Son of Set-Review, Interview and Giveaway!

 

Son of Set (Descendants of Isis #2)

by Kelsey Ketch

Release Date: 05/02/14

Summary from Goodreads:

“. . . the Sons would never just let him go—alive.”
Seth O’Keefe has broken the laws of his god. He never thought he would sacrifice his own future
to protect a Daughter of Isis. But when the Sons of Set discovered Natti is the Secret Keeper, he
had no choice. Now, Seth and Natti are on the run from his father, who wants nothing more than
to see Seth dead. With no allies, Seth turns to the Daughters of Isis for help, hoping they would
protect Natti. But when they meet the Daughters, he discovers a secret that puts both their lives
in more danger. Low on options, Seth sees only one possibility for survival. He must help Natti
solve an ancient puzzle and find the secret name of Ra.

Natara “Natti” Stone is having a hard time swallowing the truth. She can’t believe what she has
learned in the past twenty-four hours: Seth is a Son of Set blessed with charm; she is a Daughter
of Isis blessed with a sliver of Ma ‘at; the locket her grandmother gave her holds an ancient
Egyptian secret linking to Osiris and Isis. That along with being tortured and brutalized by the
Sons of Set, she can hardly hold herself together. Thank God for Seth’s touch! That warm,
tingling sensation that drowns it all out. Yet her heart struggles to stay focused. She must quickly
embrace her destiny before the secret name of Ra falls into the wrong hands.

*Note: Content for Upper YA*

Author Interview: 

Hi Kelsey!

Thank you so much for joining us!
Thank you for having me! :)

So, to get us started, what inspired you to become a writer?
Honestly, I’m not sure. I dabbled in short stories every once and a while. Even started a journal for
all my thought lines and stories in my junior year. But I guess I hadn’t thought of actually being a
writer until my senior year of high school. We had a phycology assignment to write a children’s
book, which we then read out loud to the class. After I was finished, a boy I hardly knew or even
spoke to turned in his chair and right out said, “You should be a writer.” Obviously, I focused on a
different age group now, but I think his complement triggered something inside me that day.


Descendants of Isis is a wonderful blend of modern day life with strong Egyptian themes in the plot.
Are there any books or sites that you found particularly helpful with the background research?

If you look at the acknowledgements, you’ll see I went through a lot of books and documentaries.
The ones I turn to the most is Ancient Egypt by Lorna Oakes and Lucia Gahlin, The Grammar of the
Ancient World by Professor Dominic Rathbone, Eyewitness Travel: Egypt by Jane Dunford, and An
Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary by Sir Ernest A. Wallis Budge.

What scene in your books did you have the most fun writing? What was the hardest?

Other than the little tease scenes between Natti and Seth, I have to say ‘the beast’ scene and the
sheut theput scene in Son of Set have to be two of my favorites, so far. I think they were the most
thrilling of all in the novel and I loved integrating creatures beyond the reality of this world.

The hardest scene was the conversation between Lydia and Seth. Which is funny since Lydia and
Seth’s relationship, in some ways, is very much like his relationship with his father. But I wasn’t sure
how far I wanted to push it or how much I wanted to reveal, especially with the amount of time I
had. Fortunately, with the help of my beta readers’ feedback, I feel it was ironed out rather well.

Do you have a routine or habits when you are writing? Places to work, time, must have snacks,
etc?

While I was still in graduate school, I used to have a routine which even included heading to the
Barnes and Noble Café, have a cup of coffee, and write (either in a journal or laptop) for hours in
my free time. Unfortunately, since I started work and self-publishing over a year ago, it’s been more
write when and where I can write kind of thing. Most of the time, this translates to typing on my
Surface RT in front of the evening television. I still hope to settle into a real routine one day, but as
of now, I haven’t really found one.

Any future books or series’ that we can possibly look forward to seeing? What are you plans for the
future?

