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The Superiors (The Superiors #1)

by Lena Hillbrand (Goodreads Author), Erin Valentine (Editor), Casey Siegel (Illustrator)

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 75 ratings · 40 reviews

Although Draven belongs to the master race that has taken over the world from humans, he can’t afford his own human. He clings to the lower rungs of society, struggling to pay rent and obey the strict laws of society. Then one night he captures Cali, a human runaway.

Draven must return the girl, but he can’t stop thinking about her. He returns to feed on her often and begin...more

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Published May 4th 2011 (first published April 15th 2011)

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Jul 14, 2011 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read a lot of vampire books, and I'm a little bit biased against them because of my intense dislike of all things Twilight. However, this book was written by my sister, so of course I had to read it. Luckily for me, it was nothing like Twilight. It is more of a guy centered book, and although there was some good chemistry between the characters, it never was sappy or mushy. There was a good plot, and I liked the characters. It's about a future world where vampires are in charge and hum...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Richard Bunning rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an exciting book in the “Vampire” genre, which keeps one’s interest boiling, and builds a close intimacy with the necessities of vampire “life”. The ending isn’t quite as sharp as the rest of the book, but this can be excused as it builds the start of the second book in the series.
Hillbrand brings the interesting mind set of her academic background to help her build a very creative and dynamic, “possible”, future vampire society. We see her vision through the eyes of the “undead” and th...more

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Aug 01, 2011 J.D. Stroube rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the beginning of the book, I wasn't thrilled. The first 1-2 chapters rubbed me the wrong way. However, the further I got into the book, the better it was.
I did feel that there was some information that could be removed to enhance the story.
Having said that, I thought the take on vampires was unique. There are so many vampire novels that take the same path as Twilight, and it's nice that this one doesn't do that.
The writing was more of a relaxed pace, sometimes too relaxed, and took me a w...more

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Aug 14, 2011 Brad Creamer rated it 5 of 5 stars

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Aug 28, 2011 Elana Hillbrand rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Feb 27, 2012 Shawn Davis rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the future humans have become little more than cattle while the world is ruled by three levels of vampires. Reduced greatly in number and serving only as a food source, treated as pets by some and abused terribly by others, humans are viewed as stupid and mindless.

Draven, a vampire of the Third - and lowest - order, bounces from job to meaningless job. His natural talents mean little due to the social order he was reborn into. His ration of blood is enough to keep him going and keep him stro...more In the future humans have become little more than cattle while the world is ruled by three levels of vampires. Reduced greatly in number and serving only as a food source, treated as pets by some and abused terribly by others, humans are viewed as stupid and mindless.

Draven, a vampire of the Third - and lowest - order, bounces from job to meaningless job. His natural talents mean little due to the social order he was reborn into. His ration of blood is enough to keep him going and keep him strong, but not enough to sate him. His first meeting with Aspen - later renamed Cali - introduces a desire for a specific human. She is young the first time they meet, running away from Confinement, but Draven never forgets her. Then he meets her again. And again. And she figures largely in his relationship with a Second Order vampire... although Draven doesn't know exactly how largely she looms.

This is not a typical vampire story, nor is it something I would place in the horror genre. It's a truly unique take on the vampire mythos, where they have taken over the world, but are portrayed not as super-humans, but far more human than they would like to admit. Especially since they tend to loathe humanity. There is corruption and decay, relationships both stable and crazy, an upper-class leadership and poverty; all within the vampire world itself.

The age of Aspen/Cali disturbed me. She is 11 when the story opens, and is still a teenager later on in the main part of the story. Her age did make it an uncomfortable read. Draven is a well drawn character, his development throughout the story is done very well. I also thought the character of Byron, the Second Order vampire was well drawn as well. There was not as much development to him in the story, but it suited the fact that he was a fairly remote and higher-class being. The facts about his past as given fit in perfectly with some of his quirky behaviors earlier in the story.

