Kalona's Fall

House of Night Novellas #4

by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

From warrior and lover to enemy and betrayer, the terrible secrets of Kalona's past are revealed.

He was laughing with her as he spread his wings and lifted her from the ground, twirling her. Nyx gasped and clutched his neck. Kalona tightened his arms around her. "Trust me, Goddess. I would never let you fall."

From the Sun and from the Moon, two winged brothers are born: golden Erebus, playmate and friend, and mysterious Kalona, Warrior and lover, companions of the Goddess Nyx.

From the first, Nyx loves them both deeply, but differently. With Erebus, she can talk and laugh and dance, and take joy in the games he plays among the humans of the Earth. With Kalona, the fire in her body burns bright, and she can rest in the solace of his strength and protection. But for Kalona, Nyx's nights are not enough. Every second he is not with her, he is filled with doubt and longing, and every time he fails to please her, he cannot forgive himself. Ruled by anger and jealousy of his brother, and consumed by his love for his Goddess, Kalona seeks the power to prove his worth, and to claim once and for all that Nyx eternally belongs to him.

And at the edges of the Earth, a Darkness is stirring, waiting for its chance, for the doorway in through a heart that it knows will welcome it…

With more than 12 million books in print, rights sold in almost forty countries, and more than three years on The New York Times bestseller list—reaching as high as #1—the House of Night series is an international publishing sensation. Now, the excitement continues as the Cast mother-daughter duo shares the backstories of a few of the House of Night's most important—and mysterious—characters. In Kalona's Fall, the shadows in Kalona's past will finally come to light.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Vampires, Paranormal, Fiction, Romance, Novella

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

PC was born in the Midwest, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school, she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today Best-Selling author and a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath. PC is an experienced teacher and talented speaker. Ms. Cast lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her eccentric Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses. House of Night Other World, book 4, FOUND, releases July 7th, 2020. More info to come soon about the HoN TV series!

Reviews

[Sophia Triad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Kalona....you never stood a chance.
You never really had a choice.

Kalona had been another villain in the series House of Night. Towards the end, his actions were forgiven and he embraced good instead of evil.

This novella tells the story of his creation and the reasons of his fall:
Basically too much love and too much jealousy with a few sprinkles of manipulation by the evil while bull.

[Arpi !!!getting high on books!!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

KALONA...Hmmmm..*sigh*
What do i say about this guy... ummm...fallen angel...who stole my heart from the beginning...

HE IS DARK...HE IS CRUEL... HE IS EVERYTHING BAD...THEN YOU SEE A SIDE OF HIM THAT'S TORTURED AND IN LOVE WITH THAT ONE WOMAN(UMMM...GODDESS!!!) HE CAN NEVER HAVE...

BAAAMMMM!!! GONER!!!

I WAS A GONER RIGHT FROM THEN...

AND HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO RECOVER...(SWOONWORTHY...DROOLWORTHY....HMMMMM *SIGH*SIGH*)


I FELL IN LOVE WITH KALONA WITH EACH AND EVERY WORD THAT I READ ABOUT HIM...

EXCITED(LIKE CRAZY) TO READ ABOUT HIM....

DESPERATELY WAITING.......

DESPERATELY....


YES VERY DESPERATELY!!!!.....


UMMM DID I MENTION DESPERATELY.... *WINK* *WINK*!!!

[Carolina Carriço · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit #2

I really liked this novella. I always loved Kalona and Nyx, and this book only reminded me why, and also made me understand Erebus and taught me to love him as well.

I loved seeing everything created, vampyres and domestic cats, I also loved seeing the twins go through the tests Earth Mother gave them. And what I didn't like in a good way was seeing Kalona's downfall, where he succumbed to his anger and jealousy, till Nyx had to kick him out.

Edit #1

Just look at those wings *-* so beautiful!

I can't wait to read about Kalona!!!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Kalona. I feel sorry for him even though it's kinda his fault. But I get his jealousy and I secretly hope that Kalona will be Nyx's warrior again (I haven't finished the HoN series, so I don't know).

[Ari ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars

(BTW I am trash for this series, so take it from someone who likes this series (one of the few) that this novella was def the worst, but it had a couple good qualities.)

I mean I knew Kalona was a whiny bitch, blinded by his bitchiness the whole series.
This just takes it to a new level. The whole novella was him puffing his chest at Erebus. Which let's be honest, he did that the whole main series too.

