Elle Cheshire's Reviews > The Hunter's Gambit

The MC is a blacksmith who in a desire to sell her vampire slaying sword, is attacked whilst travelling. She is snatched up by the vampires and taken back to their citadel to serve as their ‘Queen’ in a yearly ritual.

Stuck in their castle forced to participate in a three day party, on a countdown until her death, Kazan has three days to find a way out. I liked that she’s stuck in the castle and we have the tension of time ticking away. It’s fraught with escapes, deals, secrets and blood. It delivers us vampires drowning in excess and decadence, violent as they are seductive.

She’s trapped with these vampires and quickly starts to parse out their politics. She tumbles and fights and navigates her way through the citadel. It’s fast paced and chaotic. Our MC will do anything for her own survival and fights every second of this charade. I like the contrast of the lavish party and the high stakes danger Kazan faces. I also appreciate the ending and the that she gets the I make the choice.

However the romance was so quick, it takes place over three days so I’m not even sure I would say it is romance. There is a connection and lust and potential and it explores that but it doesn’t claim to be love. This story isn’t a romantasy in the classic sense, it’s a whirlwind of fighting and vampires, the story doesn’t go further than that and we get as much development of the characters as you might imagine over 3 days.

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. Thoughts are my own.