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Night World #5
The Chosen
Seeking revenge on the vampires who killed her mother, martial arts master Rashel Jordan rescues Daphne Childs from near death and is swept into the Night World Slave Trade, where she is evaluated by the irresistible Quinn. Original.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1997
About the author
L.J. Smith
282 books112k followersI have a new blog about my Vampire Diaries fanfic.
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
L.J. SMITH, Lisa Jane Smith, is the New York Times #1 Bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, The Forbidden Game, Dark Visions, Wildworld and Night World series. She has written over two dozen books for children and young adults, and has enjoyed writing every one of them. She lives in the Bay Area of California, with a backyard that is full of flowers, which she adores, especially with many different shades of roses.
She loves to visit a friend's little cabin in the Point Reyes National Seashore area, which has lots of trees, lots of animals, lots of beaches to walk on, and lots of places to hike. Once, while hiking, she saw a snow-white buck which allowed her to follow it nearly half a mile. She also likes to collect things: angels (they remind her of her late mother), tiny boxes from different countries or of fanciful shape, nineteenth century children's literature, and books about quantum physics--especially about the mystery of the dark energy in the universe. A militant optimist, she is also part of the Velociraptor Sisterhood (a fancy way of saying that she likes to read, write and discuss books with strong female characters), and she has traveled extensively in Europe and the Far East. The two countries she loves to visit most are Great Britain, with its historic monuments and amazing country landscapes, and Japan, with its bustling urban life and exquisite mountain scenery.
Her favorite current writer is Terry Pratchett, the author of the Discworld series, for its wild and witty satires on life, death, war, love, assassins, coppers, and Australia. Her favorite classical writer is Jane Austen. Her favorite poets are Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. Her favorite movies are The Seven Samurai and Avatar (analyze that!). She doesn't have a favorite TV show, because she doesn't have time to watch TV (and only owns one for playing movies).
Her favorite people are her readers, each of whom she cherishes with deep and lasting affection.
Note: L. J. Smith wrote books 1-7 of The Vampire Diaries series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. wrote books 1-3 of The Secret Circle series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. did not write any of the Originals or Stefan's Diaries. These were written by Kevin Williamson and/or various ghostwritters.
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
L.J. SMITH, Lisa Jane Smith, is the New York Times #1 Bestselling author of The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, The Forbidden Game, Dark Visions, Wildworld and Night World series. She has written over two dozen books for children and young adults, and has enjoyed writing every one of them. She lives in the Bay Area of California, with a backyard that is full of flowers, which she adores, especially with many different shades of roses.
She loves to visit a friend's little cabin in the Point Reyes National Seashore area, which has lots of trees, lots of animals, lots of beaches to walk on, and lots of places to hike. Once, while hiking, she saw a snow-white buck which allowed her to follow it nearly half a mile. She also likes to collect things: angels (they remind her of her late mother), tiny boxes from different countries or of fanciful shape, nineteenth century children's literature, and books about quantum physics--especially about the mystery of the dark energy in the universe. A militant optimist, she is also part of the Velociraptor Sisterhood (a fancy way of saying that she likes to read, write and discuss books with strong female characters), and she has traveled extensively in Europe and the Far East. The two countries she loves to visit most are Great Britain, with its historic monuments and amazing country landscapes, and Japan, with its bustling urban life and exquisite mountain scenery.
Her favorite current writer is Terry Pratchett, the author of the Discworld series, for its wild and witty satires on life, death, war, love, assassins, coppers, and Australia. Her favorite classical writer is Jane Austen. Her favorite poets are Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson. Her favorite movies are The Seven Samurai and Avatar (analyze that!). She doesn't have a favorite TV show, because she doesn't have time to watch TV (and only owns one for playing movies).
Her favorite people are her readers, each of whom she cherishes with deep and lasting affection.
Note: L. J. Smith wrote books 1-7 of The Vampire Diaries series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. wrote books 1-3 of The Secret Circle series. After that, a ghostwriter took over the rest of the series. L. J. did not write any of the Originals or Stefan's Diaries. These were written by Kevin Williamson and/or various ghostwritters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
April 18, 2021
For this story in particular, I actually really loved the protagonist and concept. The plot twist was very foreseeable which kind of sucked since the last book had a better one. The romance completely ruined the plot line in my eyes, and the sudden change in character personalities in both Rashel and Quinn was just weird and much too rushed. I enjoyed this more than the last, and would've given a solid three star rating or more if not for all the "changes" that were sort of thrust into the book with no explanation.
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April 22, 2018what a throwback
i read the night world books when i was really young and i remembered being completely obsessed with this one in particular. i was feeling a bit nostalgic so i picked this up. it wasn’t great, but i had fun with it
i read the night world books when i was really young and i remembered being completely obsessed with this one in particular. i was feeling a bit nostalgic so i picked this up. it wasn’t great, but i had fun with it
January 22, 2020
Štai ir penktoji knyga. Šioje dalyje veiksmas vyksta tarp vampyrų ir vampyrų medžiotojų. „Tamsos dukterys“ trumpai pasirodęs vampyras Džonas Kvinas grįžta šitoje dalyje skirtoje išskirtinai jam. Nuo pirmo karto kai jis atsidaro knygose jo nekenčiau taip pat kaip Ešo, bet kaip ir pastarąjį taip ir šį pamėgau kai priėjau prie jų istorijos ir geriau susipažinau. Rašelė man patiko nuo pradžių- jos nepriklausomybė lyg katės neveltui jai davusios tokią pravardę. Na, o galų gale knygos visiškai ją pamėgau, nes ta laukinė katytė pavirto švelnia mylinčia ir atsidavusia kate. Atsirado keli vilkolakiai, bet iki šiol jie vis dar negauna pilnos knygos. xD Po kol kas apie juos turiu tik neigiamą įspūdį: netikšos, pasiutę, kvaili šunyčiai. Tikiuosi gal kitose knygose mano nuomonę pakeis...
Prie vertėjos šį kartą nesikabinėsiu- niekas neužkliuvo. xD
APIBENDRINIMAS: trumpa ir lengvai skaitoma knyga-neatsibos, veiksmas ir plot twists gale knygos sukelia patį įdomumą, pats veiksmas vystosi labai greitai tad irgi neteks sėdėti mėnesių mėnesius su šia knyga.
Prie vertėjos šį kartą nesikabinėsiu- niekas neužkliuvo. xD
APIBENDRINIMAS: trumpa ir lengvai skaitoma knyga-neatsibos, veiksmas ir plot twists gale knygos sukelia patį įdomumą, pats veiksmas vystosi labai greitai tad irgi neteks sėdėti mėnesių mėnesius su šia knyga.
March 8, 2020
The fifth installment of L.J. Smith's Night World series, which features a secret world of vampires, witches and shape-shifters, The Chosen follows the story of teen vampire-hunter Rashel Jordan. Traumatized in her childhood by the death of her mother at the hands of a vampire, Rashel had dedicated her life to hunting the undead. But when she faces off against the Night World's ultimate bad-boy, the vampire Quinn, something wholly unexpected occurs. Is it possible that an ice-cold, human-hating vampire, and a lethal vampire-slayer could be soulmates? With the revival of the Night World slave-trade, and the disappearance of young girls from Boston, Rashel knows she has to act. But will she be able to defeat this unusual enemy?
I will confess that the Night World series is something of a guilty pleasure for me. It debuted in the mid 1990s, while I was working in the children's section of a large bookstore, and I picked up the first title ( Secret Vampire ) largely out of curiosity. I had never read any vampire fiction before, and wanted to know what all the fuss was about. I discovered an engaging collection of stories, compulsively readable, and highly entertaining. There's plenty of teen cliche here, but Smith also creates some wonderful characters, and her girls are always smart and strong. These books are infinitely preferable, in this respect, to the more recent (and much more well-known) Twilight saga, which also features the story of supernatural love.
