Author: Trinity Faegen
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Publisher: EgmontUSA
When Sasha and Jax first meet Jordan Ellis, they know she's no ordinary teenager. Sure, she's the daughter of the President of the United States, but she's also Anabo like Sasha, a descendant of Eve. What they don't know is how Eryx wants to kidnap her so her father will pledge his soul. If the plot succeeds, the consequences could be catastrophic. But the Mephisto brothers do know about Jordan's secret identity, and for one of them in particular, she could be the match that leads to their soul's salvation. Now comes the desperate race to keep Eryx from finding out the truth, to keep Jordan safe.
The Mephisto Kiss is reminiscent of the first in the series, the drama and angst of a young adult novel combined with a paranormal romance novel. There's still a battle between good and evil, but the stakes have risen, and the victims of evil could include the entire administration of the American President if the Mephisto don't step in and help everyone.
Like the first, it reads like a romance novel, moving along towards the climax with twists and surprises and mini climaxes popping up. A difference for me from the first book is that there's no instant attraction between the main couple, that there's loads of teenage romance drama instead. There's more focus on the development of the relationship, of the pair struggling to accept one another before Eryx shows up to ruin everything.
This felt longer than the first book, even though the page length of both is almost the same. Perhaps it's because so much happened. There were lots of twists, lots of changes, lots of good and bad surprises, I never really knew what was going to happen. Even at the end when the number of pages left kept decreasing, I was still wondering how it was going to end, how the Mephisto were going to beat Eryx in this battle.
There is so much tension between Jordan and Key. For every Mephisto, an Anabo will lead to his redemption, but what about free will? What about Jordan's boyfriend and the life she thought she was going to lead? She struggles to cope with this new life of hers, this new path that deviates in every way possible from the one she thought she was following. Then there's Key. Why couldn't she have been the Anabo for one of his brothers? Why does it have to be him? Everything is for them, to keep them in line and to keep them safe. He's the one in charge, their silent leader, so why is it his turn now? The tension constantly builds throughout the book, through their bickering and their fights, through complicated kisses and encounters.
Even with all the tension and angst, the tone felt a little muted. Perhaps it's because there wasn't a lot of action, more plotting and discussion. Perhaps it's because there was less overt or obvious sexuality than in the first book. It was more of a complicated battle between Jordan and Key, her being practical and him more stoic and less likely to act on raw emotion.
I can tell that each book in the series will have its complications, its stubborn but kind-hearted heroines, its sinfully attractive and impossibly hard-headed heroes. The mythology is still interesting to read about, the characters are all different and entertaining in their own way, so I will certainly keep an eye out as the series continues.
(I received an e-galley of this title to review from EgmontUSA through NetGalley.)
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