Mini-Review: Dark Descendant by Jenna Black

Title: Dark Descendant
Author: Jenna Black
Series: Nikki Glass #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 04/26/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she’s an immortal huntress.

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die... Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy...

Mini-Review: I'm still new to this trend of blending Mythology with Urban Fantasy, but this novel has made me a fan. The author has created a dark and fantastic world where Mythology blends into the real world, and Nikki Glass gets thrown in head first. She resists at first, but reluctantly accepts this new reality. There are many twists and turns, and Nikki doesn't always know who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. I really liked the aspect of the story in which the descendants of each god had attributes reminiscent of the god. The cover is a nice punch of bright blue. I really enjoy how all of the elements of the cover are centered. It draws your eye straight to the model's gun.

Plot: 4.5 Stars
Pace: 4 Stars
Characters: 4 Stars
Cover: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for review from the publisher.

Review: Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Kiss of Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Mythos Academy #2
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 11/29/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

Logan Quinn was trying to kill me. My Spartan classmate relentlessly pursued me, swinging his sword at me over and over again, the shining silver blade inching closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes practically glowed with the thrill of battle...

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Academy, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive the rest of the semester. One day, I’m getting schooled in swordplay by the guy who broke my heart -- the drop-dead gorgeous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invisible archer in the Library of Antiquities decides to use me for target practice. And now, I find out that someone at the academy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword -- with Logan’s help -- I just might die by the sword...

Plot: 4.5 Stars
When I first read that this novel was going to center around the school taking a ski trip for a winter trip, I immediately thought of Frostbite by Richelle Mead. While the two novels share that one plot idea in common, the two are far from the same, and I admit that Kiss of Frost is definitely better. Although the winter trip seemed straight forward in the beginning, Gwen soon found herself mixed up in a possible Chaos plot. There were twists and turns around every corner, and I was left guessing until the very end.

Pace: 5 Stars
My favorite part of any of the author's novels is that she does a great job of reviewing key points from past novels in a way that flows with the current novel. I'm never left trying to remember what exactly happened previously, regardless of how long I go between novels. This one was no exception. There was also never a lull in the action, once the story picked up.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
I loved the character development in this novel. Not only do we learn more about Gwen and her powers, but we learn more about her friends, classmates, and teachers also. There's also the addition of students from other Mythos Academy campuses added to the mix. Some characters had ulterior motives that surprised me, and some characters showed their true feelings that also surprised me. All in all, I was very excited with the characters in this novel and their actions.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
Although the cover model on this cover doesn't seem to be the same as the first book in the series, I really enjoy her pose and the snowflakes. The act of blowing a kiss is a play on the title, and I think it's an unusual pose that will stand out against many of the paranormal young adult novel it's shelved with. The snowflakes are a nice way of alluding to the winter holiday that the novel centers around. The gargoyle in the background and the sword in the place of the letter "t" in the titles bring continuity to the covers, while still allowing them to be unique. The choice of pink for some of the text was a very interesting choice and went well with the faint purple hue of the cover.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received a signed ARC of this novel for review from the author.

Review: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Touch of Frost
Author: Jennifer Estep
Series: Mythos Academy #1
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 08/01/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

Gwen Frost is an outsider at Mythos Academy, a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword. Gwen is an outsider both to the students of the Academy and the rest of the world. But when her gift of psychometry -- the ability to know an object's history just by touching it reveals dark undercurrents and danger afoot, she has no choice but to get involved.

Plot: 5 Stars
First and foremost, I love a good paranormal boarding school novel. Hands down, it's my favorite trope in Paranormal YA. Also, this novel had less annoying teenage drama than many Paranormal YAs I've read lately. Now, don't get me wrong, there was definitely drama in this novel. But it was a more paranormal, lives-at-stake drama and a lot less does-he-like-me, what-should-I-wear drama. Gwen is dealing with her grief and moving to a new school, and she's not exactly sure what to believe. Everyone around her acts as if all of the myths they're learning about are real, and she's seeing some things that she can't explain. I can't wait for the myths and how these students play into them to be elaborated on further in the next book. The plot took a number of twists I wasn't expecting, and had me guessing until the very end.

