Showing posts with label Sherrilyn Kenyon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sherrilyn Kenyon. Show all posts
April 29, 2009
7:39 PM |
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Jacket copy:We are the Dolophoni. Diligent. Vigilant. Fierce and inescapable. Servants of the Furies, we are the right hand of justice and no one stands before us.
The son of Warcraft and Hate, Cratus spent eternity battling for the ancient gods who birthed him. He was death to any who crossed him. Until the day he laid down his arms and was banished into exile. Now an ancient enemy has been unleashed and our dreams are his chosen battlefield. The only hope we have is the one god who swears he will never fight again.
As a Dream-Hunter, Delphine has spent eternity protecting mankind from the predators who prey on our unconscious state. But now that her allies have been turned, she knows in order to survive, the Dream-Hunters need a new leader. Someone who can train them to fight their new enemies. Cratus is her only hope. But she is a bitter reminder of why he chose to lay down his arms. Time is running out and if she can't win him to her cause, mankind will be slaughtered and the world we know will soon cease to exist.
The story of Cratus/Jericho and Delphine is one spiked with fate and destiny and the age-old theme of the battle between good and evil. Cratus was Zeus' executioner. As the son of Warcraft and Hate, he had no qualms carrying out Zeus' orders, no matter how harsh. Until one day he forsake his duty and saved an innocent infant from death. This disobedience would cost him dearly because he was banished and cursed to live as the human Jericho without his powers and with nothing to his name. When evil threatens the Greek pantheon and humanity, Jericho is the one both the good guys and the bad guys turn to for an alliance and he is faced with a difficult choice: quench his thirst for vengeance against Zeus and the gods that didn't stick out a finger to help him in the past or do the right thing and fight against evil that will destroy the world and everything in it. While the story unfolds and different surprising things are revealed, it is clear that the line between good and evil is not as black and white as one should think. There are circumstances, bonds, relations and feelings that color pre-conceived perceptions and turn some worlds upside down. Jericho discovers that he is able to love deeply and Delphine discovers that good is not always right and that to have feelings and emotions is difficult and complicated.
Normally I have this template that is the base for all my reviews where I usually start with a short summary of the book, then I describe the characters and I finish with my opinion of the book and possible quotes. With Kenyon's books I always have trouble following that layout and I just start typing away, hoping something decent will come out of my keyboard. With DREAM WARRIOR it's no different.
I have had a hard time squeezing out this review and my struggles were caused by the fact that I just can't seem to get a grip on some of Kenyon's latest work. I enjoy reading the books, but they fail to enthrall me and yet I keep going back for more. After UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR I thought I was cured from the Kenyon addiction, hitting a low point in the series for me, but then she came with ACHERON and blew me away. DREAM CHASER and ONE SILENT NIGHT were nice reads, entertaining and very intriguing in some aspects but by a long shot no mind-blowing reads. And that's exactly how I feel with DREAM WARRIOR. I enjoyed the story, liked the Jericho and Delphine a whole lot more than Styker and Zephyra but still the awe and wow was not there. The heart-pounding feeling I did have with the early Dark Hunter books and which was definitely rekindled with ACHERON is gone. The novella SHADOW OF THE MOON (still to be reviewed) brought back a glimpse of that feeling, but DREAM WARRIOR failed to keep the fire burning. The books seem to have gotten superficial and on autopilot. I miss intensity and connection with the main characters. Typical for this last issue is that my quotes from this book are not from or about either main character. This proves to me my disconnection to the hero and heroine, something I've been struggling with since reading UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR. (Again with the exception of ACHERON).
I liked the main characters better than those of ONE SILENT NIGHT but I missed Kenyon's trademark humor: the witty snappy sarcastic dialogues in the first part of DREAM WARRIOR. The demon Asmodeus luckily did make up for it a bit with his witty sarcastic self-deprecating humor. He was one of the characters I liked the most in the story. The Dogs of War and the storyline surrounding Nick were impressive and definitely triggered my curiosity. The storyline of Jaden and Jared was just as intriguing and the questions it raised were a balancing counterpart for some of the questions from previous books and storylines that were answered in this book.
With Kenyon the line between good and evil is blurry at best. Evil in one book can be good in the next, so I'm expecting a redeeming installment for Noir and/or Azura in the future. Characters you would expect to be on the "good side" switch to the evil side or are just plain vicious not even needing a plan for world domination. I can never peg the teams down for certain because there are a lot of gray areas that make it difficult to pinpoint who is truly on which side.
