Darkness Becomes Her (Gods & Monsters #1)

Greek monsters and goddesses - I do love the genre. Mostly what I have come across has been of demigods or something related. So, the first thing that ensnared me about the book was that it was having this dystopian-paranormal feel but set in the present world. There is New Orleans - which I find so mysterious, sinister and magical - which after a set of hurricanes 13 years ago, has become a swamp-ridden city that the government washed it hands of. Now, bought by 9 families of the Novem, it's New 2 - a haven for the paranormal population of the world. Ari arrives in New Orleans after coming across information about her mother and being chased by a warrior who was bent upon killing her. But, then again, she is also a paranormal creature who is being sought after by the goddess Athena.

I admit, this book hardly made much sense in the start - things kept happening way too fast, there was that insta-love between Ari and Sebastian and between Ari and New 2. Seriously, one day in and she loves the swampy, dilapidated city so much? She even feels a loyalty to the family in the Garden District - why? I'll just not start with the Ari and Sebastian thing because that will just make me go into a rant. The things which redeemed the book were the mythology and world-builiding. I would love to see more history of the individual families or at least the three categories. And Ari's ancestry - wow, that was a shocker! Considering I have read so many Greek myths, I am ashamed it did not strike me earlier (like in the first chapter when they described her mother's hallucinations) so props to the book - the second half really picked up nicely and kept me hanging on each word. The ending was more or less ideal - and really sets the pace for the next book. I must add, making Athena the big bad - that's definitely new since everywhere else she is hailed as a goddess of strategy, wisdom and justice - how can someone so wise and just be malevolent, right?

So, overall, this book is a fresh take on Greek mythology and has a nice dystopian feel. I was actually trying to remind myself that on the other side of the Rim, the world was as normal as our present one.

Like the last book I reviewed I picked this book up during vacation back in July of 2012 and it sat on my shelf until recently (I really should stop doing this) and once again I really wish I had started it right away. This book had mystery (well if you don't know Greek Mythology very well it's a mystery) and a little bit of romance and even some kick-butt fighting.

This book takes place in New Orleans, only it isn't the New Orleans we know. After the hurricanes that destroyed the city the rich families of the city bought it from the United States and created their own place where they had control which was then renamed New 2. Only this isn't a normal city anymore.

This whole book we follow a girl named Aristanae around. She gets into a lot of trouble while trying to find out information about her mother and her father. People are after her, extremely powerful people who she doesn't even know and all she wants to do is find out why she's so different from everyone else, with her silver hair and teal eyes. When she goes to New 2 she meets a whole cast of interesting characters from the swoon worthy Sebastian Lamarliere to little Violet with her pointed teeth who carries around an alligator named Pascal and Crank who is 12 years old and drives a mail truck.

The characters are all very likeable. Ari was kick-butt and while her search for who she really is took a paranormal turn, she is a very relatable character. Sebastian Lamarliere is distant and aloof at first but quickly opens up and we discover that aside from his obvious attractiveness he is a really caring and intelligent person. Violet was my absolute favorite character, she was so quirky from the alligator who is her friend to the fact that she wears mardi gras masks all the time. She trusts Ari completely and even fights to save her.

If you're a fan of Greek Mythology then this book is definitely for you. Even if you know the myth this story is based on you will have a quick, fun read that will leave you wanting the next installment in this series.(

First off, I want to say I have never read a book like this before. Every mythology book I have ever read had made the gods and goddesses the exact opposite of what this book did. And for that, I thank you Kelly Keaton. It was a refreshing twist on the normal YA mythology genre. And I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers ;)
Anyways, Ari is different from other teens her age. Her mother gave her up when she was a baby, she bounced around from foster home to foster home, and to top it off, her hair is white and her eyes are teal. So one day, she goes off to find out why all of this happened to her and her adventure leads her to New 2, a near future New Orleans where things are way different than what they seem. When she arrives at New 2, her life takes all sorts of ups and downs. She eventually finds out about the curse and it ends up being wayyyy more than she bargained for.
This book was filled with suspense to the very end. I kind of felt like there wasn't too much going on, but when there WAS something happening, it was a BIG something. Also, it was a little frustrating because I knew what the big curse was from the get go, but that's because I'm a nerd and I knew about that person's curse already lol
What I enjoyed the most, was the fact that this book was definitely thoroughly researched. Everything from the gumbo, to the over ground cemeteries, to the Mardi Gras parades to just everything. Being that I'm from Louisiana, I was really blown away on how much she knew. Everything that she knew about "The Rim" and everything was just perfect.
The characters in this book was also amazing. They all had their own unique personalities and they all brought their own "something" to the story. The fact that they were all "very" different made the story even more interesting.
This is one story that will leave you hanging on to the very last word. It opened my eyes to a whole new way to do mythology in YA lit.

Previously published on my blog: http://fictionfervor.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/review-darkness-becomes-her-by-kelly-keaton/

I don’t think that it’s any secret that I automatically add fantasy books dealing with New Orleans onto my “to be read” list. But even if Darkness Becomes Her didn’t even mention New Orleans or Louisiana at all, I still think I would fall in love with it.

Darkness Becomes Her centers around a dystopian New Orleans, renamed New 2 … and everything is not as it seems. And when Ari, our protagonist, travels there to find the answers to her mysterious past, it turns out that the Novem, the owners of the strange city, are vampires, shapeshifters, and warlocks. And they have the answers to who she is.