I will confess that the Night World series is something of a guilty pleasure for me. It debuted in the mid 1990s, while I was working in the children's section of a large bookstore, and I picked up the first title ( Secret Vampire ) largely out of curiosity. I had never read any vampire fiction before, and wanted to know what all the fuss was about. I discovered an engaging collection of stories, compulsively readable, and highly entertaining. There's plenty of teen cliche here, but Smith also creates some wonderful characters, and her girls are always smart and strong. These books are infinitely preferable, in this respect, to the more recent (and much more well-known) Twilight saga, which also features the story of supernatural love.
October 9, 2022
This was fun, but I didn't find I enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed others in this series, probably because I felt like too much and not enough was happening all at the same time. I do feel that this book could have been 30 pages longer with added details and a bit more realism (yes, I'm aware it's a book about vampires) and it would have gone a long way towards getting 4-stars.
July 16, 2020
These are just so fast paced. When I first picked up this series, I didn’t think they would all be individual stories.
February 21, 2024
I got completely won over when a reference was made to the Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie and this came out in February of 1997...one month before the phenomenal TV show.
I wasn't sure if I would enjoy The Chosen as much as the first four books yet as it went on...it got very good when you add a sort of uncomfortable element to the romance.
A normal revenge against vampires story...we have read or seen them before. This one starts in such a horrific fashion and is just as heartbreaking but necessary to make our main character just a little hard to crack.
Rashel Jordan is five years old and on that fateful birthday, she lost everything. Her little brother Timmy disappeared and she found him being fed on and killed by a vampire. When her mother heard her screams, she met her own death at the vampire's hand by a broken neck.
Rashel was sent to live with her older aunt, Corrine, but in the dark of the night...the vampire came again. This time, he set fire to the house and only Rashel escaped to become an orphan. For twelve years, she has gone from foster home to foster home with nightmares of the vampire's face and his voice.
Rashel is too filled with the desire of revenge to be afraid and her homes are just places to live but a few of her foster parents prove successful on her journey. Martial artists...and vampire hunters to teach her all the ways to defend herself. Rashel keeps herself at arms length...she can't love and lose anyone else again.
Now seventeen, Rashel is known to those of the Night World as "The Cat" for the claw marks with a cat's paw she leaves on the staked, mummified husks of her victims. Now living in Boston, Rashel receives tips from fellow hunters, The Lancers, that four girls have disappeared.
Rashel has few friends if you want to call them that but they are all the same age as her and they know about vampires...they want the same thing. Death to all the vampires that have left some of them orphans and frankly, they need Rashel's help.
One night, Rashel protects two of them by knocking out a very strong vampire from behind. They plan to torture him slowly to get information but Rashel sends them away to get more hunters to scout for any other vampires helping their captive.
Alone, face covered by a scarf with only her green eyes showing in her ninja attire, Rashel is ready to deal a fatal blow with her wooden sword. The vampire is looking up at her and they exchange words and information in what is to be an honorable scene of mutual respect...warriors and hunters both of them.
Rashel learns that the vampire is named John Quinn. This is the same Quinn who has a brief appearance in Daughters of Darkness, an honorary member of the powerful Redfern family. He has a hatred for humans but also a complicated relationship with the vampire who turned him, Hunter Redfern.
"I hate you, vampire dad, and yet I am loyal to you"...that kind of complex for the past four hundred years.
Rashel knows that Quinn is deadly and Hunter's heir since members of the Redfern clan have been falling in love with humans as of late yet she can't strike out at him. Quinn knows this woman is The Cat but he can't help but share with her his tragic past and be intrigued by her emerald eyes.
They spar and touch hands and yep...sparks that are unwanted and confusing happen again.
The others come back to the scene of Quinn escaping and Rashel...letting him go. Her credibility is now tarnished to being a vampire sympathizer and Rashel is all but abandoned to be on her own once again yet Rashel is use to it.
The only thing that troubles her now is having her resolve down against a vampire after killing so many. Rashel doesn't have long to simmer in self-loathing when she spots a young woman jumping out of the back of a truck coming from a warehouse where Rashel has tracked down a nest of vampires.
She is able to rescue the teenage girl and they get away. Rashel finds out that her name is Daphne Childs and she was taken by vampires along with almost two dozen other girls. Rashel has heard of vampires taking humans and selling them off as slaves or food and she believes she has found the biggest ring abducting girls from a club in Boston.
Daphne tells Rashel it is a club where teenagers go because these are the emo kids, the goth kids, the kids who feel alone and wish to embrace the darkness. Daphne has a big family full of stepsiblings and feels invisible so she has been wearing black and writing poetry to attract a kindred soul.
Rashel isn't too impressed or thrilled to learn that Quinn was the one to answer Daphne's misguided prayers. Daphne, despite being a blonde ditz, is actually sort of a subversion in that she agrees to go back to the club with Rashel and get captured again. Rashel argues with this but it is pointed out by Daphne that Rashel is not use to flirting with guys...only pummeling vampires.
In order to be chosen so that she can go and take care of all the vampires in charge of this human trafficking ring, Rashel relents and the girls go back to the club. Rashel knows that she has to earn the trust of the vampires by acting the ditzy damsel but she also knows that if Quinn so much as touches her, the ruse will not work because of the attraction before...and her cover will be blown.
Too bad that Quinn has been shaken by the previous experience and even his fellow vampires can tell that he is slipping and not acting like himself. One of them just happens to be Lily, the daughter of Hunter Redfern and the powerful patriarch of the Night World vampires.
Falling in love with a human is a crime punishable by death and Quinn, unfortunately, is the next chosen victim of a fate and a desire he can't fight...
Some very heavy stuff and the reveals are gloriously twisted. It all leads up to a heart-stopping climax with an ending that isn't exactly clear-cut yet satisfying enough to make The Chosen a solid entry in the Night World series worth reading.
I wasn't sure if I would enjoy The Chosen as much as the first four books yet as it went on...it got very good when you add a sort of uncomfortable element to the romance.
A normal revenge against vampires story...we have read or seen them before. This one starts in such a horrific fashion and is just as heartbreaking but necessary to make our main character just a little hard to crack.
Rashel Jordan is five years old and on that fateful birthday, she lost everything. Her little brother Timmy disappeared and she found him being fed on and killed by a vampire. When her mother heard her screams, she met her own death at the vampire's hand by a broken neck.
Rashel was sent to live with her older aunt, Corrine, but in the dark of the night...the vampire came again. This time, he set fire to the house and only Rashel escaped to become an orphan. For twelve years, she has gone from foster home to foster home with nightmares of the vampire's face and his voice.
Rashel is too filled with the desire of revenge to be afraid and her homes are just places to live but a few of her foster parents prove successful on her journey. Martial artists...and vampire hunters to teach her all the ways to defend herself. Rashel keeps herself at arms length...she can't love and lose anyone else again.
Now seventeen, Rashel is known to those of the Night World as "The Cat" for the claw marks with a cat's paw she leaves on the staked, mummified husks of her victims. Now living in Boston, Rashel receives tips from fellow hunters, The Lancers, that four girls have disappeared.
Rashel has few friends if you want to call them that but they are all the same age as her and they know about vampires...they want the same thing. Death to all the vampires that have left some of them orphans and frankly, they need Rashel's help.
One night, Rashel protects two of them by knocking out a very strong vampire from behind. They plan to torture him slowly to get information but Rashel sends them away to get more hunters to scout for any other vampires helping their captive.
Alone, face covered by a scarf with only her green eyes showing in her ninja attire, Rashel is ready to deal a fatal blow with her wooden sword. The vampire is looking up at her and they exchange words and information in what is to be an honorable scene of mutual respect...warriors and hunters both of them.
Rashel learns that the vampire is named John Quinn. This is the same Quinn who has a brief appearance in Daughters of Darkness, an honorary member of the powerful Redfern family. He has a hatred for humans but also a complicated relationship with the vampire who turned him, Hunter Redfern.
"I hate you, vampire dad, and yet I am loyal to you"...that kind of complex for the past four hundred years.
