Kiss of the Night (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Seven): Sherrilyn Kenyon UPDATED

I seem to be on a bit of a Sherrilyn Kenyon reading kick as of late.  It's been fun going back through these stories and immersing myself in the rich world Kenyon has created.  There's been a long enough gap in between my first reading (HERE) and this go, so enough of the plot was "new-ish" and made it fun and exciting.

As with my first reading, I really appreciated how much this story added to the overall backstory and plot for this extensive series.  The nuances in the Appellate and Daimon worlds were so complex and served to prove how the world -- even this fictional one -- is never quite as black-and-white as it seems.  I will admit that I may even have to go back and read the very beginning of this book again to make sure I really understand all of the twisty turns of the mythology Kenyon has created.

As for the characters, themselves, I liked Wulf and Cassandra.  Wulf's backstory was well-written and  his curse was truly heart-breaking (and creative).  I appreciated how Kenyon handled it and used it to add depth to the plot.  While I understand Wulf's obsession (and even that feels as if I am putting it lightly) with keeping Chris safe, it sometimes felt a bit too over the top (bordering on silly).  I liked Cassandra as a female lead.  She felt strong and determined, with a well-crafted backstory.  Moments of the story felt a little bit cheesy (cue sex scene involving a red rose), but that may just be my own personal taste.

Some of the writing was slightly awkward at times.  I found my English-centered brain attempting to edit these sentences as I would when reading my own world or a student's.  The biggest instance of this is the way in which some words were repeated in sentences when other words would have sufficed.  This didn't dampen my enjoyment, but I did notice it enough to feel the need to mention it in this review.

I definitely enjoyed the supporting characters; they really seemed to make this book into something very fun and interesting to read.  I think, while Cassandra and Wulf had a great story, they service as a vehicle to set up a number of other threads for the rest of the overarching series.  Ash makes an important appearance (as did Simi...and we know how I feel about her obsessive rants about barbecuing everything...) and we learn more about Atlantean mythology and get some hints about Ash's hidden past.

One more comment I will make is that we get very little about Wulf's physical appearance to go off of.  There's a good bit right at the start, but not a heck of a lot after.  In a genre where readers should "fall for" the male leads, this fell slightly short.  (When I say "physical" description, I mean facial features.  We certainly get good physical descriptions, but not much else.  I feel like we got a better sense of Cassandra from Wulf's point of view.)

I did enjoy the story.  Parts of it were very touching and I can tell a tremendous amount of work went into this book.  I had a little bit of constructive criticism to offer, but I don't think it's something to deter you from reading this installment.

Upon the Midnight Clear (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Twenty-two): Sherrilyn Kenyon

“EVER THINK SCROOGE HAD IT RIGHT BEFORE THE GHOSTS RUINED HIS LIFE? MEET AIDAN O’CONNER.

“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.”

Yay! I finally got to read another Sherrilyn Kenyon book! This one was short and sweet with fantastic characters and an interesting—yet simple—plot. It was one of the easier books of Kenyon’s to follow and it was nice (not that I don’t enjoy her more complicated books!).

Aidan was entertaining. His angst made for a captivating plot and back-story and Leta was the perfect counterpart for him. Overall, it was well-written and a fun read—not to mention that I REALLY enjoyed the little short story at the end of the book. It was cool to see so many different views.

The Dream-Hunter (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Twenty): Sherrilyn Kenyon

“IN THE ETHERIAL WORLD OF THE DREAM-HUNTERS

“Condemned by the gods to live eternity without emotions, Arikos 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.

“THERE ARE CHAMPIONS WHO FIGHT TO PROTECT THE DREAMER….

“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. Instead, she finds a stranger floating in the sea—one whose face she’d seen many times…in her dreams.

“AND THERE ARE DEMONS WHO PREY ON THEM.

“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.”

I was really excited about reading this book! This was a book all about the Dream-Hunters and it was a very interesting change-up. Sherrilyn Kenyon has done it again! She’s managed to suck her readers in with her fantastic plots and captivating characters. However, I have to admit that there were a lot of characters (the other Dream-Hunters) that were a bit difficult to keep straight, but I managed with a little effort. I liked how Kenyon explained more about the world of the Dream-Hunters because it made the entire story easier to follow. It was really neat to see more of Olympus and the other gods as well. I think I would have liked to have learned more about the background of certain characters, but it was still a good book nonetheless.

***SPOILER***

I didn’t know until the very end, but this book took place even before Kyrian’s story! It was cool to see a bit more of some “behind the scenes” type things, though it did make me a little choked up when I got to the part about Nick and his mother…

Kiss of the Night (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Nine): Sherrilyn Kenyon

“Dear Reader,

“What do you get when you have one immortal Viking warrior no one can remember five minutes after he leaves their presence, a princess on the run for her life, and one seriously
annoyed demigod? Basically, you get my life.

“It started out simple enough. One night I went to save a woman in trouble. The nest thing I knew, the doorway to hell had opened and out stepped Daimons—vampires the likes of which I’d never seen before. Led by the son of Apollo, they are out to end the curse that has banished them all to darkness. The only problem with that is they have to kill Cassandra Peters to do it and if she dies, so dies the sun, the earth and all who dwell here. Life’s just the bowl of cherries, ain’t it?

“Brought together by fate, it’s now my job to protect a daughter of the very race I have been hunting for centuries. Neither of us dares to trust the other. But she is the only one who remembers me… More than that, with her courage and strength, she is the only one who has ever touched a heart that I thought had dies centuries ago.

“The only way for a Dark-Hunter to regain his soul is through the love of a woman. But what happens when that woman isn’t exactly human?

“Wulf Tryggvasen”

I honestly have to say that I loved this book! The characters were so fantastic and I absolutely adored their personalities. They made me smile and laugh as well as tear up. Their emotions were so real and it was refreshing to have such passionate characters—not that Sherrilyn Kenyon always doesn’t always do that!

What was fascinating was learning more about the Appolites and Daimons. The readers go to see a different side to them and find out that there were different kinds of Daimons and it even made Wulf rethink his priorities. Overall, the plot was fascinating and was so much fun to read. I LOVED how Kenyon incorporated Ash (and we got to learn a bit more about him) and brought in Julian, Kyrian, Talon, and Zarek!!! It was AWESOME! I can’t wait to read more!