Sable Grace

I am loving the Greek mythology explosion in books as of late. I love Urban Fantasy and was attracted to this book because of the spin on Greek mythology. The authors decided to use the entire pantheon of Gods and Goddesses, the Fates, the River Styx and Charon, Tartarus, Cronus, etc., while adding vampires, lychens and witches into their mythical story. Our protagonist, Kyana, is a hybrid vampire/lychen, which means she is pretty bottom of the barrel in this world. However, because of her show more mixed heritage, she has the superior skills of both species and thus, becomes Artemis’ best tracer. Tracers work for the Order and find the Chosen, those who have been marked to absorb the power of the pantheon, as they are dying out.

Kyana is a tough pill to swallow. She is Alpha Female to the core and will not accept any help, comfort, etc. Her hard outer shell is soon explained, and as the reader, you are equally heartbroken and horrified by her experiences. As a social worker, I’ve begun to look at people differently, and this definitely crosses over into book characters. My perception of Kyana from the start was accurate, and my heart opened up to her as the story progressed. Aside from being spat upon by all other races, Kyana’s mixed heritage brings about some other, more personal issues. Vampires are not known for their commitment, and Lychens mate for life. Not a predicament I’d like to be in.

Ryker is the bastard son of Ares, God of War. Ares isn’t known for his gentle ways with women, and Ryker grew up hating the SOB. He’s only involved in his world at all because Ryker’s anger led him down a path of destruction, and his exquisite fighting skills attracted the attention of his father. Due to Ares’ treatment of his mother, Ryker vows to never become involved in a casual relationship. He’s in it for love or not all. Kyana and Ryker have an icky past that is relayed to us gradually and there is much bickering and strife between them throughout the book. However, the POV switches between them, so the reader is allowed a glimpse into their vulnerable sides. This allows us to feel some compassion for their situation and connect with them, all the while wanting to bash them on the head and scream “get on with it!”

Per Artemis’ rule, Kyana and Ryker unhappily team up to find out who the hell opened the door to Tartarus, letting all the big, bad uglies out into the world. More importantly, how did they get the key from a long dead and exiled Cronus? All in all, I enjoyed the book, albeit it took some time to become engaged. I thought the ending provided a nice segue into book 2. This book is Urban Fantasy, not Paranormal Romance. While we do get some tender scenes and a few hot, steamy ones, sex is not a major part of the story. A few prominent book bloggers did not finish the book, so you can see how widely varied our opinions and interests are. We can’t like them all! show less

The gates of hell have been opened, unleashing evil on humanity and the Gods of Olympus are powerless to stop them. Their powers are fading and their replacements are being systematically murdered, and all will soon be lost unless Kyana, and tracer's like her, can find the Chosen, and close the gates of hell.After a slow start, as Sable Grace establishes a multi level world crowded with Greek gods, witches, vampires, lycans, demons and more, the pace begins to accelerate and I was drawn into show more this well crafted story that blends dark urban fantasy with romance. With plenty of action, angst and romance the plot is complex yet uncomplicated. Kyana, a half breed, and one of the best tracer's for the Order of the Ancients, is charged with finding the key to Hell. Kyanna is all defiant attitude and kick ass ability which is admirable, but not immediately likeable, until the details of her tragic background emerge. The knowledge exposes her vulnerabilities and gives her motivations necessary context. Ryker, the son of Ares, is tasked to keep Kyana, who has a tendency to act first and think later, in line. Having previously tangled, Kyana is furious at being saddled with Ryker but the antagonism between the two hides a mutual attraction. I enjoyed the banter between the two, and found the development of their relationship satisfying, even though it is ultimately incomplete. The two form a good partnership, and Ryker has that appealing mix of Alpha ability and romantic sensitivity.The supporting characters include Geoff and Haven, both who have pivotal roles at the climax of the story.Ascension is a strong start to the Dark Breed series, it's approach is interesting and it provides an opportunity for it to grow in several directions. Urban fantasy fans will likely enjoy this exciting addition to the genre. show less

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: The gates to Hades had been opened, Kyana and Ryker must find the key to save the world.

Opening Sentence: Despite the chaos of the world around her, she couldn’t help but hum Queen’s “We Are the Champions” in her head.

The Review:

A debut author’s work can some times be a challenge. The lack of clarity in the author’s spoken voice can become cloudy or even worse a grammatical nightmare. To add to the recipe that is Sable Grace is show more the fact that this “author” is in fact a writing team of Heather Waters and Laura Barone. I’m absolutely delighted that not only does this book have drama, passion, great story telling but a wonderful sense of playfulness that grabs you about the heroine, Kyana. The opening sentence says it all. How can anyone not love a character that can hear Queen’s We Are The Champions, I know I can’t.

The complexity of the world that you are thrown into is astounding. There is a world being waged against all humanity because the gates of Hades have been opened and all the demonic minions have been set loose. Kyana is a part Vampire and part Lichen and her job is to track down “The Chosen” which are replacements for the gods. Kyana has been sent to track down these important humans before they are murdered. When we first meet Kyana she has discovered one of “The Chosen” and is thrilled to be able to bring her back alive.

Ryker is introduced to us as a demi-god and the partner that Kyana must accept if she is to undertake the quest to find the Key to Hades. To say these two have a history is an understatement. Their story is the continuous thread through out the entire novel but doesn’t take away from the complexity of the world the reader finds themselves in.

The juxtaposition of the characters in this book fascinates me: vampyres and demi-gods, mortals and lichens, Greek Gods and Magic. With every page I kept wondering what other twist this book was going to add to the equation. But even with this level of complexity and scope the book never loses focus on the object, to keep the reader entertained and yearning for more.

My only complaint is that I wish there had been a cheat sheet with a list of the Greek gods and their job, like Hades being the god of the dead and Artemis being the goddess of the hunt. The book gives you enough information but I wish I’d had a little more information readily available.

In conclusion, this novel is a must read if you enjoy Paranormal Romance, Mythology, Shapeshifter Romance or Magic. Sable Grace’s work has gone from not being on my radar to ensuring I must purchase next book in the Dark Breed series.

Notable Scene:

“And,” she said, the need to ooze out the venom inside her nearly crippling her, “for the record, you’re not the best. You’re just a product of nepotism. If your daddy wasn’t the God of War, you wouldn’t even be here–”

“Enough.” He straightened, suddenly looking too tall and broad for her comfort. Kyana found herself fascinated with the swirling silver in his eyes and the way the gray gave way to blood red. Ryker hissed. “Don’t underestimate me Kyana.”

“Back atcha, Ryker.”

Charon’s ferry putt-putted over the black, glassy river, coming to a bouncy stop at the dock.

Without touching Kyana, Ryker managed to swoop around her and board the ferry. “Come or don’t come, Kyana, but I have a job to do, and I’m not waiting for you to get your head out of your ass long enough to do it with me.”

FTC Advisory: Avon/HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Ascension. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. show less

This book surprised me. I went into this fully expecting a DNF, but I LIKED it! I am pretty picky and have lately been having a very difficult time finishing books I start read. This one kept my attention and I read it is a single day.

In this We have an array of paranormal and mythical type characters: vamps, demons, demigods, witches, gods, and more. I found all the species so awesome and interesting to read about. The romance was one that built with time where trust had to be earned. The show more characters were unique and I really liked them. There were a few times in the beginning of the book where I had to glance back to refresh my memory of who was who, but that could have (most likely) just been my over abused brain.

Recommended to fans of Kenyon's Dark Hunters and other paranormal romance or urban fantasy with romance. show less