Untamed by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast


The fourth book in the House of Night series and thankfully it was just standard issue HoN bad and not redefining bad like Chosen.

I could have simply stopped reading after the last one but I don't know what makes me keep going! Like I said, these books are bad bad bad but SO VERY entertaining! How can that be? I guess the best way I can describe them is "guilty-pleasure-crap-reality-tv-like-Rock-of-Love Reading". You know that you shouldn't be watching but you HAVE to in order to see what the stupid people do next.

Zoey "OMG I'm a ho" Redbird is still at the House of Night school for fledgling vampires. It has only been what, three months since she arrived and already she has saved her ex boyfriend from ghosts, overthrown the misguided leader of the Dark Daughters, dated three guys at once, made out with half the school, broken hearts, lost her best friend, found her best friend, slept with a teacher, pissed of the school's High Priestess, discovered her affinity for all five elements, been blessed with unheard of power by the Goddess Nyx, made new friends, become friends with someone who was once her enemy and she got a cat.

**Spoilers**

In this book, in an effort to improve vampire/human relations, she befriends the nuns that run the Street Cats charity. That's our Zoey. She's open minded and such the little joiner. Erik Night, newly changed vampire returns to the HoN as the new Drama teacher, and on the very first day of class, you guessed it, Zoey makes out with him. Oh yeah and she makes out with the new kid, Stark (who is no doubt going to be back for another make out session in book five) as he DIES- but not in the sweet last kiss with your true love who's dying way- but while he's spitting up blood and his body is rejecting the change. Aphrodite who ran off at the end of Chosen returns to us as a human, but continues to attend the HoN as a fledgling vampire by painting on her Mark with a blue eyeliner that she found at Target (check payable to Team Cast courtesy of Target to follow). As for other endorsements Zoey is reading Inkexchange by Melissa Marr which if you stick around for a minute will turn into an entirely separate rant. Team Cast also pushes the Ipod Touch and made a reference to the Nephilim which I am choosing to ignore on the off chance that she didn't mean to reference Mortal Instruments or I am going to TOTALLY FREAKING LOSE IT.

And what's with them having to mention EVERY five pages that Damien and Jack are gay? I mean we know that by now, it's not shocking and it's really tacky to keep bringing it up with wise cracks like they mean it to be shocking.

Regardless, this book was a very entertaining, quick read. Neferet and Zoey finally have the major show down that's been coming and the book ends with a nice (if not neat) little cliffhanger. I found Untamed to be on par with Marked but nowhere near as good as Betrayed which bordered on being an actual book.

Ok so the Melissa Marr push- First let me state that I don't find it flattering, even though Melissa might, for her to be mentioned by Team Cast in HoN. Melissa Marr is a good writer and her books are really good. Having her praised in HoN is like going out all dressed up and looking hot only to be hit on by the ugly short guy. It seems to be popping up more and more, that all the new YA authors are advertising for each other. Is this a campaign launched by their various publishers or are all these people friends (or at least pretending to be)? I just find it a little disconcerting.

I think I have gotten ranting about HoN out of my system and I promise that if the fifth book isn't remarkably better than this one I will do as I have been taught and if I don't have anything nice to say, I won't say anything at all.

2 thoughts?:

Brianne June 18, 2009 at 11:09 PM  

I have read countless reviews for this book and none of them made me even remotely interested in reading the series.

But this review has changed my mind completely. Entertaining, quick reads are something I seek out whether it's a quality book or not.

I love a good, honest review. Fabulous job!

Laura @ A Jane of All Reads June 19, 2009 at 10:12 PM  

Brianne- I wish I could tell you to read this series but I can't. On the other hand I can't tell you not to because though I constantly wanted to throw these books against the wall (and one of them almost made it to the garbage disposal) I HAD to keep reading them. They are deliciously bad and so entertaining and just filled with yummy, juicy awfulness. Don't read them, but read them.

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