Tag: Supernatural

Behind the Attic Wall

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Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy
Genres: Ghosts, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Avon/ Camelot/ Hearst Co.
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-380-69843-9
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

At twelve, Maggie had been thrown out of more boarding schools than she cared to remember. “Impossible to handle,” they said—nasty, mean, disobedient, rebellious, thieving—anything they could say to explain why she must be removed from the school.

Maggie was thin and pale, with shabby clothes and stringy hair, when she arrived at her new home. “It was a mistake to bring her here,” said Maggie’s great-aunts, whose huge stone house looked like another boarding school—or a prison. But they took her in anyway. After all, aside from Uncle Morris, they were Maggie’s only living relatives.

But from behind the closet door in the great and gloomy house, Maggie hears the faint whisperings, the beckoning voices. And in the forbidding house of her ancestors, Maggie finds magic…the kind that lets her, for the first time, love and be loved.

Personal & Info

This is a children’s book from 1983. I can’t remember if I got it from a pre-owned book sale or as a random grab from Goodwill. Either way, I got it as something a little different to try.

The cover is misleading. Yes, there are dolls in the story. No, Maggie is not a ghost. I have no idea why the artwork makes her look like that. Yes, there is a dog in the story, but it’s supposed to be ceramic. I have no idea why the cover portrays an actual normal looking dog.

The description is also misleading. The magic it refers to is metaphorical.

Content Warnings

-Self Harm (mild)

-Self Hate

-Anorexia

-Death

-Animated Dolls

Characters

There are a few characters I will not list here, because knowing them ahead of time would take away from the story.

Margaret Ann Turner, who goes by Maggie, is the main character. When the story begins, she is twelve, but by the end, she’s approximately fourteen. Both of her parents died in an accident, so she’s an orphan who has been passed from one living situation to another.

Great-Aunts Lillian and Harriet are Maggie’s aunts who take her in for the duration of the story. Maggie can only tell them apart by Lillian’s freckles and Harriet’s wrinkles.

Uncle Morris is Maggie’s eccentric uncle. He always says strange things and makes odd jokes that Maggie doesn’t understand. Most of his dialogue takes what anybody says extremely literal.

Edith and Clara are Maggie’s new younger sisters to whom she is telling the story.

Story & Thoughts

Behind the Attic Wall tells the story in the form of both a memory, and retelling of events to Maggie’s new little sisters. Maggie looks back on her time living in Adelphi Hills with her great-aunts. Overall, it’s pretty sad.

Maggie is a frustrated and troubled orphan who has been treated poorly, insulted, and bullied by pretty much everyone, since she lost her family. She doesn’t want any friends, or even any things from anybody. She won’t even accept the clothes her aunts provide upon her moving in.

The torment she’s endured has taken a toll on her self-confidence to the point she is starting to believe the nasty words people use to describe her. Maggie even emulates the way people treat her when playing with her imaginary friends. She imagines them as poorer than herself and dumb as rocks with the memories of goldfish, and she lords this over them to be in a position to be able to say mean things to somebody else. It’s possible she just thinks that’s how people normally interact, because of her personal experience, but she’s only been on the receiving end and clearly wants to be on the end that dishes it out.

Maggie is supposed to grow and heal throughout the story, but the whole thing is bittersweet. Her life gets better just for it to fall apart. It’s one of those simple stories about a child who has a supernatural experience and then has to move on with their life as if it never happened. It’s an unsatisfying ending that leaves a lot of questions.

The story is cute and a little silly, because the friends Maggie encounters are eccentric, but I don’t think it holds up to modern day books. I think kids of today would find it dull. Some with similar mental health struggles might relate, but I don’t think that’s enough to save it.

What I think would make the story better, would be to latch onto the mysterious aspects. Explore the lore more deeply. I certainly have questions I would like answers to after reading it, so it would be nice if the story would go more deeply into some hows and whys. However, doing so would likely change the feel of the story enough that it probably would no longer be what the author was aiming for.

When all is said and done, it was okay. I have no interest in ever reading it again, and I’m probably not going to keep it. I can’t say I would recommend it to anyone, either. It’s a product of its time and it really shows with how Maggie acts more like a six-year-old than a modern day twelve-year-old.

Uprising

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Uprising by Sean McCabe
Series Name: Vampire Federation
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Thriller, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/ Penguin
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-41306-2
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

A gruesome ritual murder has stained the Oxfordshire countryside. It’s the first incident in a chain of events awaking Detective Inspector Joel Solomon to his worst nightmare—and it’s a dreadful omen of things to come. Because Joel has a secret: He believes in vampires.

Alex Bishop is an agent of the Vampire Intelligence Agency. She’s been tasked with enforcing the laws of the global Vampire Federation and hunting rogue members of her race. A tough job made tougher when the Federation comes under attack by Traditionalist vampires. They have a stake in old-school terror—and in an uprising as violent as it is widespread.

Now Alex and Joel find themselves in a deadly war between the living and the Undead—and against a horrifying tradition given new life by the blood of the innocent.

Personal & Info

Vampire Federation is a duology. For those interested in the second volume, it’s The Cross. As of right now, I have no plans to read or review the second volume.

Content Warnings

-Violence

-kidnapping and consumption of a baby

Characters

Alex Bishop is the female main character. She is a Vampire Intelligence Agency enforcer. Her job is to travel the world and threaten or execute vampires breaking Federation rules or risking exposure. Alex is approximately one hundred and thirteen years-old as a vampire, and doesn’t completely agree with how the Federation runs things.

Joel Solomon is the male main character. He is a Detective Inspector with a tragic childhood vampire experience. Joel is the spitting image of Alex’s lover from her human life, possibly even a reincarnation.

Kate Hawthorne is the seventeen-year-old daughter of Gillian Hawthorn and her solicitor husband. She lives next door to Dec Maddon, and she has a crush on him.

Dec Maddon is Kate Hawthorne’s neighbor and close friend. Gillian Hawthorne does not think much of him or his family. Dec has a crush on Kate and sometimes doesn’t see clearly because of his feelings.

