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Vampire Queen #2
Stolen Night
Lenah Beaudonte should be dead. But having sacrificed herself to save another, she finds herself awakening with strange powers that are neither vampire nor human—and a new enemy on her trail. In her vampire life, Lenah had thought that being human was all she ever wanted; but the human heart suffers pain, heartbreak and loss.
With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead...
With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead...
400 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2012
About the author
Rebecca Maizel
13 books1,098 followersRebecca Maizel hails from Rhode Island, where she teaches high school literature at her alma mater the Wheeler School. She tries not to force her students to read her books, though. Rebecca is the author of several published novels for young adults, and recently achieved an MFA in Writing for Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also enjoys Indian food, her dog Georgie, and running moderately long distances.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews
January 5, 2013
Is that a tear running down my face? Why yes...I think it is.
3.5 stars. Even though I had some serious issues with how everything fit together, I did appreciate an ending which made me rethink my original rating. Hey, at least we're improving upon the first book here.
*smacks forehead* It all makes sense now. I wasn't sure what the point was for having certain characters and instances in this series, up until the last few chapters happened.
Then again, I'm not exactly positive that everything had been plotted out from the start to fall into place exactly the way that it did either. Something about the way the turn of events happened almost seemed like a conveniently happy accident in writing. Was it really the plan all along to take certain characters in the direction that they went in, or was some of the story improvising on the fly as book 2 was being written?
I guess I'll never know. Believe me when I say that I'm not complaining about where things are going. I just sort of feel like the vibe of book 1 didn't really match up with the direction of book 2.
You can call me conflicted over the 'Vampire Queen' concept. This is another case of "good bones, shaky execution" going on. I'm still happy with the historical parts of the story, but find myself somewhat confused with Lenah herself. Is it just me noticing this, or has this chick adapted to modern times far too easily? As well, am I wrong in thinking it's a little too convenient that Lenah was the 'queen' in the first place? And now, someone else might want to conveniently snatch the title up for grabs? What kind of society doesn't have a waiting list or heir to a title?
I'm so perplexed at what to feel about the whole of it. I'm entertained by what's going on, yet the story doesn't always feel like it lines up the way that it should. Why would one of the main characters even BE at a high school? Just to watch over Lenah? I think that part could have been dealt with differently.
It's the little details that pick and pick at my brain and make me question it all. Why is Justin such a baby? Why was Vicken a potential love interest and then he just 'wasn't?' Why put so much emphasis on building up bonds and connections, only to break them later?
...but then the last several chapters happened and I was floored. I was angry. I was sad. I was happy. I was angry again. I was sad again. FFS, a few tears escaped! Heck I was so angry at what Lenah had done that it was making me shake. But then the epilogue happened and it gave me some hope.
Huge kudos to that epilogue because I'm assuming that there will be a book 3, and because of this, that ending was KILLER in a fantastic way. However, if I find out later that this is how the series ends, I will come back and rant to high hell the way I did over My Name Is Memory (to which we're STILL waiting for a sequel). There is absolutely no book info for installment 3 of the series, but since there was a 3 year wait between books 1 and 2, I'm going to safely assume that it will be a while before we know what's next to come.
In the end, this was just shy of a 3 star book all the way up until that phenomenal ending, which was a 5 star way to go out. If the next book takes that ending and makes this an epic journey to right the wrongs which have been done, I could easily see myself re-evaluating my feelings about the entire series and giving extremely high marks.
If this really was all a pre-planned setup, then I tip my hat to the plan because now I know we're in for a crazy ride ahead.
Want to read
September 2, 2015Ok, I've been highly anticipating this book since the first book came out and I have to say that I am really annoyed that the release has been pushed back to 2012. Ugh, I can't believe this. I have already pre-ordered this through Borders... Not cool at all.
April 1, 2013
This review is also available over at my blog.
______________________
Actual rating is 1.5 stars.
First thing I want to address is, when I was first starting this book, I noticed that it was extremely different from the excerpt available at the end of Infinite Days. It got me thinking that that was maybe the reason why this book's release was pushed back to 2013. They had to make drastic changes. In my opinion, I thought the prologue & first chapter from the excerpt was a lot better than the first chapter in this one.
Anyways, now that I've got that out of the way, I also want to get this spoiler out of the way. (which, don't worry, isn't that big of a spoiler cause it happens like, one or two chapters in) Rhode comes back. Now I had to get that out of the way because if not, this would be a very hard review to write.
I shall start off with this: This book was a hot, ratched mess.
After reading Infinite Days, which I gave a three star rating, my hopes for the rest of the series were pretty low, I will admit that. Cause the romance is just mediocre. And you all know if a series has a bad romance (Rah rah ra-a-ah. xD Sorry, I had to) then it gets pretty impossible to make me love said series, so it would have to try really hard.
This series, however, didn't try hard enough, and it went zooming down the hill, then proceeding to completely crash and burn.
Lenah is one of the most selfish, shallow heroines I've ever seen in any series. In the first book I didn't like her, but in this one I full on hate her. As soon as she sees Rhode is alive, she immediately drops Justin like a pile of rocks and goes to full force Rhode Mode, obsessing about him non-stop, even imagining him when she and Justin were having a little romantic moment.
But of course, twist! They are not allowed to touch, and Rhode is being cold and distant! Wow, never saw that coming! So original!
I was really pissed off by how Lenah just brushed off her so called "love" for Justin just like that. It just proves how meaningless the romance in this series really is. Probably the most shallow romance I've ever read, really. Even worse than Luce and Daniel's romance, and that's saying something.
I spent the rest of the book feeling sorry for Justin (although I stopped feeling sorry for him near the end—you'll know why), and especially Tracy, who loses everything. The author especially hates her. I was expecting her to just kill Tracy off and be done with it, but I was surprised when she didn't.
Anyways, the plot is basically this evil vampire lady from Lenah's past, who happened to be one of the maids in her then home, Heathersage, and who Lenah had apparently turned into a vampire and is now wreaking havoc and killing everyone and things of that nature. And then these Aeris...women?...came all of a sudden and...gah, I barely even remember the plot. It was just too stupid to follow for me.
Most of the book is just Lenah trying to stop this evil chick named Odette from getting this ritual of some sort and destroying all of Wickham and the people in it. Filled with Lenah whining over how she can't touch Rhode and how it's killing her and all that. Justin is pretty much just there as a replacement by now.
I did like Vicken, though. I'm glad he didn't count as a love interest anymore. Him and Lenah are just friends now. I did like it when he was around though, cause he was witty and pretty charming. He's part of the reason I added half more to the rating.
The other part of why I gave this book a higher rating than it deserves is the twist at the end. I wasn't expecting it to happen, and it might have even been interesting enough to keep me reading this series.
Might.
I still don't know. This book was such a huge disappointment that I can't see myself continuing this series, cause I feel like it'll probably just get worse and worse. But oh well, we shall see eventually.
An ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley & St. Martin's Griffin.
______________________
Actual rating is 1.5 stars.
First thing I want to address is, when I was first starting this book, I noticed that it was extremely different from the excerpt available at the end of Infinite Days. It got me thinking that that was maybe the reason why this book's release was pushed back to 2013. They had to make drastic changes. In my opinion, I thought the prologue & first chapter from the excerpt was a lot better than the first chapter in this one.
Anyways, now that I've got that out of the way, I also want to get this spoiler out of the way. (which, don't worry, isn't that big of a spoiler cause it happens like, one or two chapters in) Rhode comes back. Now I had to get that out of the way because if not, this would be a very hard review to write.
I shall start off with this: This book was a hot, ratched mess.
After reading Infinite Days, which I gave a three star rating, my hopes for the rest of the series were pretty low, I will admit that. Cause the romance is just mediocre. And you all know if a series has a bad romance (Rah rah ra-a-ah. xD Sorry, I had to) then it gets pretty impossible to make me love said series, so it would have to try really hard.
This series, however, didn't try hard enough, and it went zooming down the hill, then proceeding to completely crash and burn.
Lenah is one of the most selfish, shallow heroines I've ever seen in any series. In the first book I didn't like her, but in this one I full on hate her. As soon as she sees Rhode is alive, she immediately drops Justin like a pile of rocks and goes to full force Rhode Mode, obsessing about him non-stop, even imagining him when she and Justin were having a little romantic moment.
But of course, twist! They are not allowed to touch, and Rhode is being cold and distant! Wow, never saw that coming! So original!
I was really pissed off by how Lenah just brushed off her so called "love" for Justin just like that. It just proves how meaningless the romance in this series really is. Probably the most shallow romance I've ever read, really. Even worse than Luce and Daniel's romance, and that's saying something.
I spent the rest of the book feeling sorry for Justin (although I stopped feeling sorry for him near the end—you'll know why), and especially Tracy, who loses everything. The author especially hates her. I was expecting her to just kill Tracy off and be done with it, but I was surprised when she didn't.
Anyways, the plot is basically this evil vampire lady from Lenah's past, who happened to be one of the maids in her then home, Heathersage, and who Lenah had apparently turned into a vampire and is now wreaking havoc and killing everyone and things of that nature. And then these Aeris...women?...came all of a sudden and...gah, I barely even remember the plot. It was just too stupid to follow for me.
Most of the book is just Lenah trying to stop this evil chick named Odette from getting this ritual of some sort and destroying all of Wickham and the people in it. Filled with Lenah whining over how she can't touch Rhode and how it's killing her and all that. Justin is pretty much just there as a replacement by now.
I did like Vicken, though. I'm glad he didn't count as a love interest anymore. Him and Lenah are just friends now. I did like it when he was around though, cause he was witty and pretty charming. He's part of the reason I added half more to the rating.
The other part of why I gave this book a higher rating than it deserves is the twist at the end. I wasn't expecting it to happen, and it might have even been interesting enough to keep me reading this series.
Might.