I started this book in the mood for a horror story, but stuck with it and read it quickly even when I figured out that it was truly not horror. Considering how frustrated I get when I decide I'm in the mood for a turkey sandwich and all we have in the frig is bologna, the fact that I didn't toss the story down and stomp off to watch the movie Prince of Darkness for my horror fix speaks volumes about this story. It's fascinating. (less)

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Sep 04, 2011 Rayven rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me just say, this book was a surprise. I had no idea what I was getting into when I decided to review this book. "The Superiors" Is not your everyday run of the mill vampire story. It is dark, gritty and at times very disturbing. This is the first book in the series written by Lena Hillbrand. She introduces us to a world run by Vampires, and a highly complex society with hierarchies, rules and strict laws for Vampires and humans. Where do humans fit in I am sure you are wondering? At the bot...more Let me just say, this book was a surprise. I had no idea what I was getting into when I decided to review this book. "The Superiors" Is not your everyday run of the mill vampire story. It is dark, gritty and at times very disturbing. This is the first book in the series written by Lena Hillbrand. She introduces us to a world run by Vampires, and a highly complex society with hierarchies, rules and strict laws for Vampires and humans. Where do humans fit in I am sure you are wondering? At the bottom of the food chain in the form of livestock.

In this new world where Vampires "Evolve" into their current stations in life, the story follows Draven Castle who is part of the lowest order of Superiors. Who soon finds himself mixed up with a "Sap" named Cali who attempted to run away from the Confinement camp. Draven is driven by the need for her blood and it sets him on a path of self- discovery and purpose, which doesn't always match what his society deems as acceptable. Not only does he battle himself, but his "Superiors" as well, which can have grave consequences.

The author takes her time in revealing the plot of the story, which moved it along perfectly. Slowly laying the groundwork for the series and building the suspense and anticipation of what was to come. The Characters are well developed as much as they can be within the drab existence that they are forced to live in. This atmosphere the author creates helps fuel the unique relationship between Draven and Cali, and their interactions bring the only lightness to the story. Where as their relationships with supporting characters only breed mistrust and secrecy. This book is not a feel good book and takes you into the dark and keeps you there, only to give you brief glimpses of humanity through Draven's dealings with Cali.

There is so much more I could say about this book, but I don't want to give away the story. But I highly recommend it to those who are looking for a different type of Vampire story. I finished this book in one sitting and I was left hanging at the end wishing I had the next book in the series "The Vigilantes" to read. This was a fantastic book for many reasons and deserves a 4.5 stars.

4.5 Stars

Reviewed for DarkissReads. www.darkissreads.com (less)

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Jul 23, 2011 Rose Hillbrand rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who like to read good literary fiction, and/or vampire novels.

Recommended to Rose by: My sister, the author.

This is the second time I read this book. The first time was a rough final draft, and I really enjoyed it a lot. But this time I liked it even better! It is hard for me to review it without comparing it to the earlier version, so I will say that I really enjoyed the new chapters about Cali and her life. It seemed like it made the book much more well-rounded, and I liked learning about how the humans lives were so different from the vampires.

This is my favorite vampire book I ever read (not count...more

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May 26, 2011 A.s. Anand rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Superiors is an enthralling novel that sets out an alternate future where vampires have taken over the world and humans are now their minions. The author's considerable talents shine through as she conjures a dazzling new world with a fascinating protagonist, Draven Castle, at its centre.

The book's greatest strength is the quality of the author's writing. For example, the narrator makes astute observations such as, `he sensed her shift from blind panic to simple fear'. It is a pleasure to r...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Jessica Roe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vamps

I just finished reading this book. I wasn't really sure what to expect after reading the reviews. However, I think this book is well written. The author has talent and had obviously used an editor. I did get bored on occasion. It wasn't that it was a bad book, but it was too slow. I found myself wondering why she bothered to include certain scenes, because they detracted from the overall plot. The beginning of the book is difficult to get through, because it moves at a snails pace. Considering t...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Collette Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fairly intense book. A little slow to start, but it plodded along at a steady pace. While not a fast-paced, action-filled story, she takes a methodical view of what a future life could be with vampires as leaders.