Pace: 5 Stars
There was never a dull moment throught this novel. From the moment we meet Gwen as she confronts another classmate in the restroom, it a rollercoaster ride straight through to the end. Even her job at the academy's library is a full of surprises. Definitely more eventful than most library jobs. As Gwen learns more and more about the world she has stepped into, it could've easily become overwhelming and jumbled for both her and the reader. But the author does a great job of showing and explaining all of the details to the reader as Gwen learns new things about her classmates, the academy, and the myths.

Characters: 5 Stars
Gwen's character growth in this novel was fantastic. Not only is she dealing with her grief, but she's also thrown into a new environment. She starts the novel off very isolated, with no friends and no reason to really talk to anyone unless they want her to use her psychometry to find something for them. As the novel progresses, we get to follow Gwen as she gets to know a couple classmates. One in particular is a bit surprising considering the earlier interactions between them. It was nice to see Gwen open up after being a bit of a loner in the beginning. Gwen also starts to believe a little more about the myths she's learning about in class, especially after she sees little things here and there from other classmates that support these myths. Her grandmother was an interesting character that I hope to see more of in future novels. And it was a nice surprise to learn that one of her teachers has a connection to her mother.

Cover: 4 Stars
Although I was a fan of the original cover, I can see the broader appeal of the one printed. I liked the blues and greens of the original, along with the gargoyle being front and center. I'm glad it was included in the final cover because I think it really draws the eye. The cover model is a good representation of Gwen. I just wish she had on a hoodie, because Gwen was barely seen without one. My only small criticism of the final cover is the overwhelming use of black. There just seems to be a bit too much dead space between the images, although the title and author's name cover the majority of it. My favorite part of the cover, besides the gargoyle, is the sword that takes the place of the word "frost" in the title. Not only is it a cool detail, but it also has significance to the story.

Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I received an eARC of this novel for review from the author, and also purchased a copy for my own reading pleasure.

Review: Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Title: Darkness Becomes Her (ARC)
Author: Kelly Keaton
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: 02/22/11
Buy the Book:

Summary:

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very... different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Plot: 4.5 Stars
Greek mythology seems to be a new trend in Paranormal Young Adult, and this novel was a perfect introduction to this trend. The mythology was weaved into the story very delicately, so as not to overwhelm the reader. And it also blended other paranormal trends into a nice melting pot of creatures in New 2. The setting of the novel, New 2, was a creative and interesting take on rebuilding a weather-ravaged city. It allowed the author to make New Orleans into her own world, while still keeping the aspects of the city that fit the novel (such as Mardi Gras elements). The big twist at the end was fantastic. I won't spoil anything, but the truth about Ari's heritage was something I have never come across in my reader and I loved it.

Pace: 5 Stars
I gobbled this novel up! Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. The novel jumps right into the action and never lets up. From the moment Ari steps foot into New 2, the twists and turns bring her all across the new environment. The author kept me on my toes constantly. I never knew what was coming and was always surprised by the turns the novel took. Although Ari's time in New 2 is action-packed, it still happened in a reasonable time frame. There was time between action scenes to get some sleep and recharge, and these details made it that much better.

Characters: 4.5 Stars
Ari was very mature for a young adult main character, and it felt right. Being slightly older than most young adult characters, I found her a bit easier to connect with due to this maturity. I also wasn't bothered by her language, although there was definitely more cursing than most YA. Her foster parents let her go on a trip to figure out what happened to her mother, and trust her. Ari meets a number of quirky kids when she arrives at New 2, and Violet is my favorite. She's quiet, always wears a Mardi Gras mask, and carries around an alligator as a pet. What's not to love? Sebastian was a very interesting character, although I thought him and Ari connected a bit quickly. And the evil character of the novel (I won't say who) was definitely crazy and scary.

Cover: 4 Stars
At first, I wasn't a fan of this cover. It doesn't pop on the internet, and it didn't pop on the ARC. But I saw a finished copy in the store the other day and was very excited to see how much better it was. The blue title pops off the page in its lovely font, the tree branch shine a little more, and the stone gate is a bright metallic that works so well against the darkness of the rest of the cover. The gate itself alludes to a specific location in New 2, which plays a big part in the story. Although it would've been fun to see Ari depicted on the cover with her silver hair and teal eyes, not featuring a cover model sets this novel apart a bit from the rest of the Paranormal Young Adult novels.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I won an ARC in a giveaway at All Things Urban Fantasy.