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Den of Shadows #1
In the Forests of the Night
By day, Risika sleeps in shaded room in Concord, Massachusetts. By night, she hunts the streets of New York City. She is used to being alone.
But someone is following Risika. He has left her a black rose, the same sort of rose that sealed her fate three hundred years ago. Three hundred years ago Risika had a family- a brother and a father who loved her. Three hundred years ago she was human.
Now she is a vampire, a powerful one. But her past has come back to torment her.
But someone is following Risika. He has left her a black rose, the same sort of rose that sealed her fate three hundred years ago. Three hundred years ago Risika had a family- a brother and a father who loved her. Three hundred years ago she was human.
Now she is a vampire, a powerful one. But her past has come back to torment her.
147 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 11, 1999
92 people are currently reading
9,363 people want to read
About the author
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
31books3,394followersI 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 629 reviews
December 16, 2018
A short sweet novelette on the vampires and their grandiosity. Plus a Tiger-loving vampy, a whole lot of talk about power and its origins, Triste witches sect (very high up on their respective horses, judging by Alexander).
A really nice sweet short read written by a 13-year old authoress. Worth flipping through the rest of the series, if only to see what this unholy bunch comes up with next.
Q:
Forever is too long to live in fear. (c)
Q:
I did not know then that she had been raised to speak a language long dead. (c)
Q:
as I drank I had an impression of power and…not life or death, but time. And strength and eternity� (c)
Q:
I simply bring myself away with the ability that only my kind has—the ability to change to pure energy, pure ether, for the instant it takes to travel in that form to another place. It takes me only a thought, and I arrive in less than a second. (c)
Q:
I simply bring myself away with the ability that only my kind has—the ability to change to pure energy, pure ether, for the instant it takes to travel in that form to another place. It takes me only a thought, and I arrive in less than a second. (c)
Q:
Close to dawn I lift my head, my long golden hair blending with Tora's tiger fur. I do not think, but add the black stripes to my own tiger-gold hair.
"Look, my beautiful," I whisper. "I have stolen your stripes. I will wear them so that your beauty will not be forgotten. (c)
Q:
In this moment I feel like exactly what I am: a wild child of the darkness. A dangerous shadow in a mood to make trouble. ...
I lie back on the counter, thinking on his words, and then I too am gone. We are phantoms of the night, coming and going from the darkened city like shadows in candlelight. (c)
Q:
People say he treats all life as a game that must be played—a cruel and deadly game in which whoever is winning makes the rules.(c)
Q:
"I see someone who does not show his true eyes," I observe. "What do you see?" (c)
Q:
Jessica writes about vampires, and her books are true, though no one understands how she knows what she does. I wonder if I should tell her my story—perhaps she could write it for me. Perhaps it is my story she now writes. (c)
Q:
I am in a far more destructive, reckless mood than ever. I remember the stories I have been told about Jager—how he flirted shamelessly with the virgin followers of Hestia in the Greek era, danced in a fairy ring at midnight under the full moon, and spiced up a ceremony performed by a few modern-day Wiccans by making the elements called actually appear. I am in that kind of mood. I have nothing left to lose, and I want to change something.
A really nice sweet short read written by a 13-year old authoress. Worth flipping through the rest of the series, if only to see what this unholy bunch comes up with next.
Q:
Forever is too long to live in fear. (c)
Q:
I did not know then that she had been raised to speak a language long dead. (c)
Q:
as I drank I had an impression of power and…not life or death, but time. And strength and eternity� (c)
Q:
I simply bring myself away with the ability that only my kind has—the ability to change to pure energy, pure ether, for the instant it takes to travel in that form to another place. It takes me only a thought, and I arrive in less than a second. (c)
Q:
I simply bring myself away with the ability that only my kind has—the ability to change to pure energy, pure ether, for the instant it takes to travel in that form to another place. It takes me only a thought, and I arrive in less than a second. (c)
Q:
Close to dawn I lift my head, my long golden hair blending with Tora's tiger fur. I do not think, but add the black stripes to my own tiger-gold hair.
"Look, my beautiful," I whisper. "I have stolen your stripes. I will wear them so that your beauty will not be forgotten. (c)
Q:
In this moment I feel like exactly what I am: a wild child of the darkness. A dangerous shadow in a mood to make trouble. ...
I lie back on the counter, thinking on his words, and then I too am gone. We are phantoms of the night, coming and going from the darkened city like shadows in candlelight. (c)
Q:
People say he treats all life as a game that must be played—a cruel and deadly game in which whoever is winning makes the rules.(c)
Q:
"I see someone who does not show his true eyes," I observe. "What do you see?" (c)
Q:
Jessica writes about vampires, and her books are true, though no one understands how she knows what she does. I wonder if I should tell her my story—perhaps she could write it for me. Perhaps it is my story she now writes. (c)
Q:
I am in a far more destructive, reckless mood than ever. I remember the stories I have been told about Jager—how he flirted shamelessly with the virgin followers of Hestia in the Greek era, danced in a fairy ring at midnight under the full moon, and spiced up a ceremony performed by a few modern-day Wiccans by making the elements called actually appear. I am in that kind of mood. I have nothing left to lose, and I want to change something.