The writing was good and strong, and her characters were very unique, as was the story itself. I was intrigued at the way the vampires have taken over the world and cleverly bred humans to use as food - much like the way we use cows. The disdain the vampires view humans with...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Jane rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a vampire story with a difference, to me anyway as I have not read many in this genre. These vampire Superiors are a race that have evolved from humans from the First Order through to Thirds. Thirds are the lower Superior and Draven is one of these. Perhaps that is why he remembers his own humanity and has some feeling towards humans or saps (you and me, basically). Although Superiors believe humans are stupid and they use them as food, feeding on their blood. Yes, the Superiors have vam...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Andrea Newkirk (Dark Readers Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review: Imagine knowing that sometime during the night a vampire is going to feed off you. You don't know when or it is painful, and you already have several bite that aren't completely healed, but you are under instructions to obey the Superiors who have superiority over yourself- a human.

The Superiors is unlike any other vampire book that I have read. Lena creates a whole new world where vampires- known as the Superiors take over the area. They were evolved from humans and now feed off homo-s...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-apocalyptic, library-doesnt-have, paranormal-fantasy, series, 3-5-stars, vampires, science-fiction

At first this reminded me of the film Daybreakers, in the future the world is run by high tech vampires, that is where the similarities end however, which is good since I didn't really like the movie much.

Humans or 'saps' are thought of as animals and are kept in confinements, which are basically farms; restaurants, where vampires have a choice of different saps to feed from; or sometimes, if a vampire is wealthy enough, in a vampire's home as livestock. Vampires have their own heirarchy of Orde...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Saewod Tice rated it 3 of 5 stars

The concept of this Vampire novel was intriguing. The development of the different Superior races as well as the humans was really noew for me. I'd never read a book with this type of vampire development.

I also enjoyed the characterization of the vampires. The weren't perfection and this was nice to finally read about Vampires truly frozen as they once had been, not pergect greek gods.

Having stated that, I had a hard time feeling for any of the characters. At some points I had to push through ch...more

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Jun 08, 2011 C.D. Hussey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Aack, I'm so disappointed there's a sequel. I mean, I definitely wanted a second book in the series, but not a "to be continued" sequel! Now I have to wait for the next book to come out. Sigh.

The novel takes place sometime in the future when vampires rule the earth and humans (or saps) are considered livestock. The vampires are divided into three orders in a sort of caste system. Humans are pretty much equal to cows.

The hero, Draven, is a member of the lowest order, with a very boring and mundan...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Mich rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, new-author, vamps-i-love, fantasy

This isn't your regular over-fantasized and over-romanticized vampire book.
In fact ‘The Superiors’ is quite notably the most refreshing vampire book I’ve read in a long time.

I am a paranormal/fantasy fan of sorts. I’ll take my vampires in all ways and all forms. I’ve been on a Paranormal Romance kick for awhile now, so this book was a nice move from the sinfully masculine vampires that seem to have been living on the cover of all my books lately. (lol)

‘The Superiors’ had a great flow. Sometimes...more This isn't your regular over-fantasized and over-romanticized vampire book.
In fact ‘The Superiors’ is quite notably the most refreshing vampire book I’ve read in a long time.

I am a paranormal/fantasy fan of sorts. I’ll take my vampires in all ways and all forms. I’ve been on a Paranormal Romance kick for awhile now, so this book was a nice move from the sinfully masculine vampires that seem to have been living on the cover of all my books lately. (lol)

‘The Superiors’ had a great flow. Sometimes overly mellow, but never boring. I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing as it gave me time to actually picture the time/place and characters.
So what makes this book different? Vampires aren’t hidden in the shadows, in fact they are the Superior (get it?) race, and essentially run the world. We are introduced into the perpetually boring but intriguing world of Draven Castle. (yep, it’s a sweet name- and I am not sure if he got it post his evolution or it was the name he was born with) Draven is a 100 year old Superior, but in vampire land he is equivalent to the lower/middle class of society, and is treated as such. He can’t get the good jobs, or the good housing. He also can’t afford his own livestock…

Livestock? Oh yea. I forgot to tell you. Livestock are homo-sapiens. Humans are basically considered the lowest form of society and are sold and kept like cows.
The Superiors call the humans “saps.” There are “Sap restaurants” and “Sap Bloodbanks” and Saps stuck in a type of confinement center so they can be bread and be bought for their blood as pets.

