Are you tired of top ten lists, faithful reader? I hope not because here’s mine.

10. Rules of an Engagement by Suzanne Enoch – what could be better than sailing the South Pacific, encountering natives, fascinating wildlife and pirates? If your ship’s captain is smoking hot, of course. Read my review HERE.

9. Pleasures of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole – an very good entry into a consistently excellent series.

8. Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale – soooo nice to see Ms. Kinsale back and full of humor.

7. Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis – I love Ms. Shalvis’ baseball series and hope for more books soon. Please? Pretty please??

6. Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas – the end of the Hathaway series. I’ve always had a soft spot for Beatrix and was very pleased with her book. Also, I’m a sucker for books with letter writing.

5. Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon – the first story in her Chronicles of Nick series. I’m not usually a YA reader but I was intrigued enough by hints of this one to pick it up. So good! And she seems to be correcting/re-booting some errors in the main DH series, maybe. We shall see.

4. Play of Passion by Nalini Singh – one of my favorites of the series and certainly my favorite of recent entries. Plus we get to see bits of Hawke and Sienna. Yay!

3. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey – are you looking for an excellent straight-up contemporary? Look no further! And the sequel is very good, too.

2. Here There Be Monsters by Meljean Brook – so it’s a novella. And I was skeptical, even after seeing the raves. Why would I put a novella I was unsure about picking up on my “Best of” list? Because it’s awesome! It gives us our first glimpse into Ms. Brook’s Iron Seas series which leads me to…

NUMBER 1!! The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook – I don’t have words for how excellent this book is. It defies description – at least, a description that properly conveys it’s awesomeness. All I can say is READ IT.

Now for some books I’m looking forward to in 2011 (in release order, as things stand now):

Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips – yes, I know several people have already read this one but I haven’t. My copy is pre-ordered though. Why? It’s Teddy’s book! It seems like I’ve been waiting for his story forever.

ShadowFever by Karen Marie Moning – why this one? Barrons! And the wait is almost over. Yay!

A Lot Like Love by Julie James – I have enjoyed all of Ms. James’ books so far and expect this one to continue that trend.

Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann – do you need to ask why? One word: Izzy Izzy Izzy! (What? It’s one word…three times.)

Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson (beware the Flash!) – her last few books have been hit-or-miss for me so I’m hoping this one will be a hit. Sorry for the lack of cover. Our friends over at the Book Binge have it posted, though.

There are many more, of course, but those are the ones that are coming up soonish.

Agree? Disagree? What are you looking forward to?

Gwen’s review of Born of Night (The League, Book 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Sci-fi romance released by St. Martin’s 29 Sep 09

This is one of the first books written by Kenyon, early in her career and pre-Dark Hunters.  You can see quite a bit of her later books in this one, except this one is set in the future with aliens, spaceships, and blasters.  I don’t think Einstein would have liked the Ichidian Universe – the normal laws of physics don’t seem to mean much, but in a sci-fi, they often don’t. 

In this book, we have a heroine, Kiara, who is a very famous professional dancer, who, truth be told, is bored with her life and dancing.  She’s called “princess” but I couldn’t figure out what she was princess of, since her father wasn’t a “king” or some similar rank.  Regardless, she’s made a pawn in a planetary pissing match between her dad and a neighboring world, and, as a result, a contract is taken out on her life.  A very lucrative contract for the right assassin.

Enter our hero, Nykyrian, professional assassin – trained since childhood to be the ultimate killer.  He’s the “most deadly being in the universe” and he’s tired of being hunted because of who he is.  There’s also a very lucrative contract out on his head as a result of him abandoning his assassin brotherhood when he got tired of killing.

Through a variety of rather obscure moves, Nyk and his compatriots come to protect Kiara from the killers who are hunting her for the contract payoff.  Nyk and Kiara grate against each other, but naturally fall in lurve as they are forced to spend time together. Nyk, you see, is a fan of Kiara’s dancing.

