Review - The Persephone Prophecy by Zia Marie

Sixteen-year-old Alexandra Williams is adjusting to life as an only child following the disappearance of her older brother, Ben, two years ago. She has battled alcoholism and is constantly dealing with her own feelings of guilt and weakness in the aftermath.

On the last night of her summer vacation, she and her boyfriend, Andrew, come across a car wreck and discover Quinn Reyes trapped inside. With a touch of his hand, her already fragile world is shaken, especially when demon hunter Milo Montgomery comes to town looking for her. She learns that Milo and Quinn were searching for a person nicknamed The Persephone Prophecy because of her ability to walk between the human world and the demon underworld.

Thrust into a new existence, Alexandra will be forced to confront her own demons and discover that she is far stronger than she could have ever imagined.
(From GoodReads)

My Review

Because I'm a gigantic nerd, I typically take lots of notes while reading books for review. For Persephone Prophecy, by Zia Marie,  I decided to shuck that routine and just read and absorb the words. And while I have no notes to go on, I still have tons to say.

First off, even though the title may make you think this book is about the Greek goddess Persephone, it's not really. This book is about one of my favorite paranormal subjects, DEMON HUNTERS! When I realized this, well, I perked right up. Zia Marie did what all great writers do. She took a prevalent subject and tweaked it to suit her writing style. The word that I think of when I read her books is always SMART. She fleshes her characters and story completely and gives them/it logical reactions and reasonings. Very well-thought out.

Another reason I enjoy Marie's writing is her characters. Main character, Alexandra, is smart without being condescending. She's brave, but reasonable enough to prepare for the situation and make the best plans possible. She's pragmatic. She's not one of those characters that rushes head-long into a dangerous situation and then ends up getting her friends hurt or killed because of her impatience. Her characters are feeling, without being over-dramatic. Alexandra is an excellent character for teen readers. She's a great example.

A lot of people have a pre-conceived notion that all self-published books are full of grammatical errors (hope I didn't just type one) or shoddy writing. Not. True. I've read two of Zia's books so far and have yet to come across any errors, and believe me, I pay attention. Her writing has beautiful flow, pacing and dialogue. Nothing about her books are half-done.

Persephone Prophecy is a unique story very well-done. If you like a good, smart adventure, give it a try.

Favorite Quote:

"Alexandra had seen enough cheesy teen movies to know that after weeks of secluding away in their
  rooms and making kissy faces at each other on the computer, one person always snapped out of it,
  realizing that life was passing by. It was selfish, but secretly, she hoped she would be the first
  because the thought of being listless and dewy-eyed, pining away for him with Taylor Swift playing
  in the background was really pathetic."

"It hurt to talk about him, but it angered her sometimes when no one else wanted to, how could they
 laugh or dance or do anything anymore? The pain from missing him was like an endless fall from a
 cliff, she didn't know the depth of it, but she was sure that she was nowhere near the bottom."

Kindle Edition, 279 pages

Published March 29th 2011 by Zia Marie      

Find Persephone Prophecy at:

GoodReads  |  Smashwords  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

* I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. *