This story is slow building, but works very hard on building the characters and their personal relationships with each other. It takes a while for you to find out why the world became sorted into 3 classes of Vampires, and why most of the livestock was killed off and needs to be kept securely in facilities. (although I am sure not all has been revealed, as I am still questioning how vampires came to rule the planet)

In my head Draven kind of looks like Adam Levine (from Maroon 5, lol). He’s lanky and ropey with gorgeous black hair. He might not be your typical paranormal hunk, but he fits just perfectly into this gritty world.
One day he finds a runaway Sap and returns her to the confinement center. Before he returns her, he brings her back to his home and illegally feeds on her. Draven is instantly drawn to her for some reason he doesn’t even quite understand. This interception into his regularly lackluster life sparks off a chain of events that inevitably affects his mundane existence.
This runaway is Cali. She is young when he finds her, and only ages to about 16-17 in the book. We find out that not much information has been passed from Generations of Superiors to the next. All the Superiors think Saps are dumb, and apparently can not think for themselves. (like dogs) The superiors have this cult mentality and Draven begins to wonder if Cali really does have the capacity to be smart, have emotions, feel pain etc…

This isn’t a love story. However, there is enough erotic undertone and gritty nightlife to intrigue a lot of different readers here. The ending of the book teetered off and I think that is because the author had a plan for book two. (which has been released, thankfully, for my sake)

I really enjoyed this book-thus the 4 stars. It was a quick read and I am stoked to pick up book 2. I do not know much about the author, but hope to hell that she wraps up the story in book 2 so I can feel satiated. Right now, I totally feel like I was left hanging!! Not because there was some extravagant cliffhanger, but because the story just concludes and leaves you empty.

Yes, right now I’m feeling empty, thanks Lena!! Lol  I miss Draven already.
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Feb 03, 2012 Darcy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay so I just received my copy today!!!! I will get started asap! Well as soon as I'm done reading this other book I won, which will probably be by the end of this week. Hopefully (=. Then I'll write a full review

-UPDATE!:
Okay so I received this book off of goodreads XD. I'm really glad I did. This is a book to remember. One of the best books I've ever read about vampires. These vampires are just like the way I've pictured vampires. Not much twits or turns..like they sparkle-.- Anyway time to e...more Okay so I just received my copy today!!!! I will get started asap! Well as soon as I'm done reading this other book I won, which will probably be by the end of this week. Hopefully (=. Then I'll write a full review

-UPDATE!:
Okay so I received this book off of goodreads XD. I'm really glad I did. This is a book to remember. One of the best books I've ever read about vampires. These vampires are just like the way I've pictured vampires. Not much twits or turns..like they sparkle-.- Anyway time to explain myself

Okay so this book is about a guy named Draven. While taking a ride home he finds a sap(human) running. He follows her eventually capturing her and having first feeding off her.She was fourteen at the time with the name, Aspen. It turned out to be one of the best things he's ever tastes, but being unable to keep her due to government he goes and places her in Confinement. After that he doesn't see her until another three years.
By now she's turned or has been fifteen. And now she has a new name, which is Callie. He decided to visit her again feeding of her again. Being more than satisfied with her blood. After this he becomes consumed with her blood visiting her a lot just to feed. In doing so with visiting her they start to have a bonding relationship. In which soon he develops an idea to purchase her. So in one point he decides to save up until given the opportunity to have the full amount to purchase her.
Callie is a real brave and strong girl. She's filled with personality and has this spunk that I loved reading about. She was fresh and different.*Quick Spoiler* Especially in that one part in the book when she actually chose to try and hid a Superior in the face. I first i was just thinking"JESUS YOUR STUPID!" But then I would've done the same. Especially with what he does. She's smart and crafty. I was proud of her attempt. At least she had the real bravery and spunk to do so. I respected it.*Spoiler Done*
Draven was a good character. Although I strongly dislike his relationships with women. I mean he really did chose the worst women :/ Although he is a hard working character. Maybe could've been at least a bit better. I was also hoping for a bit of romance between Callie and him, but I guess that's not gonna happen XD.
Other than that disappointment I did enjoy this book. I was glad that they had this strong bonding relationship at the end. Although it had to be developed little by little throughout the book. I was pleased by the pace of it. This book is fast pace at times and at other times it goes in detail.
The best parts would be between Callie and Draven. Those were the only real parts I was interested in. Which they showed a lot. I can't wait to read the next book. This was a real good one. I was most surprised at the end, but at the same time I saw it coming. So when it happened I said"I KNEW IT!!!!" even though at the same time I didn't know. I just really knew when all evidence started piling up. That's when I truly found out.
Ending was surprisingly good. I was on the edge of my seat, but then got sad when I went to the last page seeing I finished it. I'm definitely can't wait to read on with the rest of the series!(less)

