Customer Reviews

The Cursed (Vampire Huntress Legend)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Cursed, ninth in the Vampire Huntress Legend series by L.A. Banks, finds Carlos, Damali, and the Guardian team returning to the battlefield waging war against The Darkness. In this episode, Lillith is elevated to Councilman replacing Cain and enlists the aid of Sebastian, Machiavelli, Medusa, Genghis Khan, Siren, and Jezebel, using their evil prowess to create a spell designed to weaken the Neturu and Guardian's confidence, trust, and libidos to the point of team implosion. She also plots to ensure Lucifer's heir, the Anti-Christ will mature to fruition. One refreshing angle in this release is that Damali and Carlos proactively (for a change) plan an attack against Lillith with the assistance of the King and Queen councils. What ensues appears to be the catalyst to Armageddon which leaves Damali and Carlos more determined that ever to rid the world of the Unnamed One and Lillith.

Old and new friends and foes also make an appearance -- we see the return of Fallon Nuit, Yonnie, a Valkryie, and a sexually transmitted demon. The team continues to roam globally with this jaunt culminating in the Middle East in the holy city of Jerusalem. Not only is it a battle site, but it serves as a much needed source for spiritual replenishment, emotional grounding, and renewed hope evidenced in the team's return to music.

Fans of the series who prefer the more action-based novels will be pleased with this offering because it seems like the team (including Damali and Carlos) have finally found a rhythm and the inner-relationship drama (and what at times seemed like endless bickering) is kept at a minimal. Everyone seems comfortable in their roles, are in tune with their "gifts," and are more focused on the tasks at hand. As one can surmise, there is a lot of action, backstabbing, and plotting to keep the pages turning. Banks does a great job staging the series for the final three installments; in fact it seems like there is no end to her creativity when blending cultures, myths, religions, and beliefs. No doubt, fans will yearn for the next release.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub
Nubian Circle Book Club

Honeymoon bliss for the Guardian Team is short lived in The Cursed, Book 9 of the Vampire Huntress Legend (VHL) Series. While Lilith is making up with the Unnamed One, he tells her some very interesting information about a secret that she thought she was hiding from him. While this is going on, every male Guardian gets weird vibes that something is going on in hell and knows that it has something to do with Lilith. So, against the female Guardians pleas, they go down to Lilith's lair to try and stop any madness before it begins. In the aftermath of the battle, the first seal is broken and the Armageddon has been accidentally started. To keep the Neterus and the Guardian team occupied while awaiting the birth of the unholy offspring, Lilith gets appointed chairwoman and is given permission to reform the vampire council. To help her in her evil crusade, Fallon Nuit has been reinstated as a councilman. Also, Lilith resurrects some of the most evil and nastiest beings who weren't beheaded by an Isis blade. Those resurrected help to put an evil curse into motion against Damali. Will the curse hinder Damali in performing her Neteru duties?

Meanwhile in Nod, with Cains absence, the land is in chaos. Lilith promised the dark hybrids that they will be free to fight on her side once the Armageddon comes, so the darker hybrids are no longer hiding in the dark side of Nod. They are actively at war with what's left of the good hybrids in Nod, led by a hybrid named Valkyrie. Will the good hybrids succeed at keeping the darker hybrids from escaping?

I read this book and it had my head spinning! As usual, L.A. Banks hits us with a splendid tale that brings together action, suspense, mystery, mind-blowing battle scenes and love scenes. The love scenes are vivid and tasteful. For those of you who love the Neteru Queens and Kings, you're in for a treat because they also make several appearances throughout The Cursed. In this book, you will be happy to know that everyone on the Guardian team steps up their game when it comes to fighting for the LIGHT. Even though it didn't have as much drama as the previous title, I really enjoyed this installment of the VHL. This book also has a sneak peek at Crimson Moon: Bad Blood, L.A. Banks' new werewolf series that is sure to be a hit! If you're a big fan of this series, then I highly recommend that you read The Cursed...especially if you want to find out what happens to Yonnie.

Reviewed by Lashonda Bates
for Urban Reviews

I thought she continued to perfect already well written legend. Go girl with her great imagination.

.......and I'm not sure why. Lilith continues to instigate murder and mayhem as she calls upon ancient witches and warlocks to assist her in releasing the spawn of the devil (aka The Antichrist) from the land of Nod, where it is being nurtured in the womb of an angel hybrid. To do so, she must distract the Neterus, the Guardians and all of their protectors; so they contrive a spell that will wreak havoc upon the peace and love within the Guardian compound. All this comes on the heels of Carlos and his Guardian brothers and launching a sneak attack upon Lilith's lair....unwittingly opening the first of the seven seals, ushering in Armageddon.....
With the amazing imagination and research that Banks has become known for, The Cursed is sure to delight in that regard. 3.5 stars only from me because this time I just did not find the storyline compelling....perhaps I was distracted by the repetitive, somewhat dated and contrived cliche-laden dialogue that I've encountered throughout this series (why must I read 4 times in a book that "fair exchange is no robbery?"); but I love this author and in this genre the series is certainly in a league of its own (to use my own cliche!).