I still don't know. This book was such a huge disappointment that I can't see myself continuing this series, cause I feel like it'll probably just get worse and worse. But oh well, we shall see eventually.
An ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley & St. Martin's Griffin.
February 9, 2013
I absolutely LOVED the first in this series since it was first published. The wait for this one had been excruciating! Now that I was finally able to enjoy this marvelous read let me just state that it was worth the wait! That ending has thrown me for such a loop! I really hope there is a third and it comes out soon! I don't think I can handle another three year wait.
August 6, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, even more so than Infinite Days. Stolen Night started off where Infinite Days ended with Lenah dealing with the fact that the ritual that was supposed to kill her didn't work and that same ritual left her soulmate Rhode alive as well. Lenah and Rhode had a difficult relationship and that is shown throughout the book in that they obviously loved each other, but were cursed not to be together and this annoyingly drove Lenah into the arms of Justin, her human boyfriend. It was beyond obvious that Lenah was using him and even went so far as to pretend he was Rhode every time they were together. Ordinarily, I would feel bad for a character who was being treated this way, but Justin was so annoying and he loved Lenah in a very needy and obsessive way anyway, I found myself wishing him gone all throughout the book. Even though Lenah did not love him, her soft spot for him drove her to make some pretty questionable descisions that will most certainly have consequences in the next book. This book also introduced other characters in more in-depth ways, like Vicken, Lenah's friend that she turned human, he became the comic relief that was very much needed and there even was a bit of something that was shown with him and the former mean girl, Tracy and then Rhode, Lenah's soulmate who was shown in bits and pieces in the first book, you really get a feel for him in Stolen Night and his love for Lenah during Stolen night as he is now human and attending the same school as Lenah and Vicken. Overall, a very good book.
July 23, 2012
It's been two years since I read the first book so I don't really remember much about it or how I felt about it, but I thought I liked it enough to have the sequel on my to read list. However, I can't say I liked Stolen Nights very much. I know a lot of my review is ragging on Lenah, but if you skip to the last paragraphs, I have legitimate points, at least I think, when it comes to inconsistencies in the end.
The biggest problem I had with this book was I could not stand Lenah. She was selfish and made some very stupid, stupid mistakes. Yes, that was the meat of the story, but my goodness, she irritated the hell out of me. And I don't mind love triangles, but what I do mind, is when a heroine HAS decided what she wants and still continues to string along the wrong person. THAT just makes me mad.
I also didn't like that she was such a weak character. I know that Maizel wanted to emphasize that Lenah has been a vampire for, what 600 years now, and it takes a bit to get use to the fact that she took all that strength, ability and power she had all those years for granted, and now she's a helpless human. That wasn't the part I had a problem with.
The part I DID have a problem with was she was weak mentally. I understand now that she is the hunted, the tables have turned, and I don't fault her for being scared for her life. However, Lenah came across as a really whiny, "why is everything so unfair," helpless, damsel in distress for WAY too long in the book. Really? This used to be the vampire queen? I understand the new state is a bit of a shock from what she used to be able to do, but she doesn't do anything to adapt except feels sorry for herself and wallow in the pity that she is the cause of all these bad things that are happening.
The lack of action scenes is also disappointing. And when there WAS action - wait, when there was an action scene - it was missing the kickass part. There was a bunch of hair pulling and quick blood draining, and that was pretty much it. I was ready for a showdown between two of the most power women in this book, but sadly, that never came.
The other problem I had was the end. I don't think it was packaged very neatly. I mean, I'm glad the unselfish part of Lenah found an exception for Rhode, but I think it upsets that balance that the Aeris had been talking about at the beginning.
And it was kind of inconsistent, though I can't really explain it without spoiling the book.
Also, there was a part of it that wasn't made clear.
The biggest problem I had with this book was I could not stand Lenah. She was selfish and made some very stupid, stupid mistakes. Yes, that was the meat of the story, but my goodness, she irritated the hell out of me. And I don't mind love triangles, but what I do mind, is when a heroine HAS decided what she wants and still continues to string along the wrong person. THAT just makes me mad.
I also didn't like that she was such a weak character. I know that Maizel wanted to emphasize that Lenah has been a vampire for, what 600 years now, and it takes a bit to get use to the fact that she took all that strength, ability and power she had all those years for granted, and now she's a helpless human. That wasn't the part I had a problem with.
The part I DID have a problem with was she was weak mentally. I understand now that she is the hunted, the tables have turned, and I don't fault her for being scared for her life. However, Lenah came across as a really whiny, "why is everything so unfair," helpless, damsel in distress for WAY too long in the book. Really? This used to be the vampire queen? I understand the new state is a bit of a shock from what she used to be able to do, but she doesn't do anything to adapt except feels sorry for herself and wallow in the pity that she is the cause of all these bad things that are happening.
The lack of action scenes is also disappointing. And when there WAS action - wait, when there was an action scene - it was missing the kickass part. There was a bunch of hair pulling and quick blood draining, and that was pretty much it. I was ready for a showdown between two of the most power women in this book, but sadly, that never came.
The other problem I had was the end. I don't think it was packaged very neatly. I mean, I'm glad the unselfish part of Lenah found an exception for Rhode, but I think it upsets that balance that the Aeris had been talking about at the beginning.
And it was kind of inconsistent, though I can't really explain it without spoiling the book.
Also, there was a part of it that wasn't made clear.
July 11, 2012
Stolen Night is the long awaited sequel to Infinite Days, by author Rebecca Maizel and this was one of my most anticipated reads, since I read Infinite Days back in 2010. Now after reading, I’m completely blown away by Rebecca’s writing and utterly shocked where she decided to take this series because honestly, I loved it but it definitely wasn’t what I expected.
When I read Infinite Days, I kind of thought I knew where the next book was heading. My prediction was; the story would centre around Lenah and Justin dealing with a now human Vicken. We’d also see Lenah come into her human life more, and see some nasty vampires turn up and cause trouble but, I was only really right about the vampires turning up. So the rest of my prediction I couldn’t have be more wrong!
Everything I once thought I knew from Infinite Days – in my opinion, is turned upside down with the return of Rhode. We see Lenah battles with her feelings for him and Justin during this book and honestly, I really wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s so hard not to be in love for both of these guys and I thought I was Team Justin, but nope, sorry Justin, move over because I’m so Team Rhode’s now. I actually don’t think there is a huge choice for Lenah to make between the two, because it’s pretty clear who she’s destined to be with. This whole love triangle shocked me because I didn’t think there was a love triangle to choose from, so it caught me off guard but I really liked it in the end.
I felt Lenah really grew in this book, despite her lack of physical strength. She’s a human trying to fight off evil vampires and I think she did a good job. She loses a lot of close friends during this book too, but she remains strong through-out. I didn’t always agree with the choices she made, but she really makes up for them in the end.
I also really loved Vicken and thought he was a great addition and also Rhode’s – it’s hard not to love him. He's broody and dark and just lovable. Justin’s character takes a few unexpected turns and I’m eager to see where he goes next and that ending?! I need to know what happens!
The story itself is absolutely heart-pounding, intense and heart-breaking. The trials the characters are faced with are hard and it was quite an emotional read. I can see why the author took so long to write this book because there’s so many characters to factor into the story, and how can you give them all a happy ending? Talk about a hard job but overall, I think Rebecca did a fantastic job. It proves she’s not afraid to write what she feels and even though I’m really shocked with how the story went, I think most readers will agree – it was fantastic. Rebecca’s really raised the stakes for the third book because Stolen Night was so unpredictable that you just don’t know which way the story will go. Be prepared to be blown away by Stolen Night because it’s not one you want to miss!
A huge thank you to Macmilliam for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
When I read Infinite Days, I kind of thought I knew where the next book was heading. My prediction was; the story would centre around Lenah and Justin dealing with a now human Vicken. We’d also see Lenah come into her human life more, and see some nasty vampires turn up and cause trouble but, I was only really right about the vampires turning up. So the rest of my prediction I couldn’t have be more wrong!
Everything I once thought I knew from Infinite Days – in my opinion, is turned upside down with the return of Rhode. We see Lenah battles with her feelings for him and Justin during this book and honestly, I really wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s so hard not to be in love for both of these guys and I thought I was Team Justin, but nope, sorry Justin, move over because I’m so Team Rhode’s now. I actually don’t think there is a huge choice for Lenah to make between the two, because it’s pretty clear who she’s destined to be with. This whole love triangle shocked me because I didn’t think there was a love triangle to choose from, so it caught me off guard but I really liked it in the end.
I felt Lenah really grew in this book, despite her lack of physical strength. She’s a human trying to fight off evil vampires and I think she did a good job. She loses a lot of close friends during this book too, but she remains strong through-out. I didn’t always agree with the choices she made, but she really makes up for them in the end.
I also really loved Vicken and thought he was a great addition and also Rhode’s – it’s hard not to love him. He's broody and dark and just lovable. Justin’s character takes a few unexpected turns and I’m eager to see where he goes next and that ending?! I need to know what happens!
The story itself is absolutely heart-pounding, intense and heart-breaking. The trials the characters are faced with are hard and it was quite an emotional read. I can see why the author took so long to write this book because there’s so many characters to factor into the story, and how can you give them all a happy ending? Talk about a hard job but overall, I think Rebecca did a fantastic job. It proves she’s not afraid to write what she feels and even though I’m really shocked with how the story went, I think most readers will agree – it was fantastic. Rebecca’s really raised the stakes for the third book because Stolen Night was so unpredictable that you just don’t know which way the story will go. Be prepared to be blown away by Stolen Night because it’s not one you want to miss!
A huge thank you to Macmilliam for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
January 5, 2013
Definitely not the direction I was sure the book was going to head. And I mean that in a good way.
If it took so long to release this book, because it was a hard process to finally get to the end of this book...well then I understand.
