The Awakening

Vampire Huntress Legend #2

by L.A. Banks

The second book in L. A. Banks's thrilling Vampire Huntress series featuring Damali Richards, a young African American woman who is all that stands between us and the enternal night.



There is a vampire war brewing in the underworld and at the center of it all is Damali Richards, spoken word artist and Vampire Huntress. But she is not just any Vampire Huntress, she is the millenium Neteru. A woman so potentially powerful that the vampire world is about to invoke a bloody battle that threatens to spill over onto her streets in order to posses her.

It's just a matter of who will get to her first.

Fallon Nuit, a rogue vampire, is one of the most powerful Damali has ever encountered and he has allied himself with the deadly Amanrath demons in order to claim her. But the Vampire Council has plans for her as well. And now an unlikely variable has entered into the equation, an ex-lover now turned vampire with an agenda of his own. And Damali must risk trusting him once more if they are to survive.

Genres: Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Horror, Romance

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

A pseudonym used by Leslie Esdaile Banks, she also wrote under the names:
Leslie E. Banks
Leslie Esdaile
Leslie Esdaile Banks
Leslie Banks
Alexis Grant

L.A. Banks, a native Philadelphian, was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program. With many awards to her credit, Banks also held a masters of fine arts degree in film and media arts from Temple University. She lived in Philadelphia with her family until she passed away on the morning of August 2, 2011.

Visit L.A. Banks' page on the Macmillan website: http://us.macmillan.com/author/labanks

Reviews

[Monica **can't read fast enough** · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is definitely moving along and I'm moving on to book 3. Things blew the hell up at the end and I need to know what happens next.

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[Kenya Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this... I would say this gets more of a 3.7 stars.

Why not 5 stars:

--- The rap and spoken word irked me.... and I love rap and spoken word!! But just a little of it... not pages of it... a few significant lyrics is all I needed.


--- The long ass explanations! Wow! Some of the explanatory dialogue went on for pages and pages and pages... I started skipping.


Other than that this was an absolute improvement from the first book.
There was NO Excessive high-fiving or Dap
There was conflict and no ridiculous cliffhanger.

Will I read book 3?

HELL YEAH!!! (Kenya high-fives all that read this review!!)

[Jerrie]

So, the saga continues. What left me hanging in the 1st book, turned out to make the 2nd book better than the 1st. Of course, you are still left hanging, because you know there is a 3rd book.
The Damali-Carlos union is definitley not over. Poor Carlos. You really do want this guy to be the good guy and maybe he will, master-vamp, or not.
But what about the detective? The epilogue sure makes you think he may be a vamp, too. Hmmmm.........
The book is good and I'll definitley move on to the next one. A little slow at times, with too much discussion, but I guess you need that sometimes to find out what is going on with the Neteru/Damali.

[Wanderlusting Diva · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to give this series a chance..yes there is some hip hop language but this saga of books takes you on a journey. It brings in elements of good and evil, heaven and hell, God and the devil.. There are characters such as cain & abel, adam & eve and so on... Give this series a chance before you just say forget it...in the end it will be worth it..check out all 12 or 13 novels!!!!

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this one a little darker and edgier, but still too much talking. I am just about ready to give up on this series, but recently someone talked me into giving the next books a try.

[K2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5StarChick

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dialogue is so damn distracting but I really like the story. I didn't like this book as much as the first one but it did wonderful things with progressing the story. I found myself overwhelmed with all the characters, which I still love. They just were kinda all over the place. Damali and Carlos are obviously the clear stars in this series. The tension and chemistry between them is glorious. I can't wait to see them seal the deal.

[Shavaugn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please make this into a movie, right now. The plot is AMAZING and the characters jump off of the pages and into your mind. It took me two days to read this and I already picked up the third book in the series. Can't wait to get started!!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be a movie!

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second book in the Vampire Huntress Legend Series starts moments after the first book, Minion, ended. I’m including a spoiler line below because if you haven’t yet read the first book in the series, my summary below will include many spoilers from that book for you.

*********Spoilers Below - Read book One in the series before continuing*********

The first book ended with Carlos’s transformation into a vampire. He learned from Nuit that the vampires had been supporting his illegal dealings for years. But he has also met with the vampire counsel and committed to bringing both Nuit and Damali to their separate destinies in exchange for the rank of vampire Master. While he took in all of these changes in stride, he is not without his own agenda.

