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Nikki Glass #4
Divine Descendant
For Immortal Huntress and cunning private investigator Nikki Glass, vengeance trumps all in the final novel in acclaimed author Jenna Black's addictive urban fantasy series!
What happens when fertility goddesses go on strike? Nothing much—except maybe the end of the human race.
When private investigator Nikki Glass became immortal as a descendant of Artemis, she never dreamed she’d find herself playing marriage counselor to the gods. But she doesn’t really have much of a choice when the crazed ex-wife of Anderson Kane—a god in disguise who just happens to be the son of a Fury—decides to enact revenge by wiping out all of humanity. Somehow, Nikki must convince the two to kiss and make up, but with Anderson now gone AWOL, she'll have to find him first. To top it all off, the cat’s out of the bag that Anderson killed Konstantin, the Olympians’ deposed leader. Now their new boss—Konstantin’s son—is out for blood.
With every mere mortal’s fate now resting in Nikki’s hands, can she outsmart the gods…or will she be doomed to spend the rest of eternity in a barren and desolate world?
What happens when fertility goddesses go on strike? Nothing much—except maybe the end of the human race.
When private investigator Nikki Glass became immortal as a descendant of Artemis, she never dreamed she’d find herself playing marriage counselor to the gods. But she doesn’t really have much of a choice when the crazed ex-wife of Anderson Kane—a god in disguise who just happens to be the son of a Fury—decides to enact revenge by wiping out all of humanity. Somehow, Nikki must convince the two to kiss and make up, but with Anderson now gone AWOL, she'll have to find him first. To top it all off, the cat’s out of the bag that Anderson killed Konstantin, the Olympians’ deposed leader. Now their new boss—Konstantin’s son—is out for blood.
With every mere mortal’s fate now resting in Nikki’s hands, can she outsmart the gods…or will she be doomed to spend the rest of eternity in a barren and desolate world?
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2016
40 people are currently reading
1206 people want to read
About the author
Jenna Black
43 books2,507 followersJenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.
Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.
Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She writes paranormal romance for Tor and urban fantasy for Bantam Dell.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jennab...
Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.
Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. She writes paranormal romance for Tor and urban fantasy for Bantam Dell.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jennab...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
December 10, 2016
The culmination (?) of a fun yet flawed series. I can't say I didn't enjoy these but at the same time there were lots of plot points and characters that I found disturbing/morally repugnant/concerning. Some of them, I know, I was meant to; others, I'm less sure about. But Black created an entertaining world & knew how to keep ratcheting up the suspense.
April 7, 2019
Please come out. None of your series are finished properly, they all just STOP!
May 17, 2016
Ooh look at the pretty cover:
http://allthingsuf.com/2015/12/cover-...
This was a solid 3.5 stars. I've always like the characters & the world, this we no exception. I'm so glad Nikki & Jamaal finally had sex, it felt like it would never happen. I especially liked Nikki's moment with Sita. I sincerely hope they'll be another Nikki book!
Ooh I especially liked that Nikki never once referred to herself as a "bleeding heart" that always annoyed the crap out of me. More importantly to me it showed how she had grown & progressed, so good shit!
http://allthingsuf.com/2015/12/cover-...
This was a solid 3.5 stars. I've always like the characters & the world, this we no exception. I'm so glad Nikki & Jamaal finally had sex, it felt like it would never happen. I especially liked Nikki's moment with Sita. I sincerely hope they'll be another Nikki book!
Ooh I especially liked that Nikki never once referred to herself as a "bleeding heart" that always annoyed the crap out of me. More importantly to me it showed how she had grown & progressed, so good shit!
December 21, 2016
3.5
I read this with a friend who has summed the series up beautifully. It's addictive, oddly so. The pages keep turning and lights are turned out too late for sleep to be fulfilling. Yet, it's not perfect.
The story is a bad/good guy type. Some of the good guys have issues which affect them but are still good guys. Others threaten rape, murder and extreme violence and are 'still' the good guys?!
Yet, still I enjoyed it. Book three was my favourite.
I read this with a friend who has summed the series up beautifully. It's addictive, oddly so. The pages keep turning and lights are turned out too late for sleep to be fulfilling. Yet, it's not perfect.
The story is a bad/good guy type. Some of the good guys have issues which affect them but are still good guys. Others threaten rape, murder and extreme violence and are 'still' the good guys?!
Yet, still I enjoyed it. Book three was my favourite.
May 24, 2016
*Source* Kindle Store
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
Divine Descendant is apparently the final installment in author Jenna Black's Nikki Glass series. Things have been rather curious for Private Investigator Nikki Glass over the past three months. She found out that she was a Descendant of Artemis, the supposed goddess of the hunt, chastity, virginity, the moon, and the natural environment. Now, apparently immortal, she's a member of Anderson Kane's Liberi group which is heavily outmatched in numbers by the Olympians, lead by Cyrus Galanos, son of Konstantin who offered Nikki no amount of trouble and heartache.
*Full Review Posting @ Gizmos Reviews 05/25/2016* Link to Follow
Publisher: Pocket Star (May 16, 2016) *Pre-ordered*
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
Divine Descendant is apparently the final installment in author Jenna Black's Nikki Glass series. Things have been rather curious for Private Investigator Nikki Glass over the past three months. She found out that she was a Descendant of Artemis, the supposed goddess of the hunt, chastity, virginity, the moon, and the natural environment. Now, apparently immortal, she's a member of Anderson Kane's Liberi group which is heavily outmatched in numbers by the Olympians, lead by Cyrus Galanos, son of Konstantin who offered Nikki no amount of trouble and heartache.
