Customer Reviews

Night World No. 3: Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First published between 1996 and 1998, Lisa Jane Smith's "Night World" series was designed as a ten-book series, best put in the "supernatural teenage romance" genre. It deals with the existence of a secret society of witches, vampires and shape-shifters who live incognito amongst humans. Although the superior numbers of humans mean that they hold dominion over the world, the supernatural inhabitants of the Night World consider them inferior and look forward to the opportunity to reclaim power over the world. Only two rules are in place for the treatment of the human race: to never tell them about the Night World, and to never fall in love with one of them. Naturally, every story was based around these rules getting broken.

The reader was gradually introduced to the Night World and its inhabitants as the books went on. Whereas the first omnibus set up the basic concept for the Night World and the rules in place for its existence, the second began to give the sense that all the stories were interconnected rather than one-off stories. With each installment, more was learnt about the history of the sub-world, the concept of soulmates, and (particularly in this final omnibus) the coming of the end of the world. Such was the case for the first nine books in this series, but unfortunately, the final book in the series was never published, leaving readers hanging as to how the story ended.

But for fans who have waited ten years to get the end of the story, Simon and Schuster now are republishing the series in three-book omnibuses in anticipation for "Strange Fate." Like many, I was a teenager when I began reading these books, and it was a sense of nostalgia that brought me back to these reissues. Surprisingly, they've held up well over the years, even though they are clearly meant for a young audience.
For example, despite the fact that each book features a new female protagonist, other secondary characters often pop up in cameo appearances, and there is the sense that the world around them is changing as each book goes on. Concepts such as Circle Daybreak and the soulmate principal grow and adapt in meaning, and we get assorted clues that we are headed toward an apocalyptic battle between good and evil.

This is especially clear in this, the final omnibus in the series, in which Smith introduces the idea of the Wild Powers and the apocalypse. It is prophesied that at the turn of the millennium (hmm, since that's come and gone without a hitch, I think we can assume that the good guys were successful) the world will be plunged into chaos and darkness, and only four individuals known as the Wild Powers have any chance of stopping it. But since the prophesied "chaos and darkness" is of the unspecified sort, many Night World believe that this is their chance to take back control of the world and see the Wild Powers as a threat.

Therefore, it is up to Circle Daybreak, an organization committed to securing peace between all the races, to not only identify the Wild Powers, but to keep them save from the Night World, secure their cooperation in the coming battle, and help them harness their inherent ability to call up blue fire. All they have to help them in this task is a prophesy that provides clues as to who these Wild Powers are:

One from the land of kings long forgotten,
One from the hearth which still holds the spark,
One from the Day World where two eyes are watching,
One from the twilight to be one with the dark.

"Huntress" concerns Jez Redfern, a young vampire who is horrified to discover that her mother was a human, making her an unheard-of human/vampire hybrid. Leaving her close-knit gang of vampires, she turns her back on her past and joins Circle Daybreak, living with her mother's human family and secretly hunting down renegade Night World citizens in her spare time.

She isn't quite successful in juggling her double-life (especially not with her suspicious cousin Clare), but that's hardly her most pressing concern when Circle Daybreak recruits her for a new mission. It would seem that they have information on a Wild Power: someone in the Night World claims to have found one. The reason Jez has been chosen is because the person who is proposing to sell this information to the highest bidder is none other than Morgead Blackthorn, a member of her old gang.

Going undercover into her old territory, and hiding the terrible secret of her lineage as she investigates Morgead's claim, Jez attempts to uncover the mystery of the potential Wild Power before any of her former-friends catch on as to what she's really up to.

It is in "Black Dawn" that a suspenseful complex story and the strongest protagonist of the entire series are united in order to make the undisputed best book of the entire series. When Maggie Neely learns that her brother disappeared and is presumed dead whilst mountain climbing, she immediately suspects that his girlfriend's story is a lie. Trailing Sylvia back to her apartment, she confronts the older girl, only to pass out and wake up in a slave-trader's cart.

While unconscious Maggie has been transported to a secret enclave within the Night World: a hidden kingdom in the mountains that is permanently cut-off from the human world save for the kidnapping of slaves to work in the castle that lies at its centre. Along with three other slaves (that include a mysterious young blind girl) Maggie manages to escape only to find herself caught up in the fate of the kingdom and the people therein.

Even out of the context of the rest of the series "Black Dawn" is a great story. Smith manages to juggle several subplots, including Maggie's search for her brother, her escape from the slave-traders, her relationship with the vampire Prince Delos, the identity of the next Wild Power (the one from "the land of kings long forgotten"), and the political machinations that go on in the Night World. Maggie is without a doubt her strongest, most realistic protagonist who manages to be both tough and compassionate.

