A Shade of Vampire 37: An Empire of Stones

Could it be? Have GASP found the portal to Nevertide!? I am so excited to find out! This book left us with some fabulous cliff hangers.

The romance!!! Hazel and Tejus’s to be specific. Wow. Just wow! The moment many I'm sure have been waiting for arrives. Let's just say Tejus gives in whole heartedly to his feelings for Hazel. It is a happy moment but sadly there is a down right heart breaking moment too. We lose a certain character; one I felt really attained the love of the reader in this very book. I'm not saying who!

Ash finally see’s queen Trina for who she really is. A cold hearted, twisted queen (although I could think of a better word than Queen to describe her!). Luckily he finds out just in time to try and rescue two of our beloved characters from staying captured and starving to death.

There are some chillingly creepy scenes curtesy of the entity. Hazel finds out where Benedict is being held, but helping him escape seems to be an impossible feat. What will they do!?

Meanwhile Ben and Derek get some worrying news from the Fae and have a lot to deliberate over. They have finally secured earth with GASP but it looks like a new threat could be on the horizon. A big threat that could threaten all lands!

Overall this is a beautiful story of love, loss, reunions, challenges and heroism. The pace never lets up and keeps one intrigued to the very end.

Title: An Empire of Stones
Series: A Shade of Vampire
Designation: Book Thirty-Seven of a Multi-Novel Series (Full-Length Book Five of Season Five), NOT a Standalone Read, Cliffhanger, 322 Pages
Author: Bella Forrest
Genre: Teen/Young Adult/ Coming of Age Paranormal/Supernatural/Fantasy Romance
Reading Platform: Kindle Unlimited
My Rating: FIVE SPELLBINDING STARS *****
**Although this review is not shown as an the store verified purchase, I read this book using the the store Kindle Unlimited which kinda is a purchase since I pay the store a monthly fee to borrow and read any of the books enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program.