Spoiler for the main series here (too lazy to tag) - I thought his death was super redeeming in the actual series (Redeemed) and I felt legit sad when he died, it was super bitter sweet and well written.

My favorite parts were with Nyx (LOVE HER) and when they told how vampyrs were made. But otherwise the novella was meh. We got an inside look to an edgy whiny baby. (Kylo Ren but worse)

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

House of Night Novellas:
Dragon's Oath: ★★★★☆
Lenobia's Vow: ★★★★★
Neferet's Curse: ★★★★★
Kalona's Fall: ★★★☆☆

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Review can be found here at Booked J.

To be perfectly blunt with you guys, I don't necessarily care for Kalona or his backstory. I would probably say that I loathe his character in general. I grew to tolerate his presence towards the end of House of Night, but only just barely . And honestly? The Other World version of Kalona is, by far, the superior version of the character. His origin story in Forgotten makes Kalona's Fall pale in comparison.

(Which, if you haven't begun the House of Night Other World seriously: you definitely should.)

Still, I reluctantly dove into Kalona's Fall because the other three House of Night novellas impressed me and offered a great deal in terms of character development. I loved learning the backstories for Dragon and Anastasia, Lenobia, and Neferet. Each novella brings forward a specific timeline and paints a vivid backstory of these beloved characters.

In many ways, Kalona's Fall does the same. It just so happens that I care for him the least and, to be blunt again, Kalona's origins just don't offer the same set of feelings as the others. While Dragon's Oath stirred up various emotions and made me warm up to a character I disliked (or rather was indifferent towards), I feel like Kalona's Fall did absolutely nothing in terms of development of Kalona.

And while Neferet's Curse peeled back the layers of Neferet's life as a human girl and how she became who she is in this life, I felt nothing towards Kalona. He was petulant and there were times where I wanted to feel bad for him, but couldn't. As a character, I think that Kalona just doesn't do it for me and is the bare minimum in terms of development.

He is just there and in House of Night we fear him, but in Kalona's Fall he feels like a cardboard cut out of a character. I was bored. And there's really nothing more to add to it?The biggest redeeming factor--and the only reason I not only completed the novella and gave it a three star rating--is in the use of mythology.

We also get to see a great deal of Nyx, Erebus and Kalona. Obviously. While it is supposedly Kalona's story, I feel like the true shining stars of it were Nyx and Erebus. I can honestly say I wasn't feeling anything else. The competition was lackluster. The way Erebus and Kalona came to be was just... I can't explain it? Detached? And, ultimately, it was the weakest link in what was otherwise a fantastic set of novellas.

[May · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novella explores Kalona's past and what has lead him to fall from the Otherworld to the mortal realm. It also demonstrates the relationship dynamics between Nyx, the Great Earth Mother, Erebus, and Kalona himself.

I did not like the mythology at all; it was very shallow and uninteresting. Nyx's character was boring; all she seemed to do was frolic around and be an "exquisite" airhead. The Great Earth Mother was nice at first, but then her hostility towards Kalona pissed me off, with her being practically his creator and all. Erebus was very sweet and kind, I really wished Kalona could see that and stop being an idiot.

As for Kalona himself...I feel that as this novella was written much later than the time when he'd made his first appearance in the House of Night books, that the events had been twisted to arrive at the final conclusion: his Fall. Everything that had happened was rooted in misunderstanding, and it could have easily been resolved with an honest conversation, but no, let's vow to never speak of the night Kalona busted Nyx in Erebus's arms and misunderstood their intention. That was very stupid. I mean, they could've all vowed never to speak of the creation of the first vampire, but surely events before that were open to discussion, no?
Anyway, Kalona's character was flat; all we learned about him was his great love for Nyx and his uncontrollable jealousy. Not very much, as anyone can see.


There was a glaring contradiction with what Kalona himself had said about his own creation. In one of the House of Night books, he said that the Sun was his father, and then in this novella, it was the moon. I mean, could you please make up your mind?
One of the other things that bothered me was how Kalona and Erebus never had any choice in whether they want to be with Nyx or not. They were created to serve her and make her happy. And although they could technically choose not to be with her, it would cause them great pain. I don't particularly like the idea of being predestined to love someone, without having a say in it.

