Review: A Beautiful Evil (Gods & Monsters #2) by Kelly Keaton

Ari is back, and this time she seeks vengeance.

Title: A Beautiful Evil (Gods & Monsters #2) by Kelly Keaton
Pages: 285
Release Date: February 21st 2012
Published by: Simon Pulse
Source: Publisher (thanks Frances!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository


Summary:

Myth and mayhem inhabit a richly reimagined New Orleans in this sequel to Darkness Becomes Her.After the epic graveyard battle at the end of Darkness Becomes Her, Ari and her friends know what they’re up against: Ari is facing the Medusa curse and is haunted by the image of what she will become. To make matters worse, the heinous goddess Athena has kidnapped young Violet and is threatening to destroy Ari.

Ari, along with the superhot Sebastian, is doing everything she can to learn more about Athena and to get Violet back. But the battle of good and evil is bigger than she realizes, and she’s about to be pulled into a world more horrific than she could ever imagine....

If you think the Greek Gods are demented, then I take it you haven't met Athena?

World, meet a Goddess who has gone off the deep end. The Goddess of War, Athena. And she really does mean war.

Let me just say this: Athena is one disturbing Goddess. You read stories where Gods and Goddess are supposedly detached from a lot of things and emotions, but Athena just brings the word disturbing to a whole new level. She's cunning, cruel and pure evil inside out, but her character stayed true to being a Goddess of Warfare, Strategy and Culture, which unfortunately made her almost infallible. Almost, but not quite. I hated her for all the ways and means she can break down a person, and for all the holds she has on even the most powerful people in existence. She's the perfect antagonist, and she's a Goddess!

I loved Ari then, I loved her even more now. The true strength of Ari's character was brought out in A Beautiful Evil. She was broken and put back together in the most horrific and painful of ways. There was only suffering and despair waiting for her throughout the novel, so I can only imagine how strong she had to be mentally and emotionally to get through all of it. How she was able to endure the physical, emotional and mental assault of Athena was astounding and admirable, and just made her one of my most favorite heroine ever. Ari's the perfect blend of a kick-ass heroine who can also be emotional when she needs to. Ari doesn't pretend to be strong, in fact she spends quite a lot of time worrying about her powers, feeling lost and confused and fearing what Fate has in store for her when she turns twenty one. But she's persistent and she would do anything for those she loved, even if it means sacrificing herself. She knows how to fight back and she's not one to go down without a fight!

Ah, Sebastian... Sebastian. How can I describe you without letting out a sigh and swooning? His character finally unraveled in this book, and I am impressed with what I saw. Sweet, caring Sebastian who stayed by Ari's side even when he was fully aware what Ari is and will become. I loved his 'we'll face it together when the time comes' attitude and he's a steady force and a rock to lean on when Ari gets lost. One of the reasons I loath Athena in this book is seeing the way she manipulated and tortured everyone into the brink of death, robbing them of their choices to become what they want to, and that includes Sebastian. He went through A LOT for Ari and for New 2 and what he has become in the process makes me feel a little bit skeptical but then again, I loved this warlock-vampire from the first time I've read of him. Let's see what happens.

Ari has found great allies in this book, new and old and I loved all of them! Violet is making a comeback, and Henri is still his surly, French self. I want to see more of Menai, and a few Greek Gods and Goddess made appearances which gave the book more of a mythological feel to it. The few but heart warming scenes between Ari and her father, Therion, gave me a little bit of hope while reading through. It wasn't easy to continue reading especially when you think Athena is single handedly destroying everything and it all seemed like a big part of entertainment for her.

Once again, Kelly Keaton impressed me with the way she was able to blend bits and pieces of mythology to the present, making New 2 and GD a very fascinating backdrop against the war between the Gods and the monsters they have created. New Orleans was reinvented into a place where Gods walk among people, where the aftermath of destruction gave birth to an otherworldly place and bewitching inhabitants of all kinds, both dangerous and harmless, live alongside each other.

With epic battle scenes and countless fleeting romantic moments, Kelly mastered the craft of creating scenes where one moment I feel terrified and angry and sighing with love and contentment the next. Filled with explosive, heart stopping action scenes and numerous twists and turns that made me devour this book in a flash, A Beautiful Evil is a great follow up to Darkness Becomes Her. Characters you loved in Darkness you will love all the more in this sequel, and you will be wishing the characters you hated in the first book completely dead in this second book. Kelly Keaton re-invented mythologies and wrote a rich, captivating story the second time around! The first book was good, but the sequel is even better!

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Visit a re-imagined New Orleans and prepare to be enthralled by the myth and the intrigue surrounding such a captivating place!

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

A Gorgon? It's Ari!

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.