Related Information Vampire Huntress Legend
Series
Major Themes in The Vampire Huntress Legend Series
What's this VHL thing really all about?
Thank you all so much for sharing the love and supporting this series! While the foundation of The Vampire Huntress Legend Series is about the struggle of good against evil, it's really all about love' the love of humanity, the love of family and the human family, loving the world enough to have a commitment to something greater than oneself' and, of course, the love between a man and a woman. If you think about it in that context, isn't love the greatest way to defeat evil? That's how Damali & Carlos conquer their worst foes and fears every time' their love is unbreakable, as is their love for their family, and the world. In the process, they also learn to love themselves and each other better.
With that said, so far in the series we've watched a young couple struggle with their own inner demons, their own personal problems, and their own personal woes, but gradually grow to embrace a higher calling. In that regard, we see them mature in each book, occasionally relapse (because they aren't perfect), but always end up stronger for their experiences. Their path is imperfect, but the Almighty has a plan, and The Light always prevails.
My hope is that a quiet truth will resonate within all who read this series, and that each of you will come away with the quiet messages embedded in each page, each interaction, and each scene. For me, this is truly a labor of love! Thank you for allowing me to share it and my vision with you.
Major Themes Underlying The Saga'
Rather than delineate these lofty concepts within heavy literature or non-fiction texts, I've instead tried to illustrate these themes in fiction metaphors through the characters in the series. My goal was to meet people where ever they were on their own personal journey, to tell the story in accessible, everyday language, and to create an urban legend that both entertains and teaches, thus opens the dialogue about images, stereotypes, and major societal issues'while allowing readers to also have fun.
In a cautionary tale where vampirism is used as a metaphor to convey the image of young, inner city males (and females) being incarcerated within a lifestyle of violence, fast money, and a ruthless quest for power, I'm also attempting to show these multiple poignant themes, namely:
Within the ongoing drama, I'm examining radical, socially/politically charged topics, as well as traditional debates on sexual responsibility amongst young people, how the underdog can win, and conspiracy theories about old men without a conscience ruling the world. None of that is by accident in this work; all of it is by design. I care about the issues I write about, and have philosophical problems with the state of the world today. Somebody must care, we all must care, and cannot simply stick our heads in the sand and hope that these problems will disappear'is the basic message. We each have to step up, in however small or large a way we can, and deal with it.
My goal was to carefully weave a path from darkness to redemption for my bad-boy turned vampire, Carlos Rivera. Of them all, I found him to be the most complex character to write, just as his prototype in society is probably one of the most complex to comprehend' he begins as a non-believer in anything but himself, yet due to an eerie confluence of events, he is forced to acknowledge the heroine's warnings. His eyes are opened to the fact that he's been a pawn in a much larger and more bitterly ruthless game than he'd ever imagined while his power was becoming a nearly limitless intoxicant' However, in the end, Rivera must 'choose'; it is a matter of free will, which side to assist'evil incarnate or The Warriors of Light and his woman, Damali.
Through his transformational journey, Rivera becomes an unlikely hero and force to be reckoned with on the side of good, a philosophical tribute I offer to the many real-life incarcerated heroes that used their negative experience to come back to ultimately do good. The heroine, Damali, is a woman in her own right with her own calling, and the power to shift the balance between good and evil by the sheer force of her inner being and will. She represents The Light' love, and the uniqueness found in every person'Neteru' God force within mere earthbound mortals. We all have this capacity, I believe, even (like she) when we don't know it.
The family of Guardians also has inner Light. They represent the missing village (these days) that used to form strong families and communities, the 'societal glue' that it takes to raise a child. They are aging, weary, and have been at the battle the longest, and still 'suit up' to continue to hold the line' like so many grandparents out here now raising their children's children.
Perfect by no means, each of these older characters have seen their share of hurt, pain, loss, have secrets and skeletons in their closets, have vices'. And have all been abandoned or thrown away by society in one way or another as cast-offs. But their love of their young charge, and each other, as well as their indefatigable hope, demonstrates the indomitable human spirit, what can be accomplished if people of like minds pull together, stand by each other, and fight for each other toward a higher good. None of them came from wealth and all came from humble beginnings (like the hero and heroine). None of the Guardians are highly educated, but they are wise and seasoned beyond measure from experience'to be respected. No single Guardian in this saga is a so-called important person, but they are invaluable to society. None of them, alone, could do it all, but together a house made of many sticks stands strong. They, like The Covenant, are integral to the development of the story and the main characters (Damali and Carlos.) Again, this is my way of paying homage to the wisdom of the elders, to the structure of family, and again to the strength of unconditional love sublime.
To further make the point, I decided to break with tradition and place these rebel characters in what could be considered stereotypical, urban-life roles within the music industry'then flip the script to present them as anything but stereotypical. It was my way of going against the grain within the hip hop, street lit genre and gangsta rap music scene, fighting negative imagery from within it by adding a literary blend of vampire culture and subtle messages in the work. But let me say that, I also respect positive message music in all forms, and to demonstrate that, I established my heroine as a spoken word, hip-hop artist. Words are powerful' remember, 'First there was The Word, and The Word was God.'
I leave you on that note to think about all of this' and I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what all that lies within The Vampire Huntress Legend series'
Enjoy and Stay in The Light!
World Peace, World Love' L.A. Banks!