Review: Ascension by Sable Grace

Ascension by Sable Grace
HarperCollins (April 26, 2011)
Mass Market: $7.99
ISBN: 9780061964404

Favorite Lines: “As she watched his bobbing body become smaller and smaller as distance separated them, her feeling of victory was washed away by the rage and self-loathing warring inside her. She hated Ryker, but at the moment, she hated herself more.” (p. 39)

The gates of hell have opened, and one woman will stand in the crossfire as the Dark Breed—vampyre, demons, shape shifters—and mankind fight their last battle for survival.

Kyana is half Vampyre, half Lychen . . . and the last of her kind. Determined, dangerous, and damned, she has no love for the mortals who have imprisoned and misused her. But when the Order of Ancients entrusts her with a mission—to find the key that will send the Dark Breed back into Hell for eternity—Kyana has no choice but to accept.

She is furious to learn her assignment comes with an escort . . . Ryker, a demigod and fierce warrior who long ago found a way under her skin and stayed there. In a shaky alliance, they discover an ancient cult with dangerous motive and a god who seeks to destroy all others. And as Kyana begins to feel the heat that threatens to bind her to Ryker, she knows she has to resist. For it could only mean the undoing of them both . . .

The writing team of Heather Waters and Laura Barone write under the pen name of Sable Grace. To avoid confusion I’m going to refer to the author as Grace throughout this review. Read an excerpt of Ascension.

I’m not a fan of urban fantasy’s that have a heavy mythological base. I’m not really interested in stories about the gods and their machinations. If you feel the same this book may be the exception to the rule. Yeah, there are fates and gods and demigods, but something about the way Grace has written them enhances her dark world and makes me want to know more.

Don’t worry if you aren’t immediately drawn into Ascension. It wasn’t until chapter five that I became interested in  the book because I didn’t like Kyana or how the world treated “her kind.” It’s not new, but the idea of vampires risking it all for a cause and then being treated like crap about drove me mad. The fact that Kyana came across as a shallow creature didn’t help. Around chapter five Kyana began to get a little depth. She became more than a character working to bring in the humans no other tracker could find. A little crack into what makes her a worthy heroine formed.

I think my favorite part of this book is the tension between Kyana and Ryker. Both yearn for the other and refuse to act upon their feelings because of who they are. The more they work together, the more they see positive attributes in the other. This is not a story in which the lead characters disregard consequences and jump into bed together.

There is plenty of action in Ascension, along with a mystery that could destroy the survivors. There is a traitor in the safety of the Below and discovering his/her identity becomes an important mission for Kyana and Ryker. I must have missed something, because I had no idea of who the final traitor would be. And the way the story ended, well it wasn’t a tidy little ball. I have to read the next book to find out what happens to a key secondary character. 

One reason why you should read Ascension: The scenes in which Kyana wears an illusion charm. I’m feeling embarrassed for Kyana just thinking about them. lol

Ascension is book one in Grace’s Dark Breed Novel series. It is urban fantasy with a nice romantic thread. I look forward to seeing what Grace creates in this new, dangerous world filled with demons, witches, vampires and gods.

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