Darkness Becomes Her

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Gods & Monsters #1

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.

Ari has always been different. Her strange looks and being raised entirely by foster care homes, have always kept her apart from others. She's kept her distance to protect herself, she's always wanted to know who she really is. After graduating, she sets outs to find some answers, but quickly finds herself on the run as she is being targeted. Her journey brings her to New 2, the secluded city that used to be known as New Orleans. Things are different there, and Ari fits right in. She's shocked to find everyone is terrified of her. She is desperate to know why, but the truth might just be too much to bear.

Ari describes herself as a product of the system at one point in the book, but she really is so much more than that. Yes, she is standoffish and quick to temper, but also has a fierce loyalty to those she cares about. Her journey started out as just a way to find her past, but she quickly made ties to the others. Anyone else would have run from what she faces, but she stands strong. The twist in Ari's heritage came at a complete surprise. Even though from the start we know there was something different about her, and that everyone wanted to claim her for some reason, I just did not expect the revelation to be what it was. While I was already enjoying the book, this revelation sparked my interest tenfold. There are so many possibilities that this could lead to, making me very eager to see how things work out.

I loved the idea of New Orleans now New 2, being a haven for the supernatural. When Ari goes across the border, it's like she stepped into a entirely new world where things go bump in the night. She really has a hard time adjusting to the hard facts of living life there at first. The children do what they must to get by, even if that means grave robbing or taking mail runs. However, this doesn't stop her from bonding with them as she's had a rough life too. She's particularly drawn to Sebastian, and I think the two will have some really good chemistry providing they can get past the obstacles in her path.

This book had slow start, and didn't really have a whole lot of action. However, that being said, I found it to be a very good "foundation" book. The characters were fully fleshed out and the world was fully realized as well. I've always been intrigued by Greek mythology, and of course I love anything supernatural, so this book was the perfect blend of my favorite aspects. I am extremely excited to read the next one, as I have a feeling there will be more action and the mythology aspects will be amped up. Definitely a great start to a new series that you won't want to miss!

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Darkness Becomes Her

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