Somehow I missed the one before this one but could not miss this one. This one is hum dinger with it fueling the adrenaline time and time again. This is coming in at a peak so it will also starts out fast. You have also though the evil one in here too so drama is not spared. Mina has to be rescued so we are also given to the edge action. That also awakens her hunger for Mikhail so we get to partake in the building of their relationship. This one will be intense and it will come to a conclusion. This one is a wowzer too. By the time the conclusion comes up you will be sad to let it go.

So far, the Vampire Blood series has given us vampire retellings of Cinderella, Red Riding Hood and Snow White. The series finale, The Emerald Lily, adapts the Sleeping Beauty story to the world in which humans and their vampire allies are rising up against the evil vampire queen.

Many aspects of the original fairytale make it into the story – the princess being both cursed and blessed at birth, falling into a magical sleep, and being awakened by a kiss from a prince. But as we learned from Shrek, rescuing the princess is not the end of the story, only the beginning.

Princess Mina has been in a bloodless sleep, essentially starved in to a coma, since early in the series. When the Bloodguard, an elite band of vampire mercenaries, learn of her location Captain Mikhael and a few of his best warriors set out to rescue her from her tower. They eventually reunite with the members of the Black Lily, including all the couples from the previous books, to work on a plan to kill the queen and her cruel son King Dominick. And Mina is instrumental in that plan.

Mikhael took a vow to forego relationships and family when he founded the Bloodguard, but he can’t deny his attraction to Mina. He’s torn between his desire for her and the need to avenge a wrong done to his family by the queen. I loved that his history brought another fairytale trope into the romance plot, but I’m not telling you which one because spoiler.

As much as it’s a fairytale, The Emerald Lily is the story of a woman who woke up one day and realized that her worth is not dependent on a man, despite what she’s been told her whole life. She pursues her pleasure and her man, as well as her rightful place as queen. The whole series is about a resistance movement but none of the previous books have felt quite so ripped from the headlines, which is ironic given the historical setting.

The Emerald Lily also incorporates a few of the world’s own fairytales, like the story of the heartstone’s creation, which I loved. Even though it’s a satisfying end to the series, I’d be happy to spend more time in this world. The Bloodguard and the Hartwolf clans are both just begging for a spinoff series!

Man what a reveal that was. Mikhail is absolutely enamouring with all his broodiness. Waking Mina up was OMG. But when he’s making that killing there, in the end, his emotional self is hanging all out there. And Mina kicked butt. She’s not going to be the complacent princess anymore. Who would have expected the White Queen to be that!?!? You go, girl!

By the way, do I sense a spin-off coming up next?

Received in exchange for a honest review.

What a great ending. Although I can honestly say I would like more in this series. Maybe Mikhail’s brother and sister in more books?

The book is filled with danger, magic, mystery of a prophecy, sadness, celebrations and love.

Mikhail is the Captain of the Bloodguard and what a captain he is. He is hiding who he is so that he keeps so many safe but at the same time he is helping to fight against the evil of Mogrid and her son Dominik. they are spreading fear and creating rogue vampires who they control and things do look bleak. Only there are many willing to fight back and Mikhail and the bloodguard are among them. They are not controlled by any faction and that makes them more dangerous for they do what is right and not what people want.

Mikhail is a strong, very capable and lethal warrior. He is also kind and caring. He has a lot of burdens he carries and now he is on a mission to save Mina. What he didn’t realize is by waking her up from her bloodless sleep he would be awakening his heart and her life as well.

Mina is a sweet princess but also a fighter. She learns so much from Mikhail and his men but she also learns that it is time for her to face the evil and those that are keeping her from her throne. This isn’t to say that claiming her throne would be easy for she is wanted to help envelop the world in dark magic. When she is awakened from her sleep her heart is as well. Awoken to her feelings for Mikhail but also her heart to fight and go up against those who are trying to harm the people has as well.

The road to peace isn’t an easy one and many trials and tribulations occur. We have Mikhail confused about his feelings and fighting them. We have Mina trying to figure out her world and those around her protecting her and standing with her to fight evil.

