Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good book, 28 Sep 2008
I'd seen this on Amazon, but it was actually reading the first few pages in a bookstore that made me buy it, plus the blurb from Kim Harrison.
Overall, it reads very well. Lots of action, but generally well formed without the feel its their for its own sake. i.e. all the action is 'justified'. The characters are compelling, and become moreso with the passage of the book, and there are quite a number of plot twists. The feel is reasonably dark, with a lot of moral ambiguity - not so much on the part of the characters themselves, but certainly in the world they exist in and the power structures they support. And the authour is certainly willing to let the characters get hurt a bit.
There's a potential relationship forming with the main character, but wouldn't be surprised at all if it didn't turn out.
And its a bit longer (smaller writing) than a lot of the urban fantasy out there (Kim Harrison and Mike Carey besides!), so that is nice too. Thouroughly recommend. Has a similar feel to both those authours, and to a degree with Lilith Saintcrow.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dark Days are coming..., 3 Aug 2009
Nightwalker was an unexpected gem of a book for me. I've had a lot of trouble with new authors lately, but this book really surprised me.
Mira has been a nightwalker (a vampire) for centuries. But she has a secret that makes her a very valuable commodity, or target, depending on the person -- the unique ability to summon fire. Fire being fatal to all nightwalkers but her. Enter the enigmatic Danaus (a vampire hunter) with his own mysterious past. As the book opens Mira has been watching him in her territory for some time, and she seems pleased to have finally met her match -- someone she deems worth killing. However, the cat and mouse game between them quickly turns into something far larger than just their desire to off one another. The wheels of fate are in motion and Mira soon learns that an ancient enemy are once more planning to open a portal between worlds. The naturi are returning and only Mira is in any position to stop them.
Nightwalker is well written in a lush prose; it is extremely atmospheric. The cover makes it look like a bad romance novel, but it is actually a very fine urban fantasy. Nightwalker is a little different in that the setting moves around and is broader in scope -- specifically to Egypt and London. This made a huge difference to the feel of the novel. As did having Mira, a 600 year old nightwalker as the lead character. Indeed, I found this change of pace hugely refreshing for this genre. The idea of the naturi was also clever; the interwoven history of the naturi, the bori, and the nightwalkers is cleverly done.
'Nightwalker' isn't a particularly gritty book like the Kate Daniels series, for instance. In fact, I would say it's colourful and vibrant in the way that Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series is but with a more serious tone.
I adored Mira. Hers was a refreshing voice and I liked that she didn't sleep with anyone in this book! She was intelligent, otherworldly, but was never too cold and distant that she wasn't relatable. Her 'angels' as she called them (humans who guarded over her during the daylight hours) were a nice touch. Mira's back story is mysterious and I enjoyed the snippets provided so far. Danaus was ok, although I liked him far more when he displayed the odd moment of humour. It takes more than saying a character is good looking and enigmatic to warrant me liking them, I'm afraid. There were a lot of secondary characters in the book whom I'm interested in seeing developed further -- notably, Tristan, James, and Ryan the leader of shadowy order 'Themis'. Ryan particularly seems like he could be a very compelling character.
This book did lack humour but everything else made up for this. The great characterisation, the intriguing and fairly original plot, and the tangible atmosphere. Do yourself a favour and take a chance on it, I was truly glad I did. Nightwalker is a winner.
Dayhunter: The Second Dark Days Novel
Dawnbreaker: The Third Dark Days Novel
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Take a walk on the Dark Side, 13 Dec 2008
I really enjoyed Nightwalker, the first book in the Dark Days series. Jocelynn Drake has created a good series with a solid foundation. I did find the start of the book a tad slow going but as the book progressed and I got to know the characters and became involved in their world the story took flight.
Mira is a centuries old vampire who lives in Savannah, the new world, away from the central ruling vampire body, The Covern. The mysterious Danaus, a vampire hunter shows in up in Savannah killing vampires and as Savannah is Mira's domain she must investigate. Unfortunately vampires is not the only thing that Danaus is hunting. With the discovery that the Naturi are once again in the world Mira and Danaus follows the trail that leads back to the old world and back into the arms of the Covern. Something that Mira has avoided for many centuries. With the world as we know it on the brink of destruction and Mira's demons coming back to haunt her can Danaus and Mira but aside their natural animosity and work together?
I have already pre-ordered the second book in the series Dayhunter.
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