Tuesday, September 30, 2014

"Daughter of Isis" by Kelsey Ketch: SPOTLIGHT & REVIEW

Daughter of Isis
Descendants of Isis #1
by Kelsey Ketch
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: October 26, 2013

Blurb:
Her mouth parted slightly, waiting for Seth to breathe life into her own body, just like in the story. She wanted him to awaken her senses.”

Their worlds collide in California’s high desert.

The last thing Natara “Natti” Stone wants to do is to start anew at Setemple High School. She wished she had never left London. Yet the brutal murder of her maternal grandmother has made her life very complicated. The only clue related to her murder is an ancient, encrypted necklace Natti discovered after her grandmother’s death. And if trying to adjust to American life is not enough, Natti is being stalked by a mysterious, charming high school senior, Seth O’Keefe, who is annoyingly persistent in his attempts at seduction.

Seth O’Keefe is secretly a member of the Sons of Set, an order that worships the Egyptian god of chaos. Seth’s blessing from Set, his “charm,” never failed, except with one person: Natti Stone. Her ability to elude him infatuates and infuriates him, and he becomes obsessed with the chase. But the closer he gets to her, the more his emotions take a dangerous turn, and he risks breaking one of the most valued covenants of his order. The punishment for which is a fate worse than death.

The adventure this unlikely couple becomes engulfed in could cost them their lives and their souls.

*Note: Content for Upper YA*


You can find Daughter of Isis on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17975812-daughter-of-isis

You can buy Daughter of Isis here:


***Praise for Daughter of Isis***
Daughter of Isis is an addicting and enthralling read brimming with Egyptian mythology. Readers will be pulled into the story after simply reading a page!” —Emily, Reader Rising

I always enjoy a good book about Mythology and Daughter of Isis brings a thrilling modern day spin to one of the tales. Kelsey Ketch wove the story perfectly and sucked me right into her magnificent world.” —Naomi, Nomi’s Paranormal Palace

About the Author:
During her high school years, Kelsey Ketch could always be found tucked away in a little corner of the hall or classroom, writing her fantasy worlds and creating illustrations and maps. Today is no different, except now she’s writing in the break room at her office building or at the tables of the Barnes and Noble CafĂ© in Cary, North Carolina. She is also an avid reader, a part-time book blogger at Ketch’s Book Nook, and lives with her two orange tabbies and awesome and humorous flat-mate.

For more information, please visit her site at kelseyketch.com.

You can find and contact Kelsey here:





What did Sister Sinister think?
* * *
I give it 3 Stars!
* * *

I was given the opportunity to read to review this book by Lola's Blog Tours, and I seriously ran hot and cold through the whole story. It's been awhile since I waffled so much on my feelings for a book, but DAUGHTER of ISIS caused a lot of contradictory emotions in me. I'll tell you why.

Firstly, the story follows Natara "Natti" Stone as her father relocates her to a new country and a new town after the murder of her grandmother. Setemple looks like a slice of Egypt; it even has its own pyramid in a town laden in Egyptian culture. The setting makes Natti uneasy, as does the sex magnet with the name of Seth O'Keefe, local stud. There is just something about him that makes her desire him, while also causing her headaches whenever he is near. There is just something about him...

It's not made clear why Natti's father moves them to a heavily Egyptian flavored town when he wants his daughter to have nothing to do with the culture, but what caused me issue was mainly Seth. The power given unto him by his God Set, is the ability to "charm" people into doing whatever he wants. His favorite daily past time is seducing all pretty girls to have sex with him and his two jerkwad friends. Somehow this is seen as seduction, when in fact, it really is rape on a large scale. The teenager is using magic to enthrall women. Just because he makes them want him, or he pushes them to act when they might not have without magical interference, doesn't make it any less sleazy or criminal, and its even more disgusting that he "charms" women into getting it on with his fellow Sons of Set.

Ok, so I know that the point is that Set is chaotic evil and his minions are out doing murderous, unlawful things. I get it, I do. But I don't get the feeling that anyone feels what he did was sexual assault, and the bad things done just aren't given the gravity I felt would be realistic. So I do caution anyone that prefers not to read a book featuring sexual enslavement to steer clear. I can see this book stirring up all kinds of controversy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing if it gets people talking.

So all of that being said, there were a lot of missing words and wrong tenses, but despite my problems with the story, I *did* mostly enjoy it. It might not sound like it, since I pointed out what triggered my distaste with the book, but it really was very well written and the author knows how to tell a YA story. The mythology was fun, as well, and it will certainly appeal to many people. Not everyone will have the same feelings as I did reading it, after all, and like I said, I did enjoy it, even if its sex-as-power theme bothered me.

And that's really the magic of individuality, isn't it? You get to read it for yourself and make up your own mind. =D

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