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Alyxandra Harvey gets her vampire series, The Drake Chronicles, off to a rousing start with Hearts at Stake.  This is another fun 2010 Debut Author title.  I have to admit that I was feeling a little tired of blood suckers until I picked up this title.  Then, oh, my, I could not put it down.  Any book that keeps me up past my bedtime gets a huge cheer from me.

From the Amazon:

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.

Talk about fun!  This book has everything – action, adventure, intrigue, romance.  It is an exciting romp through Alyxandra Harvey’s imagination, giving a very entertaining spin on the vampire genre.  Solange is special because she is a born female vampire, there’s a prophesy that she’ll be the next vampire queen, and her family possesses ancient blood lines.  Proud, rich, and powerful, the Drakes have carved out quite a name for themselves in the vampire hierarchy.  They get booted out of the royal court, however, once Solange is born, because the current vampire queen is afraid of losing her kingdom to the Drakes.  Prophesies are such troublesome things, and Solange has no interest in becoming the queen.  She just wants to live through her change and keep her family safe and sound.  Once they discover that there’s a bounty on their heads, that seems like a distant dream, and just staying alive have become a very difficult task.

The story is narrated by Solange and her best friend, Lucy in alternating chapters.  Through their eyes, the race for survival takes on a new urgency.  Each girl possesses a distinctive voice, and their brushes with danger and romance sound convincing and real.  Solange comes from a huge family, and since they are immortal, there are many diverse personalities to give the book character.  I am looking forward to reading more about the Drakes, and with seven brothers, there is no shortage of heroes for subsequent installments.

The book is a very fast read, and its frenzied pacing makes the pages turn in rapid succession.  With the Drakes betrayed at every turn, they are quickly sucked into a maelstrom of danger and intrigue.  Solange and Lucy don’t make things easy, either, because they are both impulsive and impatient.  Neither one of them is willing to sit on the sidelines while others are in danger, and this leads to an even bigger mess for the Drakes to untangle.  

For an exciting vampire romp, look no further than Hearts at Stake.  With non-stop action, oodles of deadly confrontations, and heady romance, this won’t disappoint fans of the genre.  I bet that you won’t be able to put it down either!

Grade:  B+

Review copy provided by publisher