I love how all characters from previous books are there standing behind Mikhail and Mina to fight against the Queen and her son so they can have freedom and life again. So they have to live in fear and see peace in their future.

the struggle to get a resolution wasn’t easy for these characters. They have fought, lost loved ones and sacrificed but also had hope and joy. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat and you just gasp so many times with all that happens and watching Mikhail figure out where he needs to be and fall in love was wonderful just wonderful. A story of hope, love and sacrifice where we see evil be stricken and peace and love rejoice.

The Emerald Lily is the final book in Juliette Cross’s Vampire/fairytale mash up.

“You will grow even more beautiful and fair, yet you will walk in a waking slumber. When you are a woman, the dark queen will curse you with a living death.”
[…]
“But one day, darling girl, a prince will awaken your heart with a blood kiss. Not long after, you will drink fire into your soul and awaken the beast of vengeance and righteousness. And courage and hope.”


Now we have come to one of my favorite fairytales Sleeping Beauty and the retelling of this is just as original and empowering of women as it’s predecessors. Each heroine is different and plays off her strengths. The Black Lily is a deadly fighter, the Red Lily mastered her magic, the White Lily proved a woman with a mind and a pen can be invaluable to a revolution and now the Emerald Lily proves that the right leader and Queen can unite kingdoms and destroy all the evil in this world.

Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir (Mina( has been a side character in some way in all of the prior Vampire Blood books. She was at first a pawn to be married to the hero of The Black Lily. Later she has been held prisoner and the Evil Queen has put her in a bloodless sleep to hold her captive. The Queen has plans for Mina and the first child born to her and none of them are good.

Finally in The Emerald Lily someone has been sent to save her from the terrible fate that awaits in the Queen’s clutches. Mikhail Romanov is the epitome of everything a Knight in Shining Armor should be. He chose long ago to become one the Bloodguard, men who give up family and country ties to fight against the injustices they find in the world. He is even captain of the Bloodguard and is sent to rescue Mina, but to wake her from the Bloodless sleep he must first give her a bloodkiss to bring her out of the nightmare she has been suffering from for some time.

Mina might break him. Our good Captain never wanted to fall in love it will undermine all of the reasons he became Captain of the Bloodguard. But Mina calls to him in a primal way and it seems like fate that fickle bitch has other things planned for Mikhail.

“I want you so much, I feel like if I don’t make you mine soon, then some part of me will break away and disappear into the unknown. Then another will break away and another, until there’s nothing left of me at all but a hollow void. A shell of a man.”


I like Mina, she has been a prim and perfect princess but now it is time to step up and be the Queen her kingdom needs and that means it is time to stop playing nice and finally take the Kingdom that is rightfully her back. The resistance needs her help if there will be any chance against the evil Queen.

This was a great wrap up to the overall arc against the evil Queen and her equally vile son. I really enjoyed the secrets to Mikhail’s past and how it seemed to fitting that he would find Mina in this world because she is perfect for him. I liked the endings that all of the couples from the prior books got and how they all fit together in the end of The Emerald Lily. This has been a fun series. There are some great sexy times, moments that leave you on the edge of your seat and a few tears were shed but I’m glad of where it all ended up here at the finish line.

Thank you to Netgalley and Juliette Cross for providing me with an arc of this book.

I'm always a bit sad when I pick up the last book in a series. I'm always torn between wanting to know how things wrap up and not wanting it to be over. That's how I felt when I finally picked up my ARC of The Emerald Lily. I've loved this series and it's unique paranormal take on some of my favorite fairy tales.

I won't lie. I was super excited for this book after the last one revealed that it was going to be a Sleeping Beauty retelling. While it was not my favorite book in the series, I loved this one! I've wanted to know more about Princess Vilhelmina since we first were introduced to her in book one but I will admit that finding out more about Mikhail and his enigmatic Blood Guard eclipsed her storyline for me.

While the romance was a bit predictable with the whole "awaken the princess from a deep sleep with a kiss" thing, but I enjoyed the hell out of Mina and Mikhail's chemistry. They're perfect together and have that kind of angsty push and pull dynamic that's like crack to read. I loved learning these two's backstories and watching them fall for each other. I really enjoyed seeing characters from previous books make an appearance as the climax and final battle approached.

