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    Nightwalker
    Nightwalker
    Nightwalker
    Audiobook12 hours

    Nightwalker

    Written by Jocelynn Drake

    Narrated by Celeste Ciulla

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Jocelynn Drake makes her stunning debut with this paranormal tale of vampires, evil elves, and a kick-butt heroine with a sizzling-and deadly-ability. Nightwalker Mira has survived centuries, in part owing to her elemental control of fire. But when the long-imprisoned naturi threaten to destroy vampire and human alike, Mira finds herself turning to a most unexpected ally-the vampire hunter Danaus.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 23, 2010
    ISBN9781440789991
    Nightwalker
    Author

    Jocelynn Drake

    Jocelynn Drake is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dark Days series and lives in Florida. When not at her desk, she is most likely to be found playing video games, watching movies, or hanging with her family.

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    Reviews for Nightwalker

    3.5/5

    239 ratings24 reviews

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    • 2/5
      This is the first book in the Dark Days series by Drake. There are six books in this series. This is a pretty typical vampire urban fantasy read. I listened to the first 80% of the book on audiobook and then realized I was dreading listening to it each time I got in the car so I decided to stop. I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was okay but not great. The narrator did a good job on women’s voices, but male characters sounded awkward and over-characterized. In general the narrator was a bit stiff sounding as well. This is one I wouldn’t necessarily recommend listening to on audiobook. The premise of the story is that Mira, a Nightwalker/vampire, runs into a Hunter named Danaus in her territory. However, Danaus isn’t the real issue here...the real problem is the the Naturi, a centuries old race that uses nature magic that was supposed to be extinct. Suddenly Mira is drawn back into an age old war between the Nightwalkers and the Naturi. I didn't like the characters all that much, thought the plot was overly simplistic and boring, and also thought the dialogue was poorly done. There really wasn’t anything I liked in this book. Mira’s character bothered me, she is supposed to be 600 years old but she acts really immature and short-sighted a lot of the time. Danaus is kind of intriguing but mostly just seems to follow Mira from place to place. The side characters were single dimensional and not well done. The plot was very straight-forward and predictable. I kept waiting for some more interesting plot elements to be added but they never were. Overall this wasn’t the worst vampire based UF I have ever read; however I liked it even less than I liked the first book in Drake's “Asylum Tales” (Angel's Ink). I have learned that Drake just isn't an author I like reading; for me there are much better UF authors out there.
    • 5/5
      I recently got the fifth book in this series and decided I need to start from the beginning of the series in order to truly appreciate book five. So…that is why I started this book and I was very very glad that I did. This book has that kick-ass, high speed action, thrill-ride feel. I couldn’t put it down from page one. I was actually quite surprised and amazed at how much I enjoyed this book.

      I enjoyed the characters of this book immensely. They are all very vibrant and the type of characters that stick in your mind for a long time after reading. Mira is a kick ass vampire, Danaus is a kick-ass hmm…something (we don’t know yet) and the Naturi are seriously bad guys! I assume they are going to keep getting worse as the series progresses. I also noticed the nice heat that is starting to build between Mira and Danaus…a little Romeo/Juliet situation there.

      The writing in this book is dark and broody, the normal kind that is consistent with a paranormal urban fantasy. There is some great imagery used throughout the story as Mira travels here there and everywhere to do everyones bidding. There is also a tiny bit of sensuality, enough to show the reader the author’s skill with sensuality and enough to tease you to read more of the series.