There is major growth by the end of the book, specially from Lenah, and we are letf with a tightness in our chests, that demands the next book and a Happy Ending in it.
Big changes, love lost is found only to be separated again, and we finally get to experience first hand how amazing and huge the love between Lenah and Rhode is. Oh my Rhode...I feel so much for you. And Lenah, it took some guts to make the decision you made at the end. You have earned my respect.
The humour and funny was brought by non other than the loyal Vicken, whom I absolutely fell for, and showed such a vulnerable side there at the end.
All in all.....THIS WAS MOST ABSOLUTELY WORTH THE WAIT.
I really am soooo excited to read the next book!
***Fourth Edit***
This is up on Netgalley people!!
***Third Edit***
I just saw Rebecca comment on someones review that this was released in the UK already. What???
What about the US? When will it be released here??
I've been waiting for 2 YEARS for this sequel. And now its gonna be 3?? I don't know how much more I can take before I give up. I want to cry right now...
***Second Edit****
Now it has been pushed to Febuary 2013. If I hadn't loved book 1 so much, I would just drop the series...why did I have to like book 1 soooo much??
***First Edit***
Was this pushed to be released in 2012???
What the French?! Man I was really looking forward to its release this month(August 2011) and now.....URGH!
If it took so long to release this book, because it was a hard process to finally get to the end of this book...well then I understand.
There is major growth by the end of the book, specially from Lenah, and we are letf with a tightness in our chests, that demands the next book and a Happy Ending in it.
Big changes, love lost is found only to be separated again, and we finally get to experience first hand how amazing and huge the love between Lenah and Rhode is. Oh my Rhode...I feel so much for you. And Lenah, it took some guts to make the decision you made at the end. You have earned my respect.
The humour and funny was brought by non other than the loyal Vicken, whom I absolutely fell for, and showed such a vulnerable side there at the end.
All in all.....THIS WAS MOST ABSOLUTELY WORTH THE WAIT.
I really am soooo excited to read the next book!
***Fourth Edit***
This is up on Netgalley people!!
***Third Edit***
I just saw Rebecca comment on someones review that this was released in the UK already. What???
What about the US? When will it be released here??
I've been waiting for 2 YEARS for this sequel. And now its gonna be 3?? I don't know how much more I can take before I give up. I want to cry right now...
***Second Edit****
Now it has been pushed to Febuary 2013. If I hadn't loved book 1 so much, I would just drop the series...why did I have to like book 1 soooo much??
***First Edit***
Was this pushed to be released in 2012???
What the French?! Man I was really looking forward to its release this month(August 2011) and now.....URGH!
Want to read
April 22, 2012Fantastic book - Lenah Beaudonte is an extremely powerful and ruthless vampire queen who is more than five centuries old. Unhappy with her vampire existence, she implores her vampire maker and lover Rhode to uncover an ancient ritual that can give her back her humanity. After hibernating for 100 years,she wakes up as a human teenager enrolled at the exclusive Wickham Boarding School. Rhode has done everything to give her a new chance at life and in doing so has made the ultimate sacrifice–his own life. Mourning for him, Lenah seizes the chance to walk in the sunlight, have fun with friends, experience real emotions, and fall in love with a great guy. Lenah knows that it is only a matter of time before her vicious coven opens her crypt and discovers her missing. Linked to her by dark magic, they will not rest until they find her, destroying the world she has come to love. Lenah is a unique and complex character whose emotions ring true. Her horrifying life as a vampire is revealed through a series of detailed and riveting flashbacks that are extremely effective in driving the plot and the decisions she makes. A promising start to a series, the story is filled with action, romance, longing, deception, and sacrifice. It will leave vampire fans thirsting for more!!
Looking forward to book 2!
Looking forward to book 2!
April 1, 2014
IT'S NOT FAIR. It's not fair. It's. Not. Fair.
I guess I should start by commending Ms. Rebecca Maizel for writing yet another superb book. Also, Stolen Nights is the first book in 2013 that I've read! This'll be a tough one to beat, I'm telling you.
This is horrible. I look like a real mess right now because dammit it was TRAGIC. Everything was TRAGIC. Vicken was TRAGIC. Justin was TRAGIC. Rhode was all kinds of TRAGIC. Hell, even Odette was tragic. But I suppose Lenah did the things she needed to do in order to forgive herself for all the killings that she's done in her past vampire-crazy life... which still kinda makes her selfish, right?
But oh my god, WHY DID YOU GUYS HAVE TO RIP THE PAINTING OF LENAH LIKE WHAT. Tony worked so hard on that oh my god TEARS.
The Vampire Queen Series is my favorite vampire series of all time, HANDS DOWN.
/so sorry for the unorganized review. I just finished reading it and snot is literally still coming out of my face so... just read it.
I guess I should start by commending Ms. Rebecca Maizel for writing yet another superb book. Also, Stolen Nights is the first book in 2013 that I've read! This'll be a tough one to beat, I'm telling you.
This is horrible. I look like a real mess right now because dammit it was TRAGIC. Everything was TRAGIC. Vicken was TRAGIC. Justin was TRAGIC. Rhode was all kinds of TRAGIC. Hell, even Odette was tragic. But I suppose Lenah did the things she needed to do in order to forgive herself for all the killings that she's done in her past vampire-crazy life... which still kinda makes her selfish, right?
But oh my god, WHY DID YOU GUYS HAVE TO RIP THE PAINTING OF LENAH LIKE WHAT. Tony worked so hard on that oh my god TEARS.
The Vampire Queen Series is my favorite vampire series of all time, HANDS DOWN.
/so sorry for the unorganized review. I just finished reading it and snot is literally still coming out of my face so... just read it.
June 10, 2015
You know those moments in a book when something happens and you can't believe characters are THAT stupid? Yeah, Stolen Night had several moments I just couldn't ignore. For instance, students were being murdered, they disappeared and even a teacher died in a car accident but the school faculty said those cases weren't linked and urged the students not to leave the school. I was like :SSSS I couldn't take the book seriously after that.
Want to read
November 2, 2010Looking forward to read this book ... I love the cover but lets see what there will be inside.
March 24, 2013
Initial reaction: Definitely not as good as the first book, and there were times when I sincerely though I would be better off forgetting about this book's existence entirely, and just keeping to what I liked about the first one. I think what I can say on an overarching note is that neither the writing or plotting of this particular work were sound and it really bothered me. There were sparks momentarily of good things here: Vicken was cool, and some interesting twists toward the end, but they weren't really enough to save the book in my experience, and I felt very, very disappointed with Lenah's characterization.
Still trying to decide whether to give this 1 or 1.5 stars. I'm more inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time, I really didn't enjoy this at all.
Full review:
To commence this review, I'll admit I read "Infinite Days" last year and while I had certain qualms about it, I still really enjoyed the experience, especially in the audiobook form. The premise in itself for that book was very interesting and complex in insinuation - considering Lenah is a 500 some year old vampire who, by a measure of a sacrifice, becomes human teenager again. There's a bit of self-discovery elements in that book which I adored watching, and Lenah juxtaposes her former life as a vampire to her newfound human qualities with surprising and intimate clarity for a YA work. True, the romance in that book seemed quite formulaic, but I still really liked watching Lenah's developing relationships with Jason and Tony, watching her internal conflict with those spectra, even considering the latter parts of the book where tragedy strikes and there are no share of hearts left unbroken by the events that transpire. The action sequences were well drawn, the stakes were high, and overall I just went along for the ride in that book and would not hesitate to re-read it again.
Yet reading "Stolen Nights" seems to undo all the positive elements of the previous book and then some. I had to ask myself if this book was written by the same person because not only were the descriptions in this book repetitive (the descriptions of apples among other things) and lacking intimacy, but it was also so infuriatingly cliche and did so many things to undo what made the first book work. I'm having a difficult time knowing where to begin because I wonder why this book got so many things just...wrong. I think the first mistake was bringing back the deceased lover and sidelining the main love interest of the previous book. It didn't make any kind of sense.
Long story short, Lenah has a particular challenge when her former lover, Rhode (who purportedly sacrificed himself so that she could be human), turns out alive in the mix of a new wave of vampire attacks that leave students that Lenah knows for dead. So what do you think Lenah does after one of her friends is killed and she discovers Rhode is alive? She goes running straight to Rhode, declaring her love for him and leaving her current lover (Jason) stranded on the beach.
That was the first sign I knew that I would have problems with this book. Lenah, for at least a good 2/3rds of the book is a love-sick girl who neglects and uses Jason only in moments of grief, pines after Rhode, and subjects herself to danger to this new villainess (Odette), who just so happens to be one of the vampires that Lenah turned during her days as Vampire Queen.
There's even a really ridiculous proposition for an all powerful group asking Lenah to choose between her love for Rhode and reversing the course of history/time so that she would never have to become a vampire and undo all the deaths and carnage she had in the wake of her time as a queen up to the present. If they had that much power, why for all the love of things could they not have stopped Odette and left it up to Lenah? Sense this does not make. I really did not feel any kind of romantic intimacy between the characters in this book. All of it felt manufactured, forced, and manipulated for the sake of drama, and it infuriated me. Even the action sequences felt brief, lacking true stakes, and didn't hold my interest very much.
There were a few sparks of interesting turns in this story, but not enough to save the book for me. I'll make mention of them though because I think they were worth noting in the context of the story. One of them was Vicken, who, since turning human, became a charming, hilarious aide to Lenah in her quest to stop Odette from killing more students and targeting Lenah in particular. There was also a character death that hit me very hard in the context of the story, and the friend that was left behind grieving really stood out to me, probably one of the few moments in the book where it tugged at my heart. I also didn't expect a few twists towards the end that probably would've been better off if it led to anything more substantial (though some who may follow Jason may seriously question where and when this transition occurred). Then there was the ending, which I somewhat expected and probably could've had more resonance to me if the events leading up to that point didn't feel so contrived.