I don't want to say to much about the plot or the fairy tale elements in this story because it would be a bit spoilery if I did. But I will say that there were a few twists that I didn't see coming that made me gasp out loud while reading. In my opinion, this book was a pretty satisfying conclusion to the series. Although, I did think that the final battle was over a bit too quickly but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. That epilogue though was great! :)

I'm sad to see this series end but it was one hell of a ride. I will be recommending it to all of my friends who love paranormal romance and fairy tale retellings. If you haven't picked the series up, now is a good time to grab them all and binge read the whole thing.

THE EMERALD LILY by Juliette Cross is book Four in the "Vampire Blood" series. This is the story of Princess Vilhelmina and Mikhail Romanov the Captain of the Bloodguard. I have read the previous books (and loved the!) but feel you can make this a standalone book if you choose to do so.
Mina was placed into a deep sleep by the Queen until the time came to force her into marring her son, King Dominik. Mikhail rescued Mina with a blood kiss that has opened her eyes to more than just being a wake, Mina finds that she is drawn to Mikhail. Mikhail and his group getting read to do battle that will hopefully end all the torturing that has been going on. Mina is a distraction that he really can't afford but one he is helpless to stop. King Dominik isn't giving up easily what he wants too.
I have been so in love with this series! I love the somewhat dark/ hot fairy tales that Ms. Cross has been writing. This was a great Sleeping Beauty type story. I am sorry to see this series end and hope that she will have other books out soon!

Noooooooooo, why does this have to end?????!!!!!!!!

What an epic finish to an epic series! While this was a fantastic way to part with this amazing saga, I kept hoping Ms. Cross would find a way to sneak in some other stories. Still, I’m counting on a Bloodguard spinoff coming soon.

The Emerald Lily is definitely a book you want to read after you’ve gone through all the other Lilies (Black, Red and White) as the Vampire Blood series is one you must read in order to better appreciate the encompassing story arch. Each story involves a different couple but the evil plans of the Vampire Queen and her psycho-evil son, and the atrocities they commit in order to further their agenda start from the very first book until this last one.

This installment presents Princess Mina, originally intended to marry Marius (from the Black Lily), who has been put under house arrest in a bloodless sleep until further needed. The resistance, knowing the crown’s nefarious plans for Mina, set a rescue mission lead by the Bloodguard.

As this is a Sleeping Beauty cover, Mikhail, Captain of the Bloodguard must not only release the princess from her confinement but first wake her from her sleeping punishment with a blood kiss (totally hotter than what it sounds like).

That kiss changes everything for both Mina and Mikhail, but with the bloodguard comes an oath of fealty and a promise of no emotional entanglements. As such, Mikhail must resist this uncontrollable attraction he feels for Mina… if she’ll let him.

Tired of being the perfectly obedient and sweetly meek princess, Mina is not only going to help the rebellion in any way she can, she’ll fight for everything she wants. And she most definitely wants Mikhail. With a new fire burning in her veins, this sweet, delicate and loving girl becomes a strong, fiery and battle-ready woman keeping in form with the kick-ass heroines of this whole series. I especially loved witnessing Mina’s transformation, how little by little she let shine through what she actually always had been.

Mikhail was to die for. A trained fighter, alpha and bossy, he was totally sexy. His devotion to the cause and to his personal pursuit of justice was commendable. Fortunately, Mikhail and Mina’s chemistry was much too powerful to resist, and he eventually caves to temptation. He was also possessive, protective and had a seriously wide array of skills *wink*wink*.

With lots of action, suspense and the mystery surrounding Mikhail’s past and Mina’s prophecy The Emerald Lily did not fall short in either intensity or sexiness. I completely loved this last installment and, it bears repeating, I’m hoping for a Bloodguard spinoff coming soon as there were a couple of loose threads left hanging here and there. This one is going straight to my top ten favorites of paranormal series, it has humor, fights, good vs evil, sexy vampires, kick-ass heroines, lots of feels all in a fantasy-historical world I’ll definitely be revisiting. The Vampire Blood series by Juliette Cross is one I recommend for everyone.