As with most Kenyon heroes, Nyk has had the most horrendous life imaginable prior to meeting the heroine.  At the end of the book, many of the awful things are explained.  Some eye-rolling ensues, but, it’s Kenyon so you expect a bit. There are also a few times when either Kiara or Nyk do some really stupid thing (let her go to the bathroom by herself in a public place when there are bad guys after her?  really?).

Even with the quibbling little things that made me crazy (going from one planet to another seems to take as much time as running down the street to the store), it was still a fun book to read.  I just had to let myself roll with it a few times.

And, yes, I’m going to read the next book in the series.  It’s a fun universe and I’m addicted to Kenyon like a crack whore.  If you’re thinking about waiting for the next book, you definitely do NOT want to read these books out of order.  There are gigantic spoilers at the end of this first book that will ruin it for you if you read Book 2 first.

I recommend Born of Night to anyone who is a fan of Kenyon, or a fan of sci-fi romances where you don’t have to think too hard about the science.

Grade: B-

Summary:

In the Ichidian Universe, The League and their ruthless assassins rule all. Expertly trained and highly valued, the League Assassins are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption . . .

Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades once turned his back on the League—and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him or stop him from completing his current mission: to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father’s political alliance has made her a target.

As her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them the most: each other.

Read an excerpt here (click on “Read More” in the Excerpt area).

Other books in the series:

Reader Blogger Marg, you can find her at Reading Adventures and Historical Tapestry, was nice enough to agree to share with us her adventure at the Australian Romance Readers Convention this past weekend.

If we get lucky we can talk her into sharing some more photos and stories.

Ever since I have been blogging, each year when everyone started talking about going to either RWA or other major romance conferences, I have sat here in my chair in suburban Melbourne, Australia turning various shades of green. Whether people were posting about meeting their favourite authors, or the goodies rooms, or the signings, I read all the posts thinking about how it was all kinds of awesome that they were getting to do such fun things. The thing was, no matter how envious I became, the simple fact was that at this point in my life there is no way that I would be able to go to the US to attend such an event.

So when I just happened to read something about an Australian Romance Readers Convention back in December 2007, I was over the moon! And then when it was announced that it was in Melbourne, I was again really excited. And then, in what seems like no time at all, the inaugural ARRC is over, all the delegates have gone home and I am sure that the organising committee members are all collapsed in a heap in exhaustion.

It is difficult to give just the highlights so that this guest post isn’t as long as the weekend itself, so instead I will try to just give a taste of the flavour of the weekend. The most obvious place to start is with the keynote speakers – those who were invited to travel half way around the world to come to visit their Aussie fans, and I can tell you those fans were very appreciative! Mary Janice Davidson, Susan Grant, Liz Maverick, Sherrilyn Kenyon (with special guest Dianna Love), and not forgetting Stephanie Laurens (who didn’t come half way around the world, but we still appreciate her nonetheless). We laughed until we cried, we were inspired, we were challenged and above all we were entertained!

One of the things that I often say on my own blog is that I don’t read enough Aussie authors, and I have to say that I learnt something that kind of surprised me this weekend! There are a LOT of Aussie authors out there. They write in various different subgenres, from Mills and Boon (Harlequin), to the big NY publishing houses, to e-books and other publishers like Samhain. I have come home determined that I am definitely going to read more Aussies – Keri Arthur, Denise Rossetti and others, I am talking about your books! An Aussie author that I already read is Anna Campbell and it was great to see her latest book, Tempt the Devil, officially launched in Australia by Stephanie Laurens on Saturday afternoon.

At Saturday night’s dinner, I was lucky enough to be sitting with the gorgeous Kat O from Book Thingo, plus her librarian (yes, librarian and borrower attended together – how great is that!) with some other girls, including two Samhain authors and we had an absolutely fantastic time, so much so that I forgot to take pictures of some of the award winners and of the people sitting at the table. Kat, Vassiliki, Jess Dee and Lexxie Couper, thanks ladies. And don’t worry, what happened at dinner and what we talked about at dinner, stays at dinner. Have to say though – those mini cakes were to die for!