*Full Review Posting @ Gizmos Reviews 05/25/2016* Link to Follow
Publisher: Pocket Star (May 16, 2016) *Pre-ordered*
June 4, 2016
3 1/2
No idea why but it didn't seem a great, tight story. The world might be ending, but I didn't give a damn. And I never warmed to Nikki's whining, bleeding heart routine. It didn't make her real or human, simply little bearable.
No idea why but it didn't seem a great, tight story. The world might be ending, but I didn't give a damn. And I never warmed to Nikki's whining, bleeding heart routine. It didn't make her real or human, simply little bearable.
May 22, 2016
3.5 stars, mostly for the ending.
There's little whining in this book--unlike the last--and the series is wrapped up in a satisfactory manner. Despite this, I can muster only mild enthusiasm for the story. Perhaps it's because the missteps in previous books made me care less about the characters.
Longtime fans of the series will enjoy this, particularly after such a long wait since the last book. But I wouldn't put this series high on a list of recommendations for those who have not been patiently awaiting this conclusion.
There's little whining in this book--unlike the last--and the series is wrapped up in a satisfactory manner. Despite this, I can muster only mild enthusiasm for the story. Perhaps it's because the missteps in previous books made me care less about the characters.
Longtime fans of the series will enjoy this, particularly after such a long wait since the last book. But I wouldn't put this series high on a list of recommendations for those who have not been patiently awaiting this conclusion.
June 28, 2016
This novel did not stay true to the prior books' characterization, and the story glazed over character development in favor of a plot-driven narrative. Wrapping this story up felt forced--like there were more novels needed but instead everything was resolved in one book even if it didn't make sense.
May 27, 2016
3.5 stars - It has been a long wait for this final book in the Nikki Glass series. I enjoyed it and was glad to get a final a adventure and I was happy to see things wrap in a good way for Nikki. I still wouldn't mind seeing more and there were a few possibilities to be explored if Black ever wants to revisit this world of god/goddess decendants.
August 21, 2016
But I want more...
October 15, 2017
I would say this is an excellent ending to the series. It has some nice character development and a pretty good plot building upon what came in earlier books. I still think the story would have been better as a trilogy and that some of the characters didn't get as much development as I would have liked it was still enjoyable and a good read. I was left curious as to where the story could have gone after the way it ended but not enough to demand another installment.
I would say as a whole the series isn't bad at all but also not the most memorable urban fantasy I've ever read either. I did enjoy it though.
I would say as a whole the series isn't bad at all but also not the most memorable urban fantasy I've ever read either. I did enjoy it though.
May 21, 2016
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2016/05/review-...
Favorite Quote: “I’m surrounded by the dead in the middle of the night hoping to pull a previously unknown power out of my ass. What could possibly go wrong?”
Private Investigator and immortal descendant of Artemis, Nikki Glass, learns a very valuable lesson in vengeance when a group of fertility goddesses decide to strike. The lives and loves of the gods and goddesses play out on an epic scale when Nikki’s boss, Anderson Kane, goes awol and his ex-wife goes ballistic and declares war on humanity in revenge. To add insult to injury, Cyrus, the new leader of the Olympians, has learned Anderson killed his father and he wants Anderson’s head on a pike.
Once again Nikki finds herself outmanned and outgunned but with the fate of mankind resting on her shoulders, Nikki will have to find a way to get this ex-couple into counseling quick before the world as we know it ends.
Divine Descendant, the fourth book in Jenna Black’s Nikki Glass series, has been a long time coming. Three years to be exact. However, Black shows no signs she has backed off this series and once again presents readers with an action-packed urban fantasy that uses Greek mythology to create an engaging world filled with dark humor, engaging characters, and intriguing convoluted plotlines. The world building remains simplistic in its construction yet each layer we uncover reveals a twisting mass of lies and half truths. The result is a fascinating world you can’t wait to further explore.
Heavily character driven, what I continue to enjoy about this series is the unapologetic makeup of the cast. There are no clear cut good or bad guys in here; there are just degrees of separation. These people are gods and demigods. Powerful and deadly, each has a tragic story begging to be told. And each will kill to protect it. Each installment has given readers more information on these men and women backgrounds, showing the suffering, pain, and difficult choices one must make when immortal. Nikki’s connections with her new family seem to be strengthening as she has begun to accept her destiny and getting to know them better. It’s very apparent in this installment when she is forced into a position where she has to weigh the consequences of saving the world against the damage her decisions may cause those she has grown to care for.
“It’s not like I’m going to hurt him.”
I shuddered. “You might not hurt him, but you can destroy him.”
Black picks up right where book three left off. Anderson is missing and no one can find him. The whole team knows what Anderson truly is and that brings about some serious questions. Cyrus is calling, demanding answers to know what exactly happened to his father when Anderson rescued Nikki. When a young woman appears at the Liberi mansion and asks for her help, she tells Nikki and the group a horrific tale about Anderson’s dark past deeds that causes them to further question their leader. Black takes some liberties with Anderson’s past, using the legend of Niobe to weave a sorrowful tale of love, loss, betrayal, insanity, and vengeance.
“I will die happy knowing my suffering is finally over and yours just begun.”
