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Day Soldiers (Day Soldiers #1)

by Brandon Hale (Goodreads Author)

4.39 of 5 stars 4.39 · rating details · 54 ratings · 21 reviews

For ten years now, humanity has been at war with the creatures of darkness. The war has changed the world. The day now belongs to humanity and the night belongs to things once thought to exist only in myths and legends... but there is hope.

This new enemy has united humanity and an army has stepped forward to protect the light from the darkness. An army of heroes.

The Day So...more

Kindle Edition, 272 pages

Published April 1st 2012

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Jul 08, 2012 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved Day Soldiers! It was a fantastic story. Some vampire stories can be a little overplayed, but this one starts with action immediately. Lily and Leo lure 3 vampires into a trap because the vampires are targeting their town. They inadvertently kill a high ranking werewolf, which sets a chain of events in motion that will alter their lives forever. Trust me; what happens next is something I’ve never seen in a Vampire book. It’s well worth the read!!!!

Lily is an 18 year old girl with a seriou...more I loved Day Soldiers! It was a fantastic story. Some vampire stories can be a little overplayed, but this one starts with action immediately. Lily and Leo lure 3 vampires into a trap because the vampires are targeting their town. They inadvertently kill a high ranking werewolf, which sets a chain of events in motion that will alter their lives forever. Trust me; what happens next is something I’ve never seen in a Vampire book. It’s well worth the read!!!!

Lily is an 18 year old girl with a serious fighting skills and a smart mouth on her, just how I like my heroines. She is perfect in this book. After the tragedy and life-altering even that she and Leo went through they are both recruited to be part of the Day Soldiers, an organized group of soldiers committed to taking down the vampires and werewolves that have taken over the world. Leo, with his excellent marksmanship abilities is assigned to the sniper group, while Lily is assigned to the “Sneakers”. They are a covert group that infiltrate high-level enemy groups and carry out assassinations. Her group consists of 3 other people: Ellie the scout, Scott the Intel guru (who happens to have a very awesome secret that you’ll have to read to find out what it is….) and Grung the weapons/fighting expert, that leaves 18 year old Lily as their leader. Does she have the confidence in herself to lead them to victory, or will she fall prey to her own insecurities and fears? They spend 8 weeks in a city block where they train, But when the training is over can they really hold their own?

This was far superior to many of the vampire books I’ve read out there. Lily has the same characteristics of Kate Daniels, Allie Beckstrom, and Merit from the Chicagoland vampires; she can hold her own in a fight and she has a great sarcastic wit about her. Hale threw in some great original ideas in this book. For example, the trainer of the sneakers is Sister Abbie, who was a nun in Ireland. She challenges Lily, but Lily doesn’t realize that she’s challenging Abbie’s long held beliefs as well. Abbie is a a “channeler” meaning no vampire can touch her. She doesn’t need the traditional “power objects" like crosses to harm vampires. Her belief and her soul is so pure that she is a walking death for any vampire. Are there any other “channelers” in the Day Soldiers? The other unique feature in this book is “posers” werewolves that can blend in seamlessly without exhibiting any of the traditional werewolf features. These unique aspects change the tone of the book and take what could have been a typical vampire book into one that rises above the pack.

Brandon Hale has done an excellent job of creating a wonderful world that readers won’t want to leave. The characters are so realistic, and Lily is so sassy that I couldn’t help but be hooked from the first 3 pages. I truly think if Hale continues to develop these characters and keep Lily's smartass comments coming that this could stand with Chicagoland Vampires and some of the other best-selling vampires series out there. It's a unique concept that is captivating.

I can hardly wait until the next book comes out!! Hurry Brandon!
(less)

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May 13, 2012 E.B. Boggs rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. Hale has a talent for keeping the reader involved in the story. An action packed page-turner. Hordes of undead, that's all I'm saying . . .

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 07, 2012 Chloe (Girl In The Woods Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I finished reading DAY SOLDIERS I loved it. Yeah, I didn't know how it would end but I actually felt giddy and rapidly excited when I continued reading this book. I especially loved the main protagonist, Lily and Leo plus Scott. They were fierce, knowledgeable and different characters that made this book as it is now. A kick-butt novel, DAY SOLDIERS was deeply interesting and fascinating from vampires, werewolves and humans alike, I enjoyed this book :)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 Christine Fonseca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

What a fabulous read! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the writing and a fresh take on a familiar plot. OUTSTANDING!