And still after all the things I said above I'm puzzled because I just know that the next book in this series will be bought and will be read. I'll call it the Kenyon “magic”, that's what keeps me coming back for more, even if it's not always satisfying. There is something in her books that keeps giving me the incentive to keep buying and reading them and for the love of me I can't put my finger on it. I can only speculate that it has to do with her ability to stir my interest with intriguing storylines for the future, making me curious about where those storylines are going to take us. Because even if DREAM WARRIOR wasn't engrossing or intense I still was unable to put the book down and kept reading and I am anxiously anticipating the follow-up of the storylines with Nick and the Dogs of War, with Jared and Jaden and with the mysterious traitor within the Greek Pantheon. These were the storylines that lifted up the second part of the book for me, together with the pace that picked up and a bit more action. I also liked how Kenyon brought some storylines from previous books (DREAM HUNTER, UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR, ACHERON, DREAM CHASER and ONE SILENT NIGHT) together in this book and some unanswered questions and unsolved issues were dealt with. This combined with the somewhat better second part of the book earned her an extra half star. I do believe that the last few books in this series are turning out to be less easy to read as stand alones. They seem more tightly linked installments with storylines that are transferred from one book to another, but no so much in sequence. I think it would be hard to follow the storylines and character appearances if the books are read out of order of if some books are skipped. Another reason for me to keep reading and buying every new installment that will be released.
So in conclusion, a nice enough and entertaining read with enough hooks to keep me reeled in but not enough to make me go raving and ranting.
Quotes:
Asmodeus to Delphine
"Oh, hello me lovely, we haven't met." He flashed her a charming smile as he kissed her tenderly on the hand. "Asmodeus, demon extraordinaire, at your service. Any service you may require, especially those that involve nudity and adjoining body parts joining other people's body parts."
Jericho, Ash and Tory
"Why would Jaden send us to you?"
Ash grinned roguishly. " 'Cause I'm a genuinely nice guy who plays a mean guitar."
Tory laughed. "Spoken only by someone who doesn't know what a grump you are in the morning."
December 17, 2008
8:26 PM |
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Back Cover:
While the world carries on unawares, Stryker, who leads an army of demons and vampires, is plotting an all out onslaught against his enemies--which, unfortunately for us, includes the entire human race.
To avenge his sister, Stryker prepares to annihilate the Dark-Hunters. But things go awry when his oldest enemy returns. Enter his ex-wife. Zephyra. Just when he thought nothing could stop him, he's now embroiled in a centuries old war with a shrew who gives new meaning to pain and a shrew who is the only woman he's ever really loved.
They killed his sister and they must die. When Stryker sprouts a plan to kill his enemies Acheron and Nick Gautier it causes major changes in the pecking order of the gods and demons and the main players are going to have to come out of their comfort zone and join forces to survive. The whole plan backfires when Artemis sends his ex-wife Zephyra to kill him and when some people don't turn out to be who we think they were. Now Stryker finds himself having to form an alliance with his greatest enemies in order to save the ones he loves.
I must honestly say that I had quite some trouble getting into the main couple characters in this book. Stryker, for me, just isn't hero material, always having seen him as the really bad guy with no emotional sensibility whatsoever. A cunning, conniving and manipulating man who would kill anyone if he feels like it and if it suits his purposes. He was not a character I could easily sympathize with in the beginning.
One thing I did miss was interaction between Urian and Stryker. I had hoped that in his own book Stryker would come face to face him, but unfortunately this wasn't the case.
Zephyra to me was determined and headstrong but also very vengeful. Of course her urge for revenge is motivated but still I had trouble concurring that with the image of a likeable heroine.
And again, as is becoming repetitive in Kenyon's most recent books with the exception of ACHERON, other (secondary) characters outshined Stryker and Zephyra in the book. I was more intrigued by scenes around Jared, Nick, Savitar, Apollymi and even War and Kessar than I was by the romance between Stryker and Zephyra.
Even though at first I couldn't really relate to either Styker or Zephyra, the dynamics between them was very nice. Neither of them gave each other an inch despite the feelings that were still between them.
