'Zoey Redbird, Daughter of Night, I name you my eyes and ears in the world today, a world where good and evil are struggling to find balance.
'But I'm only sixteen! I can't even parallel-park! How am I supposed to know how to be your eyes and ears?''
Marked is the first in the House of Night series. Zoey is a normal teenager who goes to high school, has a best friend called Kayla and a boyfriend called Heath who is a football player, a drinker and a smoker. Until one day, a tracker marks Zoey with a sapphire blue crescent moon on her forehead. Next step: she has to get herself to the House of Night, which is a school for vampyres, otherwise she dies. Panicking, Zoey goes to her Cherokee grandmother seeking advice when she falls and bangs her head causing her to become unconscious where she dreams that she meets the vampyre Goddess, Nyx, who says the above quote. She then wakes up at the school, where she meets the High Priestess, Neferet, who takes herself on as Zoey's mentor. Zoey then meets and befriends her roommate, Stevie-Rae, who introduces Zoey to her circle of friends, Damien, Erin and Shaunee. Together they form the elements that will stop evil spirits from terrorising the world.
This is the second time I've read the House of Night novels, I read them when I was younger and rather enjoyed it and due to recent readings not fulfilling my needs for a enticing adventure, I thought I would return to, what I like to call 'my comfort books', which consists of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, House of Night just to name a few.
So Marked is always going to be a five star read for me, although, reading it again after quite a few years has made me realise that elements of the story are rather childless. But, oh well.
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