Customer Reviews

Poisoned Kisses (Harlequin Nocturne)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Poisoned Kisses, another book in Stephanie Draven's Mythica series, strikes an awesome balance between traditional steamy romance, the consequences and toll of war, and oh-by-the-way, a little Greek mythology thrown in.

Kyra, daughter of the war god Ares, is on a mission to destroy evil and that means Marco Kaisiris, an arms dealer who also happens to be a shape-shifting hydra. However, as is usual with Draven's writing there is much more to the story than boy meets girl and they fall in love. Both characters are superbly crafted. Kyra is a heroine with an attitude and Marco is a dark leading man with a past. While the both fall prey to the wild attraction that romance characters do, they do so against a backdrop of the serious issues of war that Draven is not afraid to tackle.

Draven's ability to weave a story that encompasses serious subject matter, Greek mythology and steamy romance makes her an author to watch! This book is really unlike any romance I've read before. (and there was even a bonus story included in the back!)

What a fun read!

There something about Stephanie Draven's stories that stick with you and leave you wanting to know more, to read more.
I had someone tell me that Poisoned Kisses was a must read and they were right. Greek mythology holds a new meaning when you read this book. Stephanie has a way of making it come alive to you.

She's now one of my "must have" authors and I can't wait for her new book to come out!

I review Nocturnes regularly at The Pen & Muse blog, and this is by far the best Nocturne I've ever read. Stephanie Draven handles the re-interpretation of mythology with consummate grace. So fluid and easy, it's hard to understand why I haven't read one of her books before. But this was truly a masterpiece. I saw another reviewer said, "if all romance novels were this good, the genre wouldn't have a bad name." I second that.

You don't need me to tell you what the book is about--you can read the blurb for yourself. Suffice to say, I read these books a lot. They all start to sound the same after awhile, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. But this book is different. It's hard to put my finger on exactly all the things that make it different, but here's my biggest praise:

This book is not only well-written and engaging with a killer plot, but it's smart. As a woman with three degrees and a lifetime of intellectualism, it was nice to have an author treat me like an intelligent adult reader. I actually felt like I'd learned something after finishing this book. But not in a preachy-high-horsey way. More like the way you scratch your head and think, how in the **** did she just do that? Masterful.

Typically, I don't say, "hey, you should buy this book" because you just never can account for taste. But I'm gonna go out on a limb and say, you should probably buy this. At least plunk down the three bucks and change for the e-version on Kindle. It's worth the three hours (or however long it takes you to read it.

POISONED KISSES is going in my keeper pile for good.

I'm having a hard time writing a review of this book because I don't want to sound so over the top that this comes off as phony. I don't think I can escape it -- I *really* loved this book; Stephanie Draven knocked my socks off -- so here goes anyway...

The story grabbed me almost immediately and didn't let go until the last page, keeping me on my seat the whole way through. The writing is clean, tight, and strong, the author knew when the pacing needed to move and when to give a taste of a lull -- giving me only just a taste of getting my breath before turning the story and diving forward.

What I think I loved best about the story were that the characters leapt off the page. They were real and flawed. They didn't always do the right thing, and it never felt like the author's hand moving them to make the story work. It felt like I was right there with them the whole time, living their lives through them, not as a passive observer, but almost getting into their skin. What was the most amazing about the characterization, however, was that the characters didn't feel like they could have ANY other story any more than you or I could have any other life. They weren't a list of traits put together to work with the architecture of a crafted plot. It felt completely natural.

And the crowning touch of the author's genius was working with the theme of war in such a thought-provoking manner. There was nothing politically correct or after-school-special about her critique of war, and it wasn't danced in on puppets' strings so she could put herself on a soapbox, either.

This book represents the quintessential genius of romance writing. Strong characters. Tight story. Real subject matter. And a little bit of fantasy thrown in for fun. I am now a total Stephanie Draven fan and can't wait to read anything she or her alter-ego writes. May she have a long and illustrious career. I am hungry for more, so I hope she's a fast writer. :)

War creates more than chaos in this unique and gripping tale of passion and monsters, betrayal and redemption. A reader is going to find the Greek myths twisted and invigorated with a delicious twist sure to please in Poisoned Kisses.

