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A review by divapitbull
Shadow's Seduction by Kresley Cole
2.0
I should preface this by saying that I am an avid reader of mm romance. I prefer the “2 alpha males” trope because I want to read an mm romance; not a mf romance with extra dicks. Shadow’s Seduction for all that it seemed to try not to – seemed to fall into the latter category. It also probably didn’t help that I read it right after reading the last IAD novel and I had pretty much had it with the “fated mate” theme. In fact it seemed very similar to Sweet Ruin – one fated mated doing the “happy happy joy joy, cannot wait to start our life together dance” and the other resisting to the point of tediousness for three quarters of the story.
In Shadow’s Seduction, The Death Demon Caspian was particularly annoying in his resistance. First it was “I’m straight. No interest in males” and it was explained that he hailed from a demonarchy that was particularly homophobic. Then when he wrapped his horns around his attraction to the vampire and Dacian prince Mirceo it became “but I want pups” so I can’t settle for you. Then when it was pointed out that there were ways around the whole having pups thing and they could still sire little demons and vampires to have the whole “family experience” – then it became “but you’re a vampire slut and you’ll never be faithful and my mate will be MINE and MINE ALONE and you won’t be able to keep your fangs in your mouth and your dick in your pants”. And at this point I just wanted Mirceo to tell Cas to go fuck himself, fated mate or not.
Cas was portrayed as the “dominant”, older, more manly male and the Prince was slightly effeminate, more capricious. There was plenty of purple-y prose over the top sex scenes that played up the whole virgin angle:
C: don’t be nervous
M: Wouldn’t any blushing virgin be
C: …but first I need to get my treasured mate ready. I’m going to take care of you Mirceo. Tonight and always. Do you trust me not to hurt you”?
M: I do. I trust you in this. I trust you in everything. I always have.
Me: Oh just gag me with a spoon.
Then action/adventure followed by misunderstandings, assumptions of the ass-you-me variety and much angst (or presumably angst if I cared – which I totally didn’t). Shadow’s Seduction was the first Dacian book I read despite my OCD raging at the gap in my IAD reading history. It seemed to sort of recap the first book Shadow’s Claim and gave me absolutely no inclination to dive down that rabbit hole. It also set up the next Dacian book – and it seems like Cas and Mirceo will play significant roles in that story, but again – all set.
In Shadow’s Seduction, The Death Demon Caspian was particularly annoying in his resistance. First it was “I’m straight. No interest in males” and it was explained that he hailed from a demonarchy that was particularly homophobic. Then when he wrapped his horns around his attraction to the vampire and Dacian prince Mirceo it became “but I want pups” so I can’t settle for you. Then when it was pointed out that there were ways around the whole having pups thing and they could still sire little demons and vampires to have the whole “family experience” – then it became “but you’re a vampire slut and you’ll never be faithful and my mate will be MINE and MINE ALONE and you won’t be able to keep your fangs in your mouth and your dick in your pants”. And at this point I just wanted Mirceo to tell Cas to go fuck himself, fated mate or not.
Cas was portrayed as the “dominant”, older, more manly male and the Prince was slightly effeminate, more capricious. There was plenty of purple-y prose over the top sex scenes that played up the whole virgin angle:
C: don’t be nervous
M: Wouldn’t any blushing virgin be
C: …but first I need to get my treasured mate ready. I’m going to take care of you Mirceo. Tonight and always. Do you trust me not to hurt you”?
M: I do. I trust you in this. I trust you in everything. I always have.
Me: Oh just gag me with a spoon.
Then action/adventure followed by misunderstandings, assumptions of the ass-you-me variety and much angst (or presumably angst if I cared – which I totally didn’t). Shadow’s Seduction was the first Dacian book I read despite my OCD raging at the gap in my IAD reading history. It seemed to sort of recap the first book Shadow’s Claim and gave me absolutely no inclination to dive down that rabbit hole. It also set up the next Dacian book – and it seems like Cas and Mirceo will play significant roles in that story, but again – all set.