Smith, L.J. - Daughters of Darkness and Huntress (rereads)

[oyceter]

Since I'm back in Taiwan, I took the opportunity to reread old LJ Smith books lying around. Sadly, I cannot seem to find Dark Visions 1 and 2, or any more Night World ones. Why did my sister and I not buy more way back when?

For those of you who don't know, LJ Smith was a fairly prolific YA horror/romance writer, along the lines of Christopher Pike and RL Stine, only with much more romance. My sister, my cousin, and I used to read her like crazy in bookstores during summer vacations in the US. Her books are probably best read as a teenager, but on rereading, either my fondness for them remains blinding, or they actually hold up fairly well.

Daughters of Darkness and Huntress are part of the Night World series, in which vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, and witches exist in a sort of underground society. There are only two rules to the Night World: don't tell humans about it, and never fall in love with a human. Unsurprisingly, most of these books are about the latter. The first few books are loosely connected and have recurring characters, though the hero and heroine of each book changes. The ones beginning with Huntress have an arc about an upcoming apocalypse that is still not finished, argh. But the good news is that Smith seems to be putting out the final book (only ten years late!).

Also, there are soulmates! Of course! As signaled by pink sparks and telepathy when they touch!

Daughters of Darkness is my favorite of the NW books. It's about three gorgeous vampire sisters, Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade, who decide to move in with their Aunt Opal in the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately for them, their evil brother Ash is trying to bring them back into the fold, and even worse, Jade falls for next-door-neighbor Mark. Worst of all, Mark's sister Mary-Lynette thinks something's up when she spies the three burying a suspicious object in the backyard.

I was particularly amused by the many descriptions of the three vampire sisters and how they are all different-looking but gorgeous nonetheless. And by Ash's multicolored eyes! On the other hand, he quotes Jane Austen and my fifteen-year-old self is still completely in love with him.

I think DoD works best for me of all the NW books because under all the paranormal trappings and soulmate bits, it's a comedy. I love all the bits about the sisters trying to figure out life outside their Night World island, and Mary-Lynette and Ash never cease to amuse me. Also, I remain fond of how the book deals with the issue of soulmates and romantic relationships, especially the acknowledgment that the latter can be work and that the former isn't a guarantee of a happy ending.

Links:
- rachelmanija's review

Huntress is my second favorite NW books and has my favorite heroine, Jez. Jez used to be the leader of a renegade group of teenage Night Worlders, but after she discovered she was half-human, half-vampire, she abandoned them to join the vampire hunters. Unfortunately, now that an apocalypse seems to be upcoming, she's got to rejoin her old gang.

This has got an awesome, fighty girl with flame-red hair and dazzling silver-blue eyes; a tough guy who is actually a giant lump of pudding underneath (honestly, him as a threat to Jez is the least believable thing ever) (he has black hair and silver-green eyes. I know you were all dying to know); millennial apocalypses; prophecies in verse; calling people back from the brink of death with the power of True Love (that is SO not a spoiler); and True Love as expressed through fighting with big sticks. It is AWESOME.

I am so looking forward to buying all these and rereading them when the reissues hit the stores.

Comments

[magicnoire.livejournal.com]

The first NW omnibus is available on Amazon! I'm waiting for it to hit the 4-for-3 sale and then I'm totally snatching it up!

Why does LJ Smith reduce me to !!!!!!?

[oyceter]

I know! I know! All I have is !!!! and "multi-colored eyes!"

I also found Spellbinder, so will go for that next.

[penmage.livejournal.com]

The first reissue is already available! When I walked past the Simon Pulse editorial assistant's desk and saw the pile of Night World books, I spazzed out. And then she told me that Strange Fate was actually going to come out soon, and I spazzed some more.

It's not like I pre-ordered it back when I was in high school or anything. Um.

[oyceter]

EEEEEEEE! I am trying so hard not to hope for Strange Fate in case I jinx it or something, because it's not like I've been waiting for ten years or something!

[sarahtales.livejournal.com]

I am STILL in love with Ash. Though I am afraid to read the online stories in case they don't stand up. But oh, Oyce, she kicked him a ton in the shins to make the soulmate stuff go away!

And someone gave me the impression that Jez ended up with The Other Guy in Huntress so I spent the entire book in a state of paralysing terror.

God, I still own them ALL, I don't need reprints!

[oyceter]

I know! And Ash can't figure out how to deal with it! I read a little of the Ash story online and didn't like it because it gets rid of all that uncertainty and snark and kicking that is my favorite part about the romance.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

I can ship you my copies of the Dark Vision books, if you'd like? I'd want them back when you're done, but I'm happy to share the wealth temporarily...

[oyceter]

Oh, thank you for the offer, but I'll pass for now... am in Taiwan until July, and I think I should be able to find DV in my library when I go back.

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

I don't have much to add, I just want join the glee.

I should have the re-issue of the first three books in a few days, though. I can only hope that hold up with time, and my greater maturity. Considering my love for Vampire Knight, it's not a big concern.

