Minion: A Vampire Huntress Legend

Written by L.A. Banks

Narrated by Hillary Huber

In L.A. Banks' latest Vampire Huntress Legends novel, Minion, there is one woman who is all that stands between us and the eternal night.
Here is an account of her legend....

All Damali Richards ever wanted to do was create music and bring it to the people. Now she is a Spoken Word artist and the top act for Warriors of Light Records. But come nightfall, she hunts vampires and demons—predators that people tend to dismiss as myth or fantasy. But Damali and her Guardian team cannot afford such delusions, especially now, when a group of rogue vampires have been killing the artists of Warriors of Light and their rival, Blood Music. Strange attacks have also erupted within the club drug-trafficking network and drawn the attention of the police. These killings are a bit out of the ordinary, even for vampires. No neat puncture marks in the neck to show where the life's blood has been sucked from the body. These bodies have been mutilated beyond recognition, indicating a blood lust and thirst for destruction that surpasses any Damali has encountered before. Damali soon discovers that behind these brutal murders is the most powerful vampire she has ever met, and this seductive beast is coming for her next. But his unholy intentions have also drawn the focus of other hellish dark forces. Soon Damali finds herself being pulled deeper into the vast and horrifying vampire world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Oct 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781427209368

L.A. Banks

L.A. Banks was the author of the Vampire Huntress Legend series and the Crimson Moon Novels, including Left for Undead and Never Cry Werewolf. She had a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and a master’s in fine arts from Temple University. Banks considered herself a shape-shifter, writing romance, women’s fiction, crime and suspense, and of course, dark vampire huntress lore. She lived with her daughter in Philadelphia until her death in 2011.

Reviews for Minion

[Mélisande Vosdaeis · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book was written by a black woman, about a black woman and her experiences. The narrator is non-POC. This is a huge issue. The AAVE is all wrong, pronunciations are AWFUL. The narration ruined the entire book. I couldn’t make it past the first 30 minutes. Someone else needs to re-record this. Ugh.

[Phoenix_Rhapsody · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The voice actor was okay. There were lots of lines repeated. Not sure if that was her fault or the sound mixing. The way this book was recorded is messed up; it's just one big chapter. You'll have a hard time getting back to a particular section if you lose your place. The story was okay, but kind of dragged and don't get interesting until about half way through.

[starknits_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I just can't get into this book.

[akaria-2 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Years ago I tried reading this and didn't even get halfway. Which is saying something because I'll trudge on through the first book of any series. Couldn't do it. Characters didn't grab me and the writing was distracting.

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Didn't finish it. Just couldn't. I tried. I tried skimming. I flipped through the rest to find something worth finishing it, but it just seemed like a waste of time.The dialogue is awkward (with a lot of exclamation points). There are a lot of characters thrown at the reader at once, without much to distinguish them. As the story continues, there still isn't much given to tell them apart, so they all just blend together and honestly there was no reason for me to remember who was who anyway.The vampire-slaying seemed a bit melodramatic. I just couldn't quite...get into it.And... they're all in a band together? I don't quite get the connection, but apparently there is one... I don't know...I hit a very awkward sex/masturbation scene and that was when I just couldn't go on. Just weird.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I expected so much more from this book...I thought it would be a hip-hop Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was sadly mistaken. Maybe the next book gets better, but I don't know if I want to waste my time to find out.

[mcelhra · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I really, really wanted to like this book but I just could not get into it. Normally it would only take me a couple of days to read a book like this but I struggled with this book for about a week. The main problem was I just didn't understand what was going on. I thought maybe it was just me but after reading some other reviews, it turns out that's not the case. In the first half of the book, not much was happening. It was written as if the reader should know what the characters were talking about but I did not. I actually had to check and make sure I was reading the first book in the series (I was) because I felt like I was jumping in the middle of something. Then in the second half of the book, the very complicated vampire mythology was presented in one long information dump. I couldn't sort it all out.Several of the reviews indicated that the subsequent books in this series are much better. Honestly, there are so many vampire series out there that I want to read that I don't know if I want to take the time to see if the second book, The Awakening, is better.