This book begins with Carlos’s realization of who and what Damali really is, and he is in awe. He strikes a deal with the council and begins his tour of the levels of Hell. Eventually Carlos is reunited with his family and friends who had been transformed before he was. The more he learns about his new life, the more he developes a plan in his mind.

Carlos resigns himself to facing Damali on her own turf. Although it isn’t immediately evident to Damali and her Guardians that he is no longer human, they very quickly learn the truth. The mystery of the visit is the fact that Carlos is actually helping them. He doesn’t attack any of the group, nor does he tell them anything but the absolute truth. Whose side is he on?

With Carlos’s help, Damali’s team begins plotting a defense against Nuit’s plans for the international concert. Everything hinges on Damali’s choices during the changes she’ll be going through after her 21st birthday. Will she continue to make the right choices? Will she pursue Carlos? Can his soul be saved? There is a plethora of new questions raised in this episode of story.

This book seemed like the second half of the first book rather than a complete book on its own; the whole thing takes place in about 24 hours. It was nice to get some answers after Minion ended so abruptly, and this installment did clear up many of the open storylines from the first book. It also spent more time elaborating on Damali and Carlos’s feelings for each other, which I liked a lot because it gave more credence to the difficulties Damali will face in the future when it comes to Carlos and their relationship. It’s definitely an interesting story, but there are a couple things that still don’t sit quite right with me.

I have the same complaint I had with the first book… that Damali’s team talks a lot with each other about what is going to happen to Damali on her 21st birthday, but they won’t talk to her about it at all. In fact, only the two senior members of her team are “in the know” and have to explain it to the rest of the Guardians. Their reason for keeping the secret is that Damali has to make her own choices, but I don’t understand why they won’t tell her about the decision she is facing or the possible outcomes - she still has to make her own choices either way. I also didn’t understand why the secret was kept from the rest of the group for the many years they’ve been working together like family. I found this frustrating throughout the book.

Aside from that, my other criticisms are style related rather than content. I’m not a big fan of reading slang. I find it halts the flow of a story for me, and there is a lot of it in this series. I’m also not a big fan of how the author identifies the criminal vampire element together by ONLY nationality: Jamaicans, Dominicans, Russians, Italians, etc. They are highly stereotyped by their ethnicity and it made me uncomfortable. What is especially strange is that the series takes place in Los Angeles and New Orleans, but none of the criminals are American. How is that possible?

I’m going to continue on with the next book in the series. I have high hopes that the parts of the story that interest me will overshadow the parts that I’m finding frustrating. Perhaps the third book will be the charm.

[Looney · Rating 1 out of 5]

LOONEY'S BOOK REVIEW for MINION AND THE AWAKENING (first two books of Vampire Huntress Legend Series):
Okay. So I know these books came out a while ago, but I'm just getting around to reading them and I want to review them so I can spare others the wasted time and energy. I'll just say it now:
DON'T READ THESE BOOKS!
I rarely start a series and don't finish it, but there is no way I am reading the next 8 books in this series. Here's why:
1. Poorly written- I have rarely, if ever, read a published author so bereft of the basic skills needed to describe a scene to a reader. Half the time I had no idea what was going on. I'm not exaggerating here.
2. Weak characterization- she jumps right into the middle of a team of vampire/demon hunters and only gives a basic description of each team members physical characteristics (once, at the beginning of the book) and hardly any description of their personalities. This comes out a little bit as the book progresses- like I know that Rider is the one that likes to run off his mouth and complain. I found myself not caring about any of them- not even Momma Marlene!
3. From what I hear, the cardinal rule for every writer is : SHOW, DON'T TELL. There was so much telling going on in this book in the way of boring dialog (telling in quotations) that I found myself skimming those sections just to move on.

There are other reasons I could list, but I feel like this is plenty. If you've read this far I guess I might as well give you a few positives *SPOILER ALERT*:
1. The love tension between Carlos and Damali. I have to say, I am a complete sucker for romance in my books. She does an admiral job of building the sexual/romantic tension between these two characters. It was the only thing that kept me reading!
2. I liked her emphasis on not only the dark spiritual aspect of her world, but the fact that they were battling it with positive spiritual weapons (like prayer, worship, keeping their bodies pure, etc.). In this genre, you rarely find an author who can pass these other aspects of the spiritual realm off without sounding campy. L.A. Banks does that well and I have to sit back and appreciate it.

