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Den of Shadows #9
Promises to Keep
The compendium of creations (SingleEarth, the Bruja guilds, the Midnight empire) intertwine in an exciting, unsettling plot featuring happenings both accidental and deliberate that will forever change the alternate landscape inhabited by vampires, Tristes, shapeshifters et al. It all begins with a wrong turn and a crashed party, and from there it's an epic clash of elements and the promise of more chaos still to come. At the center of the storm is Jay, a young vampire hunter that no one would ever have predicted might be earth's best bet to thwart the rise of a vampire-controlled slave empire called Midnight. Teens will find themselves drawn to Jay, who struggles to prove his worth even while he has his own fears that those who have written him off may be right to do so.
256 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2013
16 people are currently reading
2490 people want to read
About the author
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
35 books3,419 followersI grew up in Concord, Massachusetts, where I matriculated through the public Concord-Carlisle school district from kindergarten until my graduation in 2001. The best part of school, from fifth grade until the year I graduated, was definitely chorus. I love music, and I love to sing, and though I never had the courage or the talent to participate in any of the high school plays as a performer, I enjoyed being involved at other levels; the music and drama community at CCHS was the highlight of my high school career. I was also on the fencing team for two years, an experience that actually inspired a couple storylines, and regret that I did not continue with that sport.
I now live in Massachusetts with several pets... as well as, of course, my family. I am a student at the University of Massachusetts, with an English/psychology double-major. I hope to work either as an English teacher at the secondary level, or in special education. I have strong opinions about literacy, education, and how our educational systems are treated- strong enough that most of my friends know not to get me started on the subject.
My non-writing hobbies are eclectic, and cover everything from rather domestic pastimes like cross-stitch and cooking to aquarium keeping, playing piano, gardening, carpentry, Harley-Davidsons, driving, and arguing- there are few things I enjoy more than a good debate with someone who knows how to argue, which might have something to do with a best friend who works in politics. I love to learn, so if I have down-time and nothing to do, it is not at all unusual to find me pouring over some book, website or video designed to teach me some new skill, from belly dancing (something I desperately want to learn but have not yet been brave enough to sign up for classes on) to JavaScript.
I now live in Massachusetts with several pets... as well as, of course, my family. I am a student at the University of Massachusetts, with an English/psychology double-major. I hope to work either as an English teacher at the secondary level, or in special education. I have strong opinions about literacy, education, and how our educational systems are treated- strong enough that most of my friends know not to get me started on the subject.
My non-writing hobbies are eclectic, and cover everything from rather domestic pastimes like cross-stitch and cooking to aquarium keeping, playing piano, gardening, carpentry, Harley-Davidsons, driving, and arguing- there are few things I enjoy more than a good debate with someone who knows how to argue, which might have something to do with a best friend who works in politics. I love to learn, so if I have down-time and nothing to do, it is not at all unusual to find me pouring over some book, website or video designed to teach me some new skill, from belly dancing (something I desperately want to learn but have not yet been brave enough to sign up for classes on) to JavaScript.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
June 11, 2015
I found myself in yet another dilemma with Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's Promises to Keep, the final book in the Den of Shadows series. Perhaps it's been too long since I was in this world, or perhaps it was all the new characters and worldbuilding were just too much to absorb. Something obviously didn't click for me with the latter half of the series. I'm not sure what it was to be honest, but I kept hoping to be wowed with these books like I was in the beginning of the series.
This one started off pretty strong, we have Jay from All Just Glass, as our main character and hero. And since he basically came from my favorite book of the later half of this series, that spoke volumes! But yet, there was still a disconnect for me. I could never quite grasp what the main issue was. Why it was so dire. Who was the villain or somewhat villain. It was all very convoluted.
I did like seeing, at least in mentioning, beloved favorite characters. There was Sarah and Nikolas, Jager who I haven't read since Midnight Predator and even my favorite Aubrey, but I had wished we got to see him and Jessica (because yes, I still believe they are together despite a lack of mentioning her name!). I also felt like things that happened in Midnight Predator were important here. At least in some respect, because it mentions Midnight and the slave trade it dealt in.
Though I don't think a series re-read would've helped. Maybe a bit with Midnight Predator, but only vaguely. That's my sense of things anyway.
In this one Jay basically works with a vampire trying to help save the world, or perhaps just the paranormal world. Many started to get sick about halfway through and no one could figure out what was wrong or how to fix it. How things actually get fixed is still a bit of mystery for me.
I hate having to give yet another low rating to a beloved childhood author, but there was just something about this one that I couldn't connect with. Maybe it was because there were always so many new characters. I'm all for having different characters tell their story throughout a series, but I'd at least like some prior introduction to them. Kelley Armstrong does this with her Otherworld series and even when starting her YA series that were apart of that world, I never felt confused. Each trilogy dealt with the same group of teens and it was easier to follow along. Here, it's like the first book each and every time. While you struggle to adapt and get to know characters, but the end, it means nothing because the next book you basically start all over again.
If I were to recommend Amelia's books to you, I really would just stick with the first four books in the Den of Shadows series. And perhaps All Just Glass, because that's basically Shattered Mirror's sequel and was a pretty good read itself! I really enjoyed the first four in this series and like to refer to them as my "old school paranormal YA" titles. They're not like the ones I read from authors today, but they were really something special to me in my teens when I was craving paranormal books and there was a serious lack of them in the YA section.
Overall Rating 2.5/5 stars
This one started off pretty strong, we have Jay from All Just Glass, as our main character and hero. And since he basically came from my favorite book of the later half of this series, that spoke volumes! But yet, there was still a disconnect for me. I could never quite grasp what the main issue was. Why it was so dire. Who was the villain or somewhat villain. It was all very convoluted.
I did like seeing, at least in mentioning, beloved favorite characters. There was Sarah and Nikolas, Jager who I haven't read since Midnight Predator and even my favorite Aubrey, but I had wished we got to see him and Jessica (because yes, I still believe they are together despite a lack of mentioning her name!). I also felt like things that happened in Midnight Predator were important here. At least in some respect, because it mentions Midnight and the slave trade it dealt in.
Though I don't think a series re-read would've helped. Maybe a bit with Midnight Predator, but only vaguely. That's my sense of things anyway.
In this one Jay basically works with a vampire trying to help save the world, or perhaps just the paranormal world. Many started to get sick about halfway through and no one could figure out what was wrong or how to fix it. How things actually get fixed is still a bit of mystery for me.
I hate having to give yet another low rating to a beloved childhood author, but there was just something about this one that I couldn't connect with. Maybe it was because there were always so many new characters. I'm all for having different characters tell their story throughout a series, but I'd at least like some prior introduction to them. Kelley Armstrong does this with her Otherworld series and even when starting her YA series that were apart of that world, I never felt confused. Each trilogy dealt with the same group of teens and it was easier to follow along. Here, it's like the first book each and every time. While you struggle to adapt and get to know characters, but the end, it means nothing because the next book you basically start all over again.
