{Book Review} Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Title: Darkness Becomes Her
Series: Gods & Monsters #1
Author: Kelly Keaton
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: February 22, 2011

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Blurb:

A curse beyond her darkest fears.

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 too close. 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.

Why I Picked Darkness Becomes Her:

When I saw the cover of The Wicked Within, I knew I had to read it, so I researched a bit and found it was Kelly Keaton's final book in the Gods & Monsters Trilogy. Just so happened a bookstore I frequent had Darkness Becomes Her marked down to almost nothing, so I snagged it and finished reading it a few hours later. It's a pretty short read, perfect for a rainy day.

While the original cover does give the book a gothic feel, I much prefer then new covers, but I also prefer hardcover books, so... 

A Brief Summary:

Ari, only 17, graduated high school early and set off on a mission to learn more about the mother who gave her up for adoption. Ari has always been an outcast with her silver hair and teal eyes, but the last set of foster parents teach her about love, security, and protection, so when she leaves, she's prepared. At least in the beginning. Who knows on which side fortune lies when Ari finds the place her mom lived and died, of suicide. An asylum. She's given her mother's things and finds a letter that tells Ari little else than RUN.

The next part of the story excited me so much. I love all the lore around New Orleans. I've never had a chance to visit, but it's definitely on my bucket list. Something leads Ari to New 2, or New Orleans thirteen years after two hurricanes tore it to shreds. Now it no longer belongs to the Unites States, but the Novem. Yeah, that's a whole other story you'll just have to read about.

Crank, a young girl who delivers mail, brings Ari to her home in New 2 where Ari begins to notice she's not the only one a bit different. A small child with fangs who rarely talks, another boy who moves quickly and perhaps can read minds, another with odd eyes. They refer to themselves as douo, because they are different.

And now the story really begins, but there are spoilers I refuse to tell.

My Opinion:

The only thing holding me back from giving the book a full-out five stars is I ran into a couple of editing errors within the first couple of pages. Nothing major, and probably had I been further into the book, I wouldn't have noticed. My second complaint, the romance moved like whoa fast. I don't usually mind insta-love, but I need to feel the two characters are at least drawn toward each other before they're making out in public. Otherwise, well  done, Ms. Keaton.

Kelly Keaton's writing drew me into the book, it's visual and compelling. He characters are complex, each with their own set of problems, but working together to make sure they're all taken care of. Her world-building is amazing. I could picture the dilapidated houses in the Garden District and the reconstructed businesses in the French Quarter. She mixed old voodoo lore with Greek Mythology, creating a gothic, creepy tale.

Would I Recommend This Book:

Absolutely. If you're in the mood for something a little darker with creative lore and mythology, jump on Darkness Becomes Her.

{Book Review & Giveaway} Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Title: Goddess
Series: Starcrossed #3
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 28, 2013

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Blurb:

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Inhales deeply and releases! Step one to overcoming LBS, AKA... Last Book Syndrome, has commenced, and boy did I pick the right book to begin the endings with. The Starcrossed Trilogy is everything Greek Mythology should be--passionate, twisted, tabooed, a perverse game board for the Olympus Twelve, and Goddess upped ratcheted up the action, the deceit, brought on some new players and pitted the Scions against the each other, forcing what could be an apocalyptic war.

In my humble opinion, Dreamless suffered from sophomore book syndrome, though all the information is useful and important to this trilogy. I think it just pulled my heart in so many directions it made me anxty, throughout the whole damn thing. 

Now Goddess, I continually made notes so I wouldn't forget all the things I wanted to talk about. And man there are just so many. The book starts right where Dreamless leaves off, Zach is dead and he's left his trusty ancient dagger with Matt? Immediately I needed to know what that meant. But apparently my immediately and Ms. Angelini's immediately are two different things. Then Matt's body begins to fill out and not just in a "eh, he's growing up" way. The Delos' start looking at him differently, wondering what's going on. They'll soon find out.

Helen, Ariadne, Jason, Lucas, and Orion are still recovering from the battle in which Helen, Orion and Lucas, not only sent Ares to Tartarus, but by becoming blood brothers, they combined the House of Thebes (founded by Apollo), the House of Rome (founded by Aphrodite), the House of Athens (founded by Poseidon), and the House of Atreus (founded by Zeus). This is the event in which the prophecy states that the Tyrant will be formed. A person who possesses powers from all four houses. This person is thought to be absolute power, and "absolute power corrupts absolutely." The Tyrant is to be killed.

Just a snippet of the prophecy:

The time has come. The children must overthrow the parents--or be devoured by them.
The Hero
The Lover
The Shield
The Tyrant--have taken the stage.
The Warrior waits in the wings, the last to join the battle.
The Tyrant shall rise up with power unlimited. On one choice will the fate of all be decided.

