REVIEW: Power of Gods / Nancy Madore

TITLE: Power of Gods (Legacy of the Watchers Part II)
AUTHOR: Nancy Madore
PUBLISHER: Self-published
AVAILABILITY: Amazon (paperback), Amazon (Kindle), Audible (audiobook)

GENRE
Fantasy - Urban/Contemporary

Power of Gods is the sequel to The Hidden Ones, which I reviewed almost exactly one year ago.

REVIEW
In the second book of the Legacy of the Watchers series, Nadia Adeire finds herself once again entangled in forces beyond the ordinary world. Supernatural secrets from the ancient world are crossing over into the terrestrial reality, and they're not friendly ones. End-of-the-world type consequences loom as the demonic Lilith attempts to finish what was started in Biblical times.

The Power of Gods, like the first book, uses mythology from the Abrahamic religions – Christianity, Islam, and Judaism – to paint a vivid and fantastical world of what-if, tying together stories from religious tales with some elements of sci-fi. This time, Madore explores the world of Solomon and the creation of Israel. And like the first book, there are multiple narratives – one telling the story of the past, and one the story of the present.

In the present, Nadia works with her former kidnappers to investigate mysterious messages, an investigation that takes them to Alaska. This part of the story read a lot like a contemporary thriller with supernatural elements (and who doesn't like the supernatural?). The relationship between Nadia and Will is delved into, and a new character, Amanda, is introduced. Amanda wasn't my favorite character, but her role does add interest to the story.

Madore's greatest strengths are in the power of her imagination and the flow of her writing. While certain parts did feel a bit long, each sentence was well crafted enough to keep the narrative moving forward. And the world she depicts, though inspired by existing mythologies, demonstrates a remarkable ability to create universes. It's not original, but certainly fun to read about. In fact, it really is the best part of the book – the tales of the supernatural and the dangers they present to the "real" world Nadia inhabits.

If you liked the first book in the series, then you'll enjoy it's sequel as well. It continues in the same spirit as the first book, in its combination of ancient back stories and modern dangers, with rich descriptions and engaging dialogue.

AUTHOR INFO
[from the author’s Amazon page]
Nancy Madore achieved enormous critical acclaim with her ENCHANTED series, which includes ENCHANTED, ENCHANTED AGAIN and ENCHANTED DREAMS (these are coming out in audio in December...just in time for Christmas!)
Now, following her life-long interest in history and mythology, Nancy Madore is launching a new series in the historical and science fiction genres, called LEGACY OF THE WATCHERS. Volume 1 of the LEGACY OF THE WATCHERS series, entitled THE HIDDEN ONES, is coming out November 2012 through Amazon's Kindle Select Program, followed by paperback and audio by the end of the year.
You can read more about Nancy Madore's LEGACY OF THE WATCHERS series by going to THE HIDDEN ONES' title page here on Amazon or visiting Nancy Madore's website atwww.nmadore.com.