One of the things that the conference coincided with was the National Day of Mourning on Sunday for the bushfire victims from the terrible fires that started in early February with such devastating loss of life and property. As I write this on Monday night, we have been reminded that the fire crisis is not over with existing firest still burning and new fires starting on the outskirt of Melbourne this afternoon with more loss of homes. My point in mentioning this is that one of the initiatives of the organisers was a silent auction with the proceeds being donated to the Red Cross Australian Bushfires Appeal. There were many, many generous authors and organisations that donated great items, and there was over $7000 raised through the auction, plus an impeccably observed minute of silence on Sunday morning at 11am.

There’s so much more that I could mention, but I have to save something for my own blog (*grin*), but I haven’t mentioned the panelists, the books, the signings. So much to talk about!

In closing I want to say to the organizers of ARRC – thank you, thank you, thank you.

You did an amazing job. I don’t think that I can pay any higher compliment to you than to say my friends and I started to make plans on Saturday night to attend the next ARRC – whenever it is and wherever it is held – with at least two more of our friends. I know that I overheard other delegates making their own plans too!

Marg

Devon’s review of Dead After Dark by Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward, Susan Squires and Dianna Love
Paranormal Romance Anthology released by St. Martin’s 2 Dec 08

This anthology was truly a mixed bag. One story I loathed, one I loved, one I liked, and one…meh. At least I had a clear reaction to each, that makes it easier to review. I can’t wait to finish this review, because then I can check out other’s reviews. So let’s get to it, shall we?

Shadow of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon

This story features Fury Kattalakis, Katagaria wolf, brother to Fang and Vane, and familiar to longtime readers of the series. After many years, Fury comes across Angelia, the Arcadian wolf who stabbed and betrayed him hundreds of years ago. The (gag) connection between them is still there, though.

Yeah, whatever, I’m going to cut to the chase. I loathed Angelia. HAAAAATE! I can’t ever remember hating a heroine this much in my life. She stood idly by (twice) while Fury was tortured, both in the past and in the present day. She was involved in some really repugnant stuff. Perhaps if the story had been longer, with more time to develop her psychological issues and her redemption…but I could not believe that she turned from a cold bitch to realizing her love for Fury in 24 hours. Man, I wish Zarek had killed her with his pointy claw jewelry. Poor Fury got screwed. Sherrilyn Kenyon’s usual style is much in evidence, but if you haven’t read her before, please don’t start with this one.

Grade: D

The Summary:
Angelia has fought her entire life to make herself strong. Now, with her patria under fire, she has to protect her people from Fury and his werewolf clan. Vowing to bring him to justice, Angelia sets out alone…until the hunter becomes the hunted, and the only way for her to survive is to trust the very wolf she’s sworn to kill.
Read an excerpt here

The Story of Son by J.R. Ward

I’m very curious to find out the reader reaction to this story. I absolutely loved it. I thought it was pretty sick and twisted in tone. If Ward ever turns her hand to Southern Gothic or something, I’d buy it. I mean, a vampire who has been kept prisoner in a basement for 50-odd years, and who doesn’t even have a name? And the career-obsessed lawyer who’s kidnapped and thrown in there with him?

Son’s situation is treated with the gravity it deserves, not some glowy, sentimental way. And he was quite an appealing character, vulnerable, odd, with an inner strength. I totally bought their attraction and love story. The genius of J.R. Ward’s writing is that it is so immediate and vivid, I find it easy to suspend all disbelief or qualms.

Despite the fact that I thought this was a fascinating and romantic story, I must point out the issues that troubled me (once I wasn’t totally caught up in the story). Astute readers have pointed out the penchant for isolating her characters. In this story, we have an extremely isolated hero, and a heroine who becomes isolated along with him, even in their HEA. The hero is so vulnerable, and will be so dependent upon the heroine, that I found it off-putting. The guy needs therapy for sure.

