Tempted (House of Night, Book 6) [Hardcover]

P. C. Cast (Author), Kristin Cast (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2009

So…you’d think after banishing an immortal being and a fallen High Priestess, saving Stark’s life, biting Heath, getting a headache from Erik, and almost dying, Zoey Redbird would catch a break.  Sadly, a break is not in the House of Night school forecast for the High Priestess in training and her gang.  Juggling three guys is anything but a stress reliever, especially when one of them is a sexy Warrior who is so into protecting Zoey that he can sense her emotions.  Speaking of stress, the dark force lurking in the tunnels under the Tulsa Depot is spreading, and Zoey is beginning to believe Stevie Rae could be responsible for a lot more than a group of misfit red fledglings.  Aphrodite’s visions warn Zoey to stay away from Kalona and his dark allure, but they also show that it is Zoey who has the power to stop the evil immortal.  Soon it becomes obvious that Zoey has no choice: if she doesn’t go to Kalona he will exact a fiery vengeance on those closest to her.  Will Zoey have the courage to chance losing her life, her heart, and her soul?  Find out in the next spectacular installment in the House of Night Series, Tempted. 

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Tempted:

 

“Cast and Cast pull out all the stops and take this story to shattering new heights with devastating consequences!” –Romantic Times (4 ½ stars)

 

“P. C. And Kristin Cast have made an absolutely amazing [YA] series. The visuals offered by this fantastic duo are entertaining and imaginative, with nonstop action.... This is easily a [YA] series that can entertain adults with action, hot Vampyres, true friendship, budding romance, a Loving Goddess, and a twist of the unexpected.” –HowlingGoodBooks.com (5 stars)

 

“I loved every one of the books in the [House of Night] series. Tempted is my definite favorite…. This book had me ripping through the pages.” –Teen review on Flamingnet.com

 

Praise for The House of Night:

 

“Move over, Stephenie Meyer.” –People on Hunted

“Zoey Redbird's first-person adventures take on added danger and importance in the latest House of Night release. Forced by circumstance to grow up quickly, Zoey's emotional and spiritual evolution is fascinating. The Cast duo breathes life and vibrancy into the characters and makes each one an integral part of the saga. Awesome and unforgettable as always!” --Romantic Times (4.5 stars) on Hunted

“The Cast duo has done it again!  These ladies appear to be an unstoppable force within the world of YA literature… Teenage readers will be drawn to Zoey’s everyday, angst-riddled life.  Not only does she need to save the world, Zoey needs to solve some major vampyre/human boy drama.  These stories are surreal, yet shockingly accurate when it comes to teenagers and their lives.” –TeensReadToo.com (5 stars) on Hunted 

“Teenage issues can seem like life or death, but in this haunting series, House of Night, that’s really the case. Through Zoey’s eyes readers are led into a world that’s getting more complicated by the minute, where friends and enemies can switch positions in a heartbeat. The remarkable Cast duo continues to build a world that you won’t soon forget!” –Romantic Times (4.5 stars) on Chosen

“This highly addicting series offers a unique twist on the standard vampyre story....These books will have the reader laughing hysterically and sobbing unreservedly –sometimes all at once.”
–VOYA on both Marked and Betrayed

 

“Marked is one of the best coming of age stories to come out of Oklahoma since S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. It teaches about the beauty of being a social outcast, friendship, and finding your own inner spirituality.” –The Beltane Papers

 

“Readers will identify with many of the characters, especially the protagonist.” –Library Journal on Marked

About the Author

P.C. Cast is an award-winning fantasy and paranormal romance author, as well as an experienced speaker and teacher. With her daughter Kristin Cast, she is the author of the House of Night novels, including Awakened, Burned and Hunted. Cast was born in the Midwest, and as a girl fell in love with mythology. After high school, she joined the U.S. Air Force, then taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. Cast’s novels are New York Times bestsellers and have been awarded the Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath. Ms. Cast lives in Oklahoma, where she is a member of the Oklahoma Writers' Hall of Fame.  She splits her time between her ranch and midtown Tulsa where she has a home just down the street from the House of Night...