December 2, 2009
Read this one in a day (it's only 147 pages after all) and though it was interesting it wasn't all that memorable.
In the Forest of the Night contains only 147 pages and those pages are filled with big fonts and lots of white space.
Risika is a 300 year old vampire who was turned and torn from everything she loved when she was only seventeen. The story flips back and forth between present day and the time when Risika was a mortal on the eve of her change.
I thought the past story was more engaging than the present. In the present Risika discovers that her archenemy, a darkly handsome Eeevil vampire named Aubrey (who is evil, I'm guessing, simply because he can be), is near and begins causing her great distress. She fears him, he's more powerful than she, but yet stubbornly defies him, baits him and, by her actions, basically dares him to come after her. It didn't make any sense to me. Because of her actions a tragedy occurs. For a 300 year old vampire she doesn't appear all that bright and is completely ineffective for the majority of the book when it comes to dealing with Aubrey. The glimpses into Risika's past as she learns to live her life in darkness are much more interesting than the present bits with Aubrey.
The writer was only thirteen when she wrote the story (according to the blurb) and, to my jaded eyes, it shows. Her character lacks maturity and common sense and character motivation wasn't explored as nearly as fully as it should have been. There was also an odd sense of emotional detachment throughout the book and I never felt like I knew any of these characters very well. But it was the ending that truly did me in. Everything is wrapped up with a twist that isn't explained and didn't make a lick of sense and, again, the lead character acts oddly and without emotion. Though the atmosphere was done exceptionally well (all dark and broody-like) I was left in the dark too often when it came to character motivation and the plot was too thin to rate this book as anything more than average.
In the Forest of the Night contains only 147 pages and those pages are filled with big fonts and lots of white space.
Risika is a 300 year old vampire who was turned and torn from everything she loved when she was only seventeen. The story flips back and forth between present day and the time when Risika was a mortal on the eve of her change.
I thought the past story was more engaging than the present. In the present Risika discovers that her archenemy, a darkly handsome Eeevil vampire named Aubrey (who is evil, I'm guessing, simply because he can be), is near and begins causing her great distress. She fears him, he's more powerful than she, but yet stubbornly defies him, baits him and, by her actions, basically dares him to come after her. It didn't make any sense to me. Because of her actions a tragedy occurs. For a 300 year old vampire she doesn't appear all that bright and is completely ineffective for the majority of the book when it comes to dealing with Aubrey. The glimpses into Risika's past as she learns to live her life in darkness are much more interesting than the present bits with Aubrey.
The writer was only thirteen when she wrote the story (according to the blurb) and, to my jaded eyes, it shows. Her character lacks maturity and common sense and character motivation wasn't explored as nearly as fully as it should have been. There was also an odd sense of emotional detachment throughout the book and I never felt like I knew any of these characters very well. But it was the ending that truly did me in. Everything is wrapped up with a twist that isn't explained and didn't make a lick of sense and, again, the lead character acts oddly and without emotion. Though the atmosphere was done exceptionally well (all dark and broody-like) I was left in the dark too often when it came to character motivation and the plot was too thin to rate this book as anything more than average.
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November 7, 2017This book reminded me of Jane Eyre and the three pictures she painted during her holidays in Thornfield- imaginative, powerful, romantic..and created by a teenager. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes was thirteen when she wrote this short book and you can feel it. It's a sketch, a secret notebook, an escape from daily routines and ordinary life, an exporation of the power of words.
A 300 year old vampire, Risika/Rachel can just about see her mirror reflection. She hunts as a creature of night -to feed, not to kill. Her only love in this world is Tora, a beautiful tiger locked in the zoo. When Tora is killed by an old enemy, Risika fights to avenge both the animal and her own long lost family and by doing so, she rediscovers herself and her own humanity.
This book is definitely Pre-Twighlight. It is dark, poetic and...very innocent.
What did Amelia grow into? has she fulfilled the promise of her early gift or has Ordinary Life caught up with her?
A 300 year old vampire, Risika/Rachel can just about see her mirror reflection. She hunts as a creature of night -to feed, not to kill. Her only love in this world is Tora, a beautiful tiger locked in the zoo. When Tora is killed by an old enemy, Risika fights to avenge both the animal and her own long lost family and by doing so, she rediscovers herself and her own humanity.
This book is definitely Pre-Twighlight. It is dark, poetic and...very innocent.
What did Amelia grow into? has she fulfilled the promise of her early gift or has Ordinary Life caught up with her?