If I were to recommend Amelia's books to you, I really would just stick with the first four books in the Den of Shadows series. And perhaps All Just Glass, because that's basically Shattered Mirror's sequel and was a pretty good read itself! I really enjoyed the first four in this series and like to refer to them as my "old school paranormal YA" titles. They're not like the ones I read from authors today, but they were really something special to me in my teens when I was craving paranormal books and there was a serious lack of them in the YA section.
Overall Rating 2.5/5 stars
November 5, 2017
So Promises to Keep sort of confused me at least for a little bit of the book but I got over that little hump and fell in love with this book. The book is about Jay, who is a vampire hunter.
He basically shows up at the wrong place around the right time and shit sort of hits the fan. Jay is basically a bad ass vampire hunter and he made this book pretty exciting from the start. Now I totally get how people didn't like him in the beginning or connect with him as a main character - BUT I LOVED HIM. I don't know why or how to explain why I did but I really just did.
This book is highly entertaining and since it's a really quick read you'll probably breeze through it within an hour or less, like I did.
I can definitely see myself re-reading this series. It was just that good!
March 12, 2013
I don't even know what to say about this book, if I'm being totally honest. It's not been three days since I've finished it and I've forgotten a great deal. If I were to emphasize anything, it would probably be that - this book, despite having those far-reaching consequences that alter an entire world forever, is just kind of forgettable. I mean, I guess it was interesting enough while I read it, but I'm just entirely ambivalent about it now, and that can't be good, right?
I've had this problem with all of the newer Den books. With the exception of All Just Glass, they've left generally the same non-impression, and I'm running into the same technical issues over and over. The characters are bland or stock, seemingly coming in only three or four variations. They get different names and color palettes and power sets, but they all seem to pull from the same limited bag of personality traits. The voices are downright interchangeable. The pacing is rushed, the story too short, and we get a series of events that happen one after the other with little to no build-up. The goals change too quickly to establish tension, and at any given moment, we don't actually know what the story is supposed to be about. Characters run in and out too quickly to keep track of or get to know, sometimes just for the sake of fan service, it seems, and at this point the world feels too in-joke for a newbie to enjoy, yet we keep getting info-dumps about the world to keep them up to speed, that are obnoxiously redundant for fans. The writing is so very melodramatic, and the whole thing would greatly benefit from a self-serious-ectomy.
Seriously, we need like a fart joke or a pie in the face up in this piece.
UNMARKED SPOILERS ABOUT BEYOND THIS POINT. I AM TOTALLY RUINING LIKE THE ENTIRE BOOK SO READ AT YOUR PERIL K?
I honestly have tried and tried and I just can't hammer out my specific problems into a review that makes any sort of flowing, cohesive sense, so I am going to cheat the shit out of this and do bullet points.
So our semi-co-protagonist is Brina di'Birgetta, the sister of Lord Daryl di'BirAsshole from Midnight Predator, and I had a hard time swallowing her plotline. Brina starts out the book being seriously mentally unstable, and suicidally depressed after the death of her brother, which apparently has happened very recently in-world, despite it being like 4,000 years since that book was published IRL. Anyway, she's sadface and angsty but meets Jay at a party and thinks he's pretty and cheers up I guess, and for some reason he finds her not revolting despite the fact that she is a vampire and he is a vampire-hunting witch, and they become love interests.
But meanwhile Jay finds an injured shapeshifter passed out in the woods and in trying to save her accidentally unleashes a seriously pissy Elemental, who is seriously pissy because her priestess (the shapeshifter) was tortured and broken down and has been serving as a vampire slave for several centuries. And her last owner...was Brina.
So you might see where this could be a problem, yeah? Brina owns slaves. Like currently. She also neglects them to the point that they'd have starved if Jay hadn't poked his nose into her affairs. Not that it would have been better if she'd been feeding them because they'd still be slaves, but for real. Slaves. She owns them. And the book tries to make her a co-protagonist. Wat...
Read full review at You're Killing.Us.
I've had this problem with all of the newer Den books. With the exception of All Just Glass, they've left generally the same non-impression, and I'm running into the same technical issues over and over. The characters are bland or stock, seemingly coming in only three or four variations. They get different names and color palettes and power sets, but they all seem to pull from the same limited bag of personality traits. The voices are downright interchangeable. The pacing is rushed, the story too short, and we get a series of events that happen one after the other with little to no build-up. The goals change too quickly to establish tension, and at any given moment, we don't actually know what the story is supposed to be about. Characters run in and out too quickly to keep track of or get to know, sometimes just for the sake of fan service, it seems, and at this point the world feels too in-joke for a newbie to enjoy, yet we keep getting info-dumps about the world to keep them up to speed, that are obnoxiously redundant for fans. The writing is so very melodramatic, and the whole thing would greatly benefit from a self-serious-ectomy.
Seriously, we need like a fart joke or a pie in the face up in this piece.
UNMARKED SPOILERS ABOUT BEYOND THIS POINT. I AM TOTALLY RUINING LIKE THE ENTIRE BOOK SO READ AT YOUR PERIL K?
I honestly have tried and tried and I just can't hammer out my specific problems into a review that makes any sort of flowing, cohesive sense, so I am going to cheat the shit out of this and do bullet points.
So our semi-co-protagonist is Brina di'Birgetta, the sister of Lord Daryl di'BirAsshole from Midnight Predator, and I had a hard time swallowing her plotline. Brina starts out the book being seriously mentally unstable, and suicidally depressed after the death of her brother, which apparently has happened very recently in-world, despite it being like 4,000 years since that book was published IRL. Anyway, she's sadface and angsty but meets Jay at a party and thinks he's pretty and cheers up I guess, and for some reason he finds her not revolting despite the fact that she is a vampire and he is a vampire-hunting witch, and they become love interests.
But meanwhile Jay finds an injured shapeshifter passed out in the woods and in trying to save her accidentally unleashes a seriously pissy Elemental, who is seriously pissy because her priestess (the shapeshifter) was tortured and broken down and has been serving as a vampire slave for several centuries. And her last owner...was Brina.
So you might see where this could be a problem, yeah? Brina owns slaves. Like currently. She also neglects them to the point that they'd have starved if Jay hadn't poked his nose into her affairs. Not that it would have been better if she'd been feeding them because they'd still be slaves, but for real. Slaves. She owns them. And the book tries to make her a co-protagonist. Wat...
Read full review at You're Killing.Us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2013
When I was in junior high school, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' books were my favorite books, no contest. When she started publishing again I, of course, had to get myself copies. They weren't as great but I liked them.
But this one is the biggest let down so far. The novel felt unfocused and jerky. We were thrown at characters with no introduction and then they weren't heard from again. The whole time I generally felt like I was missing something, like there was an inside joke flying over my head.
I like the world but this one was too hard to follow to make it enjoyable.
But this one is the biggest let down so far. The novel felt unfocused and jerky. We were thrown at characters with no introduction and then they weren't heard from again. The whole time I generally felt like I was missing something, like there was an inside joke flying over my head.
I like the world but this one was too hard to follow to make it enjoyable.