Kyra comes from an ancient dysfunctional family. Her dad is Ares, the war god, and he's one determined man who intends to find the ultimate weapon of war. The only thing standing in his way is his daughter, a young woman, by his standards, who is capable of great things. If only she'd just quit trying to go soft on him and stop making his carefully laid plains go awry. That's one of the things I liked about Kyra. She's not afraid of her dad and she should be. She bucks the status quo of the millennium by not wanting to blow people up but to guide them and actually do good things. She's sort of stuck being dual natured and there is a lot of well developed internal angst because of it. She's soft on one side of her personality but the other she's clearly daddy's girl, especially when she gets mad. Another thing her background colors is her way of dealing with issues. She has this destiny which was foretold. She interprets the completion of it in one way, by using violence and it gets her a lot more than she bargained for. Her one action sets her on the road to self-discovery and emotional growth. She fights it because she can't trust it. And that itself is another issue - trust. To give and to earn it - it's a compelling element throughout the story.

To call Marco a tortured hero is an understatement. He gets betrayed by his government, his friend and a lover. They use him and they try to kill him. How's a guy supposed to have hope after all of that? And obviously, that trust issue is a huge chip on his shoulder. When I first met him, I only had Kyra's opinion to go by. As the tale unfolds, I learned along with Kyra just what makes Marco who and what he is and he is as far from being a monster as the war gods are close to being the Easter Bunny. When faced with the truth, with the reality of what he's been doing all these years, I believe that that had to have been one of the most eye-awakening moments for Marco and I liked where the author took him then - the dialogue, action and decisions he made, all of it actually brought Marco to full life for me. It was a delight watching him slowly but surely fall in love with the emotionally flawed Kyra. Inasmuch as she helped him, he in turn gave her the courage to be who she really wanted to be and do what needed to be done.

The author did a wonderful job of using descriptions. I enjoyed Kyra's first reaction to Marco and his to her. Their emotions were believable and powerful. When they got together in the physical sense,

Ms. Draven provided an absolute treat to this reader because their distinctive encounters are a credit to the talent that Marco has. They were fresh, imaginative and fascinating. Kyra's talent in being able to discern the differences were what made it work so well. When I thought about it, the concept is actually pretty hot stuff.

Poisoned Kisses isn't a light and fluffy read. It's hard edged, gritty, and serious. It even delves into the possibility of why war is so prevalent and dare I say, popular. Ms. Draven has provided this reader with a clever and intelligent story with an out of the ordinary romance that hooked me as soon as Kyra drew her knife. There is just something special about a tough woman who needs saving and a man who stays true to the course of honor and justice even when dark forces want to seduce him to their side. This is a book that made me think. I enjoyed how the author took a page out of real life and injected Greek mythology in a most entertaining way. Poisoned Kisses is a must read for anyone with a yen for a supernatural romantic suspense that is not only unusual but has a romance that survives extraordinary odds culminating in a terrific happily ever after. I am simply in awe of Ms. Draven's talent and can't wait to read more written by her soon.

Speaking of which, at the end of Poisoned Kisses, there is a delightful short story called Midnight Medusa that showcases one of Krya's brothers. I found it funny after I read it because it showed me that she doesn't know all her brothers that well and this little book shared with me that Kyra doesn't have the market cornered on rebellion. This tale is between Phobos, son of Ares, and the greatly traumatized Renata, a young sculptress. Once again, trust, dreams and hopes are tested, and evil machinations plague the couple, making their road to happiness extremely bumpy. Even for such a small book, the characterizations of both Phobos and Renata are well done and poignant. The author gave just enough background, and I'll warn you, it might bring a tear to your eye, to make me care for both of them. The conflict is both external and internal and I really felt for Renata. I was delighted by another mythological creature come to life and the reasons were no less emotional for their brevity. The author did not sacrifice quality for speedy storytelling and the result was another happily ever after this reader got to enjoy. Two well told tales in one book; I couldn't be happier. Thank you, Ms. Draven for a riveting reading experience.

Originally posted at:'[...]

Plot Summary: Marco Kaisiris supplies guns to rebels in Africa, and an immortal nymph named Kyra is determined to bring him down. Unfortunately it won't be easy because Marco is a war-forged hydra, a mythical creature who can change his face and kill demigods with his toxic blood. When Kyra's assassination attempt backfires and she's mortally wounded, Kyra decides to switch strategies and trap Marco instead.

I liked how this paranormal romance went a bit deeper than I had expected, and it wove together Greek mythology and the civil wars in Africa into a cohesive plot. Poisoned Kisses was about more than the romance between Kyra and Marco, and that worked in its favor because it held my interest throughout. Stephanie Draven chose some exotic supernatural creatures for her story as well. Kyra is a nymph who is literally a torch for lost souls; she can light the way to the other side, and see through any artifice. That's why she's uniquely suited to track Marco, who is a hydra with the power to wear a thousand faces. His blood is deadly poison and his misguided sense of duty is helping to fuel a destructive war in the Congo.