Rashel knows that Quinn is deadly and Hunter's heir since members of the Redfern clan have been falling in love with humans as of late yet she can't strike out at him. Quinn knows this woman is The Cat but he can't help but share with her his tragic past and be intrigued by her emerald eyes.
They spar and touch hands and yep...sparks that are unwanted and confusing happen again.
The others come back to the scene of Quinn escaping and Rashel...letting him go. Her credibility is now tarnished to being a vampire sympathizer and Rashel is all but abandoned to be on her own once again yet Rashel is use to it.
The only thing that troubles her now is having her resolve down against a vampire after killing so many. Rashel doesn't have long to simmer in self-loathing when she spots a young woman jumping out of the back of a truck coming from a warehouse where Rashel has tracked down a nest of vampires.
She is able to rescue the teenage girl and they get away. Rashel finds out that her name is Daphne Childs and she was taken by vampires along with almost two dozen other girls. Rashel has heard of vampires taking humans and selling them off as slaves or food and she believes she has found the biggest ring abducting girls from a club in Boston.
Daphne tells Rashel it is a club where teenagers go because these are the emo kids, the goth kids, the kids who feel alone and wish to embrace the darkness. Daphne has a big family full of stepsiblings and feels invisible so she has been wearing black and writing poetry to attract a kindred soul.
Rashel isn't too impressed or thrilled to learn that Quinn was the one to answer Daphne's misguided prayers. Daphne, despite being a blonde ditz, is actually sort of a subversion in that she agrees to go back to the club with Rashel and get captured again. Rashel argues with this but it is pointed out by Daphne that Rashel is not use to flirting with guys...only pummeling vampires.
In order to be chosen so that she can go and take care of all the vampires in charge of this human trafficking ring, Rashel relents and the girls go back to the club. Rashel knows that she has to earn the trust of the vampires by acting the ditzy damsel but she also knows that if Quinn so much as touches her, the ruse will not work because of the attraction before...and her cover will be blown.
Too bad that Quinn has been shaken by the previous experience and even his fellow vampires can tell that he is slipping and not acting like himself. One of them just happens to be Lily, the daughter of Hunter Redfern and the powerful patriarch of the Night World vampires.
Falling in love with a human is a crime punishable by death and Quinn, unfortunately, is the next chosen victim of a fate and a desire he can't fight...
Some very heavy stuff and the reveals are gloriously twisted. It all leads up to a heart-stopping climax with an ending that isn't exactly clear-cut yet satisfying enough to make The Chosen a solid entry in the Night World series worth reading.
May 25, 2019
24 May 2019
The Chosen is book 5 in the Night World series.
This book is one of my most favourite books of all time. I absolutely love the relationship between Rashel and Quinn.
The Chosen is book 5 in the Night World series.
This book is one of my most favourite books of all time. I absolutely love the relationship between Rashel and Quinn.
May 12, 2019
Night World
The Chosen
L. J. Smith
It happened at Rashel’s birthday party, the day she turned five years old.
Plot.
When Rashels fifth birthday party her younger brother Timmy, her mother, and her aunt were killed by a vampire. Rashel managed to escape, but the vampire swore he’d see her again.
Since that fateful day Rashel has been out for revenge, learning everything she can about the Night World and how to kill vampires; she becomes one of the Night Worlds most feared vampire hunters.
Her goal to find the vampire that killed her family and get revenge.
On a hunting mission he comes across a vampire named Quinn, and for some reason she can’t bring herself to kill him.
To make up for it she heard about vampires taking women and vows to to take them down.
What I Liked.
This has to be my favourite of the Night World books.
Rashel is a strong, fearless, independent, and fantastic at what she does. She gets the job done.
The storyline was strong, more detailed.
And we’re getting more of an underlying story which runs throughout the series, which is good despite properly not getting the final book anytime soon.
What I Didn’t Like.
Rashel and Quinn insta love. Well it wasn’t really, they actually spent hardly any time together, and suddenly in the last 50(?) pages it’s suddenly ‘we’re soulmates, I love you.���
Cute, but it felt too sudden. More slow burn needed.
Overall.
Enjoyable.
Favourite so far.
5/5*
The Chosen
L. J. Smith
It happened at Rashel’s birthday party, the day she turned five years old.
Plot.
When Rashels fifth birthday party her younger brother Timmy, her mother, and her aunt were killed by a vampire. Rashel managed to escape, but the vampire swore he’d see her again.
Since that fateful day Rashel has been out for revenge, learning everything she can about the Night World and how to kill vampires; she becomes one of the Night Worlds most feared vampire hunters.
Her goal to find the vampire that killed her family and get revenge.
On a hunting mission he comes across a vampire named Quinn, and for some reason she can’t bring herself to kill him.
To make up for it she heard about vampires taking women and vows to to take them down.
What I Liked.
This has to be my favourite of the Night World books.
Rashel is a strong, fearless, independent, and fantastic at what she does. She gets the job done.
The storyline was strong, more detailed.
And we’re getting more of an underlying story which runs throughout the series, which is good despite properly not getting the final book anytime soon.
What I Didn’t Like.
Rashel and Quinn insta love. Well it wasn’t really, they actually spent hardly any time together, and suddenly in the last 50(?) pages it’s suddenly ‘we’re soulmates, I love you.���
Cute, but it felt too sudden. More slow burn needed.
Overall.
Enjoyable.
Favourite so far.
5/5*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2020
I thought this one would my favorite in the series, but it was kind of a bad Buffy rip off. Rashel is inexplicably strong and somehow manages to live through all of her terrible decisions, but I did like the concept of women being collected from clubs for a feast party. The end was very satisfying.
September 21, 2018
Re-read
Because I was in the mood!!
Because I was in the mood!!
August 27, 2020
Well this one was the best yet. I liked the fact that she was a vampire hunter but fell for a vampire. I liked how he was dead against humans but fell for one. i liked the ideas used in this one and how they came together. I have a feeling I know where the series is going and I look forward to finding out if I'm right.
December 2, 2018
Re-read
December 1, 2021
omgomg
June 2, 2022
I liked the background story mom is murdered child turns vigilante. The romance was a bit mushy for me this time. Not my favorite but I still enjoyed it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2014
First off, the character. I felt that most of the character were very real and believable. There was quite a bit of character development, especially compared to L.J.Smith's other Night World books and considering its size. I loved how Rashel actually tried to do something about her bad situation. I also loved Daphne. She was a real breath of fresh air in this series of hunters and fighters. She's not a fighter. She's not a hunter. She's just a regular teenage girl. And the relationship that blooms between them is great. It really goes to show that you don't have to live the same style of life to be friends. I had a bit of a problem with Rashel and Quinn's relationship. It felt rushed and wasn't very fleshed out. I do understand the soulmate principle, but unlike most of the relationships before, Rashel and Quinn had only talked to each other for less than 2 hours.
The plotline was also really interesting. There was quite a bit of action, compared to most of the Night World novels. There was never really a dull moment and all of the scenes were absolute necessary to get to the end. The love story didn't overpower the real plot line of the kidnappings, but I think it was pushed back a little too much to the point where it wasn't really there anymore. The plot twist at the end with Hunter was very different. After thinking about it, I can see where it comes from, but had you not finished the book, you probably wouldn't have guessed it at all as there was no foreshadowing.
The world was very interesting. I definitely liked the fact that L.J.Smith took the idea of vampires, werewolves and other things and really took it to a different level with the Night World. I also found it a very good surprise that there were the lamia. I have always wondered by vampires had to be bitten and it's obvious that L.J.Smith had also thought about that. It's also very interesting how they just live beside humans, but they don't suspect anything. It's like an entire community inside of another. There are laws of its own and even a hierarchy, which can be seen in this novel.
The pacing was pretty fast, maybe a little too fast, but the swiftness of the pacing covers up other flaws of the novel. But I do love that time keeps going on in this novel. Unlike the other Night World novels were time sort of stops while explaining things, this installment keeps time feeling realistic. However, this may be because of the amount of action there is in this novel compared to the other ones.
