Posted by Donna
Release Date: September 4th, 2012
Finished Date: August 29th, 2012
Publishers: Templar
Source: ARC For Review
Format: Paperback
Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.
Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.
Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.
These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.
The Review: I've been a huge fan of Tera Lynn Childs' work ever since I read her other series - Fins, so it was a given that I'd read more books from her because she's a great storyteller.
Sweet Venom is fast paced, intriguing and likable read. While reading it, I kept picturing the TV show Charmed because there are a few similarities; 3 sisters, fighting demon's in San Francisco and they all have their first names start with the same letter - but hey, that is not a bad thing, it's pretty awesome. I loved Charmed and I really enjoyed this book.
With the story being told from the three sister's narratives, I had to admit, I was a bit hesitant that it wouldn't work, but honestly it's impossible for it not to work. Grace, Gretchen and Greer all have different personalities, so it's not like you're reading the same character over and over. They all have completely different backgrounds which makes them strong individuals. My favourite was definitely Grace because I felt she was a little bit more laid back than the rest of her sisters and let’s not forget to mention – Milo. He’s definitely one guy to swoon over in this book, although all the sister’s do have a hint of romance in their lives, Grace’s relationship with Milo stands out the best for me.
The storyline itself was really entertaining with enough action to keep you intrigued and excited all the way through and the Greek Mythology that was added was an extra bonus to the story too. I adore Greek Mythology and I think the author added a great spin on it. I keep waiting for it to become old but honestly, it doesn’t – I love it.
Sweet Venom proves that Tera Lynn Childs can produce great stories full of imagination and excitement. As you already know, this wasn’t my first book by Tera and it definitely won’t be my last.
3.5 stars!
A big thank you Templar Publishing for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
Read below for a author interview with Tera Lynn Childs.
1) Can you describe yourself in 5 words?
Inquisitive, spontaneous, planner, traveler, adventurer.
2) What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine?
My process is pretty flexible and often changes from book to book. But generally I get an idea, fall in instant love with it, spend a lot of time thinking and daydreaming about it, wish I could write a spectacular outline, whine about how hard writing is, and then I just start writing the book. My routine varies, too, depending on how close I am to deadline.
3) Is there a person or place that inspires you to write?
Starbucks. Well, it's not really inspiration, but I do most of my writing out of of the house in cafes and coffee shops. I need to be away from the distractions of home and near a steady stream of caffeinated beverages.
4) What book(s) or author(s) have influenced your life and writing?
There are so many! But probably the most important are Pride and Prejudice, Julia Quinn, Jaclyn Moriarty, and The Hunger Games.
5) How does it feel to have your work published?
Spectacular, amazing, and terrifying. It's wonderful to finally achieve a dream, but it's scary knowing that my work is out there for the world to see and judge.
6) Do you ever read bloggers or readers reviews?
Sometimes. I have a Google alert set up and I'll go skim a review to see if I need to share it on Twitter. I try to stay far, far away from GoodReads because the worst and most painful reviews are there. For the most part, I try to ignore them so they don't influence my mood or confidence.
7) Sweet Venom is based in San Fransisco, have you ever been there?
Yes, a few times. I've been twice specifically to research the Sweet Venom books.
8) Are there any other countries you'd like to visit?
All of them! Seriously, I want to travel everywhere. I want to see everything and learn everything and experience everything. But if I had to make a top five list, I'd choose Japan, Peru, South Africa, Argentina, and Egypt.
9) What are your current / future projects?
Right now I am revising the third Sweet Venom book, called Sweet Legacy. I have some other secret projects in the incubator, but nothing ready to share yet.
10) Can you give us a teaser from Sweet Venom?
Sure. This is from the first chapter, where Gretchen is taking down a hydra in restaurant. She gets the best lines and this is one of my favorites:
The hydra’s eyes lock on mine before I drop my sunglasses back into place. Too bad my freaky hypnosis power only works on humans. Then again, that would make my job way too easy. Where’s the fun in that?
“I prefer Gretchen. But, you know.” I flash him a bored look. “Whatever.”
Thank you for joining us Tera and for some exciting news for you fans,
Tera is doing a live webchat on Monday 1st October at 7pm (UK time) at: chatzy.com/55708195522543 and the password is: getbitten!
