Devil's Kiss by Sarwat ChaddaAfter reading an interview with the author over at Finding Wonderland, where the author said This
The violence is there for a reason. I'm hoping it affects you because it is brutal and leads to loss. I hate the 'kill and quip' style of comedy violence where brutal things happen and the hero walks away with a smart one-liner. Death has consequences. I needed to establish that on the first page, on the first line.
And This"What's interesting is the feedback I've had from some schools regarding the religious and ethnic mix of the characters. Again it was just how I see the world, so that's what I wrote."
I knew I had to read Devil Kiss. 15 yr old Bilquis (Billie) SanGreal has spent half her life in training to be a Knights Templar, a secret organization that defends against darkness. Billie is the only female Knight. Their numbers were once large, now its only a few. Billie's father is the man in charge.
I loved Billie. She's a strong female protagonist like the cover implies. Everything Billie does isn't always right. I found her missteps and at times uncertainty refreshing. Like in Cashore's Graceling there's gender roll reversal. Billie's best friend Kay has been in training since his psychic abilities were discovered. Billie is right in the middle of all the fights. Kay is told to stay out of the way. Billie is trained to use weapons from around the world.
An archangel is determined to bring people back to God by making children sick. The Knights must protect the people and recapture the fallen angel. I really enjoyed Devil's Kiss. Chadda embraces different ethnicity's and religions with a natural ease. I loved the action/ fight scenes. It's a definite page turner with some unexpected surprises.
Ages 12up
5 comments:
This book is added to my wishlist! Thanks for the review :)
lol the more I hear about this novel, the more tempted I am to check it out... Out of curiousity, what other ethnicities and religions are featured in this novel?
Ari and Ah Yuan - I think you'd like it
Ah Yuan - A Jewish woman is guarding a very important box for the Knights. Not all the Templars are happy with this decision because Jewish people are suppose to be an enemy to the Muslims.
Billie's father thought she was the best person for the job. She's familiar with many religions to get the job done.
One of the Knights and an important friend to Billie is African
Is this the book that broke the slump? Sounds like a good one! I'm going to have to do a request a purchase for this one at the library.
Is it me or does the cover look more like an adult romance? Maybe it's just because I'm not seeing it in person.
I'm not a Knights Templar kind of girl, but this sounds so much better than adult books on the subject - kind of with an Alanna style heroine?
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