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Daughter of Isis (Descendants of Isis #1)
by: Kelsey Ketch
Publication Date: Oct. 26, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Fantasy/ Mythology
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by the author and YABound Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 271 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | Kobo
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
"Her mouth parted slightly, waiting for Seth to breathe life into her own body, just like in the story. She wanted him to awaken her senses.”
Their worlds collide in California’s high desert.
The last thing Natara “Natti” Stone wants to do is to start anew at Setemple High School. She wished she had never left London. Yet the brutal murder of her maternal grandmother has made her life very complicated. The only clue related to her murder is an ancient, encrypted necklace Natti discovered after her grandmother’s death. And if trying to adjust to American life is not enough, Natti is being stalked by a mysterious, charming high school senior, Seth O’Keefe, who is annoyingly persistent in his attempts at seduction.
Seth O’Keefe is secretly a member of the Sons of Set, an order that worships the Egyptian god of chaos. Seth’s blessing from Set, his “charm,” never failed, except with one person: Natti Stone. Her ability to elude him infatuates and infuriates him, and he becomes obsessed with the chase. But the closer he gets to her, the more his emotions take a dangerous turn, and he risks breaking one of the most valued covenants of his order. The punishment for which is a fate worse than death.
The adventure this unlikely couple becomes engulfed in could cost them their lives and their souls.
*Note: Content for Upper YA*
My Review:
My first introduction to Egyptian mythology came from Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles series. I was immediately pulled in and intrigued, as I had really only been familiar with Greek and Roman mythology before. When I saw Kelsey was writing a young adult book that incorporated Egyptian mythology, I was really excited. Finally another look into the lore surrounding Isis, Osiris, Horus, Set, etc! I feel like Kelsey did a great job of weaving Egyptian mythology into a contemporary setting.
Our main character Natti, has just moved from London to small town California with her father. She is definitely not happy with the move and even though she seemed a bit whiny at first, she sounded just like any other teenager who had been transplanted into a new life. Setemple, California is definitely on the stranger side. It clearly has a fascination with Egyptian culture, it has a fake pyramid structure and the high school is known as The Pharaohs. Natti is familiar with Egyptian culture thanks to her grandmother, but due to what happened to her mother, her father is not a fan. I felt for Natti- it's never easy being the new kid and to make matters worse, there is a senior boy by the name of Seth O'Keefe, that keeps trying to interact with her.
Oh, Seth. I really can't say I liked Seth very much. He did eventually grow on me, but for a good portion of the book, I wanted to throttle him for being such a jerk. He is a total player and Natti finds him in some rather compromising positions on several occasions. His treatment of females was abhorrent, and his two lackeys, Q and Ky, were no better than him. Seth, along with his friends, are part of an order called the Sons of Set, which are dedicated to worshipping the evil god Set. Set is all about chaos and destruction and does not believe in love- only lust. Seth has the ability to charm others and he often uses that to his sexual advantage- making girls unable to resist his charm and then letting the beast within feed off their energy. However, when it comes to Natti, he finds her immune to his charms- thus throwing him into a spiral of confusion. Why would his powers not work on her? Naturally, for someone like Seth who is used to getting what he wants, he is determined to pursue her and find out why she is able to resist him.
Natti is pretty strong-willed against Seth. Sure, she has moments where she wants to fall prey to his charms, yet she remains resilient. It also helps that every time Seth tries to use his mojo on her, she finds herself in the midst of a headache. Natti, like every other girl, can't help but find Seth attractive. This frustrates her to no end, because she also finds his behavior despicable. Yet, as Ketch takes us deeper into the world of the Sons of Set, we realize that things are not as black and white as one may think. Seth begins struggling with his feelings for Natti, as well as his obsession to make her his. He won't let his father take what belongs to him and he is determined to keep Natti far away from him. Seth's father is definitely no good and his treatment of his wife and others is horrendous. He made my skin crawl and I definitely wanted him to get his comeuppance before the novel was through.
One of my favorite characters was Wanda. She was that nerdy, sweet friend who really made life easier for Natti. She was not one of the beautiful, popular girls so she was never on Seth, Q, or Ky's radars luckily. She was shy and even described herself as Trekie, which I thought was great. Yet, Wanda also longs for Seth to look at her the way he does the other girls and I couldn't help but feel bad for her.
Seth's road to redemption is a long one. I like that Kelsey didn't just transform him from a bad boy to a good, sweet guy. I was questioning his motives and intentions up to the very end, even after he had shown glimpses of vulnerability and really seemed like he was starting to care for Natti. Seth makes his decision at the end of the book and I am quite curious to see how his decision will impact the next book, Son of Set. It really is the true battle of good versus evil and I have to say- I'm ready for Isis to step in and kick a little ass! There are several elements that have not been concluded in this first book, so I can't wait to see the role they are going to play in the next one.
This book is definitely meant for Upper YA. Like I said, Set is the god of chaos and destruction. He is pure evil and Ketch really doesn't hold back from showing us that side of Egyptian mythology. Sex, enslavement, and human sacrifice are very present in this book and while I found myself getting a bit upset at times, it is realistic of cult practices and I like that Kelsey doesn't hold back in her writing for fear of controversy.
Overall, if you can look past some of those controversial things I mentioned- sex being used for manipulation and power, enslavement of both mind and body, and human sacrifice- and remember those elements are for a purpose, you will find this to be an entertaining read. It is definitely darker subject matter than one is probably accustomed to while reading about high schoolers, but Kelsey manages to make it work and I love that she wasn't afraid to take that plunge.
About Kelsey Ketch:
During her high school years, Kelsey Ketch could always be
found tucked away in a little corner of the hall or classroom, writing her
fantasy worlds and creating illustrations and maps. Today is no different,
except now she’s writing in the break room at her office building or at the
tables of the Barnes and Noble Café in Cary, North Carolina. She is also an
avid reader, a part-time book blogger at Ketch’s Book Nook, and lives with her
two orange tabbies and awesome and humorous flat-mate.Daughter of Isis is her
debut novel.
For more information, please visit her site at
kelseyketch.com.
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