Dark Goddess: A Devil's Kiss Novel

Chadda, Sarwat. (2011). Dark goddess: A devil's kiss novel. New York: Hyperion. It's just another day in the neighborhood for 15-year-old Billi SanGreal--just a little werewolf fighting and saving of a girl desperately wanted by the Polenitsy. They're a group of werewolf warrior women--yes, fierce ones--who believe the girl Billi has rescued just might be the Spring Child that their Baba Yaga needs to restore herself. In this depiction of Baba Yaga, she is seen as something of an Earth Mother with strong bonds to the condition of Earth, so strong that she has been recovering from the havoc wreaked by a meteor. Legend has it that Baba Yaga will be able to regain her strength through the sacrifice of the Spring Child. But if she becomes strong again, she is likely to wipe out the entire human race. After all, humans haven't done a very good job of taking care of their home. It's up to Billi and the Knights Templar to save the day if they can. As they race through London and on to Russia where much of the action takes place, Billi is keenly aware of how little time remains before the sacrifice will take place. This second installment in the Devil's Kiss series is packed with action, a determined heroine, and the descendant of one of the Russian tzars as well as mention of Rasputin.  I was particularly impressed with the way the author wove a tapestry of the paranormal, legends, and lore alongside a keen awareness of the green movement and the perils of the nuclear age with more than a touch of feminism. Although Billi accepts help when she needs it, she also enjoys kicking butt herself when it comes to fighting on the side of good.  This one, like the first title in this series, left me wanting more.

Favorite Lines:

"Chernobyl had been the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history. Back in the 1980s, a nuclear reactor had exploded and launched a huge radioactive cloud over most of south Russia and Ukraine. Tens of thousans of people had been evacuated overnight, taking only what they could carry. They'd never returned. It seemed like ancient history, but the town itself looked as though it could have been emptied yesterday. The cars, the buildings, the parks, and gardens all remained. Not demolished, as they would have been in a war--just empty. Only the humans had left" (p. 328).