As with book three, Rogue Descendant, the arc is pretty much at a standstill through most of the book. The conflict focuses on one character rather than the group as a whole but the action and suspense more than makes up for that. I love that Anderson is the focus of this installment and remains the enigma we met in book one. Black doesn’t alter or downplay his personality in order to create an easy resolution. Once again it’s Nikki, her close ties with to her humanity, and ability to see the whole picture that saves the day though there are some close calls that leave you wide-eyed at the events unfolding. Black does shockingly change the direction of the arc with this dark conflict and opens the door to a multitude of future storylines, one that puts Nikki firmly front and center.
On a more personal level, the slow burning romance between Jamaal and Nikki finally picks up the pace and the faint love triangle we were all seeing is no more. Nikki has made her choice and the advancements made between the two of them are phenomenal and quite sexy. A smaller secondary romance experiences some changes that leaves the reader unsure of its future. This particular love triangle seems to be destined for heartbreak no matter the choice made.
“I’ve done a lot of distasteful things in my life. This will be just one more.”
Divine Descendant was worth the wait and I’m looking forward to book five, title and release date to be announced. I am cross my fingers it won’t be another 3 year wait.
GRADE: B-
Favorite Quote: “I’m surrounded by the dead in the middle of the night hoping to pull a previously unknown power out of my ass. What could possibly go wrong?”
Private Investigator and immortal descendant of Artemis, Nikki Glass, learns a very valuable lesson in vengeance when a group of fertility goddesses decide to strike. The lives and loves of the gods and goddesses play out on an epic scale when Nikki’s boss, Anderson Kane, goes awol and his ex-wife goes ballistic and declares war on humanity in revenge. To add insult to injury, Cyrus, the new leader of the Olympians, has learned Anderson killed his father and he wants Anderson’s head on a pike.
Once again Nikki finds herself outmanned and outgunned but with the fate of mankind resting on her shoulders, Nikki will have to find a way to get this ex-couple into counseling quick before the world as we know it ends.
Divine Descendant, the fourth book in Jenna Black’s Nikki Glass series, has been a long time coming. Three years to be exact. However, Black shows no signs she has backed off this series and once again presents readers with an action-packed urban fantasy that uses Greek mythology to create an engaging world filled with dark humor, engaging characters, and intriguing convoluted plotlines. The world building remains simplistic in its construction yet each layer we uncover reveals a twisting mass of lies and half truths. The result is a fascinating world you can’t wait to further explore.
Heavily character driven, what I continue to enjoy about this series is the unapologetic makeup of the cast. There are no clear cut good or bad guys in here; there are just degrees of separation. These people are gods and demigods. Powerful and deadly, each has a tragic story begging to be told. And each will kill to protect it. Each installment has given readers more information on these men and women backgrounds, showing the suffering, pain, and difficult choices one must make when immortal. Nikki’s connections with her new family seem to be strengthening as she has begun to accept her destiny and getting to know them better. It’s very apparent in this installment when she is forced into a position where she has to weigh the consequences of saving the world against the damage her decisions may cause those she has grown to care for.
“It’s not like I’m going to hurt him.”
I shuddered. “You might not hurt him, but you can destroy him.”
Black picks up right where book three left off. Anderson is missing and no one can find him. The whole team knows what Anderson truly is and that brings about some serious questions. Cyrus is calling, demanding answers to know what exactly happened to his father when Anderson rescued Nikki. When a young woman appears at the Liberi mansion and asks for her help, she tells Nikki and the group a horrific tale about Anderson’s dark past deeds that causes them to further question their leader. Black takes some liberties with Anderson’s past, using the legend of Niobe to weave a sorrowful tale of love, loss, betrayal, insanity, and vengeance.
“I will die happy knowing my suffering is finally over and yours just begun.”
As with book three, Rogue Descendant, the arc is pretty much at a standstill through most of the book. The conflict focuses on one character rather than the group as a whole but the action and suspense more than makes up for that. I love that Anderson is the focus of this installment and remains the enigma we met in book one. Black doesn’t alter or downplay his personality in order to create an easy resolution. Once again it’s Nikki, her close ties with to her humanity, and ability to see the whole picture that saves the day though there are some close calls that leave you wide-eyed at the events unfolding. Black does shockingly change the direction of the arc with this dark conflict and opens the door to a multitude of future storylines, one that puts Nikki firmly front and center.
On a more personal level, the slow burning romance between Jamaal and Nikki finally picks up the pace and the faint love triangle we were all seeing is no more. Nikki has made her choice and the advancements made between the two of them are phenomenal and quite sexy. A smaller secondary romance experiences some changes that leaves the reader unsure of its future. This particular love triangle seems to be destined for heartbreak no matter the choice made.
“I’ve done a lot of distasteful things in my life. This will be just one more.”
Divine Descendant was worth the wait and I’m looking forward to book five, title and release date to be announced. I am cross my fingers it won’t be another 3 year wait.
GRADE: B-
July 7, 2016
I was a huge fan of the earlier Nikki Glass books and was thrilled to hear the announcement of the fourth instalment. I had forgotten just how fast these books moved and while there were a few quiet moments here and there, they felt earned and there was sense of relief for those moments of respite.
Nikki finds herself in the centre of Anderson's mess when Konstantin's email reveals his true origin. The Olympians are out for blood because Cyrus is convinced that Anderson killed his father (he's quite right) and he want Anderson's head. That is where the problem arises because Anderson is nowhere to be found. To make matters worse, Niobe , an ancient goddess is out looking for him, seeking her own revenge and she's willing to sacrifice all of humanity to get to her quarry. All in all, this is not the ideal time to be in Nikki's shoes.