April 24, 2015
I read In the Forests of the Night way back in 2000, when I was an impressionable young thirteen year old and had read a few articles in my various teen magazines about this fourteen year old debut author who wrote this whole series about vampires. The initial four Den of Shadows books—ItFofN, Demon in My View, Shattered Mirror and Midnight Predator—were constant rereads throughout the rest of middle school and my first year of high school, and then I dropped her after Hawksong came out. Since All Just Glass’s release a few years ago, I’ve been slowly revisiting Amelia Atwater-Rhodes with renewed interest in how she’s improved as a writer and the occasional dip in purple-prosed nostalgia. (SO MUCH PURPLE PROSE in her early books. I don’t blame her, but there were times I had to groan out loud.)
Promises to Keep is a pretty implosive ending to a thirteen-year old series (with potential room for more) that delves deep into the mythology and history of the combined universes of Den of Shadows and the Kiesha’ra and goes onto to blow things up. I don’t know if Atwater-Rhodes plans to continue writing after the events of this book (I’ve only just started Bloodwitch, the first in the Maeve’ra, and that takes places in the early 19th century), but I don’t know how she’d be able to pull it off.
We finally learn the origins for all of the supernatural creatures—vampires, shapeshifters, both Macht and Triste witches—by going back to the elementals. If I ever get the chance to do a massive straight-through reread of her books, I’m going to have see how many hints she has dropped to this endgame—we’ve seen the elementals in Token of Darkness and knew even back then how dangerous they could be. I’m not entirely onboard with the explanation of how “Oh, when the vampires feed, they’re giving the energy back to their elemental,” but I can at least roll with it. (I also love that Jason calls out the fact that most of the known elemental names begin with Le—Leona, Leban, etc—and Rikai says, “Human minds cannot pronounce the names of the elementals, this is what they’ve come up with.” There’s part of me that wants to think that the supernaturals in this world were created by the Old Ones.)
That said, this is an incredibly problematic plot when you remember what it’s about. We’re dealing with a Native American shapeshifter spiritual figure, who’s been sold into slavery (AND IS NAMED PET BY HER CAPTORS) and is repeatedly mentioned as having pure black skin, and her bonded elemental who’s looking to wreck venegence against Leona and the entire supernatural race. And then we’ve have this weird underscore of “What do you mean, slavery is a bad thing? It’s not like we’re basing this on skin color, vampires and supernatural beings are literally better and people should be thankful. Hell, that’s what SingleEarth is doing and nobody’s criticizing them.” And even though a lot of this rhetoric is from Brina, it’s still somewhat seen as okay? (See also my entire problem with Midnight Predator because NO JAGUAR IS STILL A SLAVE OWNER HE IS NOT A ROMANTIC HERO. I DON’T CARE THAT HE’S NICE.) Plus the fact that Brina has mental health problems that no one really seems to address until the end, and it’s written off most of the time as “Well, you know Lady Brina and her episodes. Just go and make sure the slaves are looked after, kay?” I recognize that Atwater-Rhodes has been fairly problematic, especially in her early books, but this is just…no.
And it makes me incredibly disappointed because there’s so much more that I like about this book, the problematic elements stand out and really bring it down for me. Because we have more normalized human-supernatural relationships being talked about in this book with Caryn and Jeremy (CARYN I MISSED YOU!) and Professor Epilson that I would love to see explored further on. (I’m curious, though—are vampires and shapeshifters and witches well known by this point? Jeremy mentions that his family are against non-humans, but I don’t know if they just happened to know about supernaturals, but then you’ve got the Wild Card artist group making supernatural documentaries with human specialists who know the in-depth history and mythology and I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS NOW.) You’ve also got Jason, who is basically the bisexual dude-bro empath of the Macht witch hunting line (HE IS TOTALLY A DUDEBRO. Also I really wanted him and Xeke to end up together), who’s only trying to do the right thing and help save the sakkri from the bonds of Midnight. And accidentally horribly ruins everything.
But once we start learning more about the sakkri and Jason starts warming up to Lady Brina, the problematic elements became more glaring and it made me uncomfortable while I was reading. I like the idea of the elemental war. I like the plotline of the sakkri’s elemental taking vengeance on the realm of Midnight and going after all of the supernaturals in theory. I actually like that even though most of the major action happens off-screen, all that we see is Jason and Brina trying to hold together Haven #2 in the midst of a supernatural plague and I really liked this climax. But...everything with the sakkri and Brina’s (and most of the supernaturals outside of the Macht witches) defense of Midnight and slavery leaves such a bad taste in my mouth.
But again, I’m incredibly torn about whether or not I should recommend this book. As a capper to the series, those elements are fantastic and for me, I really enjoyed them. But the main plot of the book and how the sakkri is dealt with plus the uncomfortable sorting-justifying the slavery leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I do think the latter half of the Den of Shadows series, prose wise, is a massive improvement since In the Forests of the Night, but the plot elements stumble too much for me to give this a fantastic review.
Promises to Keep is a pretty implosive ending to a thirteen-year old series (with potential room for more) that delves deep into the mythology and history of the combined universes of Den of Shadows and the Kiesha’ra and goes onto to blow things up. I don’t know if Atwater-Rhodes plans to continue writing after the events of this book (I’ve only just started Bloodwitch, the first in the Maeve’ra, and that takes places in the early 19th century), but I don’t know how she’d be able to pull it off.
We finally learn the origins for all of the supernatural creatures—vampires, shapeshifters, both Macht and Triste witches—by going back to the elementals. If I ever get the chance to do a massive straight-through reread of her books, I’m going to have see how many hints she has dropped to this endgame—we’ve seen the elementals in Token of Darkness and knew even back then how dangerous they could be. I’m not entirely onboard with the explanation of how “Oh, when the vampires feed, they’re giving the energy back to their elemental,” but I can at least roll with it. (I also love that Jason calls out the fact that most of the known elemental names begin with Le—Leona, Leban, etc—and Rikai says, “Human minds cannot pronounce the names of the elementals, this is what they’ve come up with.” There’s part of me that wants to think that the supernaturals in this world were created by the Old Ones.)
That said, this is an incredibly problematic plot when you remember what it’s about. We’re dealing with a Native American shapeshifter spiritual figure, who’s been sold into slavery (AND IS NAMED PET BY HER CAPTORS) and is repeatedly mentioned as having pure black skin, and her bonded elemental who’s looking to wreck venegence against Leona and the entire supernatural race. And then we’ve have this weird underscore of “What do you mean, slavery is a bad thing? It’s not like we’re basing this on skin color, vampires and supernatural beings are literally better and people should be thankful. Hell, that’s what SingleEarth is doing and nobody’s criticizing them.” And even though a lot of this rhetoric is from Brina, it’s still somewhat seen as okay? (See also my entire problem with Midnight Predator because NO JAGUAR IS STILL A SLAVE OWNER HE IS NOT A ROMANTIC HERO. I DON’T CARE THAT HE’S NICE.) Plus the fact that Brina has mental health problems that no one really seems to address until the end, and it’s written off most of the time as “Well, you know Lady Brina and her episodes. Just go and make sure the slaves are looked after, kay?” I recognize that Atwater-Rhodes has been fairly problematic, especially in her early books, but this is just…no.