I’m also sometimes put off by Ward’s characterization of strong women. In the throes of passion, Claire thinks about how she has always felt like a “man in a woman’s body”, I guess because she is career oriented and not girly. Yeesh. She doesn’t find fulfillment until meeting her man, of course, and totally changing her life to suit his. Sigh…oh well. ‘Cuz I still love this one. Great story, great characters.

Grade: B+

The Summary:
Claire Stroughton is a beautiful lawyer who would rather spend the night with a legal brief than the man of her dreams. Then a routine client meeting turns dangerous—and deeply sensual—when she is held captive by a gorgeous man with an unworldly hunger…
No excerpt found

Seize the Night by Susan Squires

This is the only story with a historical setting, and it is connected to Squires’ Companions series. Followers of the series will get the most out of it, I think. This is my first read by Susan Squires, and I found the concepts of “Harriers” and “Aspirants”, especially the role that sex plays, to be a bit unclear. I enjoyed the story though. The hero, Drew Carlowe, and the heroine, sad vampire Freya, had good chemistry and the romance developed nicely. I did find the two characters to be a little bland. And there was something off about Freya, a distance and otherness, which was interesting, but kept me from really getting into the story. Overall, the story kept my interest, and left me curious about the series and what Squires can do with a longer length.

Grade: B-

The Summary:

When Drew Carlowe returns home to win back a lost love, he is quick to dismiss rumors that his estate is haunted by a stunning young ghost…until one passionate encounter leaves him mystified—and aching for more.
No excerpt found

Midnight Kiss Goodbye by Dianna Love

This one was okay, but underwhelming. Everything in it reminded me of something else. We have a secret band of warriors with telepathic powers who fight dark supernatural forces. We have a hero who had to leave his lover for her own good, but has watched over her from afar. Despite his stalking and powers, he has neglected to realize that his ex is a witch. There are evil immortal warriors. The brotherhood is connected to a Goddess (a Celtic one), and there are a bunch of other figures from various pantheons popping in and out. Even the storytelling, the description and dialogue, sounded familiar. The only refreshing thing was the inclusion of Indian mythology and religion, though I was not sure about the accuracy of the usage of the word “Hindu.” I think I’m just burned out on this type of story.

Grade: C

The Summary:

Trey McCree possesses an insatiable desire for Sasha Armand—and supernatural powers that could endanger her life as a human. But when they team up to stop an evil warlord, Trey discovers that Sasha can do way more than drive men wild…
Read an excerpt

Check it out of the library and read the Ward. And let me know what you think!

Overall Grade: C+

With these four tales of paranormal romance, it’s never been hotter to be close to death…

Gwen’s review of One Silent Night (Dark-Hunter, Book 16) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal fiction long novella released by St. Martin’s 4 Nov 08

Kenyon’s site calls this a “long novella” and says OSN is a book to bridge the gap between the older books and the ones coming.  It serves to fill in some battles and back-story, I suppose.  Read on to see what worked and what didn’t work for me. 

To begin with, OSN doesn’t have much of a romance, which is why I didn’t label it such. I think that only fans of the series will find it interesting, and I don’t recommend it if you’re new to the series.

In this entry, we stay down the “not-so-Dark-Hunter” path and focus more on the alternate pantheons and baddies.  I’m okay with that – I figure Acheron ended the original storylines and we have ventured into another world.  It’s just that this other world seems overly complex and unknown.  I’m having a very difficult time keeping track of who’s who and what’s what in this new realm Kenyon is creating.  I mean, Nick is now something else entirely?  Really??  Why???

The story was okay.  We get a taste of romance between Stryker (normally Mr. Bad Guy Himself) and his first wife (all around Ms McNasty), but it’s just a taste. We’re supposedly introduced to a variety of main characters we’re going to see get their HEA’s in future books; Kenyon does a good job of making characters be there for a reason and avoids the “trot them out to perform for the company” style that can sometimes afflict an established series.  But I was underwhelmed.

