Excellent take on Greek mythology and Supernatural beings
355724
I recommend this series for any fans of Vampire, Supernatural beings and the " Good Guy monster killing Greek Gods"  Zeus as a big box store mgr, Hermes as a messenger, and a slew of wild characters. Main character is a former baker turned into powerful "monster"
174646
Pohler has a very approachable writing style that allows readers to focus on the story at hand. Her descriptions are vividly realistic. Pohler doesnt just tell you that her characters are in Greece, her words and descriptions transport you there. The different cultures we encounter stand out in stark contrast to one another.

Pohler has done a brilliant job of developing each one while building it into the storyline as a whole. She builds a fabulous and unforgettable new world for readers to get lost in. The melding of mythology, the paranormal, and a dash of mysticism is a heady mix and lends itself nicely to this story. Pohler makes Greek mythology her own here in a bit way. The pantheon is transplanted into modern day with a few very original twists along the way. I love her origins of vampires. Its very easy to grasp for those versed in Greek mythology or simply the story of Dionysus.

The main character portrays emotions in a very realistic manner. I love the fact that her decisions betray her age at every turn. She tries to follow her heart and do what she feels is right, but it rarely goes as planned for her. She cant seem to grasp the concept that shes pushing away those shes trying to help until its too late. This is completed with a fantastic and diverse cast of characters that you not only get to know very well, but who are outstanding individuals that Id love to meet in person. I love how Pohlers characters have actual conversations with one another. The dialogue is fantastic and spot on.

This is a novel that will be enjoyed by young adult & adult audiences alike.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
4373494
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! It was thrilling and put a new twist on Greek Mythology!
3012187
I'm only about halfway through this book and I love it. I've been looking for a book that has greek mythology in a modern setting (kinda like Gods Behaving Badly) into the story for a long time and I am so glad that I found this one! It's a really great book and if you like greek gods, evil cults, and wondering gorgons,you should give this a read.
1553397
I purchased both the paperback and the kindle version which says how much I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Goddess Test. I adore Greek Mythology and this book is an excellent addition to my collection. While not exactly like their myths, the personalities of the gods and goddesses are still there if not their age old stories. Having the advantage of reading the series once in its entirety, I can say that the author maintains the ability to weave a very captivating story. Kate, the main character of the series, shares her life beginning with her mother's battle with cancer. The last four years of Kate's life have been hard watching her mother struggle to survive against the trappings of cancer. With such great adversity comes a selfless, patient and loving personality in Kate. There isn't anything she wouldn't do for someone else's happiness. When Hades presents the life of her friend and her mother on a platter in exchange for Kate's hand in marriage, Kate jumps at the chance to save those she loves. However, in doing so she is saving far more than she realizes. Unfortunately, to be a true goddess, you have to pass the Goddess Test. If Kate fails, she will lose far more than she ever bargained for.
215084
This story pulls you in on the very first page!  It is a mix of today's supernatural beings along with Greek Mythology and is well told!  The author developed characters you want to root for and I just can't wait for the next book!  Good thing it comes out in just a few weeks!
4137991
I really enjoyed this weavjng of ancient history, mythological  fable and biblical  mystery. The heroine was a very imperfect kickass kind of lady who gets involved in a world of fallen angels and nephilum against her will. If you like ancient history, religious mysteries, and conspiracy theories, as well as myths like Atlantis and Helen of Troy, read these books!  Was not disappointed, and I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
2267848
What's better than a new series from one of my favorite urban fantasy authors (Kelly Keaton is the pen name of Charlie Madigan series author Kelly Gay)?  When that new series is a Paranormal YA about Greek Mythology that is being described as is part `Lightning Thief, part Twilight, and part Maximum Ride.'

Greek Mythology is looking the next hot thing in Paranormal YA.  There are at least a dozen books coming out in 2011 that play off the Pantheon of gods in one form or another and I couldn't be more excited to read them.  I can't reveal the unique mythological twist that DARKNESS BECOMES HER employs without spoiling a major revelation in the book, but it's fresh and exciting and delightfully messed up in the way only a Greek tragedy can be.

Ari is the protagonists here.  She's an orphan who bounced from one awful foster care situation to the next before landing with a loving couple who run a bail bonds company.  They provide her not only with love for the first time in her life, but also teach her the tricks of the bounty hunter trade including impressive (yet not unrealistic) fighting and weapons proficiency in preparation of her joining the business when she turns eighteen.  Those skills end up saving her life and others when she tracks down a lead about her birth mother in New 2, a semi-alternate New Orleans that was destroyed and then became home to the country's `freak' population of rumored vampires, witches, and shapeshifters.

