Bookish Mumma

So you know how I said that I wasn’t getting the horror vibe in House of Night? Yeah, it definitely came back in a big way, that’s why this post is late. Had to sit with that one for a hot minute.

If you would like to read this book to fill in the gaps, you can find it here.

If you’d like to read any of the previous posts, you can read those here.

Creating a lockpick is turning out to be far harder than kid detective novels made it seem.

Which is honestly just rude. Why can’t everything be as easy as kid detective novels?

The weapons room is wide open, so I grab two more knives and stuff them into my bag.

Unless those knives have sheathes, that is a TERRIBLE idea. Imagine trying to flee from this place, supplies in the bag and ready for just about anything. Then, as you’re running, one of those unsheathed knives moves just the wrong way, cuts the bag open and now you have supplies all over the ground.

“You should turn her over to me now. Before Gregor-“
“I will never willingly give her up. She’s mine.”

Yes! Thank you Celia, this hits the right spot!

“Ah, two of humanity’s favourite things: blind faith and indiscriminate violence,” Valen sneers.

He has a point, there’s nothing more rampant in this world than the way humans put their faith in people, gods and concepts blindly. Then their ability to turn around and destroy everything they set their eyes or ambitions on.

This chapter was half flashback and we know how I feel about that. There was enough in Chapter 13 though that I didn’t think I needed to put in an extra chapter to this post.

“What do you think?” Melody hangs a deep crimson gown on the high rail across the top of my four-poster bed.

What is with the vampire theme always having red and black clothing? Are they allergic to colour in addition to the sun and garlic?

“As it turned out, I’m allergic to lillies, can’t dance, and only stayed at the prom venue for all of five minutes before hiding in the ladies’ room for the remaining two hours. I get the feeling that this ball is going to be magnitudes worse, only this time I can fill out the dress.

I mean, to be fair, I would struggle being around teenage hormones, undeserved ego and gossip for 2+ hours

“Fuck you, Whitbine, you sack of donkey shit!” I raise my glass in a mock toast. “I hope you meet the sun before I meet my maker.”

Oh I am all for drunk Georgia! She might be in private and Whitbine nowhere to be seen, but this is a vibe I live for!

He feigns concern. “You think my vengeance is unwarranted?”
I don’t answer. His questions aren’t for me.
“That’s because you don’t understand legacy. Humans never will. Your short, empty lives are meaningless. Not ours. Not Theo’s.”

I don’t want to give Gregor credit for anything, but there is something to be said for this quote. Humans might not know the meaning and depth of legacy like vampires might, but vampires also don’t understand the meaning and depth of emotion. Not when they live for an unfathomable amount of time.

Conclusion

Chapter 16 is short because there was a LOT of horror and violence in it, so I couldn’t quote much. This is still really hard for me to wrap my mind around, the fact that Celia Aaron was able to write so much cruelty into House of Night. It has absolutely given me pause. I’m glad that it’s not soaking the book and just has surges, but that’s one hell of an imagination that she has. Reminds me of Act 2 in Baldur’s Gate 3.

If you would like to read this book to fill in the gaps, you can find it here.

If you’d like to read any of the previous posts, you can read those here.