The Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda + Contest!

Pub date - September 1, 2009

Bilqis Sangreal always knew that being a Knight Templar required the complete sacrifice of normalcy. Instead of hanging out with friends or flirting with boys, she spends her time in the darkest corners of London's underworld, battling the Unholy in a centuries-old war for mankind's soul.

Even though she's been solitary for years, Billi's lone-wolf attitude is challenged when her childhood friend and fellow knight, Kay, returns from Jerusalem with a new radiance and a dangerous chip on his shoulder. Kay is ready to reclaim his place by Billi's side, but she's skeptical. While Billi was risking her neck fighting werewolves and vampires, Kay was reading auras in the lap of luxury. Now he spends his time showing off his new powers, cultivating the admiration of the other knights, and teasing Billi. It's all too much to bear . . . until Billi meets Michael, a disturbingly handsome guy who understands her like no one else, effortlessly staking a claim on her heart.

Kay wastes no time in complicating Billi's life just as it's starting to improve. In a moment of bravado, Kay uses the last of the Templars' treasures, King Solomon's Cursed Mirror, to look into the Ethereal Realm, drawing the attention of the Angel of Death. Even though Kay is the most powerful psychic the Templars have seen in centuries, he's no match for the dark angel responsible for the plague that killed every firstborn child in Egypt so long ago.

The Knights know that the angel needs the mirror in order to unleash the Tenth Plague again, but keeping it from him will be nearly impossible. To win this battle and save the lives of millions of children, the Templars will have to find renewed strength, and Billi will have to make sacrifices greater than she'd ever imagined. (book back blurb)

That has got to be the longest blurb ever to grace the back of a book. Personally I don't think it being that long is all that necessary but that's just me.

Anyway, it was alright. I didn't dislike it but I wasn't ecstatic about it either. The writing was good. Nothing really to complain about there but just the overall effect of the book . . . eh, I wasn't thrilled with it. I read it once and I'm good for a while. Might read a sequel if there is one.

I liked Billi a lot. Nothing says awesome author like one who can kick the crap out of his characters to make them who they are. The dynamic between Billi and her father is, for most of the book, "WTF is his problem?" but in the end, it rips your heart out a little. I really liked that relationship, for all the problems that are there. And that's not to mention the shit that gets kicked out of Billi on every freaking page. It's awesome! Well, not for her but I like seeing authors not be gentle with their characters. And yay for it not being her with the Special Child Syndrome which automatically negates such a syndrome.

I don't want to give it away but there are two twists in the book. One I think is fairly obvious from the second it appears on the page. I knew there was something not right - I just couldn't pinpoint what kind of not right it was. And the second one I figured out not too long before it actually happened. So that doesn't really count but that second twist is by far more convincing as twisting than the first.

I liked mixing the Old Testament type of stuff in the modern world. Not exactly original but I liked the way it played out in this book. I liked how the Knights Templar weren't defenders of the Holy Grail but of the people from otherworldly beings. It makes for a more exciting story! At least this one had fangs. I also liked being able to see the sickness for what it really was although that's not a pretty sight at all. Downright gross is more like it. But again, it shows that Chadda is not shy about what he writes, which is always a good thing.

I wasn't too fond of the protection that Billi got at the end. Granted she'd suffered more than enough and could have used a little bit of help, but it allowed her to pass through all of the sickness to fulfill the prophesy set out for her (ok, so she has some Special Child Syndrome but it's really watered down and really palatable). I could have lived without that. Or seen a little more struggle. What can I say, I'm a sadist.

Yeah, there are a lot of good things about this book but at the end of the day, it's one of those that just didn't tickle me the right way, or in the right spot. I'm not going to deny it the praise it deserves but I'm just not going to rave about it either. I didn't feel that way about the book. Really no good explanation or excuse for it. It just is. But I would definitely recommend this to people to read, especially if you're into the whole Knights Templar business and London. I loved how London was woven into the storyline and became part of the story. I've been to Temple Church and I could picture everything Billi was talking about.

So aside from the fact that the girl on the cover doesn't match the ethnicity of the girl in the book (white versus Pakistani), which isn't the author's fault, I liked it but wasn't in love with it. But I'm sure many people will be.

CONTEST TIME!!!

I have two ARCs of this book to give away. You want one? Just read the directions and enter in.

Leave a comment with your email address answering this question to enter -

"Which supernatural being do you think you'd stand a chance against in a fight?"

You MUST (hopefully I made that big enough) answer the question in order for your entry to count. If you don't, none of the extra stuff will count and your entry will be disqualified. I can't stress that enough.

+1 for new followers
+2 for current followers
+2 for linking (up to 3 links for 2 points each to equal 6 extra points)

Contest will end August 24th and midnight EST and open to US residents only. Good luck!