Review: Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake

Title: Nightwalker

Author: Jocelynn Drake

Series: Dark Days, #1

 •Source: Purchased
 •Publisher: EOS
 •Publication Date: August 2008

Opening Line: His name was Danaus.

   

For centuries Mira has been a nightwalker — an unstoppable enforcer for a mysterious organization that manipulates earth-shaking events from the darkest shadows. But elemental mastery over fire sets her apart from others of her night-prowling breed...and may be all that prevents her doom.

The foe she now faces is human: the vampire hunter called Danaus, who has already destroyed so many undead. For Mira, the time has come to hunt or be hunted.

But in a dimension just beyond the worlds boundaries, a banished race stirs dangerously, hungry for power, for domination, for vengeance. Already a protective seal has been breached: already blood flows like a river through the world's great cities.

And only the collaboration of two sworn enemies can save humankind...and its feral brethren.

       


I love the mythology behind the Dark Days series. After humans were created, two guardian races were created to maintain the balance. The naturi are guardians of the earth, while the bori are the guardians of souls. The bori existed as a single clan with their own dark side. From the bori came the legends of angels and demons. The naturi existed in five clans;  earth, water, wind, light and animal. From the naturi grew the stories of elves, fairies and other magical creatures.

There was a constant power struggle between the bori and the naturi. The power and strength of the two races were dependent upon what they protected. As humanity grew the earth became weaker. A war started between the bori and the naturi. Tired of fighting each other, each side created foot soldiers using humans. The bori created nightwalkers, also known as vampires, using blood magic. This also left the nightwalkers dependent on blood magic, the reason they need to feed on blood to survive. The naturi created lycanthropes using earth magic. Lycanthropes can take on the gifts of the animals that they shift into.

The naturi wanted nothing more than to rid the earth of all humans and nightwalkers. The naturi think the only way to protect the earth is by removing it's greatest threat; mankind. The nightwalkers exiled most of the naturi and their queen into another world. One that was similar and connected to this world, but different. The nightwalkers sealed the door between the two worlds. I have no idea how the bori were exiled, it was never mentioned.

Now the few naturi the were left behind are trying to unseal and open the door between the two worlds and release their queen. Mira, a kick ass 600 year old nightwalker, is now forced to work with Danaus, a vampire hunter who is not exactly human, to stop the naturi and save mankind. And worse yet, the return of the naturi means the bori might return as well. For nightwalkers the naturi represent extinction, but the bori represent an eternity of slavery.

While I loved the mythology of the series, my feelings for Nightwalker are not as strong. There was this monotone feel throughout most of the book and some sections were a little slow. The characters also seemed a little flat. There were moments when everything seemed to have a little depth to it. These moments were usually between Mira and Danaus. They have this special flirtatious bickering, love-hate, cat and mouse, I want to rip your heart out kind of relationship. You're wondering why I gave Nightwalker 3 stars, right? Because it gets better! I don't know what changed, it was very subtle, but the last third of the book seemed to be more... animated. You notice the action scenes and the characters seem more real.

This is a series that you have to read in order, which means you're going to end up with annoying cliffhanger endings. On a high note the series is finished so you will not have to wait a year for the next book. Yay! Based on the last few chapters of Nightwalker I think the rest of Dark Days will be worth checking out.

Favorite Quotes

I wished for my fairy godmother, the good witch of the north, or some other bitch with a wand to glide in here and zap these arrow-shooting assholes.

"You're not the only one who wants my head on a pike at the moment. Take a number and get in line."

I had a tendency to forget how handsome he was when I was plotting how to peel his skin from the network of muscles and sinew that danced as he moved.

Can't Wait, Must Buy Now