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Their Vampire Queen #3.5

Queen Takes Jaguars

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One vampire queen. Four jaguar Blood sworn to protect her.
Now all she needs… is the Aztec jaguar god to sire her heir.

Mayte has spent the last century increasing her power as queen of House Zaniyah by calling more Blood to her side. She loves her jaguar protectors, but even her alpha hasn’t been able to give her a child. Without a daughter to continue the queendom, their line—and the Zaniyah power—will die out.

She needs a god to sire her daughter, and for a queen who calls jaguars as Blood… only one god will do. Tepeyollotl is rumored to sleep in mythical Aztlán. Desperate for a daughter, she sets out to find the legendary origin site of the mighty Aztec people.

Though she has no idea how she’ll bend the formidable god to her will.

104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2018

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About the author

Joely Sue Burkhart

109 books1,918 followers
I write books. Sometimes I even finish them!

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5 stars
575 (40%)
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449 (31%)
3 stars
333 (23%)
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59 (4%)
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16 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
Profile Image for Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon).
1,770 reviews257 followers
December 29, 2019
✨ Read for the 2019 KU Shitathon™ challenge - [Halfsies Vol.2: July-December] - over at Maraya's Cave Of Freaking Wonders
◼ Plan A - Book: #12 of 13 ◼




#1. Maraya Tackles Knights ★½
#2. Maraya Tackles King ★★½
#3. Maraya Tackles Queen ★★½
#4. Maraya Tackles Rook ★★★½
#5. Maraya Tackles Checkmate Bitches ★★★
#6. Maraya Finally Done After Tackling Triune ★★★


Princess Takes Unicorns is included at the end of this.
Profile Image for Nicole.
1,580 reviews168 followers
July 6, 2021
I forget what I don't like novellas until I actually read novellas lol it was good, I like getting more from this world, but it just didn't hold my attention like Shara's story line... maybe I won't continue with the other novellas
Profile Image for Mary Rose.
645 reviews32 followers
May 14, 2024
I would have loved to have more story, especially how Mayte called her first Blood, but this was a nice glimpse into how she found her God Blood. I LOVE the special scene with her daughter and can't wait for her story!!
Profile Image for Leslie.
210 reviews
August 22, 2020
The excitement is building along with the suspense as to how this series will go on. Each story is better than the last. Can’t wait to see what happens next. Great explanations. 💜💜💜
April 1, 2019
Queen Mayre’s story! Truly fantastic. I loved that we were given her back story. Queen of the Jaguars finds her blood and a king to provide the special sauce for a daughter ♥️ A novella length book that I wished was longer because it was great.
Profile Image for Becca.
932 reviews12 followers
December 10, 2020
Short but good

I was sad that this was a novella and not a full length novel. Was dying to know more and find out all the secret tidbits referenced but not explained in the series.
Profile Image for Catherine.
1,060 reviews32 followers
January 21, 2019
“Queens are fearless. Strong. Protective. They wield their magic to protect their people. Queens take what they want. What they need. They don’t…” ... “They aren’t weak. They aren’t afraid. They don’t need to be hurt, even with love. They certainly don’t submit. Ever.”
“Who says these lies?”
��Me.” ... “I say these lies. To myself.”
- Mayte Zaniyah & Tezcatlipoca

I read this as part of the Realms and Rebels reverse harem anthology. I read it without ever having read any of the Their Vampire Queen series (first book Queen Takes Knights). There is an awful lot of complicated lore in this world, it does the best it can to explain the lore in as succinct a way as possible, it is understandable but sometimes I got a little lost.

There is a lot of focus on emotional intimacy in Queen Takes Jaguars but the focus in on protagonist Mayte's relationship with her Alpha Eztli. He is also a narrator. There is a brilliant scene in a hotel room with Mayte and all five members of her harem (Eztli, Maxtla, Luis and Diego) what is alternately hot as hell and devastating. Mayte is wonderful, she in some ways is all about duty, she needs an heir and she is risking her everything for it, her mates, her heart. Her men are charming. Mayte has a mysterious dream woman who is intriguing, series fans may who that is but I do not.

Mayte is a queen her monologue and talk of being a queen, the role she has to play, are just as relevant to being a woman. The book is so sex positive. I love the confidence and the owning of womanhood. This is a must-read for series fans but I would suggest it for anyone looking for anyone looking for someone to read who likes reverse harem. It is a pleasant read.