In "Witchlight" Smith finally turns her attention toward shape-shifters, the race that we know the least about. Here, a werepanther called Keller leads a three-person team consisting of herself, a witch and a vampire to retrieve the third Wild Power. As well as this, Iliana Dominick also happens to be the Witch Child: the young woman prophesied to marry the son of the First House of shape-shifters and in doing so unify the shape-shifter and witch families.

Keller's problems are threefold. Firstly, Iliana is a "lost witch," raised as a human, who has no knowledge or intention whatsoever in doing what is expected of her. Secondly, Keller is horrified to discover that a dragon (one of the original shape-shifters) has been awakened, and instigating serious trouble among the shifters. Thirdly, she herself has fallen in love with Galen Drache, the man to whom Iliana is to be betrothed to in order to secure peace.

"Witchlight" was my favourite when I was young, and so it was perhaps inevitable that it would be a little disappointing on revisiting it. There's so many plot-holes, unlikely scenarios and assorted silliness that credibility is stretched a little *too* far, even for what is essentially a series that was never meant to be taken too seriously. Why does the team risk war just because Iliana wants to go to a party? Why doesn't Keller recognize her own crown-prince? What exactly does it mean to be the "Witch Child" and why haven't we ever heard of it before? And why, why, WHY does an elite swat team, specializing in covert missions and secrecy drive around in a white limousine? Yes, you read that right. A white limousine.

As a general critique, I've never been a big fan of "the soulmate principal", which basically concerns two characters falling in love without taking the time to get to know each other, just because they're "destined" for one another. This concept in the previous books has always been hit-and-miss, sometimes successful (Ash/Mary-Lynette, Thierry/Hannah) sometimes unconvincing (Thea/Eric, Gillian/David). By this final omnibus, it just feels formulaic. Two characters meet, have a weird outer-body experience with pretty lights in which they find themselves able to read each other's minds, and then announce themselves in love (whether they like it or not).

But on the whole, this final installment in the series contains three of the best stories in the series, in which threads that have been started in previous books begin to weave together in preparation for the final book. There is plenty here that Smith needs to wrap up, including the final line of the prophesy "one from the twilight to be one with the dark," the cryptic words of the dragon who claims it was awoken by "a witch who is not a witch," and the ominous words of the Night World portend which says: "In blue fire, the final darkness is banished. In blood, the final price is paid."

And as a special bonus, we get a sneak peek at the first chapter of the forthcoming final book in the series.

I've waited ten years for the end of this series. My inner-teen has been embraced, a space has been cleared on my bookshelf. I'm all primed and ready for "Strange Fate".

I think I now understand better why so many L.J. Smith's fans crave the last, 10th, installment of the Night World series - Strange Fate - to be finally published. Throughout this series of paranormal romances Smith has created a fascinating supernatural world and gradually built up to a great end-of-the-world showdown destined to happen in the final chapter of the story.

This collection of 3 romances is of the same quality as two previous Night World tomes. What you have here are these scenarios: i-didn't-realize-i-was-in-love-with-my-long-time-guy-friend ("Huntress"); my-soulmate-is-a-vampire-dark-prince-but-my-love-will-cure-his-badness ("Black Dawn"); omg-my-soulmate-has-to-marry-someone-else-for-political-reasons ("Witchlight").

Yes, I know how it sounds, but believe it or not, these books are solid stories with strong heroines whose priorities are straight, who are not TSTL and whose lives do not revolve around their boys. The books remain simple and innocent (no action beyond first base here), maybe a little juvenile. But at the same time the plots are great and the mythology is imaginative. Night World books are basically better than 95% of paranormal YA fiction I've read these past few years.

I am now going to wait for Strange Fate too, but seeing that L.J. Smith has lost some marbles over the years and produced new Vampire Diaries of atrocious quality, maybe I shouldn't.

I was leary of LJ Smith at first because she gears her books so much towards teens, but the more I read the more I am hooked. This one was no different. The only thing I can really complain much about is that she isn't finished. Smith totally leaves you wanting more, but there is none. According to her website she is finally writing the ending to all the nightworld stuff, but what am I supposed to do in the meantime? I am dying to know what is going to happen. I just hope that when she ties everything together and brings it all to a close, we are not left wanting anymore and that it will be an ending worthy of being associated with the rest of the books.

Either way I have definitely becom an LJ Smith fan and even with the series unfinished I strongly recommend it to anyone.