With The Emerald Lily, JCross completes an engrossing series using her own spin on four fairytales, tying them all together with an overarching plot that is both compelling and relevant despite the historical setting. And she does so with aplomb! The Emerald Lily has nail-biting suspense, gut-wrenching emotion, raw and gritty action scenes, and sigh-inducing romance. It was a spectacular ending to the series!

Highlights

*ALL the Characters
The entire cast is present here as they gear up for the war that's been brewing - that they've orchestrated. The Emerald Lily, of course, focuses on Mina and Mikhail, but all the couples as well as secondary characters get a lot of page time and I was grateful for it as they each provide necessities for the story such as the comic relief Grant offers and the smiles little Izzy evokes. And while I'd already been introduced to Mina and Mikhail, The Emerald Lily proved they both were more than they appeared. I appreciated the character growth as we learned more about them - and they learned more about themselves and each other.

*Twists, Suspense, and Surprises
The Emerald Lily is fairly fast-paced and kept me flipping pages as quickly as I could. JCross managed to throw in a few twists that had me gasping and more than a few shocking incidents that had me shouting out loud as well as tearing up in my disbelief. Revelations about certain characters and events only added to the tension as I powered on eager to see how it would affect current situations and the overall outcome.

*Emotions
The Emerald Lily was a roller coaster rider, wringing so much emotion from me. There was never a dull moment and I felt fear, excitement, sadness, joy, hate, and love...my emotions ran the gamut.

*Visceral Action
JCross didn't shy away from violence. These people were at war against an evil monarchy who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Therefore, they met the violence head on. JCross left no doubt as to whether there were limits to the violence the monarchy would inflict and it was appalling to witness. The rebellion suffered greatly but never lost focus. The action added depth to the story overall as well as keeping the tension and excitement levels high.

*Balance
One of the best things about The Emerald Lily was how well JCross balanced all the elements. There was just enough action, just enough suspense, the right amount of character development, and the perfect amount of romance to create a superb story!

I don't think I could have asked for a more thrilling and satisfying ending. JCross has made a fan of me and I look forward to reading more from her.

5 Stars - 3 Flames

DISCLAIMER - YOU SHOULD READ THE PREVIOUS BOOKS TO TRULY UNDERSTAND CERTAIN THINGS WITHIN THE STORY LINE.

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Please tell me that there will be a spin off or....something. This can't be the end!!!!

I've enjoyed...no, LOVED, each of these books. Each book possessing the intrigue and lust that comes along with vampire books. But there was always something a little more, and this last installment doesn't disappoint.

Mikhail, Captain of the Bloodguard, is on a mission to wake Princess Mina from her Blood sleep. As the Captain, he feels it's his duty and right to rescue her and keep her safe so that the evil Queen can't destroy his land. Well...that was his original plan until he actually woke her with a kiss that sparked more than her awakening. Now he finds himself struggling to keep his mind and hands off of her.

Mina was put in to a Blood sleep, apparently awaiting to be woken to marry King Dominik. But that's not really where her story starts. No, her story started when she was born and the evil Queen placed a spell on her, only to be saved by another. So what's in story for her and the future?

Cryptic? Good. I don't want to give anything away in this review. But let me say that although I loved the other books in the series, this is BY FAR my favorite. Don't believe me? Here are the emotions I went through while reading:
OMG! So HOT. Um....WTF? Are you kidding me? Mmmm. NOOOOOOO!!!! What?! How? But. Wait. Um....HOLY SH!T! Awe.

Now it's your turn. Enjoy!

reviewed by Christina

The Emerald Lily is the conclusion to Juliette Cross' Vampire Blood series, which featured retellings of some of our favorite fairy tales including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and now, Sleeping Beauty. These were all really unique stories loosely based on the original fairy tales with some very grown up twists. I do not recommend reading these stories as standalones, you will want the continuing story arc that starts with our Cinderella vampire slayer in The Black Lily.