My reading experience in a gif:
description

Profile Image for Ciru.
1,578 reviews
January 3, 2019
Ladies and gentlemen, I am glad that this is my first book of 2019 as it has started off my reading year with a bang!!!!! I have so loved it, it feels like I am about to jump off this chair and, like Enya....



Mayte we met in Queen Takes Queen. Now, this is her backstory, from how she called her Blood to how she conceived Xochitl. FYI, I am sure I am not even pronouncing the names in this book correctly, but I love that they are genuine Aztec names.

So, this novella was about Mayte finding herself in order to grow as a queen, come into her own. I loved the writing, it was very poetic and descriptive in such a way that it is more than enough to describe a scene, but not bore you to death.

Basically...

"Everything was either trying to grow taller to find the sun above the canopy-or adjusting to life below the trees in near darkness."


I loved reading her story, finding out about her blood, seeing how Eztli was affected by her need for a baby and finally how Tepeyollotl came into the mix. I loved the smut, loved that Mayte had to voice, acknowledge and take her needs.

So, with just the novella, I would have been out of the world....but....my friends....but, we get to see Xochitl's story start taking shape. I won't spoil it for you, those last few pages with her story are in my opinion, the cream of this novella. The thoughts are that of a child, without it being written in a juvenile manner. We see how the gods are shaping things, playing a part behind the scenes... and she gets a taste of what Shara promised her.

It was...



Looking forward to the next book in the series and Queen Takes Camelot and Avalon and hopefully Xochitl's spin off. Love, loved this book (have I mentioned that?) glad I started 2019 off with it.
Profile Image for Teela (bookdragontee).
481 reviews61 followers
May 29, 2024
“I’m a queen,” I whispered, my throat shredding as if I’d swallowed sharp shards of obsidian. “Queens are fearless. Strong. Protective. They wield their magic to protect their people. Queens take what they want. What they need. They don’t…” I swallowed, wincing at the sour, bitter taste of fear on my tongue. “They aren’t weak. They aren’t afraid. They don’t need to be hurt, even with love. They certainly don’t submit. Ever.”

“Who says these lies?” Tezcatlipoca whispered, dragging his canines back and forth over the bumps of my spine.

“Me.” My teeth chattered, and I clutched the mirror so hard my fingers ached. “I say these lies. To myself.”

“Use this truth, queen, and take your jaguar god. If you dare.”


A wonderful, quick read that gives a closer look into Mayte and her Blood... and the story of how she managed to add an ancient God to her Blood, as well. I think my favorite aspect of this was just the visuals and general jungle aesthetic. Joley captures the setting beautifully, from the sights to the scents.

Mayte's relationship with her original four Blood is sweet, but I loved that Tepeyollotl forces her to face not only herself, but her truest desires, before acquiescing to her request. And that her Blood still vehemently love and support her... it's honestly beautiful.

Yes, the sexy times in RH/Why Choose stories is excellent, but those found family vibes, the emotional intimacy... it gets me every time! 😭

“If I must call you my little queen, and he is your alpha, then you must call me your heart.”

Tears burned my eyes. He stated his intentions so clearly. I could keep Eztli. He would always be my alpha. Tepeyollotl would bend to my wishes, even as he gave me the strength and control I had secretly desired. And, of course, he would give me the child I so desperately needed to continue the Zaniyah line.

All I had to do was love him, too.
190 reviews12 followers
January 9, 2019
Queen Takes Jaguars

This short story takes place in the universe of Their Vampire Queen series. Originally available in the Realms and Rebels boxset, it was re-released separately with the Princess Takes Unicorns short story. QTJ is Mayte’s story, and is a prequel to Shara’s story. It’s still part of Shara’sstory, but happens before she’s born. This is Mayte’s quest to try to fix the Aima curse and find a way to have a queen. I love this series, but if I had to rank them, I would say this is my least favourite in the series. It’s got a fair amount of pace to the story, but it just feels like it drags just a little bit compared to the others. I still really like the insight into Shara’s queen sib and seeing that much more into the Aima world, and I like it enough to have reread it a few times.

