The Emerald Lily

The Emerald Lily is the fourth and final book in the Vampire Blood series by Juliette Cross.

Danger, Intrigue, Subterfuge, & Romance.

This series captured me from the very first book with it’s unique twist on fairy tails and vampires. I can’t express how much I’ve loved this series, diving into the books, and being taken away. In The Emerald Lily we get Sleeping Beauty, which is my favorite fairy tail, next to Beauty and the Beast.

WOW! I didn’t think Ms. Cross could surprise me anymore then I’ve already been in this series, but she did. I was not expecting the mind-blowing and extraordinary moments delivered throughout the story and that introduction gripped me and gave a taste of what is to come.

I loved Mikhail who is the Captain of the Bloodguard, a renegade vampire group and Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir who has been cursed and put into a blood sleep by the evil Queen.

Cross teases us throughout the book about a secret that Mikhail has been keeping as well as what our Fair Princess is to become in order to save the humans and vampires who have suffered under the evil Queen and her son’s rule. I was not expecting several of the heart-stopping moments or the secrets that came to life. Even when the final battle happens, we know in war not everyone comes out alive or unscathed, and those loses had me in tears.

I absolutely loved the story about how the hearthstone came to be. I loved seeing everyone come together; Cinderella (The Black Lily), Red Riding Hood (The Red Lily), Snow White (The White Lily), and now Sleeping Beauty. It all felt like a wonderful way to conclude. Loved the hidden secrets and was surprised by what Vihlemina becomes.

The Emerald Lily delivered on all fronts and concluded the series marvelously. I’m sad to see this series end, but wow what a way to end it all.

Rated: 5 Stars

*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

If you’re looking for a fantastic love story plus one heck of an action-adventure ride – grab this book and get ready for a wonderful, wild fantasy romp!

I’ll confess – I hadn’t read the first three volumes, so I expected to be a little lost – but I wasn’t! Right from the start I fell into this amazing new world, caught up in the action and the romance of Mina as she tries to come to terms with what’s going on while she was in a forced sleep and her rising up to claim her status as the rightful Queen. It’s one hell of a roller-coaster ride as she finds love and fights for her kingdom – you won’t be able to put this one down until the very end!

Put this on your TBR right away – along with the other three, if you haven’t already!

Whooeee!!! This was an amazing ending to Juliette Cross’ Vampire Blood series!!!

Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir is lost in a bloodless sleep. During her time spent locked away in tortured slumber, war rages across the land. And then the most amazing thing happens. A kiss. More specifically, a blood kiss.

Mikhail Romanov has vowed his life and service to his brothers. At the root of his vow is the burning need to exact vengeance. The next step in doing that is to rescue the princess. But at what cost?

Oh my gawd, I loved this couple!! Mina was always the dutiful perfect little princess, preparing to stand beside the man who would one day be king. When Mikhail awakens her body, her soul also begins to stir and she realizes that there is more to her than what she has been taught. Bit by bit she grows stronger as she reaches for what she wants with Mikhail as well as what her and her country require to be free from evil. Her growth was one of the highlights of this story and I literally cheered when she embraced everything that she was.

Mikhail is drawn to Mina. He felt it the moment he first laid eyes on her. He tasted it when he awoke her with his kiss. Unfortunately, a wife and family are not permitted in his life and he struggles to keep his distance from her. But this is Juliette Cross so that effort isn’t going to hold out for long. I loved how protective he was over her even while he battled with his own feelings. And the comradery he had with his brothers in arms was entertaining as well as gut wrenching at times.

This book is so full of twists and turns, excitement and action, and romance. It’s a fast paced, well written read that never gets bogged down or overwhelmed with unnecessary details or introspection. The action was realistic causing my heart to race and my breath to catch. (I’m not even going to talk about what happened to my fingernails!)

A friend recommended the Black Lily when it was released and I timidly tried it. It’s safe to say I loved it and each book afterward. It’s a sad day that this series is ending but I can’t wait to see what this author is going to offer us next.

This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley and Entangled Publishing.

4.75 stars–THE EMERALD LILY is the fourth and final instalment in Juliette Cross’s adult VAMPIRE BLOOD paranormal, romance series. This is Princess Vilhelmina ‘Mina’ Dragomir, and Mikhail Romanov, Captain of the BloodGuard’s story line. THE EMERALD LILY can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion.

SOME BACKGROUND: The Black Lily is an underground movement that is attempting to take down the royal vampire family, and their army of Legionnaires who are obliterating village after village in a frenzied blood madness known as the sanguine furorem. As Prince Dominick and his mother, Queen Morgrid of Izeling continue their evil reign, The Black Lily begin to amass an army as they venture towards war and a final showdown against the current ruling vampire family-a family of murderous, power hungry vampires who are determined to destroy and control all of the humans.

WARNING: THE EMERALD LILY contains scenes of graphic violence and sexual situations that may be triggers for some more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Mina and Mikhail) THE EMERALD LILY is the culmination of four story lines and a plan set into motion to take back the throne, and bestow it to the rightful heir. With Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir forced into the bloodless sleep of a starving vampire, the Bloodguard mount a rescue of the rightful heir to the Arkadian Kingdom, of Briar Rose. Enter Mikhail Romanov, Captain of the Bloodguard-an army of vampire warriors who have sworn fealty to the rightful heir- and the man with whom Mina will fall in love. What ensues is the back and forth, yin and yang of unrequited attraction, and the fall out when Mina is recaptured by the Prince, facing a future without the man that she loves.