And why did the Earth Mother ask the Shaman to kill that young girl? I haven't understood this part.

In a way, things would have been much better if only one of the winged immortals was created. I find it unfair for Erebus to be always on the sidelines like an obeying servant, and for Kalona to suffer because when he opened his eyes to gaze at the Goddess he was *destined* to love and protect, he believed he had competition, and because of a series of misunderstandings that could have been easily cleared, he suffered a great deal.

PS: Someone needed to kill bloody L'ota. And maybe stupid Nyx, because she hasn't sensed the creature's envy and malice. And because she threw Kalona out instead of talking to him like an adult.
Nonetheless, I like the Kalona in the other House of Night books. Feels like what he has gone through made him grow up, and has given his character more depth.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5

I have been reading the HoN novels since they first came out. They get a lot of flack and grief from my fellow bloggers, but they are a guilty pleasure of mine, I quite enjoy them. I have read the first three several times. Though I must admit that the last novel was a disappointment and I have not yet purchased Redeemed because Zoey being arrested left a sour taste in my mouth.

I have also really liked the little novella's showing insight into the grown ups. However, this novel was horrible.The art work was juvenile and if this book took more than a week to finish writing I would be surprised. The plot line was simplistic, though the magic descriptions were cool, and the characters annoying if not flat out stupid. If you have read these books then you know why Kalona was cast out, we don't need a whole Princess and the Pea type set up (Erebus and Kalona have to endure three trials to decide who should be Nyx Companion.) I already know Kalona is full of jealousy and anger, this novel didn't give him or Erebus any DEPTH! And Nyx acts so much like Zoey and a giggling school girl that I had a hard time seeing the great Goddess she is in the series.

There was no need for this novella to be written aside from the money it made the authors. I rolled my eyes so often that it took way longer than it should have for me to finish it. The only good thing about this book were the magic descriptions, the cats and the fact it gave me another book to add to my good reads reading challenge.

[Tatiana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Билась я,билась и сдалась. Не нравится мне как описано, вот не могу, хоть убейте. Эти рассказы как банка с соплями, вот честно слово xD 10 страниц Матушка Земля и Никс целуют ножки друг друга и только потом появляется Калона и опять тонны цветастых фраз. Никс богиня, покровительница людей, но она простите меня тупа и наивна как пробка. Когда она открыла рот меня аж корежило от ее наивных фразочек. Ничего нового из этого рассказа о Калоне вы не узнаете. Накой хер переписывать одно и тоже??? БЛЯХА МУХА, дайте нормальную фэнтази историю, а не этот комок соплей! аррррррррр! Желание у меня сейчас одно - СЖЕЧЬ ЭТУ КНИГУ xD

[Yasmin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that was disappointing. It wasn't exactly bad, but just so uninteresting and unspecial. I can't believe Kalona's past was really that boring, and this novella also just proves how dumb that goddess of theirs is. This was also written pretty badly.

[Jodie]

Can't wait to read this, I'm enjoying the novellas more than the main series.

[Burak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kalona'nın nasıl düştüğünü öğrendikte neden bu kadar kibirli doğduğunu öğrenemedik .

[Vivien Noelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich kann Nyx einfach nicht ernst nehmen ...

[Pflanzis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich musste mich in weiten Teilen durch dieses Buch zwingen, aber es hat ein paar Aspekte der House of Night Reihe beleuchtet und Fragen geklärt, die letztendlich dann doch ganz nice to know waren.

[Shaheen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I haven't read the House of Night series. I've never been inclined to pick it up, but I was sent this novella for review, and I thought it would be the perfect way for me to see if this world and its characters are something I'd be interested reading about. I want to make this clear: I went into this novella wanting to love it.

P.C Cast and Kristin Cast have been writing full length novels since 2007 (I did a Goodreads search), so there is really no excuse for how poorly written this novella is. The dialogue is artificial, the storytelling confused, and the novella comes across as laboured.

I gather that Kalona's some kind of dream hunk in the main series? Maybe he's a potential love interest for someone? Anyway, from the moment he is conceived, Kalona is irrationally jealous and possessive of Nyx. There was nothing in this character that made me like him - he had no reason to be jealous, especially since Nyx had only ever been with him. Erebus, on the other hand, was always sweet and understanding, and although I get that Nyx wasn't sexually attracted to him, I still thought she would be much happier with him than with Kalona. Not that Nyx was much more likeable than her chosen lover: vain, naive to the point of stupidity and blind to the feelings of others, she probably made a better match for Kalona than Erebus.