As I progressed in the book they did start to grow on me a bit more. Especially in their interactions and their behavior towards each other. I definitely could empathize better with them after Stryker’s motive for leaving Zephyra was given. In that scene I understood them and their feelings so much better than from the spiteful dialogues before where it seemed they were talking at cross-purposes. This scene made me more susceptible to his character, and Zephyra's reaction to it also redeemed her in my eyes.
I find it very difficult to review this book. I can't say it was a bad book but it wasn't mind-blowing material either. I liked a lot of aspects, like the sarcastic interactions, the quick-witted banter, the plot developments and the roles of some secondary characters. But I disliked some other aspects, like the personalities of the hero and heroine and the place of their romance in the book).
Certainly after reading ACHERON I was expecting something intense and rattling but regrettably it just left me with a small feeling of satisfaction of having finished another installment in the Dark-Hunter series and looking forward to the next one.
I absolutely liked the second half of the book better than the first and had both some laugh-out-loud moments and some emotional moments but alas it didn't come close to the Dark-Hunter books I devoured page for page, leaving me wanting more.
The one sure thing about Kenyon's books is that every one leaves you wanting the next one though! In this one it were Jared and the unexpected yet intriguing developments surrounding Nick Gautier that guide me to the next books without any hesitation, despite that the book I have just finished didn't rock my world
Quote:
Stryker and Zephyra:
"I always knew your were good at handling a man's sword, love, but I had no idea that extended to those made of steel, too."
"At least this sword doesn't disappoint. I don't have to worry about it going soft on me."
"I never went soft on you."
"Trust me baby, you weren't that good. I was just a better actress than you were actor."
August 31, 2008
11:31 PM |
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Back Cover:
Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron endured a lifetime of hatred and spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, he became the sole defender of mankind.
Only it was never that simple...
For centuries, he has fought for our survival and hidden a past he never wanted revealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.
Now his survival, and ours, depends on her and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.
War has never been more deadly... or more fun
Ever since I finished this book I have been wondering how to set about with the review. Should I review both parts separately? Should I make a summary of the stories?
Would I even be able to write a decent review that portrays my feelings on this book?
I decided to wing it and start typing and I would see what the outcome would be. So here this is me winging it.
Though many readers were anticipating this book something fierce, I didn't catch the fever until the book was actually in my hands and I read the Author's Note by Kenyon in the book. True, Ash has always been a fascinating character in the previous books but for me there was too much mystery surrounding him and I don't connect to characters until I know what makes them tick and why they are as they are. Well, Kenyon delivered big time on this for me. I was touched to the depth of my heart by Acheron's past and by his journey to find that one person he could love and trust unconditionally and I'm so glad he found her in Tory.
I remember when I heard how many pages this book would be, I though it was a lot of pages but now that I’m finished I feel I could have gone on reading Ash’s story endlessly.
After reading part One I understood so much of his comments to the Dark-Hunters and his attitude towards the world in the previous books. I really and truly understand Acheron now. However, I still can't grasp how he dealt with being rejected, abandoned, abused, tortured, degraded and humiliated the way he was in his human life and still came out of it the person he is. Every event, every meeting, every interaction formed Acheron into the man/god he would become in the future.
Unwanted and rejected he still held on to his dignity and took his suffering in stride.
The way he was treated in human life can only eat away at one's humanity but he still bounced back from every form of hurt and betrayal.
How much can a soul take before it gives up?
Well apparently Acheron's can take a lot and still he is compassionate and loyal and always looking out for others, making sure his actions don't hurt them.
I also understood his reluctance to interfere in the Dark Hunters' destinies. He knows firsthand what interference, as well meant as it might be, can do and how it can deteriorate things. Ryssa's POV (point of view) of Ash's youth in the form of her journal in Part One was heartbreaking. Her determination to save him from harm only made things worse, even in the future she inadvertently causes trouble for him, but she was also the first person to show him love.
This book blew me away! Part One was marked by tears with a tiny, tiny hint of the Kenyon humor, Part Two was marked by laugh-out-loud wit and banter Kenyon style, spliced with emotional, heartrending moments. It took me a while to get through Part One but this had nothing to do with the writing style because it was as fast-paced as Part Two and read easily. The delay was because of the many times I had to put it away because I couldn't bear to read about Acheron's suffering and had to get a grip on my emotions. And even in those moments I wanted to go on reading the moment I put it down.