I can only recommend this book to fans of the series.   Not awful, but, well, meh.  Now the little smackerel we get on her site promises MUCH better things to come in her Feb release, Dream Warrior, not to mention the cover is yummy and (gasp) doesn’t have Nathan Kamp on it.

Grade: C-

Summary:

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.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series (in suggested reading order, most recent print release linked where possible):

and Book 18, Bad Moon Rising, coming Aug 2009

This just in…

Texans aren’t about to be left out of sharing the love of romance. The third annual Buns & Roses Tea for Literacy will be held Sunday, October 12, 2008, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel in the Dallas suburb of Richardson, Texas.

~ Sherrilyn Kenyon will be the keynote speaker and Candace Havens will host as emcee.

~ There will be raffles and door prizes aplenty, as well as a booksigning with more than thirty authors, including Adele Ashworth, Sandy Blair, Judy Christenberry, Jo Davis, Geralyn Dawson, Katherine Garbera, Lorraine Heath, Sophie Jordan, Karen Kelley, Julia London, and Pamela Morsi, just to name a few.

~ There are tickets still available. You can reserve a table for nine with your author of choice for $360. Individual tickets are $35.  You can even buy your tickets online.

~There’s even a Premium Package for hard core Kenyon fans.  Check it out here.

~ The tea is hosted by the Richardson Adult Literacy Center and the Richardson Public Library and sponsored by FreshFiction. All proceeds go to Richardson literacy programs.

Consider yourself flashed.

Check out Sherrilyn Kenyon on Better TV, You know you wanna….

Gwen’s review of Acheron (Dark-Hunters, Book 12) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal Romance released by St. Martin’s Press 5 Aug 08

Kenyon wrote this book in two parts, so I’ll review it in two parts.  Part I is the story of Acheron’s early life. (“Acheron” is properly pronounced “Ack-uh-RAHN” and we learn he’s westernized to “ASH-uh-rahn” or “Ash”.)  Part II is the story of his modern life and his love story.  I couldn’t review it in any other way than two parts.   I tried, and just couldn’t.  When you read the review, you’ll see why. 

Part I, Acheron’s Early Life [my name, not the author's]

Part I is the (long) tale of Ash’s birth and the first roughly 2,200 years of his life.  The focus is on his human days, before he’s re-born into his godhead. It centers around his step-sister’s journal for large portions – giving an interesting first person accounting of his most vulnerable moments.  Much of it is told in third person after his sister is sent to Apollo’s temple.

We learn more about his mother, his history, his family.  We learn just how badly Artemis treated him and why (that woman needs some serious counseling).  And we learned how totally screwed over he was and how little anyone cared about it – including his real mother despite all her protestations of love.

However, as interesting as all this was, I have to admit, I didn’t read all of Part I.  I skimmed and skipped sections.  It was really dull to me.  Perhaps I need to be more of a fangrrl to have slogged all the way thru it, but I just couldn’t.  After roughly 200 pages of reading what was roughly the same event, for what felt like the thirtieth time, I just skimmed and thumbed until I saw more dialog.  Then I skimmed and skipped until it looked like something might be happening.  Therefore, I can’t say I read all of Part I – perhaps I will by the time I stop thumbing thru it, but I can’t say I slogged all the way thru it and it was a slog for me.

That’s why my grade of Part I is…

Grade: DNF

Part II, Acheron Present Day

This part of the book is set in modern day and is the typical Dark-Hunter novel we all know and love.  Well, know at least.  This part of the tome would be the typical mass market paperback length, about 300 pages.

It’s no secret by now that Ash’s heroine is a character mentioned in the first Dream-Hunter novel – Megeara’s (“Geary’s”) cousin, Soteria (“Tory”).   Ash and Tory meet when Ash, in a very uncharacteristic move and to cover up the existence of Atlantis and what happened to him there, submarines Tory’s archeological peer findings presentation. Tory immediately decides she hates him.  Of course, the love story begins.