The writing style of L.J.Smith is great. It really flows with me and is quite a quick read. The dialogue between characters felt believable. There were some errors in grammar, but nothing that really hinders the story.
Overall, this book was awesome. There were really strong characters that mostly had great relationships, the plot was great, and you really wanted to keep reading.
The plotline was also really interesting. There was quite a bit of action, compared to most of the Night World novels. There was never really a dull moment and all of the scenes were absolute necessary to get to the end. The love story didn't overpower the real plot line of the kidnappings, but I think it was pushed back a little too much to the point where it wasn't really there anymore. The plot twist at the end with Hunter was very different. After thinking about it, I can see where it comes from, but had you not finished the book, you probably wouldn't have guessed it at all as there was no foreshadowing.
The world was very interesting. I definitely liked the fact that L.J.Smith took the idea of vampires, werewolves and other things and really took it to a different level with the Night World. I also found it a very good surprise that there were the lamia. I have always wondered by vampires had to be bitten and it's obvious that L.J.Smith had also thought about that. It's also very interesting how they just live beside humans, but they don't suspect anything. It's like an entire community inside of another. There are laws of its own and even a hierarchy, which can be seen in this novel.
The pacing was pretty fast, maybe a little too fast, but the swiftness of the pacing covers up other flaws of the novel. But I do love that time keeps going on in this novel. Unlike the other Night World novels were time sort of stops while explaining things, this installment keeps time feeling realistic. However, this may be because of the amount of action there is in this novel compared to the other ones.
The writing style of L.J.Smith is great. It really flows with me and is quite a quick read. The dialogue between characters felt believable. There were some errors in grammar, but nothing that really hinders the story.
Overall, this book was awesome. There were really strong characters that mostly had great relationships, the plot was great, and you really wanted to keep reading.
December 3, 2009
Night World #5: The Chosen, by L. J. Smith
When she's 5 years old, Rashel sees her mother and her friend killed by a vampire. The vampire tries to get her as well, but even at 5 she's strong enough to resist his mind control. Fast forward twelve years and Rashel is a vampire hunter, existing on the fringes of the Day and the Night worlds, keeping humans safe.
Rashel is a very strong character, comfortable in her body and determined because of her past. She's a great fighter and has a sense of honor. When she and a group of vampire hunters capture a vampire, the others want to torture him, but Rashel can't stomach torturing a defenseless being, even if he is a vampire. So she decides to let him go...and then discovers he's her soulmate. To add to the mix, the vampire is Quinn, known throughout the Night World as one of the most soulless, human-hating vampires around.
While Rashel is one of my favorite Night World characters, I find the plot of this book a little weak. Rashel stumbles into a Night World slave trade of humans when she rescues a blonde bunny, but then Daphne, the girl she helps, is willing to risk her life to help Rashel take down the operation. The ending is very abrupt as well, without taking care of some loose ends that I would've liked to see resolved. But overall "The Chosen" fits very nicely into the Night World series, and uses the soulmate principle that ties all the books together very nicely. Rashel and Quinn are iconic of the opposites attract cliche, but it works for them and they grow over the short time period of the book. I really want to see more of them.
3/5.
When she's 5 years old, Rashel sees her mother and her friend killed by a vampire. The vampire tries to get her as well, but even at 5 she's strong enough to resist his mind control. Fast forward twelve years and Rashel is a vampire hunter, existing on the fringes of the Day and the Night worlds, keeping humans safe.
Rashel is a very strong character, comfortable in her body and determined because of her past. She's a great fighter and has a sense of honor. When she and a group of vampire hunters capture a vampire, the others want to torture him, but Rashel can't stomach torturing a defenseless being, even if he is a vampire. So she decides to let him go...and then discovers he's her soulmate. To add to the mix, the vampire is Quinn, known throughout the Night World as one of the most soulless, human-hating vampires around.
While Rashel is one of my favorite Night World characters, I find the plot of this book a little weak. Rashel stumbles into a Night World slave trade of humans when she rescues a blonde bunny, but then Daphne, the girl she helps, is willing to risk her life to help Rashel take down the operation. The ending is very abrupt as well, without taking care of some loose ends that I would've liked to see resolved. But overall "The Chosen" fits very nicely into the Night World series, and uses the soulmate principle that ties all the books together very nicely. Rashel and Quinn are iconic of the opposites attract cliche, but it works for them and they grow over the short time period of the book. I really want to see more of them.
3/5.
July 29, 2019
REREAD as of July 2019
I realize that I have to deduct a star for this one. It wasn't as amazing as I thought when I first read this short book. To start, while this book had the "enemies to romance" trope, the characters didn't even spend a lot of time together. I think that you'll need good character development when it comes to writing an effective story including the enemies to romance trope, which was unfortunately lacking in this story.
Additionally, the story was super slow and it felt like nothing was happening especially nearing the 50% (I think). The only interactions between the mc and the love interest were in the beginning, a few minutes after, then the ending. There wasn't much of a development, in my opinion. They didn't even get to know each other really well except when they were sharing blood. I just wished there was more interaction between them or even a back story. Basically, I wished this was longer and more detailed.What's new?
xx
THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK IN THE SERIES SO FAR FOLLOWED BY Secret Vampire.
RASHEL WAS SO FREAKING BAD-ASS!!!even if the beginning was disturbing.
THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! I HAD TO PUT IT DOWN BECAUSE I CAN'T TAKE ALL THE EXCITEMENT AND ANXIETY BUILDING UP INSIDE. I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT!!! WE ALSO GET REFERENCES FROM CIRCLE DAYBREAK!
I realize that I have to deduct a star for this one. It wasn't as amazing as I thought when I first read this short book. To start, while this book had the "enemies to romance" trope, the characters didn't even spend a lot of time together. I think that you'll need good character development when it comes to writing an effective story including the enemies to romance trope, which was unfortunately lacking in this story.
Additionally, the story was super slow and it felt like nothing was happening especially nearing the 50% (I think). The only interactions between the mc and the love interest were in the beginning, a few minutes after, then the ending. There wasn't much of a development, in my opinion. They didn't even get to know each other really well except when they were sharing blood. I just wished there was more interaction between them or even a back story. Basically, I wished this was longer and more detailed.
xx
THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK IN THE SERIES SO FAR FOLLOWED BY Secret Vampire.
RASHEL WAS SO FREAKING BAD-ASS!!!
THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! I HAD TO PUT IT DOWN BECAUSE I CAN'T TAKE ALL THE EXCITEMENT AND ANXIETY BUILDING UP INSIDE. I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE IT!!! WE ALSO GET REFERENCES FROM CIRCLE DAYBREAK!
February 18, 2010
Rashel is a vampire hunter. She started training ever since her mother and brother died when she was 5, and so she had been killing vampires at the age of 12 and getting a reputation making her be known as the cat, because she would leave a mark on the vampire she killed that looked like a cat had scratched it. She was one of the most feared vampire hunters in the night world. Well since she is the most feared vampire hunter there was also the most feared vampire and his name was Quinn and he killed a lot. But what happens when these to deadly opposites meet when Rashel is on mission to find out what's happening to missing teenage girls? The reaction they will have will surprise both.
This book reminds me of the hunger games a little even though both stories didn't end the same. These books relate together because to me it’s the relationship of the characters.
I give this book 5 stars because even though the authors endings are always the same with everything always being a happy ending and someone falling in love I like the fact that she told it a little different this time.
This book reminds me of the hunger games a little even though both stories didn't end the same. These books relate together because to me it’s the relationship of the characters.
I give this book 5 stars because even though the authors endings are always the same with everything always being a happy ending and someone falling in love I like the fact that she told it a little different this time.
November 14, 2016
Debo admitir que ya me había rendido con esta escritora.
Había leído sus anteriores trabajos y los odie.