[sablelexi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really just had trouble getting into this book. I found the character's urban background a bit hard to relate to, and her job even harder (never really got "spoken word" before). I also really disliked the vampires/monsters in here. I really just found this book overall, ok.

[joshuakyte · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It took me a while to get into this book but once you do, it serves you on a plate to Bank's imagination. Redeeming features, supporting cast has a way of grabbing your hand and leading you to what's relevant and what is not. Overall this primary book gets a bad-rap due to the first few chapters, but like I said once you get past that, it turns into a good read.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

My vision of Hell? Being caught in traffic with a guy who insists on blaring rap music. This is the urban fantasy equivalent, and I'm so glad I could just shut the book and back away slowly. Awful writing full of romance aisle descriptions and ridden with cliches and mixed metaphors. The prologue is hysterical--both in tone and hilarity, albeit unintentionally. A preacher's wife discovers her husband in what seems an embrace. With a man! Quel Horror! So naturally, leaving her baby with the prayer vigil, she goes out to perform a demonic ritual to get him back. Soon after we're introduced to her baby girl all grown up! The "chosen one" and "vampire huntress" (sound familiar?), Damali Richards, a rapper by day and this is one of her introductory bits of dialogue: "Aw shit--you the one!" Damali spun around and gave the people standing near her a high five. "All this time I've been coming in this place, gigging and doing my thing... and the Marlene Stone just rolls in here with brother 'Bazz? Daaaaym! Y'all really think I'm good and have a shot?"Damali aka Mary Sue got on my one nerve right there. All throughout, besides the charming S-word there were f-bombs going off to the left and to the right of me. So I ducked and covered and threw this back on the store shelf before fifty pages had passed. And I resent every minute I gave this crap a chance.

[kjdavis87 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The only problem was because this is a long series, I didn't get any closure. However, now I want to whip out book #2. L.A. Banks gives me scary urban lit lol if that even makes sense. I like how REAL and modern it is, unlike many other vampire books. I felt like I was reading one of my urban lit books except, this had vampires, and stakes in it lol. I'm now looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

[dilligaf_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The only reason this gets half a star is that I don't think it is possible to rate something zero stars. Do NOT waste your time or money on this stinker. I thought The Vampire Shrink was badly written, but it seems like Shakespeare compared to this book.I hate not finishing a book. Even when it's bad, I usually stick it out, but I couldn't finish this one. I almost didn't make it through the prologue, but I laboured on before finally giving up part way through chapter 1. This is badly written, boring, and incomprehensible. My only consolation is that I didn't buy it, but got it from the library.

[roylin_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have read a good bit of the available vampire books and it is always interesting to see each person's take on Vampire lore...so when I read one that manages to stand out despite the abundance of vampire stories I like to make note of it. This manages to be different, mainly due to the main character and her story: you do not see many African American Vampire slayers or a book with mainly minority characters as heroes. But this becomes secondary to the story and plot once you get to reading. If you like the Soookie Stackhouse series or Anita Blake and Buffy..you will like this alot. But a warning...the ending WILL make you want to buy the second book.

[toxicmasquerade · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the beginning, I wasn't to sure that I was going to like this book. But, as I got more into it and learned more about the characters and who they were, I began getting into it more. The characters are really great. My favorite character was Damali, Rider and Fallon Nuit. Overall, this is a great book after you get into it.

[tadad_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Personally, I think the book is an overblown mess. Banks appears to have no real concept for the books beyond throwing in everything she can and hoping that there's something for everyone. The background is a hodgepodge of a half dozen different ideas/genres with no real unifying theme. The characters are caricatures. The prose is way over the top.Honestly, I think she just figured she'd jump on the gravy train created by Hamilton, Huff, Harris and others with no real concept of her own as a basis.