An Empire of Stones is the thirty-seventh riveting release in the international bestselling megahit series, A Shade of Vampire, and Bella Forrest has left me totally breathless - again! Like thousands of my fellow Shaddicts around the world, I've been hooked since the first book of the series and now eagerly await each new release. And it's no surprise that Forrest has delivered another new gripping adventure that curls our toes, makes our hearts pound and keeps us begging for more! This is a beautifully written young adult saga unlike any I've ever read. Quite simply, it's an irresistibly delicious all-you-can-eat buffet of fantasy, adventure, and supernatural coming of age romance. But never fear, my friends, it's also an irresistibly tasty treat for us older adults who remain young at heart! The story is well crafted, imaginative, thrilling, fast paced, action packed, suspenseful, sweet, romantic and at times, also dark and mysterious. Whew, what a mouthful, but these are only a few of the words that come to mind after reading this incredible chronicle of the Shade, its inhabitants, and their enemies. The narrative is exceptionally well written in the first person with multiple points of view. Each chapter is told by one of the primary characters (and there are many), which I believe gives more depth and perspective to the story while adding insight into the thoughts, fears, and motivations of the large diverse cast. The dialogue is smart, well executed and flows effortlessly. Although the premise and plot for the series are intriguing as well as compelling, it's truly the magnificent cast of larger than life characters that make the biggest impact. They are well developed, fascinating, captivating, engaging, endearing and quite literally, out of this world! They explode from the pages, grab your imagination, capture your heart and hold you completely and totally enthralled from beginning to end. Forrest skillfully combines all of these elements to craft a beautifully written paranormal romance filled to the brim with danger, action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, suspense, magic, supernatural beings, loyalty, heartbreak, betrayal, angst, hope, passion, love and plot twists that will blow your mind. After thirty-seven releases in one series, some might think the story has grown old or stagnant, but nothing could be farther from the truth. After reading every single one of the thirty-seven books, there are two things I've learned beyond a shadow of a doubt. First, when reading anything written by Bella Forrest, always expect the unexpected and two, absolutely nothing is ever impossible as we've all witnessed time and time again. In each book Forrest pens, she takes her readers on an emotionally thrilling roller coaster ride, unlike any other, one that keeps us on the edge of our seat and riveted to each page while screaming, "OMG - that didn't just happen!" And the icing on the cake, Forrest's books are always exceptionally well-crafted, edited, formatted and have gorgeous covers! I'm not a professional reviewer but I know what I like, what I love and what I don't and I love this series! I've never experienced anything like it. After reading Book 32: A Day of Glory, the seventh and final release of season four, I had to ask myself, how in the world will Forrest ever be able to surpass her last release? But never fear my friends, Forrest has once again exhibited her extraordinary talent, remarkable skill, and incredible imagination by giving us yet another riveting new adventure featuring more of our new generation of young heroes with all of our beloved favorites also along for the ride.
Premise:
Twenty-two years have passed since Ben Novak, Prince of The Shade, married the beautiful half blood River Giovanni. And much has changed in those years. The King and Queen of The Shade, Derek and Sophia Novak, are now proud grandparents, four times over and many of the other residents are also proud parents. Wow! Time really flies, doesn't it? Ben and River Novak have one nineteen-year-old half fae daughter, Grace, who, despite incredible odds, survived becoming a Bloodless and has just married Lawrence Conway, the man responsible for saving her life. Grace and Lawrence were married in a lovely ceremony in The Hearthlands officiated by half dragon and former Shade resident Heath. Ben and River also have a fairly new addition to their family. Two years ago, they discovered River had a son named Field, an adult Half-blood/Hawk hybrid who was the result of an invasive IBSI experiment performed while River was held prisoner twenty years earlier. Derek and Sophia's daughter, Shade Princess Rose Novak, has been happily married to Caleb Achilles for over 20 years. They have two human children, Hazel, age seventeen, and Benedict, age fourteen. Kiev and Mona Novalic have one nineteen-year-old son named Brock who is half warlock. Witches Ibrahim and Corrine have been blessed with a lovely nineteen-year-old full blooded witch daughter named Arwen who, despite her mother's objection, is dating Brock. Vampires Claudia and Yuri Lazaroff have a twenty-year-old human daughter, Ruby. Vampires Ashley and Landis Vaughn also have a fifteen-year-old human son Julian. Even the dragon residents of The Shade have flourished. Dragon shifter Jeriad and his human wife Sylvia now have a son, handsome strapping twenty-one-year-old half dragon Heath who now resides in The Hearthlands, his father's former realm. And there have many other happy unions among the residents. Aiden and Kailyn have been married for twenty-two years and adopted one of the werewolf pups recovered from the Harpies. Abby and Erik also took the plunge along with Micah and Kira, Eli and Shayla, and the two Jinn Aisha and Horatio who have a beautiful baby girl named Riza. And not surprisingly, ice dragon Lethe also has a human bride and now resides inside the protective boundaries of The Shade. Surprisingly, long time bachelor Lucas Novak is now a thriving resident of The Shade community but is no longer a bachelor. Yikes! For the first time in his 500 years of existence, he truly fell in love with Marion, the woman rescued from the Ogre realm, and has become a loving husband as well as father to Marion's daughter Avril. And of course, we all remember Xavier and Vivienne's beautiful daughter, Victoria Vaughn who married werewolf Bastien Blackhall in Season Four. Victoria and Bastien are now the proud parents of an adorable wolf hybrid son named Jovi . But as much as things have changed, there are still many things that have remained the same, including The Shade's mission to protect Earth from The Shade's many enemies, some known and some yet to be discovered.
