Minion: A Vampire Huntress Legend

I have been getting into vampire reading lately and this book is ok. I feel the book took too long to get interesting. The opening scene lasted way too long and conversation between the characters felt unnatural. What kept me reading is that the vampire huntress has not hit her peak and she gains knowledge and strength as you read on.

Minion is a delectable morsel that promises to be part of a much larger, tantalizing entree. Filled to the brim with genuine emotion, action around every corner, delicious characterization and an even, rapid pace -- this one's a definite addition to any vampire or horror addicts plate. When the ending came around I was drooling for more; my own bloodlust was so aroused I will personally hunt down the next addition just to sate my newfound hunger. Minion kept me enthralled from the first chapter. Beginning with people from simpler times, it leaves the reader in a daze and a cliffhanger of sorts, only to lure us closer to the main course. I wasn't quite sure what to think at different moments; I went from having my questions about a certain person, to trying to unravel the plot in my head, to trying to figure out the outcome. To my delight I couldn't accomplish ANY of these things, and as a result this story ended up as my favorite type: unpredictable and knuckle-grinding. The only complaint I could find about this one -- and it took plenty of searching to conjure up ANY negativity, believe you me -- was that I wanted more. The ending left me unsatisfied simply because I am not the biggest fan of cliffhangers. I was rabid with curiosity about what bloody mess Damali and her crew would drop into my lap next, and I have to wait to get it. But of course that technique IS the best way to draw in faithful fans for the next installments. It brings to mind what the main big bad vampire Nuit said (although not in these words) -- the newly turned will want to return to the master's cup. Proper suspense was built at the right moments; there's plenty of violence to satisfy the graphic crowd. The atmosphere was tight, dark, gritty. But thankfully this book did not revolve around endless, pointless violence only for the sake of doing so -- it had a heart AND a soul. The style was all about realism in a fantasy we ourselves do not reside in. Damali Richards is a character easy to identify with. The other characters all had their own personal magic, and while at time I had thoughts about whether I would have liked to slug the "mother" Marlene or not, in the end her personality shone through and it all made more sense. Walk, run, hitchhike to the nearest bookstore to pick yourself up a copy. Or else take the lazy route like I do and just click onto the Internet.

AwakeningAwakeningWhat can I say? I am floored by this author, her writing skills, character formation, Plot and hell the whole series is to be applauded! If you are into vampires, and the "Unknown" this is the series for you. Forget about the vampire chronicles and any other vampire book you have read, I tell you pick this series up and you will NOT be able to put it down until the end, and after that you WILL be craving more! It took me forever to find all of the legends but well worth the wait. I got them all and every thing else went out the window as I read them. For you information the Books are in order: 1.MINION 2.THE AWAKENING 3.THE HUNTED 4.THE BITTEN 5.THE FORBIDDEN THE NEXT IN THE SERIES IS: THE DAMNED IS DUE OUT IN FEBUARY 2006. Damali Richards (The Huntress) character is flawless in its creation, she's down to earth and believable, she may even remind you of someone you know or even yourself! The Gaurdians are believable and are very funny, they are exactly who and what you would want guarding you in any situation! Marlene the Mother-Seer is the mother that most crave! Gentle compassionate and will stop you when you bring the B.S. and bring you on back down to earth. What in the world can I say about Mr. Carlos Rivera? He is described as the finest creature walking and his street sense is par none, I would like to meet him just to look at him, I would be a bit to scared for anything else! The love scenes are off the hook and had me wishing for more (or is it, that it was me?), can't get no better than that in just reading a book!? Mrs. Banks holds no punches and keeps the ball rolling right to the very end, the fighting or battles are really beyond great and I don't know what I would do if any of those creatures came across my path! Okay all I am leaving before I start typing the book verbatim and that's not good now is it! But remember what I stated above: GO AND GET THESE BOOKS AND RREAD THEM AND I TELL YOU WILL BE FAN FOR LIFE! L.A. BANKS IS HER NAME AND VAMPIRES AMD THE "UNKNOWN IS HERE GAME!~ SMOOCHES FOR NOW, THE ADDICT!

The Neteru, in this book is a young twenty-year old on her way to fully becoming an adult and a full Neteru with a natural bloodlust. She's going through a changed within her body, her mind and her soul. All while trying to fight off a new evil she has come across. A rouge master vampire by the name of Fallon Nuit (forever night). And if that wasn't enough her true love drug-lord Carlos Rivera was tricked into joining the dark side. In order to save himself and Damali, Carlos forms an alliance with second highest council of the dark side to get rid of rouge master vampire Fallon Nuit. Which is why Carlos evolved so quickly from a strong second into a master. Master against master. What makes this book extra special is the fact that the LEAD character Damali Richards is a African American and she's a female. Often times, black folks are usually lower generation vampires or not mentioned at all in these sort of books. I admired L.A. Banks' choice in character nationalities very much. Instead of having Damali be in love with another black character, L.A. decided Damali's love (Carlos Rivera) should be a Mexican American. It's amazing L.A. didn't leave out too many races at all. They range from black to Asian to Jewish to white American to Hispanic and then some. The lines between race quickly get blurred when reading this action-packed, fast-paced, hip, breath-stealing, flavorful, adrenaline-packed, page-turning and riveting piece of art. I recommend you pick up Minion and check it out for yourself.

I've just completed Minion and will definitely be buying the next in this sequel, The Awakening. I found this book engaging and, ultimately, engrossing from the time that I skimmed through it at a book store. Though I believe the transitions (at times) could be smoother when introducing scenes, situations or characters, I find that the action and tension outweights the flaws to keep you turning the pages..."hungering" for more. The characters are hip and "fresh" and though a previous reviewer found problems with the hip language, I found it to add to the believability of the characters being described, since they were of the young, hip-hop, people-of-color culture and heritage: This is how they speak...just watch TV or go to the movies. Though my speech is much more refined and conservative, the speech of the characters in the book helped me to visualized them better...get into their heads; get a since of their background, where they came from. Having read the entire Vampire series by Anne Rice and loving her smooth, poetic narrative, I found a new voice in L.A. Banks, and a new attitude! One doesn't expect a New Orleanian from a rich, slave-owning plantation to act and relate to his/her surrounding and/or culture like one coming from a urban, hip-hop background in today's society. The difference is not just the writing, but the place the writer "writes" from...his/her own heritage, background, heart, feelings....It's what make a writer an individual and bring to us individual styles and points of view. L.A. Banks has provided us with a deeper knowledge of the Vampire lore and have set them in "our" territory...People of Color. It makes since that her books would be charactized a bit differently as ethnic (and racial) groups are as different from one another as male is from female. I highly recommended this highly-charged, don't-dare-try-to-sleep-with-the-lights-out book in the Vampire Huntress Legend series. The Minion is a must read if you love Vampire lore. Expect it to be different...I promise it will be Good!

it takes a little while to get into this book, but once you do you wont want to put it down. L.A. Banks ends the book with you needing, wanting, and having to read the sequels.