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Jul 19, 2011 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of dystopian futures, vampire mythos, good stories

Recommended to Katy by: Lena Hillbrand

Shelves: ebook

Nothing is typical in this very interesting take on the vampire mythos. Vampires – or Superiors, as they call themselves – evolved from homo sapiens some time back. Two hundred years ago, the First Order Superiors evolved the Second Order – changing most of the strong and attractive humans that were in their prime, tasking them with preserving the children and then turning them loose to kill as many of the remaining humans as possible. One hundred years later, during the time of the Great War, t...more Nothing is typical in this very interesting take on the vampire mythos. Vampires – or Superiors, as they call themselves – evolved from homo sapiens some time back. Two hundred years ago, the First Order Superiors evolved the Second Order – changing most of the strong and attractive humans that were in their prime, tasking them with preserving the children and then turning them loose to kill as many of the remaining humans as possible. One hundred years later, during the time of the Great War, the Second Order Superiors created the Third Order Superiors as soldiers. After that time, it was made illegal to evolve homo sapiens any longer, and the remaining sapiens were rationed, and bred as livestock. Superiors believe that sapiens have no real intelligence, that they can’t feel pain or emotions; of course, sapiens believe much the same about the Superiors. Superiors can tolerate sunlight for a time, but it hurts their eyes badly and they get badly sunburned and develop headaches if they spend much time out in it. They require blood – or sap, as they call it – in order to survive, but they are able to ingest other liquids and even require a certain amount of water in order to maintain hydration.

The main character in “The Superiors” is Draven Castle, who is fairly nice for a Superior. He becomes obsessed by a sapien named Cali (her original name is Aspen, but that is changed when she is purchased by a restaurant). The book is mainly about Draven’s life and his attempts as eventually purchasing Cali for himself.

I was really impressed with the book – it is well-written, tightly paced and the characters are nicely developed and all very interesting. Ms. Hillbrand is still a young author; I believe we have many years of high-quality entertainment to expect from her. I especially hope that we will see additional books in this world, as I found it interesting and am very curious about a lot of things that aren’t fully explained during the course of it – what the Great War was all about; where the First Order Superiors originally came from – things of that nature. Not to mention that there is still a lot to tell about Draven himself – his past is mentioned frequently, but not in any detail and the mystery of it leaves me wanting more. I think fans of somewhat odd future ideas – an almost dystopian story if looked at from the humans’ point of view – as well as those who are fascinated by vampires and the various vampire mythos will all enjoy this book. Do NOT expect sexy, brooding, romantic vampires – but also don’t expect the creepiness of Nosferatu, either – Superiors are very much like humans in a lot of ways, which I think is really more realistic anyway. Check it out!
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Jan 12, 2012 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: adults

Recommended to Linda by: comments on good read

I love the twists and turn.Vampires are the superior race and use humans only for their sap(blood). Humans are thought of as animals. Vampires have emotions,responsibility,families. I am not a big fan of sequels but I am making an exception and waiting for The Vigilantes.

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Jun 27, 2011 Dale Ibitz rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Superiors is not your run-of-the-mill vampire story. Oh no. If you're looking for forbidden romance, you won't find it here. It's hard to compare this book to any other vampire book, because I've not read one like it.