Tory isn’t what I expected for Ash.  Not at first, at least.  In many ways she grows into the part by the end of the book.  I enjoyed their love story and their HEA. I thought the chemistry between them was believable and sweet.  Hey – we also learn why he’s always carrying around that backpack and actually are told what’s in it.

I liked the secondary characters, even if I felt a bit of the Feehan’s Dark Celebration thing going on in part of it.  You know what I mean: trooping out all the old characters like a family reunion to no very good purpose, making a “kids perform in front of the relatives” kind of thing. It seemed a bit overkill there once or twice, given that Ash didn’t really need the help and how the bloody hell did all those guys manage to get in one place at the same time anyway.  Seemed a bit much to believe and felt a little disingenuous.

The last issue I want to bring up is what Kenyon seems to be doing to her heroes.  I think she’s trying to make them more “vulnerable” and less “alpha”.  In doing so, however, I feel that perhaps she’s taking them down the “woe is me” path too much.  I mention this in my reviews of a couple of her last few books.  Her heroes all are more than damaged – they’re damaged and wallowing in it.  I don’t like men (or women) who wallow.  Life sucks some most of the time – just pull up your big girl/boy panties and get on with it.  Now, mind you, going thru decades of torment might skew your view of the world for a few years, but 11,000 fucking years?  C’mon!  There’s a difference between caution and cynicism, over holding onto a grudge and self-pity. Learn it.  Live it.  I just thought Acheron would be tougher emotionally than he turned out to be.

The upshot is the second half of the (enormous) book called Acheron isn’t bad.  It’s not great – it’s a kind of middlin’ sort of Dark-Hunter book and was a little disappointing.  I expected a lot more.  Not sure what.  Just.  More.

Grade: C+

Summary:

The most anticipated story in the blockbuster Dark-Hunter series. The never-before-revealed story of the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron. He was made human in order to escape death, but in death he was reborn a god. . .

Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron 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’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.

Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.

War has never been more deadly… or more fun.

Read an excerpt here.

LynneC’s review of Acheron (Dark-Hunters, Book 12/13) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal romance hardcover (UK version) released by Piatkus Books 7 Aug 08

SPOILER WARNING: I reveal his heroine’s name, but I think most people know it by now. I did this review before I read Devon‘s.

Well here it was. The book I wasn’t going to get until it came out in paperback. But it was on offer at Amazon, bringing it down to the price of a paperback, so, there you go. I wish the book had been lighter, or shorter, or something, because I’ve got to tell you, my wrists hurt from holding this sucker. But I manfully (womanfully?) struggled on. Oh, and the British cover? Hideous. I’ve added it for your delectation.  [Ed.: Amazon UK says this is book 13 in the D-H series, Amazon US says book 12 - you choose.]

I’m going to get picky, but I do want to start by saying that I really enjoyed the read. Kenyon has lavished a lot of love and thought into this book, and it shows. So get it, read it and enjoy it. This is the book diehard Kenyon fans have been waiting for, the story of the badass, humongously tall Acheron, the ancient god with the face of a youth and it doesn’t disappoint. But at the end of the book I wanted more, and I had to wonder why.

The first part of the book is Ryssa’s journal. Ryssa is Acheron’s sister, and this part is really well done. Interesting to see how Kenyon writes in first person. I think she should do more. Ryssa really came alive in these pages. And describing Acheron’s early suffering from a step away really worked. I would have liked a bit more about her feelings for their father, the man who could distinguish so well between his children and treat them in such different ways. Acheron’s father remains a shadowy figure, a bit of a stock villain who I couldn’t really believe in. External motivation was great, but I wanted more internal struggle.