These three books are some of my favorites in the Nightworld series. I first fell in love with the Nightworld when I was around 10, with Daughters of Darkness. Now I'm 25, and I can honestly say these books feel like dear old friends whenever I open them up.

LJ Smith makes it a joy to become her characters. I found it easy to seamlessly relate to Jez Redfern's double life, her ferocity, and how she strives to redeem herself for her earlier life. Maggie's strength and compassion won me over immediately--as well as her dogged determination to do what was right. Keller has always been one of my favorite characters because she's a fighter in spite of past trauma.

Smith writes memorable, strong female characters. For this, I will venture to draw the contrast between the excellent portrayal of her female protagonists with Stephenie Meyer's subservient and vain characters, who at best (Alice) manage to be three-dimensional and independent, but at worst (Rosalie) are shown to be completely one-sided and self-obsessed. Bella is somewhere in between, with a side of being perpetually incomplete without a man present. Smith's characters not only thrive on their own, but they are intelligent and resourceful role models that I still draw on even as an adult. As a young girl, reading the stories of the Nightworld were inspiring to me--they are capable, self-sufficient, and independent. Smith showed me that women can be fighters, protectors, and heroes in their own right.

In Huntress, we are taken on the journey of a reformed half-vampire, Jez Redfern, who discovered that as the leader of her old gang, she was murdering her own people. She survives on human food and lives with her aunt and uncle, tracking down the darker Night People by night and walking a fine line between adolescent rebellion and her family discovering her secrets. In this story, Smith introduces the millennial prophecies about the Wild Powers and continues her exploration of the soulmate principle as well as introducing another Old Soul.

Black Dawn takes us to the most secret enclave in the Nightworld with Maggie Neely, a girl determined to discover the truth about her brother's mysterious disappearance and his girlfriend's lies. The story further addresses the Nightworld slave trade, as well as giving more insight into the Redfern lineage as well as the prophecies about the Wild Powers. There are many cameo appearances by earlier characters and references to earlier stories that bring to light some fascinating plot thickeners for the broader arc of the millennium.

In the final installment, Witchlight, we follow a shapeshifter panther named Keller in her mission to protect the third Wild Power and Witch Child from a newly reawakened and dangerous evil. Smith shows us another side of Nightworld witch powers, as well as gives us the first real glimpse into the world of the shapeshifters. While the book stands alone, it also builds to the final forthcoming culmination of the Nightworld series.

I wholeheartedly recommend this omnibus edition of Nightworld 6-9. I've been waiting about 12 years for Strange Fate, and I cannot wait to finally get my paws on it. :) Her stories are well-written and engrossing. If you haven't already, get your hands on the first two omnibus editions.

This is a combination of my reviews for "Night World 7: Huntress", "Night World 8: Black Dawn", and "Night World 9: Witchlight."

In "Huntress" we meet Jez Redfern, a half-human and half-vampire who hunts vampires. In "Black Dawn" we explore a secret vampire kingdom with Maggie, a spunky teen girl. In "Witchlight" we follow Keller, a shapeshifter, as she tries to protect a Wild Power.

Overall I would give this collection of the last 3 Night World books a 4 out of 5. Smith is building up to quite a finish, and I can't wait for "Strange Fate," to see what happens to all the characters she's introduced us to in the series.

===

Night World #7: Huntress, by L. J. Smith

In "Huntress," Smith develops a larger story line for her Night World series. The new concept deals with the coming millennium and a possible apocalypse that will wipe out humanity and return the world to an age where the Night World rules, rather than exists on the fringes. Humanity will only be saved if four legendary Wild Powers are found and kept safe by Circle Daybreak. But the Night World is searching for these powers as well...

Enter Jez Redfern. Once a kickass vampire chick who hunted people like they were animals, she's now a vampire hunter and living as a human. Jez is unique - the only human-vampire halfbreed known to exist. She lived most of her life thinking she was a vampire, but the day she found out she was half-human she swore off her old life. Intent on making up for all the evil she'd done before, she now helps Circle Daybreak hunt the very denizens of the Night World who were once her people.

Circle Daybreak sends Jez into certain danger when they learn her old vampire gang has one of the Wild Powers. They need Jez to find and bring the person back to Circle Daybreak before the Night World council arrives and takes control. But Jez has a few problems...she has to rejoin her old gang, has to deal with Morgead...a vampire who swears he's her soulmate...and she has her human cousin sniffing behind her. Not to mention she has to protect the potential Wild Power.

"Huntress" is one wild ride, full of action. Jez is undoubtedly one of my favorite Night World characters. She's strong, honorable, determined, and half-vampire! Smith also draws a greater connection with the other Night World books, ramping the series up for an explosive finish. I for one can't wait for the final book, which will finally be published in 2010.

