Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson are siblings, vampire
siblings to be exact. They fled from Europe to New
Orleans in 1713 to escape an enemy who wants them dead.
Nine years later, they are attending an engagement party
that is sure to seal an arrangement to end the war
between witches and werewolves. Lasting peace depends
upon the union of Vivianne Lescheres, a witch, and Armand
Navarro, a werewolf. While Elijah and Rebekah are on
their best behaviour, the same cannot be said of their
half-brother Klaus. In the midst of the celebration, he
decides he wants to feed and kills a servant girl, and
all hell breaks loose: the Originals are barely
tolerated, providing they make themselves scarce. They
want to establish a home, but their nature denies them
the right to own land, and that is what they endeavour to
change. Among other things.
This new series has an interesting background. Julie Plec
was the screenwriter for the TV series The Vampire
Diaries, based on a series of books by L.J. Smith. Ms.
Plec made it so much her own that she introduced the
characters which lead to a spin-off TV show, The
Originals, and THE ORIGINALS: THE RISE is the first book
in a 3-book prequel series. As an avid watcher of the
Vampire Diaries, I was awaiting this first book with
bated breath, and it exceeds my wildest expectations!
While Ms. Plec's talents as a screenwriter speak for
themselves, I never expected the quality of writing that
I found in THE ORIGINALS: THE RISE. The world building is
fabulous, character development is nothing short of
stellar; what we thought we knew about the Mikaelson is
merely the tip of the iceberg, no pun intended.
Ms. Plec obviously has a cinematic vision and she is able
to transfer that very successfully on the page. Each
sibling has their own mission to fulfill, and I am amazed
at how the tone of the narration differs when it comes to
each of them. Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah have very
distinct personalities, and the author is able to relate
their individual stories in their own voices. I also very
much appreciate how Ms. Plec doesn't dwell endlessly on
their superior vampire abilities; they're taken all in
stride. They do feed on humans; they're not cute, cuddly
vampires but they are very complex characters, and we see
them grow and change before our very eyes.
THE ORIGINAL: THE RISE is action-packed, fast-paced, the
story is positively riveting, especially as everything
crescendoes into the exciting conclusion, with plot
twists I never, but never, expected! I read the whole
book in one sitting and I cannot wait for the next one!
Family is power. The Original vampire family swore it to
each other a thousand years ago. They pledged to remain
together always and forever. But even when you're
immortal, promises are hard to keep.
Arriving in New Orleans in 1722, Original vampire
siblings Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson believe
they've escaped their dangerous past. But the city is
lawless, a haven for witches and werewolves unwilling to
share territory. The siblings are at their mercy…
especially after Klaus meets the beautiful and mysterious
Vivianne.
Her impending marriage is key to ending the war between
the supernatural factions—and Klaus's attraction to her
could destroy the uneasy alliance. As Elijah works toward
securing a piece of the city for his family, and Rebekah
fights her unexpected feelings for a French captain, will
Klaus's volatile desires bring their world crashing down—
and tear them apart for good?
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