But it wasn't the characters that had me screaming in frustration when I was reading this - it was the poor story-telling. The authors were going for a grand, mythic kind of storytelling similar to Greek epics. They were unable to deliver, in my opinion, and the result is a story that includes awkward dialogue and needless repetition of certain phrases (there were only so many times I could read 'Warrior and lover, playmate and friend' or variations of it). Lengthly descriptions of every form that the goddess Nyx could take were tiring and the relationship between Nyx and Mother earth can generously be described as irksome.

The actual story of why Kalona was kicked out of the Otherworld is interesting, but completely and utterly predictable. I liked the idea of the three tests and how they brought out different aspects of the brother's personalities. The world-building was lush and the descriptions of the Otherworld and a much younger Earth were wonderful.

My favourite part about the book (indeed, the only reason I kept reading it after the first few chapters) are the illustrations. They are absolutely gorgeous! This paperback edition has 11 black and white illustrations placed at the beginning of each chapter, showing a scene from that chapter. They are wonderful, and I think that it's worth getting the novella in print just for the illustrations.

Having starting the novella with the intent of scoping out the main series, I have to say I am disappointed in the quality of the writing and will not be pursuing the House of Night novels. However, fans of the series, who probably like this writing style, will enjoy the chance of getting to know all about Kalona's creation and his time in the Otherworld.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .

[Kiya Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply put this book was an emotional roller coaster. It's told from both Kalona's and Nyx's point of views, along with that of a few others. It manages to explain so much and so little all at once. You get a general synopsis of the inner workings of Kalona's mind but not enough to really understand his fall. It all kind of seems silly and meaningless in the end. Why not tell the last chapter from his point of view seeing as it is his story. Instead of guiding the reader through Kalona's despair and anguish- really digging into his mindset, the author simply abandons him altogether. One paragraph he is a loving, devoted hero of the goddess, the next he is a dark and brooding servant. It happens so fast and with so few details. In the end his fall just seems so understated and anticlimactic.

To sum up with Spoilers


1). Mother Earth was a biased punk. I absolutely hated her controlling, manipulative self. She treated Kalona like a step child and then wondered why he turned out that way. Also the way she condemned him for obeying Nyx was wrong. She created him to serve Nyx then got all huffy and puffy about the way in which he served her. Maybe if she was better at her job she would have created one boy not two.

2.) Nyx the fool. I mean really! No one told me she was really a thirteen year old girl in disguise. Seriously, age must be the only requirement to be a goddess, no maturity needed. There is no way she was that dense and single-minded. She went from regal to boy- crazy in zero. She could have easily prevented everything but she was too busy playing the part of a silly, stupid girl in love. She was just so blinded by love more like lust if you ask me.

3.) Idiots make too many dag on vows. Unless you are a psychic and can see the outcome of every choice you make save yourself some grief. Otherwise get clever and find the loop holes. I mean really how hard is it to ask, " hey what is going on with you" or " why are you mad at me?" The idiots said they were in love and yet they failed to communicate. Can't help but think Nyx was some kind of dumb.

4.) Kalona was wonderful and honest. He just wanted to be himself and it was too much for everyone else to handle.

5.) Overall, it was a pretty decent plot with unique creation stories.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many reasons I wanted to strangle Kalona throughout the series. Then I realized I actually liked him and started rooting for him. This novella dug a little deeper into the past of Kalona and boy was I surprised. His relationship with Nyx and Erebus was not what I expected but turned out to be so much more!

Kalona & Erebus were created for Nyx by Mother Earth using the elements needed to bring them both to life. Challenged with 3 tasks to prove their worth to Goddess Nyx both Kalona and Erebus were allowed to use the elements. Choosing which they would like to weld both tried to gain the Goddess's favor. Both willing and ready to take their place by her side. Although Erebus and Kalona's feelings for Nyx were very much different, Nyx cared for both deeply.