Pero entonces conseguí este libro y lo pensé muchas veces antes de leerlo y debo decir que no me arrepiento.
El mundo que creo la escritora me encanto, todo oscuro y misterioso. Te hace pensar que estar criaturas sobrenaturales pueden vivir cerca y no te darías cuenta, me pareció fantástico. La protagonista me pareció muy bien estructurada y profundizada. Me encanto que era todo una BAD ASS caza vampiros. Lo que si no me gustó y con gusto hubiese arracado esas páginas del libro, fue el intento de romance que hubo. Fue patético, he leído acerca de almas gemelas, y me han encantado pero esto fue extremadamente absurdo, no diré nada porque sería spoiler, pero la verdad. Lo odie.
No sé si seguiré la saga, pero al menos sé que esta escritora si tiene algo que decir.
Había leído sus anteriores trabajos y los odie.
Pero entonces conseguí este libro y lo pensé muchas veces antes de leerlo y debo decir que no me arrepiento.
El mundo que creo la escritora me encanto, todo oscuro y misterioso. Te hace pensar que estar criaturas sobrenaturales pueden vivir cerca y no te darías cuenta, me pareció fantástico. La protagonista me pareció muy bien estructurada y profundizada. Me encanto que era todo una BAD ASS caza vampiros. Lo que si no me gustó y con gusto hubiese arracado esas páginas del libro, fue el intento de romance que hubo. Fue patético, he leído acerca de almas gemelas, y me han encantado pero esto fue extremadamente absurdo, no diré nada porque sería spoiler, pero la verdad. Lo odie.
No sé si seguiré la saga, pero al menos sé que esta escritora si tiene algo que decir.
October 9, 2017
Is it me or are these just getting better?! This was cheesy, but less so than the other books. Like I always say, I just wish these could be longer..
*Minor Spoilers*
I'm hesitant to give this book a 5 stars because of the "shortness". I really love the soulmate theory, but sometimes I just feel like it's an excuse to not write more conversations and interactions between characters. I mean the two characters barely spoke casually, they always argued about death.. They really didn't know each other, but they were deeply in love at the end. It's cute, making my eyes roll slowly. I just wish there was more for us, as readers, to also fall in love with their love. Make sense?
Don't get me wrong, I love these books and will continued reading. This was another great addition to the series!
*Minor Spoilers*
I'm hesitant to give this book a 5 stars because of the "shortness". I really love the soulmate theory, but sometimes I just feel like it's an excuse to not write more conversations and interactions between characters. I mean the two characters barely spoke casually, they always argued about death.. They really didn't know each other, but they were deeply in love at the end. It's cute, making my eyes roll slowly. I just wish there was more for us, as readers, to also fall in love with their love. Make sense?
Don't get me wrong, I love these books and will continued reading. This was another great addition to the series!
March 21, 2010
One star may be considered a bit harsh... but it's really because the book had so much PROMISE. I absorbed the first half of this book, excited for how it was going to unfold, how it was going to be less predictable than the other books in the series. I felt... well, I suppose I felt that the book had a sense of maturity that the others lacked due to the YA audience focus.
*Sigh* But the ending just had me so terribly disappointed by shattering my expectations that I just couldn't give it two stars. I just _couldn't_.
*Sigh* But the ending just had me so terribly disappointed by shattering my expectations that I just couldn't give it two stars. I just _couldn't_.
October 4, 2011
man, rashel and quinn are SO CUTE. i like that their story is about more than them finding their soulmates- it's about them learning how to be people again, instead of just hunters. i also love the thought that quinn has known about ash's human soulmate for MONTHS and just keeps giving him shit about it instead of turning him in or whatever. oh boys, never change.
August 19, 2018
I love Rashel! She is strong and brave and courageous and does the right thing. Exactly the type of hero for me! On top of that, she finds her soulmate and finally accepts him (at the end, duh. Just like all the other books). Rashel makes this book come to life!
February 18, 2011
This is the second time reading the book, but I needed a way to have it on my reading challenge, since the first time I read it was sometime last year.
July 24, 2011
The Chosen is a good name because Rashel, Daphne, Fayth and Juanita are all chosen.
May 4, 2011
(Im a spoiler(and 'spoiler' is just an understatement)!!..Beware)
-PERSPECTIVE OF RASHEL AND QUINN-
A vampire hunter known as 'The Cat'..Mostly scared of in NightWorld..Always leaves marks on the victims she kills..
And
A ice cold vampire named Quinn..The vampire who all vampire hunters knew by reputation..Deadly..Pitiless..
Are soulmates.
Ending: Timmy turns out to be alive.Rashel and Quinn are soulmates till the day they die.
Characters:
Rashel Jordan: human,her mother and brother died when she turned five on the night of her party,dark hair,eyes were green-green as emeralds, tall,saw a vampire drain timmy and knock her mother dead,when the vampire set her aunt's house on fire rashel made it out..but aunt didnt,seventeen,a vampire hunter(in memory of her mother),killed her first vampire at the age of twelve,goes to Wassaguscus High,known as 'The Cat' to Night people..the one Night people are scared of the most(she always leaves marks on vampires she kills..5 slashes),taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill(there might be another vampire lead there),kills vampires with her special bokken(jappeneese sword),starts feeling sympathy for vampires when she knocked out Quinn,felt a electric shock when she tryed to kill Quinn(soulmates),distracted the Lancers so Quinn could escape,since she let Quinn escape the first time she has to find the kidnapped girls herself(so she goes back to the warehouses),is mind-control resistant,comes up with a plan to get chosen and kidnapped along with other vampire hunters(but none would help her so she decides to go alone but then daphne wanted to help rashel at the club and agreed to get chosen again with rashel) and taken to the vampire enclave(so she can wipe out all the vampires and stop the slave trade),agrees to let Daphne go with her to the club and get chosen, uses a fake name when she goes to the club(Shelly),gets chosen by Quinn with daphne,stepped on Ivan's foot before leaving,makes a plan to free every girl and get them off the island in boats(is sucessful but she doesnt leave with them),finds out hunter redfern was the vampire that killed her mother.
Timmy Jordan: human,Rashel's little brother(one month younger),silky black hair, blue eyes,and a very sweet smile,'Okay. I'll wait' were the last words he ever said to rashel,killed by a vampire man on rashel's 5th b-day,turns out to be alive as a vampire,hunter got timmy to believe humans are worthless and that rashel never cared for him,gets forced out of the burning mansion by rashel and onto a wharf, trapped in a four-year-old body.
Mrs.Jordan: human,timmy's and rashel's mom,'Okay, kitten,but take care of Timmy.He's not as fast as you are.' were the last words she ever said to rashel,heard rashel scream and came looking for her..then got mind-controled by a vampire and then killed on rashel's 5th b-day,dark hair.
Aunt Corinne: human,the only family rashel had left after timmy and her mom died,old,died the night of rashel's 5th bday(the vampire came back and set the house on fire and aunt corinne never made it out).
Pal: Rashel's dog.
Elliot: human,few years older than rashel,thin, with intense eyes and little shiny glasses that were always slipping off his nose,knows about the NightWorld,vampire hunter,started the Lancers.
Vicky: human,brown-haired girl,pale blue eyes,vampire hunter(member of the Lancers),was the leader of a group on the south shore,Elliot's new second-in-command,taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill(there might be another vampire lead there),likes to kill vampires slowly and make them talk(torture).
Steve: human,member of Lancers,blond hair, muscular shoulders,and a steady expression,taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill(there might be another vampire lead there),a guy of few words.
Nyala: human,member of Lancers,skin like cocoa and a faraway look in her eyes,had a small queenly head, with hair piled on the back like Nef-ertiti's crown,lost her sister(thats why she wants to be a vampire hunter),taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill(there might be another vampire lead there),got kidnapped for the feast,turns out to be still on the island and she set the whole mansion on fire,saved by Quinn.