So, as you read through the prophecy, think about who you might place in those roles. Some, might be obvious, but others not so much.

One interesting twist that I absolutely loved is the Fates recast the characters from Helen of Troy until the actual outcome of the battle at Troy happens; therefore, there are a handful of Scions who look exactly like the gods who fought the battle. These Scions are meant to eventually replace the gods they resemble. It's such a cool angle and I feel sure my description is lacking, but I loved it anyway. 

Then we have the Oracle, Cassandra. She's found a way to keep the Fates from prophesying through her and she may also be falling in just a little bit of love. This made me happy, because I hated seeing Cassie suffer so much. Those Fates are a bitch sometimes.

Overall, I loved the trip Josephine took me on. I loved how she twisted the mythology but managed to keep the same overall theme throughout the story. Balance is a must and the Tyrant's power must be checked, and it will be. I fell in love with all the characters in book one, hated a few in book two, then fell right back in love with them in book three. Some lived, some died, some were tricked and trapped for eternity.

My emotions flew all over the map: I cried when Helen realized her true heart, I laughed for joy when Cassandra realized she actually had choices, I cried again when beloved heroes died, and rejoiced for those who lived. My heart truly ached at the connived deceit between friends and family. But in the end, Josephine left me with an ending I can handle, maybe even love just a little... or more than chocolate!!!

A Couple of My Favorite Quotes:

"The prophecy has been fulfilled. The Houses are one, Helen." Hades took her hands between both of his, cradling them in warmth. "You will raise Atlantis, or Avalon, or Helena--whatever you wish to call it--and once your world is made you can decide who may enter, who must stay or go, and how each inhabitant experiences your land. It really is all up to you." - Page 135

That's the thing about walls, Matt thought. The men on either side of them sometimes have nearly everything in common--except for the one detail that they are willing to kill each other over. - Page 220

~Kristin A

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****MINOR SPOILER ALERT, BUT GIVEAWAY TIME****

We find out through Hades that Helen is not only a Descender, but a Worldbuilder. When she descends, she may create her own world. It may look however she wants it to look and she controls this world. She makes the rules as to who enters it's borders and if they may exit. Will they return to the real world as an Immortal, or simply as they were. Is her world a place for warriors who've fought a good battle, or friends she plans to spend eternity with, or maybe something else completely?

What I want to know is this: If you could create your own world, meant for the afterlife - good or bad, what would you create? What would it look like? What would your rules for entrance be? Would it be to extract revenge or reward a well-lived life. Be creative, imagine you were a Greek god and think how they think... if that's even possible. Jot down you answer in a blog post, put it in a Facebook post, tweet it, or simply put it in the comment section. I'll pick a winner on September, Friday the 13th... to reverse all that bad luck and stuff.

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Best Books of 2012: According to Better Read Than Dead

So...Kelly M and I got to thinking we should post our favorite books of 2012. Now, Kelly M is much better at this than I am, so we'll start with her list.

Kelly M's List

These are in NO particular order

• Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
• City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
• Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
• Ceaseless by Abbi Glines
• While it Lasts by Abbi Glines
• The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
• Rapture by Lauren Kate
• Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Kristin's List

Again, no particular order - and I'm sure some will be repititous, sorry about that!

• Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle
• Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
• The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
• Deity by Jennifer L Armentrout
• Rapture by Lauren Kate
• Easy by Tamara Webber
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
• City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Hmmm...not near as many duplicates as I would have thought. Amazing. But...there's not a book on Kelly's list that I don't think belongs there. So many awesome choices for 2012. I'm certain 2013 will be just a blessed. Drop us a comment and let us know what your favorite books of 2012 were.

{A Kristin A Review} Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Title: Of Poseidon
Series: Of Poseidon #1
Author: Anna Banks
Publisher: MacMillan
Imprint: A Feiwel and Friends Book
Publication Date: May 22, 2012
Source: Purchased from Barnes & Noble

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Synopsis:


Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

What? Kristin's writing a review? Has the world ended? Well, no...not yet, but give those Zombies time. Until then, let's talk about my new favorite Mermaid, oops *smiles apologetically to Galen*, I mean Syrena book...Of Poseidon.

I'm not exactly sure what I expected from this book, but it turned out much different than I thought. My newest reading obsession has been Greek Mythology and when you see a book called Of Poseidon, you think Greek Mythology, right? However, Ms. Banks put her own spin on the lore and created something even better.