A Dawn of Guardians: Book Thirty-Three
Our story resumes two years after The Shadow League defeated the IBSI and ousted them from power. Our brave heroes of The Shade no longer operate from the shadows and have become the official and very public protectors of Earth and all its many realms and there are many...some yet to be discovered with strange and unfamiliar beings. As a result of their victory over the IBSI as well as their new public personas, the founders of TSL have become familiar faces around the globe making it impossible to travel anywhere without being recognized. In keeping with their responsibilities and duties, the name of the group has now been changed to the Global Agency for Supernatural Protection or GASP with Derek Novak as the Chairman/CEO and the other original members of TSL holding the key executive management positions. Even after finding the Bloodless cure and the elimination of the threat posed by the IBSI, supernatural crime still exists but with GASP having facilities and agents located the world over, it's handled professionally and expediently. And of course, they have maintained the alliances with the other supernatural realms made during the IBSI takedown. Their most recent case began with a call from the Greek island of Crete where tourists and locals have been mysteriously disappearing without a trace along with unexplained noises during the night and strange reports of vehicles being strangely mangled. All the incidents seem to be centered in the area surrounding the archaeological site of Knossos. Some of the more superstitious residents of the island fear the bizarre disturbances could be the result of Minotaurs, creatures of myth and legend returning to terrorize the island from the hidden ruins of the labyrinth. But are minotaurs real? Who could even say, especially after their recent discovery of several new supernatural species? Regardless, Derek and Sophia along with the other members of GASP from The Shade are scheduled to leave for Crete to investigate the case. And while their parents are conducting their investigation on Crete, Rose and Caleb Achilles' human children, seventeen-year-old Hazel and fourteen-year-old Benedict, along with Claudia and Yuri Lazaroff's twenty-year-old human daughter Ruby, and Landis and Ashley Vaughn's fifteen-year-old human son Julian are being shipped off to Murkbeech Island off the coast of Scotland for two weeks of summer camp where they will learn how to survive in the wilderness. It's a bit of a family tradition since this is the same wilderness training retreat Ben and Rose were sent when they were teenagers and we all remember how they ultimately ended up in Hawaii and the misadventures that ensued. Oh my! I wonder if history will repeat itself and they'll also wind up being kidnapped and in mortal danger as did Rose and Ben? It seems they do! But will our group of young heroes be able to manage on their own and save themselves?
A Sword of Chance: Book Thirty-Four
We discovered in Book 33, history does indeed repeat itself! And now in Book 34, while the Shadian members of GASP mount an investigation on the island of Crete, Hazel, Benedict, Ruby and Julian arrived on Murkbeech Island for summer camp survival training only to be abducted by a group of mysterious malevolent supernatural beings called sentries who hail from Nevertide, a previously unknown realm to the Shade. Our young Shadians were kidnapped by the Hellswan brothers, Tejus, Jenus, Zerus and Ferros, all princes of the Hellswan Kingdom. The Hellswan bloodline has ruled the Hellswan Kingdom for many moons and hope to continue for many more. Hazel learns that the Nevertide realm is made up of six separate kingdoms, each with its own ruling king or queen but all under the overall jurisdiction of one of the kingdom monarchs who also holds the title of Emperor of Nevertide and that Emperor just happens to be the King of Hellswan...the brothers' father. But unlike most kingdoms, these titles are not inherited, they are won in competitions. Sentries are large beings averaging seven feet tall and look mostly human. They possess heightened strength and speed, but unlike humans, their power is not derived from the food they eat but rather is sustained by feeding off the mental energy of others, much like vampires survive from ingesting blood. The sentries have found that certain special humans make the best donors and the Hellswan brothers need Hazel, Benedict, Ruby and Julia to be their power source for a trial where the sentries compete against each other. The winner will then participate in another trial for the position as the new King of Hellswan, then go on to hopefully also compete and win the title of Emperor as had their father before them, thereby keeping the seat of power for Nevertide in the Hellswan Kingdom. Their human captives are used as nothing more than batteries, useless, disposable and discarded when exhausted. And trials or no trials, the cycle will simply repeat with Sentries crossing dimensions when their human captives die, seeking and kidnapping more victims to use for their feeding habits and pleasure...unless Hazel, Benedict, Ruby and Julian can find a way to stop it...or maybe find a who to help them stop it. Trying to stay alive is proving to be quite the challenge for the young people so helping the right Sentry to win the competition might be their only way to survive. Clearly, their only hope is to somehow escape and alert their GASP family members to the actions of the sentries and the threat they pose to humanity. But whom can they trust to help them? Would it be Hazel's champion, Prince Tejus Hellswan, or Ruby's contender, commoner and people's choice, Ashbik Goode? Both are competing in the trials, but will our young heroes also be disposable to them once they win??? We'll see!
A Race of Trials: Book Thirty-Five