Harry Rumble is the chief of the London branch of the Vampire Intelligence Agency. He is Alex’s boss, and he reports to the Ruling Council of the Federation.

Xavier Garrett is Harry Rumble’s assistant. He hates Alex Bishop and doesn’t even try to hide it.

Gabriel Stone is the main villain of the novel, and leading General of the anti-Federation group, also referred to as “Trads” or Traditionalists. He reports to a group of ancient vampires to give reports and receive orders.

Lilith is Gabriel’s sister. She’s the one vampire in his group he seems to care about most, even though she can be a bit of a loose cannon. Her combat specialty is swordsmanship.

Seymour Finch is Gabriel Stone’s butler or personal assistant. He is not human nor a vampire.

Jeremy Lonsdale is a multimillionaire politician serving office as a cabinet minister. He is tangled up in the wrong crowd and in over his head with no way out.

Story & Thoughts

I like the setting. It’s relatively modern, so cell phones and most technologies we’re familiar with in current day exist. Vampires have adapted to the modern world by inventing medications that serve their needs, which makes sense. They have three drugs they use regularly: Nosferol, Solazal, and Vambloc.

Nosferol is a poison the Federation uses to execute rogue vampires and those who break the rules. It’s not pleasant. It basically makes all the blood vessels explode and turns the vampire inside out, resulting in a very painful and bloody death.

Solazal, the most necessary drug to blend with society, allows vampires to walk in the sun. They have to take it every twelve hours to keep it in their systems. It seems like Federation registered vampires normally operate during typical human business hours thanks to Solazal.

Vambloc, probably equally important, if not more so, is a short term memory eraser. It allows vampires to feed from humans without risk of exposure. It also prevents humans from changing after a feed.

All this, along with the premise of the story, seems promising. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into it. I struggled the whole way through.

The chapters are very short, sometimes only two pages. They change by time of day and perspective to tell the story. Early on, it feels like it’s jumping around way too much. I got used to it eventually, but it was jarring for a while to only get a few pages of content from a character before jumping to another.

I’ve seen the book tagged as fast-paced, but it didn’t feel like that to me. A lot of ground was being covered with a lot of characters, but I didn’t feel like the story was actually moving until about halfway through. Even then, I just couldn’t click with it.

I like the overarching story well enough, but maybe I just don’t resonate with how it’s told. If I already had the second book, I would probably read it, but I’m not interested enough to put in the effort to get it. I enjoyed the book enough not to abandon it, but I did consider doing so a few times.

Untamed

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Untamed by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Series Name: House of Night
Volume Number: 4
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-312-37983-4
Rating: 4.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird—she’s become an expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, of the two Zoey has left, one is undead and one is unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey’s adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened in P.C. and Kristin Cast’s spellbinding fourth House of Night Novel.

Personal & Info

This series is definitely a result of the times. P.C. Cast consulted her daughter to help her write the speech to make it more like how teens at the time actually spoke. The series started releasing in 2007. Speech was cringe and insensitive, and political correctness was not as prevalent. If you look at the series with a modern eye, it’s easy to find it offensive. Keep in mind exactly what it is that you are reading. Some things don’t age well.

Content Warnings

-Death

-Insensitive language

-Sexual themes

-Bullying

Characters

Zoey is the main character. Her Cherokee heritage through her grandmother is integral to her powers and identity. At this point in the story, she is leader of the Dark Daughters, and a High Priestess in training. Zoey has a special relationship with the goddess Nyx to be her eyes and ears at the House of Night.

Stevie Rae is Zoey’s best friend from Henrietta, Oklahoma. She’s a true country girl with a love of country music, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots. Zoey considers her a “true Okie” because she speaks with a southern “twang.” Stevie Rae has an affinity for the element Earth.

Erin is a pretty blonde girl from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her best friend is her roommate Shaunee, because they are so similar in personality that they call each other twin. Erin has an affinity for the element water.

Shaunee is Erin’s roommate and best friend from Connecticut. She considers herself Erin’s spiritual twin. Shaunee has an affinity for the element fire.

Damien is the guy friend in the group. He’s from Dallas, Texas, has a sophisticated vocabulary, and is out as gay. Damien has an affinity for the element wind.

Jack is Damien’s boyfriend. He transfers into the school in Betrayed and takes up the job of DJ for the Dark Daughters rituals.

Stark is a new transfer from the Chicago House of Night. He has a special gift involving his archery skill. Instead of a cat, he has a dog by the name of Duchess, or Duch, for short.

Faculty

Shekinah is the High priestess of all vampyres. She lives in Venice and her markings are the same as the emblem the school faculty wear.

Neferet is the High Priestess of the House of Night. She has beautiful red hair and green eyes, an affinity for cats, and a gift for healing. Neferet is also Zoey’s mentor, and she teaches Vampyre sociology class.

Erik is Zoey’s now changed ex-boyfriend. He’s about six feet tall and good at acting. Zoey describes his appearance as reminiscent of Superman with the hair curl.

Lenobia is the equestrian instructor.

Dragon is the fencing instructor.

Sons of Erebus

Ate is the leader of the Sons of Erebus present on the House of Night campus.

Darius is one of the Sons of Erebus who guards the girls’ dorm. He also accompanies Aphrodite and Zoey whenever they leave campus.

Humans

Aphrodite is pretty, blonde, and gifted with disastrous visions of the future. She is the villain in Marked, but plays a much less evil part now as she is seeking redemption from Nyx.

Sylvia Redbird is Zoey’s grandmother. She is the one person in the whole world whom Zoey loves more than anything. They don’t see each other often, but whenever they talk, it’s usually immense emotional support for Zoey.

Heath is Zoey’s ex-almost boyfriend from her life before the Change. He’s the star quarterback of the football team.

Sister Mary Angela is the prioress of a Benedictine abbey and the manager of the Street Cats charity.

Story & Thoughts

This might be the best volume out of the first four. It has a lot going for it, but there are enough negatives involved that I don’t want to give it a five. I’ll go over the negative things first.

There seems to be a wider variety of instances using insensitive language. Normally I only see a few things per volume, but this one has several scattered all over. The usage in this one definitely seems more blatant than the others. I remember hearing speech and jokes like that around the time this book was published, but it definitely does not sound good in a modern lens. It was jarring how much of it I noticed specifically in this volume, like it’s worse in this one than the previous three.

Neferet is disappointing. It’s like she’s lost her capacity to be clever. I suppose she’s probably just so close to her plan coming together that she’s just kind of lost her marbles. Her accusations to try getting Zoey into trouble make no sense and there is no way anyone could possibly believe them. They are just way too far-fetched. Those are my main complaints.

However, the story itself is really good. I was so mad at Chosen for how quickly Zoey’s friends turned on her, because everything could have been resolved if they had just let her explain. They finally have that conversation in this book, and it’s such a relief.

Aphrodite continues to impress me. She’s experiencing constant character growth. Despite the events in Marked, she is capable of taking charge in a chaotic situation. It’s nice to see her good qualities.

Everything comes together. The constant mention of how recently the Tulsa House of Night was built and that it used to be a monastery all make sense. The series was dropping bread crumbs leading up to the events of this volume.

This is the first book in the series where things do not get a resolution by the end. Instead, it sets up a much bigger problem. I wanted to read the next one right away, but I don’t have it, yet, so it’ll have to wait.

Wicked: Witch & Curse

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Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder, Debbie Vigié
Series Name: Wicked
Volume Number: 1 & 2
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Urban, Witches
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Simon Pulse/ Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4169-7119-1
Rating: 1.5/5
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Description from the Book

Holly Cathers’s world shatters when her parents are killed in a terrible accident. Wrenched from her home in San Francisco, she is sent to Seattle to live with her relatives, Aunt Marie-Claire and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole.

In her new home, Holly’s sorrow and grief soon give way to bewilderment at the strange incidents going on around her. Such as how any wish she whispers to her cat seems to come true. Or the way a friend is injured after a freak attack from a vicious falcon. And there’s the undeniable, magnetic attraction to a boy Holly barely knows.

Holly Amanda, and Nicole are about to be launched into a dark legacy of witches, secrets, and alliances, where ancient magics yield dangerous results. The girls will assume their roles in an intergenerational feud beyond their wildest imaginations…and in doing so, will attempt to fulfill their shared destiny.

Personal & Info

This is the first volume of the two-in-one editions for the Wicked series. In total, there are two thick two-in-one volumes, along with one single volume. Or, for anyone getting individuals, it would equate to five books.

There are tons of different perspectives in this novel. It jumps around to tell a story of past and present, as well as both sides of an ongoing feud.

Content Warnings

-animal sacrifice including house pets

-death

-suicide

Characters

Cathers/Cahors

Holly Cathers is the main character. She’s seventeen when her life undergoes tragic and drastic changes. At the start, her family history is completely unknown to her.

Isabeau Cahors is an ancestral member of the Cathers family. As the successor of the Cahors family, she was arranged to marry Jean Deveraux, even though their families were enemies. Her spirit is not at rest.

Catherine Cahors is Isabeau Cahors’ mother. In her time, she led the Cahors family as Queen Regnant of Le Circle des Cahors, which basically equates to master of her family.

Marie-Claire Cathers-Anderson is Holly’s aunt, the sister to Holly’s father, Daniel. She does not know she is a witch, and she is vain about her appearance. Despite her vanity and wealth, she is a kind person.

Amanda Anderson is one of Marie-Claire’s and Robert’s twin daughters. She is the more kind and down to Earth twin. According to Michael Deveraux, Amanda is normal, like her father.

Nicole Anderson is one of Marie-Claire’s and Robert’s twin daughters. Like her mother, she cares about how she looks. Her dream is to become an actress. Nicole is the daughter with the obvious signs of being a witch.

Many other Cahors family members appear throughout the book, but their parts are small, so I’m not going to bother listing them here.

Deveraux

Duc Laurent de Deveraux is an ancestral “noble warlord” of the Deveraux family. As the ancestral master of the family, he is Jean’s father, and played a part in arranging the marriage of Isabeau and Jean. In modern day, he appears to Micheal in the form of a spirit that looks like a grotesque corpse.

Michael Deveraux is, as far as he knows, the current master of the Deveraux family. He seeks to gain the knowledge of the black fire and destroy what remains of the Cahors family, whether they are ignorant of their heritage and powers or not.

Eli Deveraux is Michael’s oldest son. His father can easily manipulate him by appealing to his greed for money and power.

Jeraud Deveraux, who usually goes by Jer, is Michael’s youngest son. He has more humanity than his father and brother. I think he’s supposed to be Holly’s love interest.

Jean Deveraux is an ancestral member of the Deveraux family. As the successor of the Deveraux family, he was arranged to marry Isabeau, even though their families were enemies. His spirit is not at rest.

Many other Deveraux family members appear throughout the book, but their parts are small, so I’m not going to list them here.

Coven Members

Holly’s

Tommy Nagai is Amanda’s best friend. Holly suspects they should be dating, but neither will cross that line.

Cecile Beaufrere is the mother of one of Amanda’s friends.She practices the art of Voodoo.

Silvana Beaufrere is Amanda’s friend who lives in New Orleans.

Jer’s

Kialish Carter is Jer’s friend, and the son of a shaman.

Eddie Hinook has very few descriptors. His only specifications are that he is Kialish’s lover and he is friends with Jer.

Kari Hardwicke is a teacher’s assistant at the university Jer is attending. As a grad student, she is older than him. They are dating, because Kari has interest in magic for her thesis and she knows Jer’s family practices.

Mother

Anne-Louise Montrachet is a protection magic specialist.

Supreme

Sir William Moore is the Master of the Supreme Coven in London.

James Moore is Sir William’s son. He’s wants to overthrow his father to steal his position.

Madrid/White Magic

José Luís is the current leader of the coven.

Señor Alonzo is the oldest member of the coven. He is the benefactor and father figure.

Armand is the “conscience” of the coven. He is serious and quiet, and he is a former student of the priesthood.

