house of night book review

Book Review: House of Night Series by P.C. & Kristin Cast

Fight for your right….

If vampyres were real and you would get Marked. Would you choose the Change and leaving everything you knew behind over death? This happens to Zoey Redbird in this twelve books long tale of the House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.

Book Review: House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Title & Author: House of Night by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast Genre: Fantasy, Romance Release Date: May 1 2007 Series: House of Night Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Synopsis The books follow 16-year-old Zoey Redbird as she is “Marked” by a vampyre tracker and begins to undergo the “Change” into an actual vampyre. She has to leave her family in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and move into the House of Night, a boarding school for other fledgling vampyres like her. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends. It gets even harder for Zoey to fit in when she finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. As Zoey tries to make new friends and maybe find a hot boyfriend (or two), she comes up against all kinds of evil. Things at the House of Night are not always what they seem. Can Zoey find the courage deep within herself to find the truth and embrace her destiny?

The House of Night Series by P.C. Cast and her daughter Kristin Cast, is one of those series that is too long for their own good. The series is twelve novels long and has several novellas, graphic novels and other related books.

Overall I like the series, each time I finish a book, I want to start the next one. Nothing wrong with that. I feel that is how every book should be written. But I think the allure in this series is that each novel never feels finished, because you can really feel the authors work towards the end and not have every novel be a separate story in this universe and have an overall story – like Harry Potter has, as an example.

Marked is the first installment of the series and the first time I read it, I really enjoyed it. It was on of the first vampire stories I read and this time not a book about some girl falling in love with a vampire. The character development was okay and there were a few big action scenes. The second time around I still liked it, but not as much as before. The character development seemed shallow and Aphrodite and Damien were even more shallow. It felt like a bummer and not a very good introduction of a – maybe – great series.

But I moved on to Betrayed, the second novel, even though my feelings about the first one were so mixed. This one moved me a bit when Zoey’s best friend Stevie Rae – and my favorite character – died because her body rejected the Change. On a different note you get some insight in Aphrodite, which changed my opinion of her. So this novel was a better compared to Marked and made me want to read on with this series.

The third installment of the House of Night series is Chosen. In this novel the plot thickens, things are not what they seemed to be in the first two novels and this kept my interest in this series high. The character development goes even deeper in this book and this really got me hooked. Also the return of my favorite character helped with that.

With renewed hope I started on the fourth installment, Untamed. But I had to drag myself through this one. It felt shallow and all the things I liked about the last one were left on the bench. The characters became shallow again and too much was happening. This novel also set up a lot for the following three novels, so maybe that is why. But that does not mean I have to like it.

Hunted is the fifth installment of the series. This book still felt very shallow, with almost no character development. And a lot of added drama for no good reason. I really felt like giving up at this point and never finishing this series. And I really hate not finishing something I started on.

In the sixth novel, Tempted, Zoey has to face off against her past self. She has to grow to get to a point where she can face off against Kalona. This book was more interesting then the last two. I was happy about that. The characters are developing a lot more during this book and I really felt like this series could still become something great. But by the end of the book I felt ripped off, because the authors sort of, kill off Zoey, which for me made it impossible to see where the books were going and how they would get themselves out of this mess. Because the end of the book really gave me the feel of a big mess.

I waited a bit before I started reading Burned, the seventh novel in the series. It did not help much. I was bored and had to struggle through the book. Here the multiple POVs were helping to understand what was going on. Because even though not much happened the book is more then 300 pages long. This – to me – really is the worst novel of them all.

Because of the disaster I found the last book was, I waited a few weeks before reading Awakened – the eighth book. I remember there was a lot of hype around this book. This book was quite refreshing. Stevie-Rae finally reunites with her mother and there were a lot of developments in the characters. I liked the book and did not want to put it away.

I really struggle with the books, the ninth book, Destined, really annoyed the crap out of me. This book was happy, but really makes me feel like I am in a roller coaster which I really don’t like. This one is way too rough and up and down. The happy parts really make me want to read this book/series, but then the rough parts kick in and I really start to hate I invest so much time into these books.

