"Four to stand between the light and the shadow, Four of blue fire, power in their blood " (Night World: Bind-up v. 1, Bks. 1-3 - Lisa J Smith)

Member Name: Sachenka

Product:	Night World: Bind-up v. 1, Bks. 1-3 - Lisa J Smith
Date:	14/06/09 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An exceptional series that I'd recommend heartilly to anyone and everyone!

Disadvantages: Not the best written books, but still enjoyable

With the advent of the 'Twilight' series, vampire fiction has suddenly become fashionable again. Although these books were first published in the early 90s, they're still very accessible to teenage audiences today. In all honesty, they aren't the best written books in the world; despite my dislike for 'Twilight', I will admit that Meyer has a better grasp on grammar. However, as a young teenager I devoured these books and will always have a soft spot for them.

Smith has created a secret world which consists of supernatural creatures: vampires, werewolves, witches and shapeshifters. As with most vampire fiction, the 'night people' are forbidden from telling humans about their existence or, the ultimate sin, falling in love with humans. Predictably, these sets of stories are about the supernatural creatures defying these laws despite the threat of excommunication or, worse, death.

The first book, 'Secret Vampire', features a vampire, James, who falls in love with his dying friend, Poppy. Restricted by Night World law, James has to figure out a way to save her. Although not as exciting as some of the other Night World books, I think that this first story is actually quite good. We are introduced to the different type of vampires who inhabit the Night World: James is a lamia vampire, one who is born a vampire and can grow old; the other type, we are told, are the ones bitten by a vampire and remain ageless. We are also made aware of the consequences attached to breaking the law, even if it's in the name of a good cause. I think this aspect of the book will make young teenagers think about their actions and how certain things have a knock-on effect on other people. As a standalone book it isn't perhaps the best example of a Night World book, but it certainly had me hooked onto this series straight away as a thirteen year old.

The next book is called 'Daughters of Darkness' and features more lamia vampires. This time, we begin the book with the Night World laws very much broken as three lamia sisters escape from their vampire conclave and move into the real world. We are also introduced to a very solid character in the form of Mary-Lynette, the human character, who is a normal, down-to-earth teenage kid with an obsession with astrology. I like the fact that Mary-Lynette is so solid; she isn't a weepy, ethereal creature who's just waiting for a dark vampire to sweep her off her feet. She's the sort of character who will laugh at herself - I especially liked the part when she tells herself that it's difficult to be romantic when she has cheesey crisp crumbs all over her fingers. This book also starts character building earlier on: in 'Secret Vampire' we briefly meet James' cousin, Ash, who is a very menacing and unlovable character. However, in 'Daughters of Darkness' Ash becomes a prominent figure who actually becomes almost as likeable as Mary-Lynette. The romantic tension between the two is rather amusing and, surprisingly, works very well. There were a couple of rather ghoulish scenes in this book; there are quite a few dead bodies to dispose of as well as a rather eerie scene in the woods, but Mary-Lynette's calm acceptance of them all serves to allow the audience to accept them without qualms. I found the ending to this book is quite sad, although I know later on in the series things turn out for the best.

The third book in this collection is called 'Enchantress' and is all about the witches of Night World. To be honest, this wasn't one of my favourite stories, and not just because it doesn't feature vampires! This story is predominantly set in a high-school which, I feel, detracts from the otherness of the supernatural world. It could be because most vampire teen novels seem to be orientated around a high school (see 'Twilight' or 'Marked') or it could be because the previous two books steered clear from a high school setting. The two main characters, Blaise and Thea, are fairly stereotypical: Blaise, the "evil" cousin, has long black hair and a to-die-for body, whereas Thea, the "good" cousin is blonde, soft and loves animals. Again, this is another book that deals with the consequences of action, and not just through the falling of love with a human. The events that happen around the Halloween dance are quite frightening: there are some rather violent deaths in the middle of the book. There is also the distressing spectacle of one of Blaise's former human playthings which, as a younger reader, upset me a little. Whilst this book isn't nearly as good as the previous two, it's quite hard-hitting and really makes you think about what LJ Smith is trying to say about responsibility, especially when you're in a position of high-power.

To conclude, I would definitely recommend this to any reader of vampire fiction. Despite a few violent scenes, I think this would be perfect for younger teenagers as well as young adult readers. It's refreshing to see that there are no scenes of a sexual nature or any explicit language, unlike the 'House of the Night' series. I would be comfortable giving this book to anyone aged thirteen or above.

Summary: A very good series similar to books such as Twilight and the Vampire Diaries