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From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she’s an immortal huntress.
Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . . Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . . .
Jenna Black is the author of Dark Descendant and Deadly Descendant, the first two novels in her Nikki Glass, Immortal Huntress series. She is also the creator of the popular Morgan Kingsley urban fantasy series, the Guardians of the Night paranormal romance series, and the Faeriewalker young adult fantasy series. She once dreamed of being the next Jane Goodall, until she realized that primates spend 80 percent of their time not really doing anything. She moved on to such pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation before becoming a full-time writer of fiction. She lives in North Carolina. Visit her website at JennaBlack.com.
Oh My Gods. Don't let the title fool you into thinking this is another series about demons, witches, or vamps. The name doesn't do the premise justice. Dark Descendant is an excitingly gritty mix of mythos and urban fantasy.
Nikki Glass is a bloodhound in the P.I. business, but her current client is hoping to give her more than a commission. After an accident and near death experience involving her, and her latest employer, strange things start happening. She starts seeing iridescent tattoos on certain people, including herself. Her aim is dead on 100% of the time, and two rival tattooed factions are vying for her time and allegiance. Turns out Nikki is a mortal descendant of Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Descendants like Nikki are rare and can become immortal, one of the Liberi. But there's a catch. One that Nikki may never forgive herself for.
Jenna Black puts a new spin on Heroes. Creating a refreshingly new series out of an eclectic array of mythology. I always love that first book in a series where everything is being developed, the world building, story threads, histories, and players. Black doesn't disappoint. The story is fast paced, and set in the D.C. area. There was a lot of background on Nikki that provided a strong foundation on her personality. Glass has to seriously reevaluate her traits and demeanor as her past definition of herself is altered by supernatural revelations. Using a blend of gods from different cultures really lends it's self to more diverse characters. The supporting cast is just as interesting with descendants of Eros, Kali, Loki, and Zeus just to name a few.
The only thing I didn't like was how often the main character was unarmed. For someone with Nikki's small stature and god given skill set, I find this to be a problem. While I like Nik's resourcefulness, I can only support the David slays Goliath routine for so long. I do hope Nikki gets some better hunting gear like a holster for her gun and vest to hold her phone and stuff. Carrying around a backpack and leaving or dropping her gun in an inconvenient place just seems like a rookie mistake. Maybe when we next meet Nik she'll be more of a pro.
Overall I thought the concept was great. I know Jennifer Estep was doing a YA series with characters like these, and Rick Roidan's Percy and Lost Hero books are some of my favorites as well. So finding an adult series was very exciting to me. There was a lot of world building, but I thought the storyline was woven in there well. It was compelling and entertaining. I am looking forward to the next book to see where Black takes things. I think Nikki has only scratched the surface of her abilities, and a clear path for an overall storyline has yet to be revealed, so I am definitely staying tuned in for that.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The past few weeks I've been slowly plowing my way through the first two installments of the Alex Craft Series from Kalayna Price. I thought I was losing some of my book-reading craze, and almost decided to stop reading for a while just to gain back my interest in all things urban fantasy. Almost! Well, I finished Dark Descendant in about two days. It was that engaging. This goes to show that the author does make all the difference! Jenna Black's writing makes the pages flow effortlessly. Nikki Glass discovers that she is a mortal descendant from the Gods, and unwillingly gains the immortality of one of the Liberi/immortals. Her story continues to unfold as she learns more about the Liberi and their politics. Jenna Black introduces the reader to a very interesting and well-developed cast of characters. If I had to give a critique, I would say that the plot wasn't overly complicated. There are no moments where you find yourself scratching your head, wondering what is going to happen. There are a lot of male characters, but for a change our heroine doesn't get involved romantically with any of them, not even a kiss. Way to break the mold! No ghosts, fairies, vampires, or werewolves here, just very interesting immortals.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BookHounds
Posted May 22, 2011
Nikki is a private investigator specializing in skip traces and missing persons and she is exceptionally good at her job. Nikki's own history is brought to the front of the story when she accidentally kills her client while trying to help him save the person Nikki was hired to find from a cult. While badly injured she is met with more injury from one of the "cult" members upset that she has killed his best friend. This turns out to be no ordinary "cult" and is instead the descendants of mythological gods and goddesses from all cultures. You will be quickly sucked into this world where there are both good and evil descendants and Nikki is trying to figure out which she should align herself with.
This is a quick read and I finished it in one night! The story really moves fast and there is no lack of action and it is nicely woven with Nikki's back story. She had been abandon as a child and is taken in by a wealthy family, but feels guilty about their money and doesn't touch her trust fund. The fact that she has no interest in money. provides some great plot points for the story so far. Another interesting point is the members of the group she has taken up with. Anderson, who no one can figure out, sets her on a personal investigation to find his missing wife and let Nikki prove her worth. There are lots of interesting characters that I think will provide great tales to come.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Dark Descendant is a decidedly original work of fiction. Yes, we've all read stories that somehow relate to the gods of Greek mythology. However, I can safely say that none of those stories were quite as unique as Jenna Black's first novel introducing Nikki Glass, private-eye extraordinaire.