March 24, 2012
Definitely one of my all time favorite books. Although it's a short read, Amelia offers a very interesting views on the modern vampire. Her main character -Risika- is a sassy Vampress with a chip on her shoulder. However, she's not brooding and all woe-is-me. (I so tire of those)
Amelia's use of First person draws the reader into her 'Den of Shadows'. It's very easy to get caught up in Risika's own bias, whether it's for or against the other inhabitants of the world. For example it's easy to dislike the main antagonist Aubrey. From Risiki's POV he's truly despicable. Interacting with her only when he wants to torture her or teach her he's top dog.
However, an outside look and you can see that it's hinted Aubrey may have had a crush on her hundreds of years ago. Or he's just afraid of the power Risika could gain and he doesn't want to be outdone. (Personally I think he had the hots for her, but gave up at some point and just decided to enjoy being strong and tough.)
On the other hand the reader can also be caught up in Risika's love for tigers. Whereas otherwise tigers aren't very important to the reader. (I love tigers, so that was a bonus for me.) Or her unconditional love for her brother and the fact she thinks he's dead. (Whom I kind of don't like by then end. And on one hand she did assume she saw him killed, but the reader can still tell he is behind certain things, not Aubrey.)
Overall the plot of the book, which is what whoever is reading this probably cares more about, doesn't just focus on the current events of Risika's life. It's more about how her past has caught up and she must deal with it. Unlike the majority of the vampire heroes today, by the end of the novel Risika doesn't hate or resent herself. Nor has she found solace in believing she's still human even though she's a monster.
Instead throughout the novel she looks back on her life and wonders things. Things from when she was Rachel (her birth name) and things from after she was turned. She grows as she comes to terms with what she's done and what she'll need to do. And after dominating Aubrey and closing the chapter in her life of hiding in his shadow, she immediately has to face her brother.
Which up to that point she had in a sense been trying to live a relatively peaceful life clinging to her humanity. But as her brother looked at her as if she were a monster, Risika has an epiphany and basically says I am who I am, not who anyone wants me to me. To directly quote the book,
'I am one of them
I am also Rachel.
I am Risika.'
It is my favorite part of any vampire book. In the Forest of the Night introduces you to the Den of Shadows world on a basic level. It's easy to read and understand and nicely ties vampires myths of old with some myths of new. Tis a great story for the fans of older vamp legends, but who're still lenient enough to enjoy a new spin on something old.
This has been a Sysanet review. Hope you enjoyed =^.~=
Amelia's use of First person draws the reader into her 'Den of Shadows'. It's very easy to get caught up in Risika's own bias, whether it's for or against the other inhabitants of the world. For example it's easy to dislike the main antagonist Aubrey. From Risiki's POV he's truly despicable. Interacting with her only when he wants to torture her or teach her he's top dog.
However, an outside look and you can see that it's hinted Aubrey may have had a crush on her hundreds of years ago. Or he's just afraid of the power Risika could gain and he doesn't want to be outdone. (Personally I think he had the hots for her, but gave up at some point and just decided to enjoy being strong and tough.)
On the other hand the reader can also be caught up in Risika's love for tigers. Whereas otherwise tigers aren't very important to the reader. (I love tigers, so that was a bonus for me.) Or her unconditional love for her brother and the fact she thinks he's dead. (Whom I kind of don't like by then end. And on one hand she did assume she saw him killed, but the reader can still tell he is behind certain things, not Aubrey.)
Overall the plot of the book, which is what whoever is reading this probably cares more about, doesn't just focus on the current events of Risika's life. It's more about how her past has caught up and she must deal with it. Unlike the majority of the vampire heroes today, by the end of the novel Risika doesn't hate or resent herself. Nor has she found solace in believing she's still human even though she's a monster.
Instead throughout the novel she looks back on her life and wonders things. Things from when she was Rachel (her birth name) and things from after she was turned. She grows as she comes to terms with what she's done and what she'll need to do. And after dominating Aubrey and closing the chapter in her life of hiding in his shadow, she immediately has to face her brother.
Which up to that point she had in a sense been trying to live a relatively peaceful life clinging to her humanity. But as her brother looked at her as if she were a monster, Risika has an epiphany and basically says I am who I am, not who anyone wants me to me. To directly quote the book,
'I am one of them
I am also Rachel.
I am Risika.'
It is my favorite part of any vampire book. In the Forest of the Night introduces you to the Den of Shadows world on a basic level. It's easy to read and understand and nicely ties vampires myths of old with some myths of new. Tis a great story for the fans of older vamp legends, but who're still lenient enough to enjoy a new spin on something old.
This has been a Sysanet review. Hope you enjoyed =^.~=
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
October 8, 2020Ok...I can’t rate this bc reading it again I see so many parts that shaped my middle school life lmao
So cool that the author was only 13 when she wrote this! Inspirational tbh
But also I could tell a 13 year old wrote this.