The tenth book in the House of Night series, Hidden introduced even more characters POVs. I really don’t like it when that happens. Also the whole story seems to go from bad to worse. Why would you take away someones mother and then threaten the grandmother too? For me this made the series go down the drain, even further then anything else already pushed it. I really felt sad to give up at this point in the series and so I read on.

I liked Revealed, the eleventh book in the series, much better. So this made me happy I pushed on with the series. Only one book left to read and this book was rich and deep again. It makes you questions decisions the characters made in earlier books and what you thought about the them. There is only the issue of Zoey that did not get resolved for me. I was curious to read the last book, so maybe the issue would be solved.

The last book, Redeemed, starts pretty strong, but overall the quality slips away again and it becomes as shallow as most of the series.

The books are a bit of a struggle for me to get through, but overall they are a nice read. Sometimes a bit slow paced, but a lot happens in each book. Maybe if the authors had left some things out it would still have been a good series, just with less books. Because I feel not everything needed to be in these novels. The switching POVs – from the 6th novel on – added to that.

Also the going back and forth between shallow stories and nice and deep stories really made me tired of this series, so it took me good while to get through all twelve of them.

The Novellas

I loved Dragon’s Oath and Lenobia’s Vow. They are rich and really help you understand the character. I wish all the books could have been this way. In comparison to the other books, the novellas were a bit on the thicker side, but overall I did not have any problems with the size. They went into nice details about the character and really told the story without any interruption or distraction.

The novellas were a bigger highlight of the series then the series itself. It is too bad, I wish it could have been better.

Let me know what you thought of these books! If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.

For now, let books enrich your life!

Goodreads P.C. Cast Kristin Cast Cast

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Review: ‘Revealed’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

The spellbinding eleventh and penultimate installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling vampyre series Drastically altered after her fall at the end of Hidden, Neferet is now more dangerous than ever—and her quest for vengeance will wreak havoc on humans, as well as Zoey and her friends. Chaos is loosed in Tulsa and the House of Night is blamed. Can Zoey stop Neferet in time to keep her anger from escalating to full-on war? Or will someone else have to step in to take the fall? The House of Night series is an international phenomenon, reaching #1 on U.S., German, and UK bestseller lists, and remaining a fixture on The New York Times Children’s Series bestseller list for nearly 150 weeks and counting. With more than 12 million copies in print, rights sold in thirty–eight countries to date, and relatable, addictive characters, this series is unstoppable. Now, in the eleventh and penultimate installment of the series, the action is more intense and the stakes even higher as Zoey and her friends battle to protect their school and home from devastating evil—all while balancing romances, precarious friendships and the daily drama of the House of Night's halls. http://us.macmillan.com/revealed/PCCast

Review: ‘Hidden’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

At last, Zoey has what she wanted: the truth is out. Neferet's evil has been exposed, and the High Council is no longer on her side - but she's far from done wreaking havoc in the vampyre world. First, a mysterious fire ravages the stables. Then, Neferet makes a devastating move that will test them all. With the seeds of distrust sown and Darkness breeding chaos at the House of Night, everyone must band together - but that's proving to be more difficult than ever before. The twins are barely speaking and the House of Night's former enemy, Kalona, has now become their warrior, pushing their trust to the limit. To top it off, Zoey is pretty darn sure she might be losing her mind. She saw something when she looked at Aurox through the Seer Stone that she can hardly explain to herself, let alone her friends. Is it possible that Heath has come back in a different form? Is that why Zoey's so intrigued by Aurox, when it's so obvious that he's dangerous? And who would believe her if she told them? Zoey knows that following her instinct about Aurox might be just what they need to defeat evil . . . but if she's wrong, it could cause the destruction of those closest to her. With the tension at a breaking point and friendships on the line, can the nerd herd come together to stop the spread of Darkness before it's too late?