DYB

Hell is silent. Cain is dead. The Unnamed One, furious. Lilith, moments away from being stumped into another puddle of oil, tells the Dark One that she has secreted Cain's heir away out of Neteru tracking range to the Land of Nod. To her surprise, her husband is thrilled, revealing a secret of his own, rewards her, and installs her as the Chairwoman of the Vampire Council. Meanwhile, Carlos and the male guardians, fed up with Lilith and sensing something foul afoot, posse up (heedless of their wives' objections) and take the fight to all the way to Lilith's lair--in Babylon! Total destruction is their calling card. In the heat of battle, each guardian discovers a marital bonus. And Adam's unexpected appearance guarantee's their safe return home and opens the first seal of the Armageddon.

Once the Level Seven occupants realize what the Neteru team has done, Chairwoman Lilith goes to work. Treacherous Evil is her middle name, and she raises the dark covens and some of mythology and history's greatest villains such as Medusa, Siren, Genghis Khan, and Machiavelli. Fallon Nuit is restored. Even Yonnie takes a throne. This plan, if it succeeds, will detonate and destroy the Team from the inside out.

This is it. Carlos knows it because he started it. He refuses the comfort of Damali's arms and wings. The Team, the whole world is at stake. Summoned before the Neteru Council of Kings and Queens, the pair learns how bad things really are. Not wanting another biblical seal broken, Carlos pleads with Hannibal to put his red stallion back in the stable while Damali solidifies plans to unify all guardian teams worldwide with a Warriors of Light Tour.

THE CURSED, book nine of the Vampire Huntress Legend series, continues to please. The Team's visit to the Holy Land had me in tears. Get ready for brilliantly choreographed battle scenes. Get ready for Eric Battle's illustrations. Get ready to experience the galaxy. Banks' masterful storytelling continues to blur the line between fiction and reality, blending religion and myth, creating delightful characters, some whom I intensely wish were real.

Yep, she's managed to do it again. The Curse picks up exactly where the Wicked left off, with the group finishing up with their honeymoon. Of course you know things can't be calm for too long, Lilith, Fallon, and crew aren't going to allow the peace to remain. For the sake of those that either haven't finished The Curse, or for those that are not yet up to this installment I'll try to keep the spoilers down to a minimum. What I will do is list the things that I thought made this book the best in the series, and a few that made me scrunch my nose a bit.

Things I loved:

1. How Ms. Banks got inside the psyche of the male mind. Women and men approach problems so differently. A woman will often want to talk it over with her girlfriends, look at it from different angles, get different POVs then figure the best route to solving it. Men will have a problem and jump straight to action. Ms. Banks portrayed this beautifully.
2. Everyone has someone. Yes I know it can be seen as cheesy but I like that there's no member looking at what the others have and longing.
3. The vulnerability of the characters. Even the Neterus for all of their strengths are only human and subject to being knocked down and having to regroup.
4. The sinister plans of the darkness. Ms. Banks has managed to take the bad guy and not just make them/him/her a mindless killing machine but given them depth.
5. Damali and Carlos' attitude towards each other. In the beginning though Carlos knew who Damali was he was very much planning the roll of the protective brother, keeping her out of the loop, and letting his ego get in the way of actually listening to some of her plans. As a result Damali's reaction was to question his decisions. In this installment we saw the two working as one unit instead of two separate people. Once Carlos started asking Damali what she thought of a plan or how she thought they should come at something, she no longer felt she had to be "miss thang" and we were able to see a softer side of her.
6. Damali getting her stomp on. There comes a time when a woman just has to take off her jewelry, get the Vaseline and throw down. It was worth the wait to see her do this.
7. The Queen and King council acting as one. This was something I wanted to see as well. I think it's a reflection of how Damali and Carlos coming together to share power/responsibility brings everyone together. Because they are acting in tandem everything including the council is able to flow together and act as one stronger cohesive unit.
8. Those human moments between the group. It may not add directly to the plot, but it's those moments that allow us to identify deeper with the team members.
9. Ms. Banks use of language. Her characters talk like people talk, they use slang that is heard today without it getting so heavy it bogs down the reading. Her decision to use "The Queen's English" in the narrative parts gives the reader a break.
10. There's still a wild card, Yonnie. Yonnie goes back and forth between his loyalty to Carlos and the group, and his love for Tara and resentment at not being able to follow Carlos wholly onto the side of Light. It makes it interesting because the darkness can use this against him. As readers we hope that Yonnie stays true but we just can't say for sure what he will do.
11. The sex scenes. Don't worry, I'll keep it PG rating but DAYUM!! Galaxy?!? Talk about seeing stars!! That's all I'm going to say
12. The interaction between Z, Damali, and Carlos. I'm sorry but I fell out laughing when the Carlos dropped his voice and started cooing softly to Z while the rest of the Queen's are like WTF? How did he get homegirl's pearl to respond to him.

