Gwen’s review of The Mark of the Vampire Queen (Vampire Queen, Book 2) by Joey W. Hill
Paranormal erotic romance released 5 Feb 08 by Berkley Trade

Mark is the second in Hill’s tour de force Vampire Queen series.  It’s an erotic paranormal that reads right up there with the best of mainstream fiction.  There’s violence and passion, of course (vampires, after all), and a little kink, but mostly there’s just a very satisfying love story.  And we have another very yummy cover – the cover fairies have been very kind to Hill with this series.

 We learn quite a bit more about the hero, Jacob, and heroine, Lyssa, in this story.  Lyssa has a very poignant (and passionate) flashback memory of one of Jacob’s previous incarnations and his impact on her life.  We learn something incredibly heartbreaking about that liaison, in fact.  We learn how it affected Lyssa and see glimpses of this previous life pass through Jacob’s mind, as well.  We also get some tenderly told glimpses of Lyssa’s memories of Jacob’s samurai incarntion. 

Now, before you roll your eyes at this, it’s all very believably told with a minimum of “woo woo” aspects.  In fact, there isn’t much “woo woo” at all in Hill’s VQ world.  It’s all rather raw, erotic, and savage, with an edge of proper courtesies and political niceties, and then add a topping of intrigue and sociopathy.  Mix it all together and you are in Hill’s world.

It wasn’t lost on me that the most important men in Lyssa’s life all have biblical names – Jacob, Gideon, Thomas, and Elijah.  The other men in her life that played key roles, but who represented the brutality of her world, all seemed to have old, latin-based names like Carnal, Rex, and Belizar.  The women had rather normal sounding names.  Not sure why I bring that up, except I hold a lot of stake in a character’s name – I find what they pick very telling about the author and their mindset.

There’s not a lot I can say about this book, except you must read it if you read the first, The Vampire Queen’s Servant.  The story never stops – one scene flows seamlessly into the next and the pages keep turning.  There are some significant surprises in Mark, not the least of which is the ending (didn’t see THAT coming).  You just don’t want to miss it.  Yes – I had tears of sadness and joy the last few chapters.  It was wrenching, joyous, heartbreaking all at the same time.

I can’t review an erotic romance without talking about the erotic elements.  As with Servant, Mark has some highly erotic scenes.  There is a sexual overtone to much of what the vampires do in their world.  However, the sex is not intrusive.  The story develops because of the sex, not in spite of it.  Hill can write some of the most sensually erotic scenes I’ve ever read.  I’m always pleasantly aglow once I’ve finished one of her books.

I heartily recommend this book for paranormal fans, erotic romance fans, and fans of Joey Hill’s writing.  If you’re new to the series, I recommend reading the first book before you dive into this one.  Not that it can’t be read separately – I imagine it could – but you’ll have a much more satisfying experience if you read them in order.

Here’s to many more years of books in this world Hill has created – the fiercely erotic,  unapologetic existence these vampires lead is fascinating in the extreme.  I can’t wait until the next one.

Grade: A

From the back cover:

     Full servant. With his new title, Jacob must attend to Lady Lyssa’s every need, venturing into a world of passion darker than he’s ever known. As a vampire hunter he wasn’t prepared to embrace a world where humans are sexual commodities, but he has adapted. Now he finds the integrity of his soul challenged as he serves his Mistress’s needs as fully as he services her desires.

     He loves her, though other servants warn against giving her his soul. Everyone knows that Vampires have no regard for humans, so why would a Vampiress bother treating a mere sex toy with respect? But Jacob knows a human servant is far more than that. His Mistress needs a warrior, a friend and a lover. A man who will serve her in all ways, even if he has to betray the priceless treasure of her love.

     Read an excerpt (it’s a yummy one)

Other books in this series, The Vampire Queen’s Servant (Vampire Queen, Book 1). Read Gwen’s review here.

If you find that you simply cannot get enough of Hill’s world, have no fear.  According to her website, she’s got more on the horizon: 

     In Mark… there’s an Australian vampire named Daniela (Danny), and her irrepressible human servant Devlin, who will have their own book, currently called A Vampire’s Claim. Something along the lines of Devlin being a bush man who gets entangled with a beautiful city sheila…who happens to be a vampire needing a servant…

     Mark… also introduces the mysterious Mason, a vampire who lives as a recluse, brooding over the loss of a woman who died centuries before (he’s briefly mentioned at the end of VQS as well). A beautiful archaeologist is determined to find his lost love’s burial site and Mason is determined to stop her. Only he finds out that Jessica is also the escaped servant of a dead vampire, and she needs his protection – though she’d rather be boiled in oil than ask for his help. That book is tentatively titled A Vampire’s Promise.