And it makes me incredibly disappointed because there’s so much more that I like about this book, the problematic elements stand out and really bring it down for me. Because we have more normalized human-supernatural relationships being talked about in this book with Caryn and Jeremy (CARYN I MISSED YOU!) and Professor Epilson that I would love to see explored further on. (I’m curious, though—are vampires and shapeshifters and witches well known by this point? Jeremy mentions that his family are against non-humans, but I don’t know if they just happened to know about supernaturals, but then you’ve got the Wild Card artist group making supernatural documentaries with human specialists who know the in-depth history and mythology and I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS NOW.) You’ve also got Jason, who is basically the bisexual dude-bro empath of the Macht witch hunting line (HE IS TOTALLY A DUDEBRO. Also I really wanted him and Xeke to end up together), who’s only trying to do the right thing and help save the sakkri from the bonds of Midnight. And accidentally horribly ruins everything.
But once we start learning more about the sakkri and Jason starts warming up to Lady Brina, the problematic elements became more glaring and it made me uncomfortable while I was reading. I like the idea of the elemental war. I like the plotline of the sakkri’s elemental taking vengeance on the realm of Midnight and going after all of the supernaturals in theory. I actually like that even though most of the major action happens off-screen, all that we see is Jason and Brina trying to hold together Haven #2 in the midst of a supernatural plague and I really liked this climax. But...everything with the sakkri and Brina’s (and most of the supernaturals outside of the Macht witches) defense of Midnight and slavery leaves such a bad taste in my mouth.
But again, I’m incredibly torn about whether or not I should recommend this book. As a capper to the series, those elements are fantastic and for me, I really enjoyed them. But the main plot of the book and how the sakkri is dealt with plus the uncomfortable sorting-justifying the slavery leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I do think the latter half of the Den of Shadows series, prose wise, is a massive improvement since In the Forests of the Night, but the plot elements stumble too much for me to give this a fantastic review.
August 1, 2014
Promises to keep is the ninth book in the Den of Shadows, and is connected to the prequels, the Kiesha’ra series. There are vampires and witches that were in the Den of Shadows series. Lady Brina and Jeshickah and Jaguar were all first introduced in Midnight Predator. There are also some shape shifters. Lynx the cat is back, and the main character is a young male witch with empathy name Jay. I had a hard time remembering where other characters came from, so I was mostly confused reading this book.
Jay goes to Lady Kendra’s Heathen Holiday, the Yule Party and meets a guy named Xeke, and Lady Brina there. He appreciates art and tries to dance with people. Something happens to Lady Brina’s Pet, who’s a shape shifter. Jay leaves the party and comes back and some other crazy stuff happens. Brina become human. In this book, the character I enjoyed the most was Lady Brina. She’s an artist and vampire. I did not care for Jay at all.
I did like the fantasy elements from all of the authors other books. I learned that Bloodwitch, a book by her that came out recently, is actually a prequel set in the early 1800s in the old city of Midnight. I like the magic stuff and shape-shifter mythology. Amelia’s world building is awesome, but not all her characters are well flushed out. I prefer when she writes in 1st person because it gives the characters a lot more depth. 3rd person has a lot less emotion. The book was pretty short and not much really happened in it. There wasn’t really room for character development, I guess. There was some adventure, but only towards the end of the book.
If you never read anything by Amelia, then give it a try. Her series is similar to Cynthia Leith Smith’s Tantalize and Eternal, or Feral Nights, or L.J. Smith’s Night World series. There are a lot of reoccurring characters and the books usually read as stand-alones or companion novels.
Cover Art Review: The cover is kind of creepy and like the other book covers in the series. Not the greatest cover though.
~Haley G
My blog:
http://breathlessbookreviews.blogspot...
Jay goes to Lady Kendra’s Heathen Holiday, the Yule Party and meets a guy named Xeke, and Lady Brina there. He appreciates art and tries to dance with people. Something happens to Lady Brina’s Pet, who’s a shape shifter. Jay leaves the party and comes back and some other crazy stuff happens. Brina become human. In this book, the character I enjoyed the most was Lady Brina. She’s an artist and vampire. I did not care for Jay at all.
I did like the fantasy elements from all of the authors other books. I learned that Bloodwitch, a book by her that came out recently, is actually a prequel set in the early 1800s in the old city of Midnight. I like the magic stuff and shape-shifter mythology. Amelia’s world building is awesome, but not all her characters are well flushed out. I prefer when she writes in 1st person because it gives the characters a lot more depth. 3rd person has a lot less emotion. The book was pretty short and not much really happened in it. There wasn’t really room for character development, I guess. There was some adventure, but only towards the end of the book.
If you never read anything by Amelia, then give it a try. Her series is similar to Cynthia Leith Smith’s Tantalize and Eternal, or Feral Nights, or L.J. Smith’s Night World series. There are a lot of reoccurring characters and the books usually read as stand-alones or companion novels.
Cover Art Review: The cover is kind of creepy and like the other book covers in the series. Not the greatest cover though.
~Haley G
My blog:
http://breathlessbookreviews.blogspot...
May 2, 2013
Before going into this, I had no idea it was the ninth book in a series. Well, maybe that explains why it was so confusing. Because I had no idea what the heck was going on for about 95% of the book.
Jay is a vampire hunter who goes to the wrong party at the right time. While a vampire ruled empire called Midnight threatens to take over the world, Jay is ready to fight them, no matter what it takes.
Yeah, that's basically all I can remember about what happened. The world Jay lived in was so complex with so many characters that were different species that were part of different groups and I could not keep a single one straight. All I knew was that Jay was a witch and a hunter. That's it. I had no idea what SingleEarth was or who Jay even worked for. I didn't even fully understand exactly what powers Jay even had. It just seemed like he walked around doing whatever he pleased, which often included getting hurt or getting into trouble.
I kept on reading hoping something would click and I would finally understand what was happening with all of the characters. But that "aha" moment never happened. I was probably more confused at the end than I was at any other point in the book. Sometimes, too, Jay seemed way older than 19, so I often forgot I was even reading a YA book.
Maybe I was just in a weird mood where I couldn't comprehend what I was reading, but this one was pretty hard to get through. Hopefully those who have read the other books before this have a better sense of the world Jay lived in. Because I was so lost. If you're new to this author, definitely pass on this one!
Jay is a vampire hunter who goes to the wrong party at the right time. While a vampire ruled empire called Midnight threatens to take over the world, Jay is ready to fight them, no matter what it takes.
Yeah, that's basically all I can remember about what happened. The world Jay lived in was so complex with so many characters that were different species that were part of different groups and I could not keep a single one straight. All I knew was that Jay was a witch and a hunter. That's it. I had no idea what SingleEarth was or who Jay even worked for. I didn't even fully understand exactly what powers Jay even had. It just seemed like he walked around doing whatever he pleased, which often included getting hurt or getting into trouble.
I kept on reading hoping something would click and I would finally understand what was happening with all of the characters. But that "aha" moment never happened. I was probably more confused at the end than I was at any other point in the book. Sometimes, too, Jay seemed way older than 19, so I often forgot I was even reading a YA book.