Through a twist of fate, Nikki Glass finds herself thrown into a world of immortal beings and Greek god descendants. She doesn't know of her heritage from the goddess of hunting, Artemis, until she meets the Liberi. Stunned into disbelief of her new powers Nikki runs and finds herself stuck between the harsh, cruel Olympians and the safety of her adoptive sister.
I must say that for all the trouble Nikki had to deal with because of her heritage, she didn't exactly show much power. At least, not anything tangible like lightning bolts or bursts of white energy. So she can track people down with 100% accuracy, but I refuse to believe that is the extent of her powers. Nikki isn't particularly a tough girl. I like my heroines to be confident, defiant, and not afraid to admit when they're wrong. I didn't see that in Nikki. Sure, she was confident in her skills, but she compare herself to her sister too much for my liking. Nikki did have redeeming qualities like showing sympathy for people who may not have deserved it. She calls it a bleeding heart, but I call it compassion. She seemed to relate to one of the most volatile descendants, even after he tried to kill her!
I'm a little sad there's no romance in the story. Not as much as I'd like anyway. Black definitely gives readers a reason to drool over the pages of Dark Descendant in the form of Anderson Kane, the leader of the Liberi and a few other housemates like Blake, the descendant of Eros, and Jamaal, the descendant of a death-god. I'm holding out hope that my wishes of romance will come true in book 2 of Nikki's story, Deadly Descendant.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 19, 2011
Stayed up all night just to finish it! Amazing! Wish there was more!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 28, 2011
This book was worth the purchase. I cant wait to read more of the series to come
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Nikki refuses to believe that she is descended from a god, but how else can she explain her survival after wrapping her car around a tree - or how quickly her critical wounds healed? It is a lot to digest, and when her newfound powers draw the wrong sort of attention, Nikki has to determine who she can trust to give her the truth - and who would rather see her deader than dead.
The plot begins rather slow, but quickly descends into a whirlwind of suspense and action as the characters start to showcase the full extent of their powers and unmask some of their mystery. Jenna Black builds dark and delicious mythology that I found exciting to discover, although I wished there was a little bit more humor included and a little less serious. I wished we had more character interaction because it was hard to garner much attachment to those we hardly saw. DARK DESCENDANT gives a good start to this new series, although I need to see how Book 2 turns out before making a final decision!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.8966935
Posted May 8, 2011
the book left alot to be desired but it was a great page turner! it seemed to be a tad bit repeative (her height of 5'2 probaly came up at least six times in a span of five chapters it was annoying how these little thongs kept repeating but other than that and the fact that jamaal couldve been more of a bad guy that could possibly be ur soulmate type of guy it was a good book and i would defintly recommend it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 26, 2012
Clever story line, fast paced, action packed, I went staight to the next book! Go for it, you won't be disappointed.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 9, 2012
such good book i have already read it 3 times, and finally the second book it's out!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 14, 2012
Good intro to a new series. Looking forward to the next book.
Anonymous
Posted April 8, 2012
I finished this in one read, I couldn't put it down. A nice change from other paranormal series, not a single vampire or werewolf or faery. Had nice character development without the heroine having to have a love interest. Not that there isn't some potential for one, but it wasn't rushed. This series has lots of promise!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.TonyaG2009
Posted March 26, 2012
Wonderful fast pasted read. I picked up this book since I was having trouble getting through another one and read it in less than 2 days. Non stop action!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Otterina
Posted August 29, 2011
All the things I look for in an adult "child of the gods" structure. No unlimited poof he woke up & it was a dream. Complex characterization. I am deeply involved in Nikki Glass, Steph Glass, Jamaal, Anderson & Maggie. There is far more ground to be covered in this war of immortals.. I hear faint footsteps implying limited parental aid & a lot of learning to accept the worth of human kind & their technologies. Of course educating multi thousand year old alpha males to accept modern female skills & insights will provide for a LOT of "spiked" humor... 2,000 years ago a thrown shoe did not have reinforcing stainless steel spike heels.. better catch on boys, those changing fashion trends could hurt a boy if aimed correctly.. and a Huntress' aim is never off... What other pantheons await exploration? Will the parents ever free the Tree of Life? So many questions to answer, so many pages to fill... Where is my next course? I can hardly wait for the full moon when the Huntress flies free...
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Posted July 30, 2011
So i really loved this book, can anybody reccomend any on es like these. Thankz(:
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 27, 2011
I loved this book so much that i wished i hadn't read it until next year. I can't wait until the second one comes out. It's a great read for everyone! I hop Nikki ends up who i hope she ends up with and who i thinkshe up with.
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Posted October 25, 2011
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Posted July 4, 2012
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Posted May 22, 2011
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Posted May 22, 2011
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Overview
From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she’s an immortal huntress.
Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . . Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped ...