aurorepersy's review against another edition
5.0
Ditch Twilight and read this instead. I’m serious. I just finished this and I’m as ecstatic as teenage me would have been had I found out about these books ten years earlier!
This “quartet” is extremely well-rounded and you can feel the evolving maturity of the author as you read each novella.
Each plot is very easy to follow and the way the stories are told easily drags you in, immersing you completely in the supernatural world. By the way, world-building is really amazing: it is detailed enough, yet leaves room for the reader to imagine and extrapolate, which is something I love to do and I think is crucial in supernatural literature, especially YA. I would nonetheless like to give a special mention to the different explanations of bloodlines and genealogy which transpired with mastery and a sense of the real.
Character-wise, I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the main characters are strong-willed, determined, and not reliant on romance. Yes, all the main characters have flirts, but the endings are very open and again, it helps building a sense of the real—because, really, after living through traumatic events for weeks (and mainly have tragic/traumatic back stories) it’s only NORMAL not to throw yourself in the arms of someone you barely know.
These also deal with morals and morality as well as what makes us human and it really was enjoyable to see it being treated.
My favorite is either #2 or #4 but truly, this entire collection is magnificent.
This “quartet” is extremely well-rounded and you can feel the evolving maturity of the author as you read each novella.
Each plot is very easy to follow and the way the stories are told easily drags you in, immersing you completely in the supernatural world. By the way, world-building is really amazing: it is detailed enough, yet leaves room for the reader to imagine and extrapolate, which is something I love to do and I think is crucial in supernatural literature, especially YA. I would nonetheless like to give a special mention to the different explanations of bloodlines and genealogy which transpired with mastery and a sense of the real.
Character-wise, I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the main characters are strong-willed, determined, and not reliant on romance. Yes, all the main characters have flirts, but the endings are very open and again, it helps building a sense of the real—because, really, after living through traumatic events for weeks (and mainly have tragic/traumatic back stories) it’s only NORMAL not to throw yourself in the arms of someone you barely know.
These also deal with morals and morality as well as what makes us human and it really was enjoyable to see it being treated.
My favorite is either #2 or #4 but truly, this entire collection is magnificent.
jeanmcdonald's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kassandra_detroy's review against another edition
2.0
I did not get to finish the last story in this edition, I will eventually get around to reading that story separately if I can find a copy of it on it's own. I read and liked "In the forests of the Night" years ago and find out of all of the stories to do with this world, still to be my favorite. I knew about "Demon in my View" and know I had started to read it at one point but I must not have finished reading it as I didn't remember how it had ended.
mirtmink's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An enticing collection of early 2000s vampire novellas. Atwater-Rhodes is really talented; their characters are so well-defined in a short time. I liked to see the how writing style changed and improved over the course of the four books.
infariveronaa's review against another edition
3.0
I like how you can read each book separately without having to read them in a specific order to get a complete story. Yet they're all still connected in some way. It's nice to know Rhodes doesn't forget what's in her previous works.
Out of all of them, Demon in My View was my favorite. Then comes Midnight Predator (although I do wish Turquoise and Jaguar's relationship expanded more and was more elaborated), then Shattered Mirror, and finally In the Forest of the Night.
Out of all of them, Demon in My View was my favorite. Then comes Midnight Predator (although I do wish Turquoise and Jaguar's relationship expanded more and was more elaborated), then Shattered Mirror, and finally In the Forest of the Night.
taemon94's review against another edition
3.0
I'm rating this book on the the story I gave the most stars to.
•In the Forest of the Night (2 stars)
I felt the dialogue was repetitive and it kind of annoyed me. Risika was an awesome character and her life story drew me in. The switch between her part life and current vampire life showed how much she grew as a person and being of the night. The plot twist for a short story made the ending bittersweet.
•Demon in My View (1 1/2 stars)
Jessica was really headstrong and made everyone out to be the enemy. I could understand her reasons but after awhile it made me dislike her. Aubrey was a great lead male to me, he wasn't assertive but took his time learning his prey and eventually took a great interest in her.
•Shattered Mirror (1 star)
Didn't really find Sarah interesting. Nothing made her stand out to me. The story was pretty bland and the only thing that kind of saved it to me were Christopher and Nikolas. They were way more interesting than Sarah.
•Midnight Predator (3 1/2 stars)
Turquoises' back stry is what put life into her. She was confident but not cocky unlike Ravyn. Jaguar was an intriguing character that brought out Turquoise sensitive but yet strong side. But yet you like him because he's not cruel and selfish like the other vampires tended to be. This story has he most depth to it unlike the other three. This was the only one that left me letting more and for the story to continue ^_^
•In the Forest of the Night (2 stars)
I felt the dialogue was repetitive and it kind of annoyed me. Risika was an awesome character and her life story drew me in. The switch between her part life and current vampire life showed how much she grew as a person and being of the night. The plot twist for a short story made the ending bittersweet.
