Minion

Rating:
Summary: A good start!
Review: It's about time we had a sister-buffy! .. I am a vampire book lover and it was great to walk into a book store and see an African-Amerian Vampire book, by an African American. I read this book and though it started off slow, when I finished it, I couldn't wait for part II. I just bought the 2nd book, and started reading it last night ---- and it's goooooood! Can't wait to see what happens w/ Carlos and Damali!

Rating:
Summary: There's a New Heroine In Town
Review: L.A. Banks has not only introduced readers to a new "shero", but has hopefully opened the door for other African American writers to weave tales beyond what has become the de riguer in commericial African American fiction. Minion's heroine, Damali Richards is a modern-day vampire slayer with all the high-tech weapons necessary to rid the community of the bloodsuckers that bleed them dry. The parallels and analogies Banks uses to characterize the "bad guys"/vampires is a stroke of creative brilliance.

With an intriguing backstory filled with well-researched details, Banks creates a world that is not as far-fetched as the title implies. In a word Minion is the story of good versus evil and the players, though cloaked in the guise of what nightmares and campfire stories are made of are all too real and familiar--all the elements that make Minion a non-stop read from beginning to end.

Fans of horror will welcome L.A. Banks and her new shero Damali with open arms. More important, readers of good stories will enjoy it just as much.

As always there will be naysayers, those who will dismiss Minion out of hand, those who are threatened by new voices, new opinions and notions that are out of the box and not in accordance with what they think "we" would enjoy. But it will be the readers who will make the difference and establish Damali Richards and her crew as those to be recognized and reckoned with.

Kudos for a job well done and kicking open the door for others to follow.

Rating:
Summary: Flawed by enjoyable
Review: Like many of the others here, I eagerly anticipated reading this novel by L.A. Banks. Although the story gets off to a painfully slow start by introducing characters in a situation that doesn't become relevant until near the end of the book, I still found the majority of the story enjoyable.

"Minion" introduces the reader to a vampire slayer in the tradition of Buffy with a few noticeable changes. Sunnydale High and the Scooby gang are supplanted here by the world of hip-hop/spoken word poetry and a multicultural band of characters that serve as the slayer's entourage/protectors. This slayer, Damali Richards, is equal parts Lauryn Hill and Buffy Sommers.

She's a spoken word artist that apparently has legions of fans all over the world. When not inspiring countless individuals with her music, Damali slays vamps with the best of them. If the premise sounds a little far fetched, it's because it is. As hard as Banks tries to paint Damali as a compelling central figure, she's frequently out shined by other characters in the book, most notably Carlos--her drug-dealing/club owner of a love interest.

The story centers around a new hybrid of demon/vampire on the loose in the club scene. Damali & Co. are perplexed about the hybrid's origins and must find a way to stop them and their leader, a mysterious seductive master vamp called Nuit.

The story line gets bogged down in several areas by Bank's tendency to over explain situations. Damali's blandness sometimes weighs the whole thing down. All in all, the building action and cliffhanger at the end will likely leave the dedicated reader wanting more.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!!!!!
Review: Minion By L.A. Banks is an excellent book!!!! When I read the first chapter I was hooked. It is so great to have a vampire huntress who is African American and who has a very diverse guardain team. The book is exciting from beginning to end and will have the reader begging for more.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended Vampire Tale!
Review: Minion is a tale of the legend of the Vampire Huntress. Minion is defined as one who is highly favored, a darling. This correctly describes our main character, Damali. Damali is a 20-year old spoken word artist and one of the top acts for Warriors of the Light Records. But at night, she and her group of guardians hunt vampires. In this story, vampires and demons are not myths, they are reality.

Damali and her guardians have met with a vampire that is stronger and more powerful than any vampire they have ever had to face. These vampire demons aren't killing their people in the usual vampire fashion, two puncture wounds to the neck, they are actually mutilating the bodies. Damali and her team of guardians are forced to face their most powerful opponent yet.

In the mist of this terror, the legend of the Vampire Huntress is revealed. Unbeknownst to Damali, her fight has only begun. She is carrying a power she never knew she had. Minion is the beginning of this vampire huntress tale. We meet the guardian characters, the vampires and demons. Surreal. There is an eroticism associated with vampires and Fallon Nuit is no exception. The author describes him with a sensuality of the most masculine of men, but the prettiness of a female. Nuit is sexy enough to make a straight man want him. It's this type characterization that makes this novel stand out.

