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Nikki Glass #2
Deadly Descendant
The second novel in a unique and action-packed urban fantasy series from the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley series!
An ancient evil is unleashed in the modern world— unless one fearless P.I. can hunt it down. . . . Nikki Glass, Immortal Huntress, returns in this new novel in the acclaimed series by Jenna Black.
As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the Descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington, D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap. The Olympians believe the “dogs” are really jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis. Whatever. . . . If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she’s got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly—even for an immortal like Nikki. “Dog” spelled backward may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.
An ancient evil is unleashed in the modern world— unless one fearless P.I. can hunt it down. . . . Nikki Glass, Immortal Huntress, returns in this new novel in the acclaimed series by Jenna Black.
As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the Descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington, D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap. The Olympians believe the “dogs” are really jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis. Whatever. . . . If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she’s got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly—even for an immortal like Nikki. “Dog” spelled backward may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.
355 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 24, 2012
43 people are currently reading
2539 people want to read
About the author
Jenna Black
54 books2,511 followersJenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.
Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.
Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She writes paranormal romance for Tor and urban fantasy for Bantam Dell.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jennab...
Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.
Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She writes paranormal romance for Tor and urban fantasy for Bantam Dell.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jennab...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
June 25, 2016
After the first book in this series, with its unique world of miscellaneous demi-gods running around, I was excited to keep reading. But, this one fell a little flat for me.
Sometimes life dishes out cruel jokes.
First, we have our main character, Nikki, who is mostly loved by readers for being a heroine who makes good decisions and stays level-headed. But, in this one, she makes some of those typical bad choices that everyone wants to kick her ass over. She also does an awful lot of angsting and over-thinking in this one. There is tons of inner dialogue that goes back and forth over and over again. It is monotonous.
Look, if you want to run in circles, that's your choice. I just want to sit here quietly in this plastic circle..
Second, there were problems in some of the scenes that made them unbelievable. There was one scene where all nine of the people living in the mansion got together to discuss how to handle a problem and most of those people never said one word. The dialogue was mainly Nikki and the leader, Anderson, with a couple of small sentences by two others. I have a hard time believing that all of these other demi-gods with alpha personalities would sit in on this meeting and never say one word. I was just left feeling like it would have been better if the author hadn't put them in the room if they weren't going to talk.
That must be what's going on, right?
Which leads to the next problem. The side characters are too under-developed. There are only nine people living in this house. We should at least have a physical description of them. And yet, there are two guys - Leo and Logan - that we have never heard one word of description over. How can you live with these people and never run into them or make a mention about anything they say or how they look. It's weird.
and this is your roommate, Logan.. and his twin, Leo..
Finally, I am going to point out one of my biggest problems with the book that is going to be very unpopular. I don't like the romance between Nikki and Jamaal. *ducks head*. Jamaal beat the shit out of Nikki - twice!! He supposedly feels bad about it and she has forgiven him, but again in this book he knocks her down, grabs her, and lashes out at her. Why is she attracted to this? Abusive behavior is fine if the guy is hot? No. I hate when books do this. Nikki has always seemed to be a logical thinker and yet she is interested in a guy who has absolutely no control over his anger. Not only is it hard to believe, but it's very stupid.
See, it's adorable when a man swats your ass or punches you in the face like Jamaal did. She should say "thank you"!
Other than those problems with the book, I liked the basic story of them trying to catch this death-god guy. That part was pretty good. I just hope the next book gets better and either Jamaal truly redeems himself by showing that he can NOT physically abuse Nikki, or she ends up with a different guy.
Sometimes life dishes out cruel jokes.
First, we have our main character, Nikki, who is mostly loved by readers for being a heroine who makes good decisions and stays level-headed. But, in this one, she makes some of those typical bad choices that everyone wants to kick her ass over. She also does an awful lot of angsting and over-thinking in this one. There is tons of inner dialogue that goes back and forth over and over again. It is monotonous.
Look, if you want to run in circles, that's your choice. I just want to sit here quietly in this plastic circle..
Second, there were problems in some of the scenes that made them unbelievable. There was one scene where all nine of the people living in the mansion got together to discuss how to handle a problem and most of those people never said one word. The dialogue was mainly Nikki and the leader, Anderson, with a couple of small sentences by two others. I have a hard time believing that all of these other demi-gods with alpha personalities would sit in on this meeting and never say one word. I was just left feeling like it would have been better if the author hadn't put them in the room if they weren't going to talk.
That must be what's going on, right?
Which leads to the next problem. The side characters are too under-developed. There are only nine people living in this house. We should at least have a physical description of them. And yet, there are two guys - Leo and Logan - that we have never heard one word of description over. How can you live with these people and never run into them or make a mention about anything they say or how they look. It's weird.
and this is your roommate, Logan.. and his twin, Leo..
Finally, I am going to point out one of my biggest problems with the book that is going to be very unpopular. I don't like the romance between Nikki and Jamaal. *ducks head*. Jamaal beat the shit out of Nikki - twice!! He supposedly feels bad about it and she has forgiven him, but again in this book he knocks her down, grabs her, and lashes out at her. Why is she attracted to this? Abusive behavior is fine if the guy is hot? No. I hate when books do this. Nikki has always seemed to be a logical thinker and yet she is interested in a guy who has absolutely no control over his anger. Not only is it hard to believe, but it's very stupid.
See, it's adorable when a man swats your ass or punches you in the face like Jamaal did. She should say "thank you"!
Other than those problems with the book, I liked the basic story of them trying to catch this death-god guy. That part was pretty good. I just hope the next book gets better and either Jamaal truly redeems himself by showing that he can NOT physically abuse Nikki, or she ends up with a different guy.
September 28, 2013
"He was beautiful and exotic and dangerous, all of which made him sexy as sin."
DEADLY DESCENDANT was absolutely AMAZING! For the life of me, I just could not put this book down. I couldn't until I flipped to the last page and STILL, I WANTED MORE! The Nikki Glass Series is one of my favorite new Urban Fantasy series and I am impressed at how much I am crazy for this series!
DEADLY DESCENDANT picks up right where Dark Descendant left off. Nikki is adjusting to life an immortal and learning more about it. This this thrilling sequel there is a serial killer out and about killing innocent people which actually turns out to be a death god descendant that is able to control a pack of jackals to do his killing for him and they turn out to be very lethal.
I moved to the other side of the room, Anderson following me. There’s no reason to be nervous around him, I told myself. He was still the same guy he’d been before I learned his secret.
Nikki seems to be quite terrified after the little revelation of Anderson in the previous book so things are a little awkward between them for a little bit. But I love Anderson and Nikki's friendship. It seems more like a father/daughter relationship so far. I know there are those who want them to be together-together and part of me wants to see if that will actually happen, but I don't know how I feel about that right now, but we'll see. But I love the relationship between them.
Even Emma didn’t know, and I doubted her finding out the truth would make their marriage any smoother. What Anderson saw in her—other than beauty—was beyond me.
Nikki found Anderson's wife, Emma at the end of Dark Descendant and she has just been through a major trauma. I don't know why, but for some reason I thought since this was Anderson's wife, she was going to be this sweet little flower and be another girl in the house that Nikki could grow a friendship with. BOY, WAS I WRONG!
Finding Emma was supposed to have cemented my position within Anderson’s Liberi. It was supposed to be the proof of my sincerity, the proof that I was not a secret Olympian spy.
And it might ultimately turn out to be my downfall instead.
Emma is a little bitch! That caught me totally off guard. Threatening Nikki, being a bitch to everyone, possibly sacrificing innocents for her own selfishness? She is a manipulative little bitch. I mean, how can Anderson love a woman like this and why won't he open his eyes to what she has become? By the end I was happy what happened. I hope Anderson will come to learn that the Emma like he knew is gone.
Oh. My. God. I’d thought I was hot before. But that oh-so-tangible evidence of Jamaal’s desire seemed to set my very nerves on fire.
Nikki and Jamaal! I know there were some concerns from Dark Descendant because of all the shit that happened between Nikki and Jamaal, but it's a work in progress people! I don't have a doubt in my mind that they make each other better, that they are slowly strengthening each other. Both Jamaal and Nikki have had a bad past which I loved learning about and hopefully more will be revealed in future books. We had some pretty steamy scenes between these too and OMFG! THAT WAS SOOOO HOT! All I will say is, Jenna Black, please, I beg of you, I WANT MORE!
I’d been attracted to Jamaal practically from the first moment I’d laid eyes on him.
Overall, DEADLY DESCENDANT was simply amazing! I one concern would probably be that some characters were more centered in the book than others, so I felt like something was missing, but like I said it was simply amazing. I cannot wait for the next book in the series and I hope time flies by fast so I can get my greedy little hands on it!
DEADLY DESCENDANT was absolutely AMAZING! For the life of me, I just could not put this book down. I couldn't until I flipped to the last page and STILL, I WANTED MORE! The Nikki Glass Series is one of my favorite new Urban Fantasy series and I am impressed at how much I am crazy for this series!
DEADLY DESCENDANT picks up right where Dark Descendant left off. Nikki is adjusting to life an immortal and learning more about it. This this thrilling sequel there is a serial killer out and about killing innocent people which actually turns out to be a death god descendant that is able to control a pack of jackals to do his killing for him and they turn out to be very lethal.
I moved to the other side of the room, Anderson following me. There’s no reason to be nervous around him, I told myself. He was still the same guy he’d been before I learned his secret.
Nikki seems to be quite terrified after the little revelation of Anderson in the previous book so things are a little awkward between them for a little bit. But I love Anderson and Nikki's friendship. It seems more like a father/daughter relationship so far. I know there are those who want them to be together-together and part of me wants to see if that will actually happen, but I don't know how I feel about that right now, but we'll see. But I love the relationship between them.
