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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent second installment in a great series!, June 4, 2009
This review is from: Eve of Destruction (Marked, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
After what seemed like forever (but was in reality about a month), I finally got my hands on a copy of Eve of Destruction, which is book two of the new Marked series by S.J. Day. I absolutely loved the first book, Eve of Darkness. It was truly exceptional, especially when you take into account that it was the first book of a new series in the increasingly crowded Urban Fantasy Genre. I am happy to say that the bar that was set in book one was actually exceeded in book two. At the conclusion of Eve of Darkness, our heroine Evangeline Hollis found herself burned to death by a dragon. In chapter one of Eve of Destruction, she finds herself waking up in her own bed. How is this possible? When your main squeezes are Cain and Abel of biblical fame, you have a little more clout than your average run of the mill mortal. And Eve isn't about to argue with her return to the realm of the living. With vivid memories of her own death clear in her mind, she has never been more grateful for her new status as a Mark. With a new lease on life, Eve is quickly whisked away to complete her training as a Mark (along with the rest of the newbies). Upon arrival at the training center, things go bad almost immediately. Eve feels feverish (despite the fact that Marks are not susceptible to human ills) and altogether not herself. Not to mention the fact that one of the Marks-in-training is brutally slaughtered during the first training exercise. With no real clues to go on, the newbies are all on edge. And since there is no love lost between Eve and her classmates (they are jealous of her personal life on several levels), she finds herself becoming a solo detective, and not entirely willingly. Eve of Destruction was exactly what I hoped it would be and more. Fast paced (but not rushed), exciting, and full of sexual tension between Eve and the two eternally rivaling brothers, it was impossible to put down. One of my favorite aspects of the book was that all of the characters were true to their initial portrayal in book one. It was great to see that neither Cain or Abel was willing to relinquish their struggle with each other or God in order to have an easy relationship with Eve. And that Eve was unwilling to sacrifice any part of herself to be with either brother. Overall, Eve of Destruction gets a five star rating from me. I am going to be on pins and needles until Eve of Chaos is released at the end of the month.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eve of Destruction by S.J. Day, June 18, 2009
This review is from: Eve of Destruction (Marked, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
Well, well, well. Another winner from S.J. Day in her 'Marked' series, "Eve of Destruction" packs plenty of mystery, action, hot lust, and suspense into 414 pages of reading pleasure. I would caution readers NOT to try and begin the trilogy with this story, book two. Instead, go ahead and splurge--cough up the seven bucks and hang on for the ride. Book two picks up right where "Eve of Darkness" left off--Eve has been toasted (literally!) by a dragon. But it seems she has some information Heaven needs, so even though she should be dead...she's alive. Eve is pretty sure her growing feelings for Cain and Abel of Biblical infamy also had something to do with her current state, but she's not about to argue about it! Now it's time for newly 'marked' Eve to head to training camp and learn how to battle the forces of Evil. What she actually runs into is death, mayhem, dislike, jealousy, mental menage, and ah yes...destruction. There are quite a few stunning surprises, and I can hardly bear to wait another twelve days to get my hands on book three. This is one kick-a$$ series. The plot is still unfolding, although the reader isn't left hanging. Eve is still torn between the brothers, but there are some big changes in the relationships. It's also cool to find out more about S.J. Day's angels and where each fits into the scheme of things in her world. I honestly can't find anything unflattering to say about this story. Maybe a little more sex...but what there is, is definitely smokin'. There's no dead spots, no jerky transitions, and no halt to the plot. "Eve of Destruction" is simply another riveting read.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
She's tough, she's sexy, but best of all, she's smart., June 8, 2009
This review is from: Eve of Destruction (Marked, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
It's not every day that a series' second installment is better than the first, but S.J. Day has done it. _Eve of Destruction_ continues the story of Evangeline "Eve" Hollis and her adventures as a "Mark," a sinner drafted into God's demon-hunting army. Eve isn't a typical Mark, and this becomes clearer in this volume as more Marks are introduced to the reader. In some ways, Eve has it easier than her colleagues; she still has a relationship with her family, and she's dating Cain, the most elite Mark of all. In other ways, she has it harder. She's going through metaphysical changes at an unprecedented rate, and her connections to Cain and Abel have put her on the radar of the top baddies. The strangeness of Eve being Marked at all is also increasingly evident in _Eve of Destruction_. Most of Eve's fellow Marks were murderers before being chosen. All Eve did was fall for a hot guy on a motorcycle. The question of why Eve was chosen is one of the central mysteries here, and I can't wait to find out the answer. Eve, still recovering from the events of _Eve of Darkness_, is assigned to attend a training exercise at a defunct military base, along with a group of other newly minted Marks. The recruits think this is going to be like "Survivor" -- challenges, alliances, backstabbing... Instead they find themselves fighting for their literal survival when a demon infiltrates the team and starts picking off Marks. Meanwhile, Cain is hunting the alpha werewolf we met in _Eve of Darkness_, and Abel is investigating a new type of demon. These plotlines all turn out to be connected, and Day does a great job of weaving them together and bringing them to an adrenaline-filled climax. New complications arise in Eve's love life, too. One metaphysical event causes her to grow closer to Abel, and another metaphysical event distances her from Cain, adding tension to their love triangle. Over the last few years, I've become wary of urban fantasy plots that heavily mix sex and magic, but Day is better than most at writing the steamy stuff. Now, for what I loved most about this book. In _Eve of Darkness_, Eve vanquishes one of the baddies by thinking outside the box and using her creativity. I'm happy to report that this is no fluke. Eve's resourcefulness continues in _Eve of Destruction_. It's incredibly refreshing: Eve's greatest weapon isn't her gun, her magic, her 'tude, or her sexuality. It's her brain. She gets underestimated a lot, due to her inexperience, but it usually turns out that she's thinking circles around the other characters. The third-person POV, unusual in urban fantasy, helps facilitate this. It allows Eve to deduce things without tipping off a reader who's missed the clues. She was definitely a few steps ahead of me at one point! Also refreshing (and I neglected to mention this in my review of _Eve of Darkness_) is the diversity. Day's characters, both human and supernatural, come from a variety of backgrounds. This is something that's all too rare in fantasy. And I just have to say, it's so cute and telling that Abel's ringtone is "Jessie's Girl."
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