1 like · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Urban Fantasy Fans

Shelves: urban-fantasy

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I know the author pretty well and consider him a friend. As far as I know, he considers me one as well, although after the three star rating he might change his mind.

That said, if I didn't know the author, I would have rated the book four stars. Its an excellent urban fantasy read. It also has amazing potential to be MORE. I enjoyed the action, but was left wanting with character exploration. All of the characters show the beginnings of e...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Day Soldiers started out with a great beginning and kept me interested until the end. Hale did an excellent job of reworking a great genre, vampire and werewolf, into something different and exciting that stayed true to its roots. If you love vampires (not the sparkly kind) and werewolves (not the half-naked kind) then this books is a must-read! The characters are believable and relatable. The setting is somewhere that most any person could imagine himself or herself.
My favorite character was Li...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I know the author, so I admit it was with some trepidation that I first opened 'Day Soldiers', because I fully intended to review it honestly. Fortunately, I was hooked from the beginning and became a fan of the story and characters. The people, places and dialogue are very natural and realistic, which helps ground the distinctly supernatural events of the novel. After all, in a near future where vampires and werewolves are waging war against the human race, you need that believability, and this...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Yzabel Ginsberg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal-supernatural, requested-reviews, vampires

(Book reviewed for ARR #19 in the We ♥ YA Books! group.)

When I asked if I could read & review "Day Soldiers", I did so because the pitched elicited some interest in me. The prospect of a war between humans and the creatures of darkness looked like something that would provide me with mild fun and a pleasant quick read. To be honest, I didn't expect a lot from this novel—just that: being a fun and easy read.

And then I got hooked.

The prologue itself, in the form of a declaration of war, immedi...more (Book reviewed for ARR #19 in the We ♥ YA Books! group.)

When I asked if I could read & review "Day Soldiers", I did so because the pitched elicited some interest in me. The prospect of a war between humans and the creatures of darkness looked like something that would provide me with mild fun and a pleasant quick read. To be honest, I didn't expect a lot from this novel—just that: being a fun and easy read.

And then I got hooked.

The prologue itself, in the form of a declaration of war, immediately grabbed me. The first chapters then pulled me into the action, as Lily and Leo, 18-year-old, decide to take on the vampires who've been threatening their small town, because the adults aren't acting fast enough. As they come back victorious, little do they know that their single action is going to trigger a chain-reaction culminating into events they wouldn't have suspected. And the both of them are going to pay a heavy price. We then get to see the two friends through their joining and training within the Day Soldiers, a corps specifically aimed at fighting vampires and werewolves. After what happened to them, is there any other path they could follow? Not really.

I thoroughly liked Lily and Leo. Lily's got a strong personality, and a definite ability to fall back on her feet. Even though she gets discouraged at times, she doesn't let this stop her, and she doesn't give in to throwing pity-parties for herself, not for more than a couple of minutes, which is always pleasant to see, in my opinion, in a character. She also has special skills, but I was glad to see that the author didn't make them *that* special in the end. (view spoiler) As for Leo, at first, I feared for his role in the story, wondering if he'd just be some uninteresting sidekick—because the kid *is* skilled, for sure, and he can pack a handful just as well as Lily can. (view spoiler)

The other characters were also enjoyable. Abbie does come off as unpleasant at first, but it's clear that she is a good person, too, and that she doesn't hesitate to act. The B-Team (no, really, this *is* a play on words on the A-Team, isn't it? I can't shake that feeling off!) is made of awesome, and I liked their take on events, how they always did their best to do what felt right to them. Their boldness and inventiveness roped me in (the way they tackle the rescue operation in Sneaker City was just so great!), and I could easily feel their sense of camaraderie, the strong bonds they managed to form among them, the instinct they had to stick to each other now matter the circumstances.

