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hoosgracie's review
3.0
Decent vampire story. Good use of multi-cultural characters. Damali is reminiscent of Buffy. The story really leaves you hanging – would have liked at least a bit more story rather than having to wait for the second book.
paperbackstash's review
4.0
Minion is a delectable morsel that promises to be part of a much larger, tantalizing entree. Filled to the brim with genuine emotion, action around every corner, delicious characterization and an even, rapid pace -- this one's a definite addition to any vampire or horror addicts plate. When the ending came around I was drooling for more; my own bloodlust was so aroused I will personally hunt down the next addition just to sate my newfound hunger.
Minion kept me enthralled from the first chapter. Beginning with people from simpler times, it leaves the reader in a daze and a cliffhanger of sorts, only to lure us closer to the main co! urse . I wasn't quite sure what to think at different moments; I went from having my questions about a certain person, to trying to unravel the plot in my head, to trying to figure out the outcome. To my delight I couldn't accomplish ANY of these things, and as a result this story ended up as my favorite type: unpredictable and knuckle-grinding.
The only complaint I could find about this one -- and it took plenty of searching to conjure up ANY negativity, believe you me -- was that I wanted more. The ending left me unsatisfied simply because I am not the biggest fan of cliffhangers. I was rabid with curiosity about what bloody mess Damali and her crew would drop into my lap next, and I have to wait to get it. But of course that technique IS the best way to draw in faithful fans for the next installments. It brings to mind what the main big bad vampire Nuit said (although not in these words) -- the newly turned will want to return to the master's cup. That being said, I for one want to know more about that vampire!
Proper suspense was built at the right moments; there's plenty of violence to satisfy the graphic crowd. The atmosphere was tight, dark, gritty. But thankfully this book did not revolve around endless, pointless violence only for the sake of doing so -- it had a heart AND a soul. The style was all about realism in a fantasy we ourselves do not reside in.
Damali Richards is a character easy to identify with. Strong and somewhat stubborn, she is young, spirited, ambitious, but also very well-rounded. She has her doubts and is experiencing her own version of growing pains; being able to bond so well with her helped this reader keep her smile. The other characters all had their own personal magic, and while at time I had thoughts about whether I would have liked to slug the "mother" Marlene or not, in the end her personality shone through and it all made more sense.
Although the bulk of the story is through the eyes of the Vampire huntress Damali, Banks also changes pace by showing different avenues of interest through the minds and actions of other key players such as Carlos, a man with his own personal kingdom.
Walk, run, hitchhike to the nearest bookstore to pick yourself up a copy. Or else take the lazy route like I do and just click onto the Internet.
Minion kept me enthralled from the first chapter. Beginning with people from simpler times, it leaves the reader in a daze and a cliffhanger of sorts, only to lure us closer to the main co! urse . I wasn't quite sure what to think at different moments; I went from having my questions about a certain person, to trying to unravel the plot in my head, to trying to figure out the outcome. To my delight I couldn't accomplish ANY of these things, and as a result this story ended up as my favorite type: unpredictable and knuckle-grinding.
The only complaint I could find about this one -- and it took plenty of searching to conjure up ANY negativity, believe you me -- was that I wanted more. The ending left me unsatisfied simply because I am not the biggest fan of cliffhangers. I was rabid with curiosity about what bloody mess Damali and her crew would drop into my lap next, and I have to wait to get it. But of course that technique IS the best way to draw in faithful fans for the next installments. It brings to mind what the main big bad vampire Nuit said (although not in these words) -- the newly turned will want to return to the master's cup. That being said, I for one want to know more about that vampire!
Proper suspense was built at the right moments; there's plenty of violence to satisfy the graphic crowd. The atmosphere was tight, dark, gritty. But thankfully this book did not revolve around endless, pointless violence only for the sake of doing so -- it had a heart AND a soul. The style was all about realism in a fantasy we ourselves do not reside in.
Damali Richards is a character easy to identify with. Strong and somewhat stubborn, she is young, spirited, ambitious, but also very well-rounded. She has her doubts and is experiencing her own version of growing pains; being able to bond so well with her helped this reader keep her smile. The other characters all had their own personal magic, and while at time I had thoughts about whether I would have liked to slug the "mother" Marlene or not, in the end her personality shone through and it all made more sense.
Although the bulk of the story is through the eyes of the Vampire huntress Damali, Banks also changes pace by showing different avenues of interest through the minds and actions of other key players such as Carlos, a man with his own personal kingdom.
Walk, run, hitchhike to the nearest bookstore to pick yourself up a copy. Or else take the lazy route like I do and just click onto the Internet.
mika444's review
5.0
From the moment I cracked open this gem I was taken by its beauty. Each day, I was pulled by its essence and wanted to stay in its world forever. The plot lingered in every fiber of my being and I could not allow this irresistible novel, to find itself missing from my grasp.
Yes, just like a Vampire’s allure, I was glamoured, willingly and I did not want to be saved!!!
If you have not had a chance to read this amazing gem, you must get this baby in your hands ASAP. The Honorable L.A. Banks does not disappoint in this page turning classic, that stretches beyond decades to give you that Fantasy Fiction, with a delectable bite of Vampire Contemporary style!! This is a timeless classic!!
