Review & Giveaway: Amazon Ink (Amazon #1) by Lori Devoti

May 26th 2009 by Pocket 

Amazon

Meet Mel: Business owner. Dedicated mom. Natural-born Amazon.

It's been ten years since Melanippe Saka left the Amazon tribe in order to create a normal life for her daughter, Harmony. True, running a tattoo parlor in Madison, Wisconsin, while living with your Amazon warrior mother and priestess grandmother is not everyone's idea of normal, but Mel thinks she's succeeded at blending in as human.

Turns out she's wrong. Someone knows all about her, someone who's targeting young Amazon girls, and no way is Mel going to let Harmony become tangled in this deadly web. With her mother love in overdrive, Ms. Melanippe Saka is quite a force...even when she's facing a barrage of distractions -- including a persistent detective whose interest in Mel goes beyond professional, a sexy tattoo artist with secrets of his own, and a seriously angry Amazon queen who views Mel as a prime suspect. To find answers, Mel will have to do the one thing she swore she'd never do: embrace her powers and admit that you can take the girl out of the tribe...but you can't take the tribe out of the girl.

Review:
My Rating: 3 stars

I've been much better at pulling books off my personal shelves to read.  Amazon Ink, I've been dying to read because my all time favorite heroines are ones that are physically strong aka kick ass.  Amazons are the embodiment of strong females.  However, I was not ass impressed with Amazon Ink or perhaps my hopes were too high.

Melanippe or Mel is a wonderful character but I think I wanted something just a bit more.  Honestly, it seemed like she was being rolled over at times.  Her mother spying on her and the grandmother lying to her and revealing all so publicly.  Mel is very strong.  Her magic was going right before my eyes but her Amazon physical strength was something I wish was apart of the story more.

The mystery to the plot was steady but for me didn't spark until the ending.  Mel is somehow connected to a murderer of young Amazon women.  The murders bring the Amazon world back to her foot steps after she left it all behind.  Then the police are sniffing around as to be expected.  Frankly towards the end an off-shoot group of the Amazons make themselves known.  (Sorry, trying to be vague here and not give any thing away.)  The idea of this group that the Amazon themselves did not know about was the most interesting piece.  I wish it was revealed earlier and they some how played a larger role in the book. 

Don't get me wrong.  I enjoyed this book but I was just waiting for the fireworks.  I did read the blurb for book two and I must admit I am excited because "the off-shoot group to the Amazons" (like my vagueness attempt?) seem to have more of a role in it.  But I am somewhat bummed because it seems that the heroine might change and I really want to continue with Mel.  I'm very eager to learn of her love interest and how she deals and what she does about everything.  Even though I was Eh about this book I really wanted to love it because I really enjoyed the story from Mel's side.  In fact, now it seems like her story hasn't even begun.  Hmm, Mel definitely deserves more story time.  




Aloha Everyone.  The idea of RIPI is easily said by Steph @ Paper Cut Reviews, "Used books need love to."  So here is a title that I have read and would like to pass on.  For more info on RIPI click on the image.  Feel free to enter and/or host your own RIPI.

To Enter:
1. Email address.  AT... DOT...com is okay if not in profile.
2. Must be a US Resident and be willing the accept Media Mail delivery which means it's cheaper shipping but takes longer.
3.  Be a follower here!!=)
4. Comment on the review or why you'd like to read Amazon Ink?


Ending: Monday, September 12th.  Midnight HST.