All Hail The King! Our story resumes in Nevertide after the devastating fiasco of the first trial in which many of the participants were eliminated...or did not survive. Yikes! Only twenty contenders now remain including the obvious ministers' choice and son of the now deceased King of Hellswan, Prince Tejus Hellswan, and the peoples' favorite, commoner Ashbik Goode. Seven perilous trials remain, each fraught with treacherous unyielding danger for the contestants as well as their humans. As tensions continue to rise, a new player suddenly appears on the board, Oueen Trina Seraq, but is she friend or foe? Why is she so determined for Ashbik Goode to become the victor and new king? And why is she equally determined for Prince Tejus to lose? As Ruby and Hazel become more emotionally involved with their champions, friendships and loyalties are tested, and our young heroes and heroines are drawn deeper into the darkness of Nevertide. Secrets, lies, betrayal, and dark mysterious forces continue to wreak havoc as unknown dangers continue to threaten their well-being and safe return to The Shade. Meanwhile, GASP continues the investigation into the strange unexplained disappearances on the island of Crete. They've exhausted all leads but are no closer to solving the mystery or locating the now five missing victims who seem to have no significant commonality and no similarities to connect them other than possibly their wealth. It's slowly becoming evident that several of the supernatural aspects of the case such as the minotaur hoofprints may be nothing more than a series of intentionally planted fake clues. But why, and by whom? Unfortunately, they have yet to learn the fate of Ruby, Hazel, Benedict and Julian. How much longer can our young heroes survive before the members of GASP realize their children have also been abducted and are no longer safe on MurkBeech Island? And once they do, will they be able to help? Until now, no one from The Shade has ever heard of the Sentries much less the medieval Nevertide Realm. It seems our young Shadians may be on their own. They have a plan but will they be able to save themselves? Oh my!Only one contender will win... A King will be crowned... Who will reign victorious and become the new King of Hellswan? But more importantly, what will it mean for our brave young Shadians??? We'll see!
A King of Shadow: Box Thirty-Six (Book Four of Season Five)
Our story resumes with a new king being crowned in the of Kingdom of Hellswan and once again a Hellswan descendent wins the crown. With Hazel's assistance, Tejus Hellswan has defeated Ashbik and won the final trial thereby insuring his claim to the throne. Unfortunately for Tejus, he soon learns he has acquired much more than just the crown; he has also inherited the ominous ancient secrets hidden within the walls of the palace for centuries. Sinister long-forgotten entities aided by unknown enemies with malevolent intentions are at work, and with the Imperial Trials to determine the new emperor of Nevertide still to come, the situation has become grim. Julian is still missing but to make matters even worse, the mind of Hazel's brother Benedict appears to have become possessed by an mysterious dark entity and he has also disappeared. The palace along with all its inhabitants has been surrounded by an invisible barrier of unknown origin and the inhabitants have now all become prisoners. The fate of the Hellswan Kingdom along with our Shadian heroes has become most dire. Hazel finally reveals her home, her true identity and her supernatural heritage resulting in Tejus now seeing the beautiful brave Hazel in a new light. With no help in sight, Hazel resorts to what she knows best...books. The starcrossed young couple once again work together seeking answers in the tomes of long-forgotten ancient Sentry history. Despite Hazel and Tejus' determination to fight their undeniable attraction , they continue to grow closer as each is forced to confront and finally acknowledge the escalating affection between them. But Hazel and Tejus are not the only couple with increasing attachments. Ruby and Ashbik have also become much more than friends but as their feelings have grown, so has the danger. It seems, they too, have fallen victim to the evil forces at play.
An Empire of Stones: Book Thirty-Seven
Our story resumes as the situation grows more sinister and even more dire for our young heroes. With Benedict now possessed by the entity and Julian still missing, whom can Ruby and Hazel trust? How can they determine who is friend and who is foe? Who will win the imperial trials and become the new emperor of Nevertide? Is Tejus still determined to become emperor or has Hazel claimed his heart? But things are not as they seem! They never are when residents of The Shade are involved. Thankfully, help may be on the way. The family members of GASP are finally aware their children are missing from Murkbeech Island and now they must do what they do best... solve the mystery, locate their loved ones and defeat the evil which threatens them. But will they be able to find them before it's too late? Will the Novaks once again prevail? We'll see!
Two beautiful, brave, young adult human heroines-check! Two courageous human teenage heroes -check! A new realm inhabited by a dark, mysterious race of unknown supernaturals-check! A previously unknown species of supernatural beings-check! Two new enemies who may become new heroes-we'll see! Two new characters with questionable motives who may be more than they seem-check! An army of supernatural heroes with a new name-check! A magnificent cast of characters including a new young generation of heroes-check! A plethora of supernatural beings including sentries, mutants, vampires, werewolves, witches, dragons, ogres, jinn, fae, nymphs, goblins, dervins, fairies and brownies-you bet! More new creatures that we've never before encountered-check! A dangerous new enemy with malevolent intentions-check! Danger, drama, adventure, suspense, betrayal and deviously dark evil machinations-check! Two sweet budding romances-Heck yeah! We have lift off! That and a whole lot more! Buckle up my lovelies for another exciting new adventure with all our favorite residents of The Shade including a brand new generation of heroes, all working together to battle old enemies along with a few new ones as well. I can hardly wait for A Power of Old, the next installment in the Season Five adventure releasing January 9, 2017, featuring our newest generation of heroes! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!