Even Emma didn’t know, and I doubted her finding out the truth would make their marriage any smoother. What Anderson saw in her—other than beauty—was beyond me.
Nikki found Anderson's wife, Emma at the end of Dark Descendant and she has just been through a major trauma. I don't know why, but for some reason I thought since this was Anderson's wife, she was going to be this sweet little flower and be another girl in the house that Nikki could grow a friendship with. BOY, WAS I WRONG!
Finding Emma was supposed to have cemented my position within Anderson’s Liberi. It was supposed to be the proof of my sincerity, the proof that I was not a secret Olympian spy.
And it might ultimately turn out to be my downfall instead.
Emma is a little bitch! That caught me totally off guard. Threatening Nikki, being a bitch to everyone, possibly sacrificing innocents for her own selfishness? She is a manipulative little bitch. I mean, how can Anderson love a woman like this and why won't he open his eyes to what she has become? By the end I was happy what happened. I hope Anderson will come to learn that the Emma like he knew is gone.
Oh. My. God. I’d thought I was hot before. But that oh-so-tangible evidence of Jamaal’s desire seemed to set my very nerves on fire.
Nikki and Jamaal! I know there were some concerns from Dark Descendant because of all the shit that happened between Nikki and Jamaal, but it's a work in progress people! I don't have a doubt in my mind that they make each other better, that they are slowly strengthening each other. Both Jamaal and Nikki have had a bad past which I loved learning about and hopefully more will be revealed in future books. We had some pretty steamy scenes between these too and OMFG! THAT WAS SOOOO HOT! All I will say is, Jenna Black, please, I beg of you, I WANT MORE!
I’d been attracted to Jamaal practically from the first moment I’d laid eyes on him.
Overall, DEADLY DESCENDANT was simply amazing! I one concern would probably be that some characters were more centered in the book than others, so I felt like something was missing, but like I said it was simply amazing. I cannot wait for the next book in the series and I hope time flies by fast so I can get my greedy little hands on it!
February 12, 2017
June 2013: 4 stars
June 2016: 3 stars
I have no idea why I rated this so highly the first time around. Maybe it was just that UF was new to me back then and I was more forgiving. This book irritated the hell out of me on this reread. Nikki is a great character, but she didn’t seem as smart. There were a few times she did something, and I just knew it was a bad idea. It was mentioned often that she was rebellious during her rough childhood. It seems hard to believe since she is generally very cautious as an adult. Nothing about her comes off as reckless.
For a smart woman Nikki has piss poor judgement when it comes to people. She only sees what she wants to see and has no interest in learning more, which is probably why many characters are underdeveloped. Emma is a raging bitch and treats Nikki like crap. Nikki’s dislike of her makes sense, but it bothers me that she completely lacks empathy for her. Emma died every day for 10 years just to be brought back to life to experience it all over again. Considering what happened to Nikki in this book, I would have thought she’d understand on some level how traumatizing that could be. Loki is a trickster. Pulling pranks is what he does. Nothing he has done is really bad, but Nikki thinks he’s such an asshole. Why does she feel this way? Jamaal is an asshole, and she lets it slide. So why not do the same for Loki? Her fear of Anderson doesn’t make sense either. He is not someone to fuck around with because of his powers, but if he really wanted her dead it would have happened long before now. He’s always been reasonable. How does she not see that?
Anderson has several liberi living in his house, but what is the point of most of those characters being included in the book? After two books virtually nothing is known about them. Nikki mentioned that Maggie was her best friend. In the last book she was nice but no history was given, and she had almost no page time in this. Then there’s the computer geek whose name I can’t even remember because he is so insignificant. Apparently Loki is just a trickster and nothing more. Her sister barely had page time. Her sole purpose in the series is for her to be used as leverage against Nikki, so apparently an interesting personality isn’t needed. A few minor things were learned about Blake, but it wasn’t enough to make me care. There are a few other characters who I literally remember nothing about, and I just read this book yesterday.
My biggest gripe with this book is Jamaal. I can’t stand him. Everything he does irritates me, and he had so much page time. The dude has serious anger issues. Why would anyone want a relationship with an angry, violent person? Is Nikki a masochist? Because being in a relationship like that isn’t fun. Nikki feels bad for him because he’s controlled by his death magic. It makes his life so hard. Cry me a fucking river. It does suck that Jamaal has dangerous magic that is hard to control, but I really doubt him being such a dickhead all the time has to do with his magic. In the last book he was physically violent with her because he passionately loathed her, but I guess it’s all good now because he’s suddenly gotten over it. I don’t understand why Nikki forgave him for all of the shit he put her through. Why does she give him a pass on his behavior but doesn’t do it for anyone else? When any of the other characters behaved poorly, she expected them to be responsible and control their behavior.
“It didn’t matter that he sometimes bore a disturbing resemblance to a raving lunatic; Jamaal was hot, hot, hot.”
The moral of this story is it’s okay to date abusive assholes if they’re hot. Nikki hadn’t seemed like the type to fall for an asshole because of a pretty face. And Nikki liked him because according to her they were similar in some ways, but in reality they couldn’t be more different. Just because they both were abandoned by their parents doesn’t make them alike especially since the circumstances were completely different. I’m sure it won’t happen, but Nikki needs to take off the rose colored glasses and see Jamaal for the guy he really is.
The mystery aspect of the story was good. The killer was interesting. I actually felt bad for the guy. The murders caused some chaos and big changes in the world of the liberi, so the book wasn't a complete loss. And there's Anderson. I love Anderson! He's smart and isn't quick to judge. There is a dangerous side to him, but he's got it under control. So he unlike some other characters isn't a threat to be around.
June 2016: 3 stars
I have no idea why I rated this so highly the first time around. Maybe it was just that UF was new to me back then and I was more forgiving. This book irritated the hell out of me on this reread. Nikki is a great character, but she didn’t seem as smart. There were a few times she did something, and I just knew it was a bad idea. It was mentioned often that she was rebellious during her rough childhood. It seems hard to believe since she is generally very cautious as an adult. Nothing about her comes off as reckless.
For a smart woman Nikki has piss poor judgement when it comes to people. She only sees what she wants to see and has no interest in learning more, which is probably why many characters are underdeveloped. Emma is a raging bitch and treats Nikki like crap. Nikki’s dislike of her makes sense, but it bothers me that she completely lacks empathy for her. Emma died every day for 10 years just to be brought back to life to experience it all over again. Considering what happened to Nikki in this book, I would have thought she’d understand on some level how traumatizing that could be. Loki is a trickster. Pulling pranks is what he does. Nothing he has done is really bad, but Nikki thinks he’s such an asshole. Why does she feel this way? Jamaal is an asshole, and she lets it slide. So why not do the same for Loki? Her fear of Anderson doesn’t make sense either. He is not someone to fuck around with because of his powers, but if he really wanted her dead it would have happened long before now. He’s always been reasonable. How does she not see that?
Anderson has several liberi living in his house, but what is the point of most of those characters being included in the book? After two books virtually nothing is known about them. Nikki mentioned that Maggie was her best friend. In the last book she was nice but no history was given, and she had almost no page time in this. Then there’s the computer geek whose name I can’t even remember because he is so insignificant. Apparently Loki is just a trickster and nothing more. Her sister barely had page time. Her sole purpose in the series is for her to be used as leverage against Nikki, so apparently an interesting personality isn’t needed. A few minor things were learned about Blake, but it wasn’t enough to make me care. There are a few other characters who I literally remember nothing about, and I just read this book yesterday.
My biggest gripe with this book is Jamaal. I can’t stand him. Everything he does irritates me, and he had so much page time. The dude has serious anger issues. Why would anyone want a relationship with an angry, violent person? Is Nikki a masochist? Because being in a relationship like that isn’t fun. Nikki feels bad for him because he’s controlled by his death magic. It makes his life so hard. Cry me a fucking river. It does suck that Jamaal has dangerous magic that is hard to control, but I really doubt him being such a dickhead all the time has to do with his magic. In the last book he was physically violent with her because he passionately loathed her, but I guess it’s all good now because he’s suddenly gotten over it. I don’t understand why Nikki forgave him for all of the shit he put her through. Why does she give him a pass on his behavior but doesn’t do it for anyone else? When any of the other characters behaved poorly, she expected them to be responsible and control their behavior.
“It didn’t matter that he sometimes bore a disturbing resemblance to a raving lunatic; Jamaal was hot, hot, hot.”
The moral of this story is it’s okay to date abusive assholes if they’re hot. Nikki hadn’t seemed like the type to fall for an asshole because of a pretty face. And Nikki liked him because according to her they were similar in some ways, but in reality they couldn’t be more different. Just because they both were abandoned by their parents doesn’t make them alike especially since the circumstances were completely different. I’m sure it won’t happen, but Nikki needs to take off the rose colored glasses and see Jamaal for the guy he really is.
The mystery aspect of the story was good. The killer was interesting. I actually felt bad for the guy. The murders caused some chaos and big changes in the world of the liberi, so the book wasn't a complete loss. And there's Anderson. I love Anderson! He's smart and isn't quick to judge. There is a dangerous side to him, but he's got it under control. So he unlike some other characters isn't a threat to be around.
April 10, 2016
This was really good just like the first, maybe a little better. Still she says some phrases over and over that irritated "bite my tongue" for one, after the 50% line she said it several more times, 6? She still does things at crucial points that I am thinking, "what the hell are you doing?!" And I can predict the consequence. At least I cannot predict the plot, just small parts in scenes that can be frustrating. She still thinks she holds the moral high ground in so many situations, yet she constantly is questioning her own decisions and does the self-blame sometimes too. Still it is not too prevelent that I do not really enjoy the book, there are just some eye rolling moments (do I say that too often?).
