The Forbidden (Vampire Huntress Legend) [Paperback]

L. A. Banks (Author)

Book Description

Series: Vampire Huntress Legend | Publication Date: June 16, 2005

After the destruction of all the topside master vampires and the death and resurrection of her council-level vampire lover, Damali is called before the Council of the Neterus to answer for her actions. It is there that she discovers there are consequences even she could not foresee. She also learns that the consort of the Un-Named One, Lilith, has come up from the seventh level to set the affairs of the Dark Realms in order. However, Lilith has a hidden agenda of her own and it involves the unborn child Damali thought had been taken from her. The news devastates Damali until a cold and deadly determination leads her to map out a plan for Lilith’s destruction. An evil force beyond recognition, Damali’s newest nemesis literally brings men to their knees. But Damali will not be stopped---not even by someone as dangerously powerful as Lilith. It is a battle that spills over into the streets and involves the people Damali has sworn to protect, leaving fewer standing before it’s all over.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

All the necessary elements-legend, leather, lust-come together in the fifth book in Banks's Vampire Huntress series (The Bitten, etc.). Enter Lilith, deadly, dangerously sexy, and on a mission from the Big Bad; the Guardians have their work cut out for them. When the forces of evil take the child right from former pop star Damali Richards's womb, she vows revenge-and along with her lover (Carlos Rivera), Father Patrick, Marlen, and the rest of the warriors of the darkness, she sets off on a journey to destroy Lilith and her minions-and to save the world from those who would destroy it first. Mixing religion and New Age philosophy with Buffy-style butt-kicking and a distinctly African-American flavor, Banks spins a head-bendingly complex tale of passion, mythology, war and love that lasts till the grave-and beyond. New readers may find it a bit bewildering, but devoted fans should relish this new chapter in a promising series. Agent, Manie Baron. Author tour.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The fifth entry in Banks' imaginative Vampire Huntress series finds the Guardians recovering from their victory against the Vampire Council. Against all odds, Carlos Rivera has survived, but he is no longer a vampire: he is a male Neteru, or vampire hunter, and is human once again. Damali is grappling with her miscarriage, but she has little time to recover. The council lies in ruins, but the chairman, Dante, has survived, and a new threat has arisen: Lilith, the wife of the devil himself. Lilith is intent on tracking down Carlos and mating with him, in hopes of bring about the birth of the Antichrist. On a plane bound for Africa, the Guardians are preparing for the upcoming Armageddon when Damali is suddenly spirited away by the council of Neterus, her predecessors. They tell her about Lilith's nefarious plan and that Lilith must be stopped at any cost. Banks continues to flesh out the multifaceted world Damali and her friends inhabit, making for superior vampire fiction. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (June 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312336225
• ISBN-13: 978-0312336226
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #971,373 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Me, I'm a bit out there, I guess you can tell by the books:) I like keeping some things close to the vest--my favorite things to do among them... guess it's that whole mysterious author groove, LOL... but I like the good guys to win in the end.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Installment for the Series!!!, July 7, 2005

By 

Phyllis Rhodes (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Forbidden (Vampire Huntress Legend) (Paperback)

It is somewhat difficult to write a review for The Forbidden without revealing the intricate plots of the previous four novels - all of which are formidable in their own right - detailing the trials and growth of Damali Richards, Vampire Huntress, Purveyor of Righteousness, and Millennium Neteru. In The Forbidden, the battle of good and evil continues, picking up where the last novel, The Bitten, left off. In this episode, the team is splintered, deeply wounded, and exhausted (mentally, spiritually, and physically). Their faith, confidence, and fortitude have been challenged during the last battle that literally took them to Hell and back. Damali, herself, is wounded suffering from a terrible loss of her child and seeks direction from the Light. In a desperate act, Damali, is summoned to the Council of Neterus. It is here we gain history and insight into the fates of the Neterus that came before her - including the first, Eve. It is also where Damali must answer to her despicable and damning walk on the dark side with her lover/husband, Carlos Rivera, as detailed in The Bitten. She is counseled and disciplined severely. She is sent back ashamed, weaponless, separated from her team, but with a better understanding of the magnitude and recklessness of her lustful behavior.

She begins a slow and confusing road to redemption and must now reunite and rebuild her team, avenge her past sins, and regain favor and trust of her enlightened mother-sisters. She must assist the resurrected Carlos in his transformation to become her equal counterpart, the male Neteru. They must put their egos aside and discover their destiny together while battling their most formidable foes to date: Carlos's sire (Satan's son) and Satan's wife (Lillith) who has stolen something from Damali that is more precious than life itself.