As The Shade continues their desperate search for Hazel, Benedict, Ruby and Julian; all hell breaks loose in Nevertide. With Hazel and Tejas growing closer, Ben under the influence of an unknown entity and Julian still missing, the contest for Emperor begins. It couldn't come at a worse time. Enemies are revealed and new allies are made.
True intentions are revealed and lives are at stake. The ending will leave you awestruck, craving the next book!
Who will be able to stop this entity? Can Ben be saved? So many mysteries to be solved and so little time before an unknown evil escapes.
Bella has once again blown me away with another riveting tale. The books keep getting better! I can't wait for the next release January 9th! 5+ stars!

I'm loving where this next instalment is taking us and going, a little darker and a little more twisted the way I like it keeping me gripped and getting to know some of the characters a little better.

Oh Tejus, Hazel's love seesaw keeps us guessing and will he settle the balance and reveal his feelings to her this time?
Ash, Ruby, Benedict, Julian Queen Trina.....No spoilers and ruining a good journey of escapism.

It saddens me when I near the end, it's an Shaddictive hunger with these books....
I NEED MORE!!!

Holly crap seriously one of the best books in the series so far! So much more depth to the story than just boy meets girl fall in love the tension between the characters the mystery OMG and how it ended ahhhhh I could go on and on but seriously I CANNOT wait for the next book!

I absolutely love this book! Bella Forrest never disappoints you with her books!! An Empire of stones is one of my favorites so far! I love Hazel and Tejus's story just as much as all the other characters from before! So much happens in this book. You honestly have to read it! No spoilers from me!!!

I'm on book 37. The store is still interesting. The love story is still enthralling. The characters are still being built. It's shocking how quickly this author pushes out new books. I'll keep reading them all.

GASP is investigating, organizing and getting on with finding the missing Shadians, and how or where they disappeared, whilst said Shadians are having their own further trials and tribulations. Seems that in Nevertide nothing is quite as it seems and the imperial trials continue despite the ministers failure to protect those in it. A full steam ahead feeling as we take this mad cap journey with them. All aboard….

Going along in this series keeps me wanting to see where the story leads to, I love the new characters. I can't wait until the next one comes out. It's a great read, I enjoy the writing style of Bella Forrest.

Going along in this series keeps me wanting to see where the story leads to, I love the new characters. I can't wait until the next one comes out. It's a great read, I enjoy the writing style of Bella Forrest.