Book Review: No Mercy

No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon

No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon is another exciting book that ties both Kenyon's Dark-Hunter and Were-Hunter world.  While in all of her books since she has included the three different types of hunters there is usually a mention or involved in one of the books, but this is the first time that two different types were involved romantically.  Again Kenyon brings her love of history, mythology, humor and suspense with a spice of romance into another one of novels.  This is of course a romance novel but Kenyon has through the years kind of underplayed it and had made it more suspenseful.

The story follows two of Kenyon's characters who have either have had a part of have been mentioned in previous books.  These are characters that we were already familiar with and loved.  The two characters are Dev and Samia.  Dev is a were-hunter who is a bear and Samia is a Dark-Hunter.  These two should never mix in a romantic setting but unfortunately it has happened.  Which is a common theme in the Dark-Hunter series by Kenyon.  Dev is a Were-Hunter who is of mix breeding, his father is an Arcadian and mother is a Katagarian.  He is special because he was chosen by the fates to be a Arcadian sentinel.  Which means he is supposed to hunt the Katagarians.  Because of this knowledge Dev has always been weird and different.  Samia is an ancient Amazonian Queen murdered by her own sister, wishing to take her crown.  As she watched her husband and toddler daughter get murdered she vowed revenge selling her soul to the very goddess Artemis that she served in her mortal life.  Like all Dark-Hunters she was given a gift, but her gift is more her curse than anything else.  She can see a persons past just by touching them.  Because of this her sex life had been seriously lacking.  Dev is special to her because when she touches him she gets nothing making him a safe zone.  With the addition to the romance between Dev and Samia, there are up against what is called a super daimon.  Which is a daimon that has adapted to be able to go into the sunlight, which leaves the Dark-Hunters at a large disadvantage because they aren't allowed to go into the sun still.

Again when it comes to Sherrilyn Kenyon it's hard for me to be objective.  But I do have to say, this book wasn't nearly as memorable as some of her other books.  It was still good and I enjoyed reading it, but almost two months after finishing it and finally writing the review, there really isn't a whole lot of parts that sticks out to me.  One of the few parts that I do remember is in all honestly is the tale of Dev and Samia's pasts.  They are both heartbreaking and you definitely feel their pain, Sherrilyn Kenyon is a very good story teller when it comes to expressing painful experiences.

So in the end, I still enjoyed the book, but like I said, it wasn't as exciting as some of Kenyon's other books, but if you're a fan of the Dark-Hunter Saga by Sherrilyn Kenyon this is a definite must to have to read and to have in your collection.

Rating:
3.5 out of 5

On Deck:
Death at Seaworld by David Kirby
The Warrior by Kinley MacGregor
Keeper of the Crystal Spring by Naomi and Deborah Baltuck

So just as a quick note, I was thinking about doing video reviews to go with my written review.  Tell me what you all think.

Book Review: Retribution

Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon is part of her Dark-Hunter series and is in the paranormal romance genre.  I've said this before and I'll say it again I love Sherrilyn Kenyon so I'll pretty much read anything that she'll write.  Even though this book is a part of a series, it is one of those books where you don't need to read them in order.  While this book is part of the Dark-Hunter series, this book was more about Native American mythology than the Greek mythology that the other novels have.  I loved how Kenyon brought back some characters that had their own book, kind of like a little update on how the other dark hunters were doing.

In Retribution the two main characters are William Jessup "Sundown" Brady and Abigail Yager.  Jess was a famous outlaw gunslinger in the late 1800's.  Turing his life around on the day of his wedding he was shot in the back of the head by someone who he thought was his best friend.  Before he dies he promises revenge and becomes a Dark-Hunter.  After his death and rebirth, Jess keeps tabs on his fiance and her descendants.  One of which is Abigail, who is the ancestor of Jess' fiance and Bart the man who murdered him.  Orphaned at a young age Abigail was taken by a family of Apoloites, who trained her into believing that Dark-Hunter's were the root of all evil and that Jess was the one who murdered her family.  Used as a pawn, she kills a person whom she believed was a Dark-Hunter but was actually a Cherokee guardian who is one of four protectors.  Because of his death, it throws everything off balance and the Snake and Coyote try to take advantage of the weakness unleashing the beginning of an Apocalypse.  Despite Abigail trying to kill Jess, he can't let her die and they have to find a way to save the world, well at least the Las Vegas, Nevada area.

In the book, Jess feels a lot of remorse about his human past life and is trying to think of a way to make amends where as Abigail starts off the book wanting retribution before realizing her mistake and then feels a huge amount of guilt.  Almost immediately in the book but Jess and Abigail feel an attraction to each other but both are fighting it because of their past.

This book has a lot of action, so much action and drama that Kenyon wrote the romantic connection on a more emotional level than on a physical one.  I loved how Sherrilyn Kenyon wrote about different mythologies and beliefs.  While the first few books were mostly about Greek mythology Kenyon has slowly been adding different mythologies and pantheons into her books, which have made it exciting to read and has kept the series fresh and interesting.

