[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Once Burned

 

Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of the NIGHT HUNTRESS series and the NIGHT HUNTRESS WORLD novels. 

Jeaniene lives in North Carolina with her husband and enjoy reading, poetry, watching movies, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling (by car) when she’s not writing.  Airplanes, children and cook books frighten her.

From an early age Jeaniene was drawn to the strange.  She would sneak out and watch horror movies at every opportunity, much to her parents’ dismay of course.  At the tender age of 12 she began writing poetry.  Shortly after that, she read her first romance novel, and it was love at first read!  She knew she wanted to write her own novels someday, but figured she had plenty of time to do so.  With that attitude, she didn’t actually start writing seriously until she was almost thirty.

When she finally sat down to do it, she knew it had to have her two favorite elements in it:  urban fantasy and romance.  Everyone has a favorite Supe Group.  For Jeaniene it’s vampires.  The first time she went to Sunday school, her minister pointed to the cross on the wall and asked her if she knew what it stood for.  With all of the logic of an awestruck 5 year old, she seriously replied, “Yes, that’s what keeps the vampires away!”  She’s been hooked on vampires ever since.  

Once Burned, NIGHT PRINCE series Book #1

Author:  Jeaniene Frost

Synopsis:   She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:
I've been a Jeaniene Frost, Night Huntress fan since day #1. I love Cat & Bones, and have a soft spot for Spade, but I have been in love with Vlad since he was first introduced in the series and would anxiously await any parts in the novels where he would be called in for one reason or another. That all being said, I was anxiously awaiting this book and actually feared I may have been expecting too much since I was so excited for it. I needn't have feared, Jeaniene delivered and then some!

Once Burned gives us Vlad (THE man that ALL of the Dracula myths were based upon) in all his sexy, cocky, powerful, undead glory, and introduces a loveable, relate-able heroine and some villains that you will absolutely love to hate.

Leila is human, but with some 'extras'. She is able to conduct electricity through her body, and is psychometric. In attempting to deal with her 'additions', she's sequestered herself in a small town with a family of traveling carnies and is working as a trapeze artist. After being snatched up by some bad guys, she's thrown into a world that she knew existed, but never thought to be immersed in, and finds herself directly linked to a powerful vampire who's apparently #1 on everyone's hit list.

Vlad, having his mind reading abilities in addition to his pyromania, realizes when he's being spied upon psychically by Leila. The 2 are inevitably thrown together to sort out the wicked plot that is not only jeopardizing Vlad and Leila's lives, but that of their friends as well.

Leila is a great strong heroine and in my personal opinion, a wonderful match for Vlad. The two together are dynamic and explosive and the best part is that Leila's no damsel in distress. She's definitely her own woman, and while Vlad doesn't change for her either (thank goodness - he remains the same arrogant, sarcastic, sometimes merciless but never without a reason Vlad we've come to know and love), he accepts her feisty side and even encourages it.

Take these two utterly fantastic leading characters and throw them into the Night Huntress world that never fails to amaze with an action packed storyline full of intrigue, danger, twists, turns, and surprises around most corners, etc and you end up with one incredible read!

The first installment of the Night Prince series spin-off was an amazing addition to the Night Huntress World.

My only complaint was the abrupt ending because dang it... I want the next book NOW!

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Once Burned 5 Skulls and is eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. 


Once Burned