What I really enjoyed about this series were the characters and the plot and Divine Descendant does well on both counts. The characters are amazing as always and some of them grow in ways that's refreshing and welcome. Especially Jamaal, I remember that in the previous books I wasn't very fond of him because he kept giving Nikki mixed signals. But in this one, I was pleasantly surprised to see that he grown in leaps and bounds since the last book and not only did he have better control over his temper, he also had better control over his death magic. Sita and Nikki also had a heart-to-heart which involved a lot of snarling but thankfully no blood was spilled.
Nikki remains a fun character and I love her asides. Her irreverent attitude is also always fun to read. Her sense of survival is still sketchy at best since she doesn't hesitate to get in the middle of gods hell bent on destroying each other and the rest of the planet while they're at it. But I also like that about her, the fact that she's willing to put herself in the middle even when she knows that things may not work in her favour. She is also the one who comes up with viable alternatives when everyone else comes up empty.
In terms of plot, it was simple enough yet not too simplistic. The gang was dealing with adversaries much older and far stronger than them and to make matters worse, a number of Olympians old guard had switched sides making things even more difficult for Cyrus. Having said that, I do think that the plot was a wee-bit thin but balanced well enough that it didn't bother me too much.
The part I was least excited about was the relationship bit, while I liked Jamaal as a character, he sucked as the love interest and I had no interest in seeing Nikki in a relationship with Anderson. Thankfully with the improvement in Jamaal's personality and the fact that he was finally ready to deal with his demons, marked a turning point in their relationship. Though to be fair, the change was a little too quick, for someone who had been harbouring such deep pain within himself. And while they do reach an understanding where their relationship is concerned, it in no way detracts from the main plot.
Divine Descendant was a fun read if a little low on reader involvement, when I was reading the book I enjoyed it but I was in no tearing hurry to find what happens next. Also, while there are no current plans for a fifth book, Black ends this in such a way that there is an opening for another book and I think I would like to read more about Nikki Glass and her crazy band of misfits.
Nikki finds herself in the centre of Anderson's mess when Konstantin's email reveals his true origin. The Olympians are out for blood because Cyrus is convinced that Anderson killed his father (he's quite right) and he want Anderson's head. That is where the problem arises because Anderson is nowhere to be found. To make matters worse, Niobe , an ancient goddess is out looking for him, seeking her own revenge and she's willing to sacrifice all of humanity to get to her quarry. All in all, this is not the ideal time to be in Nikki's shoes.
What I really enjoyed about this series were the characters and the plot and Divine Descendant does well on both counts. The characters are amazing as always and some of them grow in ways that's refreshing and welcome. Especially Jamaal, I remember that in the previous books I wasn't very fond of him because he kept giving Nikki mixed signals. But in this one, I was pleasantly surprised to see that he grown in leaps and bounds since the last book and not only did he have better control over his temper, he also had better control over his death magic. Sita and Nikki also had a heart-to-heart which involved a lot of snarling but thankfully no blood was spilled.
Nikki remains a fun character and I love her asides. Her irreverent attitude is also always fun to read. Her sense of survival is still sketchy at best since she doesn't hesitate to get in the middle of gods hell bent on destroying each other and the rest of the planet while they're at it. But I also like that about her, the fact that she's willing to put herself in the middle even when she knows that things may not work in her favour. She is also the one who comes up with viable alternatives when everyone else comes up empty.
In terms of plot, it was simple enough yet not too simplistic. The gang was dealing with adversaries much older and far stronger than them and to make matters worse, a number of Olympians old guard had switched sides making things even more difficult for Cyrus. Having said that, I do think that the plot was a wee-bit thin but balanced well enough that it didn't bother me too much.
The part I was least excited about was the relationship bit, while I liked Jamaal as a character, he sucked as the love interest and I had no interest in seeing Nikki in a relationship with Anderson. Thankfully with the improvement in Jamaal's personality and the fact that he was finally ready to deal with his demons, marked a turning point in their relationship. Though to be fair, the change was a little too quick, for someone who had been harbouring such deep pain within himself. And while they do reach an understanding where their relationship is concerned, it in no way detracts from the main plot.
Divine Descendant was a fun read if a little low on reader involvement, when I was reading the book I enjoyed it but I was in no tearing hurry to find what happens next. Also, while there are no current plans for a fifth book, Black ends this in such a way that there is an opening for another book and I think I would like to read more about Nikki Glass and her crazy band of misfits.
October 6, 2016
I'm so on the fence between a 2 star and 3, it is pretty much right in between. Parts were pretty good but so much dragged and then the overall premise of the fertility goddess having dominion over our world so completely, it was just plain boring. Add in the dragging parts that were supposed to build suspense and lead to action, and it was a bit painful.
The good parts were few and far between, you would be taken into a long drag, maybe through the underworld or being pursued by plants and fire with all tries at fighting back always being futile, or maybe a battle where I'm knowing what is happening and Nikki doesn't so a bit bored and just waiting to catch up. So those scenes disappear and finally we get to the confrontations with Cyrus or the relationship with Jamal, or with the rest of the Liberi or her sister (which is a cliffy). And we are left with more drag, some not so interesting part, then a little good, and a wrap up that satisfies.
Still it was a slog and I'm not sure what could have been done to make it great. Maybe it could have been good if the scenes of non-suspense were shorten to almost nothing. Even that could have only made this good because the overall premise of the book, based on the fertility goddesses having total control over the human race, it just never clicked for me. The back plot of relationships was good but it was back plot, secondary. Her sister, Blake, Cyrus and the Olympians, her and Jamal, her and the rest of the house, etc... really good but a very small part of the story. This was mainly the fertility goddess's vengeance and it was pretty sucky. Increase the character driven part of the story and change up the main plot and it could have been very good but that is really changing the whole story, isn't it? So might have been made good but never was going for great, the slog left it at OK to good, and I'm deciding while writing this that 2 stars would be the fairer even with the decent ending.
