Smash Attack Reads...Where Smash Attacks Books!

Read this review at Smash Attack Reads! http://www.smashattackreads.com/2011/05/review-ascension-by-sable-grace.htmlI 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 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!