[amberwitch · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Minion - a Vampire Huntress Legend is an incredible awful book. The world Banks has created is clichéd, and lacks in credibility as well as originality. The writing style is beyond choppy, dialogs are incoherent and nonsensical (though that may be due to bad editing), half of them consist of expositional monologue explaining at length things that should be basic knowledge for all participants in the conversation. The slang used makes several exchanges unintelligible, and it grates on the nerves when white characters use terms like 'Lil’ sis'All the characters are two-dimensional cardboard cutouts, made up almost entirely by clichés lifted from popular culture, and lacking believable motivations.The book contains pages on end of descriptions (also clichéd) which fails to build any kind of atmosphere or make any impact other than incredulous irritation at the lack of skill evident.The constant mixing of metaphors set my teeth on edge.The interactions between characters are disconnected, and the inner monologue that is substituting actual action in many scenes is badly executed.The plot is unoriginal and uninteresting; a Neteru girl (the Vampire Huntress) is created every 1000 years, and this one - Damali - is born just before her priest father is seduced by a vampire, and her mother calls up a vengeance demon to get revenge on his seducer. She is found by a Guardian when she is fifteen and has lived in a Guardian compound for five years, while she grew into her Neteru powers. While she is battling the onset of powers that accompanies the Neteru coming of age, she is taking on a race of hybrid vampires created by her mothers summoning of a demon in a vampire lair, and trying to save her old flame from becoming one of them.The flame is turned, and recruited by both the originator of the hybrid, and the vampire council - whose members live in one of the middle reaches of hell, and only ascends once a year. Both parties are eager to impregnate the Neteru, to create a daywalker offspring. This is supposed to be accomplished by possessing a virile body and have intercourse with her.This novel has absolutely no redeeming features.

[amobogio · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really not very good.

[lewispike · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm not 100% sure what to make. I like the book well enough to look for later ones in the series. That said there are some really deep flaws.A white ex-biker who was sewing his wild oats in the 70's speaking black 1990's/2000's street slang (or that's what I assume it is) doesn't work for me. The change of heart of the flawed character who has been hiding things from the vampire huntress seems too easy, on both sides. Several of the characters, who are part of the "posse" of heroes remain sketchy at best, nebulous is rather more like it.Despite that, there's a good story in here. The opening scenes almost made me give up, but I'm glad I didn't. Some of the action scenes are excellent and the portrayal of the anti-hero as I suspect he's going to be and the heroine are pretty strong throughout. Worth a look and short enough to be an easy read.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this a while ago but it was basically about a destined vampire hunter who was a musician and used the music to cover her activities.

[cheriepie69_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've had my eye on this book for awhile before I finally decided to buy it. It had a good amount of negative reviews at Amazon, but I simply couldn't keep myself from getting involved in another vampire hunter series. *grin* So when I saw this redone edition, I thought I'd finally pick it up, along with the sequel, The Awakening which got much better reviews. (As did The Hunted and The Bitten, books 3 and 4 of this series.)Anyhoo, I liked the premise of the story, but I got aggravated with the writing so many times. Certain sequences would seem to drone on and on, boring me, so that I'd tune out and have to reread it to understand what I read because it was causing me to tune out. There were a few parts of the book that were like that. Which was funny because there were some other action scenes that made me feel the complete opposite! I felt that the author didn't pay much attention to detail and how it all would sound to the reader by reading it back herself. Certain facts were repeated as if they were being introduced for the first time... perhaps that was simply a side effect of the added scenes or something... I don't have the original version to compare it against to know for sure.So that's what I didn't like, and where this book lost the most points for me. And though Damali's character is okay, she hasn't endeared herself to me the way Anita Blake has, but maybe that will come with later books. :) All that said, I liked the premise of the story, the cliffhanger ending, and the high action scenes. The plot wasn't predictable at all, and I was surprised at some of the "turns" that were taken. ;) I'm anxious to read the The Awakening to see how things turn out with Damali and the gang.

[hoosgracie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Decent vampire story. Good use of multi-cultural characters. Damali is reminiscent of Buffy. The story really leaves you hanging – would have liked at least a bit more story rather than having to wait for the second book.