•Demon in My View (1 1/2 stars)
Jessica was really headstrong and made everyone out to be the enemy. I could understand her reasons but after awhile it made me dislike her. Aubrey was a great lead male to me, he wasn't assertive but took his time learning his prey and eventually took a great interest in her.
•Shattered Mirror (1 star)
Didn't really find Sarah interesting. Nothing made her stand out to me. The story was pretty bland and the only thing that kind of saved it to me were Christopher and Nikolas. They were way more interesting than Sarah.
•Midnight Predator (3 1/2 stars)
Turquoises' back stry is what put life into her. She was confident but not cocky unlike Ravyn. Jaguar was an intriguing character that brought out Turquoise sensitive but yet strong side. But yet you like him because he's not cruel and selfish like the other vampires tended to be. This story has he most depth to it unlike the other three. This was the only one that left me letting more and for the story to continue ^_^
mandyk's review against another edition
3.0
Cover: I absolutely love this cover! It's so beautiful.It looks even better in real life. Ah, love it.
StoryLine: The Den of Shadows is a collection of four novels, all based in the same world, but with different stories. The first three involve reoccurring characters, but the forth has all new characters.
The first is the only one told in first person, the rest are all third person. The first book is about Risika, a powerful vampire, taking control of her life.
The second is about Jessica, a girl who writes vampire novels, which she thinks are just fiction of her imagination, but in reality, are completely, 100% non-fiction, and now all her 'characters' want to destroy the author who is blabbing all their secrets.
The third is about Sarah, the daughter of the most powerful of all witches, and a powerful one herself, who changes school, and starts to fall for a vampire of all people, just to discover that he has some relation to the vampire she's been hunting, who happens to be one of the most wanted of all vampires.
The forth book is about Turquoise, ex-human slave turned human vampire hunter, who gets a job to destroy a very powerful vampire, but the only way to do that is to sneak into Midnight, the capitol of the trade trainers, as a human slave.
Characters: All four stories had great characters. I think Aubrey and Jaguar are my favorites, they are so, just , ahh. The first novel didn't have any romance, sadly, but the last three did, and it was great.
Parting Thoughts: I really loved this collection. Each story was better then the last. Atwater-Rhodes is an amazing author, and I can't wait to read more of her work.
StoryLine: The Den of Shadows is a collection of four novels, all based in the same world, but with different stories. The first three involve reoccurring characters, but the forth has all new characters.
The first is the only one told in first person, the rest are all third person. The first book is about Risika, a powerful vampire, taking control of her life.
The second is about Jessica, a girl who writes vampire novels, which she thinks are just fiction of her imagination, but in reality, are completely, 100% non-fiction, and now all her 'characters' want to destroy the author who is blabbing all their secrets.
The third is about Sarah, the daughter of the most powerful of all witches, and a powerful one herself, who changes school, and starts to fall for a vampire of all people, just to discover that he has some relation to the vampire she's been hunting, who happens to be one of the most wanted of all vampires.
The forth book is about Turquoise, ex-human slave turned human vampire hunter, who gets a job to destroy a very powerful vampire, but the only way to do that is to sneak into Midnight, the capitol of the trade trainers, as a human slave.
Characters: All four stories had great characters. I think Aubrey and Jaguar are my favorites, they are so, just , ahh. The first novel didn't have any romance, sadly, but the last three did, and it was great.
Parting Thoughts: I really loved this collection. Each story was better then the last. Atwater-Rhodes is an amazing author, and I can't wait to read more of her work.
angelahayes's review against another edition
4.0
3 ½ Stars
The Den of Shadows Quartet contains the first four books in The Den of Shadows series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. I was impressed to discover that the first book of the series was written when the author was just thirteen years old. Now, that’s quite an accomplishment!
This is a great YA, paranormal fantasy series with vampires, shapeshifters, supernatural elements, mystery, suspense, danger, action, drama, and a little angst.
These first four books follow the adventures of teenage leading characters- Risika, Jessica, Turquoise, and Sarah as they discover all about themselves and their part in the mysterious world of Vampires, and witches.
An original take on vampire and witch lore- with well developed and interesting characters. It’s well crafted and is a credit to Ms. Atwater-Rhodes! You can certainly see the author’s own growth and development as a writer, over the course of the series. She really comes into her own!
A fun read!
Thank you, Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
The Den of Shadows Quartet contains the first four books in The Den of Shadows series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. I was impressed to discover that the first book of the series was written when the author was just thirteen years old. Now, that’s quite an accomplishment!
This is a great YA, paranormal fantasy series with vampires, shapeshifters, supernatural elements, mystery, suspense, danger, action, drama, and a little angst.
