'Night Embrace' Dark Hunter #2 by Sherrilyn KENYON

From the BLURB:

Dear Reader,

Life is great for me. I have my chicory coffee, my warm beignets, and my best friend on the cell phone. Once the sun goes down, I am the baddest thing prowling the night: I command the elements, and I know no fear. For centuries, I've protected the innocent and watched over the mankind, making sure they are safe in a world where nothing is ever certain. All I want in return is a hot babe in a red dress, who wants nothing more from me then one night.

Instead, I get a runaway Mardi Gras float that tries to turn me into roadkill and a beautiful woman who saves my life but can't remember where she put my pants. Flamboyant and extravagant, Sunshine Runningwolf should be the perfect woman for me. She wants nothing past tonight, no ties, no long-term commitments.

But every time I look at her, I start yearning for dreams that I buried centuries ago. With her unconventional ways and ability to baffle me, Sunshine is the one person I find myself needing. But for me to love her would mean her death. I am cursed never to know peace or happiness-not so long as my enemy waits in the night to destroy us both.

--Talon of the Morrigantes

This is the second book in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s ‘Dark Hunter’ series. This second instalment follows Dark-Hunter, Talon - a Celtic warrior (Druid?) who was forced to watch his father, mother, wife, unborn babe and sister die after he incurred the wrath of a Celtic god called Camulus.

As happens to all Dark-Hunter’s, Talon was so incensed by his loss that upon his death the Goddess, Artemis, gave him a chance to seek vengeance by becoming immortal and gaining retribution. After Talon killed everyone who had slain his family (and him) he agreed to work for Artemis slaying Daimons and Apollites whose sole purpose is to wreak havoc on humanity.

When we first met Talon in book #1, ‘Night Pleasures’, he was introduced as an insatiable ladies man who lived out on the New Orleans swamps, wore biker leather and drove around on his kick-ass motorbike. He was a true recluse, not even having a Squire for company. I was instantly intrigued by him.

Unfortunately my expectations for Talon weren’t really met in his book.

Talon’s HEA comes in the form of Sunshine Runningwolf. Sunshine is an artist/free-spirit/soy-cheese-eater who Talon stumbles across when she is set upon by Daimons. He saves her, but is injured in the process – and Sunshine helps him recover (with some bedroom aerobics on the side). But it becomes apparent to Talon that Sunshine is more than she appears – she is in fact the reincarnation of his dead wife, Nynia.
Nynia/Sunshine and Talon are true soul-mates who have found each other after centuries apart.

But Talon still has the wrath of Camulus to contend with if he wants his happily-ever-after with Sunshine. And Sunshine has to decide if Talon really loves her, or the memory of Nynia.

I didn’t really warm to Sunshine (ironic, huh?). She was a bit annoying – I thought she would be, with a ‘free love’ name like Sunshine Runningwolf, but I at least hoped her heat with Talon would make up for any pitfalls in character. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I’m sorry, but no matter how many times Talon claimed to love her smell, patchouli is not a nice scent – it just reminds me of those University students I try to avoid when they shove a petition in my face. It conjures images of hemp and tofu, and there is nothing sexy about either.

I was also a little disappointed by Talon in this book. I had such high-hopes for him, mostly because he was portrayed as a real hard-ass recluse with a tough exterior. But he became putty in Sunshine’s hand a little too quickly for me, and it ruined his bad-boy appeal.

I was also a little put-off by Kenyon’s quick and easy resolutions in this book. For me, the biggest obstacle facing Talon and Sunshine was the fact that Sunshine couldn’t know if Talon loved her for her, or his memories of Nynia. But a lot of that problem-solving is done through Talon’s internal monologues, when Talon realizes he likes Sunshine’s stubborn hot headedness more than Nynia’s timidness etc. And I really don’t think Sunshine was concerned enough about her apprehensions – at one point Kenyon offers up a throw-away one-sentence line in which Sunshine admits her previous boyfriend only dated her because she reminded him of his ex. I think that’s quite an important, impacting thing to have happened to Sunshine right before she meets Talon. Surely that experience would have manifested itself more in her and Talon’s relationship?
It just seemed that the relationship obstacle wasn’t explored enough, for my liking.

“I’m your husband.”
She snorted and raked him with a bemused stare. “Not in this lifetime, buddy.” She held up her left hand for his inspection. “I don’t see no wedding ring on my finger, and the last time I checked, you didn’t come charging into town on the back of your black warhorse, sweeping me off my feet and asking me to be yours.”