In the end, I think I'll choose to pretend this book doesn't exist and continue to be fond of the first book. I don't know if the series will continue from here considering that ending, but if it does, I surely hope it has a better jumping point than anything this novel had to offer. It disappointed me that much, and I really think Maizel has more talents and charm in her prose than this work showed. It didn't even come close to the quality of the first book, in my opinion.
Overall score: 1/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher St. Martin's Press.
Still trying to decide whether to give this 1 or 1.5 stars. I'm more inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time, I really didn't enjoy this at all.
Full review:
To commence this review, I'll admit I read "Infinite Days" last year and while I had certain qualms about it, I still really enjoyed the experience, especially in the audiobook form. The premise in itself for that book was very interesting and complex in insinuation - considering Lenah is a 500 some year old vampire who, by a measure of a sacrifice, becomes human teenager again. There's a bit of self-discovery elements in that book which I adored watching, and Lenah juxtaposes her former life as a vampire to her newfound human qualities with surprising and intimate clarity for a YA work. True, the romance in that book seemed quite formulaic, but I still really liked watching Lenah's developing relationships with Jason and Tony, watching her internal conflict with those spectra, even considering the latter parts of the book where tragedy strikes and there are no share of hearts left unbroken by the events that transpire. The action sequences were well drawn, the stakes were high, and overall I just went along for the ride in that book and would not hesitate to re-read it again.
Yet reading "Stolen Nights" seems to undo all the positive elements of the previous book and then some. I had to ask myself if this book was written by the same person because not only were the descriptions in this book repetitive (the descriptions of apples among other things) and lacking intimacy, but it was also so infuriatingly cliche and did so many things to undo what made the first book work. I'm having a difficult time knowing where to begin because I wonder why this book got so many things just...wrong. I think the first mistake was bringing back the deceased lover and sidelining the main love interest of the previous book. It didn't make any kind of sense.
Long story short, Lenah has a particular challenge when her former lover, Rhode (who purportedly sacrificed himself so that she could be human), turns out alive in the mix of a new wave of vampire attacks that leave students that Lenah knows for dead. So what do you think Lenah does after one of her friends is killed and she discovers Rhode is alive? She goes running straight to Rhode, declaring her love for him and leaving her current lover (Jason) stranded on the beach.
That was the first sign I knew that I would have problems with this book. Lenah, for at least a good 2/3rds of the book is a love-sick girl who neglects and uses Jason only in moments of grief, pines after Rhode, and subjects herself to danger to this new villainess (Odette), who just so happens to be one of the vampires that Lenah turned during her days as Vampire Queen.
There's even a really ridiculous proposition for an all powerful group asking Lenah to choose between her love for Rhode and reversing the course of history/time so that she would never have to become a vampire and undo all the deaths and carnage she had in the wake of her time as a queen up to the present. If they had that much power, why for all the love of things could they not have stopped Odette and left it up to Lenah? Sense this does not make. I really did not feel any kind of romantic intimacy between the characters in this book. All of it felt manufactured, forced, and manipulated for the sake of drama, and it infuriated me. Even the action sequences felt brief, lacking true stakes, and didn't hold my interest very much.
There were a few sparks of interesting turns in this story, but not enough to save the book for me. I'll make mention of them though because I think they were worth noting in the context of the story. One of them was Vicken, who, since turning human, became a charming, hilarious aide to Lenah in her quest to stop Odette from killing more students and targeting Lenah in particular. There was also a character death that hit me very hard in the context of the story, and the friend that was left behind grieving really stood out to me, probably one of the few moments in the book where it tugged at my heart. I also didn't expect a few twists towards the end that probably would've been better off if it led to anything more substantial (though some who may follow Jason may seriously question where and when this transition occurred). Then there was the ending, which I somewhat expected and probably could've had more resonance to me if the events leading up to that point didn't feel so contrived.
In the end, I think I'll choose to pretend this book doesn't exist and continue to be fond of the first book. I don't know if the series will continue from here considering that ending, but if it does, I surely hope it has a better jumping point than anything this novel had to offer. It disappointed me that much, and I really think Maizel has more talents and charm in her prose than this work showed. It didn't even come close to the quality of the first book, in my opinion.
Overall score: 1/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher St. Martin's Press.
July 20, 2012
Stolen Nights, the second book of Vampire Queen, IS AWESOME! Rebecca Maizel really did it with Stolen Nights! I really, really, really loved it! I'm so thankful to JP for introducing Infinite Days to me. :P
Remember my review in Infinite Days? I said I really wish that there'll be more kick-ass actions in the book. And heck! My wish was granted! I didn't get bored since from the start, there's 'actions'. And all my wish were there. I get to see Rhode again. Suleen. Tony (even though it's just mere seconds).
Anyhow, the plot was really good. I mean, it's really unique. With Lenah wanting to be human again after being made a Vampire without having a choice, from there, I know this story was really a unique one. A friend (yes, JP, it's you) already spoiled the book to me (Yes, yes, my fault for clicking the damn spoiler button) but still I can't wait to read it 2 days ago. I usually don't read spoilers cause I get lazy to finish a book, but Stolen Nights? I finished it in less than 10 hours! 8 hours to be exact cause I did some chores first.
So even knowing what happened to them because of the spoiler button (seriously?! Why did they invent spoiler button?!) I did not expect the characters and the story to be like that. I didn't imagine it, didn't thought of it. I hated the Aeris for keeping Lenah and Rhode away from each other. And I really hate the options they gave Lenah. :(
I didn't like Justin ever since book one. And even though , and had a valid reason for THAT, I still don't like him. I'm really on TEAM RHODE.
Rhode, I love Rhode. Sheesh! No I'm not rating the book because of Rhode. I like him very much because he's really a sweet guy. And the sparks between him and Lenah? WOW. I just kept grinning. Right there and then, I want him to be happy with Lenah. He already lost too much and in pain for a long time. He deserves happiness.
And there's Vicken! Omg. I like him too. I like him now that he's Human. He's funny, supportive, protective, and a lot more. I really enjoyed reading the book because of Vicken.
Lenah's choices were understandable, what I didn't understand was why she keeps hanging with Justin. What I really like was that she's connected to Rhode. She could see what's in Rhode's mind or just flashes of it. They are soulmates. So I really wish they'll still be together. I like that Lenah is a kick-ass character! She also do her spells like when she did when she was a vamp. Most books I've read says that once a vamp, you could not touch or do magic since they were undead. They don't have a life anymore and that's what I liked in SN too, vamps could do magic.
YES, I really want a third book. And I wonder when will there be a news about it. Seriously! How long should we wait for it?! >_<
OVERALL, 5 FREAKIN' STARS!!!
Remember my review in Infinite Days? I said I really wish that there'll be more kick-ass actions in the book. And heck! My wish was granted! I didn't get bored since from the start, there's 'actions'. And all my wish were there. I get to see Rhode again. Suleen. Tony (even though it's just mere seconds).
Anyhow, the plot was really good. I mean, it's really unique. With Lenah wanting to be human again after being made a Vampire without having a choice, from there, I know this story was really a unique one. A friend (yes, JP, it's you) already spoiled the book to me (Yes, yes, my fault for clicking the damn spoiler button) but still I can't wait to read it 2 days ago. I usually don't read spoilers cause I get lazy to finish a book, but Stolen Nights? I finished it in less than 10 hours! 8 hours to be exact cause I did some chores first.
So even knowing what happened to them because of the spoiler button (seriously?! Why did they invent spoiler button?!) I did not expect the characters and the story to be like that. I didn't imagine it, didn't thought of it. I hated the Aeris for keeping Lenah and Rhode away from each other. And I really hate the options they gave Lenah. :(
I didn't like Justin ever since book one. And even though , and had a valid reason for THAT, I still don't like him. I'm really on TEAM RHODE.
Rhode, I love Rhode. Sheesh! No I'm not rating the book because of Rhode. I like him very much because he's really a sweet guy. And the sparks between him and Lenah? WOW. I just kept grinning. Right there and then, I want him to be happy with Lenah. He already lost too much and in pain for a long time. He deserves happiness.
And there's Vicken! Omg. I like him too. I like him now that he's Human. He's funny, supportive, protective, and a lot more. I really enjoyed reading the book because of Vicken.
Lenah's choices were understandable, what I didn't understand was why she keeps hanging with Justin. What I really like was that she's connected to Rhode. She could see what's in Rhode's mind or just flashes of it. They are soulmates. So I really wish they'll still be together. I like that Lenah is a kick-ass character! She also do her spells like when she did when she was a vamp. Most books I've read says that once a vamp, you could not touch or do magic since they were undead. They don't have a life anymore and that's what I liked in SN too, vamps could do magic.
YES, I really want a third book. And I wonder when will there be a news about it. Seriously! How long should we wait for it?! >_<
OVERALL, 5 FREAKIN' STARS!!!
December 30, 2015
The Good: I loved the flashes back to Lenah's vampire past. We really get to see what it was like for her throughout her time has a vampire, from the first day to the last when she had lost all feeling. If the entire romance angle of the book had been excluded, the book would have been a short story, not even a novella, but it would have been exciting and fun. Because the actual story beyond the romance had a decent mystery and a few decent twists.
The Bad:I have such an issue with girls who can't be alone. Must have a boyfriend. If they can't be with the guy they believe they love, they have no issue just using another in his place. While still pining for and at times actively pursuing their one true love. This is Lenah in a nutshell. She loves Rhode, but can't be with him. So she's with Justin, who loves her. Meanwhile, she's still in love with Rhode. Fixated on how he feels about her. It's something one might expect from someone insecure. Someone not all that worldly. Someone inexperienced with dealing with their feelings. Not something anywhere near acceptable coming from someone who's lived for 600 years. Lenah has failed to grow at all in her extremely long lifetime. If she could at least admit she was using Justin for attention, then fine, but she's almost completely convinced herself that Justin is enough. It's infuriating and makes her near unbearable to read.
