A Beautiful Evil

By Kelly Keaton

Ari has finally learned the terrifying truth. She is a descendant of Medusa, cursed to become a monster designed to kill with a single touch.

Haunted by the image of what she will become, Ari, with the help of the gorgeous Sebastian, is doing everything she can to learn more about Athena, the goddess who cursed her family and kidnapped young Violet. But the battle between good and evil is much bigger than she realises, and Ari is about to be pulled into a world more horrific than she could ever imagine. And now, as she prepares to face Athena, Ari must unleash the very thing she's most afraid of… herself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Feb 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9780857074102

Kelly Keaton

Kelly Keaton is the critically acclaimed author of The Darkness Becomes Her trilogy. As Kelly Gay, she writes the popular Charlie Madigan series for Pocket Books. While she calls Raleigh, North Carolina, home, she can also be found chatting about books and life on Facebook and Twitter. Read more about Kelly on her website at KellyKeaton.net.

Reviews for A Beautiful Evil

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ari's story continues in the ruins of New Orleans. As she struggles to rescue her friend and her father she discovers that fighting her heritage is a losing battle. I enjoy the rich surroundings and the original new story set firmly in old mythologies.

[payday1999-430350 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another fantastic book in the Gods and Monsters series. This book continues to build upon what the first book did. We get bits and pieces of information and it keeps on you just fascinated that you want to continue to read to figure everything out. I read this book so fast, it was such a page turner.

I would definitely recommend these books for anybody who loves Mythology books.

[zabetreading · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: OOOOOOHHHHHH PRETTY! I love the colors and the transition from hair to snake reflecting Ari's pending transformation.

The Gist: Having survived Athena's attack, Ari attempts to learn about her enemy and formulate a plan for rescuing her father and friend, Violet. (Really. That's it. Can you tell that I am less than enthusiastic?)

Review: I love re-tellings of the Greek Myths. I am particularly fond of the Medusa myth and love the concept of following her lineage to modern day. However, this sequel to Darkness Becomes Her, fell flat for me.

Ari was not the kick ass character that I longed for her to be. She is petrified of her own power and constantly fights her abilities (even though she knows that it is her best bet to defeat Athena) and, to make matters worse, she CONSTANTLY reminds the reader of how weak she is - RIGHT, can turn people to stone = weak as shit. Has she even READ the myths?? She bitched and complained fought valiantly for the right to get into the Novem School (I forget what it is called and am not looking it up) but then skips out on the very classes that are supposed to be helping her learn about her enemy. She enters the super secret library, stumbles upon important information, but instead of using it to formulate a plan, Ari just runs in blindly with a bunch of kids while the magical elite sit at home twiddling their thumbs. Right, this is a great plan when you are going up against THE GODDESS OF STRATEGY!

I couldn't keep all of the characters and their powers straight and I didn't remember any of the hierarchy stuff from the last book. And can someone please tell me why there are like 6 different types of vampires in this book?? Most of the secondary characters were flat and/or completely undeveloped. Honestly, I would much rather read a book about Violet than about Ari. I found it difficult to read the motivations behind some of the characters actions and this made me care less about them.

It seemed like I was reading action scene after action scene and I needed time to re-coup and get in touch with the characters. There were some scenes of torture that were pretty disturbing (as they tend to get when you are torturing an immortal) and I didn't feel they fit with the YA theme.

Despite *almost finishing this book in the doctor's office (one of the most boring places on earth) I still couldn't concentrate on the plot and did not emotionally connect with the characters or their suffering. I don't think I will be sticking around for #3.


Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: None
Violence: Swordplay, Knifeplay, Gunplay, Torture, Vampirism
Inappropriate Language: Shit, Blow Me, Bitch, Jesus, Bastard, Fucking
Substance Use/Abuse: Drinking

[shahnareads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Finally found this stupid book. Gah! I only had to go to like a million stores.

I am so glad there was a sequel to this story. I just love it. Greek myths brought to life. Adorable little crazy children with pet alligators. Awesome!

I can't wait for the conclusion. I need the third novel in my life. RIGHT NOW!

[kerrikins · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hm. A light, enjoyable read, but I wanted more from it, and at times the characters frustrated me.

The book picks up pretty much where the first one left off, which makes it easy when you're reading the books back to back like I was.

One thing I did like, though, was the exploration of Athena's personality and her madness after so many years - the lengths that she is willing to go to, and the things that are normal for her but horrify others.

Once again I felt that the conflict was too rushed and resolved too quickly, at the end - and a key moment between Sebastian and Ari wasn't even really addressed. She does something to save him, but the consequences or reaction to it aren't even really touched on at all, and at this point if it's brought up in the next book it'll feel tacked on.

Still, a fun little read, and I won't mind picking up the next one.

[angelina0justice · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a strong follow up to the first novel. There was a little more emotional development to Ari in this book, which helped the story flow. There were some very cool twists on prior myths, a touch of Joss Whedon style dialogue and a tight enough continuation of the story to keep me coming back for more.

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ari is dealing with the fact that she is cursed to become a gorgon at age 21. Her mother committed suicide at that age; her father left her. Ari was raised in foster care but now she is in New 2 - the future version of New Orleans owned by the nine paranormal families. She is also determined to defeat Athena who has kidnapped her father and her young friend. Ari has to quickly learn to control the powers she hates and is afraid of in order to save the ones she cares about.She also cares about Sebastian who is the heir of one of those nine families. He is a warlock with a grandmother who is a vampire. Ari has never had a boyfriend and now isn't really the time to start a relationship but...I liked the world building in this story. I liked that it has witches, vampires, demigods and shape-shifters. Athena makes a great villain because of her amoral qualities. But Ari has an advantage because she isn't working alone and, besides, Athena created her ancestors to be god-killers. This was exciting and action-packed. I can't wait to read books 3 and 4.