      Finally, the plot in this book, as I said before, is pretty much a thrill-ride. You start reading and then get thrown head first on looping roller coaster of awesome. There is always something happening and always something you have to pay attention to. There are some great fights, some awesome sights, and some steamy men. Don’t miss out on this book.
    • 4/5
      Urban fantasy more in the vein (heh) of Anne Rice's "The Vampire Lestat" than, say, paranormal romance a la Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight". Kick-ass female protagonist who is herself a special kind of vampire, and has to uncover the family history mystery around her past. I liked the world-building and the character-building -- the protagonist, Mira, is strong and not under-powered in the least -- but the writing felt a little detached; I never got passionate about this series. I read the first three five years ago, but am only now picking up #4 to see where it goes, so you can see I felt a little less than urgently involved.
    • 3/5
      Mira is the keeper of Savannah. She enforces the nightwalker rules on the vampires that live there. Danaus is a hunter that has started killing vampires in her territory. In the beginning she doesn’t mind since they are vampires that are young, of course in this book to be young is under 100 years old. Once they cross paths it turns out they have a common enemy long thought destroyed by the vampires over 500 years earlier. They agree to hold off killing one another and join forces to kill the naturi. It seems they hate humans and vampires. Vampires and humans can’t sense the naturi but Danaus can. It seems that Danaus is something more but it also turns out to be a riddle for the next book. Mira finds out secrets about herself that she doesn’t know that pertain to fighting the naturi. The book ends with winning a battle but not the war. I’m interested in seeing how this series will continue.
    • 3/5
      While I thought this was good, solid storytelling I did feel that there was something missing for this novel. I came away feeling if I didn't read the 2nd book, I'd be ok with that. Whereas books like Magic Bites and Mooncalled, I couldn't put down.
      There was not enough tension between the heroine and the guy who I assume is lining up to be the love interest. The battles were a little ho hum and while the main conflict of the nightwalkers and naturi was key, it all felt just a little dry and not terribly exciting. Lacked some intensity I think.
    • 4/5
      This was really good, I'm going to go but the 2nd one right now.
    • 2/5
      I had a hard time getting into this book. It wasn’t bad but I felt like something was missing. It may have been because it was written in first person, which leaves a lot of holes in the possible development of the story.

      The plot was decent and held together well but there was no real build up. I felt like the climaxes in the story were a little flat and appeared out of nowhere. Most books hint at things to make you question the outcome and either turn out how you expected or completely throw you for a loop. This book never answered any of my questions and just confused me.

      Mira was a bit bipolar in her reactions. She didn’t always make sense and I had a hard time getting emotionally involved in her outcome. The most developed character was Danaus but because this is written in first person, we only got to see the surface layer of his character.

      The world building was interesting and believable. The concept was original and had promise but the execution left a bit to be desired.