Solid 4 stars. Yea!
50% in update
So this was going pretty great. Except maybe for the several times she says "I had to bite my tongue". Since she used that so overly forceful the first book, which I finished reading, I already have an issue with the phrase. There she was using it as an actual event... but here, even though here she has been using it idiomatically, she has used it more than 3 times and it is irking the hell out of me each time I hear it. That aside, this has been really good, all the characters are getting more rounded, the world a little more concrete. So my problem, Nikki's holier than thou, judgment. She thinks she "knows" everyone. **sigh**
So the first issue was with Jamal. Nikki is so sure she "knows" this is not right. Then there is the Emma issue. Ethan is wrong here and Emma, although crazy jealous bitch she is, is right. So big issue with the plot.
80%- Argh! battle scenes where she does something I see stupid 5 times faster than she does. I was thinking about it on the first shot. She does not, really? frustrating.
Solid 4 stars. Yea!
50% in update
So this was going pretty great. Except maybe for the several times she says "I had to bite my tongue". Since she used that so overly forceful the first book, which I finished reading, I already have an issue with the phrase. There she was using it as an actual event... but here, even though here she has been using it idiomatically, she has used it more than 3 times and it is irking the hell out of me each time I hear it. That aside, this has been really good, all the characters are getting more rounded, the world a little more concrete. So my problem, Nikki's holier than thou, judgment. She thinks she "knows" everyone. **sigh**
So the first issue was with Jamal. Nikki is so sure she "knows" this is not right. Then there is the Emma issue. Ethan is wrong here and Emma, although crazy jealous bitch she is, is right. So big issue with the plot.
80%- Argh! battle scenes where she does something I see stupid 5 times faster than she does. I was thinking about it on the first shot. She does not, really? frustrating.
April 10, 2017
I almost bit off my little sisters finger when she tried to get me to stop reading this. Before starting I had totally forgotten my love for all things Jamaal. Not to worry though. It's back. Forever.
Not to mention this one had more of Jack. I love it. I freaking love it! Turns out he's got a good guy buried under all the trickery. *sigh*
Setting aside my unnatural attraction to fictional characters I have to rave about the actual story too.
When I opened Deadly Descendant I only meant to read the first few lines before taking a quick shower. Seeing as I hadn't showered in almost 24 hours (Yes, ew is the correct thing to be thinking right now) its was a pretty high priority. Anyway I read the first few lines and the next thing I know I'm sufficiently submerged in Nikki's world of drama...And my own filth but I didn't even care anymore because all I could think about is how Nikki was going to go all super hero and stop the dog trainer from hell. Honestly this girl can not catch a break. It's like everyone she meets is hard wired to make her life difficult. (Emma=Evil Bitch) Needless to say I was thoroughly engaged.
The point? I loved this story and waiting for the next one is going to be brutal.
P.S.
Dear Anderson,
You're awesome and all but you are blind as blind things when it comes to women. And if your tender actions of sweeping Nikki's hair back from her face after threatening to kill her for good and kissing her forehead before breaking her neck are subtle indicators that you will develop feelings for her in the future.. I'll be forced to expose your secret identity to the world.
Just kidding. Please don't kill me.
Brie
Not to mention this one had more of Jack. I love it. I freaking love it! Turns out he's got a good guy buried under all the trickery. *sigh*
Setting aside my unnatural attraction to fictional characters I have to rave about the actual story too.
When I opened Deadly Descendant I only meant to read the first few lines before taking a quick shower. Seeing as I hadn't showered in almost 24 hours (Yes, ew is the correct thing to be thinking right now) its was a pretty high priority. Anyway I read the first few lines and the next thing I know I'm sufficiently submerged in Nikki's world of drama...And my own filth but I didn't even care anymore because all I could think about is how Nikki was going to go all super hero and stop the dog trainer from hell. Honestly this girl can not catch a break. It's like everyone she meets is hard wired to make her life difficult. (Emma=Evil Bitch) Needless to say I was thoroughly engaged.
The point? I loved this story and waiting for the next one is going to be brutal.
P.S.
Dear Anderson,
You're awesome and all but you are blind as blind things when it comes to women. And if your tender actions of sweeping Nikki's hair back from her face after threatening to kill her for good and kissing her forehead before breaking her neck are subtle indicators that you will develop feelings for her in the future.. I'll be forced to expose your secret identity to the world.
Just kidding. Please don't kill me.
Brie
December 18, 2016
This is pretty much like the first. Initially you get the catch up stuff ("he couldn't die because.....", "My sister was attacked because...") which is clumsily included I feel but at least it's a fast reminder if you read the series with gaps.
As I was concluding this book, I realised the series reminded me of Kelly Armstrong's werewolves. Alpha males, commune style living in a large, beautiful house in huge grounds. I read those so long ago that I can't actually make a comparison on the writing.
This is plot-driven, fast-paced and fun but has some dodgy elements which make me sigh but read on nonetheless.
As I was concluding this book, I realised the series reminded me of Kelly Armstrong's werewolves. Alpha males, commune style living in a large, beautiful house in huge grounds. I read those so long ago that I can't actually make a comparison on the writing.
This is plot-driven, fast-paced and fun but has some dodgy elements which make me sigh but read on nonetheless.
June 8, 2016
Re-reading: audible version
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Originally read kindle version 4 stars ****
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Originally read kindle version 4 stars ****
April 22, 2012
I love this series. The Nikki Glass series is so very different from Black's others that I couldn't help but be intrigued. While the Morgan Kingsley novels center around bound demons, this series focuses on descendants of the gods. I love mythology and since there's no practical application to most of what I learned in college, I like to read about them in novels. Nikki Glass, descendant of Goddess Artemis, is charged with hunting down a descendant of Anubis who has gone mad and is killing mortals.
I liked this one because finally we see more of Jamaal, angry descendant of Kali. And yes they finally get down and dirty.... well almost. ;) Jamaal is starting to open up to Nikki. Too bad it's happening at the most inopportune time. While having to chase down one mad descendant, Nikki is having to face off with her boss's insane wife; a descendant of Nix that believes her husband is cheating with Nikki.
I know that Black has other novels to write, but this one is definitely my fave of hers and she cannot possibly write them fast enough. I thought I liked her Morgan novels, but they don't hold a candle to Nikki Glass!
I liked this one because finally we see more of Jamaal, angry descendant of Kali. And yes they finally get down and dirty.... well almost. ;) Jamaal is starting to open up to Nikki. Too bad it's happening at the most inopportune time. While having to chase down one mad descendant, Nikki is having to face off with her boss's insane wife; a descendant of Nix that believes her husband is cheating with Nikki.
I know that Black has other novels to write, but this one is definitely my fave of hers and she cannot possibly write them fast enough. I thought I liked her Morgan novels, but they don't hold a candle to Nikki Glass!
February 4, 2025
Re-read
February 24, 2014
This review can be found at The Blogger Girls review site.
4.5 stars
Now that Nikki's firmly claimed Anderson's ragtag group of Liberi as her home and immortal family, she's still trying to get used to life working for Anderson. When the Oracle from the Olympians comes to Anderson for help in catching a descendant who's going on a killing spree, she's forced into hunting him down. The only problem is this descendant is not only wielding shadow jackals as his weapon but he's also insane who has no issues killing his own kind... but one Liberi can't kill another, right?
Ahhhh, Nikki *sigh* This was such a fun, fast-paced novel I literally devoured it. Nikki is still her slightly snarky self that is determined to keep her old life or at least a part of it. With this one, we see a little more of how her powers work. We also see her relationship (if you can even call it that) with Jamaal grow deeper even if it is on rocky ground. On top of that, things get very deadly for Nikki when she not only has to worry about an enemy from the outside but from the inside as well.
I think my only issue is how Nikki treated Blake. I understood why she didn't like Blake and Steph starting a relationship but at the same time, considering everything Blake has done to keep Steph safe, I expected Nikki to cut him a little slack. Not to mention, Steph knew exactly what she was getting into and told Nikki over and over that she would take her chances. Live and let live is what Nikki should have done especially since Steph has the same feelings towards Jamaal as Nikki has towards Blake.
There were other things that I feel I should mention only because I know readers will take some issue with them. Such as Emma's misplaced jealousy towards Nikki that turned her into a huge bitch, Nikki's back and forth on what to do with Anubis's descendant and even the special attention Anderson is giving Nikki. All of these things, I didn't have a problem with because all them will no doubt lead to what happens in the next book, which I think might be epic. On top of that, Nikki's constant questioning on what to do with the deadly descendant separates her from the other Liberi and shows to me that she's still human even if she is immortal now.
In the end, this was a gripping tale I was sucked into right from the start. I couldn't put it down once I started it and while I'm a little nervous where the story is heading (love triangle? Please no!) I can't wait to read more of it.
4.5 stars
Now that Nikki's firmly claimed Anderson's ragtag group of Liberi as her home and immortal family, she's still trying to get used to life working for Anderson. When the Oracle from the Olympians comes to Anderson for help in catching a descendant who's going on a killing spree, she's forced into hunting him down. The only problem is this descendant is not only wielding shadow jackals as his weapon but he's also insane who has no issues killing his own kind... but one Liberi can't kill another, right?