The Bad:I have such an issue with girls who can't be alone. Must have a boyfriend. If they can't be with the guy they believe they love, they have no issue just using another in his place. While still pining for and at times actively pursuing their one true love. This is Lenah in a nutshell. She loves Rhode, but can't be with him. So she's with Justin, who loves her. Meanwhile, she's still in love with Rhode. Fixated on how he feels about her. It's something one might expect from someone insecure. Someone not all that worldly. Someone inexperienced with dealing with their feelings. Not something anywhere near acceptable coming from someone who's lived for 600 years. Lenah has failed to grow at all in her extremely long lifetime. If she could at least admit she was using Justin for attention, then fine, but she's almost completely convinced herself that Justin is enough. It's infuriating and makes her near unbearable to read.
Want to read
January 6, 2011NEED NEED NEED!!!!!!!!!!! :l
Want to read
December 1, 2011I will be positive, because being positive will keep me from ripping my hair out in frustration. Hey, at least it is out on my birthday, that's good, right?
I NEED IT NOW...
I NEED IT NOW...
November 6, 2012
My Review:
I honestly have been meaning to write this review for quite some time now. I am such a diehard fan of this series that I ordered the UK version of this book when I learned that it would come out in the US in January 2013 and that it would be out in the UK by July 2012. I could not wait that long. Did I make the right decision in getting this book early and not waiting for it to come out in 2013? - YES. This book was such a fabulous sequel. I used to think that Infinite Days, the 1st installment in this series, was my all time fave young adult book. I think that I may have to correct that and to declare Stolen Night as my favorite book at the moment because the writing in this book is just so top notch, that I can't even. I was so blown away by the depth in this book and not because I didn't expect it, but because Infinite Days had such a profoundness to it, that I wasn't sure if that rhythm could continue in this sequel. I was wrong. Stolen Night surpasses its predecessor in every single way. And, it has a fabulous addition of flashbacks to it, that adds a certain mystique to the novel that I can't get enough of.
And now to the characterization in Stolen Night, the sequel to Infinite Days. Is it safe to say that I am ruined by the epicness and complexity to the characters in Stolen Night? Yes. I am. They own my heart. Rhode Lewin, especially. Will there ever be a male lead that grabs me as much as him in the book world? - I don't think so. He is my all time favorite book guy in Young Adult lit right now because he just has this soul to him. My God, does this character have heart. Rhode Lewin is straight up poetry. He is a walking poem. The way this character feels about everything just gets to you. He has this huge sense of honour and justice and the love that he has is just so pure and real and transcendent. There is no doubt that his love for Lenah, the female lead in this story, is real and unselfish and profound. In my eyes, Rhode is like a mix of Hamlet's incredibly honest and poetic soul with a little of Jack Dawson's (titanic) innocence and realness thrown in, mixed with something else all together that is undefinable because he's just that awesome. Can you feel the love that I have for him? - He is a flawless character.
Lenah Beaudonte, the former vampire queen, turned human, is another kick-ass character that I adore because she is an amazing heroine. Lenah is incredibly strong, she doesn't second guess herself. She always makes the tough decisions and she doesn't play around or waste time with what she has to do, because she knows that time is valuable and that a human life is precious since she was once a ruthless vampire queen, who later became mortal again. My favorite thing about Lenah is that Lenah has this unique quality to her that consists in being highly knowledgeable on all things human nature. Her insights are amazing and that is because she once was an immortal, had incredible power, and knew what it was to have no humanity (to be a vampire) - and to be cold, and what it could to to a person's character. She goes through tremendous growth in Stolen Night as she learns that being human is not as easy as she thought it would be. With humanity comes emotions and emotions run a person and is what makes people human and therefore, imperfect and prone to mistakes.
The secondary characters in this novel are also pretty amazing. We have Claudia and Tracy who go from being resident mean girls, to becoming kinder, wiser and more real. I was so glad that they didn't remain mean and cliché as most characters like that, tend to turn out. And Stolen Night would have not been as amazing as it is without Vicken, Lenah's BGF (best guy friend) - Gosh, was he epic. So funny, so charming, sarcastic, and a trouble maker. He totally had this James Dean air to him, like a Scottish James Dean, who has this tremendous sense of loyalty and heart and realness, because Vicken always kept it real in Stolen Night and his dialogue just made my life complete. I loved him so much.
Another amazing feature in Stolen Night is the mythology used in it and the vampire lore. Rebecca has created vampires that are beautiful on the outside, but very cold hearted and ruthless on the inside, because when people become vamps in these books, their humanity is completely turned off, making them tremendously evil and demented. It's almost as if, because they have no emotion, they become insane by having no humanity or ability to love or feel anything, so their reaction is to destroy everything in their path. The new vampire queen and head villain in this book, was EVIL as they came. She was scary and unstoppable. There is also this new Celtic mythology mentioned in the book in the form of the Aeris which is four ladies who control different elements of the earth. They were incredibly interesting and something I had not encountered before. Loved reading about them.
Overall, Stolen Night was a perfect book for me. Yes, it is drenched in the paranormal, the supernatural, but at it's core, Stolen Night is a book that evaluates humanity and what it means to be human. This book is all about whether a person can redeem themselves, if they can conquer their emotions and choose to do the right thing, and how important love and self love is, in every person's life. The vampire lore in this novel was just a really great way to heighten the danger in this book and to highlight to the reader, how important it is for a person to acknowledge the fragility of their emotions and feelings. Oh, and yes, there was yet another EPIC cliffhanger in this one, that amazingly topped off the cliffhanger in Infinite Days, which I didn't think was possible. Rebecca, you evil genius, you. You did it again. Need book three in my life, like the air I breathe. No joke. I cannot wait to know what happens next!
My rating: 5/5
I honestly have been meaning to write this review for quite some time now. I am such a diehard fan of this series that I ordered the UK version of this book when I learned that it would come out in the US in January 2013 and that it would be out in the UK by July 2012. I could not wait that long. Did I make the right decision in getting this book early and not waiting for it to come out in 2013? - YES. This book was such a fabulous sequel. I used to think that Infinite Days, the 1st installment in this series, was my all time fave young adult book. I think that I may have to correct that and to declare Stolen Night as my favorite book at the moment because the writing in this book is just so top notch, that I can't even. I was so blown away by the depth in this book and not because I didn't expect it, but because Infinite Days had such a profoundness to it, that I wasn't sure if that rhythm could continue in this sequel. I was wrong. Stolen Night surpasses its predecessor in every single way. And, it has a fabulous addition of flashbacks to it, that adds a certain mystique to the novel that I can't get enough of.
And now to the characterization in Stolen Night, the sequel to Infinite Days. Is it safe to say that I am ruined by the epicness and complexity to the characters in Stolen Night? Yes. I am. They own my heart. Rhode Lewin, especially. Will there ever be a male lead that grabs me as much as him in the book world? - I don't think so. He is my all time favorite book guy in Young Adult lit right now because he just has this soul to him. My God, does this character have heart. Rhode Lewin is straight up poetry. He is a walking poem. The way this character feels about everything just gets to you. He has this huge sense of honour and justice and the love that he has is just so pure and real and transcendent. There is no doubt that his love for Lenah, the female lead in this story, is real and unselfish and profound. In my eyes, Rhode is like a mix of Hamlet's incredibly honest and poetic soul with a little of Jack Dawson's (titanic) innocence and realness thrown in, mixed with something else all together that is undefinable because he's just that awesome. Can you feel the love that I have for him? - He is a flawless character.
Lenah Beaudonte, the former vampire queen, turned human, is another kick-ass character that I adore because she is an amazing heroine. Lenah is incredibly strong, she doesn't second guess herself. She always makes the tough decisions and she doesn't play around or waste time with what she has to do, because she knows that time is valuable and that a human life is precious since she was once a ruthless vampire queen, who later became mortal again. My favorite thing about Lenah is that Lenah has this unique quality to her that consists in being highly knowledgeable on all things human nature. Her insights are amazing and that is because she once was an immortal, had incredible power, and knew what it was to have no humanity (to be a vampire) - and to be cold, and what it could to to a person's character. She goes through tremendous growth in Stolen Night as she learns that being human is not as easy as she thought it would be. With humanity comes emotions and emotions run a person and is what makes people human and therefore, imperfect and prone to mistakes.
The secondary characters in this novel are also pretty amazing. We have Claudia and Tracy who go from being resident mean girls, to becoming kinder, wiser and more real. I was so glad that they didn't remain mean and cliché as most characters like that, tend to turn out. And Stolen Night would have not been as amazing as it is without Vicken, Lenah's BGF (best guy friend) - Gosh, was he epic. So funny, so charming, sarcastic, and a trouble maker. He totally had this James Dean air to him, like a Scottish James Dean, who has this tremendous sense of loyalty and heart and realness, because Vicken always kept it real in Stolen Night and his dialogue just made my life complete. I loved him so much.
Another amazing feature in Stolen Night is the mythology used in it and the vampire lore. Rebecca has created vampires that are beautiful on the outside, but very cold hearted and ruthless on the inside, because when people become vamps in these books, their humanity is completely turned off, making them tremendously evil and demented. It's almost as if, because they have no emotion, they become insane by having no humanity or ability to love or feel anything, so their reaction is to destroy everything in their path. The new vampire queen and head villain in this book, was EVIL as they came. She was scary and unstoppable. There is also this new Celtic mythology mentioned in the book in the form of the Aeris which is four ladies who control different elements of the earth. They were incredibly interesting and something I had not encountered before. Loved reading about them.
