Monday, March 4, 2019

Review: Dark World series (Books #1-5)

The Dark World series was written by Michelle Madow. The bundle contains five novels: The Vampire Wish, The Vampire Prince, The Vampire Trick, The Vampire Fate, and The Vampire War.

The Vampire Wish, by Michelle Madow, is the first novel in the Dark World series. Annika never thought of herself as weak--until vampires murdered her parents and kidnapped her to their hidden kingdom of the Vale. As a brand new blood slave, Annika must survive her dangerous new circumstances--or face death from the wolves prowling the Vale's enchanted walls. But sparks fly when she meets the vampire prince Jacen, and while she hates the thought of falling for the enemy, her connection with the mysterious prince could be the key to her freedom. If she becomes a vampire, she'll finally have the strength she needs to escape the Vale.

The Vampire Prince, by Michelle Madow, is the second novel in the Dark World series. Everything has been taken from Annika — her family, her friends, and even her freedom — by the vampires who enslaved her in the hidden kingdom of The Vale. But now she possesses a magical ring that contains Geneva, the most powerful witch in the world, and she’s ready for revenge. When Prince Jacen invites vampire princesses from all over the world to the palace to compete for his hand in marriage, Annika finds her chance. By commanding Geneva to turn her into a vampire princess, she can try to win the cold heart of the prince who betrayed her and left her for dead. Can she keep the emotions she used to feel for Jacen in check? Because if her deception works and she becomes his bride, she’ll have full access to the palace--and she can destroy The Vale from the inside.

The Vampire Trick, by Michelle Madow, is the third novel in the Dark World series. Annika’s life was flipped upside down when she was kidnapped by vampires to become a blood slave in their hidden kingdom of the Vale. Now, the powerful witch Geneva has disguised her as a vampire princess, and Annika’s living in the palace to compete for Prince Jacen’s hand in marriage. But her quest to become his bride is just a facade. Her real goal is to kill the vampire queen Laila so the kingdom crumbles and she can set the human blood slaves free. When rebellious wolves attack the town, they leave a trail of vampire corpses in their wake, declaring war upon the Vale. But the wolves didn’t act alone. Someone on the inside is helping them, making everyone a suspect. And one major player won’t make it out alive.

Note: In the interest of not wanting to spoil the series ending, I did not include summaries for Vampire Fate and Vampire War.

The Dark World series is full of magic, romance, adventure, and twists you'll never see coming. I started this series after I enjoyed reading  Madow's previously published YA fantasy series, The Elementals (review is forthcoming). Annika was a likeable protagonist that you felt sympathy because she had been thrown into another world isolated from human civilization. Trying to make the best of the situation in her new role as a human servant, she teams up with a powerful witch to grant her access to the royal family so that she can get her revenge and to escape the kingdom. But her capture, she will later realize, was not some random incident but part of her destiny that will have a ripple effect on the entire supernatural community. I liked Annika's determination and resilience against such odds. And she never thought that she would find love in of all places. This series will take you on a wild ride of surprises and adventures. Madow is becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors. I highly recommend this series. If you want to learn about Jacey's past before he became a vampire prince, check out the novella, The Vampire Rules.

Want to learn what happens after the Vampire War? Stay tuned for the next spin-off series by Michelle Madow, The Angel Trials.

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