The three songs that best illustrate Lila and Gabe's relationship in The Eversfield Academy Vampire Hunters

While I have entire book playlists that help(ed) me get into the zone to write and edit each specific book in The Eversfield Academy Vampire Hunters romantic YA urban fantasy series, there are three overall songs that best illustrate Lila and Gabe's relationship.

They are: "Wildest Dreams" by Taylor Swift, "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon, and "Clarity" by Zedd.

Let's break it down by song!

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"Wildest Dreams" by Taylor Swift, from album 1989 (Big Machine Records, 2014)

"He's so tall and handsome as hell
He's so bad, but he does it so well"

This is very similar to how Lila feels throughout School of Shadows, School of Glass, School of Blood, and School of Midnight (The Eversfield Academy Vampire Hunters: Books One, Two, Three, and Four, respectively).

Gabe is tall and handsome, and he wants to run away with her (see the first few lines from "Wildest Dreams" that relate to this), and she can't believe that it's happening, let alone that it can last.

When it doesn't last, she knows it will hurt.

But she can't not be with him.

Side note: Nope, Gabe isn't a bad guy. I'm all about those good-guy heroes.

But he does have a certain fierce, violent side that's needed to hunt vampires like all Nightstalker Warriors have.

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"Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon, from album Only By The Night (RCA Records, 2008): Part One

"I've been roamin' around, always lookin' down at all I see
...
You know that I could use somebody"

When Gabe meets Lila, he's been feeling alone and empty, and there's something about her that he needs. He doesn't know what it is, but he can't help falling for her, no matter how he tries to stop himself.

"Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon, from album Only By The Night (RCA Records, 2008): Part Two

"I hope it's gonna make you notice
Someone like me"

This relates to how Lila feels about Gabe, when she first meets him in School of Shadows. In her eyes, he's off having fun as a (decently) popular senior while she's going to bed, a new transfer in her junior year at Eversfield Academy and alone.

She just wants him to notice her.

(And he does. Obviously. But Lila doesn't know that at first.)

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"Clarity" by Zedd, from album Clarity (Interscope Records, 2012)

Okay, so a ton of the lyrics from this song can be applied to Lila and Gabe's relationship throughout The Eversfield Academy Vampire Hunters series.

But the single most important part of the lyrics from this song are:
"If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?
If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?"

At the beginning of School of Shadows and the start of The Eversfield Academy Vampire Hunters series as a whole, Gabe wishes he didn't need Lila so he could just be "happy" fighting vampires and wanting nothing more (hint: he isn't actually happy doing this), and Lila wishes she didn't need Gabe so she could only focus on school.

Further, their love is forbidden (or a "tragedy"), due to Gabe being destined for Nightstalker leadership and therefore being destined to be alone for the rest of his (possibly short) life.

Their love is also forbidden because Lila is a human with no knowledge of the Nightstalkers (also known as vampire hunters), the Indestructible (also known as vampires), or the nightly battles between them.

At least, that's where things stand at the opening of School of Shadows (The Eversfield Academy Vampire Hunters: Book One).

Happy reading as always,
Betsy