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The Judas Curse #3
Cry, Nike!
With Nike's power at her weakest, Detective Ben Stanford must band together with immortals Mark and Judas, and the Norse gods Thor and Heimdall and form a plan to take her down for good.
Discovering a traitor in their midst, Ben forms a treaty with an unlikely source. Another breed of supernatural being appears, and another villain who is willing to do everything he can to stop the group from taking the goddess down.
As the group moves forward with their plans, Ben discovers a new power, new friendships, and learns to make true sacrifices to save himself, his friends, and ultimately, humanity.
Discovering a traitor in their midst, Ben forms a treaty with an unlikely source. Another breed of supernatural being appears, and another villain who is willing to do everything he can to stop the group from taking the goddess down.
As the group moves forward with their plans, Ben discovers a new power, new friendships, and learns to make true sacrifices to save himself, his friends, and ultimately, humanity.
- GenresFiction
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Angella Graff
11 books118 followersAngella Graff was born and raised in the desert city of Tucson, Arizona. She married and became a mother very young, and after getting started with her family, began her University studies where she found her passion for creative writing, history and theology.
She now resides in Tucson with her husband, three children, one dog, and four cats. When not writing, Angella works as an editor and maintains a small shop on etsy.
She now resides in Tucson with her husband, three children, one dog, and four cats. When not writing, Angella works as an editor and maintains a small shop on etsy.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 8, 2013
Why have I not written a review for this yet?!
It's been some time since I've read it, so I'm not going to give details and accidentally get something wrong and make an ass of myself in front of the author.
I will say that it was utterly satisfying. Ben had some fantastic character development, and it was so much fun watching his intelligence override his prejudice. And it didn't happen overnight, either, which was so refreshing. I am so tired of flimsy writing where a character is dead-set in their way of thinking, and suddenly, for no substantial reason whatsoever, they change their minds and come around to the "right" way of thinking (whatever is required of the book). Thank you, Mrs. Graff, for making Benny-boy work for it. I love him so much more because of it.
And another surprise was another character I ended up really falling in love with. Loki? Really?
Yeah, really.
Seriously, I thoroughly expected to hate him, and then in Cry, Nike! he ends up being this totally amazing character. Curse you, Mrs. Graff, for making him all sympathetic and multi-faceted! Now I totally can't hate him anymore. (Which is okay, because I might secretly be a rabid Loki fangirl now...)
So yeah. When's book 4 coming out?
It's been some time since I've read it, so I'm not going to give details and accidentally get something wrong and make an ass of myself in front of the author.
I will say that it was utterly satisfying. Ben had some fantastic character development, and it was so much fun watching his intelligence override his prejudice. And it didn't happen overnight, either, which was so refreshing. I am so tired of flimsy writing where a character is dead-set in their way of thinking, and suddenly, for no substantial reason whatsoever, they change their minds and come around to the "right" way of thinking (whatever is required of the book). Thank you, Mrs. Graff, for making Benny-boy work for it. I love him so much more because of it.
And another surprise was another character I ended up really falling in love with. Loki? Really?
Yeah, really.
Seriously, I thoroughly expected to hate him, and then in Cry, Nike! he ends up being this totally amazing character. Curse you, Mrs. Graff, for making him all sympathetic and multi-faceted! Now I totally can't hate him anymore. (Which is okay, because I might secretly be a rabid Loki fangirl now...)
So yeah. When's book 4 coming out?
April 27, 2013
I was lucky enough to be given an advance review copy of this book as I am hooked on the series since The Awakening. In “Cry Nike” Angella Graff returns to her colourful yet carefully assembled cast of gods and biblical creatures. To bring you up to scratch with the story of the series so far:
Gospel writer Mark and the biblical Judas are still alive after 2000 years and on the run from Nike and some other Gods, who use human bodies as vessels on the earth plane.
The latter part leads to some confusion for the detectives and players of this gripping novel. Who is acting right now, the human or the god?
The gods, half gods and other supernatural beings have their own ‘incarnations’ or place in various human mythologies, so for example Hades is the Devil, and Apollo is an Angel but in modern day, where the story takes place, they go by more casual names, such as Alex.