Ms. Banks has written a novel to tantalize your taste buds, making you want more. If you like vampire stories, you will love this novel and if you don't like vampire stories, you will still love this novel. Ms. Banks whets your appetite for more. The tone of the novel is dark. The characters are very well developed. You can feel their pain, power and terror. The grotesque descriptions in the novel give it authenticity. It's sexy, scary and thrilling. It's also fast-paced and truly imaginative. I was intrigued from the prologue and sitting on the edge of my seat with the taste of the next installment that is included at the end of the book. This is one heroine I look forward to reading about until she truly saves the world from vamps. I for one am in Ms. Banks' audience with I know many more people to join. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a vampire series for me!
Review: Minion is one of the most exciting books I've read in a long time. In fact, after reading Minion, it drove me crazy to wait on the second book, Awakening. That one is just as good as the first book. The series is definitely exciting, bringing much sensuality to an old concept. The characters are rich, and Banks does a great job in bringing the landscape of Hell to life. I definitely recommend this book not only to horror lovers, but also those who like suspense, mystery, romance, and travel books.

Rating:
Summary: No Ordinary Vampires
Review: Minion is the first in a four book series. In this book we are introduced to Damali Richards, a spoken word artist, and her guardians. Damali is nearing her 21st birthday and about to come into her full powers as the Vampire Huntress. She is about to have power beyond her wildest beliefs and it is up to the guardians to teach her everything she needs to know to handle this ripening.

They have battled many vampires in the past, but now there is something different. The vampires are not just leaving the common marks, the two puncture wounds on the neck - they are mutilating their victims. Something strange is going on and they have to find out what while keeping Damali safe.

The Vampire Council has captured the one person who can get close to Damali. The problem they have is that Carlos loves her. Will he be of help or hindrance to the council?

With the hip-hop music world as the backdrop of the story, L.A. Banks does a wonderful job in creating parallel worlds. Minion is filled with action, horror and eroticism. I found the beginning to be a bit confusing because of all of the information and characters introduced at once, but there was no way around that. I quickly caught up and was able to enjoy the ride. I am looking forward to 'Awakening' the next book in the series.

Tina
R.E.A.L. Reviewers

Rating:
Summary: Move Over Buffy,...Damali Has Arrived!
Review: Minion: A Vampire Huntress Legend is the first of a new vampire trilogy from L. A. Banks - it is a wonderfully imagined beginning to a new, hip group of vampire slayers. By day, they are lead by twenty-year-old Damali Richards, who along with her guardians are Spoken Word artists that travel the country performing their craft. By night, each uses their specialized senses (sight, smell, mental telepathy, etc.) as they collectively hunt vampires and demons using their specialized weaponry.

The novel opens with their world succumbing to a powerful, new enemy (master vampire Nuit) who seems to be ravaging corpses and creating a new vampire/demon breed that are more difficult to track and slay. He also has plans for Damali that could change the world. Complicating matters is Damali herself who is undergoing a physiological change as she approaches her twenty-first birthday. The "legend" blends the spiritual, metaphysical, and incorporates universal messages of balance and harmony. Equally engrossing as the storyline are the supporting cast - they are an eclectic group - rich and full-bodied with plenty of personality, attitude, and talents.

Banks really earns a lot of points for creativity with the revelation of the huntress legend, the "ripening" concept, and with the intricate background and talents of the hunting team and supporting characters. She creates another world where she defines the order, classes and social strata of demons, vampires, and hell itself. She brilliantly blends intrigue, romance (with a sensual vibe reserved for vampires), and the right amount of action to deliver a solid foundation to a wonderful upcoming trilogy. Once I started this novel, I could not put it down....and could not wait to read The Awakening.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub, The Nubian Circle Book Club

Rating:
Summary: Good vs Evil
Review: Ms. Banks did a great job with descriptions and I felt as if I was part of the scenes as the Huntress and her crew battled the creatures from the underworld. I thought it would take me a week to read it, wrong--only took me 2 days.

The only thing I didn't like about it, it ended too soon :). I'm hooked. I'm curious to see what happens to Damali and Carlos in the Awakening.

Rating:
Summary: I would give it less than one star but that isn't an option
Review: Not only is this book amaturish, I read the first 43 pages and put it back. I will be returning it. The blatant theft of Joss W. Buffy and Angel's series and ideas is shameful. There are many original ideas that concern vampires, demons and magic but this book isn't one of them. I shall be remembering this author, as I will never buy another one of her books.Perhaps if the author had an original idea in her head, I would consider it. Every time you purchase a book, the reader takes a chance. I wish I had known about the bad reviews before I purchased this one.