Review: ‘Destined’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

In Destined, the forces of Light and Dark collide as their epic struggle focuses on Tulsa’s House of Night. Zoey is home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side – and preparing to face off against Neferet. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx’s gift of a human form, he and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if Rephaim can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father’s shadow.But is Zoey really safe? Does she truly know those who are closest to her? And will love win when it is tested by the very soul of Darkness?

Review: ‘Awakened’ by PC Cast & Kristin Cast

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over her immortal consort Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either… And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?

Review: ‘Burned’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

WHEN FRIENDS STOP TRUSTING EACH OTHER, DARKNESS IS THERE TO FAN THE FLAMES... THINGS HAVE TURNED BLACK AT THE HOUSE OF NIGHT. ZOEY REDBIRD'S SOUL HAS SHATTERED. With a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, she's fading fast. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to save her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vampyre High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only seven days left... Enter BFF Stevie Rae. She wants to help Z, but she has massive problems, too. The rogue Red Fledgings are acting up again. Her kinda boyfriend, Dallas, is sweet but too nosy. Stevie Rae's hiding a secret that might be the key to helping Zoey, but which also threathens to explode her whole world. In the middle of the whole mess is Aphrodite: ex-Fledging, trust-fund baby, total hag from Hell (and proud of it). She's always been blessed (if you could call it that) with prophetic visions, but now it seems Nyx has decided to speak through her, whether she wants it or not. Aphrodite's loyalty can swing a lot of different ways, but right now Zoey's fate hangs in the balance. Three girls... playing with fire... if they don't watch out, everyone will get Burned.

Review: ‘Tempted’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

So...you'd think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark's life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break. Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang. Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions. Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings. Aphrodite's visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal. Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn't go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her. Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul? Find out in the next spectacular installment in the House of Night Series, Tempted .

Review: ‘Hunted’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil, and all he wanted was you? At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey’s friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren’t Neferet’s secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses. Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn’t want to hear and truths she can’t face?

Review: ‘Untamed’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

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, the only two Zoey has left are undead and 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 PC and Kristin Cast's spellbinding fourth House of Night novel. (Recommended for readers age 13 and older)

Review: ‘Chosen’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare situation of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely affects the truth…

Review: ‘Betrayed’ by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Zoey, High Priestess in training, has managed to settle in at the House of Night and come to terms with the vast powers the Vampyre Goddess Nyx has given her. Just as she finally feels she belongs, the unthinkable happens: human teenagers are being killed, and all 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.

Lifestyle · February 24, 2015

Book Review – The House of Night Series

I decided to review this set of books as a series in their own right rather than each individual book as every story on its own is great but when you read them as a full series there is that sense of accomplishment at seeing the story through from start to finish.

The following synopsis is taken from the official House of Night.

“House of Night is a thrillingly engaging book series that follows 16-year-old Zoey Redbird, who gets “Marked” by a vampyre tracker and begins to undergo the “Change” into an actual vampyre. She has to leave her family in Tulsa and move into the House of Night, a boarding school for other fledglings like her.

It’s within the school’s walls that the heart of the action takes place as Zoey meets new friends, finds love, comes to terms with how her life will be different now and begins to realize her awesome new powers.

Here’s the deal though: Yes, Zoey’s a vampyre now. But she’s still a teenager – with all the humor , angst and confusing feelings any other teenage r has.”

While I am an adult (yes I know it’s a shocking revelation) I love reading YA (that’s young adult to those that don’t know) as the stories are a bit lighter than some adult materials and sometimes, dare I say it, more fun to read.

What I loved about this series of books was how the story kept progressing and when you thought it was all over there would be a new threat to the kids and it was interesting to try and figure out how they were going to deal with the evil they were battling, emerging powers and general teen drama.

The link for Marked –  the first book – can be found on amazon.co.uk  here  and handily on their kindle site all the books are numbered so you won’t have the problem of buying them in the wrong order. If, however, you prefer the feel of real pages between your fingers the link to Marked in paperback is  here .

Now I have a bit of a book hangover and not sure what to read next – why don’t you lovely people leave me a few suggestions to tide me over until I decide to re-read this series which no doubt will be soon.

