Review: Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel

A new year is beginning at Wickham Boarding School. A new chance at life, at reversing the evil in my past, but nothing is ever as simple as it seems....

Last year, the love of my life died performing a ritual to fulfill my one wish and make me human. And now I've performed the same ritual and survived. Why am I here, back safe at Wickham campus?

The strong magic I used in the ritual did more than just make Vicken a human. It drew someone to Lover's Bay who does not belong here. She wants the ritual. Then she wants me dead. And she will take down anyone and everyone in my life to get what she wants.

As if that weren't enough, the ritual has also summoned the anger of the Aeris, the four elements and most fundamental powers on earth. They have a surprise and an unbearable punishment for me-like stepping into the sunlight for the first time, only to be put into a cage. And now I have to make an impossible choice: between love or life, yearning or having, present or past....

Title: Stolen Nights

Series: Vampire Queen #2

Published January 29th 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published January 29th 2012)
ISBN: 0312649924 (ISBN13: 9780312649920)

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At first it was difficult to see anything discernible in the whiteness, but eventually the fuzzy forms took the shapes of human bodies. Four female bodies. The Aeris stepped forward.
Their dresses were flowing as if they were made from water, and the hue of the gowns changes color every few seconds, one moment blue, then a darker blue, then a red. I wondered if it was the trick of light. One of the women had impossibly white hair and her hair swayed around her head as if she were submerged underwater. The women next to her had hair the fluttered around her like crackling flames, a bright red. When she looked at me, her gown flickered a poppy orange. Fire.

The four elements and most fundamental powers on earth, the Areis, are females. I absolutely loved reading that females were so powerful in this book. They mention the Vampire Queen may times, but there is never any sort of mention of a Vampire King.

On another surprising note, human Vicken is great, his character was amazing. He's so loyal, adorable, and he's actually really funny as a human, he added a nice edge to the story. His curiousity is also very interesting. To me, he was a needed addition to the book, without him it wouldn't have been nearly as good. Just for the record, now I like him more than Justin.

"You know," I said as he blew out of the last breath of smoke, "contrary to your vampire life, those will actually kill you."
Vicken exhaled angrily and stubbed his cigarette out of the brick of the building.
"So will your friend Justin. This actually hurts," he said, and pointed at the yellow and purple bruise beneath his right eye. "I keep touching it with my finger tips. You know, it's easy to forget physical pain when you haven't felt in for more than a hundred years. Glorious." He brought his cheek toward me. "You touch it. I wonder if it feels different if someone else presses on it." 

"You're bloody mad, you know that? I can't even smoke I'm so angry," Vicken said. 

Justin...I rather not. I didn't really enjoy his presence in the last book, and not so much in this one either. I found what happened at the end of the book to be completely justified.

On the other hand, Rhode got even better for me. Now, Lenah did the ritual and didn't die, leaving the same ashes Rhode did. Hmm. Yet Rhode died. Weird...
...if you haven't already connected the dots (like Lenah, we'll talk about her later) he's alive, and a human. And enrolled at Wickham. YAY! But, (I know, there is always a but..) things are a little complicated (not only because of Justin) and being together seems like it may be a bit more difficult than they would've expected. You really get to know Rhode, and how he truly feels, in the parts of his thoughts and memories.
Lenah made lots of decisions that I didn't agree with--at all. She annoyed me a little in the beginning, with her not realizing Rhode would be alive and all.

On another note, as the for the ending...WOW... I really, truly do hope that there is a third book. The decisions Lenah makes, and then the epilogue!

Était-ce tout vaut la peine? Happy Easter (if you celebrate it)! Hopefully the wait isn't so long this time.

Book Nerd and Proud, 

K.G.