[madamewho · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The stakes are raised in this book, but it's definitely a second installment in a three-book series. I'm not fully on-board with the depiction of Athena, but that may be because I just read Antigoddess, which is a totally different take on Athena and the Greek pantheon.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in the Gods and Monsters series by Keaton. Although I didn't like this book quite as much as the first book in the series, it was still a good addition to this series. I continue to enjoy this YA urban fantasy series and the heavy mythology overtones to it. The characters and world are all very well done.In this book Ari is learning how to use and control her new powers. We end up venturing into Athena’s realm, as Ari and friends try to rescue those that Athena took at the end of the last book.I continue to enjoy all the mythological creatures, the interesting world-building, the easy to engage with characters, and all the action in these books. The story is pretty dark and has heavy gothic overtones to it, which I enjoyed.Overall this was a well done continuation of this YA urban fantasy series. I love the blend of mythology, unique world-building, action, paranormal elements, and light romance. I would recommend to those who enjoy YA urban fantasy with a darker tone to it. This series is similar in tone to the The Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver.

[michellel_15_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2.5 stars rounded down to 2.This book has disappointed me. I really wish I would have liked it. Darkness Becomes Her was also a little disappointing, though less so. But A Beautiful Evil just seemed so poorly thought out. It has such a great premise and the story has a lot of potential, but the writing and the actions of characters was just bleh.The plot of this book was fast. Way too fast. One day Ari is training for her epic battle to the death with Athena and the next day she's in that battle. Though it wasn't very epic. She had maybe two lessons under her belt and she goes off to fight Athena, the freaking goddess of war. How that made any sense to Ari, I will never know.Characters in this sequel were exactly the same as they were in the first book. Zero growth and development(except maybe Ari got dumber). Favorite characters in this book were Bran, Ari's fighting instructor, and Ari's father. I forget his name. Theron, I think? They should get their own books. Both are much more interesting to read about than Ari. And I think a book about Ari's parents would make a great forbidden-love-type romance book. Other good characters? Violet was still her amazing self. That's about it.I found the writing kind of bland and repetitive. Nothing really emotional or special. Could have been way better. I would say the story is predictable, which it was, except for Ari's decisions. I cannot predict stupid. Her "romance" with Sebastian developed further in this book, but I still can't say that their love is a believable one. It was just so rushed in the first book and Sebastian is so easily forgettable. And the ending! I don't see anything on GoodReads about a sequel and I feel like there really should be. It wasn't a cliffhanger, just too open for my tastes. If a third book is ever written I will try it because I really want to know what happens next. And this series has serious potential. Maybe the third time's the charm.I wanted to like this book. It has a higher rating than the first book so I thought it would be better. It has some great reviews so obviously a lot of people enjoyed it. But this book really wasn't for me. It wasn't completely horrible so it gets 2 stars for that. And a half star for the cool, not-so-cliched cover. Good job to the cover artist, whoever he/she is.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was so excited when this book came to my doorstep! Not only was it a surprise but I knew I would love it! Sure enough, this book captured me gluing my eyes to the pages.What I liked most about this book is the characters growth in the book. I love it when an author can change a character so significantly right before your eyes. Ari is now in training and learning to use her powers. I loved that Ari had to be pushed, that so she can break that human barrier. I still love that Ari is so determined. It really showed Ari heart in who she is meant to be.The love interest really tore at my heart. Though I did love the struggle in it. Ari fought for who she loved and even made some really tough decisions. Despite what is done to her, she made sure everyone is taken care of before herself. While her selflessness is admiring, it is also her very weakness.There were also a few plot surprised that really took me by surprise. I love that Ms. Keaton drew me so much into the book that I didn't even realize what is coming at me. The plot pacing with every turn of the page is perfect!!A Beautiful Evil is an undeniably entertaining story. A fast moving driven action drama, Ms. Keaton present a great sequel. A fresh, invigorating spin on Greek mythology, A Beautiful Evil leaves you jaw dropped!

[stacyatufi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ari now knows what she is and has started her training and research in hopes of saving her Dad and Violet as well as beating Athena.I didn't enjoy A BEAUTIFUL EVIL as much as I enjoyed book 1 DARKNESS BECOMES HER. The story dragged for half the book, there were quite a bit of depressing circumstances and It was a bit predictable at times. I did enjoy the action scenes and the general plot. Ari was still an interesting character. She is unique in her bloodline because of what her father is. I'm hoping now that he is in the story, book 3 will give us a bit more insight on what will happen to her when she is supposed to turn fully into a gorgon. I still really like the setting of New 2 and the different class of characters that come with it. Ari and Sebastian's relationship is interesting. They are definitely tested throughout A BEAUTIFUL THING but they seem to hold strong to each other. I loved Bran, he is proving to be fully on Ari's side and he seems to truly care about her.I actually loved the ending. I'm excited to find out more about what Sebastian can do now and what that will mean for Ari in her fight against Athena. I'm also loving the fact that her Dad will be a bigger part of the story, it will be interesting to see what he brings to the situation. I will still be reading book 3 when it arrives.