While I understood Ari's personality, I found her prickly and bordering on waspish throughout most of DARKNESS BECOMES HER. She goes from zero to !@%&ing pissed off in seconds (*Note there is a abnormally high amount of profanity in this book than normal for the YA genre).  Understandable but annoying.  Then there's Sebastian, New 2 resident who ends up helping Ari.  Cool and calm despite dealing with huge responsibilities for a teenager, not to mention a frightening and uncertain future because of his unique heritage.  I absolutely understood Ari's attraction to him, but I didn't quite get Sebastian's attraction to her.

For mythology junkies, DARKNESS BECOMES HER delivers a great reimagining of some of the gods and myths in a fun, contemporary way that lends itself perfectly to the Paranormal YA genre.  The protagonist has her ups and downs, but in the hands of the talented Kelly Keaton, I'm confident that she'll mellow out after her growing pains.  The as yet untitled second book in the Gods and Monsters series will be published in February 2012.  I'm looking forward to it.

Sexual Content:
Kissing.  The events leading up to and immediately following a rape are described. References to child molestation.
2353337
I haven't read many books with the mythology theme and for one of my first ones I couldn't be happier! It took a while to understand the world and how humans interact and understand gods. But once you get settled with the world there is no stopping.
Hope is a monster. Or so everyone thinks. She is a Sphinx and is constantly being hunted for her curse. She has moved around her whole life and never gotten close to anyone. One day she decides to make friends and see why she can't stop thinking about the new kid Athan. But can she trust them or will this be a mistake?
I loved learning about the different gods and creatures. And every character was so interesting and hilarious. Hope grows into a strong independent woman. You see her strength and how capable she is of taking care of herself. While I definitely enjoyed the second half more than the first. Mainly just because of everything that was going on. I couldn't stop reading page after page just to know what would happen next. For the first in this amazing series by Raye Wagner it leaves you wanting more. I can't wait to continue Hope's story and see what happens next.
463311
I didn't think it was possible but The Dark Betrayal Trilogy really has a new spin on the supernatural! It is a little teen-girl-ish but that is fine because of how refreshing the books are themselves. Great back-and-forth flirting with the main characters and a good amount of action. I really enjoy all of the Greek Gods and the roles they play in these books as well.

Very well written. An excellent and enjoyable read.
2544243
Step aside vampires and werewolves, a new stomping ground has been slowly emerging in the paranormal genres: Greek Mythology.  Sable Grace (the pen name of Heather Waters & Laura Baron) doesn't just borrow one or two elements to create the Dark Breeds world, rather she incorporated the entire pantheon of gods and goddesses.  The whole book is really like an urban fantasy version of Homer's THE ODYSSEY.

Not to completely shirk tradition,  within this fabulous Greek Mythological world, vampires, demons, and shapeshifters exist as well.  The protagonist is a vampire/werewolf hybrid with about as big a chip on her shoulder as you can imagine.  It took me quite a few chapters to warm up to Kyana's uber alpha female personality.  There's tough and then there's insolent and Kyana tended towards the latter often enough that I wanted to smack her.  Her personal history offered an explanation for her behavior, but I was still relieved when she mellowed out halfway through largely due to her relationship with a demigod son of Ares.

Personally, I prefer to read about a couple's first meeting and go from there as opposed to picking up, in this case, a decade after Kyana and Ryker first met.  There are a lot of misunderstandings, long held grudges, and missed opportunities mostly because of pride and wounded egos that I would have just as soon bypassed entirely.  That being said, once they dealt with all that, I did get swept up in the romance between them.

Overall, Greek Mythology fans are going to be in Elysium (aka heaven) with this world.  The gods, the Fates, Tartarus, even Charon are integral parts of the Dark Breed world.  There's plenty of well crafted action scenes, and a romantic subplot that comes together nicely in the end.  On the flipside, the pace had a tendency to be a little manic at times, the protagonist was uber alpha enough to grow a beard for the first half of ASCENSION, and the supporting cast was less than stellar.  It balanced out as a good--but not great--read for me that fans of Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series will want to check out.

Sexual Content:
References to rape.  A semi graphic sex scene
572155
This is the first time I've read this author and plan to read more of the series.  This story is based on Greek mythology which is already an interest of mine therefore very enjoyable.  Some unexpected twists in the story made for an even better read.  Good development of both main characters although it took a while for the H to figure it out.  But what do you expect, he's an 'andras (male Argolean)
933805
Received from:  NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for:  Older children (4th grade and up) due to ghosts.

This was a great story.  It was a mystery with a ghost, a girl with super powers, and bit of Greek Mythology.  The mythology was explained very well for those who may not know the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.  Theirs is one of my favorite stories of mythology.

The characters and the plot were well-developed.  There was a fabulously wrought twist at the climax.  It was easy to lose myself in this story.  The extras at the end of the book are a bit of dessert at the end of a fine meal.  Do not skip any of them!
3671653
I have had a passion for mythology, and specifically Greek mythology since my 7th grade mythology class at McDonald Junior High School at Fort Knox, KY. In the years since those hallowed times of the mid-1970s, public perception of who and what the Greek gods of past millenia were all about has changed little. Or maybe a lot. I guess it all comes down to perception and interpretation. And whether you like Greek food or not.

