Awakened

Title: Awakened
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Series: House of Night (Book 8)
Genre: Young Adult



Zoey is back to the real world, well a version of it. She and Stark are living on the isle and don't want to go back to the House of Night.

Back at the House of Night, things are happening with Neferet, Kalona, Steve Rae and the gang.

More mediocrity. This series was phenomenal at first, but has seemed to level out to bland. I'd say that this book was better then the last, and hopefully the series will continue to pick it's momentum back up.

**Slight Spoiler** A main character dies, and I didn't even shed a tear and I've always loved this character. I just didn't feel the connection in this book.

But they seem to keep writing them - Destined is being released November 2011.

A Movie is also suppose to be released sometime this year.

The Fledgling Handbook 101

Title: The Fledgling Handbook 101
Author: P.C. Cast
Series: House of Night (Extra)
Genre: Young Adult



I was anticipating a little bit of behind the scenes House of Night information. A book that would fill us in on anything that was maybe a subtlety in the books that had been missed. I was quite wrong.

The Fledgling Handbook starts with an Introduction and then is broken up into 5 "chapters," each giving you different types of information.

The Introduction was my favorite part. It gave pictures of each of the emblems that the different formers wear as well as a little information of what they mean. Since this has been discussed before in the books, I found these pictures and information helpful. There was also a tentative schedule of what a day looks like at the HON.

1) Vampyre Biology - This chapter included some pictures of before and after being marked as well as after the change. I thought this too was interesting, seeing the differences that come about as they change into a vampyre. It also touches on Imprinting and the Warrior Bond. Unfortunately, it was downhill from here.

2) Rituals - Each ritual starts with a story about where the ritual came from followed by a description of how to do the ritual. Since I have no desire to preform any of these anytime soon, I really didn't care for this section.

3) Nightkind Elementology - Holidays that are observed at the HON and a Vampyre twist on astrology (Nightkind Elementology) You pick your element based on when you changed. It was okay to read, but unlike astrology, there wasn't one for me to look for.

4) A Brief Intorducion to Vampyre History - If this was brief, I'd hate to see extensive. This was a lot of fairly dry history. I'm not a history girl and this chapter was the worst for me.

5) Words of Hope from Fellow Fledglings - A kind of funny chapter. There are quotes from famous people, such as Shakespeare, as well as pictures of the speaker with their crescent and tattoos.

This book started off strong, but was sorely lacking. It really could have had nothing to do with the House of Night and seems like it will be for only the most die hard fans.

Burned

Title: Burned
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Series: House of Night (Book 7)
Genre: Young Adult

At the end of the last book, Zoey’s soul had shattered and she followed Heath to the Otherworld in pieces. Burned was the story of how her friends helped her get her soul back together and return from the Otherworld.

Steve Rae imprinted on Rephaim, the head Raven Mocker and #1 son of Kalona. Their relationship in this book seems so sweet to me. I love seeing Rephaim’s good side and how he tries to battle his naturally bad self for Stevie Rae.

Overall, I was sorely disappointed with this book. So far I’ve enjoyed each of the House of Night installments, but this one (I can’t believe I’m going to say this about a fictional Vampire story) seems a little more far fetched. I think one of the things that was missing was Zoey’s normal character. She was present in the book, but only as a slip of herself in the Otherworld.

The next release is Awakened.

Tempted

Title: Tempted
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Series: House of Night (Book 6)
Genre: Young Adult



Finally! We meet up again with Zoey and friends after they have battled Kalona and sent him and Neferet away from the Abby. They need to start picking things up and putting their lives back together now that the two are gone.

Steve Rae happens to find a barely alive Raven Mocker, and for some unknown reason (even to her) she decides to secretly save him. She sees humanity in him, even though he is Kalona's favorite son and the first of the Raven Mockers to exist. She also finally shares her secret about the bad red fledglings with Zoey.

Zoey has more boy drama, but it seems to be getting better. She makes some decisions that make her life in the boy area a bit better.

Kalona and Neferet are not gone for good, they have only run away. Their influence still is at the House of Night. Near the end of the book Zoey and her circle decide to go to Venice, where Kalona and Neferet are, as well as the Vampyre High Council. They need to convince them that Kalona and Neferet are evil and not Nyx and Erebus like they are trying to convince everyone.