Overall, Stolen Night was a perfect book for me. Yes, it is drenched in the paranormal, the supernatural, but at it's core, Stolen Night is a book that evaluates humanity and what it means to be human. This book is all about whether a person can redeem themselves, if they can conquer their emotions and choose to do the right thing, and how important love and self love is, in every person's life. The vampire lore in this novel was just a really great way to heighten the danger in this book and to highlight to the reader, how important it is for a person to acknowledge the fragility of their emotions and feelings. Oh, and yes, there was yet another EPIC cliffhanger in this one, that amazingly topped off the cliffhanger in Infinite Days, which I didn't think was possible. Rebecca, you evil genius, you. You did it again. Need book three in my life, like the air I breathe. No joke. I cannot wait to know what happens next!
My rating: 5/5
July 17, 2012
Ahhh... how can I write this review without giving anything away?
If you thought the first book was good, even if you thought it was average, this sequel is a great improvement. The imagery Rebecca Maizel uses is amazing, you really feel like you're there with the characters, you feel their happiness and pain. The plot moves along quickly with lots of twists to keep you interested.Because I don't want to spoil it totally, I'll give some overall points about the book and characters.
The book picks up four days after the ritual Lenah took to turn Vicken human. You'll be surprised at the ramifications of her actions.
You learn more about Lenah's past (via flashbacks which I loved) particularly with Rhode.
Lenah makes some big decisions in this book for sure, some which result in her getting injured and forcing her to see her past for what it was. Violent and bloody and merciless. I HATED her decision at the end but understood why she did it. She still remains likeable and nice to read about, unlike some cough-JUSTIN-cough.
"There was nothing I could say. Nothing I could possibly try to defend."
Surprisingly I loved Vicken in this book which is a change from the first one where I hated him. He's hilarious and as you can guess he survived the ritual at the end of the last book and is now human. His reaction to getting bruised was so funny and in ways he seems a new character. Hints of his vampire self before manage to show though, with his eagerness to kill the new vampire in Wickham.
"Vicken waited a moment and then asked with a wide smile, 'Do you want to touch my bruise?"
Rhode... well lets not go there for fear of spoilers :p I will say that like Lenah I was frustrated with him for what he did after his ritual for Lenah the year previously but... he makes my heart melt he's so selfless and protective and loving. :) Everything he does... well there's a reason for it.
"As always I am better with you. Stronger."
Justin was still being his annoying self and I totally called what happened to him at the end :) Not going to bother talking any more about this character -_-
'Yeah well it doesn't seem too complicated to me,' said Justin. 'I have to go.'
I don't want to spoil it all so I'll give a few vague spoilers:
A vampire from Lenah's past comes to Wickham looking for the ritual.
Suleen pops up once or twice and big things happen. And I mean BIG things.
We get introduced to a few more supernatural elements which I enjoyed even while being slightly confused.
There are a lot of deaths. Some very quick and unexpected.
Anam Cara.
Final word of warning- the ending made me cry. And cry. And then cry some more like a baby.
I'm so glad there's going to be a third book, although I have no idea what's going to happen next with that ending!
It wasn't all pain and death was it? It was love.
If you thought the first book was good, even if you thought it was average, this sequel is a great improvement. The imagery Rebecca Maizel uses is amazing, you really feel like you're there with the characters, you feel their happiness and pain. The plot moves along quickly with lots of twists to keep you interested.Because I don't want to spoil it totally, I'll give some overall points about the book and characters.
The book picks up four days after the ritual Lenah took to turn Vicken human. You'll be surprised at the ramifications of her actions.
You learn more about Lenah's past (via flashbacks which I loved) particularly with Rhode.
Lenah makes some big decisions in this book for sure, some which result in her getting injured and forcing her to see her past for what it was. Violent and bloody and merciless. I HATED her decision at the end but understood why she did it. She still remains likeable and nice to read about, unlike some cough-JUSTIN-cough.
"There was nothing I could say. Nothing I could possibly try to defend."
Surprisingly I loved Vicken in this book which is a change from the first one where I hated him. He's hilarious and as you can guess he survived the ritual at the end of the last book and is now human. His reaction to getting bruised was so funny and in ways he seems a new character. Hints of his vampire self before manage to show though, with his eagerness to kill the new vampire in Wickham.
"Vicken waited a moment and then asked with a wide smile, 'Do you want to touch my bruise?"
Rhode... well lets not go there for fear of spoilers :p I will say that like Lenah I was frustrated with him for what he did after his ritual for Lenah the year previously but... he makes my heart melt he's so selfless and protective and loving. :) Everything he does... well there's a reason for it.
"As always I am better with you. Stronger."
Justin was still being his annoying self and I totally called what happened to him at the end :) Not going to bother talking any more about this character -_-
'Yeah well it doesn't seem too complicated to me,' said Justin. 'I have to go.'
I don't want to spoil it all so I'll give a few vague spoilers:
A vampire from Lenah's past comes to Wickham looking for the ritual.
Suleen pops up once or twice and big things happen. And I mean BIG things.
We get introduced to a few more supernatural elements which I enjoyed even while being slightly confused.
There are a lot of deaths. Some very quick and unexpected.
Anam Cara.
Final word of warning- the ending made me cry. And cry. And then cry some more like a baby.
I'm so glad there's going to be a third book, although I have no idea what's going to happen next with that ending!
It wasn't all pain and death was it? It was love.
July 5, 2012
Beyond amazing!
5 STARS!!!
The first thing I want to say is that I’m extremely honored to be posting the first review for STOLEN NIGHT. I know it seems like we’ve been waiting forever, but the end is finally near. Soon you’ll be able to hold your own copy in your hand and be mesmerized by the world of Vampires that Rebecca Maizel has created.
Maizel is going to throw you into the mind of Lenah and make you feel like you are there with her while telling the story. The descriptions of time periods used by Maizel are well written and each scene is breathtakingly beautiful.
STOLEN NIGHT picks up four days after the end of INFINITE DAYS. You don’t necessarily need to review INFINITE DAYS, but it’s always a plus when reading a sequel.
Needless to say, Lenah is a bit shocked to find that she’s still alive. Rhode had told her you die after the ritual and she believed him. Lenah is alive and well and back on campus at Wickham Boarding School. I’d say the only small problem is Justin, the human boyfriend, wants to kill Vicken, the newly risen non-vamp because he killed Tony. Lenah is pitted in the middle of the boys, but with Vicken being the ever gentlemen he makes sure he has no residual feeling for Lenah other than friendship.
There’s a vampire on the loose on the Wickman campus and she’s picking off Lenah’s friends one by one. What does she want – the ritual. Throughout SN, Lenah is pushed and pulled, dragged kicking and thrown against walls as her human self attempts to defend her new found friends. It doesn’t help that the one person who could help her isn’t, Suleen. Suleen is back and plays a pretty significant role in SN
Being human doesn’t stop Lenah of practicing the spells she did as a vamp which makes it pretty interesting as she channels her old self with her new self. Tremendous insight to her life has a vampire and how those emotions and thoughts still linger in her mind, makes her name of Lenah Beaudonte perfectly fitting for her.
Rhode . . . oh Rhode how you deceive. After reading and learning more about Rhode, I’m eager for Maizel to write from Rhode’s point of view. He is such an amazing character and through Lenah’s flashbacks you learn so much more about him. His perspective will also give insight to how and why Lenah is called the Vampire Queen.
I really want to tell you so much more, expect the unexpected and be prepared to cry. I cried multiple times while reading and the end just killed me. Book three cannot come fast enough.
I remain also Team Rhode.
Lenah + Rhode = Anam cara
5 STARS!!!
The first thing I want to say is that I’m extremely honored to be posting the first review for STOLEN NIGHT. I know it seems like we’ve been waiting forever, but the end is finally near. Soon you’ll be able to hold your own copy in your hand and be mesmerized by the world of Vampires that Rebecca Maizel has created.
Maizel is going to throw you into the mind of Lenah and make you feel like you are there with her while telling the story. The descriptions of time periods used by Maizel are well written and each scene is breathtakingly beautiful.
STOLEN NIGHT picks up four days after the end of INFINITE DAYS. You don’t necessarily need to review INFINITE DAYS, but it’s always a plus when reading a sequel.
Needless to say, Lenah is a bit shocked to find that she’s still alive. Rhode had told her you die after the ritual and she believed him. Lenah is alive and well and back on campus at Wickham Boarding School. I’d say the only small problem is Justin, the human boyfriend, wants to kill Vicken, the newly risen non-vamp because he killed Tony. Lenah is pitted in the middle of the boys, but with Vicken being the ever gentlemen he makes sure he has no residual feeling for Lenah other than friendship.
There’s a vampire on the loose on the Wickman campus and she’s picking off Lenah’s friends one by one. What does she want – the ritual. Throughout SN, Lenah is pushed and pulled, dragged kicking and thrown against walls as her human self attempts to defend her new found friends. It doesn’t help that the one person who could help her isn’t, Suleen. Suleen is back and plays a pretty significant role in SN
Being human doesn’t stop Lenah of practicing the spells she did as a vamp which makes it pretty interesting as she channels her old self with her new self. Tremendous insight to her life has a vampire and how those emotions and thoughts still linger in her mind, makes her name of Lenah Beaudonte perfectly fitting for her.
Rhode . . . oh Rhode how you deceive. After reading and learning more about Rhode, I’m eager for Maizel to write from Rhode’s point of view. He is such an amazing character and through Lenah’s flashbacks you learn so much more about him. His perspective will also give insight to how and why Lenah is called the Vampire Queen.
I really want to tell you so much more, expect the unexpected and be prepared to cry. I cried multiple times while reading and the end just killed me. Book three cannot come fast enough.
I remain also Team Rhode.
