Daughters of the Moon Unofficial Fan Site

Editorial

Previous Weeks - 1

Vanessa's Struggles

By: LJR

My last item had more to do with the Destinies of the Daughters rather than what book 13 will boil down to. Today I'm building on what I said in my last article and giving you a detailed account of what I THINK will happen.

Vanessa Cleveland, age 16, seems like an ordinary girl living in the City of Angels. With her angelic blonde hair, her elegant style, her friendly attitude, and her ever-extending charisma, she is easily the most popular girl at La Brea High. Nothing can scratch this girl, she's dating Michael Saratoga, the hottest guy in La Brea and singing for his band, her best friend is always there for her, and her mother designs the hottest fashions for the big screen. Perfect, right?

As readers of the compelling "Daughters of the Moon" series, we all know that her life is not quite what it seems.

Vanessa is of course a Goddess, a Daughter of the Moon. With the powers over invisibility, she and her friends fight against the evil Atrox with help the moon goddess Selene, and their many other mentors.

Yeah, yeah, that's how the series begins- dangerous but exhilarating. These girls triumph over impossible odds every time in every struggle in every book. Everything is full of hope and light and love, the shadows lurking far away that threaten to eclipse the happiness that is their lives.

But now we enter Round Three of this series, and the sweet victory days are over. Once Jimena made her choice, once the Atrox escaped its binding, and once the great Penelope was accepted into Selene's nocturnal world of light and peace, the good times were done. Books eleven and twelve show us exactly how dark times are getting for the Daughters of the Moon. The Atrox is getting stronger, many Followers grow restless, and the Four of Legend are on the path that leads to their ultimate destiny. For more on that see my article, Destinies and Book 13.

Now these dark foreshadows leave us to question: What is book 13 really about? Vanessa Cleveland, as the pattern of the series tells us. Before we get into detail about the future, let us recall for a few moments what her previous books have told us about this character.

In the first novel- Goddess of the Night, we discover what Vanessa is, a Daughter of the Moon. She starts dating Michael Saratoga, and still has very little control over her power. That's the basic rundown, but there are a few details that need to be examined. First and foremost- Vanessa and Stanton. Now, just by reading the first book, we saw an obvious chemistry between Vanessa and Stanton. I was very surprised when I read "Into the Cold Fire" and saw the same thing happening with Serena and Stanton. I had thought Vanessa and Stanton would be together. But a few books later in the series, as we all know, Stanton is all about Serena, but comes to the aid of the other Daughters, with....compelling power. Lynne eventually stated in an interview why book one had so much Vanessa and Stanton chemistry:

P: Now are there any surprises that you have discovered while you�ve been writing the series?

L: Sometimes when you start writing, the characters take on a life of their own and they start saying no that�s not the way it�s going to be. So then things have to change. As an example, at first I thought Vanessa and Stanton would be the love interest but Vanessa put her foot down. She wanted Michael in the most determined way. - From interview with "Phaze Star"

Ehh...so Vanessa and Stanton are not a hopeful couple I see...m-kay. But the whole point of bringing him up was not to say "Ooo! Vanessa and Stanton were once gonna be the power couple!!" No- a detail that has not been mentioned recently in the books is the fact that Stanton can never harm Vanessa. Remember? Book one, chapter 24, pgs 252-261. Vanessa's tries to save young Stanton in his memories. Because she did him that act of kindness, he can't harm her. However, that doesn't mean that every time she gets into trouble, he has to save her. It means exactly that- HE CAN NEVER HARM HER. This will indeed come into play in the future, as it has in the past. But consider Stanton's position as Prince of the Night. More on that in a later article.

Also in Book 1, Maggie told Vanessa that she was the key, which we now know to be Serena. Don't believe me? Book one, pg. 236. Still don't believe me? Book 1, pgs 270-271. Also read this if you suddenly think-"OOH! That's the secret to it all! Vanessa's really the key!" *Snorts in amusement* However, Vanessa's power can be looked at in another point of view- that it is like the Followers ability to change into shadow. If you don't understand it- think it though like this- Followers= dark invisibility, Vanessa/Daughters= pure invisibility. Please note that Hector can also change into shadow.

That's book one for you. Book seven leads us into somewhat darker territory, but more enchantment and fairy-tale...which is basically what Vanessa symbolizes.

Of course the run down is that a demon is summoned by its master, the Atrox, in an attempt to stop the Daughters of the Moon.