Pablo is José Luís’s younger brother.

Philippe is José Luís’s lieutenant, and a love interest for Nicole.

Other

Robert Anderson is Marie-Claire’s husband. Holly describes him as “gray.” He is a normal, kind human, who processes his problems by overworking or drinking alcohol.

Dan Carter is Kialish’s father, the shaman.

Witch

Rating: 2/5

Story & Thoughts

I feel like this book starts slow. It jumps around to a bunch of perspectives that don’t make much sense at first, which makes it hard to get into. I’m used to reading books with multiple perspectives, but this one is rough for the first few chapters. It’s gets better once the story starts making more sense, but early on the transitions are a bit disorienting. It makes sense though, because it’s supposed to be disorienting to Holly.

The multiple perspectives tell a story of past and present. I don’t think I like the execution. The characters slowly gain more information and understanding of the events they see in their dreams or visions. This is supposed to contribute to plot building, but my problem with it is the events of the present are actually dull compared to the past. The present doesn’t get interesting until closer to the end.

The biggest reason for that is the fact none of the characters involved even know they are witches until about half way through the story. You’d think that would provide ample opportunity for the characters to have interesting experiences to grow and learn, but there are time jumps where we’re supposed to just assume they are studying and researching however they can. I don’t like the story telling method of “time passed so they can just do this now.”

I’m not even sure if I should consider this a romance. The romance for the modern day stuff is seriously lacking. It paints kind of a Romeo & Juliet type thing, but one of them is already in a relationship, and nothing amounts to anything. All the romance is basically exclusive to the past characters, Isabeau and Jean.

Overall, I’m not impressed. There is very little I like about it, but I don’t hate it. If the second novel in this two-in-one is not any better, I will probably donate the whole series instead of reading it.

Curse

Rating: 1/5

Story & Thoughts

This part starts approximately one year after the beginning of the first. Right off the bat, I’m disappointed. Nicole is missing, because she ran away. This could have been used as an interesting scene, where either the group bickers about her desire to flee, or we see her sneak away. Just telling the reader she’s gone seems like poor writing. I have many issues with the storytelling.

Multiple times, there are instances in which people just state things, instead of putting them in the story. It’s like cutting events and learning experiences, and it detracts so much from the story. Most of the things that get this treatment are the parts that should be intense and epic or interesting or constructive to character growth. How are we supposed to understand that Holly is the strongest Cahors since Catherine? We don’t get to see her learn and grow.

There are so many more perspective changes than before. Curse tries to tell the generational parts of the Deveraux and Cahors histories, and adds even more characters to the already large cast. The majority of the historical parts are not dreams or visions. They’re just scattered around and don’t seem to directly contribute any relevance to the story. The history is interesting, but it’s mostly for the reader. Most of the parts involving the history for Isabeau and Jean just rehash everything we already know from Witch.

I have almost nothing but complains to say about this section. It was frustrating to read. The romance is garbage. Holly and Jer don’t know anything about each other. I don’t think they even love each other. I honestly think they just have an illusion of feeling in love, because of Jean and Isabeau influencing them.

Overall

Story & Thoughts

This is one of the crappiest books I’ve ever read. The overarching story is fine, but it has an absolutely terrible execution. A story about three girls discovering they are witches and getting pulled into an ancient family feud should be an awesome story, but it’s not. I’m abandoning the possibility of ever reading the rest of this series, because it’s so terribly written.

You’d think the premise would provide ample opportunity for the characters to have interesting experiences to grow and learn, but there are time jumps where we’re supposed to just assume they are studying and researching however they can. We don’t get to see anything that teaches the reader how magic works while they themselves learn. I don’t like the story telling method of “time passed so they can just do this now.” Any good fantasy novel describes the mechanics of how the magic works to immerse the reader.

I’ve seen authors give advice that specifically says not to just tell what happens, but to show it. This novel struggles with that concept. It skips any interesting learning experiences that could contribute to lore and world building. Even events that are supposed to be climactic with high stakes are disappointing. I cannot express how disappointed and frustrated I am about the storytelling. It got to a point where I just wanted it to be over, but I was determined to finish.

The romance isn’t even good, if it exists at all. There’s a good chance Jer and Holly aren’t actually in love and are just feeling the emotions of Isabeau and Jean. They don’t know each other. I don’t think they’ve ever even had a conversation outside of wet dreams and warnings.

I don’t recommend this book or series to anybody, unless you enjoy bad storytelling. It’s a good premise with a terrible execution. Also, someone kills a cat, and not just any cat, a beloved house cat. That felt more like it was done for shock value than storytelling. I’m just so glad this book is done. I don’t often compare books to garbage, but this one is kind of garbage. It was an ordeal to finish.

Chosen

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Chosen by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Series Name: House of Night
Volume Number: 3
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-312-36030-6
Rating: 4.5/5
Amazon Barnes&Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Bloodlust and Dark forces are at work at the House of Night, and fledging vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And, oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times BOOKreviews), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undeda and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity. Speaking of rare, Zoey finds herself in a the very rare position of having three boyfriends, a situation with potential to spell social disaster. Then vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. But as Zoey and her friends find out, things are not always what they seem….

Personal & Info

This series is definitely a result of the times. P.C. Cast consulted her daughter to help her write the speech to make it more like how teens at the time actually spoke. The series started releasing in 2007. Speech was cringe and insensitive, and political correctness was not as prevalent. If you look at the series with a modern eye, it’s easy to find it offensive. Keep in mind exactly what it is that you are reading. Some things don’t age well. I don’t deny the series has a lot of problems.

Content Warnings

-Death

-Insensitive Language

-Sexual Themes

-Inappropriate Conduct for a Teacher

-Bullying

Characters

Zoey is the main character. She’s sixteen, and her Cherokee heritage through her grandmother is integral to her powers and identity. At this point in the story, she is leader of the Dark Daughters, and a High Priestess in training. Zoey has a special relationship with the goddess Nyx to be her eyes and ears at the House of Night.