One thing I will say for Ms. Sherrilyn Kenyon – she knows how to whet reader’s appetites. I am really falling for Acheron – the Dark-Hunter ‘leader’. He’s really turning out to be one of the funniest, sexiest characters – and in ‘Night Embrace’ Kenyon also drops hints about his rather tragic past. I find it especially sad that Acheron is Artemis’s sexual scratching post – poor guy! I am loving Acheron, but my heart sinks to think that his book is number #22 !!!! Seriously? It seems like Kenyon is doing so much characterization for him in this second book that surely his instalment should come sooner? Please?! Can I possibly skip ahead to his? He’s just so funny and likable;

“How old does that make you?”
“Eleven thousand five hundred and fifty-one years old, and yes, I feel every day of it.”
“Wow, I had no idea. Hell, I didn’t even know we had people back then.”
“Yeah, I was part of the original Bedrock crew who worked in the quarry on the back of dinosaurs and ran with the Flinstones. Barney Rubble was short, but he played a good game of stone-knuckle.”

I also really love Zarek – the ‘rogue’ Dark-Hunter who everyone thinks is insane and needs killing. I have a soft spot for these seemingly psychotic, marshmallow characters (thankyou, Zsadist). And yes, it might also be the similarity in the names (especially when Kenyon nicknames Zarek, ‘Z’). But I am also sad to learn that Zarek doesn’t get a whole book to himself – his story instead appears in a short-story entitled ‘Dance with the Devil’. That sucks! He could have definitely carried his own book!

I wasn’t terribly impressed with this second book in Kenyon’s ‘Dark-Hunter’ series. BUT I am liking her character development of upcoming Dark-Hunter’s enough to persist with the series... even though my instincts are telling me to read Acheron’s book and then call it quits.

2/5

'Night Pleasures' Dark Hunter #1 by Sherrilyn KENYON

From the BLURB:

Dear Reader,

Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power? That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minute of it.

Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmare: a conservative woman in a button-down shirt. Or in Amanda's case, buttoned all the way up to her chin. She's smart, sexy, witty, and wants nothing to do with the paranormal-in other words, me.

My attraction to Amanda Devereaux goes against everything I stand for. Not to mention the last time I fell in love it cost me not only my human life, but also my very soul. Yet every time I look at her, I find myself wanting to try again. Wanting to believe that love and loyalty do exist.

Even more disturbing, I find myself wondering if there's any way a woman like Amanda can love a man whose battle scars run deep, and whose heart was damaged by a betrayal so savage that he's not sure it will ever beat again.

- Kyrian of Thrace

This is the first book in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s ‘Dark Hunter’ series, which is currently 27 books deep. This first book, ‘Night Pleasures’, was released in 2002. I say ‘first book’, but really the novel ‘Fantasy Lover’ is what kicks-off the series, without actually making mention of the Dark-Hunter mythology. First-time D-H readers should probably start with ‘Fantasy Lover’, but wouldn’t be completely astray if they began their series foray with ‘Pleasures’.

I would call the D-H series ‘Blackdagger Brotherhood’ lite. More akin to Lara Adrian’s ‘Midnight Breed’ series than the Warden’s epic serial saga. Like Adrian, Kenyon lands more heavily in the ‘paranormal romance’ genre, emphasis on the ‘romance’ fluff.

One thing I loved about Kenyon’s D-H world is her spin on the vampire mythology. Her’s is a very unique retelling of the old vampiric lore – mixing Gothic and Greek mythology. According to Kenyon’s world, immortal Dark-Hunters were created by the Gods of Mount Olympus. Kenyon’s mythological roots start with a conversation between Zeus and Apollo. As Kenyon’s story goes, Apollo and Zeus had a friendly bet about who could make a superior race. Apollo fathered the ‘Apollites’ – a race so superior to humans that Zeus banished them to the island of Atlantis. One day Apollo became enraged by his Apollites – so he turned them into something akin to the ravaging animals they had become – giving them fangs, honed senses, turning them into ‘Daimons’. Over the years their blood-drinking and fangs leant imagination to the ‘vampire’ myth.
To combat the Appolites/Daimons, Artemis (the Goddess of the Hunt) sought to create hunters out of humans. Any human who died seeking vengeance would be given an opportunity for immortal life, to serve Artemis’s cause once their own vengeance was met.

It’s a very convoluted retelling of the vampire lore – but if you’ve ever read any Greek mythology you know that all those stories are long-winded and a little bit complicated (especially when Zeus seemingly fathered *everyone*). But Kenyon’s explanation is so unique, and brings Greek gods into the story to really make things interesting.

