Nyx in the House of Night: Mythology, Folklore and Religion in the PC and Kristin Cast Vampyre Series

by P.C. Cast (Editor), Kristin Cast (Contributor), Jordan Dane (Contributor)

The House of Night is no ordinary school—and not just because it's for vampyres. It's a place where magic, religion, folklore, and mythology from multiple traditions merry meet and meld to create something incredible and new.

In Nyx in the House of Night—a 2-color illustrated companion to the House of Night series—some of your favorite YA authors, plus a few experts, help you navigate the influences behind the House of Night series in a guide that would get even Damien's seal of approval.

Travel with P.C. Cast as she gets her first tattoo in Ireland, climbs the ruins of Sgiach's castle, and discovers the lore that led to the Isle of Skye vampyres. Read Kristin Cast's defense of women in history and mythology who, like Zoey, have made a practice of juggling multiple men. Sit in on a vampyre lecture by Bryan Lankford, the real-life basis for House of Night instructor Dragon Lankford, on the parallels between Wiccan and vampyre circle rituals. Tour Tulsa's House of Night landmarks with local Amy H. Sturgis.

Plus:

•Karen Mahoney on Nyx and other goddesses of the night
•John Edgar Browning on vampires in folklore, fiction, and reality
•Jana Oliver on tattoos and other Marks
•Ellen Steiber on feline familiars
•Yasmine Galenorn on priestesses and goddess worship
•Jordon Dane on Zoey's Cherokee heritage
•Jeri Smith-Ready on the Raven Mockers and Kalona's less than heavenly inspiration
•Christine Zika on the connection between Nyx and the Virgin Mary
•Triniy Faegen on the Greek version of the Otherworld

Nyx in the House of Night also includes an appendix of character names that reveals the myth behind Zoey's last name, which House of Night cats have ties to Camelot, Egypt, and Middle-earth, and more!

Genres: Vampires, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mythology, Fiction, Ebooks

219 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2011

About the author

PC was born in the Midwest, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school, she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today Best-Selling author and a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath. PC is an experienced teacher and talented speaker. Ms. Cast lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses. House of Night Other World, book 4, FOUND, releases July 7th, 2020. More info to come soon about the HoN TV series!

Reviews

[D'zyre Walker-smith]

I thought all the books were awesome and thank P.C. and Kristen Cast for creating such a spectacular and addictive books but my favorites are Tempted, Untamed, Burned ,and Hunted. Thanks again to the wonderful authors of this series, it's better than the twilight series by Stephenie Meyer but not better than the vampire academy series by Richelle Mead

[Starla Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book,it's not like Twilight like everyone says it is, it's way better than that. The last book is coming out in Janurary and I can't wait to read it.

[Isi.Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 Sterne

[Elif · Rating 1 out of 5]

Amacını anlayamadığım bir kitap oldu. Sahte makaleler dizisi denilebilir kısaca.

[Destony Hornby]

omg. i absolutely love this series. i am previously am reading the 6th book "Tempted" for the house of night series.

[Sydney Pacitti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love it :)

[Dany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't be confused. This is not A House of night novel. This is an non fiction book about the goddes Nyx and another mithological stuff used in the series, write in essay way by a few authors (kristin cast included and edited by P. C.Cast).

If you are interested in the real base of the myths used in the series or history, and religion, and things that influence the autors, maybe this book is for you. If your not, please make you a favor and pass out, because it'll be boring for you.

Let me be clear: some authors opinions about the research and use of mithological and historial stuff in the HoN by Cast team was great (I really love the kristin's essay). But some of them... Make me want go to the bed.

for example:
The first one: I loved. The comparation with the different deities all around the world give me a better compresion of what Cast team was really doing.
The second one: is about the Vampire myth (past and actual). To much quotes. I kown, you need the referenceses, but that interrup my reading a LOT! But in any way, I thanks the autor for his investigation/research. Now I feel more smarter xD

The rest was a good complemment. If you like the books, or if you lost your interest in it (like me), maybe this like you. So far, I'm not sure about continue the rest of the books (I didn't read the last four. But I'm not hurry).

[Brenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win this book in the Goodreads First Read Giveaway. This book was not what I expected. While I enjoyed some of the pieces, others I found to be a bit boring and drag on. My favorite article was the one by Kristin Cast discussing Zoey having multiple love interests. I agree that there is oftentimes a double standard about what is acceptable behavior for a girl as opposed to a boy's behavior not only in books, but also in real life. Zoey is a teenager and hasn't decided what her path is going to be or who she is going to be with forever. Not many teenagers stay with the first person that they fall in love with. Most people date many different people and it takes awhile. I'm glad Kristin Cast made the arguments and explantations that she did. I also enjoyed the article about the importance of cats in the House of Night. While not a bad read, this book is one that I could not sit down and read straight through.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book to go along with the House of Night series and providing background information. Too often I have seen where such books are very shallow and are rather poorly done and totally uninteresting to someone who is not familiar with the series. This book, though, is not only well done but I think would interest someone who has not yet read the series and would probably encourage them to read it.