Stevie Rae is Zoey’s (dead) best friend from Henrietta, Oklahoma. She’s a true country girl with a love of country music, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots. Zoey considers her a “true Okie” because she speaks with a southern “twang.” Stevie Rae has an affinity for the element Earth.

Erin is a pretty blonde girl from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her best friend is her roommate Shaunee, because they are so similar in personality that they call each other twin. Erin has an affinity for the element water.

Shaunee is Erin’s roommate and best friend from Connecticut. She considers herself Erin’s spiritual twin. Shaunee has an affinity for the element fire.

Damien is the guy friend in the group. He’s from Dallas, Texas, has a sophisticated vocabulary, and is out as gay. Damien has an affinity for the element wind.

Jack is Damien’s boyfriend and Erik’s roommate. He transfers into the school in Betrayed and takes up the job of DJ for the Dark Daughters rituals.

Aphrodite is pretty, blonde, and gifted with disastrous visions of the future. She is the villain in Marked, but plays a much less evil part now as she is seeking redemption from Nyx.

Erik is Zoey’s new boyfriend. He’s about six feet tall and good at acting. Zoey describes his appearance as reminiscent of Superman with the hair curl. He’s also apparently the hottest guy at school. Absolutely everyone fawns over him.

Neferet is the High Priestess of the House of Night. She has beautiful red hair and green eyes, an affinity for cats, and a gift for healing. Neferet is also Zoey’s mentor, and she teaches Vampyre sociology class.

Loren Blake is a vampyre Poet Laureate. He’s in his early twenties, and he teaches the school poetry class.

Heath is Zoey’s ex-almost boyfriend from her life before the Change. He’s the star quarterback of the football team, and Zoey is having a hard time cutting him out of her life.

Sylvia Redbird is Zoey’s grandmother. She is the one person in the whole world whom Zoey loves more than anything. They don’t see each other often, but whenever they talk, it’s usually immense emotional support for Zoey.

Other people and cats appear in the story, but the people here are the most important.

Story & Thoughts

There is so much drama in this volume. Zoey has made good choices for the majority of the first two volumes, except for decisions that relate to her love life. Due to her bad judgement and inability to cut ties, she has three boyfriends, and two of them are not even supposed to be options for her. Dating seems to be her weakest area. She knows what she should and should not do, but whenever she tries to do the right thing, she lets the guys pull her around.

Regardless of who she does or does not choose, because I won’t say, I really think she should be with Erik. He is good for her, and what she feels for the other two is clearly various forms of lust. The whole time, I get the impression that he is who she truly wants.

Zoey makes some huge mistakes and her friends turn on her bafflingly easy. It’s incredibly frustrating to read their quarrels when Zoey doesn’t even get a chance to explain anything coherently. Her side of things matters. They don’t even give her the benefit of the doubt that she might have had good reason to keep some big information to herself.

It’s hard to feel like she can even trust the twins when they can be bribed spill her secrets. Granted, Zoey should have told them as much as she could as things were happening, while keeping the important bits secret. She’s proven she can do that, but chose to say nothing instead of at least something. The whole thing is a huge mess.

The way things play out, I suspect everything is a set up so Neferet will have excuses to do what she wants. The People of Faith are suspect, but the details don’t add up. If I’m right, I can’t expect Zoey to piece it together in her distraught state of mind.

I’m definitely hooked on this series. Things are a hot mess right now, but I can’t wait to see what happens next. Aphrodite is becoming one of my favorite characters and I don’t know why. She’s been hugely growing on me since volume two. I really hope the events of this book are not the end for her. That would be really sad. She has a lot of potential as a character and it feels like the story has barely scratched the surface of that.

Pandora

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Pandora by Anne Rice
Series Name: New Tales of the Vampires
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Supernatural, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-375-40159-8
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Anne Rice, creator of the Vampire Lestat, the Mayfair witches and the mazing worlds they inhabit, now gives us the first in a new series of novels linked together by the fledgling vampire David Talbot, who has set out to become a chronicler of his fellow Undead.

The novel opens in present-day Paris in a crowded café, where David meets Pandora. She is two thousand years old, a Child of the Millennia, the first vampire ever made by the great Marius. David persuades her to tell the story of her life.

Pandora begins, reluctantly at first and then with increasing passion, to recount her mesmerizing tale, which takes us through the ages, from Imperial Rome to eighteenth-century France to twentieth-century Paris and New Orleans. She carries us back to her mortal girlhood in the world of Ceasar Augustus, a world chronicled by Ovid and Petronius. This is where Pandora meets and falls in love with the handsome, charismatic, lighthearted, still mortal Marius. This is the Rome she is forced to flee in fear of assassination by conspirators plotting to take over the city. And we follow her to the exotic port of Antioch, where she is destined to be reunited with Marius, now immortal and haunted by his vampire nature, who will bestow on her the Dark Gift as they set out on the fraught and fantastic adventure of their two turbulent centuries together.

Personal & Info

This month (October, 2024) is my first time trying any Anne Rice novels. At this point, this is only the second. I might try more if I come across them, but I likely won’t go looking for them.

While this is not directly part of Anne Rice’s series, The Vampire Chronicles, it is associated with it. I haven’t read that series, so I’m basing my knowledge on what information I have been able to gather. The events and characters mentioned in chapter one are supposedly relevant to The Vampire Chronicles, but you do not need to be familiar with any of it to understand the meat of the book.

The New Tales of the Vampires series only has two volumes. The second book is Vittorio, The Vampire. I have no intention of reading it, but now you know what to look for if you do.

Content Warnings

You can expect the story to include or mention things that were normal in the historical time period in which the book is set. These include things like slavery, rape, grooming, and pedophilia.

Characters

Pandora is the main character. Her birth name is Lydia, and ever since her childhood, she’s always been smart and well-read. She is a citizen of Rome and daughter of a Senator. Her father, the Senator, is Maximus. She has five older brothers, two of whom are Lucius and Antony. I don’t recall any mention of names for the other three.

Marius is a friend of Pandora’s father, Maximus. He is a traveling scholar from a nation of people the Romans consider barbarians. He is also the only man Pandora has ever truly loved.

