Customer Reviews

Midnight Predator

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Prior to this, Atwater-Rhodes' talents were more veiled in mediocrity with each book she wrote. I was surprised that I actually liked parts of "Midnight Predator." Atwater-Rhodes improves several of the weak areas of her previous books, but it was still quite flawed.

Turquoise Draka is a fighter for the Bruja witch guild, in competition for the elite Crimson with her rival Ravyn. After the two hit a stalemate, they are both approached by a mysterious businesswoman with a revelation and an offer. A vampire empire known as Midnight, once burned to the ground, has been rebuilt and repopulated by vampires and human slaves. And the savage vampire who founded Midnight, Jeshickah, may take control of it once more. An unknown employer wants some experienced fighters to kill Jeshickah. The problem is that Turquoise was once enslaved by one really nasty vampire named Lord Daryl, who murdered her parents and little brother, and kept her as his lapdog for a year before a vampire mercenary named Nathaniel helped her escape.

Ravyn and Turquoise soon take the task, and the reluctant Nathaniel sells them to the leader of Midnight. Except the leader isn't Jeshickah, it's a fledgling called Jaguar. Jaguar is strangely kind towards human beings, especially Turquoise and a teenage boy named Eric. Turquoise must confront her past, her fears and the questions about Jaguar's kindness before she can hope to deal with Daryl.

In many ways, this book is far better than the previous ones. Characterization is far superior: Turquoise has more depth than the execrable Jessica or the wannabe-tough-girl Sarah, though her past is too speedily covered. We hear about how horrifying her life under Daryl was, but we only get a few pages worth of flashbacks, most of which involve her getting backhanded. Jaguar is a better character than the defanged Aubrey or the wussy arty vampire Christopher, in that Atwater-Rhodes actually makes him both tough and vicious at times, but capable of kindness, and with a decided darker side that doesn't make him wussy at all. Ravyn is ridiculously two-dimensional; she doesn't seem to have any personality but that of a tough, leather-wearing, blood-licking girl who dislikes Turquoise. Nathaniel as the chic mercenary suave vampire is the only really outstanding character.

The romance is also more tolerable. Atwater-Rhodes shouldn't handle romances until she's had more experience with them; while the last two books revolved around the romantic tension between supposedly-tough human girls and uninteresting vampires, here it revolves around the lead character. The interest in Jaguar is a side subplot. However, Turquoise's adversary Daryl is pretty unimpressive, especially given his snap-hiss-growl attitude; Jeshickah was a far more convincing enemy, especially when one considers how many times we see Daryl getting kicked around.

One of the problems is that Atwater-Rhodes still tends sometimes toward melodramatic trappings; Ravyn's burgundy hair and "cranberry" eyes are one of those problems. The name "Midnight" is another; it's a silly name for something that is supposed to be that ominous. "Lord" constantly tacked before Daryl's name seems pretentious. Character names tend to be a bit hyperdramatic as well; while this is excusable among the vampires, I find it difficult to read consistently about modern characters called "Turquoise," "Onyx," "Frost," and "Ravyn." She also tends to hammer points over and over; some of the ruminations are repeated over and over, as are the constant reminders of how nasty Daryl is and what he did to Turquoise.

Midnight itself is badly-defined; we never get a really clear idea of what it's like, aside from that there are lots of rooms and that sometimes vampires are mean to the humans. I found it extremely amusing that there is an "exercise room" open to humans, free clothes and hygiene-related objects, and apparently good food; this seems less like a vampire citadel with human slaves than an S&M hotel.

The cover is also a problem, featuring a person of ambiguous gender who doesn't really resemble anyone in the book. And finally, any person who appreciates a good ending will be grinding their teeth during the last twenty pages of this novel. Atwater-Rhodes' focus seems to be either wandering or narrowing to a pinpoint; the climax is anticlimactic, the dialogue is dull, the action is duller, and there are about a hundred loose ends waving in the wind. Readers may hit the climax and say, "That's it? Where's the ending? Where's the CONCLUSION?"

I'm relieved to say that Atwater-Rhodes is improving in many areas, especially her weakest points. But to be a really good author, she needs to start polishing and working a little more carefully.

I was supremely disappointed when reading this book. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes has shown previously to be an astounding battery of potential, with ideas writhing about in each story that are worth the price, even if the cardboard characters and under drawn plot conflicts detract much from what could be.

Amelia suffers from a sad syndrome that I cannot think of a name for. But it has clear symptoms.

- Many ideas and potentials from characters, with no time for any sort of realizations.

- Stiff and ill-fitting endings.
- Protagonists with little clear motivation.

