The Captive Series (Book One)

Captured

Rating

4 stars-

Date Read

20/03/15 - 22/03/15

Age Group

14+

Summary/ General Thoughts

Since they've won the war, vampires have ruled mercilesly, diminishing humans to living blood bags. Some humans chose to become loyal to them, becoming their servants in exchange for a place within the city walls. The rest were banished to the woods, to live like primals, never giving up their loyalties to their own race, the human race, and forever plotting their enemy's demise.

Having grown up in the woods with her father, the leader of the rebels, and her two brothers, Arianna has been taught to hate the vampires and everything the stand for.

After she's captured and taken into the vampire city to be sold as a blood slave, Arianna knows that her life will be neither a lengthy nor a happy one. And she's made peace with that.

Much to her dismay, she's purchased by the very prince of the vampires, royalty of those she despises. And she's taken into the palace to face her fate.

Only her fate is not what she thought would be and the prince is a bit too gentle for the monster he's been labeled as. Could it be that she was wrong about him? Or is he just toying with her until he needs her no more?

(For a full summary see here.)

Main Characters

Arianna

She reminded me a bit of America from "The Selection". All righteous and reckless and supposedly brave, acting docile while walking around with shoulders set back, mouth a gim line, all like "You won't break me!". Very frustrating trust issues. She does however, appear to be strong and smart with a quick mouth and sharp mind.

Braith

The blind prince. Gorgeous, obviously. And immortal. Keeping a cold, ferocious a facade to protect his detest for cruelty. Turbulent and wrathful, extremely possesive with anger management issues. His capacity to love is remarkable. he'd do anything for her...

Narrative

I usually despise books in third-person. i find them stiff and impossible to relate too. Erica, here,  must have managed to pull it off because a few months later I don't even rememeber that it was in 3rd person, just that I enjoed it. (I'm saying months later because now it's Aygust of 2015. I managed to erase the entry that talked about the Captive Series in general - everything from characters to writing - so now I'm writing it anew. What I remember anyway. Yay me.)

My Braith
(Yes, I'm perfectly aware that this is Antonio Banderas but it's the picture I downloaded all those months ago as Braith when I read the book. And if you ask me, I still consider it a perfect match... if you do something with that weird chin and jaw...)

Writing

There are people who can write and people who can't. Erica belongs to the first category. The writing flowed, the dialogues were fine, Arianna had character - however infuriating, at least in the first book- and Braith was a delight to read about, despite him being the embodyment of everything most people hate of YA books (possessive, tenacious and tumultuous). 

All in All

I enjoyed the book. It sounded like something I would read, although it was occasionally a bit too blunt. Now that it's been a while, I do feel the urge to diminsh the shiny 4 stars to a duller 3. I'm not going to though. Obviously I liked it when I read it and since I still remember it vividly it would be unexplainable to lower the original rating. Recommended with a warning (see Writing).

PS. Here's a mini-song of my own making describing how Arianna -mostly wrongly- feels about Braith in most chapters of the first book. Listen here.

All your promises unkept

Feelings that you never felt

Those of love and those of hurt

Things just said to make me melt