Kenyon found the perfect way to tell Ash's story. In the other books he was the unreachable, untouchable and detached godly leader of the Dark-Hunters, surrounded by mystery and I couldn't quite empathize with him, or get where he was coming from. But in Part One she made him human, both literally and figuratively speaking, less untouchable and I was captivated by the strength in him. This prepared me for how he dealt with Tory in Part Two. The way he accepted and relished her attitude towards him.
Tory was a delightful mix of sarcasm, brains and clumsiness. She was the perfect match for Ash. Any other woman or personality just wouldn't do. The chemistry between them was sensual and endearing. The way they reacted to each other was so much fun to read. I loved the running gag of with the hammer comments and savored how Tory wasn't at all intimidated by Ash. The romance between them made my romantic heart burn with passion.
My opinion of Appolymi has changed totally. She had already started to grow on my in DEVIL MAY CRY, but in Ash's book she truly earned my respect and admiration. I got why she wants to destroy the world and the other Gods so much better now. She will do anything to save her son and those he loves. Her actions haven't always been the most sensible ones but she always had Ash's interest in her mind.
Contrary to my newfound admiration of Appolymi, Artemis has lost any credit she ever could have gotten from me, which already was very, very little. There is no way that goddess can ever redeem herself in my eyes. I understand her actions also made Ash into the man he is now but she is one cold-hearted, selfish, malignant being, not capable of loving anyone else but herself. I don't think she's ready with Tory and Ash but I can't say I'm anticipating her antics. She was the character that irritated me most in this book and she was linked to the one small thing I thought wasn't cleared up in the book and I hope this will be done in future books, preferably in the next, ONE SILENT NIGHT.
Part Two was also kind of a homecoming, seeing all those former Dark-Hunters and other familiar characters (Talon, Zarek, Sunshine, Tabitha, Nick, Julian, Valerius, Wulf) make an appearance. I was thrown back to the feeling I had with the first Dark-Hunter books I read and I loved that feeling.
Where Kenyon didn't enchant me with DEVIL MAY CRY, UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR and DREAM CHASER she has more than made up for it with what I see as one of her best (if not the best one) books yet! This book was so much more than the sum of its two parts. It was the only way to deliver Acheron's story and do him justice.
Quotes:
Ryssa and Acheron:
"Will you not speak to me?"
"And say what, Ryssa? I think my actions speak loudly enough for even a deaf man to hear. But no one ever listens to me either."
"This is so unfair to you."
"Life isn't about being fair," he breathed. "It's not about justice. It's all about endurance and how much we can suffer through."
And an illustration of the relationship between Artemis and Acheron:
She leaned down to kiss his cheek. “You always make me feel so special."
And she always made him feel like shit.
Rating: 10 out of 10
May 4, 2008
12:26 PM |
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HADES DOESN'T OFTEN GIVE SECOND CHANCES…
Xypher has one month on Earth to redeem himself through one good deed or be condemned to eternal torture in Tarturus. But redemption means little to a demigod who only wants vengeance on the one who caused his downfall.
UNTIL ONE DAY IN A CEMETERY…
Simone Dubois is a medical examiner with a real knack for the job. Those who are wrongfully killed appear to her and help her find the evidence the police need to convict their killers. But when a man appears and tells her that she’s more than just a psychic, she’s convinced he’s insane.
NOW THE FATE OF THE WORLD HANGS IN HER HANDS…
It was bad enough when just the dead relied on her. Now’s there’s the seductive Dream-Hunter Xypher who needs Simone’s help in opening a portal to the Atlantean hell realm to fight insatiable demons. The future of mankind is at stake-and so is her life. The only question now is: Who is the bigger threat: the demons out to kill her, or the man who has left her forever changed?
We first met Xypher in DEVIL MAY CRY and right away I was intrigued by his character. Still I didn't have very high expectations for his book after the slight disappointments in reading DMC and UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR. But I must say it was a lot better than I expected, I was pleasantly surprised by Xypher and Simone's story. Though honestly I must say that again it weren't the main characters that attracted my attention the most. This really has become a recurring thing with the last few books I've read by Kenyon. In DREAM CHASER it was Jaden who mesmerized me. I really want to know more about him and what drives him. More than I wanted to know how Xypher and Simone were developing. And although I think this is a disturbing development this doesn't take away the overall good feeling I had reading this book.