Plot was never lacking at all in this novel. As soon as I cracked open the first page, I immediately fell into that sweet action that I love so dearly: Ari learning more of her mother’s death. And soon after that, Ari encounters even more action-packed incidents that mark her as a kick-butt protagonist. And not to mention the entire mystery that Ari faces: who is she? Why is her appearance so appalling? Why did her mother and her grandmother and her great-grandmother all die at the young age of twenty one? And will she be next to follow?

New 2 was a very believable setting for me. Even though I’d gasp to think that my beloved New Orleans would turn into such a disaster in the future, I could believe the setting. There was still my French Quarter. There was still Jackson Square. There were still my favorite places. The only difference was that they were different. They were changed.

Ari has become one of my favorite heroines. Other than the fact that she is kick-butt (she’s seriously pro with killing hunters trying to kill her), she’s beautiful, though she doesn’t think she is. Described with long silver hair and teal-colored eyes, she’s unique. And striking, especially to Sebastian, the dreamy love interest in this novel. Sebastian’s dark, mysterious, brooding – and not to mention hot with smoldering eyes. It’s a pity I can’t claim him as my boyfriend because he and Ari sure have those melting-chocolate feelings for each other. Though I’m a little upset that he and Ari hit it off so quickly (practically on the same day they met each other), their romance is fierce and romantic at the same time.

Darkness Becomes Her is a must for any paranormal and mythology lover out there. You’ll love the fiery romance and the mystery keeping you at the edge of your seat. You’ll love how Kelly Keaton manages to combine both paranormal, mythology, and dystopia in one. And you’ll love our kick-butt heroine Ari.

Source: copy read online at Pulse It

“I absolutely love the world created in Darkness Becomes Her! Love it! It's so luscious and intriguing, I loved learning about it. The minor characters were amazing too, my favorite being Violet. She was so cute and I loved her obsession with masks! I also liked the female lead, a lot! There were a few things about her that annoyed me a lot, but on the whole she was a strong lead who grew during the story.

Unfortunately a good setting, lead and minor characters don't make a book. This is where Darkness Becomes Her was lacking. For the most part I enjoyed the book but there were two things that stood out and annoyed me a lot.

1. Ari and Bastian's Relationship. I mean really! Come on. Seriously. It moved WAY WAY WAY to fast. I absolutely hated it! I spent the whole book hoping that something would happen so they wouldn't be in love. I was actually happy when Ari thought that he couldn't love her when he found out what she was, I thought, "Ooooh, now maybe we'll an interesting romance". Alas, he was only going to get help. Anyway, it went from. "I hate this guy" to "Let's make out!" Ugh. And then she kept going on and on about how perfect he was and blah blah blah. It seemed out of character and was just plain annoying.

2. The plot. Ok, so this one is a bit harder to pinpoint. I enjoyed the plot and for the most part it seemed to fit. But towards the end it seemed really jumpy, plus there was a certain part where it seemed like it should have been the end of the book and there was a major lull, yet there were still 80 or so pages left, so it just was weird for me. Also in the middle it got confusing, but maybe that was just because I took a week break between reading it and read other books during that time. Still it was a bit hard to understand at some points.

Anyway, other than those things I loved the book, and I am eager to read the next one. The first set up a good start to an interesting series.

Darkness Becomes Her was a pretty good read. The story was pretty fast-paced and held my attention. Ari is a powerful heroine, which is always a good sign. Seriously, she kicks way more butt than anyone else in the story, especially when it comes to close-range fighting. Ari is a pretty sympathetic character for the most part, although there was one chapter where she went to a vampire party that made me a bit irritated with her.

The story building was a little weaker. Taken in sections it's pretty cool, but, all in one book, it didn't really work for me. First of all, there is New 2. There was a series of devastating hurricanes that effed up New Orleans. Afterwards, the government abandoned the city as too costly to restore, so a group of nine wealthy families (The Novem) purchased the city. They fixed up some of the city and made it a safe haven for special folks, because the Novem consist of three witch families, three vampire families and three shifter families. Paranormal: check.

Then, as you read on about the curse and everything, you learn that there is another facet to the plot. Greek gods and other figures from mythology are totally running around and doing awful things. Definitely important to remember that Athena is not just the Goddess of Wisdom, but also the Goddess of War (which I always thought was a bit of a stupid combination, although wisdom is good for strategy). Mythology: check.

So basically, this story has every possible magical/paranormal/powerful being possible. While all cool, the combination really just didn't work for me. I think the story would have been a lot stronger with either just the first section or just the second. Overall, a fun, if a bit silly, teen read. A second book is in the works, judging from the ending of this one, and I do intend to give it a shot.

I read this book in one sitting.

I don't think I can possibly overstate how much I love this book.

I love this book.

I had no expectations when I started it, and I was just blown away. The post-apoc world of New Orleans is so haunting and vivid. I felt like I was there. The characters are compelling, flawed, and interesting. And the plot twists are perfectly paced. This is the kind of book that stayed with me for DAYS after I finished reading. So beautifully atmospheric. Read this.

The story is amazing! Being in New 2 (New Orleans rebuilt) and encountering characters with a plethora of powers made me feel like I was right there with them. Ari evolves throughout the story, starting out as a foster child all her life and becoming a savior/weapon once she uncovers more of her past. Overall, it's an amazing read for those that love a supernatural twist to a coming of age story where a young girl uncovers her destiny.

Literally as soon as I was done with the last page I hopped onto my computer to find out when the sequel would be out!