Midnight Predator

May 1, 2002
Assigned to assassinate the evil vampire Jeshikah, Turquoise Draka must go undercover as a slave in the mythical city of Midnight and the experience makes her relive her past spent in servitude. In an ironic twist of fate, Turquoise's master may hold the key to releasing her demons in Midnight Predator by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.

May 1, 2002
Gr 7-9-Turquoise Draka, a human vampire hunter who escaped from slavery, is hired to kill the cruel and powerful Jeshickah. To accomplish her mission, she must once again become a slave, but this time to Jaguar, the kindly master of Midnight, a legendary vampire domain. In a classic battle of good versus evil, humanity versus the supernatural, Atwater-Rhodes fashions a tale that allows readers to see that each individual, human or vampire, makes choices in life. On the surface, it is the fight between right and wrong, but readers will come to the understanding that people, situations, and actions are not that simple. The characters continually wrestle with their perceptions of themselves and others in order to change and grow. The plot and characters are so skillfully intertwined that each one moves the story to its thoughtful yet inconclusive ending, which allows readers to imagine how Turquoise will continue in her life. The harshness and violence are softened by the soulful searching of the characters, and the story's consistent tone keeps readers engaged from first page to last. Young people who enjoyed Atwater-Rhodes's Shattered Mirror (2001) and Annette Curtis Klause's Blood and Chocolate (1997, both Delacorte) will want to add this title to their must-read list.-Molly S. Kinney, Office of Public Library Services, Atlanta, GA

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2002
Gr. 8-12. Teenage gothic writer Atwater-Rhodes continues her popular vampire series with a new character, teen vampire hunter Turquoise, and a new world to explore where humans serve vampires as slaves. Turquoise and her fellow hunter Ravyn are offered a steep price to kill Jeshickah, a malevolent vampire who once controlled the Midnight Empire of witches, shape-shifters, vampires, and human slaves. When that original empire was destroyed, a new Midnight was established, now run by Jeshickah's protege, Jaguar, a breathtakingly handsome and soulful vampire. Turquoise and Ravyn infiltrate Midnight, posing as new slaves, but gorgeous Jaguar establishes a rapport with Turquoise and wins her trust. As in "Shattered Mirror" (2001) and her other popular titles, Atwater-Rhodes builds a convincing world with its own laws, history, and culture. The writing style is sometimes awkward, but it has improved from the pat formulas of her earlier works. Her fans will be thrilled by this latest addition. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2002
Turquoise Draka, a vampire hunter, goes undercover as a slave in order to assassinate the vampire Jeshickah, but the ruse stirs memories of her own slavery after the slaying of her family. Her master, sexy vampire Jaguar, assists and romances her. Dominance and submission play a big role in the callow, often cliched writing, but Atwater-Rhodess easy emotional hooks propel this accessible story.

(Copyright 2002 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)