The Honorable L.A. Banks, my heart thanks you for giving us your love and light, for we are not worthy of this gift, but my love chakra thanks you for it!!
Yes, just like a Vampire’s allure, I was glamoured, willingly and I did not want to be saved!!!
If you have not had a chance to read this amazing gem, you must get this baby in your hands ASAP. The Honorable L.A. Banks does not disappoint in this page turning classic, that stretches beyond decades to give you that Fantasy Fiction, with a delectable bite of Vampire Contemporary style!! This is a timeless classic!!
The Honorable L.A. Banks, my heart thanks you for giving us your love and light, for we are not worthy of this gift, but my love chakra thanks you for it!!
caribbean_skye's review
1.0
This was one of the more difficult books I've ever read. It seemed as though the author tried to put too much detail (most of it extraneous) into this first book which made it quite difficult. I decided that I would finish this book no matter how long it took me and while I am happy to have finished it, I won't be reading any of the books in the rest of the series. There are 13 chapters in this book and the only time the story seemed to pick up momentum was in the 12th chapter. The ending of this book made one want to read the next one but unfortunately the painful 12 chapters that preceeded it makes that a moot point.
sparkleboymatty's review
1.0
I was quite disappointed in this. It started out in the middle of a fight scene with 6 or 7 characters, no real introduction to any of them, and was very confusing then and for the rest of the book. I couldn't keep most of the secondary characters straight. I was interested in this series because it has a different vampire mythology than normal, but this was not explained well at all. Even as the main characters, Damali and Carlos, were learning about the mythology they kept saying they were overwhelmed and confused, but the more that was explained to them the dumber the whole mythology became. I have many other complaints and it's disappointing because I really wanted to like this book. Usually I stop reading when a book is this bad. I finished because I hoped it would get better, but it didn't. I would never read anything by this author again.
sofipitch's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
So I found on the wikipedia for this book series that when the author first wrote this book it was 700+ pages, which were them split up into the first three books of the series. Which explains a lot of why I didn't feel this book worked for me. It felt super slow going, with virtually no plot, I just felt like I was being blasted with info on how the universe it's set in works. I tend to not like fantasy where you have to chug and keep track of a lot of lore to know what's going on (I was never a lotr fan for the same reason). So I'm not saying this book is bad, it's just not for me.
This book is dialogue heavy, it almost feels like watching a tv show or movie in that way. Sometimes the dialogue can be clunky bc information I assume the characters already know is being shared with the audience through the conversation. I'm surprised (not really bc of racism 🙄) that this series doesn't have a tv/movie adaptation. It has a lot of promise for that sort of thing, especially bc I do feel like conveying info through dialogue is more common on screen than in books.
I did like how gorey it was. This series is compared to Buffy the vampire slayer because they are both about female vampire hunters, but this series is a lot more horror-y than buffy was. I also really liked how the wealth of vampires was shown as being evil and condemned. Since Anne Rice's books tend to romanticize wealth, it's nice for it to be shown how anyone who quickly amasses a ton of money quickly didn't do so ethically.
I won't read more books in thos series, a lot of it seems to focus on the push and pull, will they won't they between Damali and Carlos and I just don't like Carlos 🤷♀️
For triggers I put minor homophobia, but I feel like that was just bc of the character's perspective, a preacher's wife, not the author (as far as I could tell). But it still might be triggering to some the way the character talks.
This book is dialogue heavy, it almost feels like watching a tv show or movie in that way. Sometimes the dialogue can be clunky bc information I assume the characters already know is being shared with the audience through the conversation. I'm surprised (not really bc of racism 🙄) that this series doesn't have a tv/movie adaptation. It has a lot of promise for that sort of thing, especially bc I do feel like conveying info through dialogue is more common on screen than in books.
I did like how gorey it was. This series is compared to Buffy the vampire slayer because they are both about female vampire hunters, but this series is a lot more horror-y than buffy was. I also really liked how the wealth of vampires was shown as being evil and condemned. Since Anne Rice's books tend to romanticize wealth, it's nice for it to be shown how anyone who quickly amasses a ton of money quickly didn't do so ethically.
I won't read more books in thos series, a lot of it seems to focus on the push and pull, will they won't they between Damali and Carlos and I just don't like Carlos 🤷♀️
For triggers I put minor homophobia, but I feel like that was just bc of the character's perspective, a preacher's wife, not the author (as far as I could tell). But it still might be triggering to some the way the character talks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Homophobia
readermonica's review
3.0
Minion is most definitely a foundation book. Plenty of explanations and detail in this one, but not a lot of forward momentum for the story. However, I don't really mind that so much if I am pretty confident that the following books will be more focused on moving the story along. I went into this one with a pretty open mind and no idea what to really expect and I was surprised at how dark this is. These aren't sexy romanticized vampires and supernatural beings. The creatures in this world are violently aggressive and disturbing. Banks definitely play towards the more horrifically evil and nightmarish side of vampire/supernatural lore. Minion is a good start to the series, but doesn't feel like a story that would stand alone. I wouldn't have been satisfied at the end if I didn't know that there are plenty more installments to go.
You can find me at:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @MonlatReader
Instagram: @readermonica
Facebook: Monica Reeds
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
You can find me at:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @MonlatReader
Instagram: @readermonica
Facebook: Monica Reeds
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
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