This novel allows us to bid farewell to a few familiar characters and introduces fresh allies and enemies, discover new powers and abilities, and reinforces the purpose and vision for Damali and her team. It offers a wonderfully imagined blend of ancient folklore, mythology, religion, and culture that works brilliantly. Bank's creativity yields an epiphany for Damali and her readers because there were many "a-ha" moments. The plot is intricate and suspenseful, the characters numerous and complex, and timing is superb - great writing all around. The Forbidden sets the stage for more action, romance, and mystery - it is a wonderful chapter in a fantastic saga. I cannot wait to read The Damned in February!

Reviewed by Phyllis Rhodes
APOOO BookClub
The Nubian Circle Book Club - Orlando, FL

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Armageddon?, July 16, 2005

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Forbidden (Vampire Huntress Legend) (Paperback)

As The Bitten came to a climatic end, I wondered where THE FORBIDDEN, the fifth book of the series, was going, or more specifically, where L.A. Banks was going to take it. On Damali's twenty-first birthday, she gained full powers as a Neteru Queen; the vampire huntress, and a team of Guardians to assist her. Once she became aware of her destiny to hunt and destroy vampires she learned that her friend, Carlos was a master vampire. They share an irregular kinship, made more significant because they are on opposing ends of good and evil. But the history between Damali and Carlos goes back to times before Damali was the huntress and Carlos was a vampire; he was her protector when she lived on the streets.

The civil war between Damali, Carlos, Damali's Guardian squad, and the Vampire kingdom has just ended. The results brought, much chaos and many fatalities. The team is battle-weary and seeking refuge. An ill-advised predicament between Damali and Carlos has created a breach, and they must be chastened. Damali is separated from her team and summoned to the council of Neteru Queens. A disoriented Carlos is hidden from the Darkside and summoned to a council of Elders. Damali is stripped of some powers, Carlos is tripping on his ego, the Guardian team must step it up a notch, and time is running out. Damali and Carlos must be prepared to fulfill their destinies.

During the civil war all of the top side vampire masters and three council level Vampires were exterminated. Lilith, the consort to the Un-Named One, is called to the seventh level of Hell to set affairs in order. This lethally sexy, black widow assassin has been given the power and authority to open the portals of Hell. She will prove to be Damali's fiercest nemesis. Her assignment is to wipe out Damali and the Guardian squad, but this Vamp has her own 'forbidden' history and her own secret agenda. Lilith has stolen an embryo that could produce the Anti-Christ, and give her ultimate power in the Vampire kingdom; but she needs Damali to accomplish it. A confrontation is inevitable, and what transpires is cataclysmic.

L.A. Banks has again written an intense story with timeless characters and has unlocked the doors of her imagination in a way that is unprecedented. Where she takes THE FORBIDDEN is phenomenal. At some point, I realized that I was no longer reading a story, I was on an adventure. I anxiously await book six, The Damned. But this time I will be prepared, with silver bullets, garlic water, and a prayer in my heart. This is an awesome read.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Forbidden, July 7, 2005

By 

Michelle L. Beck "The Devourer of Good Books" (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Forbidden (Vampire Huntress Legend) (Paperback)

Terrific! Mind-blowing! Mesmerizing! Heart-stopping! Spectacular! Five words to sum-up the 5th installment of L.A. Banks Vampire Huntress Series. The "Forbidden" picks up where the Bitten left off. The book opens with the Master Vampire Carlos regenerating in the SUN, only to find that he has lost his vampire powers; while his lover, Spoken Word Vampire Huntress Damalia, is recovering from a miscarriage. While struggling to figure out what their new roles in the war against evil could be, Damalia finds that her embryo has been taken by Lilith, the Devil's wife, in an attempt to create a baby that she desires. Although cunning, Lilith has underestimated Damalia's new powers, or the Councilman's desire to win the ultimate prize. The stage is set for the ultimate show-down! While dealing with the loss of her child; her lover's awareness of his new powers and his coming to grips that he is no longer what he once was (but something better); seeing her friend die and others in danger; forging new alliances (with Witches no less); strengthening the clergymen's faith (because they see,can't believe and are disillusioned by the Church); watching her mother figure (Marlene) struggle to make decisions (between the man she loves and a were-human); and loving a man so much it hurts (her soul mate Carlos) - she fights for the side of the Light.

Banks effortlessly reintroduces characters (Juanita, Inez, Yonnie, Tara and Kamal) and introduces new ones (Benefield's family) in an effort to set the stage for more drama to come.

If you are a lover of vampire novels, and want to get hooked like so many of her fans, this is the series for you. You will find yourself re-reading the books over and over to help you make it to the next installment. Banks has promised her fans 9 books and this one definitely leaves you wanting more..and February 2006 is not soon enough!