Maybe I was just in a weird mood where I couldn't comprehend what I was reading, but this one was pretty hard to get through. Hopefully those who have read the other books before this have a better sense of the world Jay lived in. Because I was so lost. If you're new to this author, definitely pass on this one!
September 23, 2015
I've been reading Ms. Atwater-Rhodes books since I was in the 7th grade. I remember buying "into the forest of the night" at a book sale at the school and it didn't occur to to me then as a child that it was going to leave a huge mark on me. When I was in highschool I'd probably reread it so many times I could recite it. And it's when taking a creative writing course that I used it as a kind of inspiration. I wanted to do to others what she'd done to me.
Her world building has been amazing to grow up in and following all of the intriguing characters has been an amazing journey. Ups, downs, battles, and history lessons. I know all series must come to an end but this is one I wish could keep going. All the novels are rather on the short side but the lack no depth,sure ore could be added but then I think you'd just want a nap with all the info dump you'd receive. So they've been tastefully handled, history explained but never been overly dull. Characters vivid and if I must say most of which I'd love to sit with and learn more about because each book ties me to them and it's like old friends. Some enemies I'd still love to learn about and I still feel we could use just few more stories because the characters aren't all finished telling they're lives. But 9 books has been a blessing in itself most authors would've thrown in the towel probably and ignored a lot of the voices. I wish it wasn't ending but I can say I'll definitely be rereading all of these for years to come...
Her world building has been amazing to grow up in and following all of the intriguing characters has been an amazing journey. Ups, downs, battles, and history lessons. I know all series must come to an end but this is one I wish could keep going. All the novels are rather on the short side but the lack no depth,sure ore could be added but then I think you'd just want a nap with all the info dump you'd receive. So they've been tastefully handled, history explained but never been overly dull. Characters vivid and if I must say most of which I'd love to sit with and learn more about because each book ties me to them and it's like old friends. Some enemies I'd still love to learn about and I still feel we could use just few more stories because the characters aren't all finished telling they're lives. But 9 books has been a blessing in itself most authors would've thrown in the towel probably and ignored a lot of the voices. I wish it wasn't ending but I can say I'll definitely be rereading all of these for years to come...
July 8, 2015
I really liked Jay in All Just Glass and so him starring in his own book was an automatic win for me. Other reviewers have pointed out the problematic bits, mostly concerning slavery in the DoS universe, and I’m not going to go into that.
I don’t generally like YA, but I faithfully read and collect all of Atwater-Rhodes’ books since I first read Hawksong many years ago. One of the reason’s she’s kept me this long is, honestly, because was like manna from Heaven and I’ve been hoping that she might give us another non-cishet pairing somewhere down the line. The conclusion was great and I liked the book in general but I’m going to suffer from this heartbreak for a while.
I don’t generally like YA, but I faithfully read and collect all of Atwater-Rhodes’ books since I first read Hawksong many years ago. One of the reason’s she’s kept me this long is, honestly, because was like manna from Heaven and I’ve been hoping that she might give us another non-cishet pairing somewhere down the line. The conclusion was great and I liked the book in general but I’m going to suffer from this heartbreak for a while.
October 28, 2013
Jay is a witch, and a vampire hunter, a very good one, sworn to keep the peace and protect the world. On a whim he attends a vampire’s gala festival where he finds himself at the very center of the enemy’s world when he discovers the body of an unconscious woman. Through his investigation Jay awakens an elemental spirit set on revenge and discovers that an evil vampire empire, once thought destroyed, is on the rise.
Atwater-Rhodes is a capable writer, her early series Den of Shadows, created a vibrant world with strong, well developed characters. Promises to Keep, lacks well developed characters and thrusts the reader into a confusing world where the occult world lives side by side, but not quite overlapping, the mundane. Although this is marketed as a stand alone title it so thoroughly inhabitants the world Atwater-Rhodes developed in earlier titles that it is difficult for the reader to understand who is who and what is what. This title is recommended to readers of Atwater-Rhodes but not to those unfamiliar with her work.
Atwater-Rhodes is a capable writer, her early series Den of Shadows, created a vibrant world with strong, well developed characters. Promises to Keep, lacks well developed characters and thrusts the reader into a confusing world where the occult world lives side by side, but not quite overlapping, the mundane. Although this is marketed as a stand alone title it so thoroughly inhabitants the world Atwater-Rhodes developed in earlier titles that it is difficult for the reader to understand who is who and what is what. This title is recommended to readers of Atwater-Rhodes but not to those unfamiliar with her work.
November 2, 2016
I think of this book is that it is a really good book and that its something i recommend for people to read and that its has a mysterious type of vibe and its has some twists to it.
August 4, 2019
3 1/2 Stars
Promises to Keep is the ninth and final book in The Den of Shadows series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.
This is a great YA, paranormal fantasy series with vampires, witches, shapeshifters, supernatural elements, hunters, mystery, suspense, danger, action, drama, and a little angst. And was a great way to wrap up the series. Everything comes to a head in this action-packed adventure. There was quite a lot going on in this story, but I think the author choreographed everything really well. We catch up with Jay from Book #7, and he's one of the main characters here. But we also get to catch up with all the other major players who've appeared over the course of the series. Which made this quite and intriguing read. I loved Jay and I loved the story. But I really didn't like Brina- she peeved me terribly.
An original story- with fully developed and interesting characters. It’s well crafted and is a credit to Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
A great way to wrap up the series!
Thank you, Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
Promises to Keep is the ninth and final book in The Den of Shadows series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.
This is a great YA, paranormal fantasy series with vampires, witches, shapeshifters, supernatural elements, hunters, mystery, suspense, danger, action, drama, and a little angst. And was a great way to wrap up the series. Everything comes to a head in this action-packed adventure. There was quite a lot going on in this story, but I think the author choreographed everything really well. We catch up with Jay from Book #7, and he's one of the main characters here. But we also get to catch up with all the other major players who've appeared over the course of the series. Which made this quite and intriguing read. I loved Jay and I loved the story. But I really didn't like Brina- she peeved me terribly.
An original story- with fully developed and interesting characters. It’s well crafted and is a credit to Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
A great way to wrap up the series!
Thank you, Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
May 3, 2021
This book is the last of her Den of Shadows series, and it will for sure be a series I will miss. It’s think me finding this author was a chance of my sister having an old book with a cool cover on her shelf that she had never opened. “In the Forests of the Night” got me started on Atwater-Rhodes, and her writing kept me here. If she ever writes any more I will have to come back to read all of them 😂.
June 23, 2024
This series is absolutely everything. I started reading it 17 years ago & have now been able to share it with my 15 year old. This book in particular brings a lot of new perspectives from every character. Shapeshifters finding their vulnerability, vampires choosing a human path, elemental abilities being a downfall, & a tragic choice being blamed on others. I was so wrapped up that when I was over I was genuinely sad & I can’t wait to read the entire series again from the beginning.