Of the two leads, I thought Marco was far more interesting. He knew that society counted him as a criminal, but he believed that gun-running gave the victims a way to fight back. Even Marco's own family back in the U.S. thinks he's scum, and he doesn't bother to explain himself to anyone. He's a bad man who thinks that he's doing good, and when his illusions are shattered, he wants to do the right thing even if he has to sacrifice himself. I found his relationship with Kyra believable, and even though the sex scenes were a little vanilla for my taste, I thought it was well done.

Poisoned Kisses is a tight little story at 229 pages, and I admire the Harlequin imprints for delivering stories that can be enjoyed in a single afternoon.

"Poisoned Kisses". The Underworld Nymph Kyra fears what her father Ares plans to do. Ares wants to use toxic blood to change a man into a deadly hydra. His choice is weapons dealer Marcos Kaisaris. Marcos believes he can save the world from the madness of weapons of mass destruction by arming the oppressed. Like her sire, Kyra seeks Marcos out with her plan being to kill him so her father cannot capture him. When they meet, Marcos' tainted blood burns Kyra, costing her immortality. Still she refuses to quit although now she considers locking him away from her dad. In their second battle, they fall in love so she plans to keep him safe or die in the attempt.

"Midnight Medusa". As a child in war torn Bosnia, Renata saw first hand humanity's cruelty. She escaped to New York City where she became a sculptor who made pieces of the war criminals she witnessed performing their horrific cleaning. Once she completed a work, the "model" died horrifically. The son of Ares, Damon kidnaps the artist and informs her who she is and why her art kills.

The romantic fantasy Poisoned Kisses is a terrific tale that grips the audience from the moment lead couple meet and never slows down as natural enemies fall in love. Readers also receive a wonderful romantic urban fantasy short story Midnight Kisses with a great paranormal twist though the lead couple is obviously less developed; this was previously an e-tale. With two offspring of Ares entries, Stephanie Draven provides fans with a joyous trip to "Mythica".

Harriet Klausner

A welcome break from the overabundant `supernatural' romance with vampires or werewolves, Poisoned Kisses welcomes in a whole new exciting genre to the romance world; the myth and lore of ancient Greece. Stephanie Draven restores much of the raw sexuality that's been stripped away from the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus while updating them to deal with today's conflicted world of weapons of mass destruction and genocide. A beautiful nymph of vengeance tracks down a dangerous arms dealer only to find that he is more than what she bargained for; sexually and metaphysically.

This book is more than just a bodice ripper. It's one of the most original and passionate pieces of fiction I've read in a long time. The sex scenes are more than titillating; they're downright erotic. And considering the origin of that word, I can't think of a more appropriate way to describe it. The element of mythological figures adds a sexy and unique twist to the `girl meets boy she hates/loves' story we've seen so many times before.

Poisoned Kisses is the first in what is hopefully a long line of mythological-inspired romances. It's a great read for fans of dangerous lovemaking, conflicted emotions, bad boys, or supernaturally charged fiction. Like the heroine, you'll be left pining for more.

Poisoned Kisses, by author Stephanie Draven, is a romantic tale that inspiringly retells classic Greek mythology in modern day times, filled with tantalizing romantic interludes and in-depth characterization.

In Draven's tale, the heroine, Kyra, is the daughter of Ares - the Greek God of war, and is a former nymph of the Underworld who has decided that she has had enough of death and destruction. She has pitted herself against her father and his plans to draw power and worshipers from fueling further wars. Ares has his sights set on Marco Kaisiris, a soldier turned arms dealer who has witnessed so many atrocities that he's become the human version of a hydra; a man capable of taking the form of any person who has ever harmed him, and whose blood is poisonous to those it touches. Kyra's determination to kill Marco, to keep him from her father's grasp, quickly becomes a tale a woman willing to cast away her immortality in order to protect the only man that she's ever loved, and who's ever truly understood her.

Stephanie Draven's has a knack for drawing the reader in, leaving them at the edge of their seat, wanting for more. Her books are a recommended read all around.

Hot, steamy and addicting! Stephanie weaves a tale so sexy and entertaining that takes you to a whole new level of romance. Kyra and Marco are the perfect couple - body, mind and soul. If you're a fan of romance, you HAVE to read Poisoned Kisses.