Review and Interview – Stolen Night by Rebecca Maizel

Title – Stolen Night (Vampire Queen #2)
Author – Rebecca Maizel
Genre – Paranormal YA
Pages – 400
Publisher – Macmillan’s Children’s Books
Source – NetGalley

Lenah Beaudonte should be dead. But having sacrificed herself to save another, she finds herself awakening with strange powers that are neither vampire nor human—and a new enemy on her trail. In her vampire life, Lenah had thought that being human was all she ever wanted; but the human heart suffers pain, heartbreak and loss.

With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead…

As you can imagine I was ecstatic when the sequel to Infinite Days became available on NetGalley. I absolutely loved the first book and to leave it at such a cliffhanger was excruciating after a two years wait… but it certainly didn’t disappoint from the moment my eyes laid down on that page.

Warning some minor spoilers.

The plot of the novel was very unexpected and very unpredictable…the end page of Infinite Days was Lenah giving up her life to giving Vicken a second chance at a mortal life… Unresolved questions spun in my head; does she die? What happens to Justin? Did Vicken survive? What will become of the Vampire Queen novels? Now Lenah Beaudonte gets not just a second chance at a mortal life but a third chance at life altogether. But she is challenged with her former victims as a vampire and the consequences from the ritual that both Rhode and Lenah conjured. You will be faced with a triangle of heartbreak, loss and love. The untold revival of a former mortal lover, Rhode. And, finally the choice between love and life. The main focuses of the novel are something that I admire with Rebecca’s writing, she actively creates a story fused togther with the love and danger that is portrayed through Lenah’s character. I felt that this particular sequel held more of a balance of nature throughout its structure but it also flowed more consistantly, enabling me to enjoy that 0.5 star more.

Lenah Beaudonte developed as a character and as a person. This novel she appeared so vulnerable to human nature we saw her a mortal rather than the harsh, yet strong weakness she shares with her immortal self. Lenah also shows a very distinct anger and strength that was gained through her various experiences as a vampire but also at cost and loss of her closest friends. What I saw in Lenah was that she sepearated herself from the cruel and infuriating vampire self to one side, when she was showed what she was truly like. Unlike her character, I felt that she created some very rash and wrong decsions in the middle but she compensated for them in the end.

“I stay because there is an extraordinary difference between thinking of you and seeing you in the mortal flesh. I stay for the one moment you smile throughout the day. Or to watch you run your hand through your hair. Because I must, must –” his breath was short – “must be near you, in any way I can.”

In Infinite Days I was always torn between Rhode and Justin. Rhode has this pure, whole-hearted mortal love for Lenah, yet Justin is your typical handsome, Mr. Popular, bad boy persona. Justin twisted my arm in Infinite Days, because he grew to love Lenah so deeply it was just so unbearable not turn away from him. However, Rhode… Uh… You could never know a young man to love someone so over-powering that you could just feel your heart in his hands. Unlike his reputation of love, his character was infuriating to content with, he couldn’t speak, touch, feel even that piece of love he feels because of the curse that Lenah and himself have done to each other. Vicken, on the other hand brought such a character and comical side to the novel that you just can’t forget to acknowledge. Whenever there is tension between Rhode and Lenah, Vicken will always have a snide comment to break it.

The ending was just… Awww, heart-breaking but hopefully not the finale. To many in answered questions await in the final instalment which is confirmed in the lovely interview below. Rebecca presents such a heart-pounding, beautifully written novel that identifies the opposite to what YA Vampire novels are portrayed as. Her character development astounds me after such a long time awaiting this eagerly anticipated novel. Don’t miss out on this series, its different, fresh from all the other Vampire novels currently.

I was very lucky to have Rebecca agree to have an email for my blog. Now you can see what the author has to say on her beautifully written Vampire Queen novels. 

Hi Rebecca, Thank you for joining me on my blog today.

1. What makes The Vampire Queen series different from other Paranormal YA novels?

I think a lot of YA paranormal is about a human girl (or boy!) entering into a world of darkness and into a world of creatures that are unlike her human world. Infinite Days and Stolen Nights are very much the opposite. Infinite Days is about Lenah coming back to the human world after centuries of being a vampire. Stolen Nights is about what she does with this humanity and the ramifications of her choices while a vampire. Both of these books are fundamentally about what it means to be human.

2. What influenced you to write Vampire novels?

Lenah’s voice. I really tapped into her voice while free writing one day. I became obsessed with this girl, who she was, and what she had been through. I really let Lenah dictate the story.

3. What inspired you to become a writer?

I think I’ve always been writing!My sister is older than me so when I was a kid in 1991, she got her first video camera. Most of my friends were playing with Barbies, I was making movies of my Barbies! I think I was a creative kid but my creativity was harnessed in a narrative way. I was always writing, creating.

4. If you could give an advice to future writers, what would it be?

Tell the story you are afraid to tell. Write because you MUST. Don’t write a certain story because the market dictates this or that but because the story you must tell is residing within your soul and it has to get out into the world.

5. Was there any characters that had a similar qualities to yourself?

Hmm.
Sometimes, I look at the world like I’m standing on the outside looking in. I think a lot of writers feel this way. This is what connects me most to Lenah, my main character. I also think I have a mischievous streak like Tony. 🙂 Sigh…Tony.

6. If you had to choose – Vicken, Rhode or Justin – Who would it be?

1. For a date – Justin. He’d show you a really good time. Take you out on a nice date.

2. For a fun time – Vicken. He’d drive you fast on a motorcycle at a bajillion miles an hour with your hair whipping in the wind.

3. For marriage – Rhode. He would love you and love you and love you…

Quick fire:

1. Mortal or Immortal? 

Mortal. DUH
2. A Vampire Power?

Super sight.
3. ebook or Print? 

Print. I have read a couple books in e-print, but I like my books in my hands.
4. Favourite Book: 

WAYYYYY too many to list. Best book I read this year was Mistwood by Leah Cypress. Another good book I read this year was: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman.
5. Favourite Author: 

Again, wayyyy too many to list: Alice Hoffman, Leah Cypress, Courtney Moulton, John Green, Amy Hempel, Lisa Yee

And finally… Is there anything more in store for Lenah Beaudonte?

Just finished up the last and final book, which is headed to my editor’s desk in a couple weeks! Thanks for having me!!