I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Rogue Descendant
by
Jenna Black
mythic fantasy, urban fantasy in Paperback edition that was published by Pocket Books on April 30, 2013 and has 370 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Chicks Kick Butt, The Devil Inside, The Devil You Know, Speak of the Devil, The Devil's Due, The Devil's Playground, Dark Descendant, Deadly Descendant, Nightstruck
Third in the Descendant mythic urban fantasy series revolving around Nikki Glass, a private investigator who has learned she’s a descendant of Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Based in Washington, D.C.
My Take
I really liked the first one, Dark Descendant; the second one, Deadly Descendant, was okay, a bit disappointing, but okay. This one? Oh, brother. Primarily because Nikki’s character is so incredibly lame, hypocritical, AND selfish with her stupid bleeding heart — it was just too easy for the Olympians to set them up.
It makes no sense. Sure, I’m rather bloodthirsty, but when Anderson calls Nikki on her reasons for hunting down Kerner in Deadly Descendant, Nikki tells Anderson that it was justified because “it was the only way to stop him from killing innocents”. Considering what she knows about Konstantin…why isn’t she already on his trail!? I mean, hullooooo… It’s just so incredibly contrived and illogical. Arghhh.
I do, I really do understand the theory of what bleeding-heart Nikki would like this world of Descendants to be, but she’s going to have to wake up and smell the coffee and realize that reality and her rainbow world are not the same. I’d like to feel sorry for her as Konstantin runs about destroying things all around Nikki, but in this case, I’d say she’s chosen to allow this to happen. Of course, she does get her own back by practically raping Jamaal. Ugh, I just couldn’t stand Nikki in this. She has this narrow vision of the world, and it’s all supposed to conform to what she wants and needs.
So, Nikki is a private investigator. She’s already told Cyrus she’s not hunting for his father. So, what does she do? Yup, takes her conspicuous Mini Cooper out to do surveillance.
Then I couldn’t figure out why the moon was so very important until Black FINALLY reminded us at the end of the book that Nikki needs the moon up for her hunting powers to be at their best *eye roll*
The Story
It’s a series of nasty jabs at Nikki and Anderson from a supposed Konstantin and definitely from Emma. The woman just can’t leave either of them alone — especially when she brings Christina over to taunt them with her existence. The arson that destroys, well, that’s just what Olympians do. Whatever does Nikki expect Cyrus to do about it?
The rest of the time she spends harassing Jamaal while Maggie has her own bit of verbal torture for Nikki.
The Characters
Nikki Glass is a descendant of Artemis, goddess of the hunt; in her old life, she was a foster child whom May and Ted Glass adopted. Now the Glasses are touring the world on a cruise ship. Steph is her so-human sister, who is involved with Blake Porter (Eros), a descendant of Eros — he’s promised Nikki he’ll behave with her sister. Grandma Rose is May’s mother, who lives in San Francisco.
Anderson’s group accept…
…descendants of Greek gods’ and those from the lineages of other pantheons. Their mission statement, if you will, is that they should use their powers to make the world a better place.
Anderson Kane is a minor god descended from Thanatos and Alecto (Death and Vengeance) and he heads up this “cult” of the descendants of gods. The other members of his household believe that he is like them — Liberi Deorum. Children of the gods. He’s a reasonable man until anger heats him up, and only Nikki and Konstantin know the truth. A truth Anderson is quite vehement be kept secret. Other members of the household include Maggie (Zeus through Hercules); Jamaal (Kali) has death magic that he channels into Sita, a humongous — and jealous — tiger; Logan Fields (Tyr); Jack Gillespie (Loki) tricks everyone; and, Leo (Hermes), a recluse and the financial wizard for the group.
The Olympians are…
…only descended of the Greek gods, and they have made a habit of killing any others. Konstantin (Helios) no longer leads the Olympians; he was forced to step down. His son, Cyrus (Helios), has taken over, leading all to hope for a kinder, gentler opposition with no more slaughtering of whole families of Descendants. Mark is Cyrus’ Descendant bodyguard.
Emma Poindexter (Nyx) was Kane’s insanely jealous bitch of a wife, who had been hidden in a pond by the Olympians where she spent 10 years drowning over and over — except for the occasions when Konstantin pulled her out to abuse her. Rescued by her own, she turns on them and decamps back to her abusers, although she can’t resist torturing Anderson and Nikki. Christina is a new Liberi, transformed with Emma’s help.
Erin was a healer and a descendant of Apollo who helped Nikki get over the enhanced rabies in Deadly Descendant. Dr. Prakash is the curator of an exhibit of Indian artwork Nikki uses to draw Jamaal out. Detective Taylor investigates Nikki’s kidnapping.
A Descendant is the offspring of gods and becomes a Liberi, a Descendant, by killing a Liberi.
The Cover and Title
The cover is green, green, green with a green haze over the woods that make up the background and over Jamal’s conjured-up tiger while Nikki is in black leather pants and a corset-style top, a gun held across her body. It’s too bad Nikki hasn’t read the tagline on the cover…
I’m guessing that Rogue Descendant refers to Konstantin as he’s the only blackguard obviously running about.
