The Maidens of Babylon

Rating:
Summary: Simple entertainment
Review: The plot is highly unlikely, completely erratic and utterly captivating. As soon as you're introduced to Nikki, you know immediately this is one chick that is not to be messed be with. After being bitten by the snake, you know what's coming; you can foresee it the moment the incident occurs, but by then it's too late. Even afterwards when the story goes from maybe to no way in hell, you're already sucked in. The let down comes in the last two chapters. The climax of the story is hasty and added in only to excuse, not to explain. Meant to be a twist, the ending slights the reader and kills whatever attachment you had.

The pace in the story is constant. That is, constant until you come to the last two chapters. Moving through the story at a reliable speed, Craig shifts gears and finishes off the last chapter in a hurry. It's rushed and bumpy. The effect is disorienting and may cause nausea; for this I suggest a paper bag. The atmosphere is non-existent and that is precisely the problem. There is no mood and no build-up.

Craig's style of writing is intimate and straightforward. She writes as though she were talking to you over coffee or a drink. The only problem is her need to beat you over the head with the main character's ideosyncrasies. Nikki is a strong black woman with ass-kicking ability - we get it!! The characters are static. Not one player develops or has a realistic reaction to any of the events. They move through the story like pawns, lacking both emotions and creditability. They are quite literally a waste of space.

Much like a car-wreck or a really bad movie at 2 a.m., this book makes absolutely no sense and yet you find yourself completley engrossed. You have to finish it to the end. You must see how it all turns out and that is the power the book holds.

Rating:
Summary: "A TALE OF SUPERNATURAL TERROR"
Review: This book is a passionate mixture of earthly fears and supernatural terror. S Monique Craig does an extraordinary job with her writing, drawing you right in with her tale of characters it makes you feel like you're right there with Nikki.

As Nikki's life undresses layer-by-layer right before your very eyes, she finds herself caught up in a dark adventure of murder and mystery. Illustrated by the author, this book was a pleasant surprise and can be read in one sitting. Sit back and enjoy.
---- Shi-fu Jerome Dookie