And what about the story itself? I quickly was drawn into its pace: not too slow, packed with action, but not too fast either. Events fold into each other in a logical way; we get to see that every action has its consequences, and that the characters have to deal with those, make their decisions, and then live up to those decisions in the end. I don't know if there will be a sequel to this novel: the ending could very well stand for itself the way it is, or open up towards a second book. What's sure is that if there is one, I will definitely pick it.(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 The Cover Contessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, arcs-and-r-r, own

I would like to thank We ❤ YA Books and Brandon Hale for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous book!

From Goodreads:

For ten years now, humanity has been at war with the creatures of darkness. The war has changed the world. The day now belongs to humanity and the night belongs to things once thought to exist only in myths and legends... but there is hope.
This new enemy has united humanity and an army has stepped forward to protect the light from the darkness. An army of heroes.
The Day S...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 30, 2013 Chris Ward rated it 5 of 5 stars

Day Soldiers is quite unlike anything I've ever read, and I mean that in a good way. I am a notoriously slow starter of books, particularly when I’m reading the author for the first time, but once I was a couple of chapters in Day Soldiers flowed along at a rapid pace.

Day Soldiers is the story of Lily Baxter, an 18 year old girl growing up in a world where werewolves and vampires have declared war on humanity. After witnessing the death of everyone she knows she joins the Day Soldiers, and goes...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Mockingjay45 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This book, there is no words to describe this book. Amazing, outstanding, magnificent, all of the above would be an understatement. The book is packed with action, humor, friendship, and moral decisions. Now the bad part about the book is that there is no place where you can say "ok, the book is getting slower now, i think i can pause for a while." You have to keep going and you feel aweful if you don't. It is full of plot twists and those rare moments when you really think (maybe spoiler?) evil...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Anna McIntyre rated it 5 of 5 stars

While vampires, werewolves and apocalypse tales are typically not my thing – Day Soldiers drew me in immediately. Well written and original, it’s more than a horror and adventure story. Its characters are well developed and the dialogue entertaining and often humorous, in spite of the dark and heavy topic. As I read the story, I often wondered if the protagonist was on the right side – and if she might come to question that herself. I loved the characters, and I cared what happened to them, whic...more

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Apr 01, 2013 J.R.C. Salter rated it 4 of 5 stars

So I saw the trailer for this book on Youtube and was immediately excited about it. I am currently in the middle of reading about 10/11 books and didn't really want to start another, but when I began it, I couldn't really stop.

It is a book that keeps you guessing where the plot is heading. With most stories, you can almost map the plot from the first few chapters. All my thoughts of the authors intentions dissipated with chapter 4. And it all changed again later on.

The characters are interesting...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Kel (Bookworm) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: r-2-r, own, read-2012, vamps, weres-shifters

That was amazing. I could so picture it as a movie and would definitely go see it. I loved the adventure and action and suspense. I'm so glad Hale was willing to share this book for reviews and that I didn't miss out. Action packed right from the start with great characters, I had to force myself to put it down just to go to bed and then it took me awhile to fall asleep because I was still thinking about it. As soon as I got up I had to finish it, I had to know what was going to happen. I knew t...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Doug Lamoreux rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Nov 2017 the minions of darkness, vampires and werewolves, declared war on mankind. Ten years later, that war rages. That's the situation on page 1 of Brandon Hale's Day Soldiers. When I first got hold of it, I wanted to like Day Soldiers very badly. I hated it when I first started reading. And I wound up in love with it. Day Soldiers is a wonderful bit of original horror.

I wanted to like it because of the author, Brandon Hale. I don't know him personally. I've seen his pictures on the intern...more In Nov 2017 the minions of darkness, vampires and werewolves, declared war on mankind. Ten years later, that war rages. That's the situation on page 1 of Brandon Hale's Day Soldiers. When I first got hold of it, I wanted to like Day Soldiers very badly. I hated it when I first started reading. And I wound up in love with it. Day Soldiers is a wonderful bit of original horror.

I wanted to like it because of the author, Brandon Hale. I don't know him personally. I've seen his pictures on the internet, had a short story posted by him during a month-long Halloween tribute (Thank you, Mr. Hale), and I often read his blog. That's why I wanted to read and like Day Soldiers. Brandon Hale makes me laugh. (His movie reviews in particular, which rarely have anything to do with the movie, are hilarious.) I think humor is vital to good horror.