 

Kristin Cast has won awards for her poetry and journalism.  She also lives in Oklahoma, where she attends college in Tulsa.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312567480
• ISBN-13: 978-0312567484
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (231 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 109 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So torn..., October 29, 2009

By 

Monet - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tempted (House of Night, Book 6) (Hardcover)

First I want to address the POVs issue. While it was refreshing to see another POV in the book , I think the authors spread themselves a little too thin with it. I didn't need to read the angsty drama of the boys' perspectives, you already get enough of that from Zoey. I did, however, think that Stevie Ray's POV was essential to the plot as there was so much going on with her that only leaving the book to Zoey would have completely lost the plot of the *other* red fledglings and Rephaim. I don't think we needed to see Rephaim's view either since we were already getting it from Stevie Ray. There was just too much time spent on rehashing things from different POVs and it made the book seem sluggish. Seeing the drama at the end with Stevie Ray from 3 different people was just unnecessary, I'm almost shocked they didn't throw in Aphrodite's perspective on that too. The Casts should have just left the telling of the story to the two new High Priestesses and let us have a little bit more plot.

The plot was another issue with me. Really, not a lot happened in the book. And the few major things that did happen were kind of tossed to the side while everyone dealt with their relationship drama. I would have much rather had two very romantic scenes with Stark and Heath and get on with it then have to read 15 little pointless ones where nothing happened. The stuff that happened with the council, Neferet and Kalona at the end was totally brushed off so Zoey could go deal with her emotional issues. The councils mindset in response to the two of them should have been a really big deal and should have been addressed but instead it was "Boo hoo, Zoey hurt Stark's feelings. What's she going to do?" I guess what I'm trying to say is that the Casts are developing this amazing plot but they are dealing with it the wrong way.

I didn't like the characters as much in this book either. Maybe it's because I feel like since this is Book 6 that Zoey should start showing a little more maturity. If I have to read the words 'bullpoopie' or 'raging case of diarrhea' from her mind one more time, I swear I'm giving up on the series. The bond of the nerd herd wasn't so apparent. I missed the comic relief of the twins and their teasing of Damien and Aphrodite. All their scenes together were just a whole bunch of nothing but filler.

I thought the death was actually one of the book's more redeeming qualities for me. I thought it was well-placed and necessary for Zoey to develop as a character and as a hero. I'm surprised by who Zoey is left with as a romantic interest since he wasn't even in the first books but after reading his character in Tempted, I think it was the right choice. Of course, who's ever really dead in these books?

I gave this book three stars because I *wanted* to like it so badly but I just didn't. I think the storyline is amazing but the whole time I was reading it, I was just annoyed. Annoyed with the pace, annoyed with the characters and to be honest, annoyed with the immaturity of the writing which never bothered me before this book. It may sound kind of weird but it's like I want to know what happens, I just don't want to have to read about it anymore.

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One long dream...start to finish, October 30, 2009

By 

H. Sapiens "Amanda" (SF Bay Area, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tempted (House of Night, Book 6) (Hardcover)

#1 Avoid reviews that contain the ending spoilers or this book is not even going to be worth reading.

First off, this series is incredibly imaginative, so I don't want to come off sounding like the book is, well... "poopie". It's not - it's just nowhere near on par with the other books in the series. On it's own I would say it's more like a high 2 or low 3, but with so much invested in the characters, Tempted may not pull its own weight but is entertaining nonetheless.

Tempted leaves off where we left off with Neferet ushering fallen angel, Kalona, (now calling himself Nyx's consort, Erebus) into the spotlight with a grand entrance at the House of Night. Zoey and friends have escaped to the relative safety of the convent belonging to the City Cats nuns only to have to fight the Raven Mockers. Tempted begins with the clean-up and most of the book is devoted to the reorganization of Clan Zoey and planning of Kalona's downfall (they don't get that far). Much time is focused on Stevie Rae and the secrets she keeps - especially one involving Kalona's firstborn - the Raven Mocker Rephaim.