November 26, 2020
idk if it’s cause it’s been a while since i’ve read the other books in the den of shadows series but i spent most of this book confused af. atwater-rhodes drew me jn pretty quickly but the second half of the book really confused me lmao and if you asked me what the hell was happening i couldnt tell yoh
June 25, 2019
I felt disconnected. Usually I fly through her books, but this was taking forever. I only got to page 90, but I just wasnt feeling it. The same thing happened with Poisoned Tree. I just got confused and bored.
November 12, 2019
I totally forgot who a lot of people were that were mentioned in this book. They were from earlier in the series and hadn't been mentioned since book 2. It took me a while to get through this series and that is why I forgot.
December 31, 2020
Couldn't put it down
Amelia really poured love and thought into this story. I'm happy with the twists and turns this story line took the reader. The ending made me want more from the series. I highly recommended.
Amelia really poured love and thought into this story. I'm happy with the twists and turns this story line took the reader. The ending made me want more from the series. I highly recommended.
December 26, 2017
This book had its moments but overall the story was just meh.
July 12, 2018
Even more complex, as this book knits together characters in pretty much all the other books. Interesting, epic, and probably worth a reread.
September 8, 2018
interesting turn of events
September 30, 2019
It was a good book it drew me in and kept just adding more and more to its almost never ending story I liked the story
February 16, 2022
I really like Jay but I want him to choose not to have kids instead you should be like Sarah I would love to see you and Sarah and Nicholas helping each other out
January 1, 2025
I loved this book so much!!! The characters are wonderful especially Jay!!!!!
May 18, 2021
Okay, so bit of context:
I bought the den of shadows quartet of the first four books way back when Borders still existed so I was pretty young, and I'm only just now reading the last few books (finished 7,8,9 over the last day and a half).
I'm not sure how I feel about this one because it was a bit harder to get invested in this and some of the plot points were downright weird.
I liked Jay, he was a likeable guy who liked to take risks and at the start he kinda felt his age.
I also enjoyed reading how his power affected his interactions with people.
We probably had a bit too many characters coming in and out, like at the start it was Jay and Brina and Xeke and there was that random appearance of Kendra and Kaleo at the start. Then it was Caryn and suddenly she's getting married and we get introduced to Jeremy and Nikolas pops up too.
Then Jay find the shapeshifter (who we never get to know) and then Brina is human for no apparent reason and weird stuff is happening to people.
And one thing that bugged me is Jay totally seems to have a crush on Xeke, like he is flirting and tongue tied and then it's like the author chickens out and suddenly out of nowhere Brina kisses him and they have a thing?
I feel like the spooning scene with Xeke and Brina was maybe meant to be like caught between them but it wasn't pulled off and I got more of a platonic feel to him and Brina where it felt like he and Xeke could be more considering his behaviour and how he was worried about him being dead and such. And was going to let Xeke feed on him. So the Brina thing didn't feel as set up as that did so it felt a bit off for them to suddenly have a thing.
Then we cut to the end and Xeke and Rikai and the one we hadn't heard from are writing about it and there's no conclusion to Xeke and Jay which made me sad.
Also all the random little cuts to different characters, most of who I didn't recognise, getting different powers and coming out of the almost end of the world felt a bit unnecessary because half of them weren't main characters and the whole new power arc felt like it would be better as a spin-off series. So it just felt cramped and unfinished.
This wasn't my favourite book with such a complicated plot line and turns that didn't make sense. This series is a bit odd because while events are usually distantly connected the first 6 books were very separate and the ties between main characters were minimal. All Just Glass was the closest to a sequel we got and the rest felt like stand alones in the same world but this felt like it tried to close it all at once which strays from that.
I would still recommend reading it but the ending was just frustrating.
I bought the den of shadows quartet of the first four books way back when Borders still existed so I was pretty young, and I'm only just now reading the last few books (finished 7,8,9 over the last day and a half).
I'm not sure how I feel about this one because it was a bit harder to get invested in this and some of the plot points were downright weird.
I liked Jay, he was a likeable guy who liked to take risks and at the start he kinda felt his age.
I also enjoyed reading how his power affected his interactions with people.
We probably had a bit too many characters coming in and out, like at the start it was Jay and Brina and Xeke and there was that random appearance of Kendra and Kaleo at the start. Then it was Caryn and suddenly she's getting married and we get introduced to Jeremy and Nikolas pops up too.
Then Jay find the shapeshifter (who we never get to know) and then Brina is human for no apparent reason and weird stuff is happening to people.
And one thing that bugged me is Jay totally seems to have a crush on Xeke, like he is flirting and tongue tied and then it's like the author chickens out and suddenly out of nowhere Brina kisses him and they have a thing?
I feel like the spooning scene with Xeke and Brina was maybe meant to be like caught between them but it wasn't pulled off and I got more of a platonic feel to him and Brina where it felt like he and Xeke could be more considering his behaviour and how he was worried about him being dead and such. And was going to let Xeke feed on him. So the Brina thing didn't feel as set up as that did so it felt a bit off for them to suddenly have a thing.
Then we cut to the end and Xeke and Rikai and the one we hadn't heard from are writing about it and there's no conclusion to Xeke and Jay which made me sad.
Also all the random little cuts to different characters, most of who I didn't recognise, getting different powers and coming out of the almost end of the world felt a bit unnecessary because half of them weren't main characters and the whole new power arc felt like it would be better as a spin-off series. So it just felt cramped and unfinished.
This wasn't my favourite book with such a complicated plot line and turns that didn't make sense. This series is a bit odd because while events are usually distantly connected the first 6 books were very separate and the ties between main characters were minimal. All Just Glass was the closest to a sequel we got and the rest felt like stand alones in the same world but this felt like it tried to close it all at once which strays from that.
I would still recommend reading it but the ending was just frustrating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2025
2014 Reread
Yet another awesome addition to the Nyeusigrube library. Everything changes with this book and the stakes have never been higher. I enjoyed getting to know new characters, the cameos from some older ones, and the general expansion of the Nyeusigrube universe. I'd write more, but my first read was kind of a blur wrapped in some babysitting.
2025 Reread
So, Promises to Keep is essentially where the Den of Shadows/Nyeusigrube series ends. It doesn't precisely feel like an ending, nor really a beginning... which will make more sense if you read it to the end. There ends up being a lot going on that both is and isn't properly explained. That's not a bad thing, but... does feel sort of rushed.
Promises to Keep combines all the elements from the stories that came before and the characters. It gives Token of Darkness an actual reason for being (which I had forgotten on my last reread) as, it turns out, Promises to Keep deals rather heavily in the Elementals that were more properly introduced in Token of Darkness. I was highly interested in the inner-workings of the Nyeusigrube magic system and Promises to Keep managed to explain it better than any of the other books. The power scaling from Token of Darkness's Samantha to what Jay deals with in Promises to Keep is all the more impressive considering Samantha was just a weak Elemental and nearly killed a girl.
I also quite enjoyed Jay as a character. He was a bright spot in All Just Glass and is definitely more fleshed out here. He's a relatively light, fun character, as Nyeusigrube characters go. Just what this story needed. His relationship with Brina was very interesting. I like them as a pair.
