Review Detail

As an avid watcher of the show, The Originals, I can’t get enough of this three member, somehow kind and cutthroat family. The Rise, the first book in the prequel trilogy about The Originals, follows Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah Mikaelson as they flee from their vampire-hunting father to New Orleans in 1722. The story gives fairly equal attention to all three characters as they embark on their various adventures, and the intense action and supernatural political intrigue make this a book readers will fly through.

Just like in the show, this novel brings to life the complexities of individual desire and family bonds. Each Original is willing to be ruthless to get what they want, but it is nearly impossible not to have a soft spot for each of them. Klaus, a half brother, forever feels like he isn’t fully a member of his family and expects betrayal at every turn. Rebekah longs for a normal, quiet life she can never have and is full of enough potential for love to change the world. Elijah, always the peace keeper, just wants his family to find a peaceful home together. They are the most heartbreaking kind of villain, because underneath all their destruction, they have heart enough in them to be one of the greatest potential influences of good.

The intense pacing of the book holds the reader on bated breath. In the supernatural culture of New Orleans, betrayals and bloody wars are far from unfamiliar between the witches, werewolves, and vampires alike. Readers will find themselves constantly questioning every character’s motive and worry that at any second someone will pull a stake out and betray everyone.

With razor sharp dialogue and breathless pacing, The Rise is a family vampire story not to miss. I wouldn’t recommend this series for people who aren’t at least somewhat familiar with the show. Minor background information is included throughout, but there are several areas where an unfamiliar reader may get confused without knowing more about this specific supernatural world. Fans of the show are in for a thrill ride and a chance to discover more of The Originals’ history.