I’ve got to read the second one bc I remember that’s the one I rly loved.
So cool that the author was only 13 when she wrote this! Inspirational tbh
But also I could tell a 13 year old wrote this.
I’ve got to read the second one bc I remember that’s the one I rly loved.
January 11, 2016
The main reason of picking up this book was that it is written by a 13 year old. I didn't really have high expectations but still I expected it to be better than usual YA stuff still it is written by a young girl and they are the figure of creativity. 3.5 stars to this good including a bonus star for not including romance, handsome vampires and werewolves.
*Spoilers Ahead*
This book is about Risika, a vampire who doesn't want to be a vampire. Anther and Aubrey (Aubrey is a guy, by the way. Wikipedia says, It is most commonly a female name, although historically its use has been masculine.) converted Risika to vampire and she want to avenge this conversion by killing them.
In this book, vampire can take the form of different animals, make themselves invisible to humans and many other powers which depend on their vampire mother. While these powers are different from usual clichés, there were many loopholes in this book. There was no proper flow in which the story moves. You reach at a point and Risika will tell you that vampire can be invisible to human and after some time, vampires can do that too..... and that too. I was looking for a prologue, perhaps, or something in between which, like, explains the legend and this new world.
Even after a-three-star-read, I am looking forward to continue this series as I guess it would be great to see how the writing style changes as the author grows up :-)
Overall, 3.5 stars.
*Spoilers Ahead*
This book is about Risika, a vampire who doesn't want to be a vampire. Anther and Aubrey (Aubrey is a guy, by the way. Wikipedia says, It is most commonly a female name, although historically its use has been masculine.) converted Risika to vampire and she want to avenge this conversion by killing them.
In this book, vampire can take the form of different animals, make themselves invisible to humans and many other powers which depend on their vampire mother. While these powers are different from usual clichés, there were many loopholes in this book. There was no proper flow in which the story moves. You reach at a point and Risika will tell you that vampire can be invisible to human and after some time, vampires can do that too..... and that too. I was looking for a prologue, perhaps, or something in between which, like, explains the legend and this new world.
Even after a-three-star-read, I am looking forward to continue this series as I guess it would be great to see how the writing style changes as the author grows up :-)
Overall, 3.5 stars.
December 26, 2009
I picked up In the Forests of the Night at the same time that I found Vivian Vande Velde's Companions of the Night and read both books within weeks of each other. This title, however, did not stand up well to competition. But rather than launch into the dissection, I'd rather point out that the book was published when Atwater-Rhodes was 13 years old, and for a vampire novel written by a 13 year old, it's pretty damn good, or at the very least, peppered with a rather lot of small endearments. Atwater-Rhodes gives her vamps alluring, arcane-sounding names like "Risika" and "Aubrey." She is very fond of words like "ambrosia," which she uses over and over. She also finds a way to sneak in a reference to a 'young writer in Concord, Massachusetts who writes "true" novels about vampires'...which is such an adorable nod to herself that I kind of wanted to hug her.
As for the book's missteps--an annoying structure which hops us between the past and the present every other chapter and a plot line that just sort of plops itself in your lap without any sort of development at all--these are, methinks, a result of the fact that Atwater-Rhodes was pretty new to the whole writing thing when this came out. In order to really critique her books, I'd probably have to read a couple of her more recent offerings (she's 25 now) and see how she's developed as an author. Not really compelled to do further reading based on In the Forests of the Night, but maybe she has a sequel series worth exploring.
As for the book's missteps--an annoying structure which hops us between the past and the present every other chapter and a plot line that just sort of plops itself in your lap without any sort of development at all--these are, methinks, a result of the fact that Atwater-Rhodes was pretty new to the whole writing thing when this came out. In order to really critique her books, I'd probably have to read a couple of her more recent offerings (she's 25 now) and see how she's developed as an author. Not really compelled to do further reading based on In the Forests of the Night, but maybe she has a sequel series worth exploring.
February 5, 2019
Risika, born Rachel Weatere in 1684, and now a vampire in contemporary Concord, is haunted by her past in this moody teen thriller. The daughter of colonial Puritans, Rachel was changed into a vampire and renamed Risika by the powerful Ather. Her hatred is reserved for Aubrey however, who murdered her twin brother Alexander. Flashbacks from that earlier time alternate with scenes from the present, as the book leads inexorably to a showdown between Risika and Aubrey.
Written by the author when she was thirteen, and published when she was fifteen, In the Forests of the Night was something of a sensation when it appeared back in 1999. Although it never strayed very far from the conventions governing such teen thrillers, Atwater-Rhodes' debut was surprisingly well-written for such a young author. With the recent advent of writers such as , and , the children's literature scene has become more accustomed to adolescent authors, but it was still something of a novelty when this was first released.