Things I didn't love as much:

1. The insane amount of money. While I understand they were receiving royalties checks from previous albums, the amount of money that spent on the houses and everyone having their own customer pimped out ride seemed a bit over the top.
2. The James Bond moment at the end. Yes there was a part at the end where the bad guys revealed their plan that felt a little like the old Scooby-Doo cartoon with the bad guy saying "I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids". Or as is commonly referred to as a James Bond moment when the bad guy reveals the ultimate plan, only at least the good guys weren't tied up to some ridiculous equipment to bring about a slow death.
3. It seemed unclear if the "thing" got away in the end of if Hannibal killed it. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

All in all I'd expect nothing less from Ms. Banks. The pros in the book so vastly outweighed the cons it made them forgivable. I suppose I could add to the con list I'll have to wait another 6 months before I'm able to read the next one, but each book has definitely been worth the wait. Banks has managed to take her world, weave it into ours, add characters from the past in a way that's so realistic it's almost believable and work in elements of the bible at the same time without ever treading into sacrilegious territory.

Ms. Banks has managed to work in characters of different race, creed, and religion and managed to keep them so separate and true to that group that you automatically know who's talking without even reading: Inez said. She's given each of her characters so much depth and personality there's not a member on the team that the reader is left wondering what they are about, and the continuity from one book to the other is simply awesome.

I recommend this book and series to anyone that is even remotely interested in the genre. She's added her own unique spin on a very old tale, and done it with flair, style and panache.

This is not just some filler book to fill in the time between the "The Armageddon Finale" books (10-12) and the last epic battle book. This book stands on its own two feet. Knowledge of the previous books is not required, but very helpful to get the full understanding of the various character interactions.

New readers will definitely get their appetites whetted and want to read the entire series. This book ties up various loose ends from not only the last book but concludes or furthers some ongoing story lines from previous books.

Our Neterus and Guardians begin to go back to where it all began both physically, mentally and spiritually. The big war is comming and they get to test out some new powers and show off their skills both on and off the battle field.

You guessed it, LA Banks has done it again! This, the 9th book in the series is a perfect example of how love conquers all, and how good will always prevail over evil.

Lilith, consort to the Unnamed One is literally in Hell, begging for her life. Her husband is furious, that she has caused the death of his two heirs (Dante and Cain). She soon advises him that she can redeem herself because she has hidden an heir to the throne (his throne),in the Land of Nod (hidden away from the Neterus). While her previous actions may have appeared reckless, she can and will redeem herself she assures him, by even more scandalous means and devious plans. While they make up (those scenes are classic), the guardians appear to be cursed by Lilith, who is attempting to break up the group by affecting their relationships, via their sex lives.

Having accidentially opened the first seal to Armageddon (via Adam's rage), the entire universe appears to be off kilter. Nod is in chaos (a warrior, Valkyrie fights valiantly and Damali feels that she must heal all); the pearl is grieving for Cain and appears to be infected; Fallon Nuit is bidding his time and making allies; Yonnie is trying to maintain his sanity and play the game; Guardian powers are combined and strengthened (apparently marriage does have it's advantages); Biblical science is told and explained; and Lilith is recreating the Vampire Council by resurrecting some of the most vicious characters in history (i.e., Sebastian, Medusa, Jezebel, Machiavelli, and Genghis Khan)..., and all while the Covenant and the Guardians struggle to maintain the balance of good and evil on Earth.

If you are a lover of the series, or looking for something "brilliant" to read, The Cursed is perfect. For devoted fans, we see old issues resolved (Tara,Yonnie and Rider), and new ones revealed (Dan and his lovely wife). And we are allowed to spend time with some of our favorite characters (people to us)..Marlene, Shabazz, Dan, Heather, Rider, Tara, Jose, Juanita, Big Mike and Inez.

This book was so brilliantly written! Mrs. Banks created scenes that will make you laugh and cry, but most of all, this book will transport you into another world, one filled with well developed characters and plots. I can't wait for the next one, and do not want to see the series end.

I've followed this series faithfully and loved it so much I used any opportunity to talk it up to anyone who wanted to listen--and sometimes didn't! However, The Cursed was pure dreck. The comic interludes were awesome touches and so I delved into this book, expecting a rollicking ride the previous installments gave me. I was flabbergasted by the fact that Part I was filled with characters arguing and having sex--and the arguments were just stuff these characters have already argued about time and time again before. There was skanky villain sex galore and I grew tired of it because I've seen it before and it did nothing for the plot. In fact, after I struggled through this horrid book, I realized how paper thin these characters are. The same fights crop up again and again, the "love" triangles keep getting rehashed over and over, and the action is just so over the top. Where a good plot and well-placed sex once disguised the tepid characterizations, the horrible plot and meaningless sex revealed the series' weaknesses. I really, really doubt I'll continue with the series after this book.

Up to now I've really enjoyed this series. With this last one it seems as if she's forcing the story. I believe the series is over. It's always been difficult for me to get passed the dialect used. With this one it was harder than ever. To the point of detracting from the story. The plot seemed like it was the same as the last, just re-worked. I'm sorry to say I won't be buying or reading any more in this particular series.