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Book Review

Marked — “house of night” series.

• P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
• Paranormal , Romance

• St. Martin’s Griffin, a division of Macmillan

Year Published

Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine . This is the first book in the “House of Night” series.

Plot Summary

In an alternate version of our world, vampyres develop from human beings in a process known as “the Change.” One day, a Tracker puts the Mark of a crescent moon on 16-year-old Zoey Montgomery’s forehead, symbolizing she has been chosen by the goddess of night to become a vampyre. Zoey is concerned because many kids don’t survive the transition. She also knows her conservative religious mother and stepfather won’t be happy.

Zoey sees Heath, the boy she’s been dating, and he notices her Mark immediately. He and his friends take off in a hurry, and he scrapes his hand against the pavement. Zoey is horrified by her attraction to his blood. At home, Zoey’s mother and stepfather are horrified by the news of her selection. Zoey realizes she will die soon if she doesn’t get to the House of Night, a special school for vampyres. Her stepfather refuses to drive her to the school, instead calling people to come and pray over her for healing.

Zoey escapes out her window and heads for her grandmother’s house. She falls and has an out-of-body experience, in which she meets a beautiful woman. The woman is Nyx, the vampyre goddess of night. Nyx says Zoey has been chosen to be the first true Daughter of Night in this world. She has the wisdom of her ancestors as well as knowledge of the modern world. It is Zoey’s destiny to be a powerful leader and restore balance between good and evil.

Zoey’s grandmother takes her to the House of Night. The High Priestess Neferet wonders why the girl’s Fledgling Mark has been colored in, symbolizing she is already a vampyre. They begin to tour the school, but Neferet gets called to the infirmary. She instructs Zoey to wait for her at a nearby bench. Zoey tries to follow Neferet’s instructions, but takes a wrong turn. She sees a teenage girl on her knees in front of a boy, ready to give him oral sex. The boy’s eyes lock on Zoey’s and the two share a connection. He pushes the other girl away as Zoey flees the hallway. Neferet returns to lead Zoey to her dormitory. There, the same girl Zoey saw in the hallway shows her to her room. Her name is Aphrodite, and she warns Zoey not to mess with her.

Zoey immediately warms up to her new roommate, Stevie Rae. In the dining hall, Zoey meets Stevie Rae’s other friends — Damien, Erin and Shaunee. Damien is one of the few gay vampyres. Erin and Shaunee call each other “twin,” although Shaunee is a black Northern girl and Erin is a white Southerner. Zoey learns Aphrodite is the leader of the Dark Daughters, a group of upperclassman in charge of school spirit. Before Zoey finishes dinner, Aphrodite approaches her table and invites her to take part in a Full Moon Ritual the following night.

While walking to the Full Moon Ritual, Zoey comments on Stevie Rae’s dark mood. Stevie Rae explains that a Fledgling in one of her classes died from the Change. She says it is common for Fledglings to become sick and die suddenly. A female vampyre greets the girls at the Ritual, placing the mark of a pentagram on their foreheads. The students and teachers take their places in a circle in a room that used to be a church. They call on spirits and elements and magic, and Zoey is electrified.

After the ritual, Zoey attends the meeting of the Dark Daughters. Erik greets her at the door and places another pentagram mark on her forehead. He is one of the Dark Sons, the male auxiliary to the Dark Daughters. As the ritual begins, Zoey sees that it is much like the one she just attended, but the Dark Daughters are using incense laced with marijuana. Aphrodite performs a sexual dance and gives Zoey wine to drink. After the ceremony, Zoey sees Elliot, an annoying kid from her classes, slumped in a chair. She questions others and they call him their “refrigerator” for the evening. They have mixed his blood with the wine used in the ceremony. Zoey is appalled to learn that she not only drank his blood, but that she loved the taste.