Written by the author when she was thirteen, and published when she was fifteen, In the Forests of the Night was something of a sensation when it appeared back in 1999. Although it never strayed very far from the conventions governing such teen thrillers, Atwater-Rhodes' debut was surprisingly well-written for such a young author. With the recent advent of writers such as , and , the children's literature scene has become more accustomed to adolescent authors, but it was still something of a novelty when this was first released.
October 24, 2024
Still as good as it was when I read it in '00
What a genuinely good YA book. No need to get caught up in vampire romance. Instead, get caught up in vampire revenge.
I can't believe the author was 13 when she wrote this. Especially in comparison to some of the stuff that passes the publishing desks today.
What a genuinely good YA book. No need to get caught up in vampire romance. Instead, get caught up in vampire revenge.
I can't believe the author was 13 when she wrote this. Especially in comparison to some of the stuff that passes the publishing desks today.
December 17, 2008
Well...So far this book is switching between the present, and 1701.
A vampire girl is telling you all the in's and out's about being a vampire. And disproving the myths we humans made out of thin air.
Then she starts to flash back to when she was alive, 300 years ago. She was killed when a very powerful vampire, who had been attacked by her brother, decided to choose her as her next victim. As payback for the what her brother had done to her.
After she was killed she then was forced to come back as a vampire.
Thats as far as i've gotten, but i am eager to read on. The riting style is'nt that clear. It seems to skip around a lot, but I like it. It keeps me guessing.
Latly I've been having this problem where, even though i've never read, seen, or heard it before, I just know what will happen next, and so far i haven't been wrong. It's realy bumming me out, no surprises!
How boring?!? But with this book, I never would have thought about this strange twist of perspective on a vampire's life that the author brings up.
A vampire girl is telling you all the in's and out's about being a vampire. And disproving the myths we humans made out of thin air.
Then she starts to flash back to when she was alive, 300 years ago. She was killed when a very powerful vampire, who had been attacked by her brother, decided to choose her as her next victim. As payback for the what her brother had done to her.
After she was killed she then was forced to come back as a vampire.
Thats as far as i've gotten, but i am eager to read on. The riting style is'nt that clear. It seems to skip around a lot, but I like it. It keeps me guessing.
Latly I've been having this problem where, even though i've never read, seen, or heard it before, I just know what will happen next, and so far i haven't been wrong. It's realy bumming me out, no surprises!
How boring?!? But with this book, I never would have thought about this strange twist of perspective on a vampire's life that the author brings up.
February 13, 2014
This book has high praise, probably because the author wrote it when she was thirteen. It's a young adult novel with no young adult themes. It's young adult in the fact that it was written by a young adult. Sure, there's a lack of romance or sexuality in it, but it doesn't make it young. It's full of blood, death, and the acceptance of becoming a murderer. The writing is obviously done by a young woman.
There is little actual development in characters, or plot. It's a rush of less than 150 pages. I didn't care about the lead character, or any of the sub-characters who were only mentioned because they had to be. She felt this connection of love to an animal, but I never understood exactly why.
That being said, at the end of the novel I still feel this compulsion to want to read on. More because they are quick and easy reads and reading the other novel would take me 2 hours tops just to find out where she's going with this plot line. The first novel gives no reason to continue a story and yet I want to know. She did compel me to want to read, but she didn't compel me to care.
There is little actual development in characters, or plot. It's a rush of less than 150 pages. I didn't care about the lead character, or any of the sub-characters who were only mentioned because they had to be. She felt this connection of love to an animal, but I never understood exactly why.
That being said, at the end of the novel I still feel this compulsion to want to read on. More because they are quick and easy reads and reading the other novel would take me 2 hours tops just to find out where she's going with this plot line. The first novel gives no reason to continue a story and yet I want to know. She did compel me to want to read, but she didn't compel me to care.
June 7, 2012
I hadn't realised the authors age (when she wrote the book) when I picked this one up. It was fine enough for a short novella but there wasn't enough of a story here. What it needed was another character to offset the predator mindset. The lead girl Rachel was well written for the type of person she was but the emotional impact would have been better with another person. I appreciated that a teenager in the 1700's wasn't unrealistically educated with the exception of her admitting she was outspoken for the time period. I also understood why she didn't develop relationships.
The tiger was promising but the brother relationship was underdeveloped.
I got more out of "The Silver Kiss" by Annette Curtis Klaus. The relationship with the cat made me cry.
Kudos for believeable characters (with the exception of her twin brother Alexander) and vampire mythology. The emotional impact from the climax just wasn't there.
The tiger was promising but the brother relationship was underdeveloped.
I got more out of "The Silver Kiss" by Annette Curtis Klaus. The relationship with the cat made me cry.
Kudos for believeable characters (with the exception of her twin brother Alexander) and vampire mythology. The emotional impact from the climax just wasn't there.
August 22, 2017
Loved it!!
October 15, 2017
“I am one of them.