Besides the third of the Descendants of Isis series, Name of Ra, I’m working on a single title called
Dark Reflections, which is a dark New Adult Fantasy. A sort of twist on Beauty and the Beast as well
as Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Alana, a girl who stumbled upon an old voodoo curse
nearly a year before, is close to the mental brink until Cole appears on the island she is forced to
live on. But it doesn’t stop unleashing her alternate personality’s wrath on the new victim. Despite
the torment and abuse inflicted on them both, they end up each other’s anchor while Alana finally
strives to break the curse once and for all.

I’m also working on another young adult series which ties revenge to the Salem witch trials. And I
have about 18 other journals flowing with ideas and concepts I would love to one day publish.

Any tips, tricks or advice for new writers, or those that want to write?

Just keep reading and writing. Find your own style. And write for the enjoyment and for yourself.

Just for fun-
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?

 Cairo, Egypt and maybe a cruise down the Nile.

If you could meet anyone in the world and have lunch with them, who would that be?

 Benedict Cumberbatch. :D

What is your biggest pet peeve?

 Novels with little or no research into their backstory or with inaccurate details that could have
been avoided with a simple Google search. Grr.

Outside of the wonderful world of books, what do you enjoy doing?

 Going to the beach.

And finally, can you tell us a little tidbit about yourself that you have yet to share with your
readers and fans.

Um, I make a pizza called the “Greek-Hawaiian,” which seems to get a lot of stares. It’s Canadian
bacon (or ham), pineapple, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives, and feta cheese.

See my review for Daughter of Isis (book 1)

 Review: Oh the levels Kelsey Ketch takes us to on this adventure! This is the sequel to Descendant of Isis. It is packed with more drama, action, romance and intrigue than before.

Seth and Natti are on the run from Seth's father (Sean) and the other Sons of Set. Unable to trust anyone, they are completely on their own. Natti wants to solve the mystery of Ra's secret name while Seth wants nothing more than for her to be safe. These goals do not seem to hand in hand. Natti has to come to terms to what happened to her in the temple and decide if she can trust Seth and the feelings she has for him.

Seth's character has really grown on me by about a third of the way into this book. In the first book I didn't like him and was just beginning to warm up to him. Now I can relate to him much better. He still has a few traits that are less than wanted but with his upbringing it is fully understandable. We get a good view more into his story in this book which was very appreciated. Not to mention he amuses me with his idea of “real food.” Quote:
“I'm not eating all this healthy junk twenty-four-seven. I need real food too. Chips, soda, jerky...”

Then there is Seth's father, Sean. What a villian! No matter how hard Seth tries to evade him, he is always right behind him. He is truly cold. Most evildoers at least care and have a weakness for family. Not him! He truly wants his son dead. In fact,. Here is a quote from the book:
“He would slit his throat and have the pleasure of his son's blood drenching his flesh while watching the light fade from his eyes.”

Then there is Natti. I actually liked her a bit more in the first book. Although she has, understandably, been through a lot. As the book continues, she does seem to regain a sense of self, it just isn't want it was. She has a way of making you smile throughout the book though.

There are a few steamy scenes in this book too! And while the romance is heavier in this book, it does not dominate it. Kelsey Ketch truly does a wonderful job blending the genres. Yet this book is more mature than the first one While the first book had some scenes that young readers should possibly avoid, this book is more descriptive and the concepts to the scenes are more serious so I definitely did not feel that it was young adult. New adult might be more appropriate, even if 2 of the 3 main characters are teenagers. Mind you this is just my opinion. Not saying teens shouldn't read this, but it is likely better for the older teens. Otherwise, it is great for all ages on up from there.

Lots of close calls, minds games, chaos and more await. This volume does take on a more paranormal aspect than the first one as well and it delves even further into Egyptian mythology. An exciting read. Just be sure to read the first book before getting into this one!

Buy Son of Set

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Daughter of Isis (On sale for $.99 during the week of the tour)

 

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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.

For more information, please visit her site at kelseyketch.com.

Author Links:

Blog ||  Goodreads  ||  Twitter  ||  Facebook




***GIVEAWAY***

One lucky winner will get a was scepter pendant (created specially by SilverspotStudio), a

hieroglyphic tote bag, and a Son of Set journal (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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