After the mess that was FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, I found myself desiring something sexy that would actually whet my appetite without offending my literary sensibilities. I found the perfect fit for these qualifications in THE SIREN by Tiffany Reisz and its sequel, THE ANGEL. And they had the benefit of coming out back to back with a limited wait between each. Even though I had to wait a few extra weeks to get my hands on book three in the series, THE PRINCE, I knew in my heart that I would love it.But I have to be honest… THE PRINCE let me down. Just a bit.Back in action we find our usual cast of Sinners. If you have not read THE SIREN or THE ANGEL, please turn away now because I might spoil a bit of those two. You’ve read them, you say? Good. Let’s continue. As I said, the sinners are back, still sinning. The intricacies of the relationships involved are brought to the boiling point as each character is thrust into a situation that they never expected. In THE PRINCE, we find three focuses – Kingsley and Søren’s boarding school past, Kingsley and Søren’s present as they investigate strange occurrences that threaten to ruin the Underground, and Nora’s trip to Kentucky to be with Wesley and meet his very unsupportive family who harbor their own interesting secrets (secrets that make THE PRINCE a very apt title).Ever since THE ANGEL, this story has been as much about the intrigue and mystery as it has the sex, and that has been the thing that has set it apart as a vastly superior contrast to FIFTY SHADES. The sex is hot, and the BDSM does not shy away from the cold, hard truths about what goes on in this community. And in the intrigue department, THE PRINCE ratchets up the tension to 11. There is clearly someone determined to destroy everything that Søren, Kingsley, and Nora hold dear.The ending… THAT ENDING. It will blow your mind, and is one of the many reasons you should read this series.I should probably let you know why THE PRINCE, though, gets only four stars. Don’t get me wrong. Four stars means this one is VERY worthy of your time and money, but there was just something that I hung up on. The story at times meandered towards slowness. The entire part about Talel seemed like an afterthought to give Nora and Wesley something to do besides have their own alone time, which would have dragged the story even more. I found myself at times skipping through some of the Kingsley and Søren scenes because they dragged.And I predicted the villain early on. When I found out that my suspicion was correct, I was disappointed, even though the ending is still ridiculously awesome – it just lacked the full effect since I saw it coming.I am going to be sitting here on pins and needles until THE MISTRESS is released. In the meantime, you still have plenty of time to catch up on this series. It is worth your time – and worthy of what FIFTY SHADES is getting and then some.VERDICT: Although the villain was predictable and the story at times dragged, THE PRINCE is a worthy addition to the Original Sinners series, one of the best BDSM erotic suspense series out there. Give this one a read.