Should you read this as a reader of the series? Sure, it wraps up the series and ends pretty well. You might want to skim to the personal parts involving Jamal, Blake and Steph, and to the end, to get the wrap up.
----50% update-------------------
So I'm halfway through and I keep veering away, I think mostly because the fertility goddess holding all fertility in their hands and the other gods leaving, just seems really weak. It just is not compelling as a set up. The characters are still pretty good but I'm just meh about the whole reasoning of this goddess holding that much power over all of human kind. It is supposed to explain Anderson and his past but it is weak. So after getting over that, going about figuring out the solution is pretty good... until you get to the next goddess and I have to go back to the whole fertility based solely on these goddesses wills to continue to care enough.
up-date - No longer $2 :-(
OK, I pre-ordered it since it is $2 right now. Only available in ebook.
The good parts were few and far between, you would be taken into a long drag, maybe through the underworld or being pursued by plants and fire with all tries at fighting back always being futile, or maybe a battle where I'm knowing what is happening and Nikki doesn't so a bit bored and just waiting to catch up. So those scenes disappear and finally we get to the confrontations with Cyrus or the relationship with Jamal, or with the rest of the Liberi or her sister (which is a cliffy). And we are left with more drag, some not so interesting part, then a little good, and a wrap up that satisfies.
Still it was a slog and I'm not sure what could have been done to make it great. Maybe it could have been good if the scenes of non-suspense were shorten to almost nothing. Even that could have only made this good because the overall premise of the book, based on the fertility goddesses having total control over the human race, it just never clicked for me. The back plot of relationships was good but it was back plot, secondary. Her sister, Blake, Cyrus and the Olympians, her and Jamal, her and the rest of the house, etc... really good but a very small part of the story. This was mainly the fertility goddess's vengeance and it was pretty sucky. Increase the character driven part of the story and change up the main plot and it could have been very good but that is really changing the whole story, isn't it? So might have been made good but never was going for great, the slog left it at OK to good, and I'm deciding while writing this that 2 stars would be the fairer even with the decent ending.
Should you read this as a reader of the series? Sure, it wraps up the series and ends pretty well. You might want to skim to the personal parts involving Jamal, Blake and Steph, and to the end, to get the wrap up.
----50% update-------------------
So I'm halfway through and I keep veering away, I think mostly because the fertility goddess holding all fertility in their hands and the other gods leaving, just seems really weak. It just is not compelling as a set up. The characters are still pretty good but I'm just meh about the whole reasoning of this goddess holding that much power over all of human kind. It is supposed to explain Anderson and his past but it is weak. So after getting over that, going about figuring out the solution is pretty good... until you get to the next goddess and I have to go back to the whole fertility based solely on these goddesses wills to continue to care enough.
up-date - No longer $2 :-(
OK, I pre-ordered it since it is $2 right now. Only available in ebook.
July 6, 2016
I was so dissapointed in this book, I waited for it for such a long time, and now I'm sorry that I've read it, becaouse I would have prefered that the end was how I imagined it and not like this.
I hate when strong characters transforme into soft stuff, when smart ones go dumys over night, when all the experience in the world someone has doesn't come close to helping someone out, but a 22 years old girl OMG just saves the day...
I would have prefered that the good guys in this series stay that way and the bad ones the same...not turn the tide arround...
I hate when strong characters transforme into soft stuff, when smart ones go dumys over night, when all the experience in the world someone has doesn't come close to helping someone out, but a 22 years old girl OMG just saves the day...
I would have prefered that the good guys in this series stay that way and the bad ones the same...not turn the tide arround...
July 3, 2016
It's been so long since the last book came out it took me a bit to get back into the world and quite frankly I found myself bored while reading it. I liked learning more of Anderson's past and how not nice he was. Part of me thinks he got what he deserves, part of me thinks the punishment isn't quite bad enough. I did like all the changes in Nikki's life. Love that her love life seems settled as does her place with the Descendants.
September 16, 2017
Good, but disappointing
This one was just about the budding relationship between Nikki and Jamal, the rest of the story just revolves around that. I became annoyed with Nikki and her self righteousness, and thinking she was the liberi moral compass. Her "powers" are essentially useless in this one. And of course she gets rewarded with the offer to run the house after living there for what is described in the book as several months. Hope the next one is better.
This one was just about the budding relationship between Nikki and Jamal, the rest of the story just revolves around that. I became annoyed with Nikki and her self righteousness, and thinking she was the liberi moral compass. Her "powers" are essentially useless in this one. And of course she gets rewarded with the offer to run the house after living there for what is described in the book as several months. Hope the next one is better.
May 23, 2016
I don't know...has it been too long since the last book (3 years), or do I just not care anymore? I limped to the end; and thought about DNFing more than once. I just wasn't feeling it.
Linda summed my feelings up pretty well...
Linda summed my feelings up pretty well...
April 27, 2022
This was my favorite of the series and I really like how Nikki truly came into her own in this one. The love interest also fully won me over, so that was nice. Overall this was a fun series with a cool take on gods and goddesses. Not without faults but overall enjoyable.
July 17, 2016
Review originally posted at RabidReads.com.
