Ellie imparts some wisdom upon the male that had chosen to live apart from his mate. It was clear then that there was a story waiting to be told and I'm glad I didn't have to wait for long.

Trehan is one of Lothaire's cousins and has served as their kingdom's assassin for years. His job is making sure that anyone that leaves doesn't live long enough to tell the secret of how to find the kingdom. He's in the course of performing that duty when he stumbles upon the sight of Bettina.

Although theirs was a strong case of lust at first sight, things are quickly put on hold when Bettina learns that her best friend, and the man she thinks that she loves, is the man that Trehan hunts. It also doesn't help that she mistakenly assumes that he is the man that she's with when Trehan sneaks into her room on the first night. Talk about awkward!

Regardless of his claim that Bettina is his bride, Trehan will have to prove himself. A tournament has already been arranged, with contestants fighting to the death in order to win Bettina and the throne to her kingdom. While Trehan is confident in his ability to win the tournament, he is less confident in his fated bride's feelings for him.

Trehan definitely carried this story for me. I found myself frustrated with Bettina and her blindsightedness. She spent the vast majority of the book pining for a guy that couldn't have cared less. Meanwhile, Trehan was bending over backwards to win her over. My heart went out to him.

Eventually, Bettina comes to her senses and all was right with my world again. I do love a HEA and Ms. Cole does not disappoint!

As with all of the books in this series, the narration was exceptional. I'm on to the next audiobook in the series.

I Claim This a Success

I love this series and am so glad I switched to audio after reading the first dozen in ebook. Petkoff is an outstanding narrator who adds more to the story, building on the author's world. Each book takes us closers to the big moment while providing us with a perfect love story. What more could you ask for?