The demon goes after Vanessa, and causes her to have an awful tattoo. The demon, is of course, Hector, whose betrothed in Ancient Greece was *gasp* Maggie!! Hector starts to take Vanessa away for his bride, but she foils his plan and purifies him with sacred ash and kills him, taking HIS ashes to Maggie. So ends the book, and Vanessa goes on. But of course, there are details. Hector tells Vanessa that she is truly a Daughter of Pandora, meant to spread sorrow through the world. That's supposedly her dark side, but we don't ever see it in full fruition. Are we supposed to expect that her biggest destiny is writing and singing songs in a band when the climatic battle between good and evil is drawing closer?! Come on, Lynne! Honestly, that was the biggest disappointment in the whole series, because I'm dying to see Vanessa's true dark power.

Also, during the purification, she gets a heart tattoo from Maggie, for full detail see Book 7 pgs 221- 225.

Also, another intriguing piece of info, on the night Vanessa's father died. He died doing a stunt for a movie, and that night there was a ring around the moon. Notable, but not significant, right? Wrong! Hector travels to Earth through that ring around the moon. That means- HE WAS ON EARTH THE NIGHT VANESSA'S FATHER DIED. Does that mean he killed Mr. Cleveland, no, but it seems probable that Hector had a hand in it. Once her father died and a woman, presumably a Follower, saw her disappear as a child, Vanessa never received Maggie's dreams, telling her of what she truly was. The dreamed of the moon eclipsed by shadow. One must wonder- if Serena hadn't found Vanessa, how eclipsed long would it have taken Catty to act on her dream and led Vanessa to Maggie. Or...would it have never happened. Hmm....constant motion, the Atrox never stops planning.

But throughout the entire series, I notice that Vanessa seems to have the closest connection to Maggie. This tells me that perhaps Vanessa has a connection to Maggie's child. Hears the clues I've come up with, insignificant as they might be:

1. Vanessa is a "Daughter of Pandora." In book 10, Maggie is constant compared to Pandora. ***grins* literally daughter in that case**

2. Hector went after Vanessa. Incestuous, yes as the girls on the message boards would say. But even he said that she reminded him of a love he had long ago, Penelope.

3. In both her books, Maggie makes Vanessa make her own decisions. She gives her guidance, yes, but it always comes down to Vanessa's instincts and Maggie's ending up saying "I was only testing you."

4. She is female.

5. We have met her already. **4 and 5 are clues gotten from a LE interview**

6. The whole Hector/Father's death is too obvious- points to the positive clues.

Evidence can sometimes point the other way, however.

1. Vanessa's is not adopted, switched at birth, or under the watch on a once-Daughter gone through the metamorphosis charged with watching Maggie's daughter grow up.

2. There's just no ways its possible!

So the negatives are weak...but Hector being after his own daughter- that's just sick.

Yes, but only if he knew...