A sad thing about Midnight Predator in particular was exactly how *good* it COULD have been. The beginning starts with an intriguing character, an uncomfortable (for the protagonist) situation, and good character foils (Ravyn in particular). The idea behind Midnight Predator, that Turquoise must willingly rejoin the world of slavery that she has desperately tried to distance herself from for several years, is more than slightly intriguing. You thirst to see the conflict she will have with strong-willed masters, where the entire world is out to get her for the reason that she kills their kind. So you wait, meeting the very interesting character of Nathaniel along the way, and get to the second act where everything she be just wonderful. They are in the building, sold into slavery.
And then it goes downhill from there. Her "cruel" master is a 'bleedin heart' vampire who won't let a hair be harmed. Jeshika, the could-be terrifying sire of Jaguar, who can do whatever she wants to Turquoise, backs off with little or no conflict. After a lame attempt at their job, assassinating the vampiress, Ravyn, the chip on both shoulders, Faith-like (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) Hunter, is given away to another vampire, for some reason not killed, and Turquoise is let escape off into a nice little life. A life just miles away from the vampires that want to kill her (and don't even try, I might add) where the plot, wherever it had been going, completely sputters and dies. Here we get an entirely different book. One about a girl with a troubled past trying to fit into a life she'd given up hope for ever getting. Now, this is a fine premise for a book, just not the one it is thrown into. Turquoise could be a great character, she just is not allowed to.
So, the conclusion, she gets back into the world of vamps, very un-energetically, and the story ends. Your left far unsatisfied. Like biting into the best steak you've tasted in months, and then having it removed from your mouth before swallowed, and handed a McDonald's hamburger instead. It's a sad thing, it really is.

What is even more melancholy is the fact that I'd planned to give an encouraging review, always wanting to support someone I respect as much as Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, but just couldn't spout untruth. The book is worth reading, though probably a lot more wothwhile at paperback prices.

Turquoise is a member of Crimson which is part of Bruja. For the past two years she has been a mercenary hunter. Her prey has been vampires. She and a rival have just been hired to infiltrate a vampire slavery den known as Midnight.

Turquoise was once a slave to a vampire. It has scarred her physically and mentally. Now she must put herself under a vampire's control in order to carry out her contract.

Once inside Midnight, Turquoise learns that not all vampires as a evil as those she has dealt with in the past. They are still predators, but the come in varying degrees.

The ordeal Turquoise goes through reads like a rape or abuse survivor. Unlike many in real life, Turquoise gets a chance to take revenge on her abuser.

This is a very strong tale that deals with some harsh issues (don't let the vampire trappings fool you). This is a story of dealing with abuse and humiliation. This was quite well done.

Miss Atwater-Rhodes' newest book is a step away from her origional vampire world of New Mayhem, allowing the auther to expand her vampiric world. Her greatest strength is in creating the texture of the setting- the reader will feel thoroughly absorbed in the exotic and fascinating night culture. Turquoise's character was clean-cut and understandable, though I personally found Sarah of 'Shattered Mirror' more likeable. Jaguar and Nathaniel are some of Miss Atwater-Rhodes' better vampires, and while she has yet to trump Aubrey for dark appeal, it was nice to read about some personable vampires.
Other characters, however, start to sound like the same archetypes with different hair. As the auther herself had Jaguar point out, the vampire instinct is as simple as a wolf or cat; it is the human desire to hurt that makes them evil. Should there not then be more variety in the types of vampires? They're all beautiful on the surface and either evil or conflicted between evil and some remnant of humanity on the interior. Also, in her latest work Miss Atwater-Rhodes seems to fear a decisive ending would be unrealistic- things don't always end with bang in real life, do they? But in real life vampires and witches don't stalk the earth. The ambiguity Miss Atwater-Rhodes got away with in 'Shattered Mirror' doesn't satisfy, and the reader feels that all Turquoise has done is reached closure with her past, not decided her future.
Miss Atwater-Rhodes shows remarkable potential, and there is real talent evident on every page. However, in future she should trust her characters more. They could carry the plot farther than she is willing to.

Looking at the characters, the plot, I figured 'why not?' and gave it a try. It was the worst thing I did, my eyes are still bleeding and my mind is yelling 'WHY WHY, WHY VIKKI DID YOU INFLICT SUCH PAIN UPON ME? AREN'T ASSIGNED SCHOOL BOOKS ENOUGH?'

But now, where to start?

Characters are always good. Or, well, bad here. But what can you expect with character names of Ravyn, the 'y' makes it /so/ much more cool, Jaguar, Turquoise, Nathaniel and Jeshikah? None of the characters have a personality. I feel like I'm at fanfiction[...] I'm reading a first-time Harry Potter work. If this had been there, it would have been torn to shreds just for characters. We've got the underdog, the lustful one, the double-agent, the dictator, the rival. I'm pretty sure we're only missing the werewolf, although that might have escaped my mind since I've tried to forget it. Every character in this have emotions slightly more complex than robots, just basic emotions: Happy, sad, angry, love. No confliction. No doubt or desire, no nothing. And then, suddenly, two characters are hopelessly in love and all I'm thinking is, 'WTF, mate?'.