These first four books follow the adventures of teenage leading characters- Risika, Jessica, Turquoise, and Sarah as they discover all about themselves and their part in the mysterious world of Vampires, and witches.
An original take on vampire and witch lore- with well developed and interesting characters. It’s well crafted and is a credit to Ms. Atwater-Rhodes! You can certainly see the author’s own growth and development as a writer, over the course of the series. She really comes into her own!
A fun read!
Thank you, Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
princess_starr's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up this edition as I’m missing two of the books in this series. And wow, did it bring me back. I originally read the series back when I was thirteen, so picking it up again after some time was refreshing.
In the Forests of the Night- While the writing is really stilted in this, it works well with Risika’s narration and you get the sense that you are reading the memories and current events of a three hundred year old vampire. The plot moves a little too quickly for such a short book, but I do like it. I love the world that’s created in the first book, and you really get the idea of the different power struggles and how different the vampires are from one another. Also, there’s a lot going back to Stoker’s idea of vampires in this (can go out in the sun, shape-shifting, faded reflection), which is always a plus in my book.
Demon in My View- I think my biggest problem with this one is that Jessica is an obvious Author Avatar and it shows. While I do like the idea of the shared universe (given her quick cameo in the previous book), this seemed to be a little too on the mark for me. However, it does give an interesting perspective on the romance between Jessica and Aubrey, precisely because she knows that Aubrey’s a vicious bastard- I’m a bit okay with the relationship because Jessica has nothing to lose. I’m still undecided on the explanation of how Jessica knows what she knows (I had the same issue with its use in Persistence of Memory), but it works a bit better in this book.
Shattered Mirror- So, Bella and Edward are star-crossed lovers, torn apart by their families’ feuding…wait, wrong books. (Although in the post-Twilight world, it’s really hard not to make the comparison.) I do like the fact that Nissa and Christopher have a definite reason for attending high school over and over again, and I like how differently you see Sarah react to them with the pressure of her family. I like the full introduction to the witches and their lines (which gets further explored in All Just Glass). The ending is a little sudden, however the sequel picks up right where it leaves off and goes into more detail.
Midnight Predator-This is a much different book than the rest of the series, as we finally get away from New Mayhem’s realm and deal with other vampires. I like the world building and the fact that there’s a much nastier sort of vampires who will break humans any way that they can. However, this also leads to my biggest characterization issue in the whole thing—Jaguar is still presented and commented as being one of the good guys, but nobody (particularly Turquoise) thinks about him ruling a slave empire after we found out about his past. (Which in my book, um. NO.) Not to say it was a bad book, I do like it, this bit just put me on the edge.
In the Forests of the Night- While the writing is really stilted in this, it works well with Risika’s narration and you get the sense that you are reading the memories and current events of a three hundred year old vampire. The plot moves a little too quickly for such a short book, but I do like it. I love the world that’s created in the first book, and you really get the idea of the different power struggles and how different the vampires are from one another. Also, there’s a lot going back to Stoker’s idea of vampires in this (can go out in the sun, shape-shifting, faded reflection), which is always a plus in my book.
Demon in My View- I think my biggest problem with this one is that Jessica is an obvious Author Avatar and it shows. While I do like the idea of the shared universe (given her quick cameo in the previous book), this seemed to be a little too on the mark for me. However, it does give an interesting perspective on the romance between Jessica and Aubrey, precisely because she knows that Aubrey’s a vicious bastard- I’m a bit okay with the relationship because Jessica has nothing to lose. I’m still undecided on the explanation of how Jessica knows what she knows (I had the same issue with its use in Persistence of Memory), but it works a bit better in this book.
Shattered Mirror- So, Bella and Edward are star-crossed lovers, torn apart by their families’ feuding…wait, wrong books. (Although in the post-Twilight world, it’s really hard not to make the comparison.) I do like the fact that Nissa and Christopher have a definite reason for attending high school over and over again, and I like how differently you see Sarah react to them with the pressure of her family. I like the full introduction to the witches and their lines (which gets further explored in All Just Glass). The ending is a little sudden, however the sequel picks up right where it leaves off and goes into more detail.
Midnight Predator-This is a much different book than the rest of the series, as we finally get away from New Mayhem’s realm and deal with other vampires. I like the world building and the fact that there’s a much nastier sort of vampires who will break humans any way that they can. However, this also leads to my biggest characterization issue in the whole thing—Jaguar is still presented and commented as being one of the good guys, but nobody (particularly Turquoise) thinks about him ruling a slave empire after we found out about his past. (Which in my book, um. NO.) Not to say it was a bad book, I do like it, this bit just put me on the edge.
rebeccajane's review against another edition
4.0
i love the poems at the start of each story. i loved all of them they were really cool. in midnight predator i couldn't decide whether nathaniel or jaguar was my favourite.