Ahhhh, Nikki *sigh* This was such a fun, fast-paced novel I literally devoured it. Nikki is still her slightly snarky self that is determined to keep her old life or at least a part of it. With this one, we see a little more of how her powers work. We also see her relationship (if you can even call it that) with Jamaal grow deeper even if it is on rocky ground. On top of that, things get very deadly for Nikki when she not only has to worry about an enemy from the outside but from the inside as well.
I think my only issue is how Nikki treated Blake. I understood why she didn't like Blake and Steph starting a relationship but at the same time, considering everything Blake has done to keep Steph safe, I expected Nikki to cut him a little slack. Not to mention, Steph knew exactly what she was getting into and told Nikki over and over that she would take her chances. Live and let live is what Nikki should have done especially since Steph has the same feelings towards Jamaal as Nikki has towards Blake.
There were other things that I feel I should mention only because I know readers will take some issue with them. Such as Emma's misplaced jealousy towards Nikki that turned her into a huge bitch, Nikki's back and forth on what to do with Anubis's descendant and even the special attention Anderson is giving Nikki. All of these things, I didn't have a problem with because all them will no doubt lead to what happens in the next book, which I think might be epic. On top of that, Nikki's constant questioning on what to do with the deadly descendant separates her from the other Liberi and shows to me that she's still human even if she is immortal now.
In the end, this was a gripping tale I was sucked into right from the start. I couldn't put it down once I started it and while I'm a little nervous where the story is heading (love triangle? Please no!) I can't wait to read more of it.
June 5, 2017
This one was good and awesome! I still hate the authors over use of reminding us that Nikki doesn't like authority or some other sayings she says repeatedly. Otherwise the book was awesome. Firstly there is the hints at romance and I can't quite tell who Nikki will end up with. Some people might not notice, but I do think that Anderson has a soft spot for Nikki whether that's romantic or not remains to be seen. On the other hand, Nikki has always been attracted to Jamaal which is surprising given the things he's done to and accused Nikki of being. However in this book we see an almost break through with their relationship, though I use the term loosely. Firstly we learn more about Jamaal and his history, more so than most other characters, this intrigues me and makes me interested in him more. He has layers and is very interesting. For the lost part we don't know what if anything Jamaal feels for Nikki but we do know he has confided in her much more than everyone in the house he's lived with for a while. She seemingly knows more about him than anyone which opens them up for a possible friendship or even romance. I'd like to see it.
This story is about some dude who has jackals at his beck and call and is killing random people. Eventually Nikki figures out the who and the why. Eventually things go crazy.
As a side plot we have Emma, crazy Emma who is Anderson's wife who is bat shit crazy but also lucid crazy which makes her dangerous. She's manipulative, conniving and an all around bitch. Anderson is blinded by his "love" for her. Though I don't think they've ever loved each other based on what I've heard from his past about them. Emma has no redeeming qualities and I am unsure if her ordeal at the hands of the Olympians in the last book is a contributing factor or if she has always been bat shit crazy. I am going to say always. Either way what happens at the end of the book makes me think there will be more to Emma than we think. I even thought this throughout the book. She isn't harmless and she will focus on Nikki.
I definitely want to continue the series.
This story is about some dude who has jackals at his beck and call and is killing random people. Eventually Nikki figures out the who and the why. Eventually things go crazy.
As a side plot we have Emma, crazy Emma who is Anderson's wife who is bat shit crazy but also lucid crazy which makes her dangerous. She's manipulative, conniving and an all around bitch. Anderson is blinded by his "love" for her. Though I don't think they've ever loved each other based on what I've heard from his past about them. Emma has no redeeming qualities and I am unsure if her ordeal at the hands of the Olympians in the last book is a contributing factor or if she has always been bat shit crazy. I am going to say always. Either way what happens at the end of the book makes me think there will be more to Emma than we think. I even thought this throughout the book. She isn't harmless and she will focus on Nikki.
I definitely want to continue the series.
May 1, 2017
I am happy that I enjoyed this one cos I am super scared of book 2 syndrome at the moment ;)
But it was light and a fast read. And I do like those.
Nikki found out she has divine blood, and so do a LOT of people it seems, and some can become immortal (if you kill someone immortal first). And now she is stuck with a bunch of weirdos at a mansion. Another set of immortals wants to kill her and yes those guys are real assholes. The nice guys are nice and I do like their leader. Too bad she fancies someone else. Well fancies and fancies, he hates her at times but she totes fancies him.
Interesting side characters, a kick-ass heroine. Bad guys, good guys, Gods and their children.
A nice plot too with someone killing people with the help of dogs and there is a mystery to solve.
Since I read this in an omnibus it felt really short, which was good ;)
But it was light and a fast read. And I do like those.
Nikki found out she has divine blood, and so do a LOT of people it seems, and some can become immortal (if you kill someone immortal first). And now she is stuck with a bunch of weirdos at a mansion. Another set of immortals wants to kill her and yes those guys are real assholes. The nice guys are nice and I do like their leader. Too bad she fancies someone else. Well fancies and fancies, he hates her at times but she totes fancies him.
Interesting side characters, a kick-ass heroine. Bad guys, good guys, Gods and their children.
A nice plot too with someone killing people with the help of dogs and there is a mystery to solve.
Since I read this in an omnibus it felt really short, which was good ;)
April 27, 2018
This book kind of got bogged down in a side-story to the overall story arc. It felt way too procedural, and I didn't see enough character development to support this detour from the main plot
Sure, we developed a romance story and got some background on Jamaal, but that seems a bit thin of a gain from an entire book.
Sure, we developed a romance story and got some background on Jamaal, but that seems a bit thin of a gain from an entire book.
May 24, 2012
3.5/5 (C+)
I discovered Ms Black last year with Dark Descendant. I had heard a lot about her Morgan Kingsley series, but it just didn't call to me. So when Ms Black started a new series, it sounded like the perfect occasion to give her a try and I really ended up enjoying Dark Descendant. It's a good thing too since I've been looking for new UF series lately and nothing appeals ^_^; I'm afraid I'm getting burn-out on UF as well, sigh. As a result, I was happy to pick up Deadly Descendant and continue a series that I enjoyed and thought had potential.
Deadly Descendant turned out to be a pretty good book despite a few issues. I think the main problem is that I had high expectations and they were not met. When I started Deadly Descendant, I thought one of the strengths of the series was the world building. I really liked the concept of the Liberi and the two factions. Unfortunately, the world building in Deadly Descendant was stagnant. There wasn't any new forthcoming information about the world to the readers or even to the characters themselves ^_^; And very little growth from the characters as well. Perhaps it would have been better if there's been a longer lapse between the two installments for Nikki to grow accustomed to her new situation and develop her powers. I wish I could say this lack was due to the book focusing on the action, but alas, it wasn't. Which is a great pity in my opinion, since the story/intrigue/suspense of Deadly Descendant was actually pretty good - the best aspect of the book actually - and would have been really exciting if more pages had been dedicated to it. As it is though, it was simply too short for the readers to really gain some momentum in their reading.
There was some unbalance in the book and it came from the fact there was too much monologues from Nikki. Deadly Descendant is written from the 1st POV, so we are privy to Nikki's thoughts and obviously, some were necessary to set up the internal conflict... but it just wouldn't end ^_^; First, there was the fact that Nikki was losing her independence and the whole Liberi situation. Then, the fact that she was wary of Anderson and the conflict with Emma made it so she wasn't sure Anderson would believe her or not. Nikki was a very rational and logical heroine and analyzed everything, but at one point, I thought it was just too much. Her reasoning all made sense and she did what she thought was necessary, but logic doesn't rule everything. Nikki needs to be more confident and assertive, but she also needs to start trusting the Liberi surrounding her. That was obvious to me when she let herself be blackmailed by Emma way too easily. I know she was reluctant to join Anderson's group and the only reason she did was survival... but here are your allies. If you don't get to know them better, if you don't trust them, then what are you going to do in the future? Most importantly, if you don't trust your leader, how can you follow him? I guess we will have to see how this situation unfolds in the next book.
Aside from the suspense which was good, my favorite part of the book was the developing relationship between Nikki and Jamaal. This relationship is actually quite surprising given Nikki and Jamaal started off on a wrong footing - and I'm not talking about a little dislike ^_^; What I also like is how refreshing it is. Usually, in this kind of urban fantasy series, the heroine usually falls for the leader of the group, but not in this case. Jamaal is a very angry character and even though he's been a Liberi for decades, he still doesn't have much control on his powers and his temper. Therefore, I find this relationship very interesting and intriguing and it definitively has a lot of potential. It'll be interesting to see how these two characters and their relationship develop. One thing I know for sure is I do not want a love triangle with Anderson and I hope Ms Black is not heading towards that direction. It definitively is not needed.
In the end, while I think Deadly Descendant was not great (still a decent read though) and a bit of a let-down in comparison to Dark Descendant, the series still has a lot of potential. I'm looking forward to getting to know the other Liberi more and finding out what will happen next. I thought the ending was very exciting - what with the coup in the Olympians hierarchy and how Emma and Anderson's relationship crumbled. Ms Black has really left the doors to the future wide open to possibilities :)
Deadly Descendant is a 3.5/5 for me. While I really liked the suspense, Nikki and Jamaal's relationship and feel the series still has a lot of potential, none of it can overcome Nikki's wishy-washy attitude and monologues - that unfortunately really marred my enjoyment of Deadly Descendant ^_^;
I discovered Ms Black last year with Dark Descendant. I had heard a lot about her Morgan Kingsley series, but it just didn't call to me. So when Ms Black started a new series, it sounded like the perfect occasion to give her a try and I really ended up enjoying Dark Descendant. It's a good thing too since I've been looking for new UF series lately and nothing appeals ^_^; I'm afraid I'm getting burn-out on UF as well, sigh. As a result, I was happy to pick up Deadly Descendant and continue a series that I enjoyed and thought had potential.
