NIKOLAI PETROV HATES LIES.
Finding out he’s supposed to be the next Vampire King of Raspien was not something Nikolai Petrov ever expected. Torn from his family and his home, Nikolai is thrust into an unfamiliar world with unfamiliar people.
But it does not feel like the court of vipers he was warned about. Nikolai is surprised by the warmth of his new family and Lord Councilman Caius Varga, immersed in his new school and his new friends, and somewhere along the line, he stops counting down the days until his return home.
His willingness to stay and take up his promised role only grows when he meets the enchanting Lord in Waiting of Amenti, Viktor Kamel. Swept up in romance, friendship and the prospect of learning under the Petrov Academy’s best healers, Nikolai finds himself more deeply entangled than ever in his role as a prince of Raspien.
But things aren’t always what they seem. Nikolai’s warmth, kindness and honesty cannot protect him from lies told in decades past; in the end, the truth always comes knocking and the shadows of the past have teeth as deadly as the ugliest of secrets.
THE FACTS
📕Oh, these characters have my heart
📗character driven/ differing views on events from first book in series
📘all the emotions at the highest intensity
📙Secrets, reveals, twists, turns. Very well-written
THE REVIEW
Imposter by J.M Rose is the second book in their Children of Lorcan series. The series debuted in March of this year and continues with the release of this spellbinding followup. This series is an epic chronicle of the conflict between dynasties, the love and loss of generations, and the bonds of both blood and found family.
In this book J.M. Rose switched the narrator to the younger generation of the characters who ran the show in book one. Dmitry Petrov’s son, Niklolai has been called back to the kingdom responsible for the pain and trauma in his father’s life. The thing is, his father has sent him back with limited knowledge and he may not know everything he needs to know to survive. Nikolai has returned to be the heir to the throne, the heir to King Yevgeni who was responsible for so much of Dmitry’s pain.
The change in narrator for this series is a very clever and creative way to reveal different perspectives on things that have happened in the previous book in the series. This feels authentic because there are so many times in life when our interpretation of an event can be completely different than someone else’s.
The focus of this book is Nikolai’s reintegration to Raspien and his royal lineage. Nikolai joins the vampire academy…years behind his peers… and undertakes training in everything from diplomacy to his true calling – healing. As he struggles with being clumsy, feeling as though he doesn’t belong and missing his family – he begins to gather friends and mentors.
Who is Nikolai really? Which of his qualities and instincts come from his blood and which comes from his found family? There are many questions facing Nikolai as he begins to carve out a place for himself in Raspien. Nikolai is dealing with the fallout from his father’s youth, and from past transgressions of which he has no knowledge. He’s in danger from many sides… and despite the fact that I felt I knew what might happen, the author surprised me yet again.
The characters in this series are all memorable. Every time I read a new one, I’m convinced they will be my favourite. This series is rich with realistic characters. Every single soul who is introduced comes with a backstory, meaning, influence on the unfolding plot. In particular, I loved the supporting cast of friends in this tale. Each of the people that become Nikolai’s friend bring with them a vehicle for revealing more about the story, more about the Prince and more about the threats he faces. Every character matters.
“If he wanted to stab you, I would follow him so I could cover up his tracks. Because I’ll have you know there is nobody living or dead who will protect him the way I will.” – Ilya
J.M. Rose has great skill when it comes to writing characters who generate emotional connections. The author introduces their characters gently, letting them tell their own stories and reveal their own weaknesses and flaws. I never double that Rose has these characters in hand, but they are always allowed to breathe and grow. It’s impossible for me to pick up a book by this author and remain disconnected. I often find with such a sweeping sage that the sheer number of characters can be overwhelming. I never find this with the books of J.M. Rose.
Jess has a way of crafting characters that burrow their ways into my soul. The ones I loathe, I will come to love and the ones I love will be taken down in a sneaky unveiling. I’m always apprehensive and terrified and enamoured at the same time. Oh Jess – you are and will always be one of my favourite authors.
The plot of this book is complex enough to be fascinating and still remarkably easy to follow considering the vast sandbox of the world that Rose is creating. The pacing is pitch perfect allowing the reader to follow along on the character’s journeys. This creates such a wonderful connection for me to the people I’m reading about. I come away from these books feeling as though the characters are people that I know – not a creation on a page.
There are numerous themes in this series even though there are more books to come. Found family plays a huge role in the Children of Lorcan Series. Most of the characters whether they are main or supporting face challenges with their familial relationships. Friends are often the people that are the most reliable, the ones who show up when the rest of the world has stepped away.
“He watched him from the crack in the open doorway, a silent onlooker; the viewer of a work of art, destined to perceive, always to see, never to be seen.”
This book has changed the way that I think about writing. I always close the cover on books by J.M. Rose and find myself lingering in the emotion. These books are beautiful and it’s a gift to read them. I cried several times while reading Nikolai’s story and I don’t regret a single tear. What a joy it is to reach a book that I can connect with so deeply.
THE LINKS
My review of Book 1 in the series
I was provided with an ARC of Imposter by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.
Kinzie Things 