Zoey escapes outside and vomits. She then hears a cat meowing in a tree above her. In an effort to calm herself, she coaxes the cat down and names it Nala. Heath and Zoey’s former best friend, Kayla, then arrive. They are drunk and prepared to take her home. Zoey asks Kayla and Heath to leave. Heath is reluctant, telling Zoey that she is more attractive than ever. They begin to kiss, and she accidentally scratches his wrist. When he pulls away to suck the blood off, Zoey can barely control herself. Heath seems to be mesmerized by her. The two kiss again, and Zoey is energized when she tastes the blood on his lips. Kayla’s screams bring Zoey back to reality. She forces Heath to leave.

Zoey breaks down in tears, confused by all that’s happening to her. Erik Night finds her and offers her a tissue. When Zoey admits she saw him and Aphrodite in the hallway, he says he and Aphrodite are no longer together. He admits he followed Zoey out of the ritual because he figured Aphrodite hadn’t told her about the blood mixed with wine. He tells her she should mention to Neferet that Heath seemed to be entranced by her. Erik walks Zoey back to her dorm and tells her if she ever wants another sip of blood, he’s the man for her. He takes her hand and softly bites her wrist. Zoey’s body immediately responds to the gesture in a sexual way.

Zoey tells Stevie Rae about some of the night’s events. Stevie Rae tells her that Nyx’s gift to Aphrodite is prophecy, and the girl has detailed visions of the future. The previous week, Aphrodite saw a plane crash and could tell Neferet the airport and plane number so the accident could be prevented. Zoey realizes that Aphrodite invited her to the ritual hoping Zoey would get freaked out by drinking blood and refuse to join the Dark Daughters. Zoey knows she’ll have to join the group or Aphrodite’s plan will have worked.

The following morning Zoey talks to Neferet about Heath and her unnerving lust for blood. Neferet urges Zoey to call her Grandmother Redbird for comfort. Her grandmother reminds Zoey about their ancestors’ Cherokee purification ritual and recommends she perform it right away. Zoey tells her friends, and they offer to help her.

That night, Zoey and her friends purify themselves in the Cherokee tradition and form a ritual circle. The others are amazed and excited when, as Zoey calls each element, they sense her affinity for it. Once all the spirits are called, Zoey says a prayer, hoping that the spirits will carry it to Nyx. She asks the spirits and the elements to help her be strong and become the person she is supposed to be. Later, Erik finds her and walks her home. She agrees to watch movies with him that weekend, and the two kiss passionately.

The following day, Zoey is shocked when Elliot begins spewing blood in their English class. Zoey is upset further when her cell mailbox is filled with messages from Heath expressing his need to see her. On her way to Neferet’s office, she stumbles upon Aphrodite, who’s in a trance. She drags Aphrodite into Neferet’s office. Aphrodite is clearly horrified at what she’s seeing. She keeps muttering about blood and things that are dead, but not dead. Neferet wakens the girl out of her vision and sends Zoey away.

On the way to the Dark Daughter Samhain ritual, Zoey sees Elliot and knows he’s some kind of undead being. He threatens her, but Nala attacks him, and he escapes. Aphrodite leads the group out into the town to a special meeting place in a gazebo. Aphrodite chants a prayer calling for undead spirits to cross into the land of the living. As ghostly figures emerge from the fog, Aphrodite offers them a goblet of the wine/blood mixture. As the spirits start toward the drink, Heath arrives. The spirits leave Aphrodite’s body and attack him. Other members of the Dark Daughters and Sons flee.

Stevie Rae has dropped the cloak disguising her as the “refrigerator.” Damien, Shaunee and Erin also come out of hiding. The four friends use Aphrodite’s candles and form another ritualistic circle. Zoey calls upon the elements and asks the ghosts to accept the offering of blood and wine she pours out at her feet. At first the spirits refuse, continuing to slash at Heath and Erik. Zoey then commands them, in Nyx’s name, to return to the circle for their sacrifice.

Neferet arrives and commends Erik and Zoey for their bravery. She removes Aphrodite from her positions of High Priestess in training and leader of the Dark Daughters and gives the titles to Zoey. On the way back to the school, Zoey separates from her friends to find Nala. Aphrodite approaches her with a warning that they are both being used. When Zoey questions her about her earlier vision, Aphrodite cryptically replies that it’s only the beginning.