Deadly Descendant turned out to be a pretty good book despite a few issues. I think the main problem is that I had high expectations and they were not met. When I started Deadly Descendant, I thought one of the strengths of the series was the world building. I really liked the concept of the Liberi and the two factions. Unfortunately, the world building in Deadly Descendant was stagnant. There wasn't any new forthcoming information about the world to the readers or even to the characters themselves ^_^; And very little growth from the characters as well. Perhaps it would have been better if there's been a longer lapse between the two installments for Nikki to grow accustomed to her new situation and develop her powers. I wish I could say this lack was due to the book focusing on the action, but alas, it wasn't. Which is a great pity in my opinion, since the story/intrigue/suspense of Deadly Descendant was actually pretty good - the best aspect of the book actually - and would have been really exciting if more pages had been dedicated to it. As it is though, it was simply too short for the readers to really gain some momentum in their reading.
There was some unbalance in the book and it came from the fact there was too much monologues from Nikki. Deadly Descendant is written from the 1st POV, so we are privy to Nikki's thoughts and obviously, some were necessary to set up the internal conflict... but it just wouldn't end ^_^; First, there was the fact that Nikki was losing her independence and the whole Liberi situation. Then, the fact that she was wary of Anderson and the conflict with Emma made it so she wasn't sure Anderson would believe her or not. Nikki was a very rational and logical heroine and analyzed everything, but at one point, I thought it was just too much. Her reasoning all made sense and she did what she thought was necessary, but logic doesn't rule everything. Nikki needs to be more confident and assertive, but she also needs to start trusting the Liberi surrounding her. That was obvious to me when she let herself be blackmailed by Emma way too easily. I know she was reluctant to join Anderson's group and the only reason she did was survival... but here are your allies. If you don't get to know them better, if you don't trust them, then what are you going to do in the future? Most importantly, if you don't trust your leader, how can you follow him? I guess we will have to see how this situation unfolds in the next book.
Aside from the suspense which was good, my favorite part of the book was the developing relationship between Nikki and Jamaal. This relationship is actually quite surprising given Nikki and Jamaal started off on a wrong footing - and I'm not talking about a little dislike ^_^; What I also like is how refreshing it is. Usually, in this kind of urban fantasy series, the heroine usually falls for the leader of the group, but not in this case. Jamaal is a very angry character and even though he's been a Liberi for decades, he still doesn't have much control on his powers and his temper. Therefore, I find this relationship very interesting and intriguing and it definitively has a lot of potential. It'll be interesting to see how these two characters and their relationship develop. One thing I know for sure is I do not want a love triangle with Anderson and I hope Ms Black is not heading towards that direction. It definitively is not needed.
In the end, while I think Deadly Descendant was not great (still a decent read though) and a bit of a let-down in comparison to Dark Descendant, the series still has a lot of potential. I'm looking forward to getting to know the other Liberi more and finding out what will happen next. I thought the ending was very exciting - what with the coup in the Olympians hierarchy and how Emma and Anderson's relationship crumbled. Ms Black has really left the doors to the future wide open to possibilities :)
Deadly Descendant is a 3.5/5 for me. While I really liked the suspense, Nikki and Jamaal's relationship and feel the series still has a lot of potential, none of it can overcome Nikki's wishy-washy attitude and monologues - that unfortunately really marred my enjoyment of Deadly Descendant ^_^;
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2012
After reading and enjoying the first book in this series, Dark Descendant, I was looking forward to the release of the second one. Unfourtunatley it was kind of a disappointment.
Deadly Descendant once again follows Nikki Glass as she investigates a string of murders by what is suspected is a pack of jackals controlled by a descendant of Anubis.
The reason I really enjoyed Dark Descendant was because of Nikki and her personality. I felt like she was a fresh character and had a level head on her shoulders. She didn't make me want to throw my book at the wall due to her stupidity. That has changed in this book, and I am really sad about that. I found myself really frustrated with her attitude about some things and I hated the way she went about handling some of the situations that occurred.
For instance, the way Nikki thought about Emma. Emma has just escaped from a ten year span of abuse and is having a hard time. Instead of being compassionate or understanding Nikki actually finds her "annoying" and "bitchy". She even went so far as to fleetingly think they should have left Emma at the bottom of the pond! Whhaaaaa?? are you really that cold hearted?
The fact that Nikki's love interest was Jamaal in this book really cheesed me off as well. I like Jamaal as a character, I really do, but Nikki should stay the fuck away from him! He is volatile, angry and dangerous. And in the first book he beat the crap out of her and prevented her from rescuing her sister from being raped. I just don't think that somebody would be able to get past that and still have romantic feelings for Jamaal just because he is *so* hawt! Oh, but thats right, we're talking about Nikki here. The woman who has no empathy for anybody else.
I was kind of hoping for more in the way of powers in this book as well. Instead what we got was the same thing we got in the first book. Nikki didn't really progress in her powers at all and I really hope in future books we get to see more of what she can do. There was a point when Nikki was looking for Jamaal and being the great "hunter" that she is she managed to find him by intuition alone. I just think that if your going to make her a descendant of the goddess of hunt you should make her actually need to use skill to find her prey.
Nikki is also kind of a hypocrite. She wants Jamaal to explore his powers further and face his demons so that he can find a way to control himself. And yet when faced with a similar situation where she needs to step up and face her demons she turns tail and tries to run away from her problems.
The ending was kind of a let down.
It may seem like I really hated this book because of all the complaints I have about it but mostly Nikki just irritated me in this one. I will continue reading the series because I still enjoyed the book and I guess I'll just hope Nikki gets her head out of her ass soon.
Deadly Descendant once again follows Nikki Glass as she investigates a string of murders by what is suspected is a pack of jackals controlled by a descendant of Anubis.
The reason I really enjoyed Dark Descendant was because of Nikki and her personality. I felt like she was a fresh character and had a level head on her shoulders. She didn't make me want to throw my book at the wall due to her stupidity. That has changed in this book, and I am really sad about that. I found myself really frustrated with her attitude about some things and I hated the way she went about handling some of the situations that occurred.
For instance, the way Nikki thought about Emma. Emma has just escaped from a ten year span of abuse and is having a hard time. Instead of being compassionate or understanding Nikki actually finds her "annoying" and "bitchy". She even went so far as to fleetingly think they should have left Emma at the bottom of the pond! Whhaaaaa?? are you really that cold hearted?
The fact that Nikki's love interest was Jamaal in this book really cheesed me off as well. I like Jamaal as a character, I really do, but Nikki should stay the fuck away from him! He is volatile, angry and dangerous. And in the first book he beat the crap out of her and prevented her from rescuing her sister from being raped. I just don't think that somebody would be able to get past that and still have romantic feelings for Jamaal just because he is *so* hawt! Oh, but thats right, we're talking about Nikki here. The woman who has no empathy for anybody else.
I was kind of hoping for more in the way of powers in this book as well. Instead what we got was the same thing we got in the first book. Nikki didn't really progress in her powers at all and I really hope in future books we get to see more of what she can do. There was a point when Nikki was looking for Jamaal and being the great "hunter" that she is she managed to find him by intuition alone. I just think that if your going to make her a descendant of the goddess of hunt you should make her actually need to use skill to find her prey.
Nikki is also kind of a hypocrite. She wants Jamaal to explore his powers further and face his demons so that he can find a way to control himself. And yet when faced with a similar situation where she needs to step up and face her demons she turns tail and tries to run away from her problems.
The ending was kind of a let down.
It may seem like I really hated this book because of all the complaints I have about it but mostly Nikki just irritated me in this one. I will continue reading the series because I still enjoyed the book and I guess I'll just hope Nikki gets her head out of her ass soon.
August 23, 2015
It is possible to like something problematic as long as I acknowledge the problems.
So that's what I'm starting with this time.
The first book had played around with a dotted-lines-love-triangle with Nikki in the center and Anderson and Jamaal at the opposite corners.
The next book doesn't come out until 2013 -- maybe I'll reread them later to see if my opinion changes.
So that's what I'm starting with this time.
The first book had played around with a dotted-lines-love-triangle with Nikki in the center and Anderson and Jamaal at the opposite corners.
The next book doesn't come out until 2013 -- maybe I'll reread them later to see if my opinion changes.
October 22, 2012
The 2nd installment to the Nikki Glass series! I have read Ms. Black's Morgan Kingsley series and was hesitant with this one....but so far Nikki is amazing :)
Nikki & Jamaal
So it was obvious after the first book that something along the romance side would develop between these two. Jamaal goes from hating Nikki to friendship in this book. It's a tense frienship as they're learning to open up and trust each other....but it's a very good frienship for both of them. They are so much alike that their common ground has allowed them to become allies.
There is a Liberi running around killing innocents. Anderson and his group have been approached by the Olympians in helping this person be stopped. It is obvious that the Olympians are not telling them everything, but they agree to keep more innocents from dying. As Nikki works the case and starts putting the puzzle pieces together it becomes very obvious that they have been played by both the Olympians and eventually the killer.
Overall...
A wonderful installment to this series. The action was fantastic along with the interactions between Nikki and Jamaal kept me turning the pages well into the night. There's no cliffhanger at the end of this book, but it is obvious where Ms. Black is headed with the story. I will be waiting impatiently for the next installment.
Nikki & Jamaal
So it was obvious after the first book that something along the romance side would develop between these two. Jamaal goes from hating Nikki to friendship in this book. It's a tense frienship as they're learning to open up and trust each other....but it's a very good frienship for both of them. They are so much alike that their common ground has allowed them to become allies.
