Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Vlad and Lelia's book



Once Burned (Night Prince book 1)

By Jeaniene Frost

Book Blurb: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...

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.

I'm so happy that Vlad is getting his entire little side spin off series from the Night Huntress series. The Night Prince series is off to a great start with Once Burned. If you have not read the Cat & Bones Night Huntress series, you can totally read this spin off series without a doubt. Cat and Bones only make a cameo appearance and they have no relevance to the story at all. It might even be better if you had not read the Night Huntress series previously because this Vlad in Once Burned seemed like a completely different character. 

I know that some fans lust after Vlad. Granted the way he is physically described and immaculately dressed is enough to set off fire alarms but I find his arrogance holds him back on his attraction level for me. That doesn't mean I don't love to read about him. I personally cannot wait to read further into the series where I hope to discover that Leila brings him down a notch or too. 

Together, Vlad and Leila heat up the pages. She doesn't want to be attracted to him nor does she want to end up loving him but the draw she experiences is undisputed.  She knows she has to protect her heart but cannot seem to help herself. Vlad just oozes power and I think that is the main attraction. Well that and he is drop dead gorgeous. I think Jeaniene Frost did a great job of hiding Vlad's feelings towards Leila as the story is told from Leila's point of view and not Vlad's. You know he cares for her and lusts after her but you don't quite get the impression (as of yet) that he is in love. 

Once Burned has some pretty gruesome and highly descriptive torture scenes. I know I winced a few times. Lets just say that Vlad lives up to his claim to fame as Vlad the Impaler. However in this respect, Vlad annoyed me to no end. He is old school in his thinking and I was not a fan of how he treated his loyal people or should I rephrase that and say how he punished his loyal people. Way over the top. He is such a contrast to Lelia's guarded world. 

Lelia has a very unique gift of electrocution and her ability to tunnel back through memories by touching objects was really different. I liked it. I like how that gift was used to interact with Vlad. As such, it certainly demonstrated on another level how perfect they are for each other. 

Once Burned does not end on a major cliff hanger and I do love that book 2, Twice Tempted is now available for me to purchase. Oh how I love to continue on with a series once I start. I am hesitating in purchasing right now though. I think I want to wait until the third book is published so I can read them all together. 

The entire plot of the book was about Vlad and Leila working together to find out who is out to destroy Vlad. The readers find out this information but it is interesting that I only finished the book yesterday and I already forget why the villain was after Vlad. I may have to go back and refresh my memory on that.  


Teaser: the best visual shower scene ever, manacles of memories, horse stall horror, a little bit of blood for medicinal purposes