Ascension: A Dark Breed Novel (Dark Breed Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Sable Grace (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 26, 2011 | Series: Dark Breed Novels

Fans of Jeaniene Frost will love this exciting new dark paranormal series from Sable Grace. In Ascension, the Dark Breeds (vampyres, demons, shapeshifters) are at war with mortals, and only one woman stands between them in the ultimate fight for survival. The success of Marjorie M. Liu, Nalini Singh, and Pamela Palmer proves that the audience for paranormal romance novels remains huge…and voracious! Newcomer Sable Grace is a most welcome addition to their ranks—and Ascension features the debut of one of the most unforgettable paranormal heroines since Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

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 . . .

About the Author

Sable Grace is the writing team of Heather Waters and Laura Barone,long-time critique partners and friends who came together by fluke to discover their voices fit quite nicely during a writing experiment. The story became far too interesting to put down and Sable Grace was born.

Both Heather and Laura reside in Florida, are happily married to their real-life heroes, and are, well, complete opposites. Still, there’s enough common ground for them to weave their words together in the voice of Sable Grace.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (April 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061964409
• ISBN-13: 978-0061964404
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,157,041 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sable Grace is the writing team of Heather Waters & Laura Barone, long time critique partners and friends who came together by fluke to discover their voices fit together quite nicely during an experiment of "I'll write the first sentence, you write the next." It was meant to be nothing more than a warm up exercise for each of them to get started on their own projects, but soon, the story became far more interesting than what they were supposed to be working on and Sable Grace was born.

Both Heather and Laura reside in Florida, are happily married, and are, well, complete opposites. (Think the Odd Couple on crack here.) Still, there's enough common ground for them to weave their words together in the voice of Sable Grace.

Heather also writes medieval romances under her real name, which you can find at www.heatherwaters.net, and Laura is a Golden Heart finalist for her highly sensual manuscript, Mr. Right Now.

You can reach them both at sablegrace(AT)ymail.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Paranormal/Mythological Mix that Has Great Bones but Doesn't Live Up to its Potential April 26, 2011

By Fiendishly Bookish VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

3.25 Stars

There's a lot going on in Ascension, the first book in the debut Dark Breed series by writing duo Heather Waters and Laura Barone so much so, that it could be a challenge keeping it all straight. But while the genre-pushing first novel which blends both paranormal and mythology has great bones, it fails to live up to its potential.

Ascension takes off at breakneck speed at a critical point in time. The world has fallen into chaos when the gates of Tartarus are opened, and countless Dark Breeds (Lychens, Leeches, Shyfters, Demons) roam, maim, and wreak general havoc on the world. The last line of defense is the Order of the Ancients who are fending off the masses and protecting humanity as best as they can. For all intents and purposes it's Game Over in a big way.

The first objective of the Order and its tracers is to save those humans who have been marked as Chosen-those destined to replace the most critical of the supernatural hierarchy. Without the Chosen to replace certain gods and goddess, rule could cease to exist, and anarchy, even chaos would ensue. The world has already gone to hell-in-a-hand-basket but without the gods...well...annihilation. The second is to find the key to Tartarus, lock the gates, and "deal" with the conspirators who brought apocalypse to the world.

Ascension's heroine Kyana bears the brunt of both worlds being a former Dark Breed who was recruited into the Order for her unusual talents. As the last of her kind, Kyana has an advantage over the other Order soldiers...she is faster, more ruthless, and she possesses the dual strength of both Lychen and Vampyre biology within her. But those very traits color her personality as well and as she favors her colder Vampyre side, the chasm of human understanding is an even larger obstacle for her to overcome.

While Waters and Barone have essentially met the prerequisites of crafting Kyana as the quintessential paranormal heroine she appears to be an empty shell, missing the internal substance crucial for a reader to bond with her. Her background is glossed over in such a way, that it almost seems an afterthought. There are interesting glimpses of her though...her early years spent as an abused young wife to a Sultan, and her eventual transformation by her sire, and her longing for Ryker which transforms from a roll in the hay to something more substantial. But it's simply not enough.

With the reader unable to experience who Kyana really is through her eyes-to know who she is as a character, then there is no opportunity for the reader to relate to her, to bond with her, or any other element of the story. It is that critical chemistry that makes it all come together, that makes a story memorable-and it is lacking here.

What the Sable Grace duo does do well is maintain a balance between both Ryker and Kyana and their growing relationship as they journey from Above to Below to hunt down the key to Tartarus. As his yang to her yin, Ryker possesses an almost austere presence in the face of Kyana's deficits. You get a real feel for his character, his caution, his premeditation, and his patience.