Christian Beliefs

Although not specifically referred to as a Christian organization, the values of “The People of Faith” are consistent with conservative Christian beliefs. Zoey’s mom reads Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul . She and Zoey’s stepfather pray regularly for their children. Her stepfather quotes Jesus, “Get thee behind me, Satan,” when he sees Zoey’s Mark.

When she argues that scientists know that vampyrism is a naturally occurring phenomenon, Zoey’s stepfather says that they are not men of God. He plans to call the Elders to the house so they can lay hands on Zoey and pray for her. The custom is belittled by Zoey. She thinks all the Elders of “The People of Faith” are pedophiles and their wives are fat.

Zoey would gladly make a deal with God to be good if it would keep her from the Change. She thinks the fact that she can sneak out of the house with ease is evidence of her sinful nature. When she hits her head and begins her out-of-body experience, Zoey believes she is going to heaven.

Other Belief Systems

The book opens with Hesiod’s poem to Nyx, the Greek personification of the night. The goddess Nyx rules over the society of the vampyres. They worship her, and she grants them gifts. As Zoey looks at the reflection of her Mark in the school mirror, she feels the blood of her ancestors rejoice that she has been picked to be a vampyre.

She whispers a prayer to whatever god or goddess might be listening that her mother would understand about the Mark. Her stepfather believes that Grandmother Redbird is a witch. Grandmother Redbird claimed her blood carried the knowledge of her ancestral wise women. She believed Zoey had been given extra Cherokee magic.

Grandmother told Zoey ancient stories such as how the stars were formed when a dog stole cornmeal and the tribe beat him. As the dog ran, the cornmeal scattered in the sky, and magic turned it into stars. Another story was of Redbird, the daughter of the sun. Zoey wonders how she, a daughter of the sun, could turn into a creature of the night.

Zoey sees and hears spirits as she searches for her grandmother. When she has her out-of-body experience, Zoey encounters Nyx, the vampyre goddess. Nyx claims to have been known by many names over the centuries. She explains that Zoey isn’t dead, merely free at the moment to travel in the spirit world.

Zoey has been chosen because she has ancient Cherokee knowledge, as well as the power of modern vampyres, to become Nyx’s eyes and ears in the world. Nyx also tells Zoey that darkness is not always evil, just as light is not always good. Grandmother Redbird later tells Zoey that they have a long line of tribal elders, medicine men and wise women in their heritage.

The uniforms of the House of Night each have a symbol on them to indicate what year the student is in. Third years (which are the freshmen students at the school) have Nyx’s spiral — a labyrinth representing their new journey with the goddess and future possibilities. Fourth years have wings that represent those of the god Eros, the god of love. These symbolize Nyx’s capacity to love and their continual movement forward into their new lives. Fifth years have the Three Fates, children of Nyx, on their uniforms while the Sixth years have the emblem of the Fates — Atropos holding scissors. This represents the end of their schooling.

In places, the book reads as a step-by-step guide to spiritual rituals. At the first Full Moon Ritual, Stevie Rae explains that the pentagram is not a symbol of evil, like The People of Faith teach, but an ancient symbol of wisdom, protection and perfection. The four points represent the elements, and the fifth stands for spirit.

As they enter the building where the ritual will take place, a teacher uses oil to mark their foreheads with the pentagram and says, “Blessed be” to them. The participants respond in kind. Incense is used to purify the room, and everything is lit with candles. Neferet dances while a male vampyre recites a love poem. Other vampyres represent the points on the pentagram. After the dance, Neferet takes a candle to each point and summons the elements to enter the pentagram and bring with it knowledge or power or healing.

As Zoey looks around the room, she realizes everyone is paying attention. No one is falling asleep in a pew or playing a game. Neferet claims that everything is tied together with spirit and Nyx’s touch. On the night of the full moon the veil between the world of the mundane (humans) and magic is thin. Their prayers to Nyx will be more easily heard.