      Plot:2.5
      Characters:2
      Creativity / World Building:3

      **Warning**
      I’m not a literary major & the above review is just my personal opinion. Anything that I may have said that offends you, your intelligence, your profession, or beliefs is unintentional and irrelevant to my personal review. If your opinion differs from mine, please, feel free to make your own comments and disagree.
    • 3/5
      Originally published on my blog, My Urban Fantasies I love the mythology behind the Dark Days series. After humans were created, two guardian races were created to maintain the balance. The naturi are guardians of the earth, while the bori are the guardians of souls. The bori existed as a single clan with their own dark side. From the bori came the legends of angels and demons. The naturi existed in five clans; earth, water, wind, light and animal. From the naturi grew the stories of elves, fairies and other magical creatures. There was a constant power struggle between the bori and the naturi. The power and strength of the two races were dependent upon what they protected. As humanity grew the earth became weaker. A war started between the bori and the naturi. Tired of fighting each other, each side created foot soldiers using humans. The bori created nightwalkers, also known as vampires, using blood magic. This also left the nightwalkers dependent on blood magic, the reason they need to feed on blood to survive. The naturi created lycanthropes using earth magic. Lycanthropes can take on the gifts of the animals that they shift into. The naturi wanted nothing more than to rid the earth of all humans and nightwalkers. The naturi think the only way to protect the earth is by removing it's greatest threat; mankind. The nightwalkers exiled most of the naturi and their queen into another world. One that was similar and connected to this world, but different. The nightwalkers sealed the door between the two worlds. I have no idea how the bori were exiled, it was never mentioned. Now the few naturi the were left behind are trying to unseal and open the door between the two worlds and release their queen. Mira, a kick ass 600 year old nightwalker, is now forced to work with Danaus, a vampire hunter who is not exactly human, to stop the naturi and save mankind. And worse yet, the return of the naturi means the bori might return as well. For nightwalkers the naturi represent extinction, but the bori represent an eternity of slavery.While I loved the mythology of the series, my feelings for Nightwalker are not as strong. There was this monotone feel throughout most of the book and some sections were a little slow. The characters also seemed a little flat. There were moments when everything seemed to have a little depth to it. These moments were usually between Mira and Danaus. They have this special flirtatious bickering, love-hate, cat and mouse, I want to rip your heart out kind of relationship. You're wondering why I gave Nightwalker 3 stars, right? Because it gets better! I don't know what changed, it was very subtle, but the last third of the book seemed to be more... animated. You notice the action scenes and the characters seem more real.This is a series that you have to read in order, which means you're going to end up with annoying cliffhanger endings. On a high note the series is finished so you will not have to wait a year for the next book. Yay! Based on the last few chapters of Nightwalker I think the rest of Dark Days will be worth checking out.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book. Great female lead - who's a vampire, which I like - who spars (physically and verbally) with a vampire hunter. Some good dark humor and great sexual tension. Can't wait to read her second one!
    • 3/5
      I really didn't like the 1st half of this book. Mira just talks and talks and talks. She comes across as arrogant, and just annoying. I don't think I liked her until her initial interactions with Michael when they were on the boat. The 2nd half of the book is much more enjoyable. Maybe it is because I switched from audiobook to paperback (or maybe not) but I really enjoyed the 2nd half of the book. You finally get to see a vulnerability in Mira. Oddly, she comes across as more "human".
    • 5/5
      I seem to be on a string of books in which i love the characters and the writing of the book without liking the world they live in. For me, the world of Anita Blake is the one i believe the most (even though i stopped liking the books very much) or the Merry Gentry series on the world of the fae.However, even though i did not much care for the world they lived in, i loved this book. I enjoyed all the characters and i can't wait to find out what happens with Mira.
    • 3/5
      Wow, this book was extremely poorly edited. I can't count the number of mistakes I found that kicked me out of the story and onto my butt. The pacing and the storyline are thin, but I think the world has potential.I think the author has potential, actually. I read this book because I truly enjoyed a short story by the author set in this world. I plan on reading the second book in the series purely based on the merirt of the story and the potential I can see within this book. If I didn't have the hope that this series would get better, that the author would mature, I wouldn't bother.So, really, I'm investing the time in the hopes that the next book is properly edited and plotted.
    • 4/5
      I loved it. From the very first page I was hooked, and I'm itching for more. Mira is a well-crafted, appealing character and Danaus is compliments her nicely. I can't believe I put this one off for so long.
    • 3/5
      A bit flat and convoluted in places but the characters were believable (at least as far as supernatural beings go) and the read was enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      Mira is haunted by her memories of what happened to her 500 years ago with the Naturi and is fighting a battle of whom to trust when a hunter comes into her life bringing the Naturi that tortured her 500 years ago at machu pichu. What a great start to the Dark Days novels. I recommend this highly if you enjoy paranormal books. Very enjoyable
