Freaky Friday :|: 84

Title: Witchlight, Night World #9

Author: LJ Smith

Published: December 1997

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Pages: 227

Summary:

Keller is a black panther. She will do whatever it takes to survive. Keller meets her match when she’s hired to protect Iliana Harman, a blond ditz whose only concerns are clothes, boys, and parties. Can Iliana be the legendary Witch Child, one who can fend off the end of the world? Galen, the gorgeous boy destined to be the Witch Child’s soulmate, and Keller are falling in love, but it’s a love that will destroy everything. Keller knows she has to give him up — but her heart won’t listen.

Meanwhile, the Night World is closing in, to kill all three of them. (from bn.com)

And . . . scene. I think I've had it up to here with the soulmate books. I just may have checked out about 4 steps ago. Why MUST these stories center around a soulmate issue? Why? I think it would be a perfectly good story without it. You know, I get the teen love thing. I really do. But soulmates? Is that the only way to propel plot? Yeah, I know. These books came out before the craze but suffice it to say, there's a definite motif running through Smith's books that would have kept me away even in 90s context.

Freaky Friday :|: 83

Title: Black Dawn, Night World #8

Author: LJ Smith

Published: October 1997

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Pages: 227

Summary:

First he put her in a dungeon. Then he realized they were soulmates. Now he wants to make her a vampire princess. Maggie Neely is a short, spunky sixteen-year-old with auburn hair and an iron will. When her brother turns up missing, she’s determined to find him. But she never suspects that the trail will lead her into the most secret heart of the Night World, a kingdom where no outsider has stepped in five hundred years.

The kingdom is ruled by the young vampire prince Delos…who keeps all humans as slaves. When Delos falls in love with Maggie, he frees her and demands that she join him in his life of dark pleasure. He’s handsome, he’s romantic Maggie can hardly resist him. But did he kill Maggie’s brother? And who are the strange people searching the kingdom for a Wild Power? Maggie won’t give up until she learns the truth even if it means destroying Delos and his secret land. If he doesn’t destroy her first… (from bn.com)

The premise actually sounds really interesting and Delos sounds like an awesome villain. The world looks like it'd be incredibly creepy too. But for the love of god can we cut it with the soulmates shit? It's old. Well, it wasn't old when these books first came out but even then, it's one right after the other with this stuff.

Freaky Friday :|: 82

Title: Huntress, Night World #7

Author: LJ Smith

Published: July 1997

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Pages: 226

Summary:

Jez Redfern is unique. She's a vampire hunter...who's half vampire. Raised in the Redfern family, the girl with fiery hair and silvery-blue eyes was the undisputed leader of a gang of vampire raiders. Then came the discovery that shattered her life - her mother was a human. Now, Jez hunts her former friends, protecting humans from the Night World.

But when Circle Daybreak sends her on a search for one of the legendary Wild Powers, Jez has to rejoin her old gang. They want her back — especially Morgead, the gorgeous green-eyed vampire who used to be her second-in-command. Jez wants to stay faithful to Hugh Davis, the human she loves. But Morgead swears he's her soulmate and he'll do anything to lure her back to the old ways. With danger and temptation around, Jez finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. And she's afraid that if she tastes blood again, she'll become the evil huntress she once was... (from bn.com)

What's with all of the soulmate stuff? Smith's work seems to be riddled with it. Regardless of plot, I don't know if I can take this much soulmatey-ness.

Freaky Friday :|: 81

Title: Soulmate, Night World #6

Author: LJ Smith

Published: April 1997

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 208

Summary:

Hannah Snow's life was perfect...until the notes started appearing. Notes in her own handwriting, warning her: Dead before Seventeen. Then she starts having visions of another time, another life. And of a stranger who tore her world apart.

Now the stranger, Thierry, Lord of the Night World, is back. Convinced Hannah is his soulmate, he has searched for her throughout the years, waiting for her to be reborn. But if Hannah’s destiny is death, can even Thierry's love protect her? (from bn.com)

This has some potential. I could read this. It all depends on the ending, though. I can't deal with too much schmoopy 'I lurve heeeeeeeem' type of stuff. But I'd give it a try.

Freaky Friday :|: 80

Yeah, I'm a little late. Oh well.

Title: The Chosen, Night World #5

Author: LJ Smith

Published: January 1997

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 211

Summary:

Armed with a wooden stake, martial arts, and the will to resist a vampire’s mind control, Rachel struggles to avenge her mother’s death in The Chosen. Then she meets Quinn, her soulmate, who is part of the world she has vowed to destroy. (from bn.com)

Yeah, a little over the soul mate thing. I could probably live without this one based on that alone.

Freaky Friday :|: 79

Title: Dark Angel, Night World #4

Author: LJ Smith

Published: November 1996

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 209

Summary:

Dark Angel, Gilian is saved from drowning by her guardian angel. Only visible to Gilian, Angel will fulfill her heart’s every desire. But when Angel starts making strange and sinister requests, Gilian must question who he truly is and where he came from.

Dun, dun, dun. It could be good. It's a relatively intriguing story line.

Freaky Friday :|: 78

Title: Spellbinder, Night World #3

Author: LJ Smith

Published: September 1996

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Pages: 227

Summary:

In Spellbinder the plot centers on Thea and Blaise Harman, cousins who belong to the race of witches. Although they are as close as sisters, in temperament the girls are as different as day from night; Thea belongs to Circle Twilight, for the not-so-wicked-witches and Blaise belongs to Circle Midnight, for the darker ones. When the two cousins start fighting over Eric Ross there ensures an epic battle between black and white magic.

Yeah, um, no.  That's quite possibly one of the lamest blurbs I've ever read.  It's like she stopped trying or something.  I hope the whole series isn't like this.  There are a few more after this one.

Freaky Friday :|: 77

Title: Daughters of Darkness, Night World #2
Author: LJ Smith
Published: August 1996
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 240
Summary:

Mary-Lynnette, seventeen, loves to watch the stars from her Oregon backyard. Then one day, she thinks she’s witnessed a murder through her telescope. She’s wrong: it’s only three vampire sisters burying their mysteriously-killed aunt. The sisters, Rowan, Kestral, and Jade ran away from their enclave home to live the lives of regular teenagers. However, when their brother Ash is sent to bring the girls back, he falls in love with Mary-Lynnette. But will she accept him because of his lurid vampire past and can a now-repentant Ash convince Mary-Lynnette to let him atone for his former sins and be his soulmate? (from bn.com)

While I'm more interested in the chicks burying their aunt, this one could have potential. I'm not big on the romance/soul mate thing. That I could live without.

Freaky Friday :|: 76

Title: Secret Vampire, Night World Series #1
Author: LJ Smith
Published: April 1996
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 228
Summary:

The series takes place in a world similar to our own but one where vampires, witches, werewolves and shape-shifters live among humans without their knowledge. These supernatural races make up a secret society known as the Night World, which enforces two fundamental laws to prevent discovery: 1) Never allow humans to gain knowledge of the Night World's existence and, 2) Never fall in love with one of them.

In Secret Vampire, Poppy thought the summer would last forever. Then she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now Poppy's only hope for survival is James, her friend and secret love. A vampire in the Night World, James can make Poppy immortal. But first they both must risk everything to go against the laws of Night World. (from bn.com)

Meh. Sounds like a pretty overcooked plot. Today, anyway. God save LJ Smith. There was hardly any of this back in the mid 90s so it was new and fresh. How I wish I'd stumbled upon it then. Sadly I don't know how much I'd enjoy this one now. I guess it depends on how different it actually is.