The Gilded King

The Gilded King (Sovereign: Book 1)
By Josie Jaffrey
Published: June 25, 2018

Why I chose this book:
I haven't read a vampire novel recently, I enjoy them, and I've been wanting to read one lately. When Jaffrey contacted me about a review, it was great timing. (Yep, that's two in a row for me with perfect timing. The book gods must be smiling on me.) The synopsis sounded exciting and I was interested. I received a review copy from the author.

Review

A story of intrigue that happens to have vampires, The Gilded King alternates between two storylines and points of view. Julia is a human forced to serve a vampire elite in what she believes is the last city in the world. Cameron is an elite vampire warrior sworn to protect his species. Through his perspective, we learn that Julia's city is by no means the sole outpost of human and vampire life. When Julia is unexpectedly assigned to serve as a food source, she begins overhearing suspicious tidbits from powerful vampires. The vampire she is required to feed is a social outcast, as he does not treat humans with disdain. As the story develops, it becomes clear that his affection for Julia is deepening. Although she is hesitant to trust a vampire, she does involve him in investigating his suspicious neighbor.

In the alternating chapters, readers follow Cameron through various towns and much wilderness as he seeks the true queen of the vampires, who was abducted centuries ago. Although he has been discouraged by his comrades, the ersatz queen provides him with a lead. He quickly learns that there is a traitor in his vampire society, and his storyline converges with Julia's neatly at the end. I will not elaborate more on Cameron's portion of the book, as it would involve too many spoilers. What I will say is that Cameron's chapters are exciting, suspenseful, and flesh out the expand the reader's knowledge of the geography and makeup of this world.

When I'm reading fantasy, what matters to me most is how completely the world is created. Can I believe everything that is happening and everyone who is presented? Do all components mesh together in a sensible, understandable, and smooth way? With The Gilded King, I found the plot so perfectly complete, the characters so compelling and believable, and the world itself so natural that I sank right into the story. Both portions of it. I point this out because I tend to favor one storyline over another when there are alternating storylines (looking at you, George R. R. Martin and J. R. R. Tolkien). This was not the case at all with Jaffrey's narrative. Both portions are equally desirable, and very much so. Between the intrigue, the emotional internal struggles of both lead characters, the adventure, and the budding romances, there was never a dull moment.  I want to dive right back in, especially now that the two storylines have converged, with a cliffhanger ending, no less. But I will have to wait impatiently for the next installment! A brilliant start to a new series.

Extra:
I just found out that The Gilded King ebook version is on sale for only 99 cents until September 2.