Princess Takes Unicorns

Originally, this was posted as a separate short story the author wrote. Since then, it has been bundled with Queen Takes Jaguars. Princess Takes Unicorn is Xochitl’s story, or the start of it at least. This is how the very young queen meets her first Blood, and a King at that. This is such a fun story. There’s no sex or anything like that, but it gives brilliant insight into Isis’ story, a bit more, as well as starting what I’m hoping will be another branch of the TVQ world. I love it; it’s so good.
Profile Image for Sara.
281 reviews131 followers
September 20, 2020
Ehh, not the biggest fan but didn't hate it either. It's a short story about Mayte before she meets Shara. It also has a small prequel short about her daughter at the end.

Now, I read according to the order listed here on Goodreads, but I feel like this was written way later than this. Because especially the princess short spoke of things that have definitely not happened yet in the 3 books I've read. So warning to other readers, this might spoil something? Not sure, though? We'll see when I continue the main story.

Anyways, story was fine. The main "truth" or challenge for Mayte is that she must face her true self.

All in all, eh, it was fine. Back to Shara now!
Profile Image for Vivian.
166 reviews7 followers
January 31, 2019
Mayte story was everything I was expecting and more. Although it was not Isador centered it had the feel of the world Joely created for her queens and their Blood. We get to experience the day to day of a queen that grew up in a nest and with the full knowledge of what she was, even if she was keeping a part of herself hidden from everyone. The quest for her God, the desire to have a heir and the healing powers makes her a different type of queen when we think of Shara Isador. But, although she is a different kind of woman, she is still strong and able to accept herself in all her glory. And that’s the point that came across for me, it isn’t the fact that she is desperately trying to get pregnant but in this journey she found so much about herself and what she was capable of. We can be strong in so much different ways and still support one another.
And I can’t forget to mention the steamy that comes out of the pages. Hot, so hot!
If you don’t know Their vampire queen world, you should start ASAP
Profile Image for Alicia.
2,008 reviews74 followers
January 3, 2019
Premise: Vampire Queen Mayte seeks a jaguar god to help her conceive.
I loved Their Vampire Queen, and this is one of the stories I was really looking forward to- the backstory for characters introduced in book three. I think I went in expecting too much, because I did assume something in here would make me cringe, and I’d blanch but have to keep going, because it’s amazing to get that reaction. I didn’t do that in this story. Mayte is a sweeter, softer dispositioned queen, even as she unleashed her darker side. But surely somewhere within the twenty years to book covers she would have already owned that. But either way, it was a nice HEA, as we already know what follows from the main series.
Profile Image for Nikki Edwards.
242 reviews1 follower
May 6, 2019
Queen takes.....

Is a fantastic series!

And I love the fact that Joley has written the main books about Shera, introduced us to so many characters, and then has written their stories too!

In Queen takes Jaguars, I was really looking forward to Maytes story, when we first met her, she seemed such a quiet docile queen, even fearful of Shera!
But you knew when reading,that Maytes story was going to be epic! That her quest for a child was as exciting as Sherpas own journey is!
I can honestly say that this book lives up to expectations, it doesn’t feel like a spin-off, in fact, would say you need to read it as part of the Queen takes...... saga

Oh, and I loved the bonus!!!!!
Can’t wait for the next Queen takes a book
Profile Image for Amber.
617 reviews16 followers
May 27, 2020
A quick read packed with adventure! 🤩

This novella was short but packed a punch! After reading the Vampire Queen Box Set, I was curious about Mayte's story, so I was excited to get a look into her past and read about how everything came to be with her. This fulfilled my curiosity perfectly! It had a lot of intense sexy scenes that I've come to expect from this author, plus a spellbinding storyline that hooks you in from beginning to end.

The short story at the end was a wonderful surprise, too! I have a feeling Mayte's daughter is going to give Queen Shara a run for her money and be just as powerful and intriguing, if not more. So I definitely look forward to her book soon!
Profile Image for Sylvia McCullers.
715 reviews13 followers
February 6, 2019
Wow ! What happened ?!