Nikki showed obvious sexual interest in Jamaal in the first book (in thoughts only) but it didn't seem like Jamaal did. Well, he proves her wrong in this installment with a couple of very nice kissing scenes. Unfortunately, they're still not completely trusting of each other to really go anywhere with this.
It is obvious, however, that beyond any sexual interest, they have come to rely on each other. Nikki helps to teach Jamaal how to calm down and work to not let his death magic control him. Jamaal teaches Nikki to be trusting and to work as a team. I was honestly surprised that between the two of them, Jamaal is the more open and willing to talk than Nikki is. It was interesting to see this side of him, but you can tell that he is only this way because of Nikki. It is obvious these two are drawn to each other for some reason and I can't wait to see what happens.
Plot...There is a Liberi running around killing innocents. Anderson and his group have been approached by the Olympians in helping this person be stopped. It is obvious that the Olympians are not telling them everything, but they agree to keep more innocents from dying. As Nikki works the case and starts putting the puzzle pieces together it becomes very obvious that they have been played by both the Olympians and eventually the killer.
Overall...
A wonderful installment to this series. The action was fantastic along with the interactions between Nikki and Jamaal kept me turning the pages well into the night. There's no cliffhanger at the end of this book, but it is obvious where Ms. Black is headed with the story. I will be waiting impatiently for the next installment.
April 27, 2012
3.5 stars
What I like
The story is fast-paced and I find myself interested the whole time. I like the idea of Anubis's descendant running amok with his jackals. It brings up a couple of new interesting plotline, like channeling death magic (which has implication in Jamaal, since he has been having trouble controlling his) and the Underworld.
I like the further interaction of Nikki and Jamaal, as they are opening up to one another, sharing stories from their past. As I said in my opinion for the first book, I sort of championing Jamaal as Nikki's love interest. I think they will be an interesting couple -- and I welcome an interracial relationship as well.
What I don't like
Nikki questioning a lot, from whether they should or should not kill the Anubis's descendant, or whether to stay or to run ... also how she judgest Blake for Steph, even when she finds out what Blake has been through ... I just feel exhausted by it. I also uncertain with how Anderson acts around Nikki, like he cares for her more, with kissing her forehead and stuff. I truly don't like love triangle, and if this is a path to make Anderson another love interest, I'm not supporting it *pout*
The last thing is about Emma ... I understand that she needs a revenge, but I am not enjoying her being written as a b*tch. I guess I will prefer her showing strength and needs for revenge in a different way. I don't understand why Emma . Just don't make any sense for me.
I'd still would love to read the next book though. It'll be interesting to see what other Gods have their descendants portrayed in this series. Plus, I need Nikki and Jamaal to actually "do" it this time :D
What I like
The story is fast-paced and I find myself interested the whole time. I like the idea of Anubis's descendant running amok with his jackals. It brings up a couple of new interesting plotline, like channeling death magic (which has implication in Jamaal, since he has been having trouble controlling his) and the Underworld.
I like the further interaction of Nikki and Jamaal, as they are opening up to one another, sharing stories from their past. As I said in my opinion for the first book, I sort of championing Jamaal as Nikki's love interest. I think they will be an interesting couple -- and I welcome an interracial relationship as well.
What I don't like
Nikki questioning a lot, from whether they should or should not kill the Anubis's descendant, or whether to stay or to run ... also how she judgest Blake for Steph, even when she finds out what Blake has been through ... I just feel exhausted by it. I also uncertain with how Anderson acts around Nikki, like he cares for her more, with kissing her forehead and stuff. I truly don't like love triangle, and if this is a path to make Anderson another love interest, I'm not supporting it *pout*
The last thing is about Emma ... I understand that she needs a revenge, but I am not enjoying her being written as a b*tch. I guess I will prefer her showing strength and needs for revenge in a different way. I don't understand why Emma . Just don't make any sense for me.
I'd still would love to read the next book though. It'll be interesting to see what other Gods have their descendants portrayed in this series. Plus, I need Nikki and Jamaal to actually "do" it this time :D
June 1, 2015
Some parts of the narrative just annoy me. Like I like the story but the narrative drags at parts and has a immature quality to it I can't explain. The constant smoke and drug use also got really annoying to read about. And the move in street and mc have no connection between them at all IMO and seemed beyond forced. She likes him because he's really hot and a huge asshole that has no problem hitting women but like he's so hot and has a sad backstory so it's okay, besides he's hot and apparently him being really hot and tall and her being short they just together for no actual connection.
But then there is stuff I do like so I'm kind of between two and three stars. I'd give 2.5 stars if I could.
But then there is stuff I do like so I'm kind of between two and three stars. I'd give 2.5 stars if I could.
May 16, 2012
I seriously enjoyed this book. It was a great read, with a lot of mystery and action. I'm not exactly happy with the direction of Nikki's love life, but there was still some serious hotness. My only gripe is the ending - which concludes high-level summary style, but left me thinking, wth? I really wanted the final few pages to be more intimate with regards to the character. I felt my gut tug, and hoped it wasn't a Morgan Kingsley-style wrap up. I've my finger's crossed that I'll get to read more about Nikki and Anderson in a book 3.
July 13, 2012
Mythology and folklore are rich rich topics and so wide that if you know what you are doing, you could wip up such great stories...... *swoons* ..... Presenting
Nikki Glass #2 Deadly Descendants by Jenna Black.
Here is the summary of the book:
The second novel in a unique and action-packed urban fantasy series from the acclaimed author of the "Morgan Kingsley" series Once, Nikki Glass was an ordinary private investigator, running her own business in Washington, D.C. Then, her world turned upside down when she accidentally stole the immortality of a descendant of Hades. Now immortal herself, Nikki is plunged into the world of the Liberi Deorum, descendants of the ancient gods, discovering that she is descended from the goddess Artemis and has new supernatural abilities. While she still longs for the normal life she left behind, Nikki is now part of a team of immortals, led by the mysterious Anderson Kane, bent on making the world a better place. Which would be a lot easier if it weren't for the Olympians, a rival group of immortals who exploit their powers for their own benefit. In a strange twist of fate, the Olympians come to Anderson to ask for his--and Nikki's--help. The Oracle, a descendant of Apollo who is Olympian to the bone, has had a disturbing vision of a man with a jackal's head being captured by the government. This vision coincides with a rash of wild dog attacks that are terrorizing the city, and the Oracle believes her vision means these killings were perpetrated by a descendant of Anubis, the Egyptian god of death. It's up to Nikki and the rest of Anderson's team to track down and stop this serial killer before the authorities do. But the more Nikki investigates the crimes, the more she comes to suspect that the Olympians haven't told the whole truth, and the more terrifying the killer becomes.....
Book 1 of the series layered the groundwork for the proceeding books. This time for Nikki Glass and the descendants under Anderson Kane, it is not the Olympians who are causing trouble but rather an enemy of the Olympians. When a descendant of Apollo in cohorts with the Olympians comes to ask their help with the matter of dealing with this new threat....since the person appears to be a psychopath and in particular appears to be a descendant of the Egyptian death God, Anubis, it is upto Nikki now to get her hunter skills to the up and find the descendant before he does more damage than needed....after all she is the descendant of Artemis.
Deadly Descendants while being the second book of the series is a great work in its own right. For one thing it is a standalone in its own right and fully functional as well. Nikki Glass, our protagonist is as stubborn as ever. Here she is starting to discover her powers and trying to put them to good use. The descendants under Anderson are as strong as ever with their varied members.....but the most nuisance proved to be Anderson's wife, Emma. In the first book Nikki had saved her from the Olympians but turns out she is a total trainwreck. It is understandable that she must have changed after her terrible ordeal with Konstantin but it still doesn't excuse her behavior towards Nikki.
Then there is NIKKI & JAMAAL.....while it was a little unexpected but definitely welcome. There can never be a more opposite pair than this. One is lively and the other sulks around. One is the descendant of Artemis and the other of Kaali. But somehow they make it work.....oh there is some hot stuffs in there......after all it was a long time coming.
As far as the story is considered - it is as solid as ever. The plot with a steady flow remains coherent till the very end.....fitting characters......and hair raising action.....and not to forget the palpable chemistry of NIKKI&JAMAAL.....Jenna Black does it again.....I seriously want to know what the next one is called and when it will come out.
Here is the summary of the book:
The second novel in a unique and action-packed urban fantasy series from the acclaimed author of the "Morgan Kingsley" series Once, Nikki Glass was an ordinary private investigator, running her own business in Washington, D.C. Then, her world turned upside down when she accidentally stole the immortality of a descendant of Hades. Now immortal herself, Nikki is plunged into the world of the Liberi Deorum, descendants of the ancient gods, discovering that she is descended from the goddess Artemis and has new supernatural abilities. While she still longs for the normal life she left behind, Nikki is now part of a team of immortals, led by the mysterious Anderson Kane, bent on making the world a better place. Which would be a lot easier if it weren't for the Olympians, a rival group of immortals who exploit their powers for their own benefit. In a strange twist of fate, the Olympians come to Anderson to ask for his--and Nikki's--help. The Oracle, a descendant of Apollo who is Olympian to the bone, has had a disturbing vision of a man with a jackal's head being captured by the government. This vision coincides with a rash of wild dog attacks that are terrorizing the city, and the Oracle believes her vision means these killings were perpetrated by a descendant of Anubis, the Egyptian god of death. It's up to Nikki and the rest of Anderson's team to track down and stop this serial killer before the authorities do. But the more Nikki investigates the crimes, the more she comes to suspect that the Olympians haven't told the whole truth, and the more terrifying the killer becomes.....
