A Book Obsession..: Ascension (Early Review)

Ascension (Early Review)

, by Kt Clapsadl

Ascension by Sable Grace

Dark Breed #1

The gates of hell have opened, and one woman will stand in the crossfire as the Dark Breed -- vampyre, demons, shape shifters -- and mankind fight their last battle for survival.

Kyana is half Vampyre, half Lychen... and the last of her kind. Determined, dangerous, and damned, she has no love for the mortals who have imprisoned and misused her. But when the Order of Ancients entrusts her with a mission -- to find the key that will send the Dark Breed back into Hell for eternity -- Kyana has no choice but to accept.

She is furious to learn her assignment comes with an escort... Ryker, a demigod and fierce warrior who long ago found a way under her skin and stayed there. In a shaky alliance, they discover an ancient cult with dangerous motive and a god who seeks to destroy all others. And as Kyana begins to feel the heat that threatens to bind her to Ryker, she knows she has to resist. For it could only mean the undoing of them both...

Kyana is the only one of her kind, and she is the world's best hope in stopping the Dark Breeds from wiping out humanity. She may be a Dark Breed herself, but she has devoted her life to the Order of Ancients and protecting the innocent, despite what has been done to her in the past. She doesn't hesitate to accept the Order's mission to find the key to hell. Well, that is until she learns Ryker will be escorting her in the mission. He's the only man that has ever gotten to her, and she wanted nothing to do with him ever again. They will have to team up despite the animosity between them as a dark god is rising and they are the only ones who can stand in his way.

Greek mythology has always been one of my favorite themes in a book, so as I started reading this book and realized just how deeply rooted it was in the mythology, I became one happy girl. The paranormal aspects are perfectly blending into the mythology, making for a completely realized world, full of characters that you can't help but feel for. The fact that the gods are dying, yet are in the process of finding replacements, was really original and fascinating to me. In all of the other books I have read that have mythology in them, the gods are typically arrogant beings that would rather just die out than be replaced. Of course the gods still show some of that self-importance, especially Ares, but what more can you expect from the god of war?

I've always loved books where there is a past history between the main characters, and the current story is based on them being pushed back into each others lives. (Typically much to their dismay.) Kyana is so scared to let anyone close to her due to her past, and heck, even the present as she is treated as unworthy despite all of the good she does. The only man that has ever been able to get under her skin is Ryker, but he turned down her advances years ago. Of course he has his reasons, and they are not what she thinks they are. So when they are paired up, well she's furious, and he is scared he won't be able to say no a second time. The two of them felt like magnets to me. Sometimes they would line up and be drawn together by such a strong force, and other times their polarity would be reversed and no matter what, they just couldn't bring it together. The sexual tension between them was palatable, and made for one heck of a steamy read. I was caught between wishing they would just get it on, and wanting them to wait to make sure it would be something long lasting, as I really loved the dynamic between the two. I guess only time will tell how things play out, but I just can't help wanting to root for them.

There was one heck of a twist at the end that I never saw coming. This twist took me from really enjoying the book and being eager to read the next, to being completely desperate to get my hands on the next one. I simply cannot wait to see the characters' reactions to this turn in events, and where things will be heading. This book was a fantastic blend of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, giving you a fast paced plot with plenty of romance to steam things up. You'll definitely want to check this book out as you won't want to miss this fantastic new author's debut!

(Received from Netgalley)

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