In the end, Kalona made choices that got the better of him, causing him to be cast out of Nyx's realm and forever seen as a Fallen Warrior. Right where the House of Night Series picks up on his character and even though he starts out as one of the evil characters going against everything Zoey and her friends are fighting for, by the time you get through the series, Kalona's character takes on a new life. His son and the Goddess Nyx have everything to do with the change taking place within him and I've loved getting to know him on a deeper level in this novella.

[belle ☆ﾐ (thisbellereadstoo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

didn't like kalona from the beginning of the series because he's a) the bad guy and b) chaotic and possessive but honestly, it doesn't even feel like he's the main villain anymore? neferet seems like the one with a greater and more dangerous ulterior motive. regardless, it's always nice to find out the true background of the characters, especially the villains. got to say, kalona was easily taunted and always jealous. he couldn't rein those emotions in which led him to make really bad decisions that caused him his spot beside nyx. it was interesting to see nyx as a younger and more naive goddess. she's always so wise with zoey and the rest but she was once a young girl in love.

books in the series:
1. dragon’s oath: ✰✰✰
2. lenobia’s vow: ✰✰½
3. neferet’s curse: ✰✰✰
4. kalona’s fall: ✰✰✰

[Hayden Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mythology has always been interesting to me, ever since I was a kid. Learning about Greek mythology was one of my favorite middle-school topics.

So it's no surprise that I enjoyed this book -- it's very mythology-driven, incorporating Kalona and his story into this almost fable-like novella by the Cast duo (although I'm not very sure how much Kristin is actually doing anymore; her name has gone missing from the acknowledgments). It's very different from the other novellas, which were almost character studies -- KALONA'S FALL centers around Earth's creation thousands of years ago, and the way Cast incorporates vampyres and their feline companions into the story is interesting, and actually does what it's supposed to: it informs.

[Farheen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seeing as the novellas are much, much better than the main series,this is something I actually look forward to.

Edit: update review

Meh, it was okay. Honestly, this could've been a lot better. I wanted more in-depth details regarding the characters and their stories. But then again, this is the HoN series we're talking about, lol.

[Emilija · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find myself quite disappointed by this novella because it feels quite childish, and I don’t like how it’s written. That being said, it was nice to see new aspects of Nyx, Erebus and Kalona, and I really liked learning how the Vampyres were created.

[Eevebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5/5⭐

Este es un libro que forma parte de la saga "La Casa de la Noche" pero como un especial aparte. Son una recopilación de relatos de los cuatro personajes secundarios más importantes de la saga y en este caso tenemos la historia de Kalona, el villano y enemigo de la saga principal, pero también el que más llega a sorprenderte en la historia al saber todo lo que tenía detrás. Como ya dije en las reseñas de la saga principal, no puedo empatizar con él debido a las cosas tan horribles que ha hecho.

La trama me ha encantado y siento que ha sido el más nevesario de todos ellos. Me ha sorprendido ver la capacidad con la que se iba desarrollando todo, llegando al punto de corromperse cada pequeño resquicio de luz en la historia. Algo que me ha encantado es ver los inicios de todo, que no solo te muestran las cosas únicamente por la parte de él, sino también de ella. Y encima desde el nacimiento propio de Kalona. Me ha pillado de sorpresa y diría que me ha gustado la capacidad de las autoras de hacerte ver la parte más humana del personaje antes de su decadencia.

Los personajes me han pillado bastante de sorpresa, ya que aunque me ha gustado cómo sucedía todo, no me esperaba que iba a desarrollarse desde los inicios de todo. De hecho, incluso creía que la historia iba a desarrollarse con la maldad de Kalona haciendo todo lo malo y poco más, no que trataría sobre cómo nacía, conocía a Nyx y terminaba corrompiéndose y cayendo a la oscuridad. Aunque sabes el destino de ello, el romance me ha calado hondo porque debido a las inseguridades ha terminado corrompiéndose todo, dándole un final bastante agridulce a la historia.

La pluma de las autoras me ha sorprendido muchísimo en este libro porque he sentido como si me estuviera leyendo un cuento por la forma en que estaba escrito. Es el relato que más ameno se me ha hecho y también el que más me interesaba leer para ver la historia de estos tres personajes de los que se sabe muy poquito sobre su pasado.