Lenah + Rhode = Anam cara
January 17, 2013
Stolen Nights was a refreshing book to read. I had not picked up any vampire books in a long time and reading Stolen Nights reminded me why I love Vampires and Paranormal genre so much. Stolen Nights besides being Paranormal also brought such a deep emotional impact. You hardly hear a vampire book affecting one so deeply like if it was a contemporary romance novel. Well Rebecca Maizel was able to bring it together. You can tell right away that Rebecca worked very hard at creating a masterpiece. I'm sure blood, sweat and tears were poured into the making of Stolen Nights.
Stolen Nights begins days after Infinite Days ended. The book follows Lenah and Rhode and their new humanity. Of course with actions like that, you must expect to pay the consequences. Lenah must now come to face the Aeris. Its not easy to go against Earth, Wind, Air and Fire but Lenah will have too. Stolen Nights will shock you in so many ways. Rhode is back, and will this mean Lenah will finally get her HEA with him. Then Lenah and Odette ill have their own powwow. Will Lenah be able to overcome her mistakes and stop certain people and maybe just maybe be happy ever after? Read Stolen Nights and just a little heads up, the ending will hit you like you been electrocuted. If you are a crier, then have your box of tissues ready when you read what happen when Lenah........ Ha! You thought I would give it away.
Stolen Nights will be if not perfect but close to perfect for fans of the series. The long awaited release will be all worth it when you finally do sink your teeth into it. You will agree that Rebecca brought everything together and then some. Now after reading this one and knowing what way it went, I have no clue what Rebecca will bring to the table in book 3.
Stolen Nights begins days after Infinite Days ended. The book follows Lenah and Rhode and their new humanity. Of course with actions like that, you must expect to pay the consequences. Lenah must now come to face the Aeris. Its not easy to go against Earth, Wind, Air and Fire but Lenah will have too. Stolen Nights will shock you in so many ways. Rhode is back, and will this mean Lenah will finally get her HEA with him. Then Lenah and Odette ill have their own powwow. Will Lenah be able to overcome her mistakes and stop certain people and maybe just maybe be happy ever after? Read Stolen Nights and just a little heads up, the ending will hit you like you been electrocuted. If you are a crier, then have your box of tissues ready when you read what happen when Lenah........ Ha! You thought I would give it away.
Stolen Nights will be if not perfect but close to perfect for fans of the series. The long awaited release will be all worth it when you finally do sink your teeth into it. You will agree that Rebecca brought everything together and then some. Now after reading this one and knowing what way it went, I have no clue what Rebecca will bring to the table in book 3.
August 14, 2012
WHYYYY DID THIS HAVE TO BE SUCH A GOOD BOOK?! I honestly felt like crying at the end. (I won't spoil)
RHODE! VICKEN, oh how I loved Vicken's humour, Lenah.... Justin...ohmygod!
I... I can't put into words how much better than the first Vampire Queen book this is. This truly captured me; made me feel like I was there. In their world, experiencing everything they experienced.
RHODE and his blue, blue eyes.
VICKEN and his humour and his just plain sarcastic funniness (that's not even a word, is it?) I laughed so much whenever he was around. He had a way with words that just lightened the heaviness of their trauma, and their problems. I didn't like him in the first book (truth be told, he wasn't in it enough to really know him but what I did read (see?) I didn't like.
and LENAH for her sacrifices and regrets and still..so so brave.
Justin bugged me in this book, though.
AHHH I don't think there's another book after this, which makes it even more sad. :(:(:(:(
So captivating.
You should read this. Even if you find the first book hard to get through, please PLEASE get through it so you can read this gem. It's not often a sequel is far better than the first, but wow...this took my breath away. And there are a couple of scenes near the end that will...*sob* I can't go on.
RHODE! VICKEN, oh how I loved Vicken's humour, Lenah.... Justin...ohmygod!
I... I can't put into words how much better than the first Vampire Queen book this is. This truly captured me; made me feel like I was there. In their world, experiencing everything they experienced.
RHODE and his blue, blue eyes.
VICKEN and his humour and his just plain sarcastic funniness (that's not even a word, is it?) I laughed so much whenever he was around. He had a way with words that just lightened the heaviness of their trauma, and their problems. I didn't like him in the first book (truth be told, he wasn't in it enough to really know him but what I did read (see?) I didn't like.
and LENAH for her sacrifices and regrets and still..so so brave.
Justin bugged me in this book, though.
AHHH I don't think there's another book after this, which makes it even more sad. :(:(:(:(
So captivating.
You should read this. Even if you find the first book hard to get through, please PLEASE get through it so you can read this gem. It's not often a sequel is far better than the first, but wow...this took my breath away. And there are a couple of scenes near the end that will...*sob* I can't go on.
July 20, 2012
4.5
And to think that when JP recommended me the first book I was like: You're recommending me a paranormal book? but damn, this book is good. I liked it even better than Infinite Days.
I'm gonna follow Lexie and join Team Rhode, 'cause well, he's just awesome. And I love human Vicken too. He's the best character. I miss
The epilogue, God, it killed me! I need the third book soon.
JP thanks for the rec darling ;)
And to think that when JP recommended me the first book I was like: You're recommending me a paranormal book? but damn, this book is good. I liked it even better than Infinite Days.
I'm gonna follow Lexie and join Team Rhode, 'cause well, he's just awesome. And I love human Vicken too. He's the best character. I miss
The epilogue, God, it killed me! I need the third book soon.
JP thanks for the rec darling ;)
Want to read
December 9, 2010Is that a dead vampire she's huffing?
Read
April 10, 2011Wanna read it!
April 26, 2011
Is this the second book to INFINITE DAYS! im confused so much i thought leauh died??
February 12, 2023
4.75
superó todas mis expectativas.
lo vuelvo a repetir, es realmente una pena que esta trilogía sea tan poco conocida. este libro me mantuvo adicta hasta las 5 a.m, no miento.
el libro empieza intenso, y cada capítulo pasa algo, sin vueltas pero bien cargado. y dios, que buenos personajes.
vicken>> (el típico de humorístico)
rhode>> que hombre, dios
lenah>>
me encantó acá lenah empieza a considerar su pasado a fondo, a tomar decisiones sabiendo cada consecuencia...pero haciendo lo justo.
el romance por un momento se vio en un triángulo amoroso, que bueno, fue disuelto muy rápido.
y dios, es tan doloroso pero hermoso al mismo tiempo.
tengo demasiadas cosas por decir, pero por ahora es lo único que me sale, supongo.
leeré la parte final? si.
superó todas mis expectativas.
lo vuelvo a repetir, es realmente una pena que esta trilogía sea tan poco conocida. este libro me mantuvo adicta hasta las 5 a.m, no miento.
el libro empieza intenso, y cada capítulo pasa algo, sin vueltas pero bien cargado. y dios, que buenos personajes.
vicken>> (el típico de humorístico)
rhode>> que hombre, dios
lenah>>
me encantó acá lenah empieza a considerar su pasado a fondo, a tomar decisiones sabiendo cada consecuencia...pero haciendo lo justo.
el romance por un momento se vio en un triángulo amoroso, que bueno, fue disuelto muy rápido.
y dios, es tan doloroso pero hermoso al mismo tiempo.
tengo demasiadas cosas por decir, pero por ahora es lo único que me sale, supongo.
leeré la parte final? si.
January 6, 2019
I have only just learned there was a third book that came out in this series and it is no longer available. I am so sad!
November 14, 2012
Vampire queen, Lenah Beaudonte once yearned to be human again. With Rhode’s help, she finally got the chance. Rhode’s sacrifice enabled her to experience the life she miss out back a hundred years ago, when Rhode claimed her and turned her into a vampire. But everything comes with a price...
In the events of Infinite Days, Lenah sacrifices herself to turn one of her strongest vampires, Vicken, back into a human. Just like what Rhode did. Expecting the ritual would be the end of her, Lenah is surprised to find herself alive – and human again, once more. This occurrence made her think that if she survived this, then so did Rhode. Maybe. But where is he?
When Rhode finally makes his appearance, Lenah is torn between Justin, the boy who had reminded her of what it feels like to be human, and Rhode, who has loved her all these years, vampire or not.
But things are more complicated than she realizes... a new vampire queen is at large, more powerful than Lenah once was. And the Aeris, beings that are the essence of nature itself, have appeared to warn Lenah of something more...
I can’t believe how bad this book turned out. It’s not enough that Lenah stooped down from a cute, soul-searching teenager from Infinite Days to an annoying, stupid, and over-emo girl in Stolen Night. I think a lot of those who read this book already stressed out how awful Lenah was but I can’t help but add my two cents.
I hated how Lenah threw Justin off just as she saw Rhode, and how she used Justin’s emotions to comfort herself just because she couldn’t have Rhode. I was incredibly annoyed with her when Odette, the new vampire queen, wreaked havoc around, and she made stupid decisions: one time she is so scared that she tries to keep the people she cares about safe, then she’s all “Let’s go to the party off campus, even though it’s dangerous. Odette won’t cause harm around a lot of people.” Ha! She’s done it once, what’s to say she won’t do it again, huh?
The most annoying thought she gave out was this: [this was probably around page 280-something] “Weapons... There it was - our last and only hope.” – Uhm... nah-uh! They were your first and utmost choice if you hoped to survive from a vampire. It wasn’t even an option to begin with. Seriously, the first time a deadly being appears and makes you its target; your instincts kick in about how you’ll be able to defend yourself – hence using weapons... duh?! Plus, I know Lenah’s human now but she has spent centuries as a vampire, and she didn’t figure that out? What is wrong with this picture???
Another thing I found bothersome was the Aeris. Okay, so they’re the most powerful beings (big whoop), but they’re completely useless for the most parts of this book. I don’t even get why they didn’t want Rhode and Lenah to be together? The reason they gave off just wasn’t enough to make me believe whatever danger there is if they did. Meh!
From my review of Infinite Days, I mentioned that the “Three Piece” were kind of unnecessary to begin with, because with or without them, the story would still progress. But now I see they actually have a purpose after all – they’re bait. Wow! Talk about even more uselessness.