The gods were described as members of society. Apollo and his sister Artemis were introduced as participating in the society of the time. That, too, didn’t really ring true for me, and I’ve always had issues with Kenyon’s depiction of Artemis. Perhaps I read The Golden Bough at too early an age, but I’ve always believed in the complex philosophy behind the Diana/Artemis cult. But, this is a novel, and I found it easy to suspend my disbelief in this regard. Novelists make stuff up. However, I never got a real feel for the ancient world, and there were anachronisms you have to ignore in order to keep the story going. At one point, Ash’s father’s “alienation” was discussed, for instance (in this sense, it’s a 20th century concept. Freud and his counterparts deliberately chose words that were already in existence but attributed different and new definitions to them). Ryssa’s journal was bound into a book, which was explained (why isn’t it a scroll, or tablets?), although I didn’t buy into the explanation. “It just is” didn’t work for me.

Told you I was going to be picky. Again, I wouldn’t have read this far if I hadn’t been enjoying it.

In the second part, we go into Acheron’s story. Interesting, but towards the end – enough with the torture, already! I did, at one point, exclaim, “Not again!” out loud, which surprised the people around me. I think there was too much. Although the descriptions were really well done, we never had more than a couple of emotions. I would have liked more depth of emotion, less gory description. Acheron suffered and despaired, and gave up, and was, to be honest, a bit of a wimp.

But nil desperandum, Acheron dies, is made a god, and gets a backbone. As well as certain of his body parts being returned to him. I got a bit lost here, wondering how exactly he made the godhead. Never mind, it didn’t bother me too much.

Then we got to the modern part of the story, and the bit most fans wanted. Who would be his heroine? There were a couple of candidates I really didn’t want it to be, and luckily, it wasn’t them. In fact, it wasn’t that much of a surprise. The story is the usual kind of Kenyon, vintage, you might say. Intellectual, scatty, vaguely dorky but tall woman meets god. Gets into trouble, is rescued by the deus ex machina, you know how it goes.

Very enjoyable, but I wasn’t sure how or why Acheron fell for this particular dorky intellectual. He’s eleven thousand years old and he hasn’t been touched emotionally before except for that one time? A lot was made of his love for Artemis and how she destroyed it, but eleven thousand years? I can’t begin to imagine how that must feel, to live for that long. Tofler’s Futureshock must have exploded in Ash and his Dark-Hunters. I wanted to understand but I’m afraid I didn’t. I wanted to know why Tory, what made her so special, but I never really felt it. A lot of it was that she happened to be there at the time, when Things happened.

I wanted more for Ash, but when I started to wonder what, I wasn’t sure. Just – more. Maybe it was because this book has been so heavily promoted and discussed before its release. But I have to say, I enjoyed it. The book took me out of myself and into the world of the Dark-Hunters for three days, and that’s all I can ask. Well done, Ms. Kenyon, you pulled it off!

Grade: B-

Summary:

The most anticipated story in the blockbuster Dark-Hunter series. The never-before-revealed story of the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron. He was made human in order to escape death, but in death he was reborn a god. . .

Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron 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’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.

Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.

War has never been more deadly… or more fun.

Read an excerpt.

Devon’s review of Acheron (Dark-Hunters, Book 12) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal Romance released by St. Martin’s Press 5 Aug 08

I credit Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunters series with getting me reading romance after a long hiatus. For the first few books in the series I could be found stalking the bookstores prior to release date, hoping the book had been put out early. The world she created was fascinating, the men dreamy, the romance hot. But over time my ardor cooled, as the rules changed, and the characters grew repetitive and bland. The primary love story never seemed as interesting as Dark-Hunter leader Acheron’s developing stories. Indeed, I never even read Devil May Cry until a couple of weeks ago, and skipped the Dream-Hunters all together. To my surprise, I found myself getting very excited over the release of Acheron. Could it stand up to expectations? Read and find out. Warning: It’s going to be a long review.