John Quinn: made-vampire,from boston,eighteen,about Rashel's height and compact,pale,dark hair,the Redfern heir,good-looking,clean features that were strongly chiseled but almost delicate,charming,body that was lithe and flat-muscled,loved the sunny pastures and the clear blue water of the wilderness,had a crush on Dove Redfern,pitiless as a snake,is the one the Lancers are chasing(the one on Mission Hill), kidnapps human girls that wouldnt be missed and left them in warehouses on Mission Hill(for the feast..which is a day where vampires come and feed),suprised Steve and Vicky while they were on the lookout(got into a fight with them), was knocked out by rashel and taken to a cellar by vicky..steve.. nyala..and rashel,started talking to rashel when he regained conciousness,was almost finished unwrapping rashel's scarf off her face but got interuppted(so he doesnt know what she even looks like yet..except that shes tall),one of the most dangerous vampires in all the Night World,every vampire hunter knew Quinn by reputation,when he was going to kill rashel she shoved him and he felt a electrick shock(soulmates),had to run away because the Lancers were after him,hasnt been to the club since the day he kidnapped daphne but then decides to go back there the night rashel goes there to be chosen,saves rashel from rudi then gets knocked out by her(she was going to kill him but couldnt)..but gained conciousness later and catched up to rashel,wants to turn rashel into a vampire(b/c the NightWorld law says u cant love a human),bit rashel without getting her approval,when the mansion went on fire he went back in the mansion for Nyala to save rashel for doing it.
Ivan: vampire,is in charge of taking care of the kidnapped girls in the warehouses every few hours,kept the girls and fed them to do the slave trade later on,taking the kidnapped girls to a secret vampire enclave..then on a boat,was about to drain rashel but Quinn stopped him(the humans had to be in perfect condition for the slave trade).
Lily: vampire,evil,striking girl with dark hair,very pale skin,and eyes like amber or topaz,takes care of the girls in the warehouses and then takes them to an island for the feast,cold-hearted.
Hunter Redfern: vampire,was the one to turn Quinn into a vampire, Quinn's adopted father,the upholder of Night World law,the one who colonized America with vampires back in the sixteen hundred,vampire, tall,handsome,had hair as red as blood and eyes that shone gold,golden hawk-like eyes,drained timmy and knocked rashel's mom dead in front of rashel,was trying to mind-control rashel into going to him so he can kill her(just like he did to timmy),ran away when parents started walking after him cause rashel was screaming,killed human kids foolishly,was the one who set up the bloodfeast.
Maeve Harman: the witch who had mingled her blood with the lamia, mother of dove..roseclear..lily..and garnet,raising roseclear away from hunter.
Roseclear: growing up as a witch,lives with Maeve Harman,youngest of dove..garnet..and lily.
Garnet: vampire,the oldest daughter of hunter,was about as interesting as a stick of wood,wine-colored hair.
Dove Redfern: vampire(lamia),pretty,soft brown hair,gentle,loving,was Quinn's lover,agreed to go with Quinn for quinn to tell his father the truth about what happened to him(that he got turned into a vampire), killed by Quinn's human father(the father was a minister and he had to get rid of evil anywhere) when the father realized vampires were real, died in front of Quinn looking up into his eyes for the last time.
Rudi: werewolf,stays on the island and watches over the chosen girls,about Rashel's age,had bushy brown hair,Rudi meant "famous wolf" in Hungarian,gets forced to unlock the doors then knocked out by rashel but got concious again and went after rashel(but Quinn stopped him from killing her).
Maya: the legendary first vampire.
Daphne Childs: human,slender,blond hair,big and innocent cornflower blue eyes under heavy lashes,face was round and sweet,small,was one of the girls that were kidnapped by Quinn and stored in warehouses, partying girly-girl kind of girl,knows about vampires(since she got kidnapped by some),live in Somerville,was saved from the vampires by rashel,sixteen/seventeen yrs old,got four sisters and two brothers,is mind-control resistant,tells rashel all about the club and how to get chosen and gives rashel a poem and helps rashel get a look so she could go to the club and get chosen,knows rashel needs help at the club so daphne goes there and agrees to help rashel get chosen and her also again,rashel's first friend ever,gets chosen by Quinn again but this time with rashel,didnt want to leave rashel behind at the island but rashel made her go.
Mamie: human,about rashel's size,one of Daphne's friends.
Juanita: human,wavy bronze hair and bee-stung lips,goes to the club, been chosen and kidnapped for the feast,knows about vampires.
Missy: human,towhead,with flyaway hair and Bambi eyes,about twelve,been chosen and kidnapped for the feast,knows about vampires.
Fayth: human learning how to do spells,flaming red hair,wistful eyes, and a diffident manner,been chosen and kidnapped for the feast,not scared of whats going to happen to her,knows about vampires,a Daybreaker.
Annelise: originally a native of Denmark,done the race circuit in Antigua,can handle a boat,eighteen/nineteen,blond, long-legged, and built like a Valkyrie,was one of the girls kidnapped for the feast.
Keiko: was one of the girls kidnapped for the feast,young(Thirteen), grew up around boats,tiny,with hair like black silk and a rosette mouth,born on Nantucket,parents have a Ciera Sunbridge.
Facts:
-Lancers-one of the most of vampire hunters on the east coast.
-Night World slave trade had been banned a long time ago-back in medieval days,the Council apparently had decided that kidnapping humans and selling them to Night People for food or amusement was just too dangerous.
-The Feast: a feast for vampires. A big celebration, a banquet.Three courses each.
-Spring equinox: The day Maya bit Thierry(the first made-vampire known in history).
-PERSPECTIVE OF RASHEL AND QUINN-
A vampire hunter known as 'The Cat'..Mostly scared of in NightWorld..Always leaves marks on the victims she kills..
And
A ice cold vampire named Quinn..The vampire who all vampire hunters knew by reputation..Deadly..Pitiless..
Are soulmates.
Ending: Timmy turns out to be alive.Rashel and Quinn are soulmates till the day they die.
Characters:
Rashel Jordan: human,her mother and brother died when she turned five on the night of her party,dark hair,eyes were green-green as emeralds, tall,saw a vampire drain timmy and knock her mother dead,when the vampire set her aunt's house on fire rashel made it out..but aunt didnt,seventeen,a vampire hunter(in memory of her mother),killed her first vampire at the age of twelve,goes to Wassaguscus High,known as 'The Cat' to Night people..the one Night people are scared of the most(she always leaves marks on vampires she kills..5 slashes),taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill(there might be another vampire lead there),kills vampires with her special bokken(jappeneese sword),starts feeling sympathy for vampires when she knocked out Quinn,felt a electric shock when she tryed to kill Quinn(soulmates),distracted the Lancers so Quinn could escape,since she let Quinn escape the first time she has to find the kidnapped girls herself(so she goes back to the warehouses),is mind-control resistant,comes up with a plan to get chosen and kidnapped along with other vampire hunters(but none would help her so she decides to go alone but then daphne wanted to help rashel at the club and agreed to get chosen again with rashel) and taken to the vampire enclave(so she can wipe out all the vampires and stop the slave trade),agrees to let Daphne go with her to the club and get chosen, uses a fake name when she goes to the club(Shelly),gets chosen by Quinn with daphne,stepped on Ivan's foot before leaving,makes a plan to free every girl and get them off the island in boats(is sucessful but she doesnt leave with them),finds out hunter redfern was the vampire that killed her mother.
Timmy Jordan: human,Rashel's little brother(one month younger),silky black hair, blue eyes,and a very sweet smile,'Okay. I'll wait' were the last words he ever said to rashel,killed by a vampire man on rashel's 5th b-day,turns out to be alive as a vampire,hunter got timmy to believe humans are worthless and that rashel never cared for him,gets forced out of the burning mansion by rashel and onto a wharf, trapped in a four-year-old body.
Mrs.Jordan: human,timmy's and rashel's mom,'Okay, kitten,but take care of Timmy.He's not as fast as you are.' were the last words she ever said to rashel,heard rashel scream and came looking for her..then got mind-controled by a vampire and then killed on rashel's 5th b-day,dark hair.
