Review by Booklist Review
Peeraphan, a kinnaree, or bird princess, from Thai mythology, meets vampire Bennet immediately after she steps into the cursed red shoes. Since her wings first appeared, Peerephan has known that she has special abilities but had barely explored them until the necessity of removing the shoes plunged her into the world of the supernatural. In the midst of meeting fae and witches and reconnecting with her distant cousin werewolf Thomas, Peeraphan learns to harness her abilities in a bid to join the Darke Consortium, an organization dedicated to safekeeping magical items. They are opposed by organizations, like those led by Bennet's former friend and fellow vampire Francesco, that seek to profit from magical items instead. The budding relationship between Peeraphan and Bennet builds organically through their adventure as they struggle to balance their romantic expectations with different life spans. This is a delightful read that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next book in the Mythwoven series.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Drake (the London Shifters series) launches her Mythwoven series with a spicy but shallow paranormal romance that blends Thai mythology with Hans Christian Anderson's "The Red Shoes." Contemporary Seattle dancer Peeraphan Rahttana has no idea that she's a kinnaree, a rare Thai bird princess, or that there's an underground magical world all around her. Then she unknowingly wears a pair of cursed shoes during a performance, putting her in the path of the Darke Consortium, an organization that seeks out magical objects to prevent mystical mayhem. Its leader is centuries-old vampire Bennett Andrews, who, despite being unusually powerful for his kind, is injured in his attempt to retrieve the shoes--and Peeraphan offers her blood to save him. With the shoes' curse--which forces the wearer to face their sins--already active, Peeraphan needs Bennett's help to free herself. In the process, she discovers her true nature and falls in love with Bennett. The kinnaree is a delightfully unusual supernatural creature to center, and there's potential in the ballet backdrop, but Drake does little to emphasize these unique elements amid familiar paranormal plot beats. As well, her stiff prose relentlessly spells out her characters' every thought and feeling, always telling, never showing. This one is only for diehard fans of the genre. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary Agency. (Apr.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Bennett Andrews has been sent by the Darke Collective, a band of supernaturals hunting dangerous mythical objects at the direction of an ancient dragon, to find the deadly red shoes before some poor dancer puts them on and dances to her death. He's too late to keep dancer Peeraphan Rahttana from putting them on--but he's not too late to save her. All he'll have to do is get her to accept that she's every bit as mythical as those shoes--and that she's capable of more magic than she ever believed in. Combining fairy-tale artifacts with mythical creatures and paranormal heroes and villains, this first book in the "Mythwoven" series sets up an urban fantasy world where the vampires and werewolves are the least unusual members of a band of treasure hunters bent on protecting the world. The budding romance between vampire Bennett and kinnaree (legendary Thai bird princess) Peeraphan gives the story its heart and provides readers with an entrée into a fascinating new series. VERDICT Drake's (Fighting Kat) new novel is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy romance and urban fantasy rooted in myths and legends.--Marlene Harris
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A vampire teams up with a woman who is unsure of the exact nature of her own supernatural abilities. Bennett Andrews is an old and powerful vampire. He works for a dragon who finances and oversees the Darke Consortium, whose purpose is to research and recover magical items that might pose a danger to humans. Bennett is on the hunt for a pair of cursed red shoes, which, once donned, will force the wearer to dance until they die. He finds the shoes on the feet of a beautiful and mysterious ballerina in Seattle. When the shoes arrived at rehearsal, Peeraphan Rahttana felt them calling to her and could not resist wearing them, only to discover they couldn't be removed. Bennett realizes that the shoes don't have the same power over Peeraphan that they do over other humans. She confesses that she might be a descendant of the kinnaree, a Thai bird princess. The kinnaree are magical creatures who lived in the Himmapan, the hidden mystical forests and mountains of Thailand. What she doesn't know is how she inherited their powers, including a pair of gorgeous swanlike wings, and how to control or use the magical talents she might have. Bennett is determined to teach Peeraphan what she needs to survive and understand the supernatural world she has entered. Their sweet, courtly romance evolves on their quest to save her from the shoes' curse. This is the first book in a new fantasy series by Drake, with a rich marriage of Thai-inspired mythology and more common paranormal creatures such as vampires and werewolves. The worldbuilding slows the book down but will likely pay off in future installments of the series. An engaging new fantasy series introduces supernatural creatures from Thai mythology and culture. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