4/5.

===

Night World #8: Black Dawn, by L. J. Smith

"Black Dawn" feels like the meatiest of the Night World books, with a lot going on in a very short period of time. Smith introduces us to a new Wild Power and a secret vampire kingdom all in one.

Maggie's world changes overnight when she's awakened by the sound of her mother crying. Her brother Miles is missing and presumed dead. Maggie listens as his girlfriend, Sylvia, tells the family what happened, but something is wrong with Sylvia's story. Maggie's pretty sure Sylvia is lying, so she follows her to her apartment. Sylvia lights some sort of incense...and the next thing Maggie knows, she's waking up in a cart. A horse drawn cart. Three other girls are in the cart, and one tells Maggie that she's now a slave.

That's Maggie's introduction to a secret world in the mountains, a secret Night World kingdom. A kingdom where humans are slaves to vampires, witches, and shapeshifters. A world where there is no color. A world that has Maggie's soulmate...

Maggie isn't part of the Night World, but she follows in the tradition of all other Night World protagonists by being a strong, spunky, honorable heroine. When thrown into a world full of injustice, she constantly tries to do the right thing, even when it could cost her life.

I really enjoyed this chapter of the Night World series. Smith creates an intriguing world within a world with the secret vampire kingdom, one I really wanted to know more about. There's an interesting cast of characters, from a vampire prince to a blind witch to a defiant slave. The action is very fast - maybe a little too fast in some parts - as Maggie jumps from crisis to crisis to crisis. The ending also feels rushed; things happen too quickly. There are one or two more things that don't make sense, such as a time traveling dream. But overall, "Black Dawn" is quite good and will keep you turning the pages.

3/5.

===

Night World #9: Witchlight, by L. J. Smith

Wow. I couldn't stop turning the pages of this book last night, and ended up staying up late to finish it because I just *had* to know how it was going to end!

Keller is a shapeshifter; "Witchlight" is the only book in the Night World series to be told from a 'shifter's perspective. I wish at least another of the protagonists in the previous books had been a shapeshifter, as I enjoyed Keller's point of view so much.

Like all the girls before her, Keller is a kick ass, take no nonsense kind of main character. She's the boss of a small security team made up of herself, a vampire, and a witch. They belong to Circle Daybreak and have been tasked to protect the most recently identified Wild Power.

Iliana Harman is Keller's opposite in every way. She's soft-hearted, ditzy, immersed in her family, friends, and school life. She's never had to fight. But all that's about to change when Iliana is thought to be the lost Witch Child as well as a Wild Power. And as the Witch Child, she's been prophesied to marry the First Son of the House of Shapeshifters, to cement an alliance between the witches and 'shifters.

There's a lot going on in "Witchlight." The action is jam-packed and pretty nonstop, as Keller and her team try to protect Iliana, figure out how to fight an awakened dragon, and convince Iliana to accept her destiny. There's one big problem with the potential alliance though...Iliana's future husband is actually Keller's soulmate. It's quite a tangle, but provides Smith with opportunities for character growth. I really didn't care for Iliana at all when the novel started, but by the end I liked her.

I enjoyed "Witchlight" quite a bit, and I'm happy that I'm reading it now, when the sequel novel will finally be coming out. In 1998 Smith left her fans with quite a cliffhanger, and left them there for a decade. But "Strange Fate" is finally slated to be published in 2010 and I hope it is because now I'm rather anxious to find out how Smith will tie everything together that she's created over the course of the first 9 books.

4/5.

Awesome book! Loved the stories and the referenses and cross over of some of the other characters, setting everything up for the climatic ending. Can't wait for Strange Fate to come out. This book is thrilling, exciting and beautiful. The characters are well written and my favorite is....well I can't pick, I loved them all.

Great books! The whole series is good reading if you are into vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, and witches. It kept me highly entertained, even in my upper 30's. I am anticipating the next book to come out soon!

The NightWorld series has been a favorite of mine since girlhood. I'm delighted that they are being re-printed after all this time. It's a testament to the superb writing and affecting characters. I hope with all my might that L.J. Smith completes writing Strange Fate, the end of the series and releases it soon. I can't wait to see how everything ends! And L.J., if you are reading this, please spare Galen, Keller,Quinn, Rashell and Ash!!!

I was very happy with the condition of this book. I would definitely order again. Very Happy with my purchase!

I have ordered all three of the these books but I have not had time to ready them. I hope they are good. The delivery for the books was quick.