This novella is nothing like Ms. Burkharts other Vamoire Queens books . Its kind of 1 note . Written as though no care or effort was put into it . I feel bad saying so but it is what it is...boring. Why wasn't the little info provided in it inserted into one of the other books ? I'll put it this way . The snippet of Princess Unicorns story ( at the end of the novella ) was around 6 pages (+ / - ) and it was waaayyy more interesting than Queen Takes Jaguars . BUT...still , I will continue reading any further books in the series. The overall premise was really good and kept me interested in the plot and characters .
Profile Image for Lauren.
715 reviews
April 29, 2020
Fun novella

This novella gives a more detailed story of how Matye and her mates found the Jaguar God to give her a daughter. There was also a short story about her daughter finding her first Blood and becoming a unicorn thanks to Isis. I remember reading about something important that Matye needed to tell Shara in one of the Queen Takes books but nothing was ever mentioned. I have a feeling it had to do with her daughter’s adventure to Africa to claim her first Blood.

I really missed Shara when I read this novella but I have high hopes for the author’s plans for this series.
Profile Image for Lyanne.
51 reviews
August 26, 2021
This was a nice short story about how Mayte met some of her Blood and the Jaguar God. I actually would have loved a bit more about her story. It was too short and ended in the best moment. :(

Also, it confused me because the twins are supposedly her older brothers but how when it sort of implies that her mom only had her? Or at least that is how I read it. The author never explains how the twins came to be.

Another thing that confused me was that in Queen takes Queen Mayte told Shara that the Aztec Sun God wasn't associated with Ra and then in this story not only does she say that Ra absorbed the Aztec Sun God but that Ra himself is her father. Uh?! Super confused.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,014 reviews
January 31, 2019
All Mayte wants is as daughter to carry on their line. As a minor queen she has always been satisfied with what she has except for that. When she finds out the only way to have a child is to find a God she will do what needs to be done. In the process she will learn more about herself and her deepest desires. This is a good quick read. As with every other one of these books you will not want to stop reading. It's a great series.
Profile Image for Karen.
1,424 reviews2 followers
January 3, 2020
The Queen Who Calls Jaguars

This KU library novella follows books 1-6 in the series about vampire Queen Shara, in which Queen Mayte is introduced. This story is set prior to their meeting, while Mayte searches for the god of the jaguars to father a daughter to continue the Zaniyah line. My favorite part, of course, is the very short story at the end featuring Mayte's young daughter, the Queen of Unicorns. I've checked out book eight, which is up next.
Profile Image for H.B. Jasick.
Author 14 books124 followers
May 27, 2020
A great addition.

A queen learns her true self while searching for a god to give her what she truly desires most. This story was a little harder to get into, but the longer I stuck with it the better it got. Mayte’s jaguars are hot! I really like her character, and I loved her Alpha and her god as well. It’s a good side story to connect to this series overall. I highly recommend.
Profile Image for shanelle maree.
441 reviews44 followers
October 15, 2021
Loved this!

A novella on the backstory of how Mayte conceived her daughter, by seeking out the jaguar god.
Although only 104 pages, there’s growth in the characters, and it gives you a better appreciation for Shara’s sib (ally).

Also Etzli, her alpha, SO SWEET TO HER. He knows that they can’t sire a child together, though they’ve been trying for over a hundred years, and he truly supports her seeking this god so that she can conceive an heir for her legacy.
January 2, 2019
Yet again, Joely Sue Burkhart takes us on an incredible adventure of self discovery and power for a Queen who just wants to save and protect her Court. It was amazing! The background information and story we got just added more to the amazing Queen takes series that I didn't know I needed. Thank you Joely!
Profile Image for Nick Sweet.
189 reviews6 followers
January 11, 2019
Another great installment in one of my favorite novel series. I was so pleased to see this released as a standalone and get some background into the story of Maya. The little teaser at the end for "Queen Takes Triune" was enjoyable as well. I look forward to eventually having the other novellas released so I can read them.
Profile Image for Sassha Reads❤️❤️.
1,657 reviews14 followers
January 10, 2019
Good Back Story

I had always wondered how Mayte ended up having a daughter by Tepeyollotl, the jaguar god and this book explains how and even some info on when Keisha Skye put her geas down. It was shocking to see who had trained Mayte and her secret fetish that Eztli had already known about.
Profile Image for Angela.
64 reviews
January 20, 2019
Mayte's backstory

I truly enjoyed reading Mayte's backstory. This book takes place before Shara's story, but helps us understand and love Mayte even more. It was so interesting learning what she went through finding an Aztec Jaguar God to give her a daughter. Its a short read, as it was origianlly released as a short story in a collection But the fast read is well worth it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews

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