The final heroine of the series is Vilhelmina "Mina" Dragomir, the fair blonde princess and heir to Arkadia, and the former betrothed of Prince Marius Varis. As punishment for her betrayal to the villainous Queen Morgrid, Mina was put into a bloodless sleep, a form of starvation torture for vampires. But fate decreed that Mina would be awoken from her sleep by a blood kiss from a dark prince, and it would set her on the path to fulfilling her destiny. I have liked Mina from the outset in The Black Lily. I hated that she lost her friend and blood servant, but I liked that she came out of her sleep with a mind for vengeance and justice. Over the course of the story, we will watch Mina go through a period of personal growth and self-actualization. She became quite a strong heroine before it was all said and done.

Our dark prince in this installment is Mikhail Romanov, captain of the Blood Guard, the band of mercenaries that fight for justice and against those rules in the Glass Tower. I was totally digging Mikhail in the last book, The White Lily, and I was waiting for his story with grabby hands. Mikhail is dark and mysterious and lethal... and I thought the cover model on this book was a good representation of his character. It was easy to get wrapped up in Mikhail's turmoil over his duty to the Blood Guard and his growing feelings toward Mina. I thought the mystery of Mikhail's past and origins added a fascinating aspect to his character, and I enjoyed watching that get revealed.

The relationship between Mina and Mikhail was intense and a bit tumultuous due to Mikhail's aforementioned turmoil between duty and love. I loved that Mina was determined to get what she wanted even if she had to use her feminine wiles to tempt Mikhail until his control snapped. And I certainly loved seeing that hard won control snap to reveal Mikhail's alpha tendencies and passionate side. I think these two were paired well together.

As this was the end to the series, things come to a head between the Black Lily rebellion and Morgrid and Dominick's evil. I can't decide who I hated more - Morgrid or Dominick. They both had sadistic proclivities... Dominick's were more sadistically sexual and Morgrid's leaned more toward violent darkness. Neither villain inspired any sympathy on my part and I couldn't wait to see how they were defeated.

Only one thing bothered me about this book and that was a word choice, specifically the copious use of "till" instead of "until." I know that the use of "till" as a preposition dates back to Old English/Norse, but it just didn't work for me and once I saw it, I couldn't unsee it. So it threw me out of the story every time I saw it. I couldn't stop thinking of a farmer out tilling his field. Most people probably won't have a problem with this, and I probably would not have either if I had been in a better mood this week.

If you like retellings and/or fantasy romance, I highly encourage this series, or any other book by this author. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Entangled.

“Beautiful things can often be the most deadly.”

The Emerald Lily is the fourth and final book in the Vampire Blood series by Juliette Cross. I have been a fan of Juliette’s work from the very first book. This series has captivated me from the start as I followed this band of rebels through each story in their quest for freedom and equality. In the first book The Black Lily was but an unorganized spread out bunch who wanted to free the humans from their lives of servitude to the vampire hierarchy. Now, by the final book they are organized, stronger and ready for war.

I have to mention that the prologue in each one of these books stole my breath away. This book centers on Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir, known as Mina. Mina was first betrothed to Marius in the first book but she freed Marius to marry his love, Arabelle. Now, against her wishes, the evil queen has decreed that Mina will marry her other son, the evil King Dominik. Mina had been kidnapped by the Queen’s army and imprisoned in a tower in her own kingdom where she was starved and forced into a bloodless sleep. When the Black Lily heard of this travesty, they planned her rescue. They would not allow Mina to be held in the clutches of the Queen and her son.

Even the strongest of vampires cannot withstand the torture of the bloodless sleep. But in Mina’s dreams, she saw a dark prince that would awaken her with a blood kiss that would save her. So she was not afraid when such a man spoke softly in her ear and told her not to be afraid, that he was there to save her, and kissed her, feeding her his own blood to awaken her.

Mikhail Romanov is the Captain of the Bloodguard, an independent army of a sort of mercenaries that are currently aligned with the Black Lily. It is Mikhail that led his most elite to rescue the princess and who himself climbed the tower and kissed her. Any member of the bloodguard has vowed not to allow himself in any committed relationship or marriage. Any such distraction could mean death to himself or any of his brothers in battle. But one kiss is all it took for Mikhail to fall. It felt like fate that he be the one that woke Mina.

Mina had always been the perfect, complacent princess. But when she was awakened, something else within her awoken as well. Her beast. And her beast wanted Mikhail.