I went into this book with the attitude of becoming reacquainted with some long-lost friends. One should NEVER start a book with preonceived notions regarding characters and plot. Nine times out of ten, it does not end well for the reader (unless it's a dull textbook and then you get exactly what you expected!). This book defied those odds and not only was what I expected, it went beyond what I thought I would get.

So, basically, Zeus has been killed and the Greek pantheon of Gods has returned to the public eyes and adoration. Several humans, a hod who believes there is a mass conspiracy going on amongst the surviving hods, and a rather vain, and somewhat endearing Muse take on the challenge of figuring out "whodunit" and can everything be undone. It is a very entertaining romp thtough the deserts outside of Las Vegas as well as in the city itself, a trip to Greece (how could Mt. Olympus NOT be a part of this story?), as well as a little side-visit to Switzerland.

With an epic battle between the Olympic gods and their predecessors, the Titans, this book gives a human spin to the gods and allows the reader to see they aren't all that different from mortals. Well, there is that "more attractive" thing the gods insist on. And more power to manipulate the world around them as well as the people who worship them. And the desire to "out-Zeus" all the other gods. But, other than those, the gods are regular people.

This book is a funny expose into the politics that many ruling parties- mythological or not- endure to not only remain in power, but to make sure that power doesnt fall into someone else's hands -whether they can do a better job of it or not. It's  a great read for fans of mythology and even those that believe it's a bunch of hogwash (which, if you listen to the gods tell it, those that don't believe are totally in denial!).
2052751
4 "Fire God & His Healer" Stars.

In the debut of a brand new series that reminds me of a grown-up version of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson Series, Felicity Heaton sets up an urban fantasy world on the verge of war. The heroes in this series are all brothers, sons of Hades and Persephone, and gods in their own right. Each has been banished by Hades from the underworld and tasked with guarding the gates from the mortal world to the underworld to ensure that only gods, demigods and others selected by Hades can enter the underworld and that the dead can never leave it. However, the daemons that have been excluded from the underworld are getting restless, and the worlds seem to be coming to a revolutionary time.

The main hero in this story is Ares. Ares has the power of fire among other powers. Although Ares has his six brothers (each has a different main power), he has led a pretty solitary life for several centuries due to the fact that his power makes him unable to touch anyone (including many of his brothers) without burning them. This also means he has been unable to have a relationship with a woman, even a goddess in that long.

During a normal patrol, Ares is attacked by a daemon, and a woman named Megan comes to his aid. She instantly garners Ares' brothers suspicions, when Ares awakes without his fire power and mysteriously healed by this woman who defies convention (as she appears not to be a demigod or other god who would have great power). As the crew of brothers set towards the goal of finding the daemon that stole Ares' powers to get them restored, Ares must also struggle between his personal desires for Megan and his obligations to his father to protect the underworld from unwelcome intruders. If he regains his fire power, he will never be able to touch Megan again. Can there possibly be a HEA under the circumstances?

I enjoyed getting to learn about this mythical world which is based on Greek mythology. The personal struggles, as well as, world altering circumstances looming in the background led to a sense of heightened suspense as to which direction this story would turn. I also liked that we get a glimpse at some of the struggles of the other brothers, including Valen, the hero of the next book (planned to be released around Valentine's Day 2017).

I can't wait to see how Valen resolves his perceived inability to love as well as to see how these gods continue to protect both the underworld and the mortal one in future books.

Source: Review copy provided for review purposes.
4363886
This was a brilliant read. I have always been interested in Greek mythology and was able to find this gem on the Amazon kindle store. Even if you are not even remotely interested in the topic, give it a shot, I am sure you will be better for it!
52711
Dive into the world of the Greek myths as one of the most well known stories is told in a new way.
I didn't know how Ms. Carter would remake the story and if it would be more traditional or modern, but she found a perfect balance which made this an overall great story.
What worked in The Goddess Test were the characters, they were interesting as well as engaging adding to the complexity of the story.
I found Kate to be a well throughout character with strength and vulnerable that I could relate to.  The choices that she had to make were understandable and I enjoyed the journey and how she grew as a person. Henry was as complex as Kate and I enjoyed learning about him, his past and who he truly was.
The relationship between Kate & Henry was intense and believable.
The plot was intricately done as well as complicated. Full of mystery and surprises.  I didn't know what was going to happen next and I enjoyed the ride.
Ms. Carter did a great job creating a fresh twist on the Greek mythology.  While the story was complex the writing wasn't. It was clear and easy to read, making the total experience enjoyable. I'm really looking forward to reading what's next on Kate's epic journey. Readers should defiantly give The Goddess Test a read.

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Originally Posted On Blog LiteraryCravings.com
Received from publisher for honest review via Netgalley