Most of this book just focused on Lenah pining for Rhode and yet spending nights and all with Justin. Then her annoying “planning” on how to rid of Odette and her near death encounters with Odette, which I thought would be more action packed but was all talk and threats. Booooring!
I only found two things that I liked about reading Stolen Night – Vicken and the ending. Vicken is awesome now that he’s not trying to kill Lenah. He came out to be a true friend, and he has his funny moments. He handled being human again very well, even with the slight panic mode over his ESP. The ending caught me off guard. As hard to believe as it is, this would actually have another book in the series [even though I still think, you can only do so much over how bad the rest of this book was]. And yet that ending gave readers something new to look forward to. I just hope it would be better than this one.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com
In the events of Infinite Days, Lenah sacrifices herself to turn one of her strongest vampires, Vicken, back into a human. Just like what Rhode did. Expecting the ritual would be the end of her, Lenah is surprised to find herself alive – and human again, once more. This occurrence made her think that if she survived this, then so did Rhode. Maybe. But where is he?
When Rhode finally makes his appearance, Lenah is torn between Justin, the boy who had reminded her of what it feels like to be human, and Rhode, who has loved her all these years, vampire or not.
But things are more complicated than she realizes... a new vampire queen is at large, more powerful than Lenah once was. And the Aeris, beings that are the essence of nature itself, have appeared to warn Lenah of something more...
I can’t believe how bad this book turned out. It’s not enough that Lenah stooped down from a cute, soul-searching teenager from Infinite Days to an annoying, stupid, and over-emo girl in Stolen Night. I think a lot of those who read this book already stressed out how awful Lenah was but I can’t help but add my two cents.
I hated how Lenah threw Justin off just as she saw Rhode, and how she used Justin’s emotions to comfort herself just because she couldn’t have Rhode. I was incredibly annoyed with her when Odette, the new vampire queen, wreaked havoc around, and she made stupid decisions: one time she is so scared that she tries to keep the people she cares about safe, then she’s all “Let’s go to the party off campus, even though it’s dangerous. Odette won’t cause harm around a lot of people.” Ha! She’s done it once, what’s to say she won’t do it again, huh?
The most annoying thought she gave out was this: [this was probably around page 280-something] “Weapons... There it was - our last and only hope.” – Uhm... nah-uh! They were your first and utmost choice if you hoped to survive from a vampire. It wasn’t even an option to begin with. Seriously, the first time a deadly being appears and makes you its target; your instincts kick in about how you’ll be able to defend yourself – hence using weapons... duh?! Plus, I know Lenah’s human now but she has spent centuries as a vampire, and she didn’t figure that out? What is wrong with this picture???
Another thing I found bothersome was the Aeris. Okay, so they’re the most powerful beings (big whoop), but they’re completely useless for the most parts of this book. I don’t even get why they didn’t want Rhode and Lenah to be together? The reason they gave off just wasn’t enough to make me believe whatever danger there is if they did. Meh!
From my review of Infinite Days, I mentioned that the “Three Piece” were kind of unnecessary to begin with, because with or without them, the story would still progress. But now I see they actually have a purpose after all – they’re bait. Wow! Talk about even more uselessness.
Most of this book just focused on Lenah pining for Rhode and yet spending nights and all with Justin. Then her annoying “planning” on how to rid of Odette and her near death encounters with Odette, which I thought would be more action packed but was all talk and threats. Booooring!
I only found two things that I liked about reading Stolen Night – Vicken and the ending. Vicken is awesome now that he’s not trying to kill Lenah. He came out to be a true friend, and he has his funny moments. He handled being human again very well, even with the slight panic mode over his ESP. The ending caught me off guard. As hard to believe as it is, this would actually have another book in the series [even though I still think, you can only do so much over how bad the rest of this book was]. And yet that ending gave readers something new to look forward to. I just hope it would be better than this one.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @ www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com
January 29, 2013
After reading Infinite Days and falling in love with what Rebecca Maizel first created, I was super excited to start Stolen Nights and get swept up with all the characters I love so much. Not even one chapter in, Maizel had me hooked faster than an addict. To be straightforward, Stolen Nights was way better than its predecessor and I loved every single moment of it.
Stolen Nights picks up after a few days from the ending to Infinite Days with Lenah surviving the ritual she did on her former coven member, Vicken. She wants to start over with Justin, but instead trouble arises with another vampire threatening Lena’s life and an unexpected return from someone of her past. In this second novel, even more growth happens to Lenah’s character. The evil vampire that she used to be is no longer apparent, but left is a woman full of strength, courage and endless determination. While Lenah did have her times of self-doubt, selfishness and weaknesses, I believe she really overcame all the obstacles put in her way. She really realized, accepted, and faced the consequences of her actions from Infinite Days and chose to fix them and make things right. Though it pained me, Lenah’s decisions and sacrifices made her a better person, a better human being, and one amazing character.
The lack of connection I felt with Lenah and Justin is now explained from reading Stolen Nights. That connection, chemistry, and emotions I wanted from them came in full force between Lenah and someone else. This character and Lenah made my skin tingle and my heart stop. The sexual tension between them was off the charts! I ached so much because I wanted them to be together more than anything. They were absolutely perfect for each other and because they couldn’t be together due certain circumstances this left me reeling and desperately wishing for a solution. Their love transcends time and place; it was something I felt to the very core of me.
I loved the secondary characters so much more in this one. They really helped in shaping up Lenah’s character. Tracy, as much as I hated her in Infinite Days, I ended up warming up to her. She was totally different from the snobby girl I first met. I really liked how she stood out, stepped up and became a real friend to Lenah. Vicken was the best of them all. All the despair and danger of this book was really countered by Vicken’s humor. That boy made me smile and grin to no end. He could’ve eased the tension and the dark parts of this book from a mile away. I adored him so much.
Even though I didn’t have to wait between both novels, the writing felt familiar, like coming home to a place I’ve missed so much. I love how there was no gap between book one and book two. Maizel’s writing flows just the same as the previous one, if not better. I love how it just goes straight into the action without hesitation. There’s so much more at stake in Stolen Nights; so much danger and death that really kept me engrossed and made my heart race. Everything I loved in Infinite Days was back, but Maizel gave so much more. More magic and elemental power was explored. There was even new parts in the book that I wanted to know more about like the Aeris and the Hollow Ones that were great additions to the story. I especially loved the mystery, revenge, and need for power in Odette’s character because her evil ways gave more excitement and rocked the unstable foundation of Lenah’s life. My most favorite part was all about the meaning of true love, soul mates and ultimate sacrifices that gave way for an ending that was bittersweet, heart-wrenching and one that left me in tears.
Overall, Stolen Nights was everything and anything I hoped it would be. This book was more than just about vampires and magic, but of fixing mistakes, owning up to consequences, sacrificing one’s happiness for the greater good to keep the balance and of thinking about other’s before yourself. I loved this book so much, I can’t wait for the next one to come already!
More Reviews on my blog: Words, Pages, and Books
Stolen Nights picks up after a few days from the ending to Infinite Days with Lenah surviving the ritual she did on her former coven member, Vicken. She wants to start over with Justin, but instead trouble arises with another vampire threatening Lena’s life and an unexpected return from someone of her past. In this second novel, even more growth happens to Lenah’s character. The evil vampire that she used to be is no longer apparent, but left is a woman full of strength, courage and endless determination. While Lenah did have her times of self-doubt, selfishness and weaknesses, I believe she really overcame all the obstacles put in her way. She really realized, accepted, and faced the consequences of her actions from Infinite Days and chose to fix them and make things right. Though it pained me, Lenah’s decisions and sacrifices made her a better person, a better human being, and one amazing character.
The lack of connection I felt with Lenah and Justin is now explained from reading Stolen Nights. That connection, chemistry, and emotions I wanted from them came in full force between Lenah and someone else. This character and Lenah made my skin tingle and my heart stop. The sexual tension between them was off the charts! I ached so much because I wanted them to be together more than anything. They were absolutely perfect for each other and because they couldn’t be together due certain circumstances this left me reeling and desperately wishing for a solution. Their love transcends time and place; it was something I felt to the very core of me.
I loved the secondary characters so much more in this one. They really helped in shaping up Lenah’s character. Tracy, as much as I hated her in Infinite Days, I ended up warming up to her. She was totally different from the snobby girl I first met. I really liked how she stood out, stepped up and became a real friend to Lenah. Vicken was the best of them all. All the despair and danger of this book was really countered by Vicken’s humor. That boy made me smile and grin to no end. He could’ve eased the tension and the dark parts of this book from a mile away. I adored him so much.
Even though I didn’t have to wait between both novels, the writing felt familiar, like coming home to a place I’ve missed so much. I love how there was no gap between book one and book two. Maizel’s writing flows just the same as the previous one, if not better. I love how it just goes straight into the action without hesitation. There’s so much more at stake in Stolen Nights; so much danger and death that really kept me engrossed and made my heart race. Everything I loved in Infinite Days was back, but Maizel gave so much more. More magic and elemental power was explored. There was even new parts in the book that I wanted to know more about like the Aeris and the Hollow Ones that were great additions to the story. I especially loved the mystery, revenge, and need for power in Odette’s character because her evil ways gave more excitement and rocked the unstable foundation of Lenah’s life. My most favorite part was all about the meaning of true love, soul mates and ultimate sacrifices that gave way for an ending that was bittersweet, heart-wrenching and one that left me in tears.
Overall, Stolen Nights was everything and anything I hoped it would be. This book was more than just about vampires and magic, but of fixing mistakes, owning up to consequences, sacrificing one’s happiness for the greater good to keep the balance and of thinking about other’s before yourself. I loved this book so much, I can’t wait for the next one to come already!
More Reviews on my blog: Words, Pages, and Books
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