Minion
A Vampire Huntress Legend
By L.A.Banks 

     Without further ado, I’m glad to announce that there is finally a vampire book on the scene that has a female heroine. Congratulations to L.A. Banks for successfully centering a story on a strong, bold, independent female who can handle herself in volatile situations.

     The name of this “shero” is Damali Richards. She is on the brink of turning twenty-one and is about to come into her full power as a vampire slayer, under the watchful eye of her team of guardians and her mentor, Marlene. Multicultural, multifaceted, multi- talented and cleverly disguised as musicians, with Damali as the “spoken word artist”, these guardians move undetected throughout the natural and spiritual realms, searching for vampires.

     Trouble is brewing. The “ripening” that Damali is about to undergo has heightened all of her senses and she’s unable to deal adequately with all that is occurring within her. She emits an aphrodisiac scent that attracts male vampires to her and fiercely goads female vampires to seek to kill her. The action--and there is a lot of it--once started, is vividly described and is horrifically violent, with a tendency to cause nightmares. But a great work of fiction always stirs the reader.

     Minion starts out a little slow. I would recommend a departure from the norm: read the prologue last. It detracted from the story. The good news? This is the first in a series. A lot of groundwork has been laid in Minion to make this series pop. Great background information, character development and a lot of research are evident. The series is bound to be spellbinding. It’s also impressive how L.A. Banks is able to wear a different literary hat. This is about as far away from her usual romance as a writer can get, but she’s done a fantastic job of showcasing her literary versatility.