I find the characters in this series to be dangerously close to being Mary Sue's, but not so much that I can't stand reading about them. For me this is a fun bit of fluff when i want to read something fantasy related that isn't to challenging or so dumbed down it's insulting.

I also have a weakness for the urban fantasy genre as a whole and I do like the way she integrates the "real" world with the magical and makes it work for the universe she has created. ( )

An excitingly different vampire novel -- Lackey brings her usual flair, not to mention her wonderful heroine Diana Tregarde, to the undead genre, to great effect. ( )

Diana Tregarde, our heroine, can arguably be seen as the precursor to Anita Blake. She is a practicing witch and Guardian, using magick to look after those entrusted to her care. In this novel, the bad vampires are prowling New York, and Diana and her vampire friend Andre LeBrel must get rid of them before it's too late....

Diana Tregarde is a guardian who is sworn to protect those who ask for her help. She finds herself caught up in a complex series of what at first appears to be coincidence, but with the help of her friends and a man she just met, she puts the pieces together to find that many of the strange things happening were really linked together.

Diana experiences every possible emotion in this book and Lackey is there to show them to us in a detailed way that leaves the reader grinning at her jokes, wishing we could give her comfort as she cries, and wanting to go hide in the corner with her fears.

Overall, quite a good book. The story was engaging from the beginning and had enough twists and turns to keep you interested without confusing or muddling the chain of events. Personally, I would have liked to see the characters of Lenny and Keith, who in their own way played quite an important, if small role, expanded on a little more as they seemed a bit flat. At times the story began to turn towards a romance novel, but before it could get to far Lackey reigned it in and got back on track. ( )

This book is about a lady who is a Guardian, a member of a group dedicated to protecting people from the harmful influences of the supernatural. Practicing witch and talented psi, she's taken an oath to help all those who call on her in need. When the need comes as a Talented gypsy teen who is being Hunted, she finds herself drawn into a dangerous game, where psionic vampires Hunt in the night of the city.
I loved this book, I read it a couple of years ago and thought it would be great for this section. This book really hit home for me because I love magic and witches. They are my favorite things and the characters in this book related to me in a lot of ways.
I would use this book with older children and maybe have them read it during halloween, seems to fit that occasion. I would also use this book when doing a science fiction chapter and explain to them that what is happening in the book is not real.