The plot of “Cry Nike” starts in San Francisco where Jude, Mark and detective Ben are in a ‘safe house’ hiding from the gods, who are still after Jude and his powers. Recovering from the last set of fights with their ‘divine’ enemies our three heroes take their time to recover, lick their wounds and decide on a plan of action to save human kinds from Nike’s evil plans. Nike and her posse of gods in the meantime are trying to locate a portal between the different spheres or dimensions of life.
Graff has created a fantastic set of characters with a creative, thoughtful and inspiring blend of mythologies. The crossing over of her gods from Norse to Greek and to other mythologies helps to get a picture of these deities and creatures with their often human-like qualities that human kind has assigned to gods over the millennia.
They are a bunch of vain, eccentric and all too humanly natured individuals yet with unique powers and weaknesses. Having had many years of Latin and Ancient Greek at school I found Graff’s take on the gods not just entertaining but incredibly plausible and amazingly close to the mythological originals with their assigned functions within the established belief systems.
Immortality when it is no choice is just a curse as mortality, a theme that is cleverly woven into the plot. Appropriate to the title, Nike is taking centre stage in this instalment, a fighting figure obsessed with dominance, as sexual a being as is Apollo, who also becomes an interesting love interest in the plot.
Underneath the fast paced action however are some alternative ideas about Jesus and his story, a belief that is widespread and mentioned many times over the millennia but frequently dismissed by the church as esoteric humbug. That theory is offered here as a possibility that in my opinion is worth while playing out in a series of books for consideration of its implications. A biblical 'what if' if you so like, yet in the safe environment of fiction to prevent this story to become anything more than clever entertainment.
Angella Graff's credentials as writer are undisputed, the narrative, the language and the dialogue are all of high quality.
Compared to the last instalment, “The Judas Kiss” this is less action packed and a more character driven book, an introspective of the protagonists and their motives but it does culminate in a dramatic scene at said portal, leaving some of the issues in the air, to be resolved in the next book.
I must say that this is a great read, entertaining but not without its thought and at times almost philosophical foundation, for example when concepts such as immortality and mythology are discussed or are being presented.
Gospel writer Mark and the biblical Judas are still alive after 2000 years and on the run from Nike and some other Gods, who use human bodies as vessels on the earth plane.
The latter part leads to some confusion for the detectives and players of this gripping novel. Who is acting right now, the human or the god?
The gods, half gods and other supernatural beings have their own ‘incarnations’ or place in various human mythologies, so for example Hades is the Devil, and Apollo is an Angel but in modern day, where the story takes place, they go by more casual names, such as Alex.
The plot of “Cry Nike” starts in San Francisco where Jude, Mark and detective Ben are in a ‘safe house’ hiding from the gods, who are still after Jude and his powers. Recovering from the last set of fights with their ‘divine’ enemies our three heroes take their time to recover, lick their wounds and decide on a plan of action to save human kinds from Nike’s evil plans. Nike and her posse of gods in the meantime are trying to locate a portal between the different spheres or dimensions of life.
Graff has created a fantastic set of characters with a creative, thoughtful and inspiring blend of mythologies. The crossing over of her gods from Norse to Greek and to other mythologies helps to get a picture of these deities and creatures with their often human-like qualities that human kind has assigned to gods over the millennia.
They are a bunch of vain, eccentric and all too humanly natured individuals yet with unique powers and weaknesses. Having had many years of Latin and Ancient Greek at school I found Graff’s take on the gods not just entertaining but incredibly plausible and amazingly close to the mythological originals with their assigned functions within the established belief systems.
Immortality when it is no choice is just a curse as mortality, a theme that is cleverly woven into the plot. Appropriate to the title, Nike is taking centre stage in this instalment, a fighting figure obsessed with dominance, as sexual a being as is Apollo, who also becomes an interesting love interest in the plot.
Underneath the fast paced action however are some alternative ideas about Jesus and his story, a belief that is widespread and mentioned many times over the millennia but frequently dismissed by the church as esoteric humbug. That theory is offered here as a possibility that in my opinion is worth while playing out in a series of books for consideration of its implications. A biblical 'what if' if you so like, yet in the safe environment of fiction to prevent this story to become anything more than clever entertainment.
Angella Graff's credentials as writer are undisputed, the narrative, the language and the dialogue are all of high quality.
Compared to the last instalment, “The Judas Kiss” this is less action packed and a more character driven book, an introspective of the protagonists and their motives but it does culminate in a dramatic scene at said portal, leaving some of the issues in the air, to be resolved in the next book.