On the whole, Ascension is fertile ground, has an interesting premise, but doesn't fulfill expectations. By the last quarter of the book, more substance has been woven in, and there is a real connection that develops between the characters that hadn't manifested early on: Kyana's love for her best friend Haven forces her to make some do or die choices. And Ryker strikes a deal with his father, Ares to wrest an easy death for Kyana when she violates one of the Orders most sacred covenants. Artemis shows some benevolence. And last but not least, Waters and Barone prove they have a few tricks up their sleeves as well...especially with the surprise on the last page which is a great lead in to the next book.

A Fiendishly Bookish Review (and one grumpy cat)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars High octane action! April 26, 2011

By MyBookishWays

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Kyana is half Lychen, half Vampyre who works as a tracer for the Order of Ancients. She is Dark Breed that has chosen to use her powers for good, and is entrusted by the Order to find an ancient key that can send the rampaging Dark Breeds back to Hell. See, the Gods' powers are weakening, and the Chosen (those that will replace them)are being killed one by one. The only problem is Ryker, the demi-god that she's partnered with. See, a while back, Kyana tried to get Ryker in the sack and he turned her down, but it's probably not for the reason you might think. It's much more complicated than that, and so is their relationship, which is part of the fun of the awesome debut!

Ascension is categorized as Paranormal Romance, however, it's firmly situated in the Urban Fantasy realm. Do not let the "Paranormal Romance" on the spine scare you off. For one thing, there's no steamy stuff until about two thirds in, and it's no more than you'd find in most urban fantasy. The writing duo that is Sable Grace has created a unique fantasy world where gods and myths are real, and "bump in the night" is par for the course. Some of my favorite scenes include Kyana's roommate and best friend, Haven, who is a witch. Their banter is witty and genuine, and the warmth and history between them is obvious. There are some truly terrifying creatures and plenty of rip roaring action, and the romantic friction between Kyana and Ryker keeps a nice hum of tension threaded throughout. This book has some wonderful twists and turns that kept me guessing, and a revelation that frankly had my jaw on the floor! This book kicks serious ass, and I can't wait for the next one!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Vampires, Werewolves, and Greek Gods, Oh My! April 26, 2011

By A Book Obsession.. TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Kyana is the only one of her kind, and she is the world's best hope in stopping the Dark Breeds from wiping out humanity. She may be a Dark Breed herself, but she has devoted her life to the Order of Ancients and protecting the innocent, despite what has been done to her in the past. She doesn't hesitate to accept the Order's mission to find the key to hell. Well, that is until she learns Ryker will be escorting her in the mission. He's the only man that has ever gotten to her, and she wanted nothing to do with him ever again. They will have to team up despite the animosity between them as a dark god is rising and they are the only ones who can stand in his way.

Greek mythology has always been one of my favorite themes in a book, so as I started reading this book and realized just how deeply rooted it was in the mythology, I became one happy girl. The paranormal aspects are perfectly blending into the mythology, making for a completely realized world, full of characters that you can't help but feel for. The fact that the gods are dying, yet are in the process of finding replacements, was really original and fascinating to me. In all of the other books I have read that have mythology in them, the gods are typically arrogant beings that would rather just die out than be replaced. Of course the gods still show some of that self-importance, especially Ares, but what more can you expect from the god of war?

I've always loved books where there is a past history between the main characters, and the current story is based on them being pushed back into each others lives. (Typically much to their dismay.) Kyana is so scared to let anyone close to her due to her past, and heck, even the present as she is treated as unworthy despite all of the good she does. The only man that has ever been able to get under her skin is Ryker, but he turned down her advances years ago. Of course he has his reasons, and they are not what she thinks they are. So when they are paired up, well she's furious, and he is scared he won't be able to say no a second time. The two of them felt like magnets to me. Sometimes they would line up and be drawn together by such a strong force, and other times their polarity would be reversed and no matter what, they just couldn't bring it together. The sexual tension between them was palatable, and made for one heck of a steamy read. I was caught between wishing they would just get it on, and wanting them to wait to make sure it would be something long lasting, as I really loved the dynamic between the two. I guess only time will tell how things play out, but I just can't help wanting to root for them.

There was one heck of a twist at the end that I never saw coming. This twist took me from really enjoying the book and being eager to read the next, to being completely desperate to get my hands on the next one. I simply cannot wait to see the characters' reactions to this turn in events, and where things will be heading. This book was a fantastic blend of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, giving you a fast paced plot with plenty of romance to steam things up. You'll definitely want to check this book out as you won't want to miss this fantastic new author's debut!