“Time to put the sweet princess to sleep for good and let the passionate woman take the lead.
She knew he included himself among the dangers that threatened her. What he hadn’t quite come to understand was that for once in her life, she yearned for a taste of danger.”

This book was the perfect wrap up to this series. All of our beloved characters have come together for the final confrontation. Both Mina and Mikhail struggle with what is expected of them, and what they want which is each other. Their duty versus the passion building between them. This book is sexy and intense, beautiful and horrible, all at once. There are lives saved, and lives lost.

This series needs to be read in order. Each book centers on a different couple but the story thread runs throughout. So if you haven’t already, start with book one and meet The Black Lily. You will fall under their spell just as I did. I think this series is a work of art. I can’t wait to see what Juliette Cross is going to do next!

“We are the Bloodguard. Noble by birth, brothers by choice. We smite the evil ones. We avenge the innocents. We right all wrongs. We are the cold blade in the dark night. We give our swords, our bodies, our strength, and our blood. We bleed as one. We die as one”

Mikhail is Captain of the Bloodguard. A force of mercenary vampires pledged to fight for the innocent. He and his best warriors set about rescuing the princess from her tower.
Princess Vilhemina has been starved of blood and kept unconscious until the time she will be forced to marry. The evil Queen needs just one more thing to make her rule absolute. Our hero and those who think like him will do anything to stop that happening. He has an extra reason for what he will do that nobody knows. Our heroine, like the previous ones might remind you of your favourite childhood tales, but these are certainly not for children.
This is the final book in a series that should be read in order. Each book has it's own separate part of the continuing story where the humans and "good " vampires rise up against the madness of the evil queen and her son. We meet lots of great characters. Some with magic and some without. Lots of battles and scary moments along with sexy romance.
A fascinating series. I loved it.

The Emerald Lily is the fourth and final book in the Vampire Blood series by Juliette Cross.

Danger, Intrigue, Subterfuge, & Romance.

This series captured me from the very first book with it’s unique twist on fairy tails and vampires. I can't express how much I've loved this series, diving into the books, and being taken away. In The Emerald Lily we get Sleeping Beauty, which is my favorite fairy tail, next to Beauty and the Beast.

WOW! I didn’t think Ms. Cross could surprise me anymore then I’ve already been in this series, but she did. I was not expecting the mind-blowing and extraordinary moments delivered throughout the story and that introduction gripped me and gave a taste of what is to come.

I loved Mikhail who is the Captain of the Bloodguard, a renegade vampire group and Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir who has been cursed and put into a blood sleep by the evil Queen.

Cross teases us throughout the book about a secret that Mikhail has been keeping as well as what our Fair Princess is to become in order to save the humans and vampires who have suffered under the evil Queen and her son’s rule. I was not expecting several of the heart-stopping moments or the secrets that came to life. Even when the final battle happens, we know in war not everyone comes out alive or unscathed, and those loses had me in tears.

I absolutely loved the story about how the hearthstone came to be. I loved seeing everyone come together; Cinderella (The Black Lily), Red Riding Hood (The Red Lily), Snow White (The White Lily), and now Sleeping Beauty. It all felt like a wonderful way to conclude. Loved the hidden secrets and was surprised by what Vihlemina becomes.

The Emerald Lily delivered on all fronts and concluded the series marvelously. I’m sad to see this series end, but wow what a way to end it all.

Rated: 5 Stars

*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

*4.5 Stars!

"Perhaps I was born to be a warrior, not a princess."

I am so unbelievably unprepared for this series to be over! I loved everything from their creative fairytale retelling aspects to the way every book seemed to outdo the last. I honestly would be ecstatic if there were ever a spin off series or even a novella (maybe involving Grant and Katya? That could be interesting)! Even still, this was a spectacular fiery and heart-pounding finale and I'm grateful to have followed along for the ride!

Sent on an urgent mission from the Black Lily to rescue Princess Mina of Arkadia from her imprisonment in a bloodless sleep by the wicked Queen Morgrid, Mikhail finds the previously passive and gentle royal to be the last thing he expected. Their blood kiss awakens feelings that neither of them can deny. Mina finds that she is meant for so much more than she ever dreamed while Mikhail finds that he is tempted in more ways than the Captain of the Bloodguard or his own personal vendetta should allow time for. But, they don't have much time to figure things out. A war is coming. Battling secrets, prophecies, magic, and rabid vampires, can they emerge victorious?