Finally, we have a book four in the Nikki Glass series. I’ve been waiting three years for this book to come out. I can say that I’m glad that this story is finally out in the world. After the long wait, I went through earlier this year and did a revisit of this series (and reviewed since I read these way before I was blogging). I’m really glad that I had the refresher. This book start where Rogue Descendant ends and it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I was glad to see the story take shape quickly.
Nikki is an immortal and a PI. As a descendant of Artemis, she is great at finding things, not to mention has flawless aim with whatever her weapon is. She is coming to terms with her new life. Anderson, the leader of the “good” Liberi is MIA after killing the leader of the opposing and less friendly Liberi group, known as the Olympians. Problem is that Konstantin had a failsafe to protect him. He knew Anderson’s secret, which is a big one. When Konstantin is killed, his failsafe goes into action and Anderson’s very large secret is unleashed upon the world. Nikki is hoping that Anderson is working on solving any ramifications of the secret that is out in the world. However, she doesn’t know for sure.
Also, a woman shows up at the mansion and has even more of Anderson’s secrets. Anderson is someone who isn’t as “good” as he had lead them to believe. All of the Liberi walk a line between good and evil. Anderson’s Liberi lean more towards the good side. After hearing about Anderson’s past, they start to question things even more. This woman is the sister of Anderson’s ex-wife. Needless to say, she is not happy to find out that Anderson is still alive and she is willing to destroy the entire human race to hurt him.
Another great part of this story was the relationship between Nikki and Jamaal. This is a relationship that has be slowly building since the first book. Well, it finally makes some forward process. Jamaal has issues from his past that have really kept the relationship from making any progress. His past as a slave and the one mistress that owned him and enjoyed his scars and forced sex from him really did a number on him. Add to that the stress of his death magic as a descendant of Kali, makes him quick to get angry.
Although him finding Sita, his tiger which is a manifestation of his death magic has helped him with his stress, she is a jealous tiger and doesn’t like Nikki. Sita and Nikki have a heart to heart, as much as you can with a magic tiger who can’t talk, but thinks on a higher level than a normal tiger. They learn to deal with each other so that they can both make Jamaal happy.
This series continues to have wonderful characters and a great premise. I also love the action that goes on this book. There aren’t a ton of fight scenes that you see in some urban fantasy series, but it does have some great suspense that kept me glued to my Kindle.
Jenna Black wrote this where it could be the end of Nikki Glass or where she could continue the series. I for one and hoping that the series has a few more books. I would love to see where Nikki goes from here. If she decides that she isn’t going to continue the series, she did leave it at a place where I could be happy with the series. You can voice your opinion as to whether the Nikki Glass series should continue on Jenna’s website (I’m not sure how long she is taking feedback, but it was open when I posted this review).
Finally, we have a book four in the Nikki Glass series. I’ve been waiting three years for this book to come out. I can say that I’m glad that this story is finally out in the world. After the long wait, I went through earlier this year and did a revisit of this series (and reviewed since I read these way before I was blogging). I’m really glad that I had the refresher. This book start where Rogue Descendant ends and it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I was glad to see the story take shape quickly.
Nikki is an immortal and a PI. As a descendant of Artemis, she is great at finding things, not to mention has flawless aim with whatever her weapon is. She is coming to terms with her new life. Anderson, the leader of the “good” Liberi is MIA after killing the leader of the opposing and less friendly Liberi group, known as the Olympians. Problem is that Konstantin had a failsafe to protect him. He knew Anderson’s secret, which is a big one. When Konstantin is killed, his failsafe goes into action and Anderson’s very large secret is unleashed upon the world. Nikki is hoping that Anderson is working on solving any ramifications of the secret that is out in the world. However, she doesn’t know for sure.
Also, a woman shows up at the mansion and has even more of Anderson’s secrets. Anderson is someone who isn’t as “good” as he had lead them to believe. All of the Liberi walk a line between good and evil. Anderson’s Liberi lean more towards the good side. After hearing about Anderson’s past, they start to question things even more. This woman is the sister of Anderson’s ex-wife. Needless to say, she is not happy to find out that Anderson is still alive and she is willing to destroy the entire human race to hurt him.
Maybe Niobe’s problem wasn’t so much that she was angry but that she was batshit crazy. I’ve never met anyone with taste in women as epically bad as Anderson’s. If he had a thing for crazy women, couldn’t he have at least stuck to ones who weren’t homicidal.
Another great part of this story was the relationship between Nikki and Jamaal. This is a relationship that has be slowly building since the first book. Well, it finally makes some forward process. Jamaal has issues from his past that have really kept the relationship from making any progress. His past as a slave and the one mistress that owned him and enjoyed his scars and forced sex from him really did a number on him. Add to that the stress of his death magic as a descendant of Kali, makes him quick to get angry.
Although him finding Sita, his tiger which is a manifestation of his death magic has helped him with his stress, she is a jealous tiger and doesn’t like Nikki. Sita and Nikki have a heart to heart, as much as you can with a magic tiger who can’t talk, but thinks on a higher level than a normal tiger. They learn to deal with each other so that they can both make Jamaal happy.
“I’m surrounded by the dead in the middle of the night hoping to pull a previously unknown power out of my ass. What could possibly go wrong?”
“You, however, couldn’t look harmless if you had flowers in your hair and were carrying an armload of kittens. And that face you’re making proves my point.”
This series continues to have wonderful characters and a great premise. I also love the action that goes on this book. There aren’t a ton of fight scenes that you see in some urban fantasy series, but it does have some great suspense that kept me glued to my Kindle.
