Hi! Welcome to the blog stop for Descendant by Nichole Giles!! We are excited to have you here.
About DESCENDANT: Seventeen-year-old Abigail
Johnson is Gifted.
Blessed-or
cursed-with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place
to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she
arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of
normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening
glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so
achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he's a missing piece of her
own soul.
Before
Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches
up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she's not just
running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it's not only Abby's
life at stake.
First up, we have a guest post for you from Nichole
The Descendant Villains
I think one of the most interesting parts of writing is
creating villains and giving them a back story. As is the case with
protagonists, the villain or antagonist needs to have history and motivation
and flaws.
When I write, I’m not a fan of outlining. I’m what’s called
a pantser, meaning I write my stories freely, letting them unfold however they
come, and then going back to fill in plot holes and cut out unnecessary scenes
and details. So it took several drafts of Descendant before I managed to get
the villains right.
There are a few villains in Descendant, and while they’re all
definitely connected, they each have different motivations and desires. Juri,
who we meet—however briefly—in the first chapter, wants power and comfort, and
is willing to do whatever he can to get it, even if it means betraying the men
who were once like brothers to him. Boone, Juri’s sometimes-comrade, has a more
basic desire. Money. If he could just get his hands on enough money, he’d
retire to a remote island somewhere and live in wealth and comfort for the rest
of his life. Both men believe that the fastest way to have what they both want
is to free the Dark Prince, Tynan, and assist him in his rise to power over the
human world.
And let’s be honest. If a dark prince took control of the
world, his two trusted assistants would probably have all the wealth, power,
and comfort they wanted. Or, you know, they could. Theoretically.
Which leads us to the Dark Prince Tynan. What does he want?
Freedom. And revenge, because let’s face it, he’s bitter about his
circumstances, and ridiculously jealous of Theron, his biological brother, for
being the one their parents kept, and for being raised in a life of luxury
while he was sent to live in the underworld. So yeah, he basically wants
Theron’s life, and he is so overcome by anger and hatred that he will do
whatever it takes, and kill whomever stands in his way. Including and
especially Abby and Kye.
So here we have three solid, scary villains, who all have
different motivations, but who are willing to work together in order to reach
their desired results. A scary combination? I think so.
Who are your all-time favorite story villains?
Our Review:
Abigail Johnson‘s life is turned upside down after finding
her grandmother dying on the kitchen floor, a victim of a tragic burglary. Beginning her life over in Wyoming, isn’t
quite what Abigail had in mind. Her life
is completely transformed during a class spring break trip in Yellowstone
National Park upon meeting the mysterious Kye, whom she is inexplicably drawn
to. For Kye is one of the “gifted.” Kye can communicate with animals, see the fae
and has a white moose familiar (thought
that was funny). However, Abigail is
also ‘”gifted”. She can heal and has
second sight. Using these abilities, Kye
and Abigail embark on a mission to find several of the Lost Elan Keys, a lost
magical civilization (similar to Atlantis?) to prevent the opening of a demon
portal, which when opened will usher in the end of all mankind.
It was refreshing to read a story in first person. Currently, I am reading several novels based
on several different characters, perspectives.
I often feel like I have to take notes!
At first, I though Descendent was about witches, then I
realized it was about reincarnation and the redemption of love. Though slow at parts, the story line was
engaging and kept my attention. I would have loved to see a brief history or legend of the Elan! Maybe something fun for the future Nichole? All in all, Descendent was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the
continuation of the story!
Reviewed by: Brenda
Buy Links:
About Nichole Giles: Nichole Giles was born in Nevada, and moved with her parents
to a number of cities in and around the West. Writing is her passion, but
she also loves to spend time with her husband and four children, travel to
tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the convertible top
down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.