Since Kenyon’s mythology started when the Gods ruled Mount Olympus, Dark Hunters have been being created for a *long* time. It means Kenyon writes some very interesting male characters – like Kyrian of Thrace. Kyrian is old enough to remember Helen of Troy and have a serious grudge against the Romans.
Kenyon really revels in combining the supernatural with ancient history – and if you have a love of history it makes things interesting. It means Kenyon can pull out characters from Troy, to King Arthur and Tutankhamun – giving real scope to her series.

Kyrian’s Dark Hunter role is flipped on its head when he meets Amanda – a boring accountant recently jilted by her fiancé. Suddenly Kyrian’s life isn’t all about hunting and killing – now he can’t stop thinking about this accountant and being preoccupied with her safety.

He kissed her lightly on the lips. “What I am is a man in love with a woman. I want you, Amanda. For the rest of my blessedly short mortal life. I want to wake at dawn with you in my arms, and watch our children play and fight. Hell, I even want to hear them back-talk me.”
She smiled at him. “Are you sure?”
“I have never been more sure of anything in my life...”

I really liked the Kyrian/Amanda romance. Their relationship isn’t anything new or groundbreaking, and it is all predictable. But I still enjoyed reading it – despite knowing it was all going to end with ‘happily ever after’.

Kenyon sets up some wonderful secondary characters, including a Yoda-like Dark Hunter leader called Acheron who constantly dyes his hair in outlandish colours. Or the Celt warrior called Talon who feels most comfortable in the nude and rides a sweet motorbike.

This first book didn’t blow me away, but I will be sticking with it. I’m intrigued enough that D-H has 27 books and a legion of devoted fans who swear by their obsession. And I liked the hints Kenyon dropped about upcoming books and characters.
‘Night Pleasures’ was predictable and so-so, but I loved the Greek/Vampire mythology Kenyon has thought up and her God/Goddess characters.

3/5

'Infinity: Chronicles of Nick #1' by Sherrilyn KENYON

Received from the Publisher

From the BLURB:

Teenager Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is renowned. But his whole world is suddenly turned upside down on the night his best friends try to kill him.

Saved by a mysterious warrior, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters - immortal vampire-slayers who risk everything to save humanity - and he quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one that's filled with all kinds of evil. However, before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students start turning into flesh-eating members of the undead.

Nick knows he's in real danger and he soon has a lot more to deal with than starting high school: he's under pressure to hide his new friends from his mother and his chainsaw from the principal while trying to impress the girl he has a crush on ? all without getting grounded, suspended...or killed.

In Kenyon’s world vampires do *NOT* sparkle. They are savage undead soul-eaters who pray on humanity. And all that stands between humanity and these vampiric ‘Daimons’ are the Dark Hunters. Born of Greek Gods, neither living nor dead, the Dark Hunter’s are our secret salvation. Our only salvation.

‘Infinity’ is set roughly 10 years before the first book in Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter book, ‘Night Pleasures’. ‘Infinity’ is the first book in what will be a YA spin-off series called ‘Chronicles of Nick’. The series will follow Nick Gautier, a seemingly average 14-year-old teenage boy who is plucked from normalcy to become a squire-in-training to a Dark Hunter called Kyrian.

In ‘Infinity’, Nick finds himself dealing with jock zombies. Kick-ass girl crushes. A blue man with horns and a killer Porsche 911 Turbo. All in a squires work, really.

The adult ‘Dark Hunter’ series is currently 27-books deep, with two new releases due this year. I've always intended to get stuck into the books, but could never muster the strength to go hunting for the first few in the series. I’m actually really glad that I read ‘Infinity’ before any of the other Dark Hunter books – because Nick’s story is set before the DH series, I get all the back story for characters who are already established.

‘Infinity’ does what lots of other vampire YA fiction has failed to do – appeal to young males. I think teenage boys have been largely forgotten in the wake of ‘Twilight’ and the vampire craze – most vamp fiction is written to appeal to teenage girls, especially when most books riff off of the Edward/Bella immortal love story.
Once upon a time Dracula and vampire mythology would have been the perfect fit for YA male readers, especially because the fantasy genre was thought to be their realm, while touchy-feely ‘coming of age’ YA books were supposedly written for girls. But ‘Twilight’ changed all that. Girls became fantasy fans and where demonic vampires would have once been the reading turf of their male counterparts, the sub-genre was inundated with paranormal romance reads.

Adult fans of ‘Dark Hunter’ will enjoy ‘Infinity’ for the prologuing back-story to the main series and fan-favourite characters. Female YA readers will pretty much read anything with the word ‘vampire’ in the blurb, and the fact that this is a spin-off of a popular adult paranormal romance series will no doubt intrigue. ‘Infinity’ also has a romance, with Nick crushing on a candy-striper with a dark secret. But Young Adult female readers will especially like the fact that the protagonist of ‘Infinity’ is a broody young man with an old soul and a tough attitude – the Cajun accent doesn’t hurt either.