Mikhail has sworn an oath as Captain of the Bloodguard, and in doing so forsakes all manner of family and a happily ever after but rescuing Mina Dragomir stirs something deep within our story line hero, something that calls to his hardened heart. Mikhail has a secret, that once revealed, may change the course of history including the rightful ascension to the vampire throne.

The relationship between Mina and Mikhail is one of immediate attraction; a visceral reaction that Mina wants to explore but Mikhail refuses to acknowledge or accept. His duty is to the Bloodguard, and all that it means, and with the approaching war, falling in love is a weakness our hero never would have imagined. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Like all of the previous story lines in the Vampire Blood series, THE EMERALD LILY touches on and is loosely based upon a fairy tale, and in the case of The Emerald Lily the retelling of the story of Sleeping Beauty, the evil queen, a kiss to awaken, and the fiery conclusion befitting a powerful reclamation of power and the throne.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including all of the previous story line couples; Brennalyn’s seven orphaned children; and an assortment of Bloodguard warriors who have vowed to protect Mina with their lives. The requisite evil has many faces including Prince Dominck, and his mother, the self-proclaimed Queen Morgrid.

THE EMERALD LILY is a story of betrayal and revenge; of family and blood; of passion and promise. The premise is action packed, complex and imaginative; the characters are dynamic, colorful, and charismatic; the romance is consuming, inspiring and dramatic. THE EMERALD LILY is a stunning conclusion to an incredible series that adds a twist or two to our favourite fairy tales.

This is one of those series that kept getting better. These last two books really delivered and I can’t decide which one I liked more. Loved the Sleeping Beauty twist in this one and I really adored both Mina and Mikhail. The overarching story of this series finally came to its conclusion and that pay off was worth the wait. I love how this series had one cohesive story but still delivered individual romances and characters for each book. All in all, this was a fun series that vampire and fairy tale fans will enjoy.

***5 ‘By the Stars, You’re Going to Kill Me’ Stars***

Now THAT was a way to end a series (though I’m crossing my toes real hard in hopes that there will be a spin off because there NEEDS to be one), not that I thought it would be anything less than epic, but that was unexpected. Then again, with all the twists and turns throughout this book, that ending was the only way to go. The Emerald Lily had a good balance of humor and drama, characters I could (and did) fall in love with, all kinds of crazy smexyness and even a few evil eye inducing moments (though I could have done without them ~ but I will work on letting that go) that kept me turning the pages until the very end.

Ever since meeting the men of the Bloodguard I wanted (NEEDED) to know more about them. I mean they are vampire mercenaries with honor, how could anyone NOT want to know more about them. So when I found out Mikhail, The Captain of the Bloodguard, would be our hero and that we’d be getting a whole #SleepingBeautyReVamped fairytale vibe with Princess Mina, I was all kinds of ready to dive in and I adored them both.

Mikhail is broody (though he does have reason to be) but it’s the kind of broody that comes with having a sharp focus on one specific goal, one that he’s determined to see come to pass. So, I obviously adored the Captain before diving into the book, but I loved getting to see underneath the broodyness. He’s code of honor is of the highest regard and his loyalty to the Bloodguard is almost as intense as his focus on his goal. But mixed in with that is a huge heaping of compassion and charm, which only made the lethal vampire that must more appealing.

I liked Mina after what she did in The Black Lily and wondered what her role would be in the series and did she have a pivotal role to play, but before all of that came to light I really liked how she handled everything coming at her after being awakened. Her gift definitely helped her, but she found her strength and her center and while she may have been uncertain about the outcome of some of her decisions, she felt confident in her own convictions of what was right to take the risk no matter what.

I’ve tried to write this part of my review a few times and deleted it a few times, why? Probably because I don’t want to give a way too much, especially if you aren’t on GR and didn’t see one of my updates, so the short and sweet…I loved their journey. It had the right amount of sexual tension, push/pull and that inexplicable knowing between the characters that there was something more going on between them than just the physical and the fact that they had a common goal. PNR does give a little leeway in the whole ‘Insta’ realm, but it was done right here. Mikhail and Mina were simply good together. The honesty, the mutual respect and the need to protect while helping the other become stronger was what had me rooting for them to get their HEA and boy did they.

I know I don’t have to say it, but for the purpose of being transparent and obvious, I am a fangirl of the author. She has a way of bringing the world, it’s back history and the characters to such vibrant life that, if it were for the series falling under PNR, you’d believe you could visit it in truth. I loved the way she took the Sleeping Beauty fairytale and made it her own, an example is the prologue. It was brilliantly done and set the stage for how the story would play out, but still gave her wiggle room to play with it, which she did very well and I loved the twist in the end.

As this is the last book of the series, I find myself in that place where I loved how things ended, but am seriously crossing my toes for a spinoff series to happen. While the main story arc has been closed, there are so many characters that deserve/need/should have the opportunity to have their own stories told with an HEA. The members of the Bloodguard, the Hart wolves, as well as some of the other secondary characters we’ve met along the way. I loved hanging out with them and want more. So, here’s to hoping that an announcement about a spinoff will be made sooner rather than later.

~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~