    • 4/5
      Jocelynn Drakes' fabulous debut! In this book, we meet Mira, a 600 year old nightwalker. She has the ability to control fire, which sets her apart from the rest of her kind. Mira finds herself face to face with Danaus, who is a hunter of nightwalkers. But they put their differences aside as the plot moves along, and they group together to battle the Naturi, magical earth beings set to destroy nightwalkers and humans. From the very first page, there is action and lots of it. The characters in the story consisted of lycanthropes, warlocks and nightwalkers who all seem to exist in the world as we know it, hiding themselves from us.Jocelynn Drake's descriptions were wonderful from the beginning to the end. You could practically see the places (and fights) that she described. There was some sex, but nothing in the romantic sense. This book was fun to read and at the least, somewhat predictable, but not too much. There were a few things that jumped out at me throughout the story. After finishing the last page, I have the feel that there is going to be so much more. I'm looking forward to see where this takes Mira and Danaus, as their relationship has progressed throughout this first book
    • 4/5
      Ok series, not the best writing
    • 5/5
      I believe this book to be an excellent start for a new series. There were so many bumps and twists in this book I never found myself unable predictting anything in this book. Mira and Danaus relationship is addicting, I will be reading the next book to see where their future will lead them.
    • 3/5
      I just read this book on a flight and I was disappointed with it. It didn't live up to Kim Harrison's "must read addition to urban fantasy" quotation on the front cover. I agree with other reviewers' comments that it doesn't cover new ground and that the writing at times feels overdone or somehow immature (especially in the first chapter). If you want a fresh take on the urban fantasy genre then read Kelley Armstrong's excellent first novel "Bitten" or Ilona Andrews' interesting "Magic Bites".
    • 5/5
      An intricate work that's stunningly complex and compelling. Once I picked "Nightwalker" up, I couldn't put down Jocelynn Drake's tale that (hopefully) is just the start of a series about an alternate reality existing in today's world. This is a dark urban fantasy. It's not a romance even though it has some romantic elements. Even though I finished reading "Nightwalker" a few hours ago, I'm still having difficulty extracting myself from Ms Drake's world.Mira has been a vampire for over 600 years. She's also known as Fire Starter which is echoed in her wild red hair. She has survived cruelty and acts of torture so horrific, her mind refuses to remember and they only occasionally resurface as nightmares. She left her maker and her rescuer/healer to create a home and existence for herself in the New World and she's content with her existence. She doesn't kill when she feeds. She does, however, kill any humans or supernatural creatures who threaten to expose or disturb the comfortable life she's carved out in Savannah. So when a slayer appears in her territory, she decides to extract all the information she can before she kills him. She doesn't know that this slayer is more than he seems, and that his appearance in her life will herald a quest that will change everything she thought she knew about her life.Mira fascinates me. She's certainly no angel but she's also not quite a demon. She's one of the most human supernatural creatures I've read about in a long time. She really just wants to safeguard the haven she's created for herself. 'Live and let live' would be her motto if she bothered to have one. Her relationship with the slayer who intrudes into her territory is so complex. I still haven't figured out exactly what he is...and neither has Mira. He's sometimes a friend, almost a love, could kill her with a thought, has saved her life several times, thinks she's damned, and is apparently willing to go against the organization he works for to protect her! Fabulous!If you like your urban fantasies a bit dark, with strong sexual elements but no real 'romance', at least not yet...I can't recommend "Nightwalker" highly enough. There are shadowy mysterious organizations that are only mentioned or hinted at and I can hardly wait until May 2009 for the next release in this series, "Dayhunter".
    • 5/5
      Nightwalker, the first Dark Days series novel, is the debut of author Jocelynn Drake. With acknowledgements to Kim Harrison and Rachel Vincent it should be no surprise that this book falls into the vein of such juicy paranormal fantasy fare of Harrison's Hollows series and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake. The dark days are coming and Mira is the kick-butt heroine taking on the world. A vampire enforcer, the guardian of her U.S. domain, she is the one the nightwalkers call the Fire Starter. Blessed with the gift of controlling fire before she was turned she retains this ability and won't hesitate to use it to protect the secret that is the world of the nightwalkers. When a hunter called Danaus comes into her territory seeking her she's quick to seek him out for a confrontation. Danaus brings with him news of the naturi, an elfin race that wish to wipe both nightwalkers and humans from the face of the earth. Five centuries ago the naturi were locked away on another plane of existence by the vampires and those left behind are trying to break the seal that binds them. Mira and Danaus must join forces if they are going to save the world from destruction at the hands of the naturi. Their adventure takes them to Egypt and Britain, meeting up with members of Themis (the group Danaus is part of) and the Coven (the vampire heirarchy). With lots of action and suspense expect to be sucked into the world of the nightwalkers and dragged along for a bumpy ride! While Drake makes some annoying first time author mistakes (ie. repetitive comments) she has done a great job of reviving the tough-as-nails heroine. Mira is no wilting flower or gushing romance-stricken maiden. She can dish out a butt-kicking and take one in return. While she has obvious attractions and sensuality she puts her duties first. If you're looking for a paranormal romance this isn't it. I felt the story dragged a little at times and far too many side characters were introduced and then never mentioned again. But overall I loved Mira because she is what Anita Blake once was and Rachel Morgan might have been. If you're a fan of either series you will most likely enjoy this one enough to be interested in further installments--I sure am!
