Marked: A House of Night Novel (Book 1)

by P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast | Science Fiction & Fantasy |
ISBN: 9780312360269 Global Overview for this book
Registered by CheriePie of Campbell, California USA on 12/14/2007
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2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by CheriePie from Campbell, California USA on Friday, December 14, 2007
The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire—that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny—with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Journal Entry 2 by CheriePie from Campbell, California USA on Monday, January 14, 2008
The House of Night is the perfect Vampyre Finishing School for fledgling vampyres like Zoey Redbird. Unlike most vampire novels however, Cast's vampyres are not created in the usual manner such as being bitten by another. Instead, a fledgling is Marked simply by biological changes going on in their body. The Change occurs over the course of 4 years, during which time the vampyre attends school at the House of Night, learning everything they need to know to prepare for their new life. Unfortunately, many of the weaker students do not make it through the Change, their body succumbing to the changes going on within them. Therefore many students, particularly the younger ones, live in fear of never making it to adulthood.

After Zoey was Marked, her parents freaked, and she'd run away to the home of her Cherokee Grandma, where she had an intense epiphany: a vision of the Vampyre Goddess Nyx speaking to her and telling her she had a special purpose. When she awoke from that, the Mark on her forehead—the dark blue outline of a crescent moon—was completely filled in, as it is usually only on adult vampyres.

The integration of Goddess worship into the vampyre culture was very unique, and forces you to see Cast's vampyres in a completely different light, one that is a lot gentler than you come across in many paranormal novels. Though they do drink blood, they do so in a completely non-violent way and without harming their donors. The portrayal of rituals, circle casting, calling the elements, all the way down to the herbs used to cleanse, purify, or draw spirits to you, were all extremely accurate. This is the first book I've read by this author, but I would suspect that she's a Pagan or follows some other form of Goddess worship herself as she didn't try to sensationalize any of it but dealt with it very accurately and beautifully.

Taking everything as a whole, I really, really liked this book a lot. So much so that I was very happy to have the sequel already waiting here on my shelf, which I started on immediately.


This is now reserved for KathyB, who won it in the January Teen/YA Swap on BookObsessed.

Journal Entry 3 by CheriePie at BookObsessed Swap in USPS, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, January 24, 2008

Released 16 yrs ago (1/25/2008 UTC) at BookObsessed Swap in USPS, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases

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KathyB won this in January's Teen/YA Swap at BookObsessed. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 4 by rem_HJU-764675 on Sunday, February 3, 2008
Received today from CheriePie -- Thanks!

Journal Entry 5 by rem_HJU-764675 on Thursday, January 8, 2009
Awesome series!! I have now completed book 2 and am reading book 3. I have given "Marked" to the teenage daughter of a friend.

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