Review: Night's Templar by Joey W. Hill (Vampire Queen #13)

Lord Uthe, a member of the Vampire Council, was a Templar Knight centuries ago. Even up to the present day, he has attempted to honor the spirit of the Rule, despite the volatile and highly sexual nature of the vampire world. Yet now he’s caught the attention of the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison between the Council and Fae Court. Keldwyn challenges Uthe’s emotional isolation and dominant nature. When a quest from Uthe’s past requires Keldwyn’s help to protect both their worlds, Uthe will have to decide whether the Fae male is a gift from God to be cherished and trusted, or a curse that will make Uthe fail the Order he promised to serve all his life. 

Fangirl Review!

Joey is a favorite of mine but when I realized this was her first M/M book in 3.67 KAGRILLION years (or since 2007 but who's counting?) dog's covered their ears. And in my favorite series too!!!!

I don't even know where to start the fangirling so I guess I'll start with the series. This is book 13 of the Vampire Queen series BUT this can be read as a standalone. True, there are nuances to be had from having some familiarity with the series, but Joey does an excellent job of explaining the high points which, honestly, for someone like myself who's read virtually the entire series became a bit tedious. Also, this book is a beast! Amazon puts it at 453 pgs. It has over 7K locations! I'm thinking those are Word doc pages not Kindle pages. 

If you're not familiar with Joey's writing, she has an affinity for the English language and uses it to the best of her abilities to draw the reader into her world's. 

And she LOVES angst and feels. 

Lord Uthe has been an intriguing and enigmatic character since he was introduced. He's a Templar Knight who sits on the Vampire Council with Lyssa, the vampire Queen. They are both allies and friends. He and the Fae Lord Keldwyn, liaison between the Vampire Council and the Fae courts, have been growing closer. They are well matched in that they are both accustomed to navigating the intricacies of their worlds with their delicate egos and political machinations and are skilled in the art of detachment or at least masking their detachment.

When Uthe's final Templar mission puts him in need of getting into the Fae world Keldwyn inserts himself as his partner. With stipulations. Erotic ones. Erotic ones that shocked me. Frankly, this turn of events was highly unexpected. And welcome. Very welcome. I couldn't have been happier if a basket of puppies landed on my doorstep!

Trust

Trust is the issue. The Fae talk in riddles and usually have an ulterior motive, so can Keldwyn prove himself trustworthy and can Uthe accept his words at face value is the primary obstacle between these friends becoming lovers. The eroticism of their D/s relationship is satisfying and disappointing. I know what Joey is capable of brining to the BDSM table and I found myself longing for more kink and pain. It's hinted at but never really comes to fruition.

Keldwyn realized the idea of possessing him, calling him his own, almost superseded the urgency of anything else, at least in this moment.

The story itself, though, was wonderful and not just their relationship development. The adventure in the Fae world was filled with some of my favorite mythical creatures and battles that had my heart pumping with adrenaline. Pacing is a bit of an issue and I do think this could've been trimmed and tightened up. But you throw in some of my favorite characters from the series and I'm liable to forget any and all niggles.

It should be noted both men are bisexual with a preference for men. There are a couple of m/f scenes that are mostly fade to black and not graphic.



It goes without saying (or at least it should) that I highly recommend this series and this author. 

I paid for it! With my own money and everything!


Find out more on Goodreads.