I am having such a hard time deciding which of these books is my favorite. Honestly, I could argue with myself for hours on this. I wish this book had been longer but Mina and Mikhail are pretty amazing together as is. I love that the quiet and docile Mina turned out to be the fiercest of them all. That final battle was made up of some serious badassery. However, not everyone made it out unscathed. Will our heroes finally prevail against the tyrants of Izeling and the Glass tower? Will humanity be saved? Or will Queen Morgrid succeed in plunging the world into darkness and leave nothing on their graves except a single Emerald Lily?

***5 ‘By the Stars, You’re Going to Kill Me’ Stars***

Now THAT was a way to end a series (though I’m crossing my toes real hard in hopes that there will be a spin off because there NEEDS to be one), not that I thought it would be anything less than epic, but that was unexpected. Then again, with all the twists and turns throughout this book, that ending was the only way to go. The Emerald Lily had a good balance of humor and drama, characters I could (and did) fall in love with, all kinds of crazy smexyness and even a few evil eye inducing moments (though I could have done without them ~ but I will work on letting that go) that kept me turning the pages until the very end.

Ever since meeting the men of the Bloodguard I wanted (NEEDED) to know more about them. I mean they are vampire mercenaries with honor, how could anyone NOT want to know more about them. So when I found out Mikhail, The Captain of the Bloodguard, would be our hero and that we’d be getting a whole #SleepingBeautyReVamped fairytale vibe with Princess Mina, I was all kinds of ready to dive in and I adored them both.

Mikhail is broody (though he does have reason to be) but it’s the kind of broody that comes with having a sharp focus on one specific goal, one that he’s determined to see come to pass. So, I obviously adored the Captain before diving into the book, but I loved getting to see underneath the broodyness. He’s code of honor is of the highest regard and his loyalty to the Bloodguard is almost as intense as his focus on his goal. But mixed in with that is a huge heaping of compassion and charm, which only made the lethal vampire that must more appealing.

I liked Mina after what she did in The Black Lily and wondered what her role would be in the series and did she have a pivotal role to play, but before all of that came to light I really liked how she handled everything coming at her after being awakened. Her gift definitely helped her, but she found her strength and her center and while she may have been uncertain about the outcome of some of her decisions, she felt confident in her own convictions of what was right to take the risk no matter what.

I’ve tried to write this part of my review a few times and deleted it a few times, why? Probably because I don’t want to give a way too much, especially if you aren’t on GR and didn’t see one of my updates, so the short and sweet...I loved their journey. It had the right amount of sexual tension, push/pull and that inexplicable knowing between the characters that there was something more going on between them than just the physical and the fact that they had a common goal. PNR does give a little leeway in the whole ‘Insta’ realm, but it was done right here. Mikhail and Mina were simply good together. The honesty, the mutual respect and the need to protect while helping the other become stronger was what had me rooting for them to get their HEA and boy did they.

I know I don’t have to say it, but for the purpose of being transparent and obvious, I am a fangirl of the author. She has a way of bringing the world, it’s back history and the characters to such vibrant life that, if it were for the series falling under PNR, you’d believe you could visit it in truth. I loved the way she took the Sleeping Beauty fairytale and made it her own, an example is the prologue. It was brilliantly done and set the stage for how the story would play out, but still gave her wiggle room to play with it, which she did very well and I loved the twist in the end.

As this is the last book of the series, I find myself in that place where I loved how things ended, but am seriously crossing my toes for a spinoff series to happen. While the main story arc has been closed, there are so many characters that deserve/need/should have the opportunity to have their own stories told with an HEA. The members of the Bloodguard, the Hart wolves, as well as some of the other secondary characters we’ve met along the way. I loved hanging out with them and want more. So, here’s to hoping that an announcement about a spinoff will be made sooner rather than later.