I am also Rachel.
I am Risika�
I am also Rachel.
I am Risika�
February 21, 2013
“Love is the strongest emotion any creature can feel except for hate, but hate can't hurt you. Love, and trust, and friendship, and all the other emotions humans value so much, are the only emotions that can bring pain. Only love can break a heart into so many pieces.�
Risika, In the Forest of the Night, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
This is going to be another novel that is very difficult to talk about fairly. I first read this book right after it came out, and I have to say it changed me. I won't pretend it is really well written or extremely novel, it just happened to come out while I was a preteen and hit right when I needed it. This was the first real vampire novel I had ever read and from it I started to devour anything with vampires, werewolves, and anything vaguely occult. This is the book that helped me discover Anne Rice after I read a review calling Atwater-Rhodes a young adult version of Ann Rice.
One of the most striking things about this novel is that Atwater-Rhodes wrote it when she was 13 and had it published before she was 15 (it was supposed to be published on her 14th birthday). Knowing this, while I read the book at 13, made me realize that it was possible for me to write as well. It was then that I really began to do creative writing. While I have yet to finish my own novel, I do owe a lot to this novel.
While it is a fast read and not very long, there is a lot packed into it. The story is about the life of a vampire named Risika, and is told in two story arcs. There is the present day story that follows Risika as she settles into life, but is interrupted by the one person from her past that she cannot stand, a vampire named Aubrey. There is a history between the two that means they cannot tolerate each other, and Risika has already lost a fight to Aubrey once, but to back down would mean showing weakness. The vampires cannot show weakness, it means you are prey, but neither is willing to just attack so they have to resort to a strange dance and taunts. The other story arc tells the story of Rachel, the young girl from the late 1600’s in Massachusetts, who would be turned into Risika. Rachel and her twin brother are close and live happily with their father, step-mother and younger sister. Her brother begins to believe that he has a power to control things, and losses control and burns their younger sister. He then starts to become distant to Rachel, just as a strange visitor stops by the house and gives her a black rose, which she pricks her finger upon. With one drop of blood Rachel has unknowingly condemned herself to a fate she did not even know existed. How will she become Risika? And will Risika be able to finally stand up to Aubrey or will she die for real this time?
One of the things I really love about this book and the others set in this world, is that the vampires are still dangerous. They are sympathetic and Atwater-Rhodes often sets the story from their point of view, but most of them (besides a few in the later books) drink human blood, and still kill people. One of the themes that Risika has to deal with is that she used to be human, but she is not human anymore and there is no good thinking as a human. It is hard on her to realize that humanity is a weakness in vampires, and a weakness can mean death or subjugation, a fate she is not willing to live with. The Risika that we see at the end of the book is a very different creature than Rachel, and this is a fascinating thing that is often overlooked in many of the modern vampire tales. Aubrey, on the other hand, is a great vampire, he is attractive, but he is not human; he is a hunter and he relishes being the predator. We never see him in conflict with his nature.
Atwater-Rhodes has taken a very unique path in regards to what parts of the vampire legends she uses. Risika talks about the sun, religious icons, silver, and decapitation and explains their ineffectiveness quite frankly. The hunger is still present, but it can be controlled if they feed in smaller amounts regularly, but if they expend too much energy or wait too long, the animal instincts start to reappear and their senses shrink to focus on blood alone! The vampires also grow stronger as they age, and with the strength their reflections fade. Their powers grow mostly with age, but there is also power from having a traumatic transformation. If one is transformed against their will and they struggle to live, they will make the most powerful of the vampires. Those who choose to be transformed and welcome it are reborn weak and if they do not have a stronger protector can easily be killed by vampire hunters or others of their kind. Some vampires are good at picking out strong willed humans that they know will make good vampires, and then turning them.
One of the most interesting aspects of the vampires in this story is their mental abilities. There are different blood lineages of vampires (traced from who turned who), and they are known to have different abilities or personalities or even styles. Risika and Aubrey are of the same lineage, and their line is known for their mental abilities. These can be used to aid their hunting and existence. But it can also be used to fight and control. So when vampires of their caliber do come to blows it is not just a physical fight, but two fights happening at the same time; a mental battle and a physical battle. It is the combination of the two that makes these fights so fascinating.
While it is not a very novel story and not very involved, it is well told. This is a great comfort read and can be read in one day (or a couple of hours really). And it is a nice change from all the romances in vampire fiction!
Final Verdict: Sink your teeth into this right away! An easy and enjoyable read for the rebellious teenager that lives in your heart!
Risika, In the Forest of the Night, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
This is going to be another novel that is very difficult to talk about fairly. I first read this book right after it came out, and I have to say it changed me. I won't pretend it is really well written or extremely novel, it just happened to come out while I was a preteen and hit right when I needed it. This was the first real vampire novel I had ever read and from it I started to devour anything with vampires, werewolves, and anything vaguely occult. This is the book that helped me discover Anne Rice after I read a review calling Atwater-Rhodes a young adult version of Ann Rice.