Now, to the plot.

Oh boo-hoo I'm the underdog I can't beat the leather-clad slut and she chose the contest where I'm awful and now I have to go undercover with her in the city of vampires where humans are slaves and defeat an evil vampire dictator. That's pretty much the plot in a nutshell, or a run-on setence as it may be. Sure, there is some love in there, but I wouldn't call it 'love'. It's too simple, to...blah. Nothing. And there literally are no twists and turns, as if the writer /thought/ about putting them in, but decided not to, letting the reader keep reading searching for them. And then it's the end of the book, no plot twist, and you're left with nothing afterwords, just a rather disgusted feeling that you've wasted your time and money on that.

I really enjoyed this liked this book for a couple of reasons. One of them is that the author is very belivable, she paints pictures with her words. She is also very discriptive and is good at using exact words to describe people down to the last detail. Emotions and conflict are another subject the author writes about really well. She's excellent at writng about how the character is feeling and when they are in a fight i can picture the movement an attacks the people make as if i'm actually there cheering them on.

If i had to choose a favorite part, it would be hard but i think i would choose the part where Turquoise goes into the courtyard which is an "off limits" room to slaves, such as herself. Once she picks the lock to the room and enters she discovers two jaguars one female, one male. The female takes to her an acts almost like a kitten, but the male wont allow her to leave the room... finally Turquoise tries to leave the room and the male jaguar pounces... the rest you will have to read for yourself.

I think that the most vivid subjects the author wrote about were characters and conflict. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes can describe a being (vampire, human or anything else) so real, so solid, so... wow. i really can picture them and half the time i expect them to walk through the door. Most the time i wish they would brcause the male characters seen REALLY cute. As i had mentioned before she is wonderful at writing about combat. I can deffinitely picture the bloody lips, and the crunch of broken bones. This book really is worthy, you should read it.

I agree with most others... there is a "tough girl wannabe" chain tagging along and it is annoying and by far the same novel like the others only in different words.

So this is strange story...
I'm at the gas station on Thursday and as I was driving away I see something in the road (It was this book, strange huh?) So of course, I pick it up and take it home. I call Chris (book guru) and she tells me it's one on our list...
The list consists of all the books and authors who we want to read but are having difficultly getting a hold of b/c we're broke, or there hard to find, or we're broke,
So after I devoured the Jenna Solitaire novels this weekend I began this book last night and finished it last night (couldn't put it down or go to sleep until I was finished, man I really had a lot of stuff to do this weekend but I spent it reading) I'm not complaining really but my family is,
The main character is Turquoise (formally known as Cathy) she was a blood slave turned vampire hunter in a world like today (where vamps are fiction). She poses as a blood slave to enter Midnight (a large house that holds humans as slaves) and meets Jaguar (a shape shifter turned Vamp) on a mission to kill the head vamp. I like the book and the characters but the thing I can't rap my mind around is that this is considered teen novels (man I will NEVER let my teenager read this) I think it should be considered adult fiction.
I love story don't get me wrong and am now looking for the next one in this series or any other by this author but now I know why they were so hard to find (teen section, huh??)

This book is about two vampire slayers who go undercover at a slave trade of morals. The slave trade is ran by vampires, who use the humans as blooders, who give their blood over to the vampires without a fight, be servants at the slave trades house who keeps the house up and running, or they can be sold to other vampires who travel or live some where else. It is part of a series written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, but I think it is the best one in the series. It could also be a love story between the owner of the slave trade and one of the vampire hunters, who saves a teenage boy, the owner wants out of the trade. I really recommand this book to anyone who loves to read about vampires and vampire hunters. I hope you like the book as much as I do.

Raven and Turquoise are two of the greatest vampire slayers. Turquoise started as a slave in the powerful town of midnight and when it collapsed she was one of the few to survive and excape. Turquoise has just been put on an assignment to kill the most powerful vampire named Jessica. The worst think is she has to go back to the new midnight which is under new rule and Jessica is only one of the minor rulers. Turquoise has to go in under a different name because the name she had before was given to her by Lord Daryl, her old master, and he is now the ruler of Midnight. Raven is a vampire slayer who was taken in by the organization of vampire slayers when her parents were killed by vampires.

I like the way that they will only tell you certain things to keep you interested. It doesn't give you all the information all at once. I don't like how they use different names at different times.

People who would like this book are people who like to read mysteries and who have also read the books like Dangerous Girls 1&2. I wouldn't suggest it to people who like the love kind of stories.