Aunt Corinne: human,the only family rashel had left after timmy and her mom died,old,died the night of rashel's 5th bday(the vampire came back and set the house on fire and aunt corinne never made it out).
Pal: Rashel's dog.
Elliot: human,few years older than rashel,thin, with intense eyes and little shiny glasses that were always slipping off his nose,knows about the NightWorld,vampire hunter,started the Lancers.
Vicky: human,brown-haired girl,pale blue eyes,vampire hunter(member of the Lancers),was the leader of a group on the south shore,Elliot's new second-in-command,taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill(there might be another vampire lead there),likes to kill vampires slowly and make them talk(torture).
Steve: human,member of Lancers,blond hair, muscular shoulders,and a steady expression,taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill(there might be another vampire lead there),a guy of few words.
Nyala: human,member of Lancers,skin like cocoa and a faraway look in her eyes,had a small queenly head, with hair piled on the back like Nef-ertiti's crown,lost her sister(thats why she wants to be a vampire hunter),taking a little expedition out to some warehouses in Mission Hill(there might be another vampire lead there),got kidnapped for the feast,turns out to be still on the island and she set the whole mansion on fire,saved by Quinn.
John Quinn: made-vampire,from boston,eighteen,about Rashel's height and compact,pale,dark hair,the Redfern heir,good-looking,clean features that were strongly chiseled but almost delicate,charming,body that was lithe and flat-muscled,loved the sunny pastures and the clear blue water of the wilderness,had a crush on Dove Redfern,pitiless as a snake,is the one the Lancers are chasing(the one on Mission Hill), kidnapps human girls that wouldnt be missed and left them in warehouses on Mission Hill(for the feast..which is a day where vampires come and feed),suprised Steve and Vicky while they were on the lookout(got into a fight with them), was knocked out by rashel and taken to a cellar by vicky..steve.. nyala..and rashel,started talking to rashel when he regained conciousness,was almost finished unwrapping rashel's scarf off her face but got interuppted(so he doesnt know what she even looks like yet..except that shes tall),one of the most dangerous vampires in all the Night World,every vampire hunter knew Quinn by reputation,when he was going to kill rashel she shoved him and he felt a electrick shock(soulmates),had to run away because the Lancers were after him,hasnt been to the club since the day he kidnapped daphne but then decides to go back there the night rashel goes there to be chosen,saves rashel from rudi then gets knocked out by her(she was going to kill him but couldnt)..but gained conciousness later and catched up to rashel,wants to turn rashel into a vampire(b/c the NightWorld law says u cant love a human),bit rashel without getting her approval,when the mansion went on fire he went back in the mansion for Nyala to save rashel for doing it.
Ivan: vampire,is in charge of taking care of the kidnapped girls in the warehouses every few hours,kept the girls and fed them to do the slave trade later on,taking the kidnapped girls to a secret vampire enclave..then on a boat,was about to drain rashel but Quinn stopped him(the humans had to be in perfect condition for the slave trade).
Lily: vampire,evil,striking girl with dark hair,very pale skin,and eyes like amber or topaz,takes care of the girls in the warehouses and then takes them to an island for the feast,cold-hearted.
Hunter Redfern: vampire,was the one to turn Quinn into a vampire, Quinn's adopted father,the upholder of Night World law,the one who colonized America with vampires back in the sixteen hundred,vampire, tall,handsome,had hair as red as blood and eyes that shone gold,golden hawk-like eyes,drained timmy and knocked rashel's mom dead in front of rashel,was trying to mind-control rashel into going to him so he can kill her(just like he did to timmy),ran away when parents started walking after him cause rashel was screaming,killed human kids foolishly,was the one who set up the bloodfeast.
Maeve Harman: the witch who had mingled her blood with the lamia, mother of dove..roseclear..lily..and garnet,raising roseclear away from hunter.
Roseclear: growing up as a witch,lives with Maeve Harman,youngest of dove..garnet..and lily.
Garnet: vampire,the oldest daughter of hunter,was about as interesting as a stick of wood,wine-colored hair.
Dove Redfern: vampire(lamia),pretty,soft brown hair,gentle,loving,was Quinn's lover,agreed to go with Quinn for quinn to tell his father the truth about what happened to him(that he got turned into a vampire), killed by Quinn's human father(the father was a minister and he had to get rid of evil anywhere) when the father realized vampires were real, died in front of Quinn looking up into his eyes for the last time.
Rudi: werewolf,stays on the island and watches over the chosen girls,about Rashel's age,had bushy brown hair,Rudi meant "famous wolf" in Hungarian,gets forced to unlock the doors then knocked out by rashel but got concious again and went after rashel(but Quinn stopped him from killing her).
Maya: the legendary first vampire.
Daphne Childs: human,slender,blond hair,big and innocent cornflower blue eyes under heavy lashes,face was round and sweet,small,was one of the girls that were kidnapped by Quinn and stored in warehouses, partying girly-girl kind of girl,knows about vampires(since she got kidnapped by some),live in Somerville,was saved from the vampires by rashel,sixteen/seventeen yrs old,got four sisters and two brothers,is mind-control resistant,tells rashel all about the club and how to get chosen and gives rashel a poem and helps rashel get a look so she could go to the club and get chosen,knows rashel needs help at the club so daphne goes there and agrees to help rashel get chosen and her also again,rashel's first friend ever,gets chosen by Quinn again but this time with rashel,didnt want to leave rashel behind at the island but rashel made her go.
Mamie: human,about rashel's size,one of Daphne's friends.
Juanita: human,wavy bronze hair and bee-stung lips,goes to the club, been chosen and kidnapped for the feast,knows about vampires.
Missy: human,towhead,with flyaway hair and Bambi eyes,about twelve,been chosen and kidnapped for the feast,knows about vampires.
Fayth: human learning how to do spells,flaming red hair,wistful eyes, and a diffident manner,been chosen and kidnapped for the feast,not scared of whats going to happen to her,knows about vampires,a Daybreaker.
Annelise: originally a native of Denmark,done the race circuit in Antigua,can handle a boat,eighteen/nineteen,blond, long-legged, and built like a Valkyrie,was one of the girls kidnapped for the feast.
Keiko: was one of the girls kidnapped for the feast,young(Thirteen), grew up around boats,tiny,with hair like black silk and a rosette mouth,born on Nantucket,parents have a Ciera Sunbridge.
Facts:
-Lancers-one of the most of vampire hunters on the east coast.
-Night World slave trade had been banned a long time ago-back in medieval days,the Council apparently had decided that kidnapping humans and selling them to Night People for food or amusement was just too dangerous.
-The Feast: a feast for vampires. A big celebration, a banquet.Three courses each.
-Spring equinox: The day Maya bit Thierry(the first made-vampire known in history).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2020
Vampire hunter meets vampire, and they all live happily ever after.
Rashel decided to become a vampire hunter because when she was very young, she saw her mother and her friend (or possibly a kid her mother was babysitting; I don’t think the book was very clear on just who Timmy was in relation to Rashel) killed by a vampire, and decided some payback was in order. Then one night, on a mission, she runs into the vampire Quinn, and, true to the theme of this series, the two discover that they’re soulmates.
Now, I have to say that Smith did make a point of having Rashel deny the connection at first, refusing to believe she could be so bonded to something she despised so very much. But what really got to me was a scene in which Rashel and Quinn are mentally joined, and she senses darkness and fear in his mind so she (and I’m paraphrasing here) “dances through it kissing sunlight into the dark corners.”
Let me just point out that Rashel has spent over a decade at this point hating vampires with a passion, and being shuffled from foster family to foster family and refuses to form emotional connections, trying to cut herself off from others and keep her emotions cold, her mind removed. I understand that this is teen fantasy with an emphasis on romance, but honestly, I find it incredibly difficult to suspend my disbelief long enough to accept that “twu wuv” really heals all wounds in a heartbeat like that. It was trite, and horribly out of character, and it didn’t do anything but make me roll my eyes and wonder if Smith even understood the characters she was creating.
