Hey everyone, and welcome to the blog tour for Daughter of Isis by Kelsey Ketch, hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. You might remember that a little while ago I helped reveal the cover of this book, and after that I just couldn’t NOT be a part of this tour! As always, I’m only one stop, so remember to check out the rest of the tour! Now, onto the real business!
About the Author:
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.
***Author Links***
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7104482.Kelsey_Ketch
https://twitter.com/kelseyketch
https://www.facebook.com/KelseyKetch#
Daughter of Isis (Descendants of Isis #1) by Kelsey Ketch
Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | Kobo
“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*
3 1/2 stars
One of the first things that I noticed about this book was that it was extremely well researched. That is the first thing I mention, because for me a book like this could easily fall flat if it wasn’t. Firstly because Natti is coming from England to the US, and secondly–and most obviously–because of the Egyptian history invoked. Both Natti’s English and Egyptian heritage were introduced from the beginning with strong, believable facts, and I really, really enjoyed that.
Natti, herself, as a character was someone I wanted to be best friends with. When Seth goes around making people fall to his charm, she resists him with so much sass I just wanted to hug her. You know how I am with insta-love, and Natti fights against Seth’s “charm” (which is a characterization of insta-love) with the ferocity that I wish all insta-love victims did. When Natti finally starts falling for Seth–charm or no–I actually believe it is because she feels something for him, not because it was convenient to have them fall in love at that time of the book.
But what about Seth as a person? Oh dear, poor Seth. I’ll be honest and say that his ability to charm the pants of girls and make them his love slaves really made me cringe in the beginning. The sex those girls are engaging in isn’t really their choice, you know what I mean? But directly after he meets Natti, Seth really starts questioning his ways and trying to change them. If his home life hadn’t been so dark, I might have had trouble believing that Seth didn’t know how bad the things he did were, but the character arc made it believable that Seth could charm all those girls into sex and still be redeemed afterward. That’s a huge feat, and I’m amazed it was pulled off so well.
The plot itself moves along, even if nothing along the way surprised me. Natti’s friends are fun to read, and Seth’s friends are creepy as all get out. The family dynamics surrounding the both of them also add a lot–another plus in a world full of YA books that like to either disregard parents or make them very flat characters (especially Seth’s). You know that I don’t really like high school settings, but the town of Setemple was quirky enough that it made it all okay.
The ending is what caught me up the most– But of course I can’t talk about it. Let’s just say that the end of this book is one fast paced bit of crazy, and the last few pages will have you shouting for more!
After that review, you know you want to read this, right? Well, never fear, I have TWO giveaways for you with chances to win! One is INTL, and one is US!
For my US readers:
2 Natti Prize Packs (US Only): Signed Paperback Copy of Daughter of Isis, Union Jack Journal, Grey Tabby Cat Beanbag, Eye of Horus Pendant, + Swag
For my INTL readers:
2 E-copies of Daughter of Isis (mobi or epub) + Swag (INT)
My Life is a Notebook 
Thanks you for participating in the blog tour!
I really enjoyed your review and insights on DOI. I love the book and appreciate that you enjoyed it too!