    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure for quite awhile into the book whether I liked it or not. It seems very different from what I'm used to reading. It definitely has piqued my interest and I want to find out what happens next. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. This one ended a lot differently than I expected.
    • 4/5
      It has been too long since last read a fantasy novel about vampires. I was thrilled when I learned that I was selected to receive a copy of Jocelynn Drake’s Nightwalker through Harper Collins First Look Program. It sounded like a promising start to a new series. A series reader can never have enough series to read, right? And what could be more fun than a tale of magic, vampires, lycanthropes, great battles, and a little flicker of romance?Nightwalker introduces readers to Mira, a vampire with a special talent of being able to start fires. She is greatly feared and admired by those in the magic realm. Mira is content with her life in Savannah, Georgia, watching over her domain and protecting the secret of her people, keeping the knowledge of the dark forces hidden from the humans. When a powerful vampire hunter comes to town bearing an unexpected gift, Mira finds herself face to face with an enemy she long believed to be dead. Danaus, the mysterious hunter, is not out to kill her just yet. He needs her help. The naturi were one of biggest threats to both nightwalkers and humanity centuries ago, and there are signs that they are returning to the world. Mira still has nightmares of her time in captivity when she was kidnapped and held prisoner by the naturi. She must decide whether to join forces with the hunter in fighting their common foe. One thing she knows for sure, however. She must seek out the triad that created the seal that had blocked the naturi from returning. Only they will be able to stop the naturi from growing in strength and ushering their queen across the barrier. If that were to happen, humans and nightwalkers would face certain death and destruction. Although the book got off to a slow start, it wasn’t long before I was drawn into the story. I especially found myself curious about Danaus. He is human and yet holds his own special powers. He has a strong sense of justice and is not sure what to think of Mira and her kind. He was taught all his life that vampires were evil and that they killed out of blood lust. Mira has her own code. She does not kill indiscriminately and cares about the humans as well as her own people. She will do what she must to protect the secrets that she keeps just the same, and if that means spilling blood, then so be it.It took me a little while to warm up to Mira. She seemed cold and calculating at first, using her wiles to get what she wanted. She was not above using force to prove her point and could just as quickly use her sensuality to get what she wanted. Jocelynn Drake did a good job, however, of bringing out the more human side of Mira as the story unfolded. And as her character often reminded the vampire hunter, humans are themselves a violent race—even more so in some ways than the nightwalkers.The novel takes readers from the beautiful city of Savannah, Georgia to Africa and on to England where the isle is rich in magic. I felt like I was wandering the streets right alongside Mira and Danaus as they went about their business. I wouldn’t have minded lingering a bit longer. The biggest disadvantage to reading this book is that it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. It is obvious there is much more to Mira’s story, and, of course, now I have to wait before I will be able to see where Jocelynn Drake will take me next. Jocelynn Drake has created an intriguing and magical world that I cannot wait to visit again.
    • 3/5
      Vampire Fiction is a fairly well explored genre. With such heavyweights as Ann Rice, Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison and Charlene Harris each 'staking' their space in the genre it's difficult to imagine a lot of room for another author to get a significant piece of the Vampire pie. Jocelynn Drake's Nightwalker tries to squeeze in to this packed genre with a book that falls somewhere between Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter and Meredith Gentry Faerie series. Drake has a nice flair for language and Nightwalker is extremely readable. I enjoyed the two main characters and their interplay, the epic battle and race against the clock made the book move along quite quickly. But what's really missing is anything new. Nightwalker lives in a world all to familiar and it doesn't seem to have anything to add to the genre that wasn't already there. In many ways Nightwalker is the answer to all the Laurel K. Hamilton fans who wished there was less sex in Hamilton's books and more action. That's what they get here, and it's good, but it falls short of where I think the book could go. The book is the start of a series and I really hope that on her sophomore effort Drake opens up her world and gives us something new and surprising adding to the genre, not just recirculating it.