In Lena's world of vampires, they are...superior. They are strong, intelligent, predators. Humans are not. Humans are prey. Humans are food. There is a very strict class order in this new world of vampires: the First Order, the Second Order, the Third Order, and then humans are...more The Superiors is not your run-of-the-mill vampire story. Oh no. If you're looking for forbidden romance, you won't find it here. It's hard to compare this book to any other vampire book, because I've not read one like it.

In Lena's world of vampires, they are...superior. They are strong, intelligent, predators. Humans are not. Humans are prey. Humans are food. There is a very strict class order in this new world of vampires: the First Order, the Second Order, the Third Order, and then humans are below with all the rest of the animals. As with people, there are some vampires who care for the comfort and safety of animals. The main character, Draven, is one such vampire, and he doesn't like to see animals suffer. When he develops a "taste" for a human girl, Cali, he goes out of his way, risking life and career, to ensure her safety when other vampires treat her unkindly.

Lena's writing is smooth and professional. The story is original and, when you really think about the differences between vampires and humans, makes sense in the reality of that world. By their nature, vampires are superior to humans, so it's perfectly believable that they would take over and not hide their true nature.

There were parts of the novel that made me squirm, and I wasn't sure what made me so uncomfortable. And then I realized it was because if I lived in the world Lena created, *I* would be a cow. I would have no choice in the direction of my life, where I lived, who I mated with, and I would be so low on the bottom of the food chain that the Superiors would think I couldn't feel emotion. Just like an animal. Through her writing, Lena created a world that is so believable that it made me squirm, which was, I'm sure, Lena's intent.

Despite the brilliance of the writing, I did have a hard time connecting with Draven...at first. Despite the compassion he felt for animals, he still considered humans animals. But he slowly grew on me, and you could see this character's growth as he interacted with Cali and learned that perhaps all the things he'd been taught about humans may not have been entirely true. As I neared the end of the book, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

I eagerly await the sequel, and highly recommend this book to all fantasy readers!
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Jun 22, 2011 Jenn of Frequent Reader, Infrequent Blogger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-pub, own, review-written, fantasy-books

RECEIVED FROM: The Author For Review

***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***
In this Futuristic or possibly Alternate Reality tale a vampire-like species called Superiors are the rulers of the earth and have been for the last 200 years. Draven Castle is a third class superior, a being created for a war he never had to fight in who's at the bottom of the social ladder because of when he was made. He barely ranks above the humans, though since the humans are considered animals, a source of food...more RECEIVED FROM: The Author For Review

***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***
In this Futuristic or possibly Alternate Reality tale a vampire-like species called Superiors are the rulers of the earth and have been for the last 200 years. Draven Castle is a third class superior, a being created for a war he never had to fight in who's at the bottom of the social ladder because of when he was made. He barely ranks above the humans, though since the humans are considered animals, a source of food while any class of superior is not, he's still above them on the chain of social hierarchy. When he catches a young human named Aspen attempting to escape the confinement he begins to question the general population's belief that all humans are stupid and without feelings. When he runs into her again years later as almost an adult working as the meal at a restaurant his insatiable thirst for her blood in particular creates within him an attachment to the young girl. Through repeated visits with her he learns more about the human race and the girl, now called Cali, in particular. Her actions, thought and speech make it difficult to deny that she is in fact a sentient being, albeit under-educated Throughout the course of the story his views of her grow from interesting animal, to desired possession to possibly even caring about her as one would a child or friend. While developing an interaction with Cali, Draven also connects to another class of being he never previously understood, a Superior Second Class named Byron Kingsley whom he saves during a raid on a restaurant prostituting humans. The story follows Draven's path as he opens his mind and learns about the world and beings around him.

Before I begin I'm going to say two things, first this is the type of story that would be better served being reviewed by a professional reviewer or college professor. It begs for the type of literary analysis only someone with that type of credentials can give, though I do plan to make my best attempt in this review. The second, this is the type of book I think would have been better served going through traditional methods with an agent and mainstream major publishing house. I feel this way because the major publishing house would have a better ability to get the book out to a larger audience of educated readers who might otherwise skip an indie novel because of the small faction of indie writers that don't feel the need to edit their work before publishing and therefore give the rest a bad name. Even though it's a vampire type novel, it's filled with allusions to real world occurrences and greater meaning beyond the plot. It's more of an entertaining fictional social study than a read for entertainment plot. I personally don't believe it's reaching it's target audience as well as it should because of the method of publishing. Don't get me wrong, I adore a lot of indie authors, but unfortunately because of those few that are better skipped, the rest don't have the reach they should to the general public and educated readers. That said, onto my review.

Reading this I wonder is there even a genre for this? The Superiors is a breath of fresh air, a story so original and well written, that can’t really be cookie-cut into a genre. I don’t claim to be a genre expert but usually you can read a book and say this is romance, this is fantasy this is this or this is that. I’m not quite sure what The Superiors is. The writer has combined elements I would have never imagined possible, and blended them so seamlessly that it’s hard to imagine you don’t see them daily. She blends the seedy feel of 1920s noir with the futuristic setting of what I guess would be called a dystopian society. She then liberally adds the paranormal elements by making this society a world dominated by Vampire like creatures called The Superiors and those groups are then divided even further into classes of Superior. What’s left for the humans? They've become slaves in their own world existing only for the sustenance and pleasure of the Superiors. While typically I’d say there’s just too much here for this story-line to work, Hillbrand pulls it off with brilliance.

The story isn’t one that grabs you on page one, it starts a little slowly and I’ll admit I did set this book aside once after reading only a few pages because at the time I was in the mood for a book that would grab me the second I began to read. When I got a reminder that I’d had the book for three weeks and not reviewed it, I set aside the series book I’d been planning to read to open this one back up and give it another try. To my dismay I’d left off right when the book starts pulling you in, if I’d but turned a couple more pages I wouldn’t have set it down.

It’s not a fast moving plot and at the beginning you do wonder what the plot is at all. What keeps you turning the pages is the desire to learn more about this odd society and the strange connection between the young girl Aspen aka Cali and the Superior Third Class Draven. It’s not attraction, he views humans as little more than animals, but yet he can’t walk away and ignore her like every other human he feeds from either. She’s like his favorite flavor of ice cream and the odd puppy at the pet store you can’t help but stare at all rolled into one. The story doesn't have your typical plot of goal established, challenges to meet goal and goal achieved. It's more of a social study on the culture of these people and the differences between classes within their social structure than it is a story. It's not a book you read for entertainment value, it's one you read when you have the desire for something that includes some heavy thinking. That said I'm more of an entertainment reader so it wasn't something I would typically read.

The people in this novel are so blind to the other beings and classes in their world that they've become completely uneducated on the needs, wants or even abilities of others. It's a futuristic society where humans are being treated by Superior doctors for blood infections by using leaches instead of medicines like are common in today's society. The Superiors have convinced themselves that humans don't even have the ability to feel pain. While humanity is not as educated as they are today, they certainly haven't lost their nerve endings which recognize pain. The Second Class Superiors don't have a much higher opinion of the Third Class Superiors. Intelligence in a Third Class Superior actually surprises them. No one in the novel seems to view people in a different social caste as an individual rather than just a piece of a larger group. While some behaviors by both groups display actions that could be compared to how you'd picture cavemen acting, the violence born of both lack of higher learning and necessity, neither group can really be classified as unintelligent. A friend of mine on Goodreads mentioned that some scenes with the Third Class Superiors on the South End remind him of a pack of wolves fighting for a meal, I have to say I agree with that statement, it pretty much falls in with where I was going with the caveman like behavior. There are many scenes like this one, things that don't occur in the real world, that can easily be compared to things that really do happen in today's society.

The books seems to address the issues of animal cruelty, prejudice born of misconception, and social classes or structure that can still be found in today's society. I'm sure there are many more illusions and points the author wanted to make within this novel that I've missed simply because I haven't voluntarily read anything that wasn't for entertainment value alone since my attempts at college. I'm out of practice at picking out themes and allusions to the real world which reinforces the idea that I'm not the target reviewer or audience.

The book does have a full, but slow moving, story arc that also has a cliff hanger type ending. However, I think the cliffhanger fell a little flat with me as a reader because it wasn't a plot driven story that needed that sort of ending. It still feels complete without a second novel to come even though you don't exactly know what's going to happen between the three leading characters. What's happening in the story seems less the point than the characters within the story, but then again maybe that's just me.

Overall it's an excellent novel if you're looking for a book that's going to make you think. It's extremely well written and encompasses an extensive vocabulary of vastly underused words. It did take me longer to read than I typically spend on a novel, but for me it got so heavy at points that I just needed a break in a purely entertainment read. Lena Hillbrand has entered the writing world with a stunning literary piece that I think readers will talk about for years to come.
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Jun 29, 2011 William Amerman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Incredibly innovative and a pleasure to read.
I picked up the Kindle sample of this book not realizing that I was about to read a "Vampire" book. I had read the description and thought it was a book about an alien race that had dominated humanity, deriving nourishment from feeding on their blood. This was an accurate description of the book; I just didn't make the connection to vampires! This premise, coupled with the well-written prose, good pacing, and interesting characters compelled me to go...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Greg rated it 3 of 5 stars

If I could I would give this book two ratings. 2 stars for the first half and 4 stars for the second, so I will average it at 3. The story was a good one, however I couldn't get any attachment to the characters in the first half of thee book. Towards the midpoint the characters emotions finally started to emerge and the story finally started to go somewhere.
Imagine if someone wrote the story of your life and spent the first half of the book writing about your normal day to day life. You know ge...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Amortentia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

As others have already said, the first part of The Superiors is not as strong as the rest of it. The writing seems a little shaky, perhaps unsure, but the prose picks up a flow closer to the middle. Despite this slow start, it's certainly worth giving it a read, especially if you like vampire books without a lot of romance.

The take on vampires in The Superiors is something I've heard of before, although it's not quite mainstream -- vampires are in control of society, with human being treated po...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

I loved that this book had a different take on vampires. It isn't the only one I've read like this, but it was unique in it's own way.

My only real issue with the book is that the author (either intentionally or unintentionally, I don't really know if she's the "crunchy granola" sort) seems to be trying to get a point across. Everyone has a bias, and every writer will convey their bias over one topic or another through their work at some point...I just don't like being beat about the head with it...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Liz Hillbrand rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

This book was creepy and disturbing in the beginning. It even gave me bad dreams--all the sucking and licking. If you like creepy and disturbing, this is the book for you! After I got over my initial reaction, I found it too slow and somewhat tedious until it got closer to the end. I liked the parts from Cali's point of view, especially her life at the Confinement and how the other girls there were jealous of something that they thought was advantageous. The last third of the book moved along qu...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Mary Ting rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story is about futuristic vampires. The setting and characters are very unique. I was captivated by the first chapter and could not put it down. I love the way Draven is drawn to Cali, they way he tries to protect her, the way he would risk everything for her. Hillbrand’s story is well-written, with great description, and leaves you wanting more. Looking forward to reading book two. I would recommend this book to all readers.

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Oct 22, 2011 Kimberly rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampire

I just didn't care for it. My rating is no reflection of the author's skill; I just really didn't like any of the characters. There seemed to be no redeeming qualities to be found in the main characters. Really I didn't like any of the characters in this book. Yeah, people can be be shitty-even the superiors-but everyone? I have a feeling our supposed hero will redeem himself in the next book but I'm not suffering through it.

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Oct 14, 2011 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: indie-authors, fantasy-sci-fi, owned-kindle

Superiors is an interesting take on the vampire myth and the author has presented a well developed dystopian world. I liked the gradual building of the relationship between Draven and Cali, especially since it didn't go down an obvious route. However, this is more of a 2.5 star rating for me because the pacing was a little hit and miss - it would have been good if the first half of the book had matched the pacing of the second half and I didn't feel a strong sympathy or connection to the charact...more

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Creative Reviews: The Superiors (dark urban fantasy) paperback	7	16	Jan 12, 2012 09:49am
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About Lena Hillbrand

I like to write about things that are taboo in the society of the book, even if they are perfectly normal in our society today. I love reading books that challenge me to think about things in a new way, and I hope my writing might do the same for someone else.

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