A Shade of Vampire 35: A Race of Trials by: Bella Forrest

5 STARS!!!!!

This series gets better and more intense with every new book.

This book picks up from the last book with Hazel and Ruby working with Ash and Tejus to compete for the title of King of Hellswan. Even though they are both friends and consider each other family from the closeness they have shared from living in The Shade they still want to work with their person to help them win.

You will follow along with them on their journey’s through the trials. You will see their mind-melds make both couples stronger and grow closer together. Ash is falling for Ruby and she is starting to fall for him too, but, she is more concerned with getting home than starting a romance. Hazel is falling for Tejus or she is growing closer to him but he is keeping her at arm’s length and it is driving her crazy. Especially when he is rude.

I am not sure what is going on with Benedict but something with those jewels has gotten him doing crazy stuff and I am not sure what the outcome is supposed to be. It is driving me crazy to try to come up with conclusions to what is going on there.

Julian is getting fed up sitting around waiting on one of the two sentries to win king and let them go. The boarders are closed so they are stuck there until after the trials are done. He tries to find a weak spot in the border with Benedict and a group of other humans that they have been watching over, but that was a fail.

As Benedict continues his antics when he is asleep it is getting worse. The last episode that he has leaves Julian missing. I am wondering who is behind it. I have a thought on it, but I will have to wait and see.

I am all for Ruby and Ash getting together, and now that he is not king maybe when they are set free he will go with her. I want so bad for Hazel and Tejus to get together, but I am fearing that is not going to happen. He says he will have to destroy her to make her a sentry. Not sure how that happens but from hearing Tejus talk about it, it would ruin her. She had talked to him about making choices and that everyone has the choice, but sometimes we make the easy choice because we are afraid. Maybe he will decide to give up being a king and go back with her.

I don’t really see that happening but who knows. Maybe, Hazel will decide to stay. She really is falling for him and after a very steamy kiss I know she is not going to want to give up. But, sadly I will have to wait a couple of weeks to find out.

In other news back on earth they found out who was doing the kidnapping and destruction. I do not want to reveal who or what it is. We don’t know why they were doing it yet but maybe that will come out in the next book as well. After they get back to the Shade the parents of the kids that were kidnapped to Nevertide find out that something is up. They get ready to head to Murkbeech to see what is up.

There is an epilogue from Sherus. He is a fae who gave Ben, Lucas, and Katelyn the gift of life after they had passed away. He made them into a fae so they could be returned to their family. He is the king of the fire fae and is about to turn over the kingdom to his son who is about to get married. He is having a bad feeling that something is up and that it is coming. It is going to be big. He thought that maybe something might be brewing between the other fae kingdom but resources told him that all was well there and everyone was happy.

So what is going to happen that has him so on edge? I guess we will find out soon hopefully.

I left a lot out of this review because I want you to read the book and not just get a short version of all of the good parts that happen.

Here is some questions you will be asking after the book is over:

What is going to happen to Hazel and Tejus?

What is going to happen to Ruby and Ash?

What is going on with Benedict?

Where is Julian and who has him?

Will they get to go home?

Will Rose and the rest of the group find them or even get a clue as to where they are once they find out they are missing and for how long?

I hope you pick up this series and you love it as much as I do.

Until next time: Happy Reading.