Prince of Power

October 8, 2012
Staab’s strong sophomore effort continues the dark fantasy romance series begun with King of Darkness. The Master leads a group of wizards in killing vampires to absorb their powers. He ordered his son, Anton, to kidnap vampire king Thad’s kick-ass sister, Tyra, but Anton fell in love instead. Now eager to learn more about the Master’s plan, Tyra transports Anton to the vamp enclave, where he is viewed as a threat even after renouncing his past and proclaiming his intent to kill his father. Anton’s the perfect “fixer-upper” hero: virginal, horrifically mistreated by his father, and resigned to die. Pigheadedness occasionally threatens an otherwise poignant romance, which Staab balances well with two secondary plots involving likely future couples and a power struggle facing Thad. These are domesticated vampires who marry, have children, and mourn the deaths of loved ones; their emotional vulnerability increases the story’s pathos, but eliminates some of their bite.