Seth O’Keefe has broken the laws of his god. He never thought he would sacrifice his own future to protect a Daughter of Isis. But when the Sons of Set discovered Natti is the Secret Keeper, he had no choice. Now, Seth and Natti are on the run from his father, who wants nothing more than to see Seth dead. With no allies, Seth turns to the Daughters of Isis for help, hoping they would protect Natti. But when they meet the Daughters, he discovers a secret that puts both their lives in more danger. Low on options, Seth sees only one possibility for survival. He must help Natti solve an ancient puzzle and find the secret name of Ra.
Natara “Natti” Stone is having a hard time swallowing the truth. She can’t believe what she has learned in the past twenty-four hours: Seth is a Son of Set blessed with charm; she is a Daughter of Isis blessed with a sliver of Ma ‘at; the locket her grandmother gave her holds an ancient Egyptian secret linking to Osiris and Isis. That along with being tortured and brutalized by the Sons of Set, she can hardly hold herself together. Thank God for Seth’s touch! That warm, tingling sensation that drowns it all out. Yet her heart struggles to stay focused. She must quickly embrace her destiny before the secret name of Ra falls into the wrong hands.
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Review:
Son of Set is the second instalment in Kelsey Ketch’s rich Descendants of Isis series and picks up almost instantly where the first book left off, again drawing the reader into a story where romance and attraction blend together with Ancient Egyptian gods and their ways to create a tantalizing and fast paced story you’re sure to love!
The Descendants of Isis series has been really fun to read so far. Personally, I really loved the first book and found I enjoyed Son of Set as equally as much. As a lover of all things Ancient Egyptian, Ketch appeals to this side of me that adores exploring their ancient myths and ideology; managing to take something so lush and weave it together in a modern setting with likable characters.
Son of Set is told in the third person, with the both Natti and Seth our focal points. Seeing the story unfold through both their eyes is an enlightening experience at times. We see both their individual struggles and fears, and I found it really interesting to see the others perception of certain events. Ketch does a good job writing conflicting characters that are deeply layered; especially where Seth is concerned and I loved struggling with my own perception of Seth and his actions.
Natti is a very likable character and she’s always been a strong one to follow. I truly like her as she is, but it was interesting seeing a different side of her in Son of Set. The abuse she suffered in her short time at the hands of Seth’s father Sean has had quite an impact on her physique and she is a very fragile young woman at the beginning of the book. Obviously this changes over the course of the story, but Natti struggles with whether or not she can truly trust Seth. Her questioning over his intensions and his ability to control her emotionally are something that are quite a focal issue for her. And really it’s quite understandable; Natti has strong feelings for Seth, physically and emotionally, but how much is actually her as opposed to what he makes, and sometimes forces her to feel?
The conundrum that is Seth O’Keefe continues to intrigue me in this book. Seth is one of those characters where it would be so easy to dislike him based on some of the things he does to get his way; either by force or coercion, but at the same time, the internal struggle he puts himself through make it really hard to do so. Seth has grown up his whole life holding himself in higher regards than the mere mortals around him. Those of influence in his life, especially his father, are cruel and manipulative; uncaring about others and constantly taking their free will away from them in the name of their god Set. And Seth’s always been told this is alright. Is it any wonder he continues to struggle as he does, at times giving in to his darker nature?
It’s not until Seth began to care about Natti as more than a mere sexual conquest in the first book that he began to question the world around him and go against what he’s been taught his whole life. Seth’s still making mistakes and still seems to fall into his old patterns at times, but I honestly feel like he’s trying. And it’s this attempt to better himself that tends to win my good graces—I just really like that Seth is so complex. It makes reading about him more powerful and exciting. I feel like I struggle along with Seth and sometimes want to scream at him when he makes a wrong choice, but as Seth’s decisions are becoming more and more for Natti’s benefit, I’m loving Seth more.
It goes without saying that Natra and Seth have a romantic relationship throughout the series, but this is something they struggle with a lot. Natti’s internal battle over whether or not she can trust Seth makes it difficult for her to accept Seth’s constant advances. Seth knows what he wants---Natti—and doesn’t shy away from trying to win her affections. Granted sometimes he doesn’t go about things the right way, but Seth truly cares deeply for Natti and may already be in love with her. Natti on the other can cares for Seth, but spends a lot of her time afraid what she feels isn’t real.
Personally, I love the tension and attraction these two exhibit together and I honestly feel when you strip everything all back and take away all the unnecessary issues they face they’re a great couple. Ketch likes to keep us on our toes with this will-they-or-won’t-they thing they have going on, but I can’t wait to see this resolved indefinitely.
The sexual aspect and tone of Son of Set is a much darker aspect to the story than anything else and I’m not sure if I like it. I understand it’s inclusion by Ketch and think it is clever to have her characters feature such a sexual nature but at the same time the dark attitude of some of the characters doesn’t sit well with me. Many of the male characters, mostly the Sons of Set have so little regard for women; they’re cruel and merciless; turning women senseless and using them for their own sexual gratification. This is rape in so many ways and I can’t get over the unease I feel when reading about it.
Sexual issues aside, Son of Set is a fantastic read. The characters are likable and the storylines endlessly intriguing. Kelsey Ketch’s ending of Son of Set was just plain cruel though. I mean, really?!?! How can it end like that?!? Seriously! I’m not going to give any spoilers away, but to race through a heart stopping and tension filled story just to have it end in the manner in which it did is so very cheeky. I’m very much looking forward to the next instalment and if you’re a fan of Ancient Egyptian tales or want something different then I highly recommend this series!
Rating:
Source: Sent for review by YA Bound Book Tours and the author (Thank you Nereyda and Kelsey!)
Format: Ebook
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | The Book Depository
My Recommendation: Fans of Ancient Egypt with want to read this!
Cover: I think it's lovely.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: I'm very much looking forward to the next book!
Oooh, a "cheeky" cliffhanger LOL. Great review!
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