Flavius is a philosopher and scholar. He has an ivory leg, and has been a slave all his life.

David is the vampire who asks Pandora to write her memoir, and therefore, the recipient of her narration. There is another David in the story with a son by the name of Jacob, but they are not relevant to this David, and they only play a transitional role in the story.

Story & Thoughts

I admit, I didn’t know what this was when I got it. Upon seeing the title Pandora, my thought process led me to think about the Pandora of the Pandora’s box myth. That is not what this is, but the story does have Greek and Roman themes, which is something I tend to enjoy.

The book is basically a journal style memoir about this vampire Pandora’s life. This guy David Talbot makes a request in chapter one that she write it. He wants to know her story. That’s all fine and dandy, but chapter one is a slog! It was a struggle to get through four pages, let alone finish the chapter. Pandora spends the whole chapter reflecting on the request, the café she’s sitting in, the pen in her hand, the journal she’s writing in…Her musings are so boring and agonizingly slow. Plus, if you’re not familiar with The Vampire Chronicles, a chunk of what she talks about regarding other vampires is nonsensical.

Once the story gets going, though, it’s actually kind of enjoyable. I like things with Greek, Roman, or Egyptian themes, so the setting of Pandora’s history is at least interesting. I’m no history buff, but I think at least some of the things mentioned in the story are historically accurate. They line up with some other things I’ve read that have similar themes.

Pandora’s journey from child to adult to vampire is definitely interesting, but only enough for me to finish the book. It’s not very long, so her whole life is crammed into only about two hundred pages. The book could have been much longer. The majority of her existence is crammed into the last chapter. It literally glosses over everything in her life after her first night as a vampire. That’s practically the entire two thousand years. You can’t seriously tell me that nothing else interesting happened during those years. Apparently, Pandora feels only her sightings of Marius are worth mentioning.

I got some amusement out of this book, but all in all, I’m just glad it’s done. I have no interest in pursuing any of the other volumes or relevant series. It was okay, and it had its moments. That’s about all I can really say about it.

Betrayed

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Betrayed by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Series Name: House of Night
Volume Number: 2
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-312-36028-3
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night finishing school. She finally feels like she belongs, even gets chosen as the Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, she actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

Personal & Info

I reread Marked before starting this one since it’s been almost a year since I read it.

The shop links go to copies of the singular volume, but there are also box sets for the series. So, if you prefer to purchase your books in sets, you can easily find those on the same sites.

This series is definitely a result of the times. P.C. Cast consulted her daughter to help her write the speech to make it more like how teens at the time actually spoke. The series started releasing in 2007. Speech was cringe and insensitive, and political correctness was not as prevalent. If you look at the series with a modern eye, it’s easy to find it offensive. Keep in mind exactly what it is that you are reading. Some things don’t age well. I don’t deny the series has a lot of problems.

Content Warnings

-Teen deaths

-Insensitive language

-Sexual Themes

-Bullying

Characters

Zoey is the main character. She’s sixteen, and her Cherokee heritage through her grandmother is integral to her powers and identity. At this point in the story, she is leader of the Dark Daughters, and a High Priestess in training. Zoey has a special relationship with the goddess Nyx to be her eyes and ears at the House of Night.

Stevie Rae is Zoey’s roommate and best friend from Henrietta, Oklahoma. She’s a true country girl with a love of country music, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots. Zoey considers her a “true Okie” because she speaks with a southern “twang.”

Erin is a pretty blonde girl from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her best friend is her roommate Shaunee, because they are so similar in personality that they call each other twin.

Shaunee is Erin’s roommate and best friend from Connecticut. She considers herself Erin’s non-biological twin.

Damien is the guy friend in the group. He’s from Dallas, Texas, has a sophisticated vocabulary, and is out as gay.

Aphrodite is pretty, blonde, and gifted with disastrous visions of the future. She was the villain in the first book, but plays a much smaller, less evil, part in this one.

Erik is Zoey’s new unofficial boyfriend. He’s about six feet tall and good at acting. Zoey describes his appearance as reminding her of Superman with the hair curl. He’s also apparently the hottest guy at school. Absolutely everyone fawns over him.

Neferet is the High Priestess of the House of Night. She has beautiful red hair and green eyes, an affinity for cats, and a gift for healing. Neferet is also Zoey’s mentor, and she teaches Vampyre sociology class.

Loren Blake is a vampyre Poet Laureate. He’s in his early twenties, and he teaches the school poetry class.

Heath is Zoey’s ex-almost boyfriend from her life before the Change. He’s the star quarterback of the football team, and Zoey is having a hard time cutting him out of her life.

Detective Marx is a police detective investigating the disappearances of teenagers. I have a feeling he’ll be popping up again later in other volumes.

Sylvia Redbird is Zoey’s grandmother. She is the one person in the whole world whom Zoey loves more than anything. They don’t see each other often, but whenever they talk, it’s usually immense emotional support for Zoey.

Other people and cats appear in the story, but the people here are the most important.

Story & Thoughts

Betrayed has a lot of recap. I reread the first book, but it might not have even been necessary. All important or relevant events from the first volume get rehashed to remind the reader what happened. The reminders are all over the story, so for people reading the books consecutively, it’s probably annoying. For people who have a long gap between books, it’s probably helpful.

I already had some inklings about where the story was going to go, so a lot of things didn’t really surprise me. However, I still enjoyed the journey. The storytelling for this series is wonderful, and the characters are easy to relate and get attached to.

My biggest take away from this book is it made me cry. Something tragic happens. I saw it coming a mile away, but that didn’t make it any less sad.

The romance is getting really tangled. There are three love interests and it’s only the second volume. Zoey is breaking a ton of rules, whether accidental or on purpose. I have high hopes for a redemption arc for Aphrodite. In the mean time, based on how it ended, things are going to be very interesting.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

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Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Series Name: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Supernatural, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Grand Central/ Hachette
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4555-1017-7
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

“My baby boy…” she whispers before dying. Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother’s fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire. Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, young Lincoln sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving the Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for almost two hundred years—until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln. Now, using the journal as a guide, Seth reconstructs the true life story of America’s greatest president. For the first time ever, he reveals the hidden history behind the Civil War—and uncovers the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of the nation.

