Lord of the Abyss (Royal House of Shadows #4)
by Nalini Singh
Mass Market Paperback, 288 pages
Published November 22nd 2011 by Harlequin
ARC Courtesy of Netgalley
Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…
As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.
Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.
Lord of the Abyss is the fourth and last novel in the Royal House of Shadows series. The series follows four siblings, prince’s and princess of the magical realm of Elden, who were magically cast out by their parents to save them from the evil Blood Sorcerer who murdered the King and Queen and captured the kingdom, tainting it with his evil and nearly destroying the land. This last installment follows the youngest brother, Micah, who was just a boy when this tragedy occurred. Sent to the Abyss, he wakes knowing himself only as the Lord of the Dark Castle and of the Abyss, protector of the gateway where malevolent souls are taken. Until a strange creature, announcing herself as Liliana, drops from the air onto his floor…
Liliana may be the daughter of the Blood Sorcerer but she is in no way evil. Biding her time and perfecting her magick, Liliana escapes her father’s castle for the Abyss seeking the last chance to save Elden and destroy the Blood Sorcerer forever. But first Liliana must make it out of Black Castle’s dungeon before she can force the Prince Micah to remember his past and his legacy. Time is running out though. Charming the dark Lord with her bravery, storytelling and cooking, Liliana slowly see’s the man hidden behind the intimidating armor and every time a piece of it recedes she loses a bit of her heart to him. But can this fearsome lord ever love the homely daughter of his enemy, even if they make it to Elden in time?
Lord of the Abyss was a fantastic conclusion to the rich and unique series of the Royal House of Shadows. A first read for me from author Nalini Singh (I know, I know! *hangs head in shame* But she’s on my TBR list!) I can easily see why she has such a huge fan base. The romance of the story was heart-warming and not what you would typically find in a Paranormal Romance. Essentially a retelling of Beauty and the Beast; Liliana is not a beautiful heroine, at least on the outside. But Micah easily sees the true beauty of her beneath the exterior. While Micah is a sexy, fierce and greatly feared man, Liliana views the compassion in him that no one else sees and the joyous little boy he must have once been. Their dialogue together is what really made the novel for me. Both are innocent in the ways of love and sexuality but Micah is also un-socialized so tends to be quite blunt with his need and feelings, whether it is commanding Lily to limit her crying to only four times a year or to stop talking and kiss him. The relationship that builds between Micah and Lily’s is natural and balanced with several steamy scenes to get you squirming in your seat. An emotionally riddled story, the final battle scene tore at my heart.
Nalini Singh weaves a captivating fairy tale giving new readers essential background information from the first three novels making Lord of the Abyss a good standalone, as well as new information on the four royal heirs through Liliana’s storytelling. Some loveable secondary characters provide readers with some understanding into life in the Abyss and insight into the Lord of the castle. The action and suspense is balanced well with the romance for a satisfying read and the epilogue provides the happy ending that all fairy tales need to be complete, with all four siblings and their mates.
Creative and captivating, Lord of the Abyss is a recommended read!
Rating: 4 Wine Glasses- Loved it!
Sexual Content: Recommended for adult readers and paranormal romance fans. Very sweet but also very sexy, with two people learning their ways around each others bodies for the first time ever.
I have book 2-4 sitting on my kindle, waiting to be read, but they keep getting pushed to the back of the line. I really should read them. Like you, I haven't read Nalini's Singh's books yet (I have even have 3 of her Guild Hunter books sitting in my TBR stack on my office floor).
ReplyDeleteLoL I have one on my bookshelf but I hate reading series like that out of order so I need to get the others.
ReplyDeleteThese last two books in the series are really my favorite and I actually think that #3 should of came first.
I have this book on my shelf, but haven't gotten to it. It sounds really good every time I hear about it too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your review!
I have heard wonderful things about her books and have them in my TBR pile and on my Kindle. They are moving to the top of the list!
ReplyDeleteI just finished the first three books in her Guild Hunter series and LOVED it! I was so impressed with her as an author, and now I have to add this series to my TBR list! A nice review, sums it up nicely for those of us who are behind and haven't picked it up yet =)
ReplyDeleteI almost didn't listen to this book after my disappointment with Lords of the Vampires. I'm so glad I did, it was sooo good.
ReplyDeleteNalini Singh good!
Thanks!