Nyala’s transition from mentally scarred to completely unhinged was also something that felt odd and out of place, like the author just needed a plot device to work in a little more tension.
Many parts of this book felt clumsily executed. Some scenes were powerful and touching, incredibly well done, but for every good scene there seemed to be one that was equally bad, and it made for a very poor experience. While this book wasn’t one of my favourites when I first read the series, my opinion on it has certainly dropped upon reading it again.
This novel also shows how dated it is by mentioning Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then adding that Rashel “missed the movie.” The vast majority of teens who read this book now will likely only know Buffy as the TV show, and may not even know that the multi-season show was based on and a continuation of a movie in the first place. It’s only a minor mention, but much like a previous book in the series mentioning Walkmans, it’s something that the audience doesn’t come across these days half as much as they used to. The stories are not timeless, and moments like this really underscore that.
Ultimately, I’d have been happier skipping over this book during my series reread, given all the problems I had with it. It needed serious work on the character development, the twist ending made only marginal sense, and it was far from the entertaining read I remember from my teenage years. Sadly, I came away rather disappointed.
Rashel decided to become a vampire hunter because when she was very young, she saw her mother and her friend (or possibly a kid her mother was babysitting; I don’t think the book was very clear on just who Timmy was in relation to Rashel) killed by a vampire, and decided some payback was in order. Then one night, on a mission, she runs into the vampire Quinn, and, true to the theme of this series, the two discover that they’re soulmates.
Now, I have to say that Smith did make a point of having Rashel deny the connection at first, refusing to believe she could be so bonded to something she despised so very much. But what really got to me was a scene in which Rashel and Quinn are mentally joined, and she senses darkness and fear in his mind so she (and I’m paraphrasing here) “dances through it kissing sunlight into the dark corners.”
Let me just point out that Rashel has spent over a decade at this point hating vampires with a passion, and being shuffled from foster family to foster family and refuses to form emotional connections, trying to cut herself off from others and keep her emotions cold, her mind removed. I understand that this is teen fantasy with an emphasis on romance, but honestly, I find it incredibly difficult to suspend my disbelief long enough to accept that “twu wuv” really heals all wounds in a heartbeat like that. It was trite, and horribly out of character, and it didn’t do anything but make me roll my eyes and wonder if Smith even understood the characters she was creating.
Nyala’s transition from mentally scarred to completely unhinged was also something that felt odd and out of place, like the author just needed a plot device to work in a little more tension.
Many parts of this book felt clumsily executed. Some scenes were powerful and touching, incredibly well done, but for every good scene there seemed to be one that was equally bad, and it made for a very poor experience. While this book wasn’t one of my favourites when I first read the series, my opinion on it has certainly dropped upon reading it again.
This novel also shows how dated it is by mentioning Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then adding that Rashel “missed the movie.” The vast majority of teens who read this book now will likely only know Buffy as the TV show, and may not even know that the multi-season show was based on and a continuation of a movie in the first place. It’s only a minor mention, but much like a previous book in the series mentioning Walkmans, it’s something that the audience doesn’t come across these days half as much as they used to. The stories are not timeless, and moments like this really underscore that.
Ultimately, I’d have been happier skipping over this book during my series reread, given all the problems I had with it. It needed serious work on the character development, the twist ending made only marginal sense, and it was far from the entertaining read I remember from my teenage years. Sadly, I came away rather disappointed.
January 1, 2019
Character Building
First off, the character. I felt that most of the character were very real and believable. There was quite a bit of character development, especially compared to L.J.Smith's other Night World books and considering its size. I loved how Rashel actually tried to do something about her bad situation. I also loved Daphne. She was a real breath of fresh air in this series of hunters and fighters. She's not a fighter. She's not a hunter. She's just a regular teenage girl. And the relationship that blooms between them is great. It really goes to show that you don't have to live the same style of life to be friends.
Relationships
I had a bit of a problem with Rashel and Quinn's relationship. It felt rushed and wasn't very fleshed out. I do understand the soulmate principle, but unlike most of the relationships before, Rashel and Quinn had only talked to each other for less than 2 hours.
Plot
The plotline was also really interesting. There was quite a bit of action, compared to most of the Night World novels. There was never really a dull moment and all of the scenes were absolute necessary to get to the end. The love story didn't overpower the real plot line of the kidnappings, but I think it was pushed back a little too much to the point where it wasn't really there anymore. The plot twist at the end with Hunter was very different. After thinking about it, I can see where it comes from, but had you not finished the book, you probably wouldn't have guessed it at all as there was no foreshadowing.
The World
The world was very interesting. I definitely liked the fact that L.J.Smith took the idea of vampires, werewolves and other things and really took it to a different level with the Night World. I also found it a very good surprise that there were the lamia. I have always wondered by vampires had to be bitten and it's obvious that L.J.Smith had also thought about that. It's also very interesting how they just live beside humans, but they don't suspect anything. It's like an entire community inside of another. There are laws of its own and even a hierarchy, which can be seen in this novel.
The pacing was pretty fast, maybe a little too fast, but the swiftness of the pacing covers up other flaws of the novel. But I do love that time keeps going on in this novel. Unlike the other Night World novels were time sort of stops while explaining things, this installment keeps time feeling realistic. However, this may be because of the amount of action there is in this novel compared to the other ones.
Writing
The writing style of L.J.Smith is great. It really flows with me and is quite a quick read. The dialogue between characters felt believable. There were some errors in grammar, but nothing that really hinders the story.
Overall, this book was awesome. There were really strong characters that mostly had great relationships, the plot was great, and you really wanted to keep reading.
First off, the character. I felt that most of the character were very real and believable. There was quite a bit of character development, especially compared to L.J.Smith's other Night World books and considering its size. I loved how Rashel actually tried to do something about her bad situation. I also loved Daphne. She was a real breath of fresh air in this series of hunters and fighters. She's not a fighter. She's not a hunter. She's just a regular teenage girl. And the relationship that blooms between them is great. It really goes to show that you don't have to live the same style of life to be friends.
Relationships
I had a bit of a problem with Rashel and Quinn's relationship. It felt rushed and wasn't very fleshed out. I do understand the soulmate principle, but unlike most of the relationships before, Rashel and Quinn had only talked to each other for less than 2 hours.
Plot
The plotline was also really interesting. There was quite a bit of action, compared to most of the Night World novels. There was never really a dull moment and all of the scenes were absolute necessary to get to the end. The love story didn't overpower the real plot line of the kidnappings, but I think it was pushed back a little too much to the point where it wasn't really there anymore. The plot twist at the end with Hunter was very different. After thinking about it, I can see where it comes from, but had you not finished the book, you probably wouldn't have guessed it at all as there was no foreshadowing.
The World
The world was very interesting. I definitely liked the fact that L.J.Smith took the idea of vampires, werewolves and other things and really took it to a different level with the Night World. I also found it a very good surprise that there were the lamia. I have always wondered by vampires had to be bitten and it's obvious that L.J.Smith had also thought about that. It's also very interesting how they just live beside humans, but they don't suspect anything. It's like an entire community inside of another. There are laws of its own and even a hierarchy, which can be seen in this novel.
The pacing was pretty fast, maybe a little too fast, but the swiftness of the pacing covers up other flaws of the novel. But I do love that time keeps going on in this novel. Unlike the other Night World novels were time sort of stops while explaining things, this installment keeps time feeling realistic. However, this may be because of the amount of action there is in this novel compared to the other ones.
Writing
The writing style of L.J.Smith is great. It really flows with me and is quite a quick read. The dialogue between characters felt believable. There were some errors in grammar, but nothing that really hinders the story.
Overall, this book was awesome. There were really strong characters that mostly had great relationships, the plot was great, and you really wanted to keep reading.
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