Minion - The Vampire Huntress Series

Hey Y'all,

Let me first says, I love L.A. Banks Vampire Huntress Series.  But, y’all I committed my 5 star rating in haste.  I actually had read 5 of the other books in the series before I finally received my copy of Minion.  I had not gotten far in my reading when I offered the rating.  I was basing it primarily on the other books that I absolutely loved. 

Regrettably, I am going to lower my rating to 3 stars.  The prologue was excellent.  She had me from page 1.  We meet Damali as a crying infant in her mama’s arms.  We don’t meet Damali again until 20 years later.  Her entire life lived and her relationship with Carlos was totally omitted.  Their relationship is the basic for the entire series.  She failed to give a good foundation for the following stories.  I was never clear on their story, even though in other books, she gives some tidbits of how their story came about.

We, the reader, should have met Damali again when she was around 14 or 15 years old.  We should have experienced her time in Foster care.  We should have experienced how she met Carlos and how their friendship evolved. 

Mrs. Banks did not do a good job as a writer in setting the story up.  I am glad I read The Awakening first.  I am not sure I would have read it if I had read Minion first.  This would have really been a loss of great reading.

However, in saying this, I beg you guys to read the Vampire Huntress series.  It’s excellent.  It’s basically a love story, but not your typical story by any means.  Mrs. Banks is obviously a history buff and a news junkie.  Her works, though fiction, is substantive.  I am collecting all of her books and they will have the honor of sitting on one of my book shelves.  I know that I will re-read this series over and over again throughout my life times, even Minion.

Minion was the baby and I am giving her leeway.  It is not a bad book at all.  She just doesn’t tell the story fully and well.  It doesn’t matter.  I was hooked once I read the Awakening. 

Theme Songs for the Minion:

• Grand Master Flash - Message
• Mama Used To Say - Junior
• Inner City Blues - Marvin Gaye
• It's Been Such A Long Time - New Birth
• Brighter Side of Darkness - Love Jones
• Take A Stroll Through Your Mind and Runaway Child  - The Temptations
• Aqua Boogie - Parliament Funkedelic
• Odetta sings Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
• A Charge To Keep - Religious/Spiritual Hymn
• Mahalia Jackson - Summertime Motherless Child
• Rolling in the Deep - John Legend - Acapella
• You Better Run (Old Time Meet Camp Song)

Aqua Boogie's Lyrics:

Ha-ah, ha-ah, ha-ah!
I am Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk
I can't swim
I never could swim
I never will swim
Oh, put me down!
Let go my leg! (Ha-ah, ha-ah, ha-ah!)
I told ya...will you shut up!...I told ya I can't swim! Ha hOwww no!

Put me down, I hate water, ho

(Hah -ah hah -ah hah -ahhh)

Will you shut up!

(Aqua boogie baby) Never learned to swim,
(underwater boogie baby)
Can't catch the rhythm of the stroke
(Aqua boogie baby) Why should I hold my breath,
(underwater boogie baby)
Feelin' that I might choke (Ha-ah, ha-ah, ha-ah!)

(Aqua boogie baby)

Things ya blow through, because of things ya swim through
(Underwater boogie baby)
Why hold your nose to spite your face (Ha-ah, ha-ah, ha-ah!)
(Aqua boogie baby)
With the rhythm that makes you dance to what we have to live through
(Underwater boogie baby)
You can dance underwater and not get wet, OH!!!

Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloop
(Put me down, let go my leg OH!)
Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloop
Psychoalphadiscobetabiohumanyouloop

I hate water, let me go, put me down! Hah-ho
You're all wet!

(I'm at the boogie baby) Never mean to drown
(I'm Underwater boogie baby) Can't comprehend all the strokes
(I'm at the boogie baby) Why should I hold my breath?
(Underwater boogie baby) (he's deep) Feelin' that I might choke! Oh!

(Aquaboogie baby) There's a magic rhythm one with the a real drum (?)
(Underwater boogie baby) Why blow your nose to spite your face
(Aquaboogie baby)
With the rhythm it takes to dance to what we have to live through
(Underwater boogie baby) You can dance underwater and not get wet.

Boogie with who? (Boogie-boogie with me!)

I am the Nose (Ha-ah, hah-ah, ha-ah)
I don't swim
I don't dance (Ha-ah, hah-ah, ha-ah)
I don't swim or dance (Biohumanyouloop)
I'm too cool to swim, or dance
I'm ------?------- (Underwater boogie baby, underwater boogie baba!)
(Ha-ah, ha-ah, ha-ah!)

(Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloop)
I don't even sweat (Psychoalphadiscobetabiohumanyouloop)
(Underwater boogie baby, underwater boogie baba!)
I'm cool

(Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloop, Psychoalpha......)
Go head wit 'cho funk!
(Underwater boogie baby)
Put me down
Turn me loose!

Ahh, let go my leg, I hate water! (ya-ha!)

Oh, leave me alone

You're crazy!

(Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloop)
Ohhh.....hah ... stop it!

Oh there you go again,
Oh it feels good, oh it feels good!
Oh it feels good
I am the Nose, leave me alone

Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloops

The motion picture's underwater, starring most of you-loops

(Uh!) Never learned to swim

(OH!) Can't comprehend all the strokes
Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloop
(Underwater boogie baby! Yeaah Ho!)
Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloops (Underwater boogie baby!)
A motion picture underwater starring most of you-loops
(Yeah ho, ha ha get on down)
Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloops (I am the Nose!)
A motion picture underwater starring most of you loops
( ----?----- fool baby!)

(Hit me!)

Bioaquadooloop (Ah ho! Ha ha, get down!)

Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloops
A motion picture underwater starring most of you-loops

Ha-ah Ha-ah Ha-ah! (x6)