There is one whole chapter on the marks and what they mean (and how marks have been used through history), Cherokee spirituality, the Divine Cat. Goddess worship and ten more complete chapters on related topics. Not only is there all this but there is also a glossary that includes information on various characters, gods, animals and the Vampire High Council.

This is a really interesting book, definitely worth getting.

[Richard Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hard book to rate. If you are looking for stories from different authors using the characters, as I thought this book was when I first started it, then the reader will be disappointed. Instead this book, goes into the the history of the different characters, using history, myths, mythology and religion, to explain the different people, places animals and religions in the stories by people very knowledgeable in the different area, then the reader will find this book to be a very helpful source of information.

One part I found very interesting was when P.C. Cast described her studies of the different places and characters for the series.

So is it a good story? No.
Is it a good reference book? Yes it is

[Nisareen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nyx in the House of Night is companion book; it's a collection of essays about the Mythology, Folklore and Religion in the House of Night Series. The essays come from authors P.C. Cast, John Edgar Browning, Kristin Cast, Jordan Dane, Trinity Faegen, Yasmine Galenorn, Bryan Lankford, Karen Mahoney, Jana Oliver, Jeri Smith-Ready, Ellen Steiber, Amy H. Sturgis and Christine Zika.

The book focuses on questions of lore, myths and religions that define the House of Night universe. The subjects range from Greek Goddesses, myths, Cat Lore and facts, Historical explanations and Name Meanings of the House of Night cast.

[Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

ab und zu war es interessant und die Illustrationen waren wunderschön 🤩 aber eher ein unnötiges Buch zum House of Night Universum 🌸 habe auch fast 6 Monate daran gelesen 😂🙈

[Mutated Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

FINALLY. I'm done this book. Holy, man. It was so boring. I mean, Hey. I learned some things about the series, but I don't really think it was worth all of this.. this torture! First of all, I thought there were going to be more pictures. That's what I assumed when I read a portion of it off the house of night site.. but nope. Plus. Who wants to read a book of essays? Not me. I mean, it's cool if you do but just don't recommend them to me.. God. It's a good thing I don't put down books. I have to read them through and through, no matter how bad they are. And I always let you know how I feel about them. :D
To be honest, It was a good research book, and it was really thorough. I just felt like it was a little like a textbook. I felt like I should be taking notes, and then I should watch a really boring clip about this after. That or, watch some good old Bill Nye the Science Guy. Only about Vampyres. If that makes sense. I don't really know what else to say. I mean, hey. If you like to read textbooks for fun, be my guest. It's just I don't get what all the hype was about this book.. I don't even know what I was expecting, I just wasn't expecting what it actually was. So. Read it if you like, just don't blame me when you're falling asleep after the first couple pages!

And now for some adds. <3

Check out my blog! (:
http://readers-not-writers.blogspot.ca/

Also, Check out my group! We've got an author of the month for September all set up! :D
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/6...
Thanks for reading! <3

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always find it fun to read more about a world created in a book series. The essays in this collection are a great way to delve deeper into the House of Night series. Although I did have to skip a few of them because I haven't read the two most recent books in the series yet, so I definitely recommend being caught up if you really want to enjoy this book. I really liked Karen Mahoney's essay, "Night in the House of Good and Evil", it was a great start to the collection. Also, the original illustrations are beautiful!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I basically bought this book to add to the collection of the series I own. I actually have not read it and will not. Its a companions book to the series and if you want to understand the religion behind the house of night vampires then you need to read this.

I understand the series just fine. I scanned this book and it was good enough for me. so I have no real review but to say if you do not understand the religion as I said above then read this and you will understand the books a bit better.

[Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't what I thought in a good way. I liked learning the names, history, and facts from the celtic lore and types of vampires. I expected something different. I don't know what but just something else. I love the series and this book made a little more sense for me. And gave more more factual information into the discription and cultures within the series. Can't wait till the next book comes around.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very eclectic set of essays from a variety of authors (reseachers to YA authors of paranormal titles) who have focused on various elements in the House of Night series. I loved learned about all of the various cultures' mythologies and religions that have been weaved into the creation of the House of Night rituals, names, and inhabitants. A must read for anyone who is a House of Night aficionado. The art work that prefaces each essay is also quite stunning.