I do confess that I had a fondness for Xeke and Rikai from well before I read them in these pages. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' website in the early 2000's had some message boards in which she would essentially roleplay her characters with users. It was good fun and endeared me to Xeke and Rikai. It was definitely fun to finally see them in the pages of Nyeusigrube proper.
I am largely satisfied with the ending... or multiple endings. We get to check in on a few of the more prominent Nyeusigrube denizens, see how they're doing post-Elemental shenanigans. I won't spoil any of that. It really did feel like a good send off (or just a stopping point) for the world and its characters.
Yet another awesome addition to the Nyeusigrube library. Everything changes with this book and the stakes have never been higher. I enjoyed getting to know new characters, the cameos from some older ones, and the general expansion of the Nyeusigrube universe. I'd write more, but my first read was kind of a blur wrapped in some babysitting.
2025 Reread
So, Promises to Keep is essentially where the Den of Shadows/Nyeusigrube series ends. It doesn't precisely feel like an ending, nor really a beginning... which will make more sense if you read it to the end. There ends up being a lot going on that both is and isn't properly explained. That's not a bad thing, but... does feel sort of rushed.
Promises to Keep combines all the elements from the stories that came before and the characters. It gives Token of Darkness an actual reason for being (which I had forgotten on my last reread) as, it turns out, Promises to Keep deals rather heavily in the Elementals that were more properly introduced in Token of Darkness. I was highly interested in the inner-workings of the Nyeusigrube magic system and Promises to Keep managed to explain it better than any of the other books. The power scaling from Token of Darkness's Samantha to what Jay deals with in Promises to Keep is all the more impressive considering Samantha was just a weak Elemental and nearly killed a girl.
I also quite enjoyed Jay as a character. He was a bright spot in All Just Glass and is definitely more fleshed out here. He's a relatively light, fun character, as Nyeusigrube characters go. Just what this story needed. His relationship with Brina was very interesting. I like them as a pair.
I do confess that I had a fondness for Xeke and Rikai from well before I read them in these pages. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' website in the early 2000's had some message boards in which she would essentially roleplay her characters with users. It was good fun and endeared me to Xeke and Rikai. It was definitely fun to finally see them in the pages of Nyeusigrube proper.
I am largely satisfied with the ending... or multiple endings. We get to check in on a few of the more prominent Nyeusigrube denizens, see how they're doing post-Elemental shenanigans. I won't spoil any of that. It really did feel like a good send off (or just a stopping point) for the world and its characters.
December 3, 2017
SNAPSHOT:
Since 1999, the vampires, witches and shapeshifters of the Den of Shadows have found their way into backpacks everywhere: waging wars, fighting for lost loves, and dealing in moral shades of gray. The final installment brings to the forefront teenage witch and vampire hunter Jay Marinitch. A powerful empath and skilled slayer, Jay’s carefree attitude manages to land him in deep with a line of artistic and sadistic vampire slave-traders and draw the attention of a powerful and angry Elemental.
The lightning-fast pace at which Jay hops from one ill-defined plot point to the next will likely keep the attention of reluctant readers. A surprisingly light read considering the heavy topics and themes implied: self-worth and purpose, the long-term consequences of slavery, and world-altering powers at war.
There are cryptic references to characters from previous installments while others make brief drop-in cameos, which may confuse new readers and disappoint fans hoping for longer, more meaningful interactions. In general, readers would benefit from familiarizing themselves with prior novels before diving into Jay’s story.
The use of the many cultures, families, organizations, and empires of this world—while a fascinating experiment—does tend to bog down the action with descriptive asides as each new group or mechanic needs introducing. Those familiar with past tales may find such breaks as redundant and pandering, as the book does not seem intended to hook new readers.
Appropriate for ages 12+. Mild language, fantasy violence, and light romance. The narrator is bisexual. Younger readers should be encouraged to compare and contrast the impact of vampire-led slavery on the denizens of the fantasy world vs. the historical and present-day slavery and human trafficking of our own world.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…
* Enjoy vampires, shapeshifters, witches, and more
* Are a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Grimm, or True Blood
* Love paranormal romance spiced with a dose of action-adventure
* Need a short, quick, guiltless read
* Have read the other Den of Shadows novels
[[Review originally featured at https://youngentertainmentmag.com/pro... ]]
Since 1999, the vampires, witches and shapeshifters of the Den of Shadows have found their way into backpacks everywhere: waging wars, fighting for lost loves, and dealing in moral shades of gray. The final installment brings to the forefront teenage witch and vampire hunter Jay Marinitch. A powerful empath and skilled slayer, Jay’s carefree attitude manages to land him in deep with a line of artistic and sadistic vampire slave-traders and draw the attention of a powerful and angry Elemental.
The lightning-fast pace at which Jay hops from one ill-defined plot point to the next will likely keep the attention of reluctant readers. A surprisingly light read considering the heavy topics and themes implied: self-worth and purpose, the long-term consequences of slavery, and world-altering powers at war.
There are cryptic references to characters from previous installments while others make brief drop-in cameos, which may confuse new readers and disappoint fans hoping for longer, more meaningful interactions. In general, readers would benefit from familiarizing themselves with prior novels before diving into Jay’s story.
The use of the many cultures, families, organizations, and empires of this world—while a fascinating experiment—does tend to bog down the action with descriptive asides as each new group or mechanic needs introducing. Those familiar with past tales may find such breaks as redundant and pandering, as the book does not seem intended to hook new readers.
Appropriate for ages 12+. Mild language, fantasy violence, and light romance. The narrator is bisexual. Younger readers should be encouraged to compare and contrast the impact of vampire-led slavery on the denizens of the fantasy world vs. the historical and present-day slavery and human trafficking of our own world.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…
* Enjoy vampires, shapeshifters, witches, and more
* Are a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Grimm, or True Blood
* Love paranormal romance spiced with a dose of action-adventure
* Need a short, quick, guiltless read
* Have read the other Den of Shadows novels
[[Review originally featured at https://youngentertainmentmag.com/pro... ]]
May 7, 2013
Promises to Keep (Den of Shadows 9)
by Amelia Atwater Rhodes
258 pages
Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (March 12, 2013)
Borrowed the book from the library
4 STARS
Jay comes from a line of witches with a long history battling vampires. He takes his chosen path as a hunter seriously, about the only thing in his life he treats this way. Otherwise the nineteen year old lives a nomadic existence. Then he scores an invite to the vamp party of the year. No witch or hunter would dare attend, except for Jay. That one night changes the world as we know it. (And I blame Jay completely.)
This is not a stand alone book. And those Den of Shadows fans out there might want to familiarize themselves with the series again before diving into this read. Rhodes is one of my favorite authors. She has an easy style of writing that I love. Jay is charismatic and one of the most interesting characters I've come across. He lives for the hunt, both for the rush and adventure of it, and because he believes it's his duty to stand between innocents and evil. I also enjoy the wide range of morality the vampires possess. At times you find yourself rooting for an evil bloodsucker and then you shake your head, "but she's one of the bad guys, right?" I like that.