If this review was helpful to you, visit my blog where you can find my other honest opinions on books I've read: www.amusingreviewer.blogspot.com

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really hesitant to read the first book in the series ("Minion") and found it to be really slow and uninteresting in the beginning but it picked up in the end. This book did not have the same problem. I was hooked from the start. I like how Banks provided a little bit of a reminder of what happened in the first book (not that I needed it). But even that had me hooked.

In "The Awakening", Banks continues to build on the world that she has created, and it is very complex. Which is good and bad. It is good because it keeps the story moving forward and allows the reader to see the rules and guidelines that govern almost everything, good and evil. It is bad because it causes her to sit up situations that explain what is going on and why, that takes sometimes and subtracts from the action vibe that the story has.

I find most of Banks character to be captivating, even the bad guys. You want to know their story and what is going to happen to them. She gives you little glimpses of pieces throughout the novel (probably so that you will read the next one), but just enough to keep the story rolling and your curiosity perked.

I enjoy Banks witting and don't find that it is very difficult to read. It doesn't take much thought, its like watching an very good action more. You don't think you just absorbed the sences that she is sitting up for you. The only problem with her writing that I have is her use of slang not only in dialog but also in her sentence structure. It service the purpose of keeping with the stories settings but it also not only dates the story but her. I find some of the terms and actions of the characters to be out of date.

[#ReadAllTheBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book directly after reading the previous book, Minion, as the last book left off halfway during the story & this book finishes the storyline.

The night of Damali's awakening is swiftly approaching, yet she's still relatively unaware of everything that's going on. Carlos has been making several deals in an attempt to not only save Damali's virtue, but also his own life (such as it is). Meanwhile, her team is still shaken by the idea of a new race of vamps unlike any they've ever met.


The story is still improving & despite a few flaws (and they are small ones), the book flows nicely & is easy to read. Some may argue that the books aren't very deep, & they would be right for the most part. Still, the books were never written to be the next Wuthering Heights, they were written to be entertaining, and they succeed.

[Julia971 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book awoke my curiosity, so I read the second one.

All the good ingredients from book 1 are still there: vampire hunting, cool warriors, love story and sexual tension, storytelling mixed with myths and religious culture...

It also had the bad sides of book 1: too much sexual tension for too long, too much chatting and storytelling. Stop talking about it, do something !

To my action, fantasy fans: dialogues are a big part of the story (maybe 40%), so it's a slow pace. This book narrates three days (and not even that, more like, only three nights)

To my romance fans: How can I say this... Even though Carlos and Damali have been in love and horny from book 1, they still haven't done anything about it. This is how slow they are taking it.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this, the second book of the Vampire Huntress series, slightly better than Minion , the first. However, some of the same things that bothered me about that book came to surface in this one too.

I'm glad I hung onto Minion because The Awakening picked up right where that left off, and I had to reread certain portions of that first book to reacquaint myself with some of the things that went down already. I don't think the author did a very good job of allowing this book to stand on it's own. Granted, series such as this are meant to be read in order anyway, but like Laurell K. Hamilton does in her Anita books, if she needs to refer to an incident from a previous book, she'll usually provide enough additional detail so that new readers can continue reading, albeit with a little less knowledge and detail than someone who's been reading the series in order. This was not the case here; if you didn't read the previous book, and remember all of it's little nuances, you're going to need to before starting on this one. As it stands, I still had to refer back to things from book one since I'd read it 8 months prior to this one.

The story line is still interesting enough to hold interest, and because Banks doesn't go into detail on each of the main characters in this book like she did in Minion, we don't have as many passages that drag on too long like in the first book, though they're certainly not gone completely. At times while reading, I felt that maybe the writing was done in discrete parts, not necessarily in sequence, since sometimes the scenes didn't seem to blend transparently as they could've. Like maybe she'd forgotten she wrote something in an earlier scene, and then describes or talks about it again in a later scene, which may or may not completely jive with what was stated previously. Again, I noticed this behavior much more prominently in the first book than this one.

I won't go into a synopsis of the story itself, since you can read that at the BookCrossing journal page for this book. But suffice to say, this series looks like it's going to get even better going forward.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this a 3. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it.