One of the most striking things about this novel is that Atwater-Rhodes wrote it when she was 13 and had it published before she was 15 (it was supposed to be published on her 14th birthday). Knowing this, while I read the book at 13, made me realize that it was possible for me to write as well. It was then that I really began to do creative writing. While I have yet to finish my own novel, I do owe a lot to this novel.
While it is a fast read and not very long, there is a lot packed into it. The story is about the life of a vampire named Risika, and is told in two story arcs. There is the present day story that follows Risika as she settles into life, but is interrupted by the one person from her past that she cannot stand, a vampire named Aubrey. There is a history between the two that means they cannot tolerate each other, and Risika has already lost a fight to Aubrey once, but to back down would mean showing weakness. The vampires cannot show weakness, it means you are prey, but neither is willing to just attack so they have to resort to a strange dance and taunts. The other story arc tells the story of Rachel, the young girl from the late 1600’s in Massachusetts, who would be turned into Risika. Rachel and her twin brother are close and live happily with their father, step-mother and younger sister. Her brother begins to believe that he has a power to control things, and losses control and burns their younger sister. He then starts to become distant to Rachel, just as a strange visitor stops by the house and gives her a black rose, which she pricks her finger upon. With one drop of blood Rachel has unknowingly condemned herself to a fate she did not even know existed. How will she become Risika? And will Risika be able to finally stand up to Aubrey or will she die for real this time?
One of the things I really love about this book and the others set in this world, is that the vampires are still dangerous. They are sympathetic and Atwater-Rhodes often sets the story from their point of view, but most of them (besides a few in the later books) drink human blood, and still kill people. One of the themes that Risika has to deal with is that she used to be human, but she is not human anymore and there is no good thinking as a human. It is hard on her to realize that humanity is a weakness in vampires, and a weakness can mean death or subjugation, a fate she is not willing to live with. The Risika that we see at the end of the book is a very different creature than Rachel, and this is a fascinating thing that is often overlooked in many of the modern vampire tales. Aubrey, on the other hand, is a great vampire, he is attractive, but he is not human; he is a hunter and he relishes being the predator. We never see him in conflict with his nature.
Atwater-Rhodes has taken a very unique path in regards to what parts of the vampire legends she uses. Risika talks about the sun, religious icons, silver, and decapitation and explains their ineffectiveness quite frankly. The hunger is still present, but it can be controlled if they feed in smaller amounts regularly, but if they expend too much energy or wait too long, the animal instincts start to reappear and their senses shrink to focus on blood alone! The vampires also grow stronger as they age, and with the strength their reflections fade. Their powers grow mostly with age, but there is also power from having a traumatic transformation. If one is transformed against their will and they struggle to live, they will make the most powerful of the vampires. Those who choose to be transformed and welcome it are reborn weak and if they do not have a stronger protector can easily be killed by vampire hunters or others of their kind. Some vampires are good at picking out strong willed humans that they know will make good vampires, and then turning them.
One of the most interesting aspects of the vampires in this story is their mental abilities. There are different blood lineages of vampires (traced from who turned who), and they are known to have different abilities or personalities or even styles. Risika and Aubrey are of the same lineage, and their line is known for their mental abilities. These can be used to aid their hunting and existence. But it can also be used to fight and control. So when vampires of their caliber do come to blows it is not just a physical fight, but two fights happening at the same time; a mental battle and a physical battle. It is the combination of the two that makes these fights so fascinating.
While it is not a very novel story and not very involved, it is well told. This is a great comfort read and can be read in one day (or a couple of hours really). And it is a nice change from all the romances in vampire fiction!
Final Verdict: Sink your teeth into this right away! An easy and enjoyable read for the rebellious teenager that lives in your heart!
August 19, 2019
I seriously would give this book a higher score if it was possible. This is still one of my favorite books in this genre.
August 11, 2024
Nostalgic vampire fun. I think I first read this when I was 11 or 12? It's not good! I don't care!!
September 6, 2011
Risika is an old vampire who is being followed by someone from her past who has a grudge against her.
300 years ago Risika was turned into a vampire against her will by the one who stalks her and his powerful allies. She knows the only way to survive is to kill him but is she strong enough to do it?
This is not a particularly exciting book. It is a short novella about this vampire who wants revenge on those who turned her. You get a short chapter on her thinking about this followed by a brief bit about her past, then she threatens the vampire a bit, then we see a bit of the past and so it goes on until the grand finale. It's not exactly a big exciting fight and the ending just drifts into nothing. The characters have no life in them and you are left wondering why it was published and why you wasted your time reading it.
300 years ago Risika was turned into a vampire against her will by the one who stalks her and his powerful allies. She knows the only way to survive is to kill him but is she strong enough to do it?
