Touched by Venom: Book One of the Dragon Temple Saga by Janine Cross

Before I get into the meat and bones of Touched by Venom, I want to preface the review by saying I'm a new reader to the fantasy genre, with this book being the first full length, non-erotica fantasy novel I've ever read. For those who are loyal fantasy readers, you may want to skim past a few of my comments because I'm a newbie, and my background in picturing new worlds is somewhat blossoming as a reader. Ok, on the review...

Touched by Venom was an excellent read. I highly recommend it to both new readers of fantasy and those who devour fantasy books like chocolate. Cross weaves the details of the world she creates into the story with skill, and she keeps Zarq, the protagonist, involved in a lot of action throughout. I was compelled to keep reading, even when I didn't understand what was actually happening, because Cross left me with the trust that eventually I'd understand and the pieces would fit together. She delivers on the promise. Her imagery is vivid and her characters complex.

At first I was jarred by all the new vocabulary and trying to keep the meaning of everything straight, but after a chapter or two I was able to cope with it. Her world is consistent and the magic understandable. I wouldn't consider this a work of erotica, but I was impressed by how well Cross pulls off some of the more adult scenes in the work. She doesn't carry them too far, which would have been easy to do given the scope of scenes, especially those involving the dragons and sexuality.

The only part that I would change if this was my novel (which it's obviously not) is that Waivia and the mother character's relationship seemed like back story during almost the entire novel. I would have liked to have seen a little more of their relationship prior to when Waivia is taken away. It would have made some of the later scenes more realistic to me.

I know the author has nothing to do with the pricing of the work, but I was pleasantly pleased with the $6.99 price in US dollars. The cover is intriguing, which is what initially led me to make the purchase. I had never heard of Cross prior to my trip to Barnes and Noble, but I was determined to leave the story with a work of fantasy. It's one of the cheaper reads I've had in awhile of books I've purchased first hand in soft cover. Given the amount of bang for the buck, I give this one five stars. ***** After I finish my stack of books to read, I'll definitely be purchasing the next book in the series, Shadowed by Wings. When I turned the page to the last page of Touched by Venom, I wanted more story. Cross does a good job of making this book a page turner, right up to the end.