I felt that although this book didn't have as much action as the previous books had, it really helped to develop the characters further. There were several events that I didn't see coming and I really feel like the end of the book was one crazy cliff hanger. I can't wait for book 7, Burned, to be released April 27th.

House of Night: Hunted

Title: Hunted
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Series: House of Night (Book 5)
Genre: Young Adult



My long awaited book #5 of P.C. and Kristin Cast's House of Night novels has finally become available to me at the library. I'll admit, by the time I started reading it, I had forgotten what had happened in the earlier books.

We once again follow Zoey Redbird and her circle of friends. When we last left them Kalona had been raised and Zoey and friends had fled underground.

This book, of course, is about Zoey and her friends' battle with him and his Raven Mockers. I thought perhaps Zoey had cleared things up with the boy situation, but again in this book she hasn't. She's back to a boy/man/vampyre love triangle.

I enjoyed this book, as I have the rest of the series, but I felt that it was a bit more bland compared to the other books so far in the series. (This also could be because I've waited a few days since finishing and have mentally moved on to another book).

I am still looking forward to Book #6 to see how things progress with Zoey and gang. Tempted is released October 27th and the cover should be released this summer.

Untamed

Title: Untamed
Author: P.C. & Kristin Cast
Series: House of Night (Book 4)
Genre: Young Adult



So I finally got the newest House of Night novel in from the library - Untamed. I previously talked about the other books in the series here.

As I returned to Zoey Redbird where I last left her, her friends had deserted her and she was *gasp* boyfriendless. Things weren't too great for her, and had been hard almost the entire time she'd been at the House of Night. There was also something not right about her mentor.

Well to put it mildly - in this book all hell breaks loose, quite literally. The happy fact is Zoey gets her friends back, starts to like a new boy, has something interesting interactions with Ex-Eric and has a revelation in regards to religion. On the negative side, more people die, all hell breaks loose (did I mention that?), and Neferet turns real bad.

The way this book ended reminded me a lot of the way Faefever ended. So needless to say, I'm left waiting again for the next book to come out. It is entitiled Hunted and isn't released untill March 2009. Looks like I have a lot more waiting to do.

House of Night Series

Continuing in Vampire (or Vampyre in this case) land - I found the House of Night novels by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast in the Young Adult section. I do enjoy a good young adult book - they are just as good reads as adult fiction (and sometimes better!)

I've finished the first three books:









These are about a world (about current time) where Vampyres not only exist, but are known by humans to exist and although are treat a little biased against - are more or less part of society and not some scary kill you suck your blood type ideal.

These stories follow Zoey Redbird as she is marked (chosen by Nyx the goddess to become a vampyre) and then goes to the House of Night (Basically Vampyre high school - where they learn to become a vampyre) She quickly makes a group of friends and they find together that they have a special affinity for the elements are are able to use them to help themselves and "talk" to the goddess.

Zoey has to deal with boy issues (of which I had a hard time in book 3 - she made some VERY poor choices and at one point I wanted to chuck the book across the room), as well as friend issues and teacher issues. Yep - sounds like young adult literature. But the story is intriguing and I enjoy the thoughts that there is another world the explore.

Interestingly enough there is what is called "People of Faith" and they are the religious fanatics. I don't know if it is the way I am reading them but I enjoy that it comes across to me that they are a bit of a crazy cult (because sometimes I feel that way about religon...sorry)

I am anxiously awaiting book 4:

I feel that it seems that I find series and start to read them when new books come out in that series (which is how I hear about them) I find that it seems that when I read all of the books that are already out there appears to be no cliffhangers - but when I get to the last book that is out (or their is a long list at the library for the next) That is when there is a real cliffhanger.

I think that Chosen had an interesting ending and I am looking forward to getting Untamed from the Library.

On a side note - I think that the website for this series is really great. There are pictures of the characters and you can see their marks (I was extra excited to see Zoey's) as well as being able to see the symbols for the different formers. I thought it was helpful to my mind's eye.