	Editorial Previous Weeks - 1 Vanessa's Struggles By: LJR My last item had more to do with the Destinies of the Daughters rather than what book 13 will boil down to. Today I'm building on what I said in my last article and giving you a detailed account of what I THINK will happen. Vanessa Cleveland, age 16, seems like an ordinary girl living in the City of Angels. With her angelic blonde hair, her elegant style, her friendly attitude, and her ever-extending charisma, she is easily the most popular girl at La Brea High. Nothing can scratch this girl, she's dating Michael Saratoga, the hottest guy in La Brea and singing for his band, her best friend is always there for her, and her mother designs the hottest fashions for the big screen. Perfect, right? As readers of the compelling "Daughters of the Moon" series, we all know that her life is not quite what it seems. Vanessa is of course a Goddess, a Daughter of the Moon. With the powers over invisibility, she and her friends fight against the evil Atrox with help the moon goddess Selene, and their many other mentors. Yeah, yeah, that's how the series begins- dangerous but exhilarating. These girls triumph over impossible odds every time in every struggle in every book. Everything is full of hope and light and love, the shadows lurking far away that threaten to eclipse the happiness that is their lives. But now we enter Round Three of this series, and the sweet victory days are over. Once Jimena made her choice, once the Atrox escaped its binding, and once the great Penelope was accepted into Selene's nocturnal world of light and peace, the good times were done. Books eleven and twelve show us exactly how dark times are getting for the Daughters of the Moon. The Atrox is getting stronger, many Followers grow restless, and the Four of Legend are on the path that leads to their ultimate destiny. For more on that see my article, Destinies and Book 13. Now these dark foreshadows leave us to question: What is book 13 really about? Vanessa Cleveland, as the pattern of the series tells us. Before we get into detail about the future, let us recall for a few moments what her previous books have told us about this character. In the first novel- Goddess of the Night, we discover what Vanessa is, a Daughter of the Moon. She starts dating Michael Saratoga, and still has very little control over her power. That's the basic rundown, but there are a few details that need to be examined. First and foremost- Vanessa and Stanton. Now, just by reading the first book, we saw an obvious chemistry between Vanessa and Stanton. I was very surprised when I read "Into the Cold Fire" and saw the same thing happening with Serena and Stanton. I had thought Vanessa and Stanton would be together. But a few books later in the series, as we all know, Stanton is all about Serena, but comes to the aid of the other Daughters, with....compelling power. Lynne eventually stated in an interview why book one had so much Vanessa and Stanton chemistry: P: Now are there any surprises that you have discovered while you�ve been writing the series? L: Sometimes when you start writing, the characters take on a life of their own and they start saying no that�s not the way it�s going to be. So then things have to change. As an example, at first I thought Vanessa and Stanton would be the love interest but Vanessa put her foot down. She wanted Michael in the most determined way. - From interview with "Phaze Star" Ehh...so Vanessa and Stanton are not a hopeful couple I see...m-kay. But the whole point of bringing him up was not to say "Ooo! Vanessa and Stanton were once gonna be the power couple!!" No- a detail that has not been mentioned recently in the books is the fact that Stanton can never harm Vanessa. Remember? Book one, chapter 24, pgs 252-261. Vanessa's tries to save young Stanton in his memories. Because she did him that act of kindness, he can't harm her. However, that doesn't mean that every time she gets into trouble, he has to save her. It means exactly that- HE CAN NEVER HARM HER. This will indeed come into play in the future, as it has in the past. But consider Stanton's position as Prince of the Night. More on that in a later article. Also in Book 1, Maggie told Vanessa that she was the key, which we now know to be Serena. Don't believe me? Book one, pg. 236. Still don't believe me? Book 1, pgs 270-271. Also read this if you suddenly think-"OOH! That's the secret to it all! Vanessa's really the key!" Snorts in amusement However, Vanessa's power can be looked at in another point of view- that it is like the Followers ability to change into shadow. If you don't understand it- think it though like this- Followers= dark invisibility, Vanessa/Daughters= pure invisibility. Please note that Hector can also change into shadow. That's book one for you. Book seven leads us into somewhat darker territory, but more enchantment and fairy-tale...which is basically what Vanessa symbolizes. Of course the run down is that a demon is summoned by its master, the Atrox, in an attempt to stop the Daughters of the Moon. The demon goes after Vanessa, and causes her to have an awful tattoo. The demon, is of course, Hector, whose betrothed in Ancient Greece was gasp Maggie!! Hector starts to take Vanessa away for his bride, but she foils his plan and purifies him with sacred ash and kills him, taking HIS ashes to Maggie. So ends the book, and Vanessa goes on. But of course, there are details. Hector tells Vanessa that she is truly a Daughter of Pandora, meant to spread sorrow through the world. That's supposedly her dark side, but we don't ever see it in full fruition. Are we supposed to expect that her biggest destiny is writing and singing songs in a band when the climatic battle between good and evil is drawing closer?! Come on, Lynne! Honestly, that was the biggest disappointment in the whole series, because I'm dying to see Vanessa's true dark power. Also, during the purification, she gets a heart tattoo from Maggie, for full detail see Book 7 pgs 221- 225. Also, another intriguing piece of info, on the night Vanessa's father died. He died doing a stunt for a movie, and that night there was a ring around the moon. Notable, but not significant, right? Wrong! Hector travels to Earth through that ring around the moon. That means- HE WAS ON EARTH THE NIGHT VANESSA'S FATHER DIED. Does that mean he killed Mr. Cleveland, no, but it seems probable that Hector had a hand in it. Once her father died and a woman, presumably a Follower, saw her disappear as a child, Vanessa never received Maggie's dreams, telling her of what she truly was. The dreamed of the moon eclipsed by shadow. One must wonder- if Serena hadn't found Vanessa, how eclipsed long would it have taken Catty to act on her dream and led Vanessa to Maggie. Or...would it have never happened. Hmm....constant motion, the Atrox never stops planning. But throughout the entire series, I notice that Vanessa seems to have the closest connection to Maggie. This tells me that perhaps Vanessa has a connection to Maggie's child. Hears the clues I've come up with, insignificant as they might be: 1. Vanessa is a "Daughter of Pandora." In book 10, Maggie is constant compared to Pandora. **grins literally daughter in that case 2. Hector went after Vanessa. Incestuous, yes as the girls on the message boards would say. But even he said that she reminded him of a love he had long ago, Penelope. 3. In both her books, Maggie makes Vanessa make her own decisions. She gives her guidance, yes, but it always comes down to Vanessa's instincts and Maggie's ending up saying "I was only testing you." 4. She is female. 5. We have met her already. 4 and 5 are clues gotten from a LE interview** 6. The whole Hector/Father's death is too obvious- points to the positive clues. Evidence can sometimes point the other way, however. 1. Vanessa's is not adopted, switched at birth, or under the watch on a once-Daughter gone through the metamorphosis charged with watching Maggie's daughter grow up. 2. There's just no ways its possible! So the negatives are weak...but Hector being after his own daughter- that's just sick. Yes, but only if he knew...