The adults in the pentagram lift goblets of wine in a toast to Nyx and her consort, Erebus. They ask for the powers of nature, cats and birds before drinking the wine. They then take the goblets to the others gathered in the room so everyone can drink. The ritual of the Dark Daughters mimics this ritual, but on a baser, more sexual level. Their incense is laced with marijuana. They mix Fledgling blood with the wine.

Grandmother Redbird tells Zoey to be sure to think carefully before she acts so that her ancestors and Nyx will look down on her and smile. She reminds Zoey about the Cherokee ritual of purification, usually said as one stands in running water. Since that isn’t available, Zoey can use a smudge stick of sage and lavender or fresh pine. Zoey must start at the feet and work up her body, front and back, as the herbs burn.

Grandmother Redbird tells her to pray to Nyx for help. Zoey’s friends help her perform the ritual. Zoey explains that lavender restores balance to a space. It also calls loving energy and good spirits. Stevie Rae worries that they might draw in ghosts, but Zoey explains that they are really calling on the spirits of her Cherokee ancestors. Besides, as they are not asking for anything evil, merely guidance, they should be rewarded with only positive entities. The friends take their positions in the pentagram and are ecstatic when Zoey is able to summon all the elements into their circle. Zoey then recites the purification prayer and calls on Nyx for understanding, strength and compassion.

After Elliot’s death, a teacher asks Nyx’s blessing on them for comfort, but they must always remember that death is part of life, even for a vampyre. Eventually they all will return to Nyx. At the Samhain ritual, Aphrodite remarks on the Fledglings’ deaths as survival of the fittest. She thanks Nyx that she and the Dark Daughters are not human and says they should be happy Fate hasn’t beaten any of them yet.

Samhain is a celebration of the end of harvest. It is also a time when the veil between life and death is thin and spirits can easily walk the earth. At the gazebo, Aphrodite again prays within a pentagram formed by other Dark Daughters. She doesn’t call for human spirits to come through but magical ancestors. Her prayer is rewarded, and ethereal forms appear within the pentagram.

When Heath arrives, Aphrodite loses control of the evil spirits, and they are able to leave her circle and attack him. Zoey and her friends recreate the pentagram. Zoey then uses her power to command the spirits back to the other world.

Authority Roles

Zoey’s father left the family when Zoey was young. She sees her stepfather as hypocritical. He is an Elder of “The People of Faith,” but is only concerned with the appearance of perfection. He made Zoey’s mother leave her old friends. She can only associate with appropriate members of their faith. He approves of Zoey’s brother and sister because they say the right things to him, but they are secretly doing things he wouldn’t approve.

Zoey, on the other hand, doesn’t lie about her dislike of him and his faith and is considered a bad child, even though her actions are more consistent with his beliefs. Grandmother Redbird is a spiritual woman in the Cherokee tribe. She has taught Zoey much about her past and the rituals involved in their Native American heritage.

Grandmother Redbird promises to accept Zoey, no matter what she turns into. Neferet, the High Priestess of The House of Night, is kind to Zoey. She is intuitive, often able to discern what someone is thinking. Even with this gift, she seems to be fooled by Aphrodite’s superficiality, unable to see that the girl is not behaving as a true High Priestess-in-training should.

Aphrodite’s comments at the end of the book suggest that there may be more going on with Neferet than meets the eye. The teachers all turn a blind eye to the rituals of the Dark Daughters and Sons, as long as they don’t disturb the human community.

Profanity & Violence

The dialogue is rife with profanity. The f-word and its variations are used alone and with bloodsucking , faggot and off . faggot . S— is used alone and with bull . The adjective s—less is also used. B—ch is used alone and with slap . H— , c–t and d–n are used. A– is used alone and with kicking and pain in the .

God’s name is used in vain alone and with o my and swear to . The phrase o my dear sweet Lord is also spoken. Holy crap is also used. The crude phrases stuck up her anus , suck c–k , nasty ho bag and suck his d–k appear.

