Pros and Cons by Jenna Black

Pros and Cons by Jenna Black

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
E-book: 82 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Pocket Star
Release date: February 25, 2013

Series: Nikki Glass #2.5

Source: Review copy from publisher

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon

An original eNovella in the acclaimed Nikki Glass urban fantasy series, taking place between the events of the novels Deadly Descendant and Rogue Descendant.

As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down—but this time, her latest case leads to unexpected revelations of lies and betrayal...

Coming in at 82 pages, PROS AND CONS is a nice, quick story to tide you over until the release of ROGUE DESCENDANT, the third book in the Nikki Glass series. It doesn't have much to do with the overall series story but it does reference events from DARK DESCENDANT so you may not want to read PROS AND CONS if you're not caught up.

In this e-novella, Nikki gets back to her pre-Liberi roots, working a case as a private eye. She decides to take a case no other P.I. will touch when she tackles Heather Fellowes' problem: tracking down a man she met in a bar with only his first name to go by. Being a Nikki Glass story, it's not a straightforward situation but Nikki does a great job of realizing there's more going on and this leads us on a short but satisfying adventure. I really enjoyed being back in Nikki's world and this case proved to be a welcome diversion from the bigger problems on Nikki's plate, for both me and Nikki.

With such a short story it's hard to find a lot to say but I'm confident fans of the series will enjoy this snippet into Nikki's life. We get to see her in her former glory, though parts of her new life do seep in. It may be possible to read this without being familiar with the series but I wouldn't encourage it since there are allusions to the two preceding novels and to series mythology that isn't explained in great detail. You'd be much better off starting with DARK DESCENDANT and working your way forward from there if you're interested in sampling the Nikki Glass series.

PROS AND CONS has done an excellent job of whetting my appetite for the next novel-length instalment in Nikki's story. You'll find me at the bookstore on April 30, getting my copy of ROGUE DESCENDANT!

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Posted by jenn at 06:03

 Gods, Jenna Black, Review, Simon Schuster  Leave your mark

Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black

Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black

Book Stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban fantasy
Mass market paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Pocket
Release date: April 24, 2012

Series: Nikki Glass #2

Source: Review copy from Simon & Schuster

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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 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 backwards may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.

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!

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Posted by jenn at 07:11

 Gods, Jenna Black, Review, Simon Schuster  7 People left their mark

Giveaway: Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black

Thanks to Simon & Schuster I have 3 copies of Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black to offer you!

It’s the sequel to Dark Descendant, which I own but haven’t read yet *shame on me* but I think it looks awesome!

Here’s more about the book:

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 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 backwards may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.

Read an Excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

3 copies up for grab

US only

Ends on May 2nd, 2012

To enter, obey the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Posted by Tynga at 08:48

 giveaway, Jenna Black, Simon Schuster  12 People left their mark