A Beautiful Evil

A Beautiful Evil

By Kelly Keaton

Myth and mayhem inhabit a richly reimagined New Orleans in this sequel to Darkness Becomes Her. After the epic graveyard battle at the end of Darkness Becomes Her, Ari and her friends know what they’re up against: Ari is facing the Medusa curse and is haunted by the image of what she will become. To make matters worse, the heinous goddess Athena has kidnapped young Violet and is threatening to destroy Ari.

Ari, along with the superhot Sebastian, is doing everything she can to learn more about Athena and to get Violet back. But the battle of good and evil is bigger than she realizes, and she’s about to be pulled into a world more horrific than she could ever imagine...

This is the second book in Keaton’s Gods & Monsters series, it continues where the first book Darkness Becomes Her left off. Ari has started training at the academy and is preparing herself for when she meets Athena the next time, she intends to get Violet and her father back and take Athena down. As the story progresses she does get more than one chance to overtake Athena. However, Athena has a new plan up her sleeve and she uses Sebastian as a new pawn in her game, which leads Ari to make some very hard decisions that may determine the outcome of their entire relationship.

This addition to the series provided more insight to some of the characters while introducing some new faces as well. I was disappointed that Violet was again left a mystery but I found the part of Athena’s back-story to be interesting and I was very intrigued by Henri’s little secret. This novel also shed light on Sebastian’s true self and his relationship with Ari. Both characters are put through significant trials and I was thrilled with the way they both handled each situation.

Unfortunately the book as a whole disappointed me. I found it to be slow paced yet also filled with entirely too much action. I know that seems impossible but Ari kept going after Athena with no plan in place and just thought she could get lucky overcome the Goddess. Each time she failed miserably she turned right around without a plan and went after Athena no better prepared than she was the last time. This made me think of her as extremely immature and though I know this was a fantasy novel it still felt rather silly and unbelievable to me. I am not sure at this point if I will continue reading the series or not.

Much like the first book, I recommend this book to those that enjoy retellings of Greek mythology with a little paranormal fantasy thrown in.

Darkness Becomes Her

Darkness Becomes Her

By Kelly Keaton

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.

The story begins with Ari desperately searching for answers regarding her dead mother. She was brought up in foster care and like a lot of foster children she longed to know more of her parents. Ari is not only different because she comes from a foster home but she was born with teal eyes and silver hair, these characteristics greatly add to her beauty but they also make her feel even more alone in the world. After Ari obtains information on her mother she is attacked by a mysterious man and decides that her only choice is to venture into New 2, an area designate to those that are not “normal,” so that she can better understand where she came from.

I honestly don’t enjoy dystopian novels and therefore I wasn’t as excited to read about Ari and the ruined New Orleans. However the author does not focus on the dystopian elements but more on Ari’s story and her need for knowledge about her heritage.

The characters in this novel were so diverse and I really loved them all. Ari was really a strong heroine who doesn’t need to rely on anyone but herself. I really appreciated her strength, though I felt that her language was a little vulgar and at first it made me think of her as really immature. Sebastian was actually a pretty sweet character; he really cared about Ari it seemed. I am so used to the whole “falling in love after knowing each other for five minute” plot line that I have become desensitized. Their relationship was done in the same way on one level but at the same time I can relate to how she became close to her after she woke up to find him caring for her in a vulnerable state. Also Violet was such a neat character, she was very unique and she really helped to develop the story. Plus she has a miniature pet alligator named Pascal and I think that is so cool and also, I want one.

This book is a blend between the paranormal mystery type books and a Greek mythology retelling. It was quite unique in the way it blended the two genres and I was very impressed with the way the author set up the story. I am also happy to say that I didn’t completely figure out the plot twists before they occurred. It is always a pleasant feeling when parts of a book surprise me.I do have to say that the story went by too quickly for me and I believe the author could have doubled her page count and not decided to turn the book into a series. It really read more like a short prelude to a much longer story that is to come and I am highly anticipating A Beautiful Evil so that I can learn more about Ari and see her get revenge on those who tried to harm her.

I recommend this book to those that enjoy retellings of Greek mythology with a little paranormal fantasy thrown in, this book really is one of the best in this genre thus far.

I will be reviewing the sequel, "A Beautiful Evil" this weekend so make sure to stop by!