I must say that this is a great read, entertaining but not without its thought and at times almost philosophical foundation, for example when concepts such as immortality and mythology are discussed or are being presented.
March 7, 2016
Angella Graff has done it again. She continues the tale of Ben, a hard-nosed detective; his sister, Abbie, who is a very religious woman; and their interactions with both Greek and Norse Gods as well as our Christian God. In "Cry, Nike!," the goddess Nike continues on her path to trying to bring another, most powerful being to this realm believing that she can harness its power and become the most powerful God of all. Her efforts to achieve this destroy the soul of Abbie who's body she has taken over and is still working within. As the story unfolds, Ben begins to realize that things he never thought possible were and that the concept that he was special had merit. How were he (and his sister) special? It is not made completely clear yet by the end of this story, the reader begins to see how it can function. Being special is what brought them both into the spotlight of the Gods (Greek and Norse) and continues to have these same Gods keeping an eye on him while planning to destroy the threat he poses. Hades, as well as Persephone, play significant roles yet Hades is potrayed not as the evil devil Christians believe him to be. Things are positioned in a different light and slowly a new picture is revealed. While I know this piece of his story has been told, I am anxious to see what comes next. These books will keep you coming back for more!
July 18, 2014
I was SO excited to read this book and finish the series. Angela tells an engrossing and exciting story, packed with so many combined mythologies it will make your head spin (in a good way, of course). This book is meant to be the last book in a fascinating trilogy that turns modern religion on it's ear.
In the final book, we learn more about the origins of the gods the roam the earth in both corporeal and non-corporeal form. I suppose the only disappointment I had with the stories that were meant to tie everything together was the Egyptian gods, of whom only 3 were briefly mentioned. My disappointment would be because Egyptian history is fascinating to me. I do understand that the story would expand so much more adding countless gods.
I was excited to learn the purpose and origin of Mark and Jude's existence/power, but I wasn't able to from this book. It was left open ended in that respect. Possibly another book in the future? That would be awesome, the entire history of the gods hasn't been explored yet by Angela!
EDIT: Guess this isn't the end! Can't wait for the next one!
In the final book, we learn more about the origins of the gods the roam the earth in both corporeal and non-corporeal form. I suppose the only disappointment I had with the stories that were meant to tie everything together was the Egyptian gods, of whom only 3 were briefly mentioned. My disappointment would be because Egyptian history is fascinating to me. I do understand that the story would expand so much more adding countless gods.
I was excited to learn the purpose and origin of Mark and Jude's existence/power, but I wasn't able to from this book. It was left open ended in that respect. Possibly another book in the future? That would be awesome, the entire history of the gods hasn't been explored yet by Angela!
EDIT: Guess this isn't the end! Can't wait for the next one!
November 16, 2014
Hard to Put Down
Judas, Mark, Apollo, Hades, characters from books written and read in my youth...adding them to a modern storyline along with a character like Ben whose conscience wraps into your own as you read his words and thoughts. a book I could not put down, a series that pulls at me even as I try to get to bed..one more page..one more...just an excellent series that is thought-provoking and holds you entrenched so you can't stop reading...
Judas, Mark, Apollo, Hades, characters from books written and read in my youth...adding them to a modern storyline along with a character like Ben whose conscience wraps into your own as you read his words and thoughts. a book I could not put down, a series that pulls at me even as I try to get to bed..one more page..one more...just an excellent series that is thought-provoking and holds you entrenched so you can't stop reading...
March 2, 2016
Just Read It
3rd in the series, but as good or better than 1 and 2. The author makes us care deeply about her characters in this gripping story. I have the full series now and can't wait to dive into book 4. My advice to the reader is to buy them all and just read rhem
3rd in the series, but as good or better than 1 and 2. The author makes us care deeply about her characters in this gripping story. I have the full series now and can't wait to dive into book 4. My advice to the reader is to buy them all and just read rhem
June 25, 2013
She just keeps getting better and better!!! I thought the first books were great, but she impresses me more each time she comes out with a new book. I loved it from start to finish.
April 23, 2015
Great series.
April 30, 2017
Yet another great book in the series that sees detective Ben Stanford battle Nike who is using his sister's (Abby) body as a vessel. Angella Graff has a great imagination and the way she develops the characters, is fantastic and she makes it work beautifully.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews