Book Shelf: Darkness Becomes Her (Gods & Monsters #1) by Kelly Keaton

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very…different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Blurb from Goodreads.....


Review:

Darkness Becomes Her is a rich, mysterious tale, set in an alternate New Orleans and brimming with action, adventure, and monsters! A fantastic debut for Kelly Keaton, one that blends romance with fast paced adventure and mystery, this book will catch you and not let you go as you follow a tough, capable girl on her journey to discover her past.

I admit, I wasn’t sure what I would get when I begun this book. I’d been excited to read it and having had it sitting on my shelf for a while, whatever I expected certainly isn’t what I got. I loved it! Thought it was brilliant...didn’t want it to end. This is an enchanting tale of gods and monsters that takes Greek myth in a whole other direction and level. We’ve seen Hades and his myth a lot recently, and Poseidon....but what about Athena?
I never knew what was happening with this book up until the big revelation and the was plenty of action and a bit of romance to keep me entertained as I was drawn into Ari’s quest and journey to learn of her mother and who she was! This book is richly descriptive and paints a picture perfectly of a post catastrophe New Orleans, one that is surrounded by the paranormal and home to a great cast of characters that litter the books pages. Known as New 2, the setting of this book creates a fantastic back drop for the story.

Our heroine Ari is hard and guarded thanks to her harsh life as a foster child. She’s strong willed and can hold her own against even the toughest of foes as she proves constantly throughout the book, and will stop at nothing to learn the secrets of her past. I think this was why I loved Ari the way I did. She truly is a hard person, personality wise and yet she really cares about the other characters she meets in New 2. Having never had a family or people who cared about her, other than her latest foster parents Casey and Bruce, Ari doesn’t know what it’s like to really fit in with people. Having always been different and a freak, this girl finds herself at home with the supernatural’s of New 2; the ones who have abilities. She learns some difficult things over the course of the book and faces a lot of trouble, but never once did she give up or let it get to her; she kept on going and I admired her for that.

All the other characters were wonderful too. Sebastian is Ari’s love interest and they’re very sweet. He’s your typical male lead and their romance kicks off fast, but I’d love the chance to learn more about Sebastian and delve deeper into just who he is in future books. Crank, Henri, Dub and especially Violet, who was a major cutie, were fantastic as a group of misfits who call New 2 home.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but I absolutely love the mythology of the book. There are hints about what Ari is along the way and by the time it’s all announced you should have an idea of what’s going on, but that didn’t stop me from loving it one bit. It’s so nice to read something different and fresh and the twists and turns within this book were more than enough to keep me entranced and desperate to know what happens next.

The ending is exciting and leaves a lot for the sequel. There are soooo many things I need to know, with more issues for Ari and loose ends that need to be tied up. Namely a b**** goddess who needs to be put in her place!
This is a fantastic read that won’t disappoint and I’m already counting down the days until the sequel.....

Rating:
Source: R.A.K sent to me by the lovely Birgit of The Book Garden---thanks so much for this book!
Format: Paperback
Recommend: Definitely!
Recommend borrow or buy: Buy
Cover: I like the cover....I do. It's how I picture Ari, but it doesn't blow me away.
Read sequel/continue with series: Yes!

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