The chemistry between Xypher and Simone is there from the beginning but all through the book I couldn't ditch the feeling of having it at my fingertips but never being able to grasp it fully. I missed the fiery and unstoppable attraction between hero and heroine I loved so much in the DREAM HUNTER and the early Dark-Hunter novels. Those spine-tingling love scenes that had my heart beating fast and goose bumps rising on my arms. I came close to this feeling in the second half of the book but by the time it really kicked in, the book ended.
This doesn't diminish however the fact that I really liked both Xypher and Simone. Their characters and development really appealed to me on an emotional level. Xypher transforming from being coldhearted and detached, living only for his revenge to someone who cared so much for Simone he would do anything to keep her safe. The way he secretly enjoys the attention and care Simone has for him was truly endearing and in those moments I really felt for him and the suffering he had been through.
Simone transforms from a lonely workaholic with a ghost as her best friend, going through the motions of life into someone who had everything to live for, finding love in the place she least expected it. She takes the discovery about whom she truly is in an amazingly brave way, showing exactly how strong a character she is. What she went through was heart wrenching and combined with Xypher's suffering the two of them made me grab a tissue a few times.
One of the things I loved about DREAM CHASER was that the humor "Kenyon-style" was back in full force. I missed that in the previous books so I really loved the bantering between Simone, Jesse and Xypher. Another thing I liked was the cameo appearances by Dark-Hunter characters and elements: Acheron, Stryker, Daimons, Julian, and Katra. That and the story being brought back to New Orleans scored big time for me, bringing the Dream-Hunter and Dark-Hunter worlds together in a fast paced, witty and action-filled book, with lots of new and intriguing elements that offer promising prospects for the future.
I was dazzled by the many different demons and their characteristics, making both the Dream-Hunter world and the Dark-Hunter world much more complicated but richer at the same time, even though I'm still missing the amazing feeling that vibrated through me reading the first few Dark-Hunter novels. Still I'm confident that Kenyon has lots of good vibes in store for us with Acheron.
I have to give Kenyon credit for a very entertaining book she has provided with DREAM CHASER. Unfortunately romance didn't have the upper hand in this book, which is also a disturbing development in the last few books for me, but she more than made up for that with the plot, the action and let's not forget her knack for sarcastic bantering and smile-inducing humor.
January 26, 2008
10:19 PM |
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EVER THINK SCROOGE HAD IT RIGHT BEFORE THE GHOSTS RUINED HIS LIFE? MEET AIDAN CONNOR
At one time he was a world-renowned celebrity who gave freely of himself and his money without wanting anything in return...until those around him took without asking. Now Aidan wants nothing to do with the world -or anyone who's part of it.
WHEN A STRANGER APPEARS ON HIS DOORSTEP, AIDAN KNOWS HE'S SEEN HER BEFORE...IN HIS DREAMS
Born on Olympus as a goddess, Leta knows nothing of the human world. But a ruthless enemy has driven her from the world of dreams and into the home of the only man who can help her: Aidan. Her immortal powers are derived from human emotions -and his anger is just the fuel she needs to defend herself...
ONE COLD WINTER'S NIGHT WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER...
Trapped together in a brutal winter storm, Aidan and Leta must turn to the only power capable of saving them -or destroying them both: trust.
Well, I'm still reeling after reading the last page of this book and I'm sorry to say not reeling in a positive way but more with disappointment and indignation.
This novella -I seriously can't call it a book being 240 pages in a very large font- does not deserve the Kenyon name to it.
The ingredients were all there:
Aidan: the famous movie star and disappointed by his family's jealousy and resentment, Leta: a goddess bent saving Aidan's life from Dolor: the bad-ass god of Pain summoned by Aidan's revengeful brother and who still has a bone to pick with Leta. But unfortunately it never made good on the promise by mixing these ingredients into a story able to blow me away.
It read like it was written in a rush, trying to stuff as much information as possible into as little pages as possible.
Aidan and Leta were promising characters but I think they deserved more than this anthology-like story. I would have liked a bit more of backgrounds for them instead of a full-blown romance in the time span of 24 hours. Why the Christmas theme was brought into the mix? I really don't know. It could easily have done without it in my opinion so that there would be more room for character development. I certainly had ambivalent feelings towards their characters, especially Aidan's, one moment I could relate to his feelings but the next I felt he was whining like a small child and I really wanted him to move on. I was getting tired of the "oh I'm so good and the whole world is mean and bad"-crap and it really started to annoy me only a few chapters into the story.