[Siry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro es bastante interesante porque se explican varias cosas de la serie la casa de la noche, desde el punto de vista de varias personas.. tambien dice como las autoras llegaron a inspirarse para escribir..y como hacen sus investigaciones y cambian ciertas tradiciones para adaptarlas todas a esta maravillosa serie.. tarde demasiado leyendo el libro por falta de tiempo :p.. y no porque fuera no fuera interesante..

[Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nyx in the House of Night: Mythology, Folklore and Religion in the PC and Kristin Cast Vampyre Series gives a new look into the creation of the House of Night. I really can't pick a favorite chapter - they were all very informative! From rituals to history, Tulsa to Scotland, and Cherokee legend to Greek myths, Nyx in the House of Night brings insight and knowledge into how the Casts bring the characters, settings, and magic to life.

[Chloe Icsis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I read this! This books lends a new light to the whole HON series for me! I love that P.C and Kristin did the research they did to being the series to life! Even fictionalized, the real stories beyond them wonderous! My interest is definitely peaked in some areas that I plan on exploring more of! Connecting the world around me with what I learned from this book leaves me curious to know more to connect more dots!

[Cyndy Otty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm conflicted on this anthology because while the essays themselves are very well done and incredibly informative, I can't help but roll my eyes at all the praise given to a series that I don't feel lives up to the source material that is elaborated on here. It's a poorly written and often poorly executed series of books and all the big words and scholarly gushing doesn't change that for me.

[Fenix Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as a gift.
What a wonderful book.
I had no idea that Cast did so much research. But it does show in her books.
How wonderful to read through all these essays by many different authors and get history, mythology, and the unique blending that is all Cast.
Nyx is a real goddess, ancient and this book series has brought her back into human consciousness and belief.

[Angela(demonsangel) Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may confuse some. I enjoyed it and it gives the mythology, religion, and folklore of the House of Night series. It gives you more insight and depth that you will enjoy. If there's questions that you have had or things that you didn't understand then you should read this book, it might help to clear things up for you.

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was interesting. It talked about vampire folklore, myths, and religion and relates it to the House of Night series. The stories are amazing and each essay was well written and thought out. Good educational tidbit.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty good and I enjoyed some of the background info. Some of it I found boring though. I did like the background on why she chose each name. It was a great book though and it was a good idea to explain everything to everyone.

[Samantha Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic reference book for those who enter the House of Night series Explanations, historical underpinnings, mythological references and more. Lovely artwork too. I could see this being required reading in a modern vampyre class.

[Susbogblog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did I need this book? No. Was it worth reading? Not really. Some chapters were interesting, but mostly it just wasn't all that interesting. Some chapters I even had to skip because they were horribly written or boring.

[Selene Corvane · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you had a question in the HoN series, this book will definitely answer them!

[Kacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is.. Interesting?

On one hand, with the articles written and given that all the authors in it chose broader topics that are the core of the HoN series, it's a perfectly fine read and a nice addition if you are a diehard fan of HoN.

Now, I have never read any of these Smart Pop books, so before I bought it I assumed this was going to be more of a mix between what it actually is and a illustrated guide for the series, like the one created for the Twilight Saga. (they also have a Pop Smart book, and I haven't read it but I'm curious if any of it overlaps with the official illustrated guide)

Because I understood the book formatting wrong, I was a bit disappointed. This is not a fun read for a teen, whom the series is targeting as it's audience. It's nonfiction, comprised of all essays, some that based on who wrote them can drag on and feel more boring to read. I'm just telling it like it is, I'm almost 30 and I struggle to read nonfiction when it's written in more of a textbook format rather than a storytelling format. Several of these essays are written that way. It's fine, but I figured I would be through it faster than I was.

In my opinion, this is also a weird place in the series for it to have been published and then have no official guide ever made after the series ended. Why? WTF Casts?? You go through the trouble of having this book made, which delves into not only many important aspects of the series (such as vampires, goddesses and femininity, religion, heritages, polygamy, etc) but also a little bit of behind the scenes on how you came up with parts of the lore and the meaning behind the names.. But the series wasn't finished yet! Several VERY IMPORTANT plot points happen and many of the characters after the release of this book have drastically changed by the end. But, because this is written before that, many of the essays have parts that don't make sense to the final version of the characters.

It left me feeling annoyed. Had I read this chronologically, before the first novella Dragon's Oath and book #9: Destined, then whatever it would have been fine. But there should have been an expectation that many people would pick this up AFTER finishing the whole series years later and this book dates itself as inaccurate now.

Maybe this is a weird take, but idk. Since the Otherworld series was also created and added in a bunch of things, maybe there can never be an illustrated guide anyway? We'll see if the Casts ever come back with another in world book (Fledgling Handbook 102 perhaps?) or a much more updated guide. Maybe someone should do an unofficial one!