The one thing that really threw me off was how they talked. I felt that it was forced sometimes and that with the whole "hip pop/ganster" kind of talk (or whatever you want to call it) just didn't do anything for me. It was annoying at times. It felt like Banks was trying too hard to make them sound like they were from the hood. Also the whole over 20 or so pages of them just sitting at the weapon room table talking was a bit boring. I mean what they were talking about was interesting but but having them just sit there? I don't know, I kind of wished the conversation was broken up into parts or something.

I'm not a huge fan of Damila, the ending really annoyed me. That she was fighting with her team while in Hell while she was ovulating because she wanted Carlos to come with them was stupid. I get why, but he said he couldn't and here she is arguing with her team while vampires and demons were coming towards them. I'm sorry but saving your team and losing one person (even though you love him) is a smarter choice than hanging back and letting the enemy get closer to you and risking your team AND the person you love. Does she not care about her team's safety? I really liked Carlos though. I liked how he played all three sides (the vampire council, Nuit, and the Templars.) I thought it was clever.

I liked the sexual tension between Damila and Carlos, the scenes where they're together and the passion they feel felt real, and I liked the whole "mind reading" thing they had going for them.

Will I read the next book? I don't know, maybe if I find it at a used book store or a library, I might.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what to think of this series so far. I am not too fond of L.A. Banks' style of writing. I feel like she takes too long to describe things and it makes the story move slower. Also, she provides no background in her story, so at points I had to think back to the previous book and try to remember what was happening.

I find that I am not very interested in the characters on the sidelines. I only really care about Carlos and D, and their relationship. I think it is just the author's style of writing that irritates me. It's such a great storyline and I feel like she messes it up.

The jury is still out, there are better books in this genre that I am more intrigued by. Maybe I'll come back to this one later.

[Stephen Newhall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the second installment of the series to be far better than its predecessor. The characters seemed to have more room to breathe and developed a bit more, especially Damali and Carlos.You can tell their relationship is something special. This series was touted as similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but it's clearly its own animal. Each character brings something uniquely charming to the table and Damali herself is a very powerful protagonist. Her strength is something that is captivating and refreshing amidst the seemingly repetitive characters in supernatural books. I would have liked to see more of the side characters and learn more about them, but maybe as the series progresses we'll learn more about them. :)

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking control of her destiny and the reality of life is what Damali Richards has to do to make a difference in the world that she finds herself having to do a serious battle to protect. Along the way she finds that love can be a battle all on its own. She has a lot on her young shoulders and will make the best of it. She has her family to help her along the way. Carlos makes difficult choices and must accept what is to what could be. I am very interested in reading the rest of the series.

Unfortunately there is more of the bad dialogue, but that comes with the territory of culture, genre and time.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels like a guilty pleasure reading these books. Being a Vampire fiction fan seems really mainstream, but I love this series! As I previously stated, the lore is well researched and perfectly presented. And unlike most romance/ erotica books, L.A. Banks only hints at the romance. Nothing has happened yet for our two main characters, but I have a feeling that they will come together in the next book. I'm loving the tension and the fantasy excitement. Damali is an awesome heroine, she takes care of herself and everyone else. She fights, sings, and lures master vampires all at the same time. Seriously, screw Twilight! This is sooooo much better!!!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

hooooooooly awesomeness this book has everything. action packed battle scenes. a badass female lead with some kick ass friends. bad boy with a super soft side. in my opinion the language issues of the first book are resolved...at least in the narrative the dialogue and lyrics are still slang but its much more realistic tham the first book. the epic battle at the end left me wanting more so i had to immediately start the next one! cant wait to see what happens with carlos and damali!!!!

[M.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking right up where Minion left off, Damali(now a full Neteru) and her Guardian team are battling the forces of Hell,the evil vampire Fallon Nuit and trying to see if Carlos is friend or foe.you can feel the love between Damali & Carlos start to bloom, but should she tusrt him? This book really got my attention , more that Minion, it had more action and suspense and this is the book that really drew me into the series.Loved it.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUCK TWILIGHT! Give me a LATINO vampire whispering sexiness in Spanish in my ear over some pale glittery motherfucker ANY DAY!

[TyyLingAlwaysHasABook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love that this book gave more insight on Carlos’s story. I’m excited to read the next book bc I’m very sucked in!

