Marked is the first novel in the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and her daughter, Kristin Cast. As a die-hard, lifelong fan of The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith (the original series), I’ve never really enjoyed other teen vampire series. But I found the first few books in this series at the thrift store and thought I’d give it a whirl.
In this particular vampire universe, “vampyres” have always existed. Some teens turn into fledgling vampyres after being “Marked,” which means, they are gifted colorful tattoos on their faces by a mysterious higher being. After being Marked, those lucky teens can leave public school and go to a boarding school called the House of Night. That’s where they learn the ways of vampyres.
In Marked, Zoey Redbird is a seemingly normal 16-year-old girl who has just been…wait for it…Marked. Shortly after the mark appears on her forehead, she visits her Native American grandma on the farm for advice. While there, she dreams about the revered vampyre Goddess Nyx, who tells Zoey she is special.
Later, after enrolling at the House of Night, Zoey finds that her vampyre powers and intuition are superior to those of her fellow classmates.
Marked is easy to get into, and its teen banter is cute and funny. It’s not too over the top. I’m excited to read the next few books in the series.
I’ve also read and reviewed Betrayed (Book #2) and Chosen (Book #3).
What do you think about this series so far?
Last Updated on November 17, 2025 by Sarah Ann
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