Wetdryvac reviewed Nightlife by Rob Thurman (Cal Leandros (1))
Review of 'Nightlife' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Well, that was refreshingly different.
352 pages
English language
Published March 7, 2006 by Roc.
4 stars
(11 reviews)
When the sun goes down, it all goes down..."There are monsters among us. There always have been and there always will be. I've known that ever since I can remember, just like I've always known I was one......Well, half of one, anyway."Welcome to the Big Apple. There's a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side-and that's only the beginning. Of course, most humans are oblivious to the preternatural nightlife around them, but Cal Leandros is only half-human.His father's dark lineage is the stuff of nightmares-and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal. Why? Cal hasn't exactly wanted to stick around long enough to find out.He and his half-brother Niko have managed to stay a step ahead for three years, but now Cal's dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn …
When the sun goes down, it all goes down..."There are monsters among us. There always have been and there always will be. I've known that ever since I can remember, just like I've always known I was one......Well, half of one, anyway."Welcome to the Big Apple. There's a troll under the Brooklyn Bridge, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side-and that's only the beginning. Of course, most humans are oblivious to the preternatural nightlife around them, but Cal Leandros is only half-human.His father's dark lineage is the stuff of nightmares-and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal. Why? Cal hasn't exactly wanted to stick around long enough to find out.He and his half-brother Niko have managed to stay a step ahead for three years, but now Cal's dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn why they want him, why they've always wanted him...for he is the key to unleashing their hell on earth. The fate of the human world will be decided in the fight of Cal's life...
Grey Liliy reviewed Nightlife by Rob Thurman (Cal Leandros (1))
Review of 'Nightlife' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
If I had to sum up the book in one word: Fun.
Overprotective, highly skilled & orderly big brother Niko just wants his little brother to stay safe and free from the monsters stalking him--the only problem? Cal's half monster himself.
The characters really brought this book to life--a great introduction to what looks to be a fun series. This city's got a bit of everyone from Puck to Trolls, to Vampires and Werewolves--and of course Elves.
Niko's love for his brother borderlines on the obsessive, and is probably a stone's throw away from being flat out yandere (considering this is one of my favorite character archetypes--I was all for it). We'll see if the events at the end of the novel don't lighten him up a bit from his over-controlling nature in future books, though.
Where Niko is orderly, health-conscious and disciplined--Cal is lazy, carefree, sarcastic and easy-going. Childish, …
If I had to sum up the book in one word: Fun.
Overprotective, highly skilled & orderly big brother Niko just wants his little brother to stay safe and free from the monsters stalking him--the only problem? Cal's half monster himself.
The characters really brought this book to life--a great introduction to what looks to be a fun series. This city's got a bit of everyone from Puck to Trolls, to Vampires and Werewolves--and of course Elves.
Niko's love for his brother borderlines on the obsessive, and is probably a stone's throw away from being flat out yandere (considering this is one of my favorite character archetypes--I was all for it). We'll see if the events at the end of the novel don't lighten him up a bit from his over-controlling nature in future books, though.
Where Niko is orderly, health-conscious and disciplined--Cal is lazy, carefree, sarcastic and easy-going. Childish, is probably the best word. He teases, he plays, and he does his best to put a smile on his dour brother's face. Cal's got his serious moments as well, and he'll knock heads when he has to, but for the most part he's the perfect foil to his big brother. Their interactions are some of the most enjoyable in the book.
Robin, Promise & Darkling are up there too, with their own unique senses of fun. Robin in particular making a nice third player to the brothers; his nature is just the right mix of serious and fun to sober, or lighten up as needed.
The plot itself isn't too big--your sort of standard take over the world plot using a key--which in this case is Cal. There's a good twist though involving a certain Banshee though, that made it fun--but there's really nothing you don't see coming, or is particularly surprising. It wasn't by any means unsatisfying, though, so I wouldn't count it as a negative.
Overall, the book's rather light-hearted with a good sense of dark humor, while still being able to play up the more morose moments when necessary. I enjoyed it quite a bit & I hope the rest of the series measures up.
ghostchaser reviewed Nightlife by Rob Thurman (Cal Leandros (1))
Review of 'Nightlife' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
3.5 it was easy to put down. But good story and likable characters. I will try book 2 in the series.
betty reviewed Nightlife by Rob Thurman (Cal Leandros (1))
Review of 'Nightlife' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
The characters have basic personalities, the premise could be interesting, and the pace is kept up, but the older brother's speech patterns were, I think, meant to be 'college educated' but instead read to me as 'failed/pretentious attempt to sound college educated," and made me kind of embarrassed on his behalf.
This book isn't terrible, but it's not great, either. I got two chapters in, and then realized I could be reading icanhascheezeburger.com instead, so I did.