It's really not a good sign when a secondary character with very little appearances is much more appealing to you than both hero and heroine. But this has happened to me twice in a row with Kenyon (Devil May Cry and this novella). In this one it was Deimos who intrigued me to a point I was hoping he would come back every next scene.
Even the love scene didn't have that Kenyon-vibe. It felt rushed and dispassionate and certainly not what I'm used to in Kenyon's books.
What I did like of Aidan and Leta was their interaction, their sarcastic banter. This Kenyon trademark is what saved the novella from really being burned to the ground in my eyes
Still something was off, it didn't give me the emotional rush I had reading Dream Hunter. It lacked intensity and excitement I did experience reading the early Dark-Hunter novels. I only caught a glimpse of these feelings in the last few chapters where Aidan. Leta and Deimos engage Dolor and Donnie in battle and where Aidan finally realizes he has to stop whining. But by then it was too late to really save the book for me. The negative feelings couldn't be completely redeemed by the last few positive chapters.
Kenyon has been on my auto-buy list ever since I read Fantasy Lover for the first time but if Dream Chaser (Xypher's story) doesn't reach the level the early Dark-Hunter books had or that of The Dream-Hunter this is something definitely worth reconsidering.
Upon The Midnight Clear was marketed as a gift from Kenyon to her readers and I know you aren't supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth but honestly this is a gift we could have done without. Especially when the gift is certainly not for free but costs about the same as regular paperbacks that aren’t gifts.
September 2, 2007
6:06 PM |
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Ever since that moment his status as a god was revoked by Artemis, Sin has done nothing but plot his revenge. He kidnaps a woman he believes to be the goddess, but she's Artemis' servant, Katra. And instead of imprisoning her, Katra captures him and refuses to release him until he promises not to seek vengeance on her mistress. Despite himself, Sin finds himself intrigued by Katra, who is nothing like the goddess she serves. She's fierce, true, but she's also compassionate and loyal. However, Sin is not the only enemy Artemis has and it quickly becomes apparent that he must help Katra save her mistress or the world as we know it will end. What's a wannabe god to do?
After having read the last page of this book I was balancing on two thoughts:
It was a nice and entertaining story and it was absolutely not a Dark-Hunter story.
Something essential to the Dark-Hunters was missing and did not feel right in my opinion.
Were there too many new creatures being introduced?
Was the romance between Kat and Sin a bit forced together for the sake of it?
Why did I get this uneasy feeling with the way the relationship between Ash and Artie is portrayed in this book?
Was it the love and bonding of the Dark-Hunter and his heroin that I missed?
This last thing was totally overshadowed by so many other aspects and storylines in the book that for me it was really disappointing because I was expecting a Dark-Hunter novel to blow me of my feet and leave me breathless at the end.
In stead I get a Sumarian God and an Atlantean/Greek godess and a storyline as remote as possible from the Dark-Hunters I've known.
For me the ambiguity of the book lay in de fact that it was dissapointing on the one hand for not being a true Dark-Hunter novel but satifying on the other for answering some of the questions left unanswered in previous books. But there were really more things I liked.
The intense emotional interaction between Kat and Ash.
The humour and sarcasm of Kat, Xypher, Kish, Damien and even Ash.
Simi was her true hilarious self and an steady anchor in the midst of all these new creatures and pantheons being introduced.
I liked the storybuilding and the humor in the book which was the typical Kenyon-style we all know and love.
Kat was everything I expected from her after reading about her in the previous books she played a part in: intelligent, strong, brave, caring and loyal. The perfect match for any Dark-Hunter.
And Ash, he just broke my heart, to read about his suffering, his relationship with Artemis, the way he tries to do the right things and his perception of what love is...these were the moments that really saved the book from a far lower grading than it's getting now.
Sin was the character I found most dissapointing in this book. He just wasn't powerful enough to capture my full attention.
He was overshadowed by not only the Kat but also by some secondary characters!
The interactions essential for the book were not the ones between Sin and Kat.
For me Kat and Ash were the ones who carried the story with assistance of Kessar, Kish, Damien and let's not forget Xypher whose story I'm really looking forward to!
To be honest if the book had been marketed as something else than a Dark-Hunter novel and in consequence not creating expectations I would have said it was a great book, judging it's entertainment-level...but as a book in a series of books like Night Embrace, Night Pleasures, Dance with the Devil and Seize the Night it didn't live up to the expectations set by those books.
