Full disclosure: I only read up to page 134 before deciding there was absolutely no point to finishing this.
I didn't have high expectations of a pseudonymous vampire novel - but I did expect better than this. I expected some trashy fun costume drama, but this was simply a slog.
It's very poorly written, in an annoying first-person present tense, with an awkward mix of faux "old-style" language and contemporary phrasing. The main character, ostensibly Elizabeth Tudor, is not believable as a powerful woman or as a person of her era. None of the characters or settings come to life. The author (who knows who really wrote this thing?) has trouble with the definitions of words (Hint: 'querulous' means 'whiny and complaining', NOT 'questioning and demanding'.)
I guess I was supposed to care whether Elizabeth will succumb to the seductive vampire king, who just happens to be Mordred, son of King Arthur(! - why?), but I didn't. And by page 134, there still hadn't been any explicit sex (though there was a bit of swooning and spooning).
I was willing to read this for any of the following: historical drama, fun bloody vampire story, or racy scenes. I found none of those.
I'll give it this: it has a nice cover. Kudos to the graphic designer.

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The storyline begins on the eve of Elizabeths coronation when she comes into her vampire slaying powers. She is the descendant of the first slayer, Morgaine Le Fay who was Mordreds lover and in the end his enemy. Mordred is the son of King Arthur who decided to turn to the dark side and become a vampire after his Christian father refused to make peace with them. In a twist of fate, Mordred is made their King. His ultimate goal is to reclaim his right to the throne of England and now is his chance if he can just seduce Elizabeth. Elizabeth as other plans but now she is conflicted between Mordred and her vow to let no man rule her. She is constantly being torn between Robert Dudley, Mordred and England. Who will win?

I have to say that I had high expectations for this book. Since Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, Ive been a fan of mash-ups and thought that The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor would be just as great. Unfortunately it fell flat for me. The actual weaving of the fantasy part into Elizabeths real life just didnt work for me. In all honesty, I enjoyed reading Mordreds point of view better than Elizabeths. I am not saying to not read this book but I would definitely suggest checking it out at your local library.

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