Nick is living in two worlds. He’s a scholarship kid at a private school, bullied everyday for his mother’s exotic dancer job and his op-shop clothing. His only real friends are young delinquents who make money mugging tourists. And his father was a small-time criminal who died while doing a stint in jail. Nick and his mother live hand-to-mouth and some days don’t have enough money to put food on the table.
Nick’s life is hard. Kenyon doesn’t shy away from some rather vicious scenes that highlight Nick’s problems with bullies, and his growing up in a rough neighbourhood.

Pain exploded in Nick’s skull as he tasted blood.
“You’re going to pay for that, Gautier.”
The three of them descended on him so fast and furious that he couldn’t even seen to fight back. One minute he was standing and the next he was on the ground with his arms wrapped around his head to protect it from the gun Alan was beating him with. They stomped and beat on him until he lost all feeling in his legs and one arm.
Alan stepped back and angled the gun on him. “Say your prayers, Gautier. You’re about to become a statistic.”

Those loyal DH fans who are iffy about being thrown into a ‘squeaky-clean’ YA world can rest easy - Kenyon is writing a rather nitty-gritty, dark YA series. Her writing packs some serious punch, and certain scenes are flinch-worthy for their brutality. Not only will this appeal to YA males, but adult fans who are following from Kenyon’s DH series will no doubt recognize the sharp edges to the action-packed writing. But this is still YA, and occasionally the ‘horror’ scenes divulge into gruesome hilarity, especially when Nick’s school is overrun by flesh-eating jock zombies;

Frank cast a hungry look over to the group where Brynna and Casey were standing. “Oh man, if it is catching, I hope Casey Woods gets it and comes for me. If you gotta die, no better way to go than to get eaten by the head cheerleader.”
Jason high-fived him. “Yeah, all right. Sign me up for that too. I definitely want to be her chew toy.”

I liked the fact that Kenyon wasn’t talking down to her audience, instead choosing to revel in her vampiric mythology. Certain parts of ‘Infinity’ are fairly vicious and bleak – but that’s apart of Kenyon’s world, and indeed a by-product of vampire lore. It’s only in recent years that vampires have been handled with kid-gloves and tamed for a romance audience. Kenyon harks back to the more Gothic, nitty-gritty demons and it’s a joy to read.

I loved Nick – and because his voice is so strong and charismatic I will definitely be reading more books in his ‘Chronicles’ series. Nick is a wise-cracking kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Though only 14 he’s had to grow up quick, and not always in the best circumstances. He is plagued by his father’s criminal past, and hopes for his sake (and his mother’s pride) that he doesn’t go down the same path. But Nick really struggles when his environment and friends encourage him to go down that felonious route. Nick is really struggling in his life – he goes to the private school, but doesn’t fit in. He tries to stay on the straight and narrow, but that isn’t always possible in his neighbourhood. He’s a mass of contradictions (more so than average teenagers) and he compensates for his hard-times with a cracking wit. He’s hilarious, and an absolute joy to read. I can’t wait to see how Nick grows and is impacted by the hard-hitting Dark-Hunter world he gets caught up in.

I was quite surprised by how well ‘Infinity’ appeals to male readers – especially because Kenyon’s ‘Dark Hunter’ series is clearly geared toward a female readership, sitting firmly in the ‘paranormal romance’ sub- genre.
‘The Chronicles of Nick’ is a real writing departure for Kenyon, and an admirable change of pace considering she’s done so well in paranormal romance (27 books and counting!).
I think Kenyon did a fine job of exploring a new side to her writing with Nick’s spin-off. She’s not writing a ‘same-same’ Dark-Hunter series but with tamer romance – she’s really stepping outside her genre and readership and challenging her loyal fan-base to read outside their comfort zone. I certainly admire her for the change-up, and offer kudos for finding a new niche audience and gender readership.

The fact that I haven’t read any Dark-Hunter books didn’t impede my reading or enjoyment of ‘Infinity’. I could tell that certain characters were fan-favourites who Kenyon was delivering back-story on for the enjoyment of die-hard readers. But that only intrigued me enough to decide I would go back and re-read the Dark-Hunter books; it didn’t retract or confuse me during ‘Infinity’.

This is a dark, edgy and adrenaline-filled YA read. It’s exactly what a YA book should be – a non-stop thrill ride with bonus jock zombies, pretty girls and a quick-witted protagonist to enjoy the ride with. I loved this. I’d recommend it to men, women, YA boys, YA girls, long-time Dark-Hunter readers and Dark-Hunter virgins (like me).

5/5

'Invincible: Chronicles of Nick #2'

2011