Monday, April 25, 2011

Review and Giveaway:: Second Sight

Second Sight (The Gods of Fate - Book 2) by Sherry D. Ficklin

Publication Date: March 2011
Publisher: Dragonfly Publishing
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: Paperback, 186pp
ISBN-13: 9781936381074
ISBN:
1936381079

(Received for review from the author)


Purchase: Barnes & Noble, IndieBound


Amazon

Disclaimer: I don't usually put Amazon links in my Purchase options because I do not agree with some of Amazon's policies, however I do make an exception for authors who are up and coming or have limited options.

Sherry D. Ficklin on the WEB: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter

Excerpt from
Second Sight
Book Trailer:



Synopsis:

When the man Grace Archer loves is pulled into the Underworld, she will stop at nothing to get him back. Her quest is complicated by the fallen God Samael, who is on the loose with a dangerous relic that puts all the immortals in jeopardy. With her powers on the fritz, Grace must help track down Samael and retrieve the deadly Eye of Hera before anymore gods fall victim to his madness. Daughter of the Greek Goddess Pandora and the Greek God Prometheus, Grace must dig deep to find the power she needs to infiltrate Hades and convince the God of the Dead to release Chris. But when you make a bargain with the devil, you pay with your soul.

Thoughts:

Author Sherry Ficklin, has a knack for Greek mythology!
Second Sight, the second book in her Gods of Fate series, pits the daughter of Pandora and Prometheus against a fallen God. Ficklin's trademark wit and gift for dialogue will have readers wishing the story doesn't have to end. Readers will enjoy the portrayal of the Gods and how Ficklin is able to make them seem like real people instead of figureheads. Readers who love mythology will find this one hard to put down!

Grace Archer, daughter of the Goddess Pandora and the God Prometheus has her hands full this time. The man of her dreams, Chris has been dragged into the Underworld and it's up Grace and James to get him out, if they don't kill each other first. But, that isn't the only problem. A fallen God named, Samael is wrecking havoc for all the immortals. He has stolen the Eye of Hera, a dangerous relic and he must be stopped before it's too late. Grace has to do some bargaining with the devil. Will she loose her soul trying to rescue her love?

Sherry Ficklin is an author who has been with us before here at Debbie's Book Bag. I reviewed the first book in the Gods of Fate series,
Foresight, last year. I thought the first book was excellent, as we were introduced to Grace, who had no idea that she was a daughter of the Gods. It was up to her and a warrior Fae named Chris to keep her mother's box from being opened and released on the earth.

In the second book,
Second Sight, Chris has been dragged into the Underworld and it's up to Grace to get him back. Though, I really enjoyed the first book, I liked the Second Sight even better. Ficklin's characters are much more defined and the plot is more riveting. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as Grace and James storm the Underworld in search of Chris. Grace's bargain with the devil was interesting twist on the legend of Faust, that I thought brought a lot of depth to the novel. What would you be willing to sacrifice for the person you love?

Samael the fallen God was also a great addition to the series. As a villain I thought he was a little more convincing than Lilith from the first book. He was vengeful and full of wrath. He just kind of exuded hatred. He was the kind of bad guy that readers will really get into. I am really looking forward to Ficklin's next book, to see if the new villain can top this one.

Ficklin's use of mythological lore was excellent. Using the relic, the Eye of Hera, lends authenticity and believeability to the book. Hera, the Mother of the Gods is often depicted as "watchful". The peacock is often used as a symbol for Hera because of "eyes" on it's feathers. I thought Ficklin did a great job of incorporating these and other mythological elements in the book. Her portrayal of the Gods made them seem a lot more accessible than we've seen them in other texts. They really come alive under Ficklin's pen. They are no less formidable, but they have personalities and motives for their actions. This is an aspect of the series, that I am really enjoying.

I recommend this one to readers who love YA fantasy and mythology. I think readers will enjoy Ficklin's depictions of the Gods and her ability to make them seem more real. I liked this one better than the first book in the series, and that's saying a lot. I look forward to the third book, Hindsight coming out and continuing this great series.

Second Sight is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!






Sherry is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chicken's and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she is on a deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness Monster, is often only seen in blurry photographs.




GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Sherry has been gracious enough to offer an e-book copy of both the first and second books in the Gods of Fate series, to one lucky winner. You'll receive an e-book copy of Foresight and and e-book copy of Second Sight directly from the author if you are chosen as the winner.

~ You must be Google Friend Connect follower to participate.
~ The is an e-book giveaway, so it's international!
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST May 9th.

1. Please leave a comment on this post in appreciation to the author.
2. Fill out the
FORM.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for the great giveaway. I can't wait to read your books. Tore923@aol.com

To the House and Back blog said...

It sounds like a definite must-read!