117) Pros and Cons by Jenna Black

The Blurb :
.As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down—but this time, her latest case leads to unexpected revelations of lies and betrayal...

My Thoughts :
Pros and Cons is an eNovella set in the Nikki Glass urban fantasy series, taking place between the events of the novels Deadly Descendant and Rogue Descendant.  Not yet having read Rogue Descendant, the third book in the series, I was eager to read this short story first.  It is unprecedented for me to actually read the ever so fashionable eNovella's in order but I am trying to keep on top of these things because they really do make more sense this way.  It is also a great way to catch up with a series and refresh your memory before getting into the next full length novel.
This short installment was a nice one.  It didn't focus too much on the mythological aspect of the series but more on the fact that Nikki Glass is actually a PI.  She takes on a job that seems simple and boring to only get pulled into something a lot more complicated and dark.  A great case that the author weaves into an even better story.  Of course the mythological aspect isn't totally kept out of this short installment and Nikki does get some help from a new friend.  
I really enjoyed this novella and it has made me more eager to get hold of the third book in the series.  I have always liked Jenna Black's work but this series hasn't had the huge pull that the others had.  Pros and Cons has made me wonder if I have made a mistake and left it too long between books.  Maybe I should have got hold of Rogue Descendent earlier?  With the TBR pile I have I won't be rushing out to get a copy right now but the book has certainly moved up in priority.   Must reads by this author : Morgan Kingsley Exorcist Series & The Guardians of the Night Series


  

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75) Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black

The Blurb :

As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap. The Olympians believe the “dogs” are jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis.

Whatever. . . . If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she’s got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly—even for an immortal like Nikki. “Dog” spelled backwards may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.

My Review :

I have been following Jenna Black since her Guardian of the Nights series and really enjoy her work a lot. So when this new series started last year I couldn't wait to read the debut, Dark Descendant. To say I enjoyed it would be a understatement and I had this second part on pre-order as soon as it was available. However for some reason I put off reading it straight away. I will admit that I was a little worried that this sequel, like most sequels, wouldn't live up to my expectations. I was wrong.

Deadly Descendant finds Nikki trying to come to terms with everything that happened in Dark Descendant. Getting used to being what she is and living in a mansion is only a few of the new things in her life. So many questions and not enough answers are her main problem. So when the Oracle turns up and pulls her attention to some dog attacks, Nikki finally gets some answers. Even if they weren't the ones she wanted.

The whole concept of the series had quite a wow factor to it in the first book but this time around it just makes you kind of purr in happiness. The way the author has taken the whole mythological theme to another level and kept it completely different to the previous series that have used this aspect, for example the Dark Hunters, is just amazing. I always knew Jenna Black told a great story but I didn't realise how great she was at making something completely original.

Nikki is a special character and I feel I know her pretty well now. I like her and can't wait to spend more time with her because she isn't over dramatic or over the top. She is just your typical person who was going through life and something happened to make things more exciting and terrifying. There are no ridiculous powers and the author has kept things simple but unusual. The other characters are growing on me. I need to get to know them more but this second book really had me warming up to them. It will be interesting to see how Nikki and the rest of them develop as a team.

Great Urban Fantasy and a must read. I will look forward to the next book in the series and can't wait to see where the author takes things. If you are looking for something new and unusual then look no further. Mythology meets mystery with a good helping of action in this very cool series. Any fans of Jenna will love this new look on things.

Nikki Glass Series :

#1 - Dark Descendant
#2 - Deadly Descendant