Jenna Black wrote this where it could be the end of Nikki Glass or where she could continue the series. I for one and hoping that the series has a few more books. I would love to see where Nikki goes from here. If she decides that she isn’t going to continue the series, she did leave it at a place where I could be happy with the series. You can voice your opinion as to whether the Nikki Glass series should continue on Jenna’s website (I’m not sure how long she is taking feedback, but it was open when I posted this review).
June 22, 2016
I had read somewhere that this book was to be the last in the series. The ending however has left it open for another book to follow. I'm curious to see what comes next if so.
This isn't my favorite of the series though I still liked it. The tension between Nikki and Jamal seemed to be resolved so quick it felt like I might've missed something in their relationship evolution or something. I kinda missed that tension that bounced between them.
I am *really* glad that there was no love triangle after the hints in previous books. Anderson ... is just creepy and at times seems like a father figure. Well, he was until this book. In taking his heritage into account he acted, in both the past and present, like a son of a fury would.
That doesn't mean his reactions weren't horrible or bad, just that they fit his nature exactly.
The lore behind the sisters and the altars they tended was an interesting concept. Black did a good jod when she created her characters. They all weren't all good or all bad all of the time.
I wish that Nikki was a little more kick butt than she is. Right now it still feels like she just stumbles into a resolution or winning a fight rather than earning it with brawn or intelligence.
I will read the next book, if there is one, but I'm not totally sure if I I will rush out to buy it and read it.
This isn't my favorite of the series though I still liked it. The tension between Nikki and Jamal seemed to be resolved so quick it felt like I might've missed something in their relationship evolution or something. I kinda missed that tension that bounced between them.
I am *really* glad that there was no love triangle after the hints in previous books. Anderson ... is just creepy and at times seems like a father figure. Well, he was until this book. In taking his heritage into account he acted, in both the past and present, like a son of a fury would.
That doesn't mean his reactions weren't horrible or bad, just that they fit his nature exactly.
The lore behind the sisters and the altars they tended was an interesting concept. Black did a good jod when she created her characters. They all weren't all good or all bad all of the time.
I wish that Nikki was a little more kick butt than she is. Right now it still feels like she just stumbles into a resolution or winning a fight rather than earning it with brawn or intelligence.
I will read the next book, if there is one, but I'm not totally sure if I I will rush out to buy it and read it.
December 14, 2016
I'm disappointed that this book ends the series. I thought the world was very interesting and unique, especially now that we know there are some gods and goddesses around. The characters are still interesting, although Anderson really took a turn once you discovered his past. I was glad to see Jamaal getting over his issues and would have liked to seen more of Blake and Steph.
May 17, 2016
Definitely did not Disappoint!!! Loved it
August 17, 2017
As shown on Books and Boys Book Blog.
This is a fantasy paranormal story that follows on from three other Descendant books in the series. Although I haven’t read the previous three books I would still give this book 4 stars even though I am not sure I got the best out of the story.
With this being the fourth book there is obviously a lot that has already happened to Nikki and although things get explained along the way this is a fantasy book will lots going on so would strongly recommend that you read all three previous books. There does seem to be a sort of wrapping up in this book but again without reading the others it is kind of hard to tell as I still have questions.
In a world of gods and demigods we have Nikki Glass, an investigator who is an immortal descendant of Artemis. This is something that doesn’t appear to a common thing. It would appear that she is embroiled in the fight to save humanity. There has obviously been some major incidents that have led up to the situation that Nikki now finds herself in and although explained it still a bit of rereading to take it all in.
Faced with the ex-wife of a god who wants revenge by wiping out humanity and a god that is nowhere to be found Nikki must figure out how to fix things.
There are some major players in this with lots of undercurrents going on or have had previous impact on the story that keep intrigue and interest. Nikki herself is quite a likeable character with a strength and personality that have you rooting for her. There is a romantic connection for Nikki and another which I quite liked that sees them coming together.
I did enjoy this book and would like to go back and get the whole story as I felt that it was very well written and extremely interesting. The mythology and action throughout keeps your mind going and means you want to find out what happens next and who will survive. Good book that I would happily recommend to fantasy fans but would tell them to read from the start.
This is a fantasy paranormal story that follows on from three other Descendant books in the series. Although I haven’t read the previous three books I would still give this book 4 stars even though I am not sure I got the best out of the story.
With this being the fourth book there is obviously a lot that has already happened to Nikki and although things get explained along the way this is a fantasy book will lots going on so would strongly recommend that you read all three previous books. There does seem to be a sort of wrapping up in this book but again without reading the others it is kind of hard to tell as I still have questions.
In a world of gods and demigods we have Nikki Glass, an investigator who is an immortal descendant of Artemis. This is something that doesn’t appear to a common thing. It would appear that she is embroiled in the fight to save humanity. There has obviously been some major incidents that have led up to the situation that Nikki now finds herself in and although explained it still a bit of rereading to take it all in.
Faced with the ex-wife of a god who wants revenge by wiping out humanity and a god that is nowhere to be found Nikki must figure out how to fix things.
There are some major players in this with lots of undercurrents going on or have had previous impact on the story that keep intrigue and interest. Nikki herself is quite a likeable character with a strength and personality that have you rooting for her. There is a romantic connection for Nikki and another which I quite liked that sees them coming together.
I did enjoy this book and would like to go back and get the whole story as I felt that it was very well written and extremely interesting. The mythology and action throughout keeps your mind going and means you want to find out what happens next and who will survive. Good book that I would happily recommend to fantasy fans but would tell them to read from the start.
