Hearts at Stake Review

Title: Hearts at Stake

Author: Alyxandra Harvey (the series web page)

Released: December 2009 by Walker & Company - Bloomsbury Publishing Inc.

Rating: 

Synopsis: On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.

Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.

This is a fun, sassy, action packed book with just the right amount or romance!  I loved meeting Lucy and Solange, two best friends who are totally dedicated to each other.  I liked that Alyxandra gave both girls their own voice by having the story come from both point of views.

Solange is a girl who's both running from and accepting her destiny.  The vampire world around her, including her family, believe's she's the answer to a prophecy.  She's raised to be a vampire queen learning etiquette and traditions from the past, but she still has a fire and a spirit that has her wanting to take her own path in life and not accepting that this prophecy is her destiny.  Her growing relationship with Kieran Black is something I'm looking forward to seeing more of in Blood Feud.  I could tell that Kieran and Solange totally have that spark, just want to know why Kieran feels such a strong tie to Solange.  But the relationship is fun to watch grow through the book and I like the partnership between them.  Solange has to fully trust and put her faith in Kieran and it's touching to see their loyalty to each other.

Lucy (who's real name is Lucky but HATES being called it) is totally full of life!  Being a human in the middle of vampires this is a character who has to hold her own, and Lucy totally does.  She is full of energy and is a fierce friend. It's great to see how dedicated she is to Solange and that she doesn't let the fact that Solange and her family are vampires get in the way of that relationship.  Lucy embraces who the Drakes are and it's fun and heart warming to watch her defend them to those who are against them.  Her relationship with Nicholas was a huge spotlight for me.  Solange's 7 brothers are fun and WAY over the top and any girl with older brother's can totally relate, but Nicholas is one that warms your heart.  It was fun watching these two characters who have picked on each other their whole lives grow up and realize that they were teasing because they really have stronger feelings for each other.  I think I could read a whole book of nothing but Nicholas and Lucy.  Lucy and Nicholas are a good match, they are both strong characters who don't back down.  I like seeing strong female characters in books who hold their own with their love interest and Lucy totally does that!

 Hearts at Stake shows us a vampire world at a crossroads and Alxyandra fills out this world with many other great characters.  We have vampires who have taken power for their own but who are very insecure in their power.  There is vampires who abuses his power to create more power for himself.  There are vampires who have power but choose not to exert it.  And we have the Drakes who are trying to navigate this crazy mess while trying to keep Solange safe while preserving their way of life.  Alxyandra does a good job of balancing all these strong personalities and keeping Lucy and Solange as the main focus of the story.