Book 1 of the series layered the groundwork for the proceeding books. This time for Nikki Glass and the descendants under Anderson Kane, it is not the Olympians who are causing trouble but rather an enemy of the Olympians. When a descendant of Apollo in cohorts with the Olympians comes to ask their help with the matter of dealing with this new threat....since the person appears to be a psychopath and in particular appears to be a descendant of the Egyptian death God, Anubis, it is upto Nikki now to get her hunter skills to the up and find the descendant before he does more damage than needed....after all she is the descendant of Artemis.
Deadly Descendants while being the second book of the series is a great work in its own right. For one thing it is a standalone in its own right and fully functional as well. Nikki Glass, our protagonist is as stubborn as ever. Here she is starting to discover her powers and trying to put them to good use. The descendants under Anderson are as strong as ever with their varied members.....but the most nuisance proved to be Anderson's wife, Emma. In the first book Nikki had saved her from the Olympians but turns out she is a total trainwreck. It is understandable that she must have changed after her terrible ordeal with Konstantin but it still doesn't excuse her behavior towards Nikki.
Then there is NIKKI & JAMAAL.....while it was a little unexpected but definitely welcome. There can never be a more opposite pair than this. One is lively and the other sulks around. One is the descendant of Artemis and the other of Kaali. But somehow they make it work.....oh there is some hot stuffs in there......after all it was a long time coming.
As far as the story is considered - it is as solid as ever. The plot with a steady flow remains coherent till the very end.....fitting characters......and hair raising action.....and not to forget the palpable chemistry of NIKKI&JAMAAL.....Jenna Black does it again.....I seriously want to know what the next one is called and when it will come out.
"Solid plot and characters, hair-raising action and the ever elusive myths......Deadly Descendant is a must read"
April 13, 2016
Review originally posted at RabidReads.com.
This is the second book in the Nikki Glass series. Nikki is starting to get a handle on new powers. Not completely, but she has come to terms with her new life. Though, she isn’t completely ready to give up her old life. She still has her old condo. She wants to keep her PI business, though that is getting harder and harder.
The Olympians have come to Anderson because they are aware of a descendant that is killing people using a group of dogs. They need Nikki’s special power to help track this guy down. Being that this guy is a descendant of Anubis, the problem is how to kill him. Evidently, his seed is cursed and causes everyone who takes it in to go crazy, which is why the Olympians didn’t want to soil one of their Greek descendants with this seed. Problem is now, they have it in a death god descendant. They are hard to contain, which is something we learned in the first book with Jamaal, who can walk through walls. The question is what to do with him after he is caught.
This is another great addition to the series. Nikki does her PI thing while learning a lot more about her powers. We learn more about the Olympians and even meet their oracle. The part of the story that I enjoyed the most, was learn more about Jamaal. There is a lot that he hasn’t shared with Anderson’s people that he shares with Nikki. Like the fact that he is much older than he lets on. Like the fact that he was a slave, which is why no one ever sees him without a shirt, lots of whip marks. I loved seeing this softer side of Jamaal. I really enjoyed seeing their romance grow, though it is still at a snail’s pace.
This series is such a fun series with such a unique premise of the descendants of gods that are mostly immortal. The characters are wonderfully developed and the best part of the story, in my personal opinion. There is also some politics that are at play and some shades of gray on who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. The suspense as Nikki tries to track down the bad guy, not to mention the tension between her and Anderson’s crazy wife adds to the story. If you haven’t tried this exciting Urban Fantasy series, I highly recommend it. I believe that the fourth and final book will out in May, though I don’t know if it will be available on audio. I would love it if it were.
Narration
Sophie Eastlake did another phenomenal job with the narration of this book. If you never listened to Ms. Eastlake, I highly recommend her narrations. She does a great job with her pacing and tone. Her range of voices for both male and females are wonderful. She is able to make Anderson sound as menacing as he should, while still being one of the “good guys”. She also does a great job with crazy Emma. I think it takes talent to voice a crazy person and she seems to do it with easy.
This is the second book in the Nikki Glass series. Nikki is starting to get a handle on new powers. Not completely, but she has come to terms with her new life. Though, she isn’t completely ready to give up her old life. She still has her old condo. She wants to keep her PI business, though that is getting harder and harder.
The Olympians have come to Anderson because they are aware of a descendant that is killing people using a group of dogs. They need Nikki’s special power to help track this guy down. Being that this guy is a descendant of Anubis, the problem is how to kill him. Evidently, his seed is cursed and causes everyone who takes it in to go crazy, which is why the Olympians didn’t want to soil one of their Greek descendants with this seed. Problem is now, they have it in a death god descendant. They are hard to contain, which is something we learned in the first book with Jamaal, who can walk through walls. The question is what to do with him after he is caught.
This is another great addition to the series. Nikki does her PI thing while learning a lot more about her powers. We learn more about the Olympians and even meet their oracle. The part of the story that I enjoyed the most, was learn more about Jamaal. There is a lot that he hasn’t shared with Anderson’s people that he shares with Nikki. Like the fact that he is much older than he lets on. Like the fact that he was a slave, which is why no one ever sees him without a shirt, lots of whip marks. I loved seeing this softer side of Jamaal. I really enjoyed seeing their romance grow, though it is still at a snail’s pace.
This series is such a fun series with such a unique premise of the descendants of gods that are mostly immortal. The characters are wonderfully developed and the best part of the story, in my personal opinion. There is also some politics that are at play and some shades of gray on who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. The suspense as Nikki tries to track down the bad guy, not to mention the tension between her and Anderson’s crazy wife adds to the story. If you haven’t tried this exciting Urban Fantasy series, I highly recommend it. I believe that the fourth and final book will out in May, though I don’t know if it will be available on audio. I would love it if it were.
Narration
Sophie Eastlake did another phenomenal job with the narration of this book. If you never listened to Ms. Eastlake, I highly recommend her narrations. She does a great job with her pacing and tone. Her range of voices for both male and females are wonderful. She is able to make Anderson sound as menacing as he should, while still being one of the “good guys”. She also does a great job with crazy Emma. I think it takes talent to voice a crazy person and she seems to do it with easy.
June 21, 2012
It was incredibly easy to slip back into Black's world and for the most part the story moved along well. The mystery element was a little light, but the plot kept me involved enough that I didn't mind.
Note: Liberi are descendants of gods from various pantheons. Olympians are elitist and purists; only descendants of Greek gods are worthy of living and basically humans should worship/serve Olympians. Very little time has passed since the opening pages of the first book, so Nikki is still adjusting to major changes in her lifestyle. In Dark Descendant, Nikki was maneuvered into immortality by a member of the Liberi and discovered that as a rare descendant of Artemis she has valuable hunting skills.
In book two, Nikki is uncomfortable living under Liberi protection, but knows it's the only way to protect her family from the Olympians. I don't think the setting was used to the fullest advantage though and would have loved more interaction with all the members of the household. I enjoyed learning more about Jamaal, a descendant of Kali, but I think I would be happier with slower relationship growth on that front. The transference of anger into passion is understandable. However, a gradual transformation into solid friendship and then exploration of those feelings would suit me more. Nikki's uneasiness around Anderson and the tension centered around Emma were interesting, but I still feel there's much more character development that was left unexplored.
Nikki's past has made her tough and a little untrusting, but it's also made her strong and self-reliant. She doesn't wait around for someone to rescue her, instead she investigates the best plan and takes action. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing her skills as a "huntress" develop even more.
Overall, I really enjoyed Deadly Descendant and will definitely be continuing this series.
Note: Liberi are descendants of gods from various pantheons. Olympians are elitist and purists; only descendants of Greek gods are worthy of living and basically humans should worship/serve Olympians. Very little time has passed since the opening pages of the first book, so Nikki is still adjusting to major changes in her lifestyle. In Dark Descendant, Nikki was maneuvered into immortality by a member of the Liberi and discovered that as a rare descendant of Artemis she has valuable hunting skills.
In book two, Nikki is uncomfortable living under Liberi protection, but knows it's the only way to protect her family from the Olympians. I don't think the setting was used to the fullest advantage though and would have loved more interaction with all the members of the household. I enjoyed learning more about Jamaal, a descendant of Kali, but I think I would be happier with slower relationship growth on that front. The transference of anger into passion is understandable. However, a gradual transformation into solid friendship and then exploration of those feelings would suit me more. Nikki's uneasiness around Anderson and the tension centered around Emma were interesting, but I still feel there's much more character development that was left unexplored.
Nikki's past has made her tough and a little untrusting, but it's also made her strong and self-reliant. She doesn't wait around for someone to rescue her, instead she investigates the best plan and takes action. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing her skills as a "huntress" develop even more.
Overall, I really enjoyed Deadly Descendant and will definitely be continuing this series.
September 17, 2021
Damn. I really liked the first book, but this Nikki is bunk. She so self-righteous, over 60% of her dialogue with others is her judgment on their opinions and actions. Im especially annoyed with how she butts into everyone’s business. Leave your sister and Blake alone jfc, they’re both adults and you know Blake isn’t actually a rapist now.. actually he’s one of the few kind people in the house. Her moral highandmightyness is atrocious and is she adopted with abandonment issues? I couldn’t tell.. please tell me 22 more times.
I’m also annoyed with the authors representation of black people, there is only one black person and his name is Jamal.. which wasn’t even an African-American name until the late 1960s. like ok she added an extra A to it which makes it Arabic? But why would a slave owning plantation owner name give his son the middle eastern word for Beauty? They wouldn’t. In fact, they consistently changed slave names to basic euro-names to make a point. But I digress. Don’t forget the clickity clacks of beads in his hair without ever mentioning if it’s dreaded, braided or just has random beads tied in. Oh and ofc he’s the only one who smokes pot and drinks and has anger issues as well as being outcasted cus Nikki thinks he’s HOT.