I wish I had studied up before reading Promises to Keep because a lot of names were mentioned (especially in the recap at the end). Also as much as I love Jay, part of his drive seemed too ego driven for me to fully cheer him on. There were times I wanted to shake his shoulders and tell him "Knock it off and stop making everything worse!" My last gripe has to do with his flirting and romantic interests. Rhodes took this aspect of the book in two different directions, then watered it down to the point I felt like I was misreading the signals. Did Jay want to hook up with the hot male vamp or was he falling in love with the partly evil female vamp? I would have been happy either way, but the wish-washy back and forth left me annoyed.
I gave this book 4 stars despite my issues with it because I couldn't stop reading it and because I really did enjoy my time with Jay and all the chaos he triggers
by Amelia Atwater Rhodes
258 pages
Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (March 12, 2013)
Borrowed the book from the library
4 STARS
Jay comes from a line of witches with a long history battling vampires. He takes his chosen path as a hunter seriously, about the only thing in his life he treats this way. Otherwise the nineteen year old lives a nomadic existence. Then he scores an invite to the vamp party of the year. No witch or hunter would dare attend, except for Jay. That one night changes the world as we know it. (And I blame Jay completely.)
This is not a stand alone book. And those Den of Shadows fans out there might want to familiarize themselves with the series again before diving into this read. Rhodes is one of my favorite authors. She has an easy style of writing that I love. Jay is charismatic and one of the most interesting characters I've come across. He lives for the hunt, both for the rush and adventure of it, and because he believes it's his duty to stand between innocents and evil. I also enjoy the wide range of morality the vampires possess. At times you find yourself rooting for an evil bloodsucker and then you shake your head, "but she's one of the bad guys, right?" I like that.
I wish I had studied up before reading Promises to Keep because a lot of names were mentioned (especially in the recap at the end). Also as much as I love Jay, part of his drive seemed too ego driven for me to fully cheer him on. There were times I wanted to shake his shoulders and tell him "Knock it off and stop making everything worse!" My last gripe has to do with his flirting and romantic interests. Rhodes took this aspect of the book in two different directions, then watered it down to the point I felt like I was misreading the signals. Did Jay want to hook up with the hot male vamp or was he falling in love with the partly evil female vamp? I would have been happy either way, but the wish-washy back and forth left me annoyed.
I gave this book 4 stars despite my issues with it because I couldn't stop reading it and because I really did enjoy my time with Jay and all the chaos he triggers
March 21, 2013
Not my favorite of the Den of Shadows books, but still an interesting read. Jay doesn't seem to fit in with other witches at all, despite his hunter status. First off, he's far more comfortable out in the wild with Lynx, second, he makes friends with vampires surprisingly easy and willingly donates blood, something most other witches would likely kill over. This laid back attitude gets him into more than a little trouble as he tries to help the wrong person without the right information. Now the entire power balance has shifted, and we're just starting to see the tip of the iceberg with those changes.
Surprisingly kind of liked Xeke, though Rikai annoyed me a lot. Brina was an interesting surprise, especially when it turned out she could talk to Lynx the same way Jay did. Especially considering her own oblivion to her cat's demands earlier in the book. Definitely like her more as the human-almost-witch than as the vampire. Apparently Renna is Jessica's new name (from Demon in My View) and she is one of the "three wild cards" along with Xeke and Rikai. Surprising that she wasn't with Aubrey considered how connected they seemed in the earlier book.
There were also a lot of references to the Kiesha'ra series. The Cobriana family was mentioned by name aside from many references to the serpiente and the avian's. Kind of made me miss that series as I really liked Danica and Zane.
Overall, not the same character attachment as some of the earlier books (Demon in My View, Hawksong and Midnight Predator especially come to mind). A lot of interesting twists though. Makes me wonder if the next book with continue to combine Den of Shadows with Kisha'ra or if this was sort of a one time crossover.
Surprisingly kind of liked Xeke, though Rikai annoyed me a lot. Brina was an interesting surprise, especially when it turned out she could talk to Lynx the same way Jay did. Especially considering her own oblivion to her cat's demands earlier in the book. Definitely like her more as the human-almost-witch than as the vampire. Apparently Renna is Jessica's new name (from Demon in My View) and she is one of the "three wild cards" along with Xeke and Rikai. Surprising that she wasn't with Aubrey considered how connected they seemed in the earlier book.
There were also a lot of references to the Kiesha'ra series. The Cobriana family was mentioned by name aside from many references to the serpiente and the avian's. Kind of made me miss that series as I really liked Danica and Zane.
Overall, not the same character attachment as some of the earlier books (Demon in My View, Hawksong and Midnight Predator especially come to mind). A lot of interesting twists though. Makes me wonder if the next book with continue to combine Den of Shadows with Kisha'ra or if this was sort of a one time crossover.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2014
From Children's Literature review:
This ninth installment in the Den of Shadows series centers on Jay Marinitch, a 19-year-old vampire hunter who seems to attract trouble. Working for SingleEarth, the organization that promotes peace between various supernatural creatures and humans, Jay has no business going to the Heathen Holiday gala. However, he is unable to resist the gathering of artistic vampires, and promptly finds himself in over his head when he meets an unstable vampire named Brina. Soon after, he rescues a mysterious woman in the woods, and discovers too late that this shapeshifter was a slave of Brina’s and that the vampire expects Jay to return her property. Jay’s involvement in the release of Pet has done more than raise Brina’s ire: he has unknowingly released a powerful elemental that seeks revenge on the vampire society known as Midnight. The elemental has no qualms about killing innocent bystanders: as Rikai tells Jay, “When elementals war, civilizations burn.” Jay does not know how he is going to stop the elemental, but he realizes that if he does not try, the world he knows will perish. A large cast of characters, many of whom appear only briefly, will muddy the waters for readers new to the series, but Atwater-Rhodes’ fans will appreciate Jay’s efforts to do the right thing, even when it is not entirely clear which characters wear the good guy hats and which are the villains.
This ninth installment in the Den of Shadows series centers on Jay Marinitch, a 19-year-old vampire hunter who seems to attract trouble. Working for SingleEarth, the organization that promotes peace between various supernatural creatures and humans, Jay has no business going to the Heathen Holiday gala. However, he is unable to resist the gathering of artistic vampires, and promptly finds himself in over his head when he meets an unstable vampire named Brina. Soon after, he rescues a mysterious woman in the woods, and discovers too late that this shapeshifter was a slave of Brina’s and that the vampire expects Jay to return her property. Jay’s involvement in the release of Pet has done more than raise Brina’s ire: he has unknowingly released a powerful elemental that seeks revenge on the vampire society known as Midnight. The elemental has no qualms about killing innocent bystanders: as Rikai tells Jay, “When elementals war, civilizations burn.” Jay does not know how he is going to stop the elemental, but he realizes that if he does not try, the world he knows will perish. A large cast of characters, many of whom appear only briefly, will muddy the waters for readers new to the series, but Atwater-Rhodes’ fans will appreciate Jay’s efforts to do the right thing, even when it is not entirely clear which characters wear the good guy hats and which are the villains.
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