Series Pick: The Wicked Within

The Wicked Within
by Kelly Keaton
Simon Pulse
2014
280 pages
ISBN: 9781442493162

(sequel to Darkness Becomes Her)


Fast paced and thrilling, set in the backdrop of a ruined New Orleans, and rife with creepy, crawl-y things that beg for the cover of the night, The Wicked Within does not disappoint.

Ari is on a mission to find the cure that will release her from  the Gorgon curse that will turn her into a Gorgon by her next birthday. If she can stop it and figure out a way to save love interest Sebastian from himself and what he's become, she may be able to defeat Athena once and for all. The stakes are high and Athena wants everything.

Ari must find the Hands of Zeus, bring Athena's baby back to her, claim a cure for impending curse, fix Sebastian and possibly raise an ancient, possibly and quite probably evil  god from his eternal sleep. Ari seeks the help and vision of the River Witch for answers. Little Violet, always the  enigma, is more of a puzzle than ever and holds  secrets that may save all of them.

Sparks fly between Ari and Sebastian, but they are ill-fated and not meant to be together. Henri provides Ari's much needed sidekick and side love interest, but the plot does not stray far from killing ancient gods and trying to stop Ari's impending doom. Love takes a back seat to the more important things--like staying alive and staying human--and for that I love The Wicked Within. It's hard to think about romance when ancient gods and their minions can pop up anywhere and everywhere.

Does Ari dare to seek help by raising an ancient, unknown god who may desire much more than even Athena does? Or does she dare trust Athena to keep her word--even though Athena's been known to be capricious and spoiled in the past? Can Ari save Sebastian and their love? Will Sebastian give up everything for the girl he loves?

Fans of the series will love The Wicked Within! If you haven't read the first two books, what are you waiting for? This is the most fun you can have with ancient Greek gods!

Highly, highly recommended for paranormal fans and readers of the series. Grade 7-up, some steamy scenes. Caution: language! The author uses swear words in this book--it does not seem necessary and I will caution the language here. F-bombs a few times.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher.  I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Paranormal/Mythology Pick: A Beautiful Evil

A Beautiful Evil (sequel to Darkness Becomes Her)
by Kelly Keaton
Simon Pulse
2012
304 pages

Available February 12, 2012

Having escaped Athena's dark prison (in Darkness Becomes Her), Ari returns home to New2 and begins to feel the power of Medusa growing in her and fears what she may some day become. Each day she trains at Presby, a special school for the sons and daughters of the Novem, three branches of paranormals: descendents of vampires, witches, shapeshifters and demi-gods. New2 is owned by the Novem, the richest families bought what was left of New Orleans and are now in control of it.

Ari lives with other unfortunate, young squatters--including hottie Sebastian--in an old Victorian in the GD (Garden District). So far, the Novem have left the GD alone, but it's only a matter of time before they begin inhabiting the old mansions and forcing the kids out.

As Ari learns to control her powers, Athena is playing games. Athena has long been the arch-enemy of the Novem--ever since she tried controlling them to do her bidding in an ancient war among the gods. The Novem came together in an alliance against Athena--now Ari, with her Gorgon powers, is the one Athena fears the most. Athena, who turned Ari's ancestor Medusa into a Gorgon in the first place out of petty jealousy because of her beauty, had stupidly created a god-killer, and Medusa's descendants would be equally as dangerous to Athena's very being.

Sebastian and Ari enter the Novem's library to seek the answers they need to defeat Athena, and Ari ventures into Pandora's Box, which really isn't a box after all, but a giant jar filled with all the Novem's history and secrets. Ari finds a way to enter Athena's den and takes her friends along for the war games. Nothing good can come from breaking and entering the goddess of war's realm--Ari and Sebastian soon find out. Breakneck storytelling and non-stop action at this point will leave teen readers breathless and as they finish this page-turner in one sitting.

Girls will love hot Sebastian and swoon in terror when he's tortured and taken hostage by Athena; they will cheer when the good guys win--wait a minute, vampires and a gorgon are good guys? My favorite line from the book is when Ari says to Sebastian, "Just a myth...says the warlock vampire to the gorgon?"

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up with a warning. The word for human excrement is used a number of times and there is some vampire torture--but nothing that can't be seen on the CW Channel.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not received monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: Sweet Venom

Sweet Venom
Tera Lynn Childs
Katherine Tegan Books
(Harper Collins Publishers)
2011
345 pages

Fantastic, hypnotic, captivating and uber-cool, Sweet Venom is a rollicking thrill ride. Tera Lynn Childs has done it again. She delivers a solid page-turner that is well-written with wide appeal sure to entertain teen readers who like mythology and paranormal novels. I loved this book and found it much more entertaining than Forgive My Fins.

Three sisters who have been adopted separately have no idea they are sisters, let alone triplets! Imagine their surprise when they run into each other and realize they are related. Not only that, Gretchen the wild goth sister who favors combat boots to stilettos, informs them that they are meant to fight monsters from Greek mythology.

Grace just moves to San Francisco and begins to see weird creatures. She sees a minotaur walk into a restaurant and thinks she might be going a little crazy. That's when she meets Gretchen. The two girls do a little detective work and find out they are not twins but triplets descended from the Gorgons, the three sisters of Greek myth. The two girls train together and defeat a few monsters but something strange is beginning to happen.

First, Ursula vanishes. She became Gretchen's guardian taking her in and teaching her about the monsters. Gretchen learned that only one monster can escape the seam at a time, but now the sisters are seeing monsters everywhere. How can all these monsters be running around free in San Francisco? The rules seem to have changed but the sisters have no rule book and no one to guide them.

Grace and Gretchen are able to find Greer, the third triplet. Greer has led a posh life, attending high teas and the opera, shopping in the most expensive boutiques, and being the most popular girl in the junior class. She is not happy to find out she has sisters and less delighted to hear that she is meant to fight Greek monsters. What if she breaks a nail or ruins an outfit?

Teen readers are in for a treat--Sweet Venom is only book one! Childs has more books up her sleeve, so stay tuned.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. No sex; no language.
I loved the idea of the Gorgon sisters and their descendants being "good" not evil.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.