In short: a entertaining story of trust and betrayal, love and deceit but for me a preparation and introduction for Ash's books, nothing more....nothing less.
May 3, 2007
8:06 PM |
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In the ethereal world of dreams, there are champions who fight to protect the dreamer and there are demons who prey on them...
Arik is such a predator. Condemned by the gods to live eternity without emotions, Arik can only feel when he's in the dreams of others. For thousands of years, he's drifted through the human unconscious, searching for sensation. Now he's finally found a dreamer whose vivid mind can fill his emptiness.
Dr. Megeara Kafieri watched her father ruin himself and his reputation as he searched to prove Atlantis was real. Her deathbed promise to him to salvage his reputation has now brought her to Greece where she intends to prove once and for all that the fabled island is right where her father said it was. But frustration and bad luck dog her every step. Especially the day they find a stranger floating in the sea. His is a face she's seen many times.... in her dreams.
What she doesn't know is that Arik holds more than the ancient secrets that can help her find the mythical isle of Atlantis. He has made a pact with the god Hades: In exchange for two weeks as a mortal man, he must return to Olympus with a human soul. Megeara's soul.
With a secret society out to ruin her expedition, and mysterious accidents that keep threatening her life, Megeara refuses to quit. She knows she's getting closer to Atlantis and as she does, she stumbles onto the truth of what Arik really is.
For Arik his quest is no longer simple. No human can know of a Dream-Hunter's existence. His dream of being mortal has quickly turned into his own nightmare and the only way to save himself will be to sacrifice the very thing he wanted to be human for. The only question is, will he?
On the back of the book it says:
The first novel in a breathtaking new series from NYT bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon...
And breathtaking it was!
I finished the book in less than 24 hours. For me that’s really fast. Kenyon has started something that hit me like a ton of bricks!
The Dark- and Were-Hunters were the ones who first introduced me in a world that only Kenyon can create and I’ll treasure them always but man-oh-man (or should I say god-oh god) the Dream-Hunters, both Oneroi and Skoti have had a huge impact on me. They are far more mysterious en mystery intrigues the hell out of me!
The eurofic feeling that Night Embrace, Night Pleasures and Dance with the Devil caused is back in full force! After reading Dark Side of the Moon I was really afraid Kenyon was losing her toch, but she’s backslapped me with this one en proved me all wrong!
The only thing I can say is: Give me more!
More...more.....more....more!
More gods, more Oneroi, more Skoti, more Chthonians!
Arik and Geary’s story truly holds its own in the midst of everything else that hits you while reading this book, like the introduction of “others” both characters as groups and little tidbits of information on extremely intrigueing characters as Hades, Tory, Solin, ZT, Thia and D’Alerian.
But still Kenyon knows how to keep you focused on Arik and Geary while subconciously you store everything else, so the yearning for full stories on the other characters grows bigger and bigger.
The scene in Geary’s dream the night before the excavation, was breathtaking. I don’t know how she does it but Kenyon succeeds in writing so vividly that I see the images in my head, like a movie. And I assure you, I only get that when it’s really, really good!
She even accomplished my sympathy for Apollymi! This certainly has never happened reading the other books where Apollymi had made an appearance.
The book is fast-paced, packed with delicious humor and sarcasm, especially in the Arik-Solin and Kat-Solin interaction. The heroin has a strong personality but is never overbearing, like I thought Tabitha was in Seize the Night. A hero that makes you melt . It’s so great to read how he experiences things new to him like the feeling and tasting of things: clothes, food, sleep, sex…
The way Kenyon describes this, make me look differently at these things we take for granted.
The tidbits of backgroundinformation make you hunger for future books and if Kenyon keeps up the line she has started with this book in Devil May Cry, she’ll make me very happy!
Quote
Solin to Kat:[...] but they were running a special. Two Skoti for one, so here I am in all my glory just to get under your skin or skirt.
I’m really not particular.
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Nice to meet you!
- Pearl
- Netherlands
- 39, married to my real life romance hero, addicted to TV shows, reading romance novels and Twitter. I'm a chronic (e)book hoarder and my absolute favorite genres within romance fiction are contemporary romance and romantic suspense, but I don't shy away from historical, paranormal or erotic romance either. Even the occasional (urban) fantasy romance, futuristic and sci fi romance may make it to my Mount TBR. This is my corner of the world wide web where I let you know what books I'm hoarding, reading and reviewing.
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