Devil's Kiss (Templar Chronicles, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Oct 05, 2010 Kay rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, ya-fantasy-paranormal

Sarwat's book hasn't gotten too much press outside the UK. I have no friggin' idea why though, because it is awesome. This was, seriously, some fantastic YA urban fantasy that I think would easily appeal to adults. Sure, Billi is only 15 - but she has had to grow up really fast and it has made her more mature than some of the adult characters I read! (*cough* Faythe *cough*)

Billi is fighting the good-fight against the demonic forces - and it comes with casualties. There are angels, vampires, wol Sarwat's book hasn't gotten too much press outside the UK. I have no friggin' idea why though, because it is awesome. This was, seriously, some fantastic YA urban fantasy that I think would easily appeal to adults. Sure, Billi is only 15 - but she has had to grow up really fast and it has made her more mature than some of the adult characters I read! (*cough* Faythe *cough*)

Billi is fighting the good-fight against the demonic forces - and it comes with casualties. There are angels, vampires, wolf-men and evil-spirits - it's like a seriously compact episode of Supernatural. It is fantastic to read - and has a few OMG! twists that you will never see coming.

There's a whole lot of biblical action - in fact, there is a whole lot of biblical references too. But what Sarwat does, which I found unusual in this new age of angelic!YA - was to include a lot of Muslim and Jewish myths and beliefs. Billi is also half-Indian, half-white - giving her a unique perspective on her role in the Templars.

Billi's "ethnic" background was just one of the many things that made this book so very "London-y". Sarwat Chadda recreates the city to a T - its multi-ethnic population just one of many things he got right! If you haven't been to London, you will visit it when you read The Devil's Kiss - and those of you who have, you'll love his references to tube lines, misty weather and dodgy characters!

So, while I thought the verse and setting were great, I did have some trouble connecting with major secondary characters. Billi was great - by the end of the book I really felt like I understood her. But her friends and family that she felt so strongly about? Well, they just didn't do it for me. It lessened the impact of some of the big scenes, and unfortunately made me bring this book down a star.

I have great hopes for the next book, The Dark Goddess, and can't wait to start it!

Bottom line? Kick-ass YA Urban Fantasy that will appeal to both adults and teens. The Devil's Kiss will keep you on your toes, wondering what the next page will bring!

http://deadbookdarling.blogspot.com/2... ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2010 Samantha rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

Billi has a lot on her plate. See, she's a newly minted Templar Soldier and now shares the fate of the world with a few other men (one of them her father) on her kick-ass shoulders. I'll try to keep my sarcasm to a minimum, because I did like this one, truly it was interesting to read, but still at times exasperating.

The things I liked: The writing. Chadda knows how to write some cringe-worthy scenes that can make your imagination work overtime. The gruesome scenes are appropriately gruesome, th ...more

Like · see review

Mar 22, 2010 The Flooze rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, vanquished_2011, ya_teen

**2.5**

Devil's Kiss is Sarwat Chadda's first novel. It's a decent debut to his UF series in terms of story, but I confess having problems with the characters.

Bilqis SanGreal is a member of the Knights Templar. Mind you, she has no desire to be. It's the family business, and so she has spent her entire life training to kill nasty, unholy creatures at the expense of a normal childhood. She has only one friend, little to no relationship with her father, and is surrounded by a bunch of warriors who **2.5**

Devil's Kiss is Sarwat Chadda's first novel. It's a decent debut to his UF series in terms of story, but I confess having problems with the characters.

Bilqis SanGreal is a member of the Knights Templar. Mind you, she has no desire to be. It's the family business, and so she has spent her entire life training to kill nasty, unholy creatures at the expense of a normal childhood. She has only one friend, little to no relationship with her father, and is surrounded by a bunch of warriors who don't approve of her inclusion in the first place. This sets Billi up as a difficult, resentful sort of teen. While I can understand her anger, it’s still very hard to connect with her. She is distant and contrary and often immature in her reactions. For a girl brought up to be a warrior, I’d expect more emotional discipline.

This is truly Billi's story. Supporting characters are barely explored because Billi is too ensconced in her resentment to let us know them. As a result, I cared little about the deaths that occurred and was even less concerned when Billi was in mortal peril.

The story centers around a cursed mirror, an ethereal being, and a cadre of ancient foes eager to cause havoc. As you'd expect from a book involving Templars, religion factors heavily: angels, the devil, and crucifixes galore. It's a genre niche I've been undecided on; Chadda hasn't helped me make up my mind. Meanwhile, the plot (which is NOT an angsty love triangle - despite the cover blurb‘s implications) moves along rather quickly but relies too heavily on Billi for its excitement level. Pitted against the major foe several times, Billi vehemently tries to deny her place in the grand scheme. She lacks a warrior's heart and so this reader was hard-pressed to accept her importance - or to understand how she keeps making it out alive.

Which brings me to an aside: why oh why do our heroes so often pause before delivering the killing blow? Especially when facing an enemy for whom he/she harbors no sympathy? It's a plot device I could gladly do without.

The book ends with most threads wrapped up, so I don’t feel an insistent need to read the next installment. My detachment from Billi doesn’t encourage me either, despite Chadda’s competent turn of phrase. I’m going to leave this series on the shelf.
...more

1 like · Like · see review