[Jae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damali is not just any vampire slayer; she is the millenium Neteru--a huntress whose power is so legendary that vampires will go to war to possess and control her. A rogue vampire named Nuit has brokered an alliance with demons in order to claim Damali for himself. However, one of his recent made vampires is Carlos Rivera, whom Damali has loved since childhood. Carlos is torn between his new nature as a vampire and his love for Damali. He also wishes to claim her, but he feels a need to protect her, as well. As a newly-turned vampire, Carlos' soul still hangs in the balance, and it's up to him to make a choice. He finds himself playing Nuit against the Vampire Council, while at the same time being cajoled by the forces for the light. In the end, Carlos isn't certain he can trust himself to make the right decision.

Nuit is gathering his forces and making plans...plans that include abducting Damali from her first big concert to make her his bride. His plans hinge on Carlos, and Nuit has no idea that Carlos means to destroy him.

I found this book more enjoyable than the first in the series, which is why it took me so long to get back into the series. There is nothing fluffy, cute, romantic, or sparkly about these vampires. They are monsters, plain and simple. The story was dark and edgy and erotic, filled with violence and angst and action. I don't know if the author intended this or not, but I found Carlos far more compelling as the anti-hero than Damali was as the heroine. In fact, I'd say the majority of the book followed Carlos, rather than Damali. That was actually a bit off-putting. If you have a "vampire huntress" series, would you not concentrate on said vampire huntress as the focus of your narrative? Another thing that put me off (and this is purely my personal opinion) is the street slang. Yes, it made the story more authentic, but I don't speak "street", and it wasn't always easy for me to

[Carter Kalchik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 2.75 rounded up to 3.

This is a tricky one to review because Minion feels essentially incomplete without The Awakening. If you are at all interested in this series, do not just read Minion, read both back to back like a single book. While The Awakening does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, it feels more like an actual cliffhanger and not the abrupt ending of Minion.

The Awakening has a bit less action and less erotic tension, but it steadily builds on the foundation that Banks began laying in Minion. The stakes of the story are much more clear by around the first third of this book and then we see the inexorable hand of fate pushing Damali and Carlos to the explosive ending.

Like Minion, Banks has a style of conveying most of the story through dialogue (and yes, the dialogue is liberally sprinkled with phrases like "da bomb", if you can't be down for that). I have found these books to be pretty slow paced because so much plot and backstory plays out in long discussions. However, the world that Banks is building is too fascinating to ignore.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better than the first book! This time I knew the characters, knew what they did, knew the routine, and knew the background.

Lots of action! Pretty fast paced book, AND we got to see Damali rap. Finally!

Still a convoluted, confusing world, though. I ceased trying to make sense of it. The whole ovulation of a Neteru (vampire hunter) on her 21st birthday was eye rolling at best. A little tired of the scene. I did like the story of Carlos. Much more interesting than Damali.

I will read the next book, though, and hope there's more in it for Damali and her crew instead of same 'ol, same 'ol.

[Shannon Stamps (Shannon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am finally rereading this series after 16 years and I love it as much as I did the first time. That last chapter gave me goosebumps the whole time I read it. I can confidently say that I will reread this series again in about 5 to ten years from now. It’s not dated at all. This could have just came out and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. I want a series adaptation so bad! I need this series to get the clout it needs.

You have to read it. The family dynamic is top tier and so is the romance. This series is perfection to me

[Janine Miki · Rating 2 out of 5]

My strong recommendation is to NOT read this book until you've read the first in the series (Minion). I made that mistake, and it wasn't until almost halfway into the book that things kind of made sense. I almost stopped reading it entirely, but that's not my style. I'm only giving it 2 stars because things clicked and picked up in the second half. I enjoyed the pull between the two main characters (Damali and Carlos) and was genuinely curious as to how it would end. I will not be going back to read the first book nor continuing with the series.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook of this book and as I stated before I was able to concentrate on the storyline and not pronunciation. I really appreciated being able to listen and enjoy the love story between Damali and Carlos. Excellent story line. Now I’m listening to “The Hunted” on my iPhone using Alexa. No emotions and inflections but I can multitask while listening. This’s is one of my favorite series so I’ll use this method to reread the entire series.






#cillasbookmaniacs