HEARTS AT STAKE

Solange Drake, a dreamy potter, has more on her plate than the average almost-16-year-old: Intoxicating pheromones waft from her skin, attracting numerous unwanted suitors, and she's dreading a potentially fatal transformation from human to vampire. Her gutsy, weapons-trained best friend Lucy is supportive, but she’s increasingly preoccupied with Nicholas, one of Solange’s five impossibly handsome brothers. Solange’s family is vampire royalty, exiled from court because of Queen Natasha’s paranoia about a prophecy that might be about Solange overthrowing Natasha’s rule. Solange wants only to be left in peace, but inevitably, dark forces converge against the Drakes: First, the Helios-Ra—paramilitary vampire hunters whose brash young leader, Kieran, is attracted to Solange—attack, then Queen Natasha’s brutal personal guards kidnap Solange. A pitched battle in Natasha’s lavish court culminates in a twist that turns the prophecy on its head, making a normal teenage vampire life possible for Solange. This fluffy series opener is fundamentally silly and derivative of everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Twilight to Harry Potter, but its fast-moving plot and refusal to take itself too seriously offer partial redemption. (Paranormal romance/adventure. YA)