I have read a good bit of the available vampire books and it is always interesting to see each person's take on Vampire lore...so when I read one that manages to stand out despite the abundance of vampire stories I like to make note of it. This manages to be different, mainly due to the main character and her story: you do not see many African American Vampire slayers or a book with mainly minority characters as heroes. But this becomes secondary to the story and plot once you get to reading. If you like the Soookie Stackhouse series or Anita Blake and Buffy..you will like this alot. But a warning...the ending WILL make you want to buy the second book. ( )

I’ve come across this novel a couple of different times and each time I looked at it, Minion by LA Banks never really reached out to me. At my cousins insistence, I gave it a try and I have to say, so far, I’m not impressed. I’m only about five chapters in and nothing has really happened. At least, nothing has happened that is making me want to continue reading it.

However, I will say though, I’m getting a lot of a Buffy TVS ripoff sense from it. Here’s the concept, every 100 years or so, there is a chosen one called the Neteru that is raised to slay the vampires. As she matures, her abilities start to come out, bringing with them more strength, agility, etc. Maybe I’m over generalizing it, but that’s the impression I’m getting.

I’m halfway through the novel now and this book is holding no appeal for me, which means I’m going to put it back on my shelf and come back to it another time. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about this novel that makes it hard for me to get into it. Maybe it’s because I’m a really white girl and there’s nothing about the novel I can associate with. Yeah, that sounds strange considering I’m reading about vampires, but there should be something that I should be able to relate to, right? Maybe that mentality is my problem, but whatever it is, it’s not working for me right now.

I really haven’t been able to find anyone other than my cousin who has read this, so if you have….let me know. I’m curious to hear what others have to say about it.

http://www.literaryescapism.com/2008/... ( )

In the beginning, I wasn't to sure that I was going to like this book. But, as I got more into it and learned more about the characters and who they were, I began getting into it more. The characters are really great. My favorite character was Damali, Rider and Fallon Nuit. Overall, this is a great book after you get into it. ( )

The first Vampire Huntress Legend sets the scene nicely giving a lot of LA Banks take on the vampire mythology with a mix of demons thrown in for good measure. There is mention of other supernatural races which I hope feature in future novels too. Damali Richards is a young hip hop spoken word artist whose parents died when she was just a baby. She was destined to become the Neteru, basically the supreme vampire slayer, and is extra special being born to cross the millenium. The alignment of the planets becomes importnat giving clues as to the challenges she will face once she comes in to her true powers on her 21st birthday.

She works with a team of Guardians who work on the side of good and are descended from the original twelve tribes of Jacob's sons (remember Joseph of the famous dream coat was one of them). They fight alongside the humans against the fallen angels and monsters out there battling for peoples souls. A Guardian can be from any religion, as long as they have faith. They draw from ancient Egpyptian influences, Indian chakras all the way through to Buddhism and Christianity as their faith helps them in daily life.

Vampires are ruled by a Counsel based in Hell and are usually discret in their kills covering the puncture wounds so as not to arouse human suspicision. There has been a spate of brutal killings that look to be the result of a vampire aligning with a demon which has been previously unheard of. The combined creature brings a new set of powers and terror and Damali's team The Warriors of the Light must find the Master and put him down to release the lost souls and destroy his influence and the rest of his nest.

A great book. More in the style of Anne Rice than some of the newer series which I liked. I enjoyed the legend Banks put in place and it was refreshing to read about a vampire hunter who is not a perky blonde or smooth talking, gun slinging Lara Croft wannabe. Damali is a young black woman just reaching maturity and still trying to find her own identiy seperate from being the Neteru who is easy to empathise with. Her crew were distinct personalities and I enjoyed spending time with them all. I can't wait to continue their adventures in the nex book, The Awakening. ( )

Personally, I think the book is an overblown mess. Banks appears to have no real concept for the books beyond throwing in everything she can and hoping that there's something for everyone. The background is a hodgepodge of a half dozen different ideas/genres with no real unifying theme. The characters are caricatures. The prose is way over the top.

Honestly, I think she just figured she'd jump on the gravy train created by Hamilton, Huff, Harris and others with no real concept of her own as a basis. ( )