rodrigorozelli

Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/05/13/... Publisher: Avon Publish Date: Out Now How I got this book: NetGalley I wanted to like this book, I really did. the blurb sounded really interesting, and I’m always a huge sucker for UF books. But for me, Ascension fell VERY short. Kyana is a half vampire half werewolf tracker for the Order. Her job is to track and find the Chosen people who can take over the roles of the Gods and potentially bring the world back to a somewhat stable place. But when the Gods realize that the demons pouring out of hell will just continue to keep coming, Kyana gets tasked with finding the key to hell and closing the doors. She gets paired up with Ryker, son of Ares and the one who ran away with her heart years ago. The two both have feelings for each other, but both are afraid to move forward with any kind of relationship, for a myriad of reasons. As the clues start coming in and Kyana and Ryker find more information about the key to hell, things heat up on all fronts. The world building in this book is VERY complicated (or at least felt that way). The gates of hell have opened, and the world has plunged into chaos. Once I got a good feel for the world, I really enjoyed all the little touches like the old mythology, the bringing back of the Greek Gods, and the way it all wove together in the story. I’ve always enjoyed books that bring Gods to life, and I did enjoy seeing the characterization of Ares, Artemis, the Fates, and Hades. That being said, I had a really difficult time connecting with any of the characters. Not one of them really came to life for me or grabbed me into the story. Kyana was a bad ass fighter and great heroine with a sword; but when it came to her being a real person, she just didn’t resonate with me. She was scared of Ryker and what a relationship with his would mean. Her only two friends were people she ended up hurting in the end (both inadvertently of course), and I just couldn’t seem to find any sort of reason to actually like her. Ryker stood out a little better for me, and of the few moments in this book I enjoyed, they were all centered around him. I think the biggest thing that I liked about Ryker was his constant struggle with himself. Being the son of Ares, and a General in his army, he was torn between the rage of being a warrior, and the desire to be something more. I liked the dichotomy of his personality, and the struggle he goes through trying to find his way. The relationship between Kyana and Ryker was almost painful for me. At no point did I ever really feel the connection between them. They both talked about their feelings towards one another, but I never felt as if they really had a connection. There was some definite tension between them, but I could never tell if it was sexual or just angst. Even when the two did finally get together, it wasn’t anything that resonated as being emotionally meaningful. The supporting cast of characters almost stood out better than the main ones did. Kyana’s only two friends Haven and Geoffrey were probably the two characters I liked the best, and their page time was limited. If Grace continues with a story line that includes those two more, it might help. However, with the way Ascension ended, I doubt that would be the case. For those who enjoyed Ascension, the ending does set up a sequel quite nicely. All in all, I wasn’t impressed with the first book in the Dark Breed Series. I would have liked to feel a better connection with the characters, a faster moving plot in the beginning and a better sense of feeling between the characters themselves. I give Ascension a D

2022-11-14 16:31