Book: OLD RETIRED EDITION — NOT the 2026 Rewrite — Collared by the Vampire Prince by Darcy Fayton
Reviewed by Your_bookish_fantasy
Rating: 4/5
What a book!! 🥵🥵
If dark fantasy mixed with BDSM is your vibe, I would definitely check this out! It's in the third person (also check the TW for the second book as you will need to read that immediately after this, and that book gets dark!!)
✨BDSM
❤️🔥Slow Burn
✨Paranormal - vampires/wolves
❤️🔥Sizzling Spice
✨Age gap
❤️🔥Genuine Enemies to lovers.
✨Virgin FMC
❤️🔥Strong FMC
✨He falls first
❤️🔥Morally Grey MMC
What a start to a duology/series. This has everything you want and need in a book; it even had stuff you didn’t know you needed in it - my eyes watered!
The banter between the two was hilarious, always trying to one up the other. Nathaniel is a vampire, Kira is a werewolf, and the dynamic is HOT. Their chemistry is explosive - i expected to hate the MMC, and my god did i! The old title gives away the main feature of the plot, which kind of surprised me with her being a virgin and it being a little tabboo.
The story is an age gap (he’s older) with a Dom/Sub dynamic, and there are MANY trigger warnings to check through first, so ensure to read those.
Also, a small note on the relationship between the FMC Kira & MMC Nathaniel - their relationship is a real genuine enemies to lovers, and boy, do you feel the hatred! There's also great banter, and there’s a few things that made me laugh and fair few that made me scream the page- It’s all just so well written!
The spice was great, I loved it, and I love how he explored that with her. I loved how comfortable he was being the dom and how even though she was a virgin, she was ready and willing and curious.
Like many others, i did wonder if this was just going to be pure smut, but truthfully, it has a brilliant plot.
Downside is that The school that is the main setting for the book and which Kira attends, doesn’t really provide clarity on its purpose or any history on why and how it was started, only a bit on how the building was aquired. It definitely could have been explored more as to why everyone was so accepting or even why the wolves were able to attend with vampires or why the wolves didn't all just ride up. Also, we didn't get much on the headmasters life or relationship, so that felt a bit 'thrown together' for me.
The worldbuilding is fabulous. There’s a lot going on to understand, and the story pacing is steady - just right to match the level of info given to the reader. I also loved the chapter names as they had me chuckling throughout - "Well done, pet. Halfway there. Now brace yourself - it's a long story, and I expect you to take it all."
And that ending?! I threw my Kindle, and i was ready to find the authors number and give her a piece of my mind!!
I will definitely be reading the next book.
Another reviewer said this, and I've had to add it to my review because I can't say it any better myself: Like any good BDSM, the pull between dominance and submission goes back and forth. Good scenes will tug at the pride and bring a flair of me just wanting to yelling at the characters. Ultimately, once the submission comes (even begrudgingly), I applaud the author for the working through the conflict. It's all better because of the paranormal gothic dystopian vibes. Well done!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.