The popularity of the vampire genre has exploded in recent years and people cannot seem to get enough of the undead blood suckers. Following on from successful adaptations in film and on television, Stephenie Meyer’s Twlight Saga, Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, and L. J. Smith’s Vampire Diaries are flying off the shelves in bookstores worldwide. So is there room for another vampire series?
Well, you could say that we’ve been writing about humans for over 5,000 years and no one ever got tired of that so perhaps another vampire series is just what we need! Silliness aside, the House of Night series by mother-daughter team P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast is an exciting, imaginative, and inventive series that breathes new life into the ever more popular genre of vampire novels. The books are written for the young adult market but are not intended for readers younger than 16 years of age.
Six books have been published so far out of a planned twelve and the seventh book, Burned, is due to be released on April 27, 2010.
Marked (May 1, 2007) – Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird is marked by a vampyre Tracker and must leave her home and school to attend The House of Night, the prestigious vampyre finishing school. Zoey is no typical fledgling though and her powers are soon required to fight an evil secret society in the school called the Dark Daughters.
Betrayed (October 2, 2007) – Now the leader of the Dark Daughters and a high priestess in training, Zoey soon discovers that an evil force within the school is killing human teenagers. When her human almost ex-boyfriend Heath disappears, Zoey must rush against time to rescue him and encounters a heartbreaking betrayal.
Chosen (March 4, 2008) – Continuing on from the events of Betrayed, Zoey must now deal with an undead best friend and what appear to be a series of attacks on vampyres from the religious group People of Faith. The action really starts to heat up in this book and you find yourself racing towards the end.
Untamed (October 1, 2008) – Alienated from her once tight group of friends, Zoey must rely on her two remaining friends (one of whom is undead and the other unMarked) to help her fight the high priestess as she declares war on humans. Loyalties are tested and true intentions are discovered as the book hurtles towards a shocking end.
Hunted (March 10, 2009) – Reunited once again with her friends and her boyfriend, Zoey discovers an unexpected danger at play at the House of Night. Can she convince the others that there is evil amongst them and rid the House of Night of this curse once and for all?
Tempted (October 27, 2009) – After their success in the last book, things are not as quiet as expected for Zoey and her friends as old suspicions and rivalries emerge. In the end, Zoey must make a choice and risk her own life to save the lives of those she cares for.
Burned is due to be released on April 27, 2010, and according to P.C. Cast’s blog, the book is not yet finished, covers have not been chosen, and the synopsis has not even been released! The pressure is on the mother and daughter team to get the book finished in time for marketing and general release!
Five Reasons to read the House of Night series
There are a couple of compelling reasons to read the House of Night series and some factors that set it apart from other series in this genre:
Magic: more than ever before in a vampire series, the characters in the House of Night series use elemental magic and there are strong references to goddesses, spirit, and inner power. If you were a fan of the 1996 film The Craft and the popular show Charmed, then you’ll probably like this a lot.
Magical schools: there is something about boarding schools for gifted and magical children and the House of Night is not unlike a Hogwarts for gifted, magical, American vampyre teens.
Ancient Cherokee traditions: Zoey’s grandmother is a Cherokee and as the books are set in Oklahoma, the book draws greatly on Cherokee legends and traditions. This gives a wonderful spiritual feel to the books.
Strong women: whether they are evil or heroic, the women in the House of Night series show incredible strength of character and will. They are not perfect and they certainly make mistakes but they are far greater role models than Bella Swan who loses her identity and tries her best to die when her vampire boyfriend walks out on her.
The Sons of Erebus: the drop-dead gorgeous vampyre warrior clan will get many a heart fluttering. They are the protectors of the vampyre race and are called upon to protect the House of Night. This is in addition to the vampyres themselves who are all said to have perfect bodies, hair, and grace.
The House of Night series is a lot of fun to read, with each book being action-packed and full of romance, betrayal, and adventure. Strong characters, magic, and mysticism combine to make these books appealing to both young adults and older readers as well.
Source: BlogCritics.org
By: Emm