Other objectionable words are penis , penile , fags , turd , faggot , poopie , p— , p—ed , poo , slut , bejeezus , crap , puke , Jeesh , retards , ho , boobs , butt , sucks , darn , heck and frickin .

Elliot’s death is described in detail, complete with coughing up blood and blood dripping from his eyes. One out of 10 Fledglings die during the Change. While in the throws of a vision, Aphrodite speaks of blood coming out of someone’s body. She sees undead beings kill someone in a tunnel.

When Elliot appears to Zoey after his death, he has fangs and blood-colored eyes. He is more animal than human. An intuitive voice tells Zoey that he is an abomination. Evil spirits attack Heath, slashing his body so they can drink his blood. Erik tries to fight off the spirits, but whenever he touches them, his own skin is cut as well.

Sexual Content

Before she’s marked, Zoey says kissing Heath is like kissing an alcohol-soaked foot because he drinks so much. She admits they’ve been making out together for most of the year. Zoey and Heath kiss passionately when he comes to steal her away from the House of Night. Zoey’s reaction is sensual as she is consumed with the idea of drinking his blood.

Erik nips Zoey’s wrist, and then licks and kisses the small wound. This stimulates her body in a sexual way. The next time they kiss, it includes some groping. Zoey is surprised at her reaction, as she’s never felt it before.

Zoey sees Aphrodite trying to give Erik oral sex. He says he doesn’t want her anymore. Aphrodite jokes when she unzips his pants that it doesn’t appear that way, but the reader understands that his erection is because he is looking at Zoey.

Zoey thinks that most adults think teenagers are constantly having oral sex at school, but it’s not true. She knows some girls do it, but she doesn’t think it’s cool to be used like that. A boy once asked Zoey to give him oral sex, but she refused.

Zoey comments that Aphrodite is going to break something if she keeps shaking her butt when she walks. At the Dark Daughters’ ritual, Zoey thinks that Aphrodite’s dance is more like a an MTV grind dance than poetic movement.

Kayla tells Zoey that one of the kids at school got her clitoris pierced. Kayla wears a flesh colored tank top that exposes a lot of cleavage. She’s not wearing a bra. Erik tells Zoey that what he felt for Aphrodite was just physical, not love.

Shaunee jokes that she gets to represent fire because she’s so hot. When Aphrodite is possessed by the evil spirit, she touches herself sensually in order to lure Heath nearer. She cups her breasts and rubs her hand between her legs.

Damien, one of Zoey’s new friends, is homosexual. He has his own room because his roommate didn’t want to room with a “fag.” Throughout the book, Damien makes comments about finding Erik attractive. He wonders if Erik would accept his comfort when Zoey first turns him down for a date.

Zoey is angry at the People of Faith who condemn homosexuality because it doesn’t fit in with their version of how the world should be. Stevie Rae informs her that there are a few other gay vampyres, but they’re more “girly” than Damien, who’s just cute. There are a couple of lesbians as well, but they tend to stay to themselves and concentrate on Nyx worship.

Several girls will make out together at parties in order to turn guys on. Neither Stevie Rae nor Zoey understand the attraction of doing that. Erik comments that Heath sounds like a gay soap opera star.

Discussion Topics

Additional comments.

Alcohol: Kayla talks about Heath drinking three or four shots at a party, along with several beers. Heath and his friends drink in the parking lot of the school. Zoey says he gets drunk five times a week. The adult vampyres allow the students to have wine at their rituals. The Dark Daughters are allowed to have wine mixed with blood. Zoey said she once snuck a drink of Cabernet wine.

Lying: Zoey wants her mother to keep her Mark a secret from her stepfather for at least a night. Zoey lies to Neferet when she doesn’t tell the High Priestess why her Mark got filled in. Zoey lies to her friends about the same thing. Zoey knows her little brother lies to their parents about playing violent video games.

Drugs: The Dark Daughters lace their incense with marijuana. Zoey can smell marijuana on Heath and Kayla.

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Read, review & discuss, tag: house of night.

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