Touch of Death (Touch of Death #1)

2.3

3.0 (2)

258 0

Write Review Add to favorites

Author(s)

Kelly Hashway

Publisher

Spencer Hill Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

12+

Release Date

January 15, 2012

ISBN

9781937053307

Buy This Book

Jodi Marshall isn't sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she's in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she's being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he's not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she's part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendants of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi's deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn't difficult enough, Jodi discovers she's the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can't figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Favorable Debut.

November 17, 2012

Overall rating

2.3

Plot

N/A

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

I have to be honest and say, this wasn't my favorite book. The idea of incorporating a sci-fi element into the mythology was interesting but if you're not a fan of zombies or necromancers (like me) than this probably isn't the book for you. As a whole, the story felt rushed and the world building was a little lacking. I also didn't think the main character, Jodi was as tough as she needed to be especially for someone whose been chosen to play such an important role. In fact, she came across rather whiny. Alex was a much stronger character but I couldn't help feeling like he never quite made it out of the "stalker" role he played in the beginning.

I know that this is the first book in this series so hopefully, the next installment will amp up the details and the "badness".

Good Points

Pretty cover.

Jen Top 10 Reviewer 415 reviews

Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0

User reviews

2 reviews

Overall rating

3.0

Plot

3.5(2)

Characters

3.0(2)

Writing Style

2.5(2)

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A(0)

Already have an account? or Create an account

Stars very slow, but gets better

January 11, 2013

Overall rating

2.7

Plot

N/A

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway
ARC received from Spencer Hill Press
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn

I was so excited to start reading Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway. From the blurb, I knew it would have everything I loved:

Mythology—Check
Sexy, mysterious guy—Check
Girl with strange powers—Check
My Fave Greek God, Hades—Check

Throw all these together with Medusa looming overhead, and you have Kelly’s book.

I will admit, it did take me a while to get into the book. For the first 100 pages, the writing was choppy—simple sentence after simple sentence. There were times I had to re-read sentences because they didn’t flow well, and that put a real damper on a fun idea. Add to that that there was an abundance of telling with very little showing, and it made for a rough start. However, after those initial 100 pages, the writing smoothed out and the romance and suspense took off, leaving me wanting to know what was going to happen next.

My favorite part of the story was how Medusa fit into the plot. I can’t think of another mythology book out there that focuses on Medusa or her descendants, so this was completely new for me; and I enjoyed seeing a different character in Greek mythology emerge. While we learn a bit about Medusa’s past and her descendants, there is still plenty to learn in the next book, and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Jodi was an up and down main character for me. There were times when I really liked her perseverance and her get-out-of-my-face attitude. She wasn’t the type of person to back down, and her strength really shows in her actions. While her attitude and strength were great attributes, I felt like there were times when she was a bit daft. I mean, how many people have to die right after she sees them for her to start wondering what the heck is going on? If that were happening to me, I’d definitely start to wonder, “Why me?” Now, of course, I wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that my blood was poison, but I wouldn’t think that it was all coincidence either. Jodi seems to not even notice the strangeness of it all until it is pointed out to her. I’m hoping that she will become more aware and quick-witted in the next book.

And, as always, I must talk about the guy. Alex—good-looking, mysterious, powerful. Just the way I like them, and what makes him even better? I know he’s hiding something. Why does this make him better, you ask? I don’t know…but there’s just something sexy about a YA guy with secrets. You can think I’m weird, go ahead—but if it weren’t so sexy, it wouldn’t be done over and over again. Am I right? You bet your butt I am!!! Alex has his jerky moments, but there are plenty of swoon-worthy ones, too. Here’s to hoping we can get a few sizzling scenes in book 2 (because I need way more than there were in this one).

Overall, I enjoyed Touch of Death once I got into the story and past the writing flaws. It was suspenseful and sexy, and I am really interested in how Jodi handles Hades in the future. Oh, and Hades is hot—so yay! Hades is by far my favorite Greek God (dark and uber-powerful---yeah!), so I am really looking forward to seeing more of him!!!

Jennifer Howard McCoy Top 50 Reviewer 108 reviews

Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0

Originally reviewed at Daydreaming Bookworm

December 28, 2012 (Updated: December 28, 2012)

Overall rating

3.3

Plot

N/A

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Originally posted at : http://perrytheplatypus1102-3daydreamer3.blogspot.com/

Check out my blog tomorrow to win a signed copy of this book.

**ARC Received from Spencer Hill Press in exchange for an honest review.**

Confession time!!!This ARC had been collecting dust on my shelf for more than a month.A sign that I really need to make a clean schedule for all my review copies.**Sigh**

But anyway,it's not everyday you find a book that exceeds your expectations.Most of the time I find the exact opposite happening with me.Touch Of Death is quite a wonderful read if you're into Greek mythology.I liked how the author used a little known myth about Medusa and Ophiuchus as the highlight of the story.I for one,am a HUGE fan of Greek mythology and this myth got me really interested.So you can already see why I liked the world building so much.The characters were okay.I wish I could have liked the main character Jodi more,but I guess she wasn't exactly the type of character I usually like.But Alex,on the other hand,was a lot more fun to read about.The other characters were also fit perfectly into their roles,so I did not have any problems with them at all.Though the zombies did give me the creeps,but in a good way,if that even makes sense!

The story itself picks off fast,so you do not have to bother yourself with chapters of boring introductions,but I felt that it wavered a bit in the middle but then picked up its pace again towards the end.

Touch Of Death is what I would call a good quickie read.Highly recommended for fans of Greek mythology,paranormal fiction and zombie apocalypses.Definitely grabbing the sequel!