I also really liked how the book was open ended and was set up for the next book Time Untime, which will mainly have a supporting character from this book Renegade in it.  Also liked how even though Sherrilyn Kenyon decided to branch out with a bit if a different story line, she still kept it her style and also her humor.  This story was different because it wasn't very focused on the physical coupling but more on an emotional level.  Also she tied in the past of Jess's character with the guardians different Native American mythologies.

So in the end I loved this book.  I have to be honest this was a hard review to write because I loved it, and I find that when I like a Sherrilyn Kenyon novel I have a hard time explaining why I liked it.  I just do.  But then this wouldn't be a good review if I just said, "I Loved It!"  Obviously if you're a Kenyon fan you'll love this book, but you'll also like this book and the series if you're a fan of paranormal romance.  Sherrilyn Kenyon has such a distinct writing style that sets her apart from other authors in the genre.  A lot of the past books that were written in this series have been more about the mythology than the romance connection.  While the romance is written clearly and it's there.  Again I loved this story and I can't wait to read the next one.

Rating:
5 out of 5

On Deck:
Bubble's A Broad by Sarah Strohmeyer
Grand Avenue by Joy Fielding.

Book Review: Knight of Darkness

Knight of Darkness by Kinley MacGregor

Well I finished another story, and I have to say, this was a very exciting book.  And I'm more than likely being bias because I adore anything that this author writes.  Kinley MacGregor is a pseudonym for Sherrilyn Kenyon.  MacGregor's books are historical.  The bulk of her books are centered in Great Britain.

Knight of Darkness is part of the Lords of Avalon series, which is MacGregor's take on Arthurian legends. The story takes place several centuries after the final battle that King Arthur had with his nephew Mordred.  The novel follows Varian duFey who is the son of an evil demon and Sir Lancelot.  Throughout the story he is in constant battle between good and evil within himself but also outside powers as well.  He rescues a young maiden Merewyn who was his mother's servant/prisoner.  The tale follows them through their quest to get away from Varian's mother and Morgen le Fey.  During the journey, Merewyn finds herself falling for the man Varian is but he refuses to allow himself to have any feelings for her.

This story is a beautiful blend of romance, historical ideas, fantasy, and action.  This is I believe the second book in the Lords of Avalon series, but there is no need to read them in order.  There's enough back history to follow along with the story but basically it is centered around the characters Merewyn and Varian and their conflicts.

In all of Kenyon/MacGregor's book there is a theme of a rough childhood, which Varian had.  You feel his pain and sorrow, but she has such a way of writing that it doesn't linger with you after you've finished a book.  It's enough to make you feel the emotion while you're reading but it doesn't weigh you down.  Plus she always finds away for her main characters to have a resolution even if the main issue that she's telling during the series isn't resolved.

In the end I loved this book.  But then anything that Sherrilyn Kenyon/Kinley MacGregor writes I suck it up like my favorite dessert.  Her Lords of Avalon series is different than what I have read before by any other author.  She made me become enthralled in the story/plot/and characters with her writing style.

order from amazon
order from barnes and noble

Rating:
5 out of 5

On Deck:
Slow Burn by Julie Garwood
Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Book Review: The Guardian

The Guardian by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Ok for those of you who do not know, I LOVE Sherrilyn Kenyon.  I've been reading her books for a little over 10 years now.  The first book of hers that I read was when I was 16 years old and it was actually a historical romance novel written under her pseudonym, Kinley MacGregor.  Because I loved Taming the Scotsman so much I got into reading her paranormal fiction which she writes under her given name.  Now at the time, all of the vampire novels really weren't as popular as they are now so for me it was something different.

Now Sherrilyn Kenyon took a different idea of vampires and tied in a lot of different cultural mythologies into her stories.  Which also excited the geek in me because I've always been interested in mythology, especially Greek mythology.

The book, The Guardian, ties in different mythologies with Greek and Egyptian histories.  This book is actually an off shoot from the Dark-Hunter series and is about what they call Dream-Hunters, who are essentially gods of sleep.

The story starts off with Lydia running in to try and save her Dream-Hunter father from being held captive and giving the evil guy, Noir, the power to kill all of the Greek gods.  Instead she is held captive by Noir's guardian, Seth, while her father is set free to find the key.  Seth, who is the love interest, is a Egyptian demi-god who was sold to Noir at the tender age of 12 and was abused his whole existence living in the underworld.  Lydia has a kind heart and tries to appeal to Seth's good side, which he fears is no longer their.

The book itself was a really quick read and has enough facts and conflict to keep you interested till the end.  This book is one of many in Sherrilyn Kenyon's series, but you can pick up any book in the series and read it and not be confused.  She has this great writing ability to give enough facts from the past books without weighing the book down with too much back shadowing.  You find yourself falling in love with the character's of this book and you feel their pain and hope for their happiness.

In conclusion, I loved the book, but then I have yet to read a Sherrilyn Kenyon book that I haven't loved.  It's a good quick read, but it also has enough content where you don't feel like you're just reading mush.  I would suggest this book to anyone who likes reading paranormal fiction but also romance.  It isn't too heavy on the romance but just enough to make the story a romance story and not just a straight paranormal fiction.

Rating: 4 out of 5

On Deck (What I reading next):
High Five by Janet Evanovich
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter By Seth Grahame-Smith