Personal & Info

First of all, I must stress that I put the intended age group as adult, not because of anything violent or explicit, but because it’s important the reader have a mature enough mind to know fact from fiction. This book is completely fictional with some real history wrapped into the story. If you can’t tell on your own that this is a retelling of history with a fictional twist, then you shouldn’t be reading it.

This novel is part of a duology. The sequel focuses on Henry Sturges, and I’d likely enjoy that one more than this one, but I have no plans or interest to read it. It’s called The Last American Vampire.

I’m not a history buff, so my review will not be taking historical accuracy into consideration.

I got my copy pre-owned from a large sale. It saddens me to see that it was a Mother’s day gift signed by a bunch of family members that ended up donated. Also upsetting that the signatures are on the inside cover instead of one of the pages that are intended for things like that.

The movie adaptation for this book got the action movie makeover treatment. It is very different. Most of the characters have entirely different personalities, while others don’t even appear at all. If you can separate the book from the movie, they’re both good in their own ways, but neither is great.

Characters

Normally, this is where I would list all of the important characters. Unfortunately, the format of this book makes that a little difficult. Most of the characters only appear briefly, so I’m just going to list a few that have the most significant bonds with the main character and might be around for more than a couple passing mentions.

Abraham Lincoln is the main character. If you don’t already recognize the name from history class, I’ll be surprised.

Thomas Lincoln is Abe’s father. He lacks ambition and will only provide the bare minimum for his family.

Henry Sturges is the vampire in the introduction, and the first vampire to befriend Abe. He appears approximately twenty-five.

Jack Armstrong is a close friend of Abe’s from Clary’s Grove in the New Salem area. He is Abe’s first apprentice. His stature is large, but patience and planning are not his strong points.

Mary Todd is Abe’s wife, and cousin of John Stuart, who is Abe’s partner at a law firm.

Joshua Speed is Abe’s second apprentice. He’s considered annoying, but becomes a close friend to Abe.

Story & Thoughts

For me, this book is an opportunity to try something new, while sticking to a theme I enjoy. It is a sort of retelling biography. I don’t normally touch biographies, but my thought process is, maybe incorporating vampires into it will make it tolerable.

As it turns out, a biography with real world history in it that also has vampires is indeed more tolerable for me than a normal biography. However, it doesn’t make it entirely enjoyable. This book’s writing style focuses around a bunch of journal entries surrounded by narrative story telling. I have many problems with this.

I think my main complaint is the story progresses too quickly. The novel covers the life of Abraham Lincoln from birth to death, and I don’t think the book is big enough to do it justice. It’s hard to get attached to any characters when almost all of them barely stick around, or only get passing mentions. It might just be my preference for reading books in a series format, but I think this book might have been better as a series, so that it could delve more deeply into Abe’s life. I understand that probably wouldn’t work with this particular novel premise, though.

I can’t really complain about the story, since it focuses on real world history. It’s enjoyable enough, and the vampires weirdly fit in a believable way. I’m not a fan of all the dates scattered around. That’s part of the biography part of it, but they mean nothing to me, and the story would feel more natural without them.

What it really comes down to is I’m not a fan of the biography style. I’d much more enjoy a story just told like any other story. For me, the biography style detracts significantly from everything. I just feel like I wanted more than what I got from the book.

The Prince of Mist

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The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Series Name: Niebla
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Little, Brown/Hachette
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-316-20606-8
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

It’s wartime, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital city where they live and move to a small coastal village. But from the minute they cross the threshold of their new home, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house lurks the spirit of a young boy who died by drowning.

Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the strange circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist—a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. With the help of their new friend Roland, the Carvers soon get caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and enchanted statues—an adventure that will change their lives forever.

Personal & Info

I got this book as one of many from a large sale. The cover looks like it has a ghost on it, so I figure it will be a decent spooky season read. There is a Q&A in the back of the book. I will not be reading that. I always skip those unless the book is exceptionally phenomenal.

The series as a whole is a trilogy. The second and third volumes are The Midnight Palace and The Watcher in the Shadows. Based on what I can tell from descriptions, I don’t think the story with these particular characters is ongoing. It looks like each book has a new set of characters.

Characters

Max Carver is the main character. He is thirteen and the majority of the story is in his perspective.

Maximilian Carver is Max’s dad. He’s a clockmaker, and is frequently referred to as “the clockmaker.”

Andrea Carver is Max’s mom.

Alicia Carver is Max’s older sister. She’s about fifteen.

Irina Carver is Max’s younger sister. She’s eight.

Roland is either sixteen or seventeen. He is the adoptive grandson of the keeper of the lighthouse, Victor Kray.

Victor Kray is Roland’s adoptive grandfather and the keeper of the lighthouse. He took up the post after arriving at the town via shipwreck.

Story & Thoughts

This book is a little too normal for my taste. It takes place in 1943 during the war, but the war is more of a setting detail for the time period than anything. The Carver family decides to relocate to a more rural oceanside town. They move into a nice house near the beach that has been sitting empty for years and that’s where the story actually starts.

The description is a bit misleading, so it should really be taken with a grain of salt. As the story progresses, it all seems very normal. The family gradually settles into the house, and the kids start to make friends. The mystery presents itself as a simple intrigue of looking at interesting things on the property, like an enclosed garden of statues, and unlabeled videos. It just has an inkling of it all being a little strange.

Eventually, some paranormal stuff starts to happen, but it’s just some minor eerie things. The house isn’t haunted. This is not that kind of story. There’s something bigger going on, and all the little things are a build up.

My biggest take away from the story is that it makes me think of Rumplestiltskin. That’s about as much as I can say without outright spoiling anything.

Initially I was going to rate it a 2.75, because the story is fine, but a little dull, since it mostly follows the day to day life of Max. But I like the later parts enough that I bumped it up to a three. What it comes down to is, the story itself is good, but it just isn’t my kind of book.

I’m not satisfied with the ending, either. If you want a story with a happy ending, this isn’t for you. I don’t care that it isn’t a happy ending, it’s just not the ending I wanted. At least it ends complete enough that I don’t feel the need to bother with the other volumes, because I don’t have enough interest to want to.

Some Girls Bite

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Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
Series Name: Chicagoland Vampires
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Fae, Magic, Romance, Shifters, Supernatural, Urban, Vampires, Witches
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: New American Library/ Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-22625-9
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago’s vampires announced their existence to the world—and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he only got only a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker…and this one decided the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead.

Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadodan House. Now I’ve traded sweating over my dissertation for learning to fit in at Kenwood mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of Course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred-year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude—and servitude. Right…

But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I’m surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan’s attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone’s still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival house? An angry mob bearing torches?

My initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war…and there will be blood.

Personal & Info

If you like House of Night, you might like this series. House of Night is YA, but this one is more adultish, with kind of similar vibes. Or if you like Chicagoland Vampires and want to try a YA alternative, you might like House of Night. If you’d like more information about House of Night, I have a review for the first volume, Marked, and will be reviewing more volumes at some point.

Characters

Merit is the main character. She’s a twenty-seven-year-old grad student from a wealthy family, but she has no interest in her family’s money or influence. Apparently, she has terrible fashion sense, but I find her clothing choices relatable.

Mallory is Merit’s roommate and best friend. She inherited the house in which she and Merit live. Mallory is a successful advertising executive at McGettrick-Combs. More importantly, she’s a vampire buff.

Mark Perkins is Mallory’s aimless boyfriend. He goes on a lot of adventurous trips, but has no idea what he wants to do with his life.

Joshua Merit is Merit’s dad. He owns the Merit Properties real estate company, and he is part of the Chicago Growth Council, which advises the mayor. Joshua cares only about money and political influence.

Meredith Merit is Merits mom.

Charlotte Merit is Merit’s older sister. She is married, so she does not live with the Merit family.

Robert Merit is Merit’s older brother. He is in line to inherit the family real estate company.

Seth Tate is the mayor of Chicago.

Ombudsman’s Office

Chuck Merit is Merit’s grandfather, and the Ombudsman. He is a liaison between humans and supernaturals to help handle disputes.

Marjorie is Chuck’s secretary. She’s about fifty-years-old.

Jeff Christopher is a twenty-one-year-old computer prodigy and shape-shifter. He’s also a bit girl crazy.

Catcher Bell is a twenty-nine-year-old sorcerer. As Chuck puts it, he is pretty, but gruff.

Below is a list of the Chicago vampire Houses and any known members. Some vampires are named with no additional information. Not every vampire is likely to be important, so these are just running lists to keep track of members of each House.

Cadogan House

Ethan Sullivan is the Lord of Cadogan House. He is 394 years old, and he’s attractive in the most stereotypical ways. He is fit and has long blond hair, like Thor. However, his personality leaves much to be desired.

Helen is the Cadogan representative who handles transitions for newly changed vampires.

Malik is Ethan’s second in command. If anything happens to Ethan, Malik would inherit the House.

Amber is Ethan’s courtesan. She covers the role of the snobby pretty girl.

Sean & Colin are bartenders at Temple Bar.

Gabrielle is Amber’s snobby friend.

Security

Luc, or Lucas, is captain of the Cadogan House guards. He has cowboy vibes.

Lindsey is a Cadogan House guard. She is apparently the resident psychic, and fast friends with Merit.

Peter is a Cadogan House guard. He has contacts beneficial to the House.

Juliet is a Cadogan House guard. She is “slippery” and gathers data.

Kelley is a Cadogan House guard. She is the resident mechanical and software genius.

Initiates

Warner

Joseph

Adrian

Michael

Thomas

Connor obviously comes from a rich family, but he is optimistic and kind.

Penny

Jennifer

Dakota

Melanie

Christine is the daughter of a famous notorious criminal defense attorney. She is an acquaintance of Merit’s from pre-vampire life.

Grey House

Scott Grey is the Lord of Grey House. He is a sports fan.

Navarre House

Celina Desaulniers is the Lady of Navarre House. She orchestrated the coming out of vampires in Chicago.

Morgan is Celina’s second in command. If anything happens to Celina, he would inherit the House. He’s charming and funny.

Alexander

Rogue

The rogues are not and do not have a House. Instead, they have a representative, and work together when they have to.

Noah Beck is the representative for the Rogue vampires.

Story & Thoughts

As the first volume of a series, this book does a good job at many things. It introduces a large number of characters, not all of them significant, yet. The ones that matter seem well defined and realistic enough to believe they could actually exist. Their interactions have personality, so they don’t feel flat.

The most important thing about the characters, I think, is Merit is a strong female lead. She doesn’t always know what the best thing to do is, but she stays true to herself. She doesn’t let anyone boss her around or convince her to accept any sexist or outdated terms. Her own moral compass always comes first. I don’t come across many female leads like her, and I’d like to see more of them.

As expected, there are a lot of world building and lore dumping, but they’re all interesting. Despite what the description implies, vampires are not undead in this world. The lore is a little different than normal. The transition to become a vampire is more of a genetic alteration than an undeath. They only need blood about once every other day. They can still eat and drink normal food and beverages. Sunlight is still a weakness, or in this case, considered a deathly allergy. There’s actually a whole culture involved, and I think that’s pretty cool.

I like the book enough to read more of the series if I get the chance, but I won’t go out of my way to find more. I’m satisfied with the story and the ending. There isn’t a cliffhanger, so there’s no pressing need to get another volume.

The epilogue tries to do one of those stereotypical, end of an episode, ominous, “danger is coming, but I’ll be ready,” type things. I see what it’s going for, but I can’t help laughing at it. It’s not really a spoiler, but Merit finishes by saying she’s very, very good at her job. That’s just laughable to me. She’s been a vampire for, like, two weeks, and has hardly any training. I just can’t take that seriously, because she is not good at her job, not yet, anyway.