Cross blends the classic fairytale of sleeping beauty into a completely enchanting adult adventure, thrusting the reader into magic, mayhem and maybe even a wedding…

Princess Vilhelmina was cursed by the evil vampire queen at birth because her father would not promise her to the evil queen’s son as a bride. An old woman, that just happened to be connected to the source of all magic, twists the curse into a prophecy to save them all.

Mikhail, the captain to the blood guard, rescues Vilhelmina from the queen’s son’s clutches. This rescue ignites the prophecy and the chance to free them all from the evil that has taken their land.

This is a marvelous nail biting adventure and a highly recommend read for all you fantasy fans out there.

This feels like the perfect conclusion to an amazing series. All the loose ends have been tied up, every character that we've come to love and even the ones we've come to hate have all made their appearances and Cross, once again, manages to amaze the reader with her ability to pull us into a magnificently devolved fantasy world with words.

I received this ARC copy of The Emerald Lily from Entangled Publishing, LLC. This is my voluntary and honest review. The Emerald Lily is set for publication Jan. 29, 2018.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Juilette Cross
Series: Vampire Blood
Sequence in Series: 4
Print Length: 281 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Publication Date: January 29, 2018
Sold by: Macmillan
Genre: Fantasy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Emerald-Lily-V...
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Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-...

Reviewed for: http: tometender.blogspot.com

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Publisher's Description:

When Princess Vilhelmina Dragomir is awakened from her hellish sleep with a blood kiss from a handsome stranger, she learns that much has changed while she’s been away. The armies of the Black Lily and the vampire Crown have amassed and are on the brink of war.

No romantic entanglements, no family. Mikhail Romanov, Captain of the Bloodguard, took a vow when he joined the Bloodguard. But he never planned for the gut-punching attraction he would feel for the untouchable princess. He must keep his focus, though. In order to avenge his family, it’s essential he help Mina claim her crown and keep his damn hands off of her.

But Mina sets her heart on the elusive captain, and keeping his focus on the great battle ahead becomes harder and harder. While they're making plans, the evil King Dominik has been making some of his own. This time, he will show no mercy to the Princess...

Each book in the Vampire Blood series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 The Black Lily
Book #2 The Red Lily
Book #3 The White Lily
Book #4 The Emerald Lily

My Thoughts:

Although I don't read much paranormal type romance this vampire series of books based on well loved fairytales has been one I couldn't resist.
This book is loosely based on Sleeping Beauty. The beginning let's us know that and then we include vampire characters from the previous three books as well as our newly introduced hero and heroine.
I loved all of these books to date and if there are more I would be interested in reading them also.
I gave this book 4.5 of 5.0 stars for storyline and character development and a sensual rating of 3.5 of 5.0 flames.
The intimacy is not what makes this a good story but it does add to the enjoyment.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley to read and review.
This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I just finished the Emerald Lily and my only regret is that I haven't read the other Lily books! What you can't see from the cover or the blurb is that these four books are actually re-tellings of fairy tales. So my favorite fairy tales, vampires and a hot prince? Yep, totally works for me!

The Emerald Lily is the re-telling of Sleeping Beauty a.k.a. Vilhelmina Dragomir (or Mina for friends). While the events leading up to the bloodless sleep Mina is forced into is explained in the earlier books of the Vampire Blood series, you can understand the story perfectly well without having read them.

She is brought back to life by a blood kiss by Mikhail Romanov, who helps her escape King Dominik. On their journey we meet the characters of the other stories (#1 Cinderella - The Black Lily, #2 Red Riding Hood - The Red Lily, #3 Snow White - The White Lily). While Mina discovers that during her sleep a lot has changed in the world, she also discovers that she the blood kiss didn't only awaken her body: no longer the dutiful princess who listens to what others tell her to do.
And she is determined that the hot captain of the bloodguard will be part of her future. But Mikhail has sworn an oath to bloodguard to avenge the death of his parents. And the beautiful Mina is a distraction to his cause. And with secrets of his own, Mikhail is convinced he is not worthy of the Princess. Still, he can't stay away from her or deny their mutual attraction. With danger lurking everywhere: will they be able to stop the evil King? Or will they be lost forever?

Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

See my Goodreads review linked below