If I was being honest, this shit I was able to put at the back of my mind (sans the name) until he randomly accused Nikki of being racist. It was so out of place that only a white person could come up with it proving that they have literally no idea when their micro-aggressions are on display and think that black people just randomly get upset at innocent white ppl.
End of rant/
With that off my back, I will say that despite Nikkis mental deficiencies, I am willing to give one more book a try but only because I already purchased it. If she doesn’t git good fast, then I’m done.
I’m also annoyed with the authors representation of black people, there is only one black person and his name is Jamal.. which wasn’t even an African-American name until the late 1960s. like ok she added an extra A to it which makes it Arabic? But why would a slave owning plantation owner name give his son the middle eastern word for Beauty? They wouldn’t. In fact, they consistently changed slave names to basic euro-names to make a point. But I digress. Don’t forget the clickity clacks of beads in his hair without ever mentioning if it’s dreaded, braided or just has random beads tied in. Oh and ofc he’s the only one who smokes pot and drinks and has anger issues as well as being outcasted cus Nikki thinks he’s HOT.
If I was being honest, this shit I was able to put at the back of my mind (sans the name) until he randomly accused Nikki of being racist. It was so out of place that only a white person could come up with it proving that they have literally no idea when their micro-aggressions are on display and think that black people just randomly get upset at innocent white ppl.
End of rant/
With that off my back, I will say that despite Nikkis mental deficiencies, I am willing to give one more book a try but only because I already purchased it. If she doesn’t git good fast, then I’m done.
May 8, 2012
2.5-stars- This was one of the books I had most been looking forward to this year. The previous book was a 5-star read and I loved the world the author had created. I was ready to lump Nikki in with Kate and Mercy, that's how much I liked it. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me and was really mostly a disappointment. I think romance fans may be happy with how her and Jamaal's relationship takes a new turn, but I felt like the direction the author went took away from the series as a whole. The conflict in this story is flimsy and at times much more convoluted than it needs to be as an excuse to have Nikki and Jamaal in close quarters. The entire second half of the book felt like a high school cat-fight and lead to immature actions on Nikki's part. Nikki is learning to accept who she is now, but she's not willing to put in the time to make things work. The author also used a plot point she's used before and it's one that is particularly irksome to me, it's the The Bad Guy is so ridiculous and boring that I was just hoping something else of consequence would happen soon. In the last chapters the most interesting development of all happens off-stage. All-in-all, this was such a lack-luster installment and I can only hope the next one in the series can bring back some of the action and adventure I found in the first book.
August 16, 2012
Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black
Nikki Glass is a former private eye who suddenly became a Liberi, a quasi-immortal. Her change to more than human has required more sacrifices than she expected. He acclimation to the side she has chosen in a millennium long conflict and her conflicted emotions about being part of a team are the focus of this second book in a very good series.
I mentioned in my review of Dark Descendant, Niki is a likeable character. She is not some invulnerable super hero, she is a volatile, insecure semi-normal person you might know. She deals with her changed life with frustration and fear.
As in Dark Descendant, there is plenty of action and emotion with just a hint of sensuality. This provides a touch of romanticism that doesn’t deter from a good urban fantasy. This is the second of Ms. Black’s work I have read and I am looking forward to reading the next in this series. Warning, it may have a little too much romanticism if you are a flannel shirt, insecure manly man. I, of course, am typing this while holding my bowie knife in my teeth, a loaded Judge on my side and kneeling on the throat of a thrashing swamp gator, I ain’t intimidated by any romantic stuff.
I recommend it.
Nikki Glass is a former private eye who suddenly became a Liberi, a quasi-immortal. Her change to more than human has required more sacrifices than she expected. He acclimation to the side she has chosen in a millennium long conflict and her conflicted emotions about being part of a team are the focus of this second book in a very good series.
I mentioned in my review of Dark Descendant, Niki is a likeable character. She is not some invulnerable super hero, she is a volatile, insecure semi-normal person you might know. She deals with her changed life with frustration and fear.
As in Dark Descendant, there is plenty of action and emotion with just a hint of sensuality. This provides a touch of romanticism that doesn’t deter from a good urban fantasy. This is the second of Ms. Black’s work I have read and I am looking forward to reading the next in this series. Warning, it may have a little too much romanticism if you are a flannel shirt, insecure manly man. I, of course, am typing this while holding my bowie knife in my teeth, a loaded Judge on my side and kneeling on the throat of a thrashing swamp gator, I ain’t intimidated by any romantic stuff.
I recommend it.
December 21, 2013
Decent UF but Nicki is not my favorite protagonist. I get that Emma was being set up as a villain but I would have expected a little more sympathy for someone who had been imprisoned and tortured for 10 years. Especially from someone who constantly refers to herself as a "bleeding heart". She seems to save all of the empathy for the men (not that the men don't deserve her empathy in some cases but she just seems much harsher on the women).
It's an interesting world, with its descendents of gods & goddesses but the magic seems really vague to me. I know that Nicki is just learning about her powers but everyone else is either so secretive or still learning as well that it doesn't really feel fleshed out to me as the reader. It almost feels like its that vague so that whatever needs to be done to service the plot can be pulled out. I'll probably read the next one, because there are some good things here, but I'm not rushing out to get to it.
It's an interesting world, with its descendents of gods & goddesses but the magic seems really vague to me. I know that Nicki is just learning about her powers but everyone else is either so secretive or still learning as well that it doesn't really feel fleshed out to me as the reader. It almost feels like its that vague so that whatever needs to be done to service the plot can be pulled out. I'll probably read the next one, because there are some good things here, but I'm not rushing out to get to it.
August 10, 2012
I really wanted to like this book, I really did. I find the world fascinating and the writing is solid but I dislike the main character intensely.
I don't know if she's actually a hypocrite or if she just rubbed me the wrong way but I found it very unfair that she held everyone to these impossible standards and expected them to live up to it without knowing *why* they wanted to keep secrets but then when it comes to her it's different. I think normally I'd let her issue with her mother slide because abandonment issues are real, but just the way she deals with it.
And her not touching her trust fund money and acting like it's dirty money when it was a gift from people who consider her their daughter, I don't know, she just vexes me and I want to know if she's paying rent at the mansion cause either way she's still living off of charity even if she is working for them.
The story itself was fascinating and the way each 'team' operates is really interesting and the various pantheons can be fun but I don't know if I can put up with Nikki long enough to read the rest of the series.
I don't know if she's actually a hypocrite or if she just rubbed me the wrong way but I found it very unfair that she held everyone to these impossible standards and expected them to live up to it without knowing *why* they wanted to keep secrets but then when it comes to her it's different. I think normally I'd let her issue with her mother slide because abandonment issues are real, but just the way she deals with it.
And her not touching her trust fund money and acting like it's dirty money when it was a gift from people who consider her their daughter, I don't know, she just vexes me and I want to know if she's paying rent at the mansion cause either way she's still living off of charity even if she is working for them.
The story itself was fascinating and the way each 'team' operates is really interesting and the various pantheons can be fun but I don't know if I can put up with Nikki long enough to read the rest of the series.
April 29, 2012
I was very excited when I started to read this second installment of the series. I slipped back into this world seamlessly, not having too much trouble remembering the story from the previous book, about how Nikki finds out she is a descendent of Artemis, and immortal, as a result of killing (accidentally by her, but on purpose by the victim) one of her clients. I like the worldbuilding, and the mythology. I even liked the apparent love interest, and the current mystery about a descendent of Anubis who is killing humans.
What I really did not like, was the hemming and hawing that Nikki did over what to do with the killer. It turns out that he is taking out the Olympians, one by one. Since the Olympians raped her sister and raped and tortured Emma, one of her current housemates, and are systematically tracking down all the non-Greek God descendents of gods, it would seem that this is not a necessarily bad thing. But she doesn't think its okay, and does some foolish things trying to thwart him. It just didn't ring true for me.
What I really did not like, was the hemming and hawing that Nikki did over what to do with the killer. It turns out that he is taking out the Olympians, one by one. Since the Olympians raped her sister and raped and tortured Emma, one of her current housemates, and are systematically tracking down all the non-Greek God descendents of gods, it would seem that this is not a necessarily bad thing. But she doesn't think its okay, and does some foolish things trying to thwart him. It just didn't ring true for me.
May 17, 2012
First off I have to say I really enjoy reading this book from Nikki's point of view. Nikki reminds me a lot of Cat from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Jenna Black writes this series in first person so the reader can go into the mind of Nikki and read what she is thinking. Nikki doesn't put up with much and I find her sarcasm quite funny at times. :)
I liked the plot of the book. The "wild dog" attacks kept the book moving at a fast pace. The story line had plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing-and day dreaming- about what would happen next.
The only complaint I have is about Jamaal. I don't really care for his character. When Nikki first became a liberi, Jamal attacked Nikki on several occasions. Personally I don't think that's something I can get over when reading about their possible relationship.
The epilogue confused me a bit. It seemed to me like there might not be a book #3. I'll just have to wait and see. ;)
I liked the plot of the book. The "wild dog" attacks kept the book moving at a fast pace. The story line had plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing-and day dreaming- about what would happen next.
The only complaint I have is about Jamaal. I don't really care for his character. When Nikki first became a liberi, Jamal attacked Nikki on several occasions. Personally I don't think that's something I can get over when reading about their possible relationship.
The epilogue confused me a bit. It seemed to me like there might not be a book #3. I'll just have to wait and see. ;)
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