Vulnerable: The First Book of the Little Goddess Series [Paperback]

Amy Lane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 4, 2005

Working graveyards in a stop & rob seemed a small price for Cory to pay in order to get her degree and get the hell out of Nor-Cal. She was terrified of disappearing into the aimless vortex that awaited the lost and the young that haunted her neck of the woods. Until the night she actually stopped looking at her books and looked up. What awaited her was a world she had only read about—one filled with fantastical creatures that she was sure she could never be.

And then Adrian walked in—and she discovered that risking your life was nothing compared to facing who you really were. And then falling in love.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Amy lives with her husband Mack in Citrus Heights, California with their three children Arthur, Gwenyfar, and Gawain. She teaches English Literature, and although she has yet to meet a vampire or member of the sidhe in the Sierra Foothills, she remains hopeful.

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (February 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595337465
• ISBN-13: 978-0595337460
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (104 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #829,132 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Joining the ranks of the Powerful Women . . ., September 4, 2005

By 

L. A. Jennings "voracious reader" (Lake Norman, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vulnerable: The First Book of the Little Goddess Series (Paperback)

I loved this book. It sucked me into the NorCal universe of Corinne Carol-Anne Kirkpatrick, Adrian, and Green immediately, and I simply could not put it down. I, too, look with anticipation for the next installment of this story. That said, I found the typographical errors and poor editing jarring, and it lessened the total impact of the book. I would purchase this book again IF I could get a copy that was more polished --- I had to stop several times and try to figure out just what word the author had intended to write, and I found myself wishing for a pen in order to correct the blatant errors of punctuation and spelling. This story is just too good to stand in this sloppy edition!

47 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic (dark) fantasy novel - one of the best!, June 7, 2007

By 

S. Fischer (Germany) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vulnerable: The First Book of the Little Goddess Series (Paperback)

Cory lives in rural America in the middle of nowhere. She comes from a poor working class family and as a result, not only do other people consider her white trash, but her own parents also can't understand why she would want to get a good education instead of finding a cheap job and a husband asap. But since she doesn't want to be stuck in this life and place, she takes a job as a night-shift clerk at a local gas station to finance a good education. Once she has passed her finals, she will get the hell out of here! She has learned to deal with the way people treat and see her by taking on a "tough-chick" persona, including died hair, heavy make-up, lots of earrings and a tough, often unfriendly behaviour. But underneath that exterior she's actually shy and feels that she's not worth much. She's not beautiful or thin or from a good family. Because of that, she's almost painfully shy around some of the more good-looking men who come to the gas station regularly. But one night, Arturo, one of those customers, won't accept that anymore. When he touches her hand and makes her look at him and talk to him, her life changes forever. Because Arturo is not a normal man, he's one of a large group of preternatural beings living in the surrounding foothills, and his touch opens her eyes to this world. Soon she makes friends with some of the sidhe, were-creatures and vampires she now sees as what they are. And she falls in love with Adrian, a vampire who's also second in command at the fae's hill. Things get complicated and dangerous when attacks on Adrian and the were-people start. Someone from the vampire's past obviously wants to harm or even kill him. In the process, Cory discovers not only that she has powers she never knew about, but she is also confronted with the fact that human morals don't count much among the fae / were / vampire community. Because Adrian and Green, the sidhe leader of the group, have been lovers for a long time. And Cory also feels attracted to Green...
This is Amy Lane's debut novel and also the first book in the Little Goddess-series (followed by "Wounded" and "Bound" so far). She isn't with a large publisher, but has worked with iUniverse, a self-publishing company. As a result she doesn't get as much money or attention as authors with larger publishers, but when I look at her great books, I also get the impression that she has more freedom to write a gripping and unusual story instead of being forced to do what some editor thinks will sell well. What should also be mentioned is that the price for the book may seem relatively high if you just look at the article page without seeing the real book. But although the page count may not be that high, it's larger than your average trade paperback and iUniverse don't waste space by extra large print or lots of unprinted space at the edges as many large publishers do to justify their exaggerated prices for trade paperbacks. So you really get something for your money. What may also be a result of this independent way of publishing is that you get something really unusual and unbelievable beautiful and intense. Vampires, Sidhes and were-animals have become fairly common in today's (dark) fantasy market, especially mixed in with romance. But this novel is so much more than other books. For one thing, the author goes back to some of the superstition and folklore about fae, for example, and then works it into something very original. The vampires are also at once based in tradition and quite different, individuals that need blood and can't go out in the sun, but they can be as good or as bad as any human being. What you are as a person isn't determined by your race / species here! Another reason for the high quality of this book is the fact that Amy Lane does so much more than simply tell a story. She is great at using different perspectives (here the point of view alternates between three main characters, Cory, Adrian and - more neutral - Green). That never gets confusing, but provides you much more insight into them than one single point of view would. The book (both the language and what happens) is also quite simply beautiful - I don't have another word for it. And last but not least, it's also very romantic and sensual. But here I should warn sensitive readers: The relationships are mostly not monogamous. This never turns into the cold sexual marathons you get from Laurell K. Hamilton lately, but if you want your heroine to be with one man only or don't like the idea that two men might love each other, then you may not feel comfortable with this book. And the last thing to mention would be that the author had the courage to not just give you a nice supernatural romance, but has the courage to also move into painful emotions and loss. The book is very intense that way.
To sum it all up: If you like dark fantasy or fantasy in general, want more than just another average novel and are open-minded regarding alternate sexualities I can only say: Buy the book and get parts 2 and 3, too. They are worth every cent! This is one of the best books I've read in years. And you will also support an independent author who has the courage to publish unusual and high-quality literature. What more can one ask?


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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It was so so., June 14, 2009

By 

Good Walking (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vulnerable: The First Book of the Little Goddess Series (Paperback)

I don't usually leave feedback/reviews on Amazon.com. I figure everyone needs to make up their own mind when it comes to reading. Writing is an art form and is appreciated/interpreted many different ways by many different people. And who am I to say something is good or bad? However, I feel compelled to write a review for this book.

I purchased this book after seeing all the rave reviews and because I'm a PNR lover. I didn't mind the price because I figured it was going to be a great read. I've been looking for a new PNR series after reading several more "mainstream" series such as Twilight Saga, Sookie Stackhouse, Mercy Thompson, Weather Warden, etc.

I was so excited when I read the description and reviews for this book and starting reading it as soon as I opened the box from Amazon. However my excitement was dead about three chapters into the book and my disillusion began soon after. The only character I somewhat enjoyed was Green, and that's only because he reminded me another tall, long haired blond from a different series. The others seem a little weak and somewhat absurd. But even more bothersome was the writing style of this book.

The writing doesn't seem to flow smoothly and is somewhat choppy in parts. Almost like reading something that was written by a non-English speaking person. You get the jest of it, but your left wondering what the writer was really trying to convey. I find myself having to read entire sections of the book over again in an attempt to understand certain conversations between characters. I love to read and would like to think I know HOW to read as well, but this book made me feel like a 5th grader trying to read and understand a college textbook. However, this is just my point of view, and after really struggling to finish this book, I'm not planning to continue the series and I don't think I would recommend this book to other PNR fans in general.

Sorry Ms. Lane, It would seem based on the reviews for this book many people enjoy your work, it just wasn't for me.