Vameer by S.J. Tilly

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rune
Today is my thirtieth birthday. My parents mailed me a gift, like they always do, but I accidentally nick my thumb while opening the box.
A tiny drop of blood wells on my skin. And without thought, I press the tip of my thumb between my lips and close my eyes.
When I open them, I’m no longer in my apartment.
I’m on the side of a mountain. Standing in the rain.
Convinced this isn’t real, I seek shelter in a cave. But I’m unable to stop myself from moving deeper into the cavern.
Where I find him.
A man, lying inside a hidden chamber, sleeping atop an altar.
My body is not my own as I walk closer. As I reach out to touch him.
To see if he’s real.
But then a force stills my hand above his face. And my heart… stops beating. The muscle freezes inside my ribs.
While I panic, unable to move, I watch as a single drop of blood beads on my thumb. And falls. Landing perfectly between his parted lips.
He opens his eyes. My heart finally resumes beating. I stumble back, falling…
And land on my apartment floor.
It was a dream. A hallucination. Not real.
Except my clothes are wet.
And I feel the weight of him inside my chest.

Vameer
I only meant to lie down for a little while. A few weeks to rest.
Gods, I just needed to rest.
But instead of waking on my own, I’m woken by the unmistakable taste of my mate’s blood on my tongue.
We lock eyes. My solid black orbs to her human ones. But then she disappears.
When I follow her scent to the entrance of the cave, I find that the world has changed.
I don’t know where my mate went.
I don’t know how to find my brother.
But I know I must find both of them before my enemies do.
And I fear I may have slept longer than I meant to.

Vameer

When an Ancient Vampire Wakes Up for His Mate

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚🖤
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋😉😎😮😍
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Full Cast Duet Narration

Characters and Plot Summary

Vameer is the second book in S.J. Tilly’s Bonded Souls series, and after getting a glimpse of Volik’s story, I was very curious about his mysterious older brother. Vameer is one of the oldest and most powerful vampires alive, but instead of dealing with the modern world, he has spent the last 103 years asleep in a cave in Patagonia. He originally intended to rest for only a few weeks, so waking up to discover that more than a century has passed is quite a shock.

His awakening is caused by Rune, who is magically transported into his cave on her thirtieth birthday after accidentally cutting her thumb. A single drop of her blood lands on Vameer’s lips, awakening him and revealing that she is his mate. The catch is that Rune disappears almost immediately, leaving Vameer with no idea where she went. I loved how their bond begins affecting both of them before they even properly meet. They experience the pull toward one another, see each other through glass and mirrors, and are drawn toward actions that will eventually bring them together.

Vameer is particularly fun because he is essentially a warrior from another era dropped into the twenty-first century. Vampires have publicly revealed themselves to humans, shifters have recently done the same, and Vameer suddenly has to understand electricity, computers, cell phones, and the internet. His friendship with the Irish men who run the nearby bar was one of my favorite parts because they help him navigate the modern world while he casually pays them with ancient gold coins that are now worth a fortune.

Highlights and Limitations

For me, Vameer himself was the biggest highlight. He is immensely powerful, fiercely protective, and unapologetically violent when someone threatens his mate, but I appreciated that he isn’t needlessly cruel. His warrior mentality comes from centuries of fighting, and there is something incredibly satisfying about watching all that power turn toward protecting Rune.

I also really enjoyed the humor created by Vameer’s culture shock. Seeing this ancient vampire trying to understand modern technology could have become a gimmick, but it actually adds personality to him. He learns remarkably quickly, and watching his friends introduce him to things that we take completely for granted was genuinely entertaining.

The reunion between Vameer and Volik also stood out to me. Considering how long Volik has been searching for his missing brother, their meeting carries genuine emotional weight. I liked that their relationship isn’t reduced to simply being two powerful vampires. There is history and affection underneath all the teasing and larger-than-life personalities.

The one thing I wanted more of was information about Vameer’s enemies. The story establishes that he has dangerous enemies and that the government may be violating the treaty between humans and vampires, but I found myself wanting a clearer picture of exactly who was behind it and why. Given Vameer’s history, I think more detail about his past conflicts would have made the threat feel even more personal.

Narration

The narration is a strong part of this audiobook. Samantha Brentmoor, Walker Williams, Chloe Ryan, and Sean Masters give the different perspectives enough distinction that I never felt lost when the story moved between characters. Samantha Brentmoor and Walker Williams especially work well for the central romance, giving Rune and Vameer different emotional textures while maintaining the intensity of their connection.

I also appreciated the way the narration handles the contrast between Vameer’s intimidating warrior persona and his sometimes amusing confusion with modern life. Those moments could easily lose their humor in a flatter performance, but the narration gives them personality.

At nearly twelve hours, the audiobook also gives the characters enough room to develop rather than feeling like a rushed paranormal romance. The multiple narrators add variety without making the production feel disjointed.

Final Thoughts

I had a great time with Vameer. What surprised me most was how much I enjoyed the fish-out-of-water aspect of an ancient vampire discovering a world that has changed almost beyond recognition. Vameer’s reactions to technology, his friendship with the Irish bar owners, and his emotional reunion with Volik gave the story more personality than I expected.

The romance between Vameer and Rune delivers the intense fated-mate connection I was hoping for, with plenty of attraction, possessiveness, and supernatural bonding. I particularly liked that their connection begins before their actual relationship does, making the pull between them feel almost impossible to escape.

I do wish the story had given us more detail about Vameer’s enemies and the government conspiracy, but that didn’t stop me from being invested. Vameer is powerful, protective, occasionally hilarious, and completely out of his time, which made him a fascinating hero to follow.

For fans of paranormal romance who enjoy powerful vampires, fated mates, possessive heroes, unusual supernatural lore, and plenty of heat, I think Vameer is a very entertaining addition to the Bonded Souls series. Like I said in my review of Volik, I hope a future book is about Dread the Druid. He has been a big part of this world so far. I would also love a book on the cursed man. Though it looks like the next will be Orion and Abigail (the alpha wolf and the baker), I will take it. I really like this world and the fact there is a good mix of action, romance and intimacy.

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