The idea of there being two races of Syrena, one led by Poseidon, the other by Triton. The two races agreed on very little and were, in fact, in some semblance of war. Even at that, once every three generations a direct descendant from Poseidon's crew and Triton's crew marry to assure both races survive. Poseidon's children can control fish, guiding them to any Syrena who might need to feed in extreme circumstances. When Galen intervenes in an accident where Emma sends a bull shark packing, he knows he's been guided to something extremely rare and talented. Question is: who is she and who are her parents, because the last direct descendant of Poseidon was killed before her marriage to Galen's older brother, Grom.

From the first page, Ms. Banks had me laughing so hard I cried. Emma was a klutz  but for a good reason. As mentioned in the synopsis, she's a fish-out-of-water trying to navigate her way on land. She's never known about her heritage, so she's completely unaware of her ability to compel fish to do her bidding. As a young child, she had a near-drowning incident where she "imagined" catfish saved her. I wouldn't say Emma hates water, because her and her friend Chloe take a trip to Florida and swim in the ocean. Also, she lives on the Jersey Shore and frequently swims with her friends. I would say she's very cautious of the water. She respects its unwavering power.

"Uh, we didn't get your name. Did you get his name, Emma?" she asks, as if on cue.

"I tried, Chloe. But he wouldn't tell me, so I tackled him," I say, rolling my eyes.
-Chloe and Emma, Page 4

Galen's sister, Rayna, is a Royal Pain in the A$$! Seriously. She and Galen are even Royals...I didn't just make that up. But I loved Rayna for reasons I don't even understand. Maybe because I felt like she was fighting so hard to be normal somewhere. In the ocean she's a Royal whose choices have already been made for her, though she's unaware of her fate. On land, she's temperamental and downright bitchy. Although, I got the feeling that she cared much more than she let on. There are times when I felt she said or did certain things to reveal secrets or truths her brother wasn't willing to tell Emma. No matter what, I loved Rayna and it's quite possibly because she's a lot like me. Just ask my husband, I'm prone to tell people things I think they need to know, even when he's sure his mom absolutely does not need to know. *grins devilishly*

"Why are you still here, Galen? It's obvious she's just a pathetic human who couldn't even save her own friend. Course, we know how bloodthirsty they are, how little a reason they need to kill each other. Maybe she let her die on purpose." ... Rayna's smile is vicious when she says, "Oh, yes, I do, Emma. I know exactly what I'm talking about. You. Killed. Chloe."

I've never been in a fight before. Technically though, this won't count as a fight--this will be murder. For the first time in my life, precision replaces clumsiness. - Emma and Rayna, page 100

Then, there's Galen's best friend, Toraf. He's so sweet and protective over the girls, but a huge amount sneaky. I mean, he went to Galen's brother and became "mated" with a very feisty princess without even telling her. Who does that? Apparently, creatures who live beneath in the sea. He's also a very talented tracker, sent on a mission to find a Syrena who is believed to be a hidden member of Poseidon's family. As Galen and Emma become closer, everyone hopes the girl he hunts exists, otherwise Emma is going to be Grom's mate...though, this is another secret the boys are hiding.

Galen laughs. "How do you know about Batman?"

"I saw him on that black square in your living room. He can do all sorts of things other humans can't do. Maybe Emma is like him." - Galen and Toraf, page 176

Galen has been appointed as a type of ambassador with the humans in case they should ever need to know the Syrena exist, so he's a little more acquainted with human ways. Rayna and Toraf are hysterically uninformed though. Often lending comedic dialog and scenarios to intense scenes.

He brushes his lips against hers, cutting her off. They're softer than he ever imagined. And it's not enough. Moving his hand from her jawline to entwine it in her damp locks, he pulls her to him. She tips up on her toes to meet him and as he lifts her from the ground, she folds her arms around his neck. Just as hungry for him as he is for her, she opens her mouth for a deeper kiss, pressing her soft curves into him. And Galen decides there is nothing better than kissing Emma. - Page 265

Okay...that's my last tease, just know there's much more that happens after this moment, because a happily ever after never happens in the first book of a series, right?

I have only one complaint, okay - not complaint, confusion about the writing of the book. It's told from Emma's and Galen's POV, which is fan-freaking-tastic, but Emma's is in first person and Galen's is in third-limited. I've never seen this done before and only wonder what the reasoning is. Most of the time, when multiple POV's are used, they're in first person. The writing didn't interrupt the story, mainly just left me curious. If anyone has an answer...let me know.

I loved the cuteness of this story, the innocent sweetness twisted with humor and heart-ache. The secrets, the lies, the destinies of those involved. I appreciated Emma's few moments of weakness in an appropriate place, and thrived on her strength throughout the rest of the book. Galen left me wanting more. Always more.

My suggestion - if you're looking for a funny and entertaining read, run straight out and buy Of Poseidon. I doubt you'll be disappointed.