[oyceter]

Eeeee! I am a little worried at how Secret Vampire will hold up, but was pleasantly surprised by how I still like DoD, and even for non cracktastic reasons!

[missmea.livejournal.com]

First crush I ever had on a woman was on Jez in Huntress. God, I haven't read those books in forever. I think I need to go reread them now! :)

[oyceter]

Whoo! I love Jez so much.

[furikku.livejournal.com]

LJ Smith is FABULOUS. I'm just sad I gave away all my NW books, because now I'm missing them hardcore. Teen romance, vampires, and BADASS GIRLS are my OT3.

Mary-Lynette and Ash are like the best couple in the universe.

[oyceter]

I love them so much! I am almost scared to see them in other NW books in case it's not done right.

[furikku.livejournal.com]

He showed up again in one book, and was a bit more wibbly, but I vaguely recall him still being pretty Ash.

This is through the haze of many, many years, though, so... :/

[oyceter]

Yeah, I vaguely remember him talking to one of the other heroines and squeeing at that, so fingers crossed!

[furikku.livejournal.com]

That sounds like it! :D

I generally trust Smith to keep her characters consistent.

Hopefully she can still do that after 10 years.

[sundaeparade.livejournal.com]

Hi, I was wondering if you read the side story that L.J posted on her site (Ash and Mary-Lynette: Those Who Favor Fire)? It was a good read, thought, it seemed that her style of writing is altered (a bit more poetic).

I have to say that Daughters of Darkness is my favorite as well! Plus, the fact that the 'Soulmate' business ended on a very different note - that really captured my interest, and Ash and Mary-Lynette's future keeps me on pins and needles.

There's something that's nagging me thought, it's about Ash's character (I hope that you don't mind me talking about it, because I need to get it out)! did he do anything that would qualify as tremendously evil (was he really a bad and cruel guy?), or was he just putting up a front (just like Rowan said)? Because if we look at the 'killing humans' issue, then he's not the only one. Could Mary-Lynette's reluctance to accept his past be because the Night World was all new to her? Because in the case of Quinn, Rachel already knew about these kind of things and compared to her, Mary-Lynette had a sheltered life, while other characters' soulmate issue were probably less complex.

Even Ash was wary of Quinn in DoD and the latter was really shocked when Ash told him that he killed his own aunt and burned a werewolf alive (does that mean that Ash isn't really a bad guy, afterall?). Someone even suggested that Ash could be mentally unstable, but I remain doubtful (if there was a character who'd lost his marbles, it would be Jeremy).

Other people talk about how it's not good that Mary-Lynette asked Ash to go and change before she could accept him. There's something quite incongruous here; I think that Mary-Lynette had already accepted him when she returned his feelings (when she kissed him and asked him to turn her into a vampire), personally, I assumed that one of the reasons she sent him packing was because she also needed time to adjust to all of these new things. I don't really get that part...blah. I think that Smith should've allowed more character exploration.

There's also another story that L.J. Smith is going to write soon; Ash and Mary-Lynette: Apocalypse Night!, and I can't wait! I really hope that both of them survive! Or, else I'm going to die of a heart attack.

In the summary for Strange Fate, there's this part: Be prepared, though, because seven go on a mission to save the world . . . and only two come back. and honestly, it's driving me up the wall and hoping that these two won't have anything to do with that. Who could the seven be? The Four Wild Powers...

and I am so sorry for this long-ish comment...I tend to do this alot. My apologies!

[oyceter]

I, er, couldn't make it through the short story because it read too much like bad fanfic of her series... from a glance, it felt like Mary-Lynette and Ash were much more romanticized, which gets rid of the bits of their relationship that I liked.

I actually take Mary-Lynette's inability to deal with Ash's past as a neat thing; it's very rare in romances to see the hero have to think about bad things he's done. And yeah, maybe he hasn't tortured werewolves to death and whatnot, but I'm guessing he's probably done that with humans, and I don't blame Mary-Lynette at all for not knowing how to deal with that. Rachel was at least more familiar with the Night World (though I'd still have qualms dating Quinn). The other thing is, I think Ash hasn't quite reformed. I think Quinn may have repented or whatnot, but Ash isn't quite sure yet.

Mostly I think Mary-Lynette did the right thing, even if it's not the popular thing to do in romances, and I liked her and the book much more for her strength of character.

[sundaeparade.livejournal.com]

XD yeah, her writing style changed, huh. I just skipped these bits, whenever it got too corny.

Maybe, they were just happy that they managed to meet again alive, but the problem is that with a reformed!Ash, some part of his personality will change. Hm, except when ML says “They say you still act like the old Ash, full of—of bravado and vinegar. They say they wouldn’t know you’d changed except that you’ve gone back to everyone you’d hurt before—”

You think that Ash hasn't quite reformed, but I think that he was too focused on being 'good' (and honest) in the story.

I'm hoping that the next story she releases about them is better

??

[(Anonymous)]

can some one please tell me if ash and mary-lynette come back in stange fate because iv heard they do if any one knows anything can you please emailme at meggie-liz@hotmail.co.uk