Deadly Descendant (edition 2012)

Good.. it leaves you wanting more.. but it didn't quite satisfy. rather like a Twinkie. ( )

Second books in a planned series are quite a tricky maneuver in my opinion as the world building has already been started in the first book and the series isn't ending. Happily enough Deadly Descendant blew the first book out of the water in my opinion and left me wanting more! In this installment, Nikki is up against a mysterious man who seems to be causing random fatal "wild dog attacks". Interestingly enough, these aren't actual wild dogs but instead are deadly jackals which have the ability to harm even an immortal like Nikki herself. Nikki will have to figure out who is controlling the jackals while also keeping herself out of harms way. But who better than an immortal descendant like herself??

As soon as I cracked this book open, I knew that I was going to be well and truly hooked. The story started off with a bang and just kept going throughout. I love a book that keeps me turning pages without taking the time to check and see how far along I am or how many pages I might have left. This was one of those books. I just HAD to see what was going to happen next and I was finished before I knew it. I loved that while Nikki is still learning about her new abilities and skills, her character grew stronger and more self confident in this book. She was more kick-ass which is never a bad thing in my opinion :) I also enjoyed the fact that the author took strands from the first story and really tied them into this storyline. I'm curious to see what will happen in the next book especially in regards to Anderson and his wife. Hmmm...the plot thickens. And Jamaal. Yum! I seriously hope that we get to see more of his character in the 3rd book and learn more of his history. I'm so intrigued!

Overall, this was an amazingly strong follow-up to Dark Descendant! I. Need. More! I love the way the author was able to continue on the storyline from book one without telling it all over again. I'm anxious to see the way the ending of this book will play out in regards to the next book. I want more of Nikki and Jamaal! I just plain want more of this series! The series is fresh and different from a lot of what is out there in urban fantasy which makes me like it all the more. And I really enjoyed the fact that this book was darker and grittier than the first. Because you should all know by now that I love a dark urban fantasy series. My favorite! Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: A surprisingly good follow-up to Dark Descendant and actually WAY better than Dark Descendant if I'm being honest!

Disclosure: Checked out from my local library. ( )

Deadly Descendant takes on the same easy pace as its predecessor, Dark Descendant, but with more heat, action, and emotion! Jenna Black gives readers a greater look into some of Nikki's Liberi housemates, especially, Jamaal. Jamaal is a very out of control character and completely mysterious in the first book, so it's intriguing to see him slightly open up and drop his guard around Nikki.

The assignment Nikki is handed in Deadly Descendant is creepy and just a little shy of downright scary! The crazy descendant of the death-god Anubis is on the hunt and armed with powers unfamiliar, and very harmful, to Nikki and some of the Liberi. The plot leads readers to believe that Nikki might not be able to succeed this time because there is more than one foe working against her. Anderson's traumatized wife is letting her claws show, but this unexpected twist is entertaining and adds to the overall build of suspension. The novel's conclusion is clever, leaving readers excited, awed, and aching for more action.

Black has written the perfect sequel to Dark Descendant and its only a matter of time before she impresses urban fantasy fans with the next Nikki Glass installment.

Also posted on Lovey Dovey Books ( )

I was anxiously waiting for this 2nd book in the new series by Jenna Black. I was on the edge of my seat when reading the first book Dark Descendant, and it was no different in this book.

Overall, all of the fast-paced excitement, danger, suspense, and mystery are back along with a bit of romance and emotional drama that made this impossible to put down.

This book has solid characters, action, adventure, magic, and plenty of humor make this a must read for any fan of the genre.

For anyone who read book 1, I hope you buy this because you won’t be disappointed. If you have NOT read book one, go get it, read it, then you will WANT to pick this one up to find out what happens next!

***Mild spoilers for both books below this line.****

In Deadly Descendant, we return to the Liberi and Nikki Glass shortly after the events of book 1, and she is feeling pretty lost after all the events that took place. We learned in Book one that Nikki Glass is a descendant of the goddess Artemis the Huntress. She is also a private investigator - which makes her quite good at finding things.

Nikki is still trying to adjust to her new life, her immortality, and the power she doesn’t really know how to use yet. It’s not like it comes with a user manual. This is a thrilling sequel; there is a serial killer out and about killing innocent people, who just may be more than a human.

In this book, we get introduced to some new faces, as well as learn about some minor characters from book one: Jack a descendent of Loki is the trickster of the group. Cyrus (he’s an Olympian), the son of Konstantin, who seems to have a past with Blake, and an up and coming power in the Olympians group, and Emma, well, her psychotic episodes of anger are fueled by her need for revenge against Konstantin, and until she gets what she wants... well Nikki seems like a good target, so plenty of stress here for Nikki, and Emma’s unreasonable jealousy toward Nikki is certainly undeserved. Emma is a dangerous enemy to have. That’s all Nikki needs, another enemy!

Nikki and Jamaal, wow is one word to describe them. 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 two. The insight into his past, the way he is slowly opening up to Nikki, and vice versa had me hanging on every word. They are so alike, and oddly enough they seem so good for each other. I really do hope this relationship will grow in the next book. To me it seems they NEED each other.
Overall, very exciting.
Check out my blog for more reviews and other reading related stuff http://concisebookreviewsbymichelle.blogspot.com/ ( )

I was pretty quick to pick up DARK DESCENDANT, the first Nikki Glass novel, when it came out last year even though Jenna Black has been hit or miss for me in the past. I thought the world she created sounded like a lot of fun and for the most part, it was. I was quite excited to see DEADLY DESCENDANT when it arrived in the mail a little while ago because I wanted to know what was going to happen to Nikki next.

In this amazing world, there are people descended from gods from all of the pantheons around the world, each blessed (or cursed) with near-immortality and gifts based on their ancestor. And just like regular people, some are good and some are bad. The bad ones are the Olympians. They believe that only descendants of Greek gods matter and they're all about domination. The good ones are the Liberi. They're woefully outnumbered but they're more accepting and sort of left alone by the Olympians thanks to a deal between the two leaders, Constantin (Team Olympian) and Anderson (Team Liberi). Nikki was a very reluctant Liberi in DARK DESCENDANT but she's much more accepting of her place on the team and her new life in DEADLY DESCENDANT. Of course, the Olympians still want her since she's a descendant of Artemis, goddess of the hunt, which makes her a rare commodity, so Nikki's life is still constrained by forces outside of her control.

I thoroughly enjoyed the main mystery of DEADLY DESCENDANT: dealing with the "wild dog" attacks that are actually controlled by a descendant of Anubis. It unfolds in a very interesting way and it brings a lot of the characters' morals into question. Different characters -- Anderson and Nikki, in particular -- have different ideas about how this descendant should be dealt with and it's interesting to see folks butting heads over appropriate punishment for immortals.

There are also some excellent developments in Nikki's relationships with the rest of the Liberi. The sexual tension between Nikki and Jamaal is incredible and I loved watching Nikki try to find her footing with Anderson after learning his secret in DARK DESCENDANT. There are also some nice moments between Blake and Nikki, and Nikki and her sister Steph. The most challenging person in the Liberi mansion, though, has to be Emma. She's so angry and more than a little crazy and she's taking many of her frustrations out on Nikki.

DEADLY DESCENDANT builds on the world established in DARK DESCENDANT and creates something even more satisfying and thrilling. This book is packed with action, adventure, mystery, and character growth, and I can't wait to see where Jenna Black takes us next time. This series is a strong entry into the urban fantasy genre and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves stories rooted in mythology or kick-butt heroines!

http://www.tyngasreviews.com
http://ireadgood.wordpress.com ( )