Review: Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda

Title: Devil's Kiss

Author: Sarwat Chadda
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pub. Date: 2009
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Knights Templar, Friendship, Good vs. Evil, Faith, Love, Family
Pages: 327
Plot (from book jacket):
"As the youngest and only female member of the Knights Templar, Bilqis SanGreal grew up knowing she wasn't normal. Instead of hanging out at the mall or going on dates, she spends her time training as a warrior in her order's ancient battle against the Unholy.
Billi's cloistered life is blasted apart when her childhood friend, Kay, returns from Jerusalem, gorgeous and with a dangerous chip on his shoulder. He's ready to slide back into Billi's life, but she's met someone new: amber-eyed Mike, who seems to understand her like no one else and effortlessly stakes a claim on her heart.
But the Templars are called to battle before Billi can enjoy the thrilling new twist to her life. One of the order's ancient enemies has resurfaced, searching for a treasure that the Templars have guarded for almost a thousand years - King Soloman's cursed mirror, a source of unimaginable power. To save the lives of millions, Billi will have to put her heart aside and make sacrifices greater than she could have imagined."

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Devil's Kiss. I'd heard widely varied reviews, but I was intrigued nonetheless. I've always loved fantastical stories that are rooted in truth and I was even more intrigued by the fact that the main character was female.

Devil's Kiss pulled me in right from the beginning. While I had a pretty good idea of who the villain would be, it wasn't definite, the story could have progressed in a couple different ways. I liked that it wasn't completely obvious.

I really enjoyed Billi as a protagonist. I could understand how she felt pulled towards being a participant in this epic battle between good and evil and, at the same time, her deep resentment toward the life she had been raised to lead. I felt that her relationship with her father was written particularly well. As the reasons behind her father's actions and demeanor were further explored, I really grew to like him - which I didn't think would happen when first intruduced to his character.

Devil's Kiss moved at a quick pace and I was interested throughout. I felt like, at some points, the plot could have slowed down a bit and Chadda could have added a bit more detail. Especially when it came to historical information about the Knights Templar and monsters they battle.

Always a romantic, I loved the relationship between Billi and Kay. I'm a fan of plot lines where friends turn to into more and I felt that Chadda wrote that aspect of the novel well.

My one complaint was the ending of the novel. I can't say more than that it left me disappointed without spoilers. I could see the ending like that of Devil's Kiss as necessary in some novels, but I didn't feel that it was for this particular novel. I kept hoping for some type of loop hole, but none appeared. I'm hopeful that the next book will bring some type of twist to change the ending in some way or another.

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 8
Characters: 10
Writing: 10
Romance: 10
Originality: 9
Total: 47/50 (A-)

I'd definnitely recommend Devil's Kiss. I feel that it would appeal to readers who liked Rampant, as I felt that Devil's Kiss had a similar tone and feel. I can't wait to see what happens next to Billi... and I'm hoping for that twist!