This is not a particularly exciting book. It is a short novella about this vampire who wants revenge on those who turned her. You get a short chapter on her thinking about this followed by a brief bit about her past, then she threatens the vampire a bit, then we see a bit of the past and so it goes on until the grand finale. It's not exactly a big exciting fight and the ending just drifts into nothing. The characters have no life in them and you are left wondering why it was published and why you wasted your time reading it.
October 11, 2011
ŷ just recommended to me a book by Atwater-Rhodes, and I had a flashback to how much I enjoyed this book when I was in middle school.
What I remember: a strong female protagonist, shapeshifting vampires, general incivility in the vampire populace, and good old fashioned revenge.
This was a story I encountered long before the trope of 'stuffy moralizing vampire falls in love with teenage girl' nonsense. At least, I don't remember any of that. But I do remember scenes and moments. The same cannot be said for many other books I read ten years ago.
Though perhaps blending into the recent flush of vampire lit, the strong female protagonist makes In the Forests of the Night a candidate for solid YA.
What I remember: a strong female protagonist, shapeshifting vampires, general incivility in the vampire populace, and good old fashioned revenge.
This was a story I encountered long before the trope of 'stuffy moralizing vampire falls in love with teenage girl' nonsense. At least, I don't remember any of that. But I do remember scenes and moments. The same cannot be said for many other books I read ten years ago.
Though perhaps blending into the recent flush of vampire lit, the strong female protagonist makes In the Forests of the Night a candidate for solid YA.
October 21, 2009
Can't get into the characters. Written a little strangely...but...
The premise is just interesting enough to have me want to see how the second book continues. If the second one isn't at least some improvement I'll probably skip the others..
And a very very quick read.
I don't do this often but I changed the stars on this one-- I just found out the author was 13 when she wrote this book-- that made me see it in a different light!
The premise is just interesting enough to have me want to see how the second book continues. If the second one isn't at least some improvement I'll probably skip the others..
And a very very quick read.
I don't do this often but I changed the stars on this one-- I just found out the author was 13 when she wrote this book-- that made me see it in a different light!
May 7, 2018
Yup, still love it. This book is like home to me, there's no way I can write an impartial review. I'm so happy I'm still able to love and enjoy it after all these years.
October 11, 2017
This was so good! Little short read, but full of action! And also jumps between 2 times, back in the 1700s, and the present time, It never occurred to me that I love the I love Risika as a character: she's compassionate, follows her morales, is fiercely protective, and also smart. She knows when and when not to do things. Definitely going to continue this one :D
December 5, 2023
I've read a lot of this author's books at this point, so much so that it was a little strange that I'd never read this one! Wee little teenage me accidentally read these all out of order, but it was interesting to see where things began with this world in particular.
Yes, you can tell it was written by a young author, but I would argue that there are well published adults who write way, way worse. Either way, I'll continue reading through these worlds the author has created and enjoy every last one!
Yes, you can tell it was written by a young author, but I would argue that there are well published adults who write way, way worse. Either way, I'll continue reading through these worlds the author has created and enjoy every last one!
November 26, 2020
I remember reading this book series as a kid and really liking it. Its dark but still fun.
Risika is a powerful vampire from a powerful line. But she feels an intense need to get back at her vampire brother Aubrey for murdering her human brother when she was turned.
Its a really quick and no nonsense book. There aren't really any subplots. It switches between Risika's life as a vampire and her life as a human before she was turned.
Even though I have a lot of nostalgia for this book, I barely remembered the plot. I think I remember the next book in the series a lot more than this one.
Risika is a powerful vampire from a powerful line. But she feels an intense need to get back at her vampire brother Aubrey for murdering her human brother when she was turned.
Its a really quick and no nonsense book. There aren't really any subplots. It switches between Risika's life as a vampire and her life as a human before she was turned.
Even though I have a lot of nostalgia for this book, I barely remembered the plot. I think I remember the next book in the series a lot more than this one.
November 28, 2022
I really enjoyed this interpretation of a young woman being turned into a vampire and how though she was changed against her will, she eventually comes into her powers and seeks revenge on the death of her beloved companion, brother and the death of her human self.
Trigger warnings: death, murder, some violence
Trigger warnings: death, murder, some violence
January 24, 2023
3.5 stars Now this was the vampire fix I'd been looking for. Very dark, creepy and atmospheric. I guess the author wrote this book when she was in HS. Wow. There are more books in the series..although they always feature different characters. I plan to look into them. I came across these here on GR...looking at vampire book lists.
Read
March 31, 2020Should not have reread. This book is really terrible, but I liked it when I was a kid.
January 12, 2024
3.5 stars
August 12, 2020
Beautiful and lyrical as always. This was my first vampire story as a teenager back in '99 and it's nice to revisit it. It's comforting and nostalgic I really enjoyed this re-read.
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