Title: The Blood of the Hydra (Elementals #2)
Author: Michelle MadowPublished: 18 April 2016
Source: Barclay Publicity via Netgalley in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 1/2
My Review:
I mostly enjoyed this novel and found it a quick easy and relative engaging read. You know those books where you, despite noticing a number of things that in any other novel would annoy the heck out of you to the point of not finishing, you actually still quite enjoy it. That was this book. I know its a story set in Greek mythology and there are only so many gods in this mythology to write about but the story itself didn't feel overly original and in fact in places, I saw shades of Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters. I also wasn't so sure about the fusion of witches and Greek Mythology so the connection didn't really work to me.
Sometimes it felt like Ms Madow is trying to add all these elements that make a good story but the story itself felt really contrived and you could see the thought and the strategy behind everything which draws me out of the story rather than drawing me in.
I also struggled to connect to most of the characters which probably didn't help.. The main character, Nicole, lives in her own head a lot and then the use of dialogue to hash everything out made a lot of her worries incredibly repetitive. I did the connection between Blake and Nicole more in this book than the first but I still struggled a little to connect to the characters in general.
I also found it a little conflicting in terms of its messages as one minute Nicole is worried because she has the power to kill with a touch then the next the five are killing in self defence and not being overly bothered by it. The writing of this book has the feel of a middle grade novel but some of the themes seemed a little too old for middle grade novel
That being said though, this book is a fast easy read that you can literally get through within a few hours. I did mostly enjoy it and will read book 3 to see where this series goes.
Sapphired Dragon xx
About The Book:
Blood of the Hydra (Elementals #2) by Michelle Madow
A demigod who can kill with a touch. It's an ability that must be kept secret, even from those trusted most.
Finding out that she was a witch was strange enough, but now Nicole must face the realization that she has the rare power to kill with just a touch. No one can know her secret -- not even Blake, who she's had undeniable chemistry with since first moving to town.
Now Nicole, Blake, and the three others with elemental powers must stop a series of monsters that they previously believed to be dead from rising once again and destroying the mortal world. The creatures they face on this journey will be more dangerous than anything they've encountered yet. Will they all survive the quest? And how long will it be until Nicole is forced to use her ability to kill in front of everyone, revealing the true darkness of her powers?
Find out in The Blood of the Hydra, and join the Elementals on their quest to save the world -- or die trying.
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