En resumen, "La caída de Kalona" es un relato que me ha sorprendido bastante porque creo que era muy necesario y al mismo tiempo no me esperaba que iba a desarrollarse desde los inicios de Kalona, literalmente desde su propio nacimiento. Y ver la parte más humana del personaje antes de caer en la decadencia me ha resultado bastante trágico en general. La trama me ha gustado muchísimo porque no me esperaba la forma en la que iba a suceder todo, pero a la vez me ha parecido necesaria. Creo que aunque hablan mucho en la saga de lo que pasó entre Kalona y Nyx, nunca se detalló la historia completa o cómo terminó él desterrado por decisión de ella. Eso hace que aunque ya sepas el destino de ello, necesites descubrir lo que ha pasado para que ocurra ese acontecimiento tan trágico entre ambos. Los personajes han sido otro punto muy positivo, tomando en cuenta que siempre hablan de Nyx y de que su personaje al final es lo que gira en torno de todo el mundo de los vampiros me ha gustado conocerla en este relato de primera mano junto a Kalona y Erebus. Creo que los tres tienen mucho potencial para una historia más amplia y que podrían haber dado más juego en la saga, ya que salvo en la recta final, apenas sabes de ellos antes. El romance me ha gustado mucho, pero como tal ha sido agridulce porque se sabe lo que sucede entre ellos. Aun así, me cuesta ver esa bondad de la que habla Nyx, tomando en cuenta las cosas horribles que hace Kalona en el futuro y que yo al menos habría sido incapaz de perdonar. La pluma de las autoras me ha fascinado y creo que de todos los relatos en este es donde mejor han desarrollado las emociones de los personajes. Se ha captado a la perfección todo lo que estos representan en la propia saga y le han dado una profundidad mayor al transfondo de todos ellos. Creo sinceramente que podrían haber hecho más capítulos y a mí no me habrían sobrado para nada. Aunque sé que de haber seguido habría visto las cosas crueles que Kalona hace y no creo que hubiese sido muy agradable de leer.

[Fangs for the Fantasy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think the easiest way to sum up this short story is to re-write it in a way that makes sense (for House of Night anyway). So I’m reading Mother Earth as a troll who absolutely loathes Nyx while Nyx is that House Guest who won’t take a fucking hint (she taught Nyx everything, clearly). I can now follow the plot which now seems a lot more coherent. So:


Mother Earth: Ah Earth, so peaceful and special, just me and my children…

Nyx: Helooooooooooooo

Mother Earth:… you’re still here? All the other immortals fucked off years ago

Nyx: No, I’m going to stay here forever and ever…

ME: Oh. Yay. And I see you have tattoos now

Nyx: Aren’t they wonderful

ME:… yes… I’m sure. In no way does it look like a sugar high six year old was let loose on you with a sharpie.

Nyx: Look the book has illustrations!

ME: Thankfully that means less text.

Nyx: I love Earth and my fae just love frolicking here

ME: You mean your slaves that exist to serve you love taking holidays as far away from you as they can possibly get? Funny that…

Nyx: I’m just so lonely…

ME: I wish I was… I know, if I give you a companion you can spend more time anywhere I’m not. Sun, Moon, get down here and create some poor sap to endure Nyx!

Nyx: Oh thank you! Hey, they’ve created two?

ME: Oh, how surprising. I totally didn’t do that on purpose so they would both compete for your affections and drive you to distraction. Not At All.


Erebus: Hi Mother Earth!

ME: Oh charming wonderful boy, welcome!

Kalona: Hi Mother Earth!

ME: you can fuck right off, arsehole.

Kalona: I’m like 5 minutes old…

ME: like I give a fuck? Enjoy the head games, kiddies. Hey, do you know what would make this more fun? If I give these 10 minute year old beings super powers and make them use those powers to compete for your affections, Nyx! Because new borns competing for mummy’s love AND wifey’s love with super powers is bound to create a stable relationship


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[Christy Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book #11.5 A mildly interesting back story. AS the case with the other novella's with HON I figured this would be important to the final book. It may be.

However I felt that lots of this book was filled with fluff. The basic idea was great, but the execution of the idea was a bit thin. It was interesting to see the creation of Kalona and Erebus and their relationship with Nyx. I liked them both pretty well, but I think for me the biggest disappointment of the story was Nyx herself. She had no defining personality. She was mediocre to read about. I couldn't find her likeable. I thought Mother Earth was conniving and manipulative. The tests she conjured made no sense to me. That right there elicited competition between the brothers. She should rather have set them ask tasks that were NOT compared to each other. So the white bull is in this story. Where was the black bull? Where one is the other should be also I thought? Maybe he should have been hanging out with Nyx and given her some spunk.