This goes on and on until 20 pages to the end when the action starts up again building up to a showdown between Kalona and Zoey. The ending comes in a rush of confusion (not at all what I was expecting) leading to a promise of answers in the next installment. So, on its own Tempted read like one big build-up to the next book with far too much time spent to building up relationships between other characters (Stevie Rae with her "Red Vampyres" and Rephaim, Aphrodite and Darius, sheesh - even Stark and Heath).

POV: One of the reasons this book felt like one big build-up and a bit disjointed was the removal of focus from Zoey. Unlike the prior books, the POV shifts between characters. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the characters, so indicated under the Chapter heading. I see why the authors are doing this, but I don't think it was pulled off quite as elegantly as it could have. See Shiver for an example of a book where joint POV is used to further the story telling a near singular story line. In Tempted, too many story lines are followed to give the book a cohesive feel. Whereas other books have flowed naturally, this one really felt a little more forced from the authors rather than a force of its own.

Language: It's beginning to grate on me. In any other situation, when teens (or anyone) begin hanging out together for extended periods of time, they start sounding like each other. Not here! No, we have every dialect (even made up!) from the U.S. - poor grammar included. It felt stronger (and it could have been because of the multiple POV) in Tempted than in other installments. However, the regional colloquialisms are starting to sound forced and a bit much. I would love to know from Middle America teens if they REALLY sound like this ALL the time, because I doubt it. Also, it feels like all of these really intense life experiences should be shaping and maturing the teens, and yet when Zoey faces an immortal out pops "poopie" - most people I know relax around their friends but have a different language/presentation that they may use around others. My feeling is that the authors are trying to present the characters as incredibly strong individuals that do not yield to peer pressure, but it doesn't feel true. Plus, I am tired of all the bowel movement talk.

Characters: Little character development has occurred. However, this is in part because the events in Hunted and Tempted are both about a week apart (for the whole books). However, I am having a really hard time imagining a full-fledged vampyre like Darius falling for Aphrodite with all her juvenile melodrama. Stark has probably demonstrated the most character development and maturity. Sylvia Redbird appears briefly but is still a strong influence on Zoey and her choices (she's my favorite character). Heath has turned into a shell of a stereotypical football jock fused with a lap dog. The "Reds" versus "Blues" thing going on between the vampyres is getting a bit labored.

Story Line Turns: At the end of Tempted, Zoey's circle flies to Italy to meet with the Vampyre High Council and this is where the book leaves us. Neferet and Kalona are also there and the issue of free will/free choice becomes critical. So, it seems that at least the next installment of the House of Night will not be happening at the House of Night. This may not be a bad thing. The ending was just too rushed and TOO confusing/shocking. Rather than end as a really good cliffhanger, this makes the whole book feel like one big set-up for the next novel. Since nothing really happened until the last 50 pages, I have to wonder if I would not have missed anything if I skipped this one.

Bottom line: Only read it if you are addicted to the series. Wait to read it until right before the next book is released if you can. You will either love or hate the ending (I don't think there is a middle ground), which is ridiculously abrupt. In fact, it's not even an ending. Here is where Team Cast could take a hint from the Twilight series - use a natural ending to your advantage. If the characters seemed immature and unrealistic before, expect their language to grate on you in Tempted.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not even a little better the the awful Hunted, November 2, 2009

By 

Literary Laura "LL" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tempted (House of Night, Book 6) (Hardcover)

I was really hoping the the Cast authors would have read the terrible reviews that Hunted received and made adequate changes to the next installments. Boy, was I disappointed - Tempted was equally as bad. I really have to wonder about the reading tastes of the people who write reviews on here who gave it five stars and say its the best book they have ever read. Really? Really?? That is sad. This story is going no where fast! This series started slow for me, but by Untamed I was hooked. Only to be thoroughly disappointed with Hunted and now Tempted.
Just because it is in the YA division, doesn't mean the characters have to be so immature and ill speaking. The choices made and lack of plot development have hindered the entire series. The sudden need to make Erik this possessive jerk - which is completely contrary to the first 4 books, is way too forced. I really wish we could rewind back to Untamed and get new versions. Hunted and Tempted are crap!