#malekh is actually the best for that and i love him

[thegildedfantasy]

I love it when Malekh, my vampire lord, will kill multiple people in the blink of an eye and apologise when he's done something to hurt those he loves.

[its-ashleyreads]

Finished: 25/01/2023

Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco

For Remy, who was accustomed to making bad decisions, it was an easy choice to make.

Rating: ★★★★★

Summary:

Resident outcast among the Reapers, the kingdom of Aluria’s order of rouge vampire hunters, Remy Pendergast has always worked alone. But when reports of a new, more terrifying breed of beast come to light he is unexpectedly accompanied in his search for answers by Xiaodan Song, heir to the throne of the fourth vampire court, and her fiancée, lord Zidan Malekh. Although fraternizing with vampires can only further harm his already abysmal reputation, Remy can’t help but find himself drawn to, not only Xiaodan, but Zidan as well.

Review:

After putting it on hold for 2022, my friend and I have finally resumed our book club with this stellar first pick! My friend was the one who suggested Silver Under Nightfall, and after seeing that it was already on my Storygraph TBR I okayed it without even reading the synopsis. I went into it completely blind, not knowing what to expect, and I was wowed. The plot on its own was captivating enough, but Remy and his vampire lovers were what really sealed the deal to make this a five-star read.

Remy’s slow discovery of his own desire and sexuality after being, essentially forced, into prostituting himself to noble women as a teenager, was equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming. Heartbreaking, because he never even questioned what he’d gone through until someone else pointed out the unsavoriness of adult women preying on a teenage boy who wasn’t in a position to say “no.” Heartwarming, because getting to see a victim of sexual abuse find people who truly love and accept him and want what is best for him is always a win. And Xiaodan and Zidan both loved Remy so much it hurt. The relationship between Xiaodan and Zidan was such a healthy building block for their relationship to further branch out and include Remy, and the way that they both trusted and respected each other was sexy as hell. They consistently prioritized their partners physical and emotional well-beings in everything they did and if they ever messed up or hurt them, their apologies were always swift and sincere. Remy’s addition to their dynamic was both awkward and refreshing as the three of them learned how to be three. Remy wasn’t the only one trying to find his place in their throuple, and I liked how Xiaodan brought up how Zidan was acting with Remy how he used to act with her when they first got together. It made it feel less like Remy was an add on to Xiaodan and Zidan’s relationship and more like their relationship as a throuple was a new beginning for all of them. Less like Remy had to adapt to the already established couple, and more like they were all adapting together in this new type of relationship dynamic.

My only “issue” would be that because so much time was spent on either the polycule or the plot, the imagery of the world itself suffered a bit. I never had too clear a picture in my head of most of the landscapes or characters and oftentimes, would have to stop reading so that I could try to get a better understanding of where things/characters were in a scene or what kind of environment they were in. It didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the book much, I’m definitely a bigger fan of interesting, complex characters than I am of overly descriptive writing, but I do wish that there had just been a bit more attention paid to the descriptions of the world itself.

I am so excited for the next book in this series that I almost wish I had waited to read it until the release date for #2 had been set so I had an actual date to look forward to! But, at least reading it as early as I did means that I get to have these characters in my life for just that little bit longer.