March 4, 2020
3.5stars/5stars This novel is so hard to rate for me, cause the main storyline I disliked. I think the fertility goddess storyline would have gone better if it had included POV'S from Anderson and Niobe in order to get in their heads and make me care more. Now while the fertility goddesses kept the population going, and not dying off it was so hard to care or believe in it.
Parts I loved
I loved the relationship moving forward for Jameel and Nikki, and I loved the characters and how the story wrapped up, but there were strings left untied, and hopefully that's cause there will be another book someday. I want to see more about each of the background characters, and how nikki interacts with them.
Still a solid read from Jenna Black but had to mark it down due to the fertility goddess arc.
Parts I loved
I loved the relationship moving forward for Jameel and Nikki, and I loved the characters and how the story wrapped up, but there were strings left untied, and hopefully that's cause there will be another book someday. I want to see more about each of the background characters, and how nikki interacts with them.
Still a solid read from Jenna Black but had to mark it down due to the fertility goddess arc.
June 27, 2024
For some reason when I read the first 3 books of the Nikki Glass series I didnt read this one. But I'm clearing off my TBR and came across it, I decided to not go back and read the first books to refresh my mind and I don't regret that, it was easy to pick up on and fall right back into the story.
'Divine Descendant' is the fourth book by Jenna Black in the Nikki Glass series. A series chronically what happens to Nikki Glass after she accidentally kills a man, turns out she like that man were descendants of a God, in Nikki's case Artemis, In the first book when she kills the other descendant she steals his immortally. This book is just a continuation of how messed up her life has become since then with the closing of more than a few chapters and showing how her life is to unfold as she settles into this new life that she has.
'Divine Descendant' is the fourth book by Jenna Black in the Nikki Glass series. A series chronically what happens to Nikki Glass after she accidentally kills a man, turns out she like that man were descendants of a God, in Nikki's case Artemis, In the first book when she kills the other descendant she steals his immortally. This book is just a continuation of how messed up her life has become since then with the closing of more than a few chapters and showing how her life is to unfold as she settles into this new life that she has.
June 10, 2021
I would liked to have given this four stars as Jenna Black is a good writer. It is just that there are a lot of loose ends left and there has been no real strong progression in the character of Nikki. She started out and, I fear, ended up reminding me of an angsty teenager and even the continuing description of her emotional problems from her childhood can't do away with the fact that she seemed to be unable to learn much of anything, even to the point where in this last book, her biggest drive seems boyfriend related, despite what else is going on around her, hence my angsty teenager comment.
Still, over-all, I did read the whole series with enjoyment and, for the most part, the TMI sex stuff was kept to a minimum. I will certainly try some of the author's other series.
Still, over-all, I did read the whole series with enjoyment and, for the most part, the TMI sex stuff was kept to a minimum. I will certainly try some of the author's other series.
March 14, 2022
I found this book to be irritating. Nikki annoyed me the set ups for everything annoyed me. The lack of any real closure between Nikki, Blake, cyrus, and Steph irritated me. Like the hell happens to Steph and Blake at the end? They end up hating each other, or do they end up trying again? What happens?
Anderson I don't know I felt like he'd been trying to seek forgiveness earlier and then there was a weird shift for him. Nikki seemed like she was weird. I really wish the author had more time or something to write this. I typically like stories dealing with God's, fae, vampires, etc it's usually great and the first three books I felt like were not bad so I'm not sure why everything fell flat for this one. All in all I didn't really like it. It felt to jumbled and unfinished for me.
Anderson I don't know I felt like he'd been trying to seek forgiveness earlier and then there was a weird shift for him. Nikki seemed like she was weird. I really wish the author had more time or something to write this. I typically like stories dealing with God's, fae, vampires, etc it's usually great and the first three books I felt like were not bad so I'm not sure why everything fell flat for this one. All in all I didn't really like it. It felt to jumbled and unfinished for me.
June 5, 2017
So this is the final book in the series and I am thankful to Ms. Black for a concluding book.
The series overall is interesting but it never really lived up to its full potential. I found the characters to be rather flat and not super interesting. The writing was very repetitive at times and that became very distracting. You really do not have to tell me 10 times in the same chapter how Descendants become Liberi. I got that in book #1! If you have been reading the series then you will want to pick this one up. If you are not familiar already with the series this this book will just end up being confusing. It really can not stand alone.
The series overall is interesting but it never really lived up to its full potential. I found the characters to be rather flat and not super interesting. The writing was very repetitive at times and that became very distracting. You really do not have to tell me 10 times in the same chapter how Descendants become Liberi. I got that in book #1! If you have been reading the series then you will want to pick this one up. If you are not familiar already with the series this this book will just end up being confusing. It really can not stand alone.
May 1, 2018
Well, I'm done with the series.
They were all enjoyable books, but overall I feel like I didn't get what I wanted from the series. The characters, plot and worldbuilding were all great, but where was the development?
By the time I was done reading the last page I feel like things hadn't really moved from where we stood at the beginning of the novels, and I just... I wanted more out of this than what I got.
Jenna Black is an excellent author, which is why I loved all the characters so much. I just wish we'd had more of them.
They were all enjoyable books, but overall I feel like I didn't get what I wanted from the series. The characters, plot and worldbuilding were all great, but where was the development?
By the time I was done reading the last page I feel like things hadn't really moved from where we stood at the beginning of the novels, and I just... I wanted more out of this than what I got.
Jenna Black is an excellent author, which is why I loved all the characters so much. I just wish we'd had more of them.
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