Then I started reading Day Soldiers. I thought the first two pages were dreadful. After reading the word vampire twenty or more times, I put the book down and really had to decide if I wanted to read any more. But, as I said, Mr. Hale is an entertaining fellow and I decided he deserved a few more minutes of my time. Really, who the hell did I think I was? I returned to Day Soldiers and started over. I'm glad I did. The writing settled down, the author found his voice, and I found myself in the midst of an engaging tale of terror and not a little real drama. Yeah, I found I cared about the characters.

I loved Day Soldiers. That's why I won't tell you anything about it. If you like horror, you need to read it. It isn't the strongest novel I've ever read. The dialogue doesn't always scream with intense realism. But, like vampirism, the story of Lily Baxter and her friend Leo Rosenburg earning their place among an elite group of homeland warriors, the Day Soldiers, to fight the legions of evil for control of the world is infectious. It's gory and funny and entertaining - and once you're into it, damned exciting. It is also the first of a series and I'm certain that Mr. Hale's writing grows stronger with each installment; meaning Day Soldiers Book Two: Purging Fires and the newly released Day Soldiers Book Three: Topia are on my to-read list for this year.(less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Alena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, first-reads

I received this book through Goodreads Firstreads.

I'm not going to lie, I loved this book. I know it took me forever to read since receiving it but every time I opened it I was hooked for pages and pages. I love the almost tragic moments, and just when you think something good will happen for the characters, it all gets worse.

I enjoyed the characters and how they grew. It seemed almost too easy for them to kill their once loved ones, in my own opinion, but other than that how the characters came...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Yalle Ondarza rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this story. The book had me hooked from the very first page. I liked how he explained the historical events let to the present ones without being boring. The characters were very easy to identify with and were full of live. Loved the action sequences.

Even if you do not like werewolfs and vampires, you can still enjoy this book purely because of the storyline and all the twists and turns.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 18, 2013 Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

!No Spoilers! True rating- 4.5 stars
I really enjoyed Day Soldiers, the slight twists to the vampire and werewolves were fantastic and this book only had the slightest love story. I really enjoyed all the characters and I liked how the author would sometimes very briefly switch to a different character's point of view. The only thing I didn't care for was the cover: )

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May 01, 2013 Sharon Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Not quite a 'keep to re-read' for me so it didn't make the 5 stars, but close.

I like urban fantasy/apocalyptic theme but am not all that fond of most of the vampires and werewolves in most cases. This handled the werewolves very well and the vampires were well written, with an interesting twist also.

Good characterization, fast pace, entertaining read.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 24, 2013 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-faves

love,love,love!!!! I actually emailed the author to let him know this should be a movie. he replied that he too feels the same way and actually wrote it as a cinematic piece and was glad it came across that way. it has a hunger games feel but in a paranormal sense... I highly recommend this series!

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May 04, 2012 Ked rated it 5 of 5 stars

The story grabs you from page one and doesn't let go till the cover is closed. I could see this story being adapted to film it read so vividly in my mind. I love the old time monster feel with the modern twists. Great book!

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 02, 2012 Michelle [Helen Geek] marked it as to-read

Shelves: arc-netgalley, tbr-kindle, ya

ARC on 08/02/2012. This one sounds so good. And the reviews so far say it is extraordinary. Can't wait to give it a go!

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May 24, 2013 Marcy Knox marked it as to-read

Shelves: have-on-kindle

May 23, 2013 Hope marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle

May 22, 2013 Lynn marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle-books

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May 21, 2013 Katiria marked it as to-read

May 21, 2013 Stephen marked it as purchased

May 19, 2013 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 19, 2013 Kastania marked it as to-read

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We ♥ YA Books! : ARR # 19 - DAY SOLDIERS by Brandon Hale	41	100	Sep 19, 2012 01:59pm
Horror Aficionados : Making Vampires and Werewolves monsters again...	4	24	Jun 16, 2012 02:38am

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About Brandon Hale

Brandon Hale grew up in a small Virginia town. It was in that town that he met his first love: Horror books and movies. He wrote his first full length novel when he was 17. In the decades since, he has written nonstop, producing multiple novels and short stories.

Brandon's first published novel was The Gods and the Builders. Shortly after that, his second novel - Day Soldiers - was released. Brand...more

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Day Soldiers (Day Soldiers #1)

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