The best part of the story was at the very end when Nyx, saddened by Kalona's choice (?? THAT could have been handled better! Miscommunication much?) to fall finds comfort in talking to Erebus. He says that since it has made her so sad and his forgiveness would make her feel better he would help Kalona to seek forgiveness. Nyx protests that Kalona will not want Erebus' help. He's right. Erebus then says that he will help Kalona without him knowing that's what he's doing. Hmmmm. That will probably be the most important part of the novella.

With this story in mind I had been afraid that Kalona would have to sacrifice himself to pay for Neferet's demise- an immortal for an immortal. Makes sense, but now I wonder if somehow he'll find forgiveness before. If he doesn't first then that whole story line was a waste. I was also surprised that Erebus hasn't been Nyx's lover. Huh.

Well onto the final installment.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book was an obvious choice for me, because I have been following along with this book series for a few years now. Each of the individual novella’s have helped me to understand some of the supporting characters a bit more. The idea of getting to know the story behind Kalona and his decent from grace had me very excited.

In comparison to the other books and novella’s in this series, I actually found this one to be slow and kind of dull. I felt like this particular book was a bit of a disappointment. I really think that the author should have made it a little bit longer in order to elaborate on the characters and their relationships to one another more. I thought that the descriptions of the scene were done well and the timeline of creation was well described but other than that, the book left a lot to be desired. Im giving this book two stars, because I felt like it began well, but then died off and lost its focus as progressed.

To read my full review, please visit my website here.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Source: I read this book online.
Cost: Free

Title: Kalona's Fall
Series: House of Night Novellas #4
Authors: PC and Kristen Cast
Overall Rating: 3 stars

The more of this series I finish and move away from, the better my life becomes. It's a weight to finally finish these novellas, although they haven't been as bad as I initially thought. I enjoyed most of them a lot more than I enjoyed the actual series.

Part of me was kind of excited going into this book, I love the whole backstory behind fallen angels, and I was interested in how Kalona's Fall came about. I wanted to understand his character and his backstory a lot better and this story made me actually kind of like him, I also kind of felt sorry for him too. All he wanted was to be loved by Nyx.

Another thing this book made me realise was how much I liked Erabus and how much I wish he was in the main series.

Overall, not a bad novella.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved getting Kalona's history, his creation, then his fall. I have a feeling this is going to be very important background info for the last installment to the series.

[Melenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unpopular opinion, but I like Kalona.

I especially love him as a character. I admit if I met someone like that in real life, I'd hate them.

[Kacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last of the novellas, and by far the most anticipated one yet for me!

Truthfully, Kalona was set up for failure from the start. Had Mother Earth not been so upset that her companion for Nyx was made into twins, it's possible she would have seen past that oopsie and accepted each of her sons for whom they are. Like am I crazy that this is her fault? Sure, Kalona had eons to get over himself, but from day one of being created he saw that Erebus was her golden child (literally) and he was just there too.. And unless I misunderstood it, but didn't she HELP Erebus make the kittens for Nyx, when he was supposed to do all the tasks alone, therefor cheating? And yet when it was obvious Kalona needed a mother to help guide him she instead made things harder for him, treated him poorly, and then continued to say he was a constant failure. Definitely not mother of the year and it makes you wonder why all the other gods and goddesses left her long ago.. She seems too hard to please honestly.

Also, Nyx is a great character, although she is kind of one note and like beloved by everyone which is fine, but she CHOSE to make the vow that prevented her from speaking anything about the night they created the first vampyre. She let it fester and she then has one big argument with Kalona which leads to his fall. She's not the only one at fault here, but she is to blame for some of it and most importantly what pushed him over the edge into Darkness.

I find it interested that through the main series and this novella, he has gotten the best arc of all. I may be a fool to assume that things will finally fall into place in the final book and that he is fully forgiven by Nyx for all the damage he's caused and allowed back into the Otherworld.

I look forward to seeing what's left for Kalona. I think he's come a long way from being creepy and evil to completely misunderstood and never given a fair shot at anything. I never thought I'd be such a Kalona defender, but honestly let's go. I hope the Casts gave him the good ending!