A friend joked that Acheron’s story was going to be “torture porn”, and she wasn’t far off the mark. The first 300 plus pages of this book (I read it in html, so I can’t be exact) are difficult to read. Ash’s early life was awful. He suffers horrific physical and sexual abuse by family members, strangers and Artemis. Even as he prayed to die, I prayed he would die also, so we could get on with the next half.

I am not one to think that difficult subjects should be shied away from, but I really found the detail and repetition of Ash’s abuse to be gratuitous and rather disturbing. The night I started the book, my hands were shaking, and I had to get up and walk around. To be fair, I was angry at the characters, not Kenyon, so my emotions were definitely engaged. The writing was powerful (and quite different from her usual style). Although there is no doubt the writing was compelling, there was no good reason for it to go on as long as it did. Feel free to skim, I would have if I hadn’t been reading to review. You’ll get the gist.

My enjoyment definitely picked up once Ash died and we get to see how he came to lead the Dark-Hunters. Then the book moves forward to present day. Finally, some happiness for Ash! The second part of the book is pure vintage Kenyon. Kenyon’s writing can border on cheesy: she tends to use certain phrases and clichés over and over, things can get overly sentimental, and the humor tends to schoolyard taunt rather than witty banter. But when she’s on her game, as she is here, her books suck me in like nothing else.

The heroine (is it okay to say who she is now?) is pretty much standard Kenyon. Intelligent, not classically pretty, sassy to the point of being annoying, deeply empathetic and understanding of her brooding man. In other words, fairly likeable. While she was more well drawn than some Dark-Hunter’s heroines, I wasn’t sure why Acheron would be so attracted to her. Their relationship does get off to an entertaining start, and develops well over all. I just wanted Acheron to be happy dammit. I was glad she was a plain old human though.

This section of the book moved fast and was very entertaining. Have to warn y’all about the cheese, though. There is a serenade, of Nickelback no less, waaaay too many pop culture references (Shia LeBeouf? “10, 000 BC”? “Fergielicious”?), and one hilariously dorky moment. I don’t want to give it away, but it happens right before Acheron goes to rescue his heroine and it involves characters from previous books. Some will find it heartwarming, but I groaned. But it’s Sherrilyn Kenyon, master of cheese, so I always momentarily cringe then dive right back in.

Although I enjoyed this section of the book, it felt a bit too quick, given all that had to be resolved — Acheron’s relationship with Artemis, his relationship with Nick, and his twin, and his mother. Some things were resolved, and some things were set up for the next arc of the story, which I’m looking forward to. If you ask me, 200 pages or so of Acheron abuse could’ve been cut and given over to his present and love story.

As you can tell, I’m all over the place with this book. Hmmm…gotta admit, I think I’d read the second half again. Despite my criticisms, I enjoyed it and was happy to see Ash happy. I wouldn’t read the first half again if you paid me. Thus my overall grade. Don’t bother with this one unless you’ve been following the series. If you are a Dark-Hunter fan, you are likely to be happy. But skim the first part, unless gratuitous abuse turns you on. Fingers crossed that this marks the beginning of a new and fresh direction for the Dark-Hunters. Stryker’s up next.

Grade: B

The Summary:
The most anticipated story in the blockbuster Dark-Hunter series. The never-before-revealed story of the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron. He was made human in order to escape death, but in death he was reborn a god. . .

Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron 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’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.

Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.

War has never been more deadly… or more fun.
Read an excerpt here.

Total Coolness!  The Acheron trailer is out and it’s way cool.  Click on the more link to see it…

GAH! I CAN’T WAIT! AUGUST 5TH!!! 736 PAGES  OF Dark-Hunter GOODNESS!  Sorry, Sybil.  But SQUEEE!!!  14 Days and counting!

The most anticipated story in the blockbuster Dark-Hunter series. The never-before-revealed story of the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron. He was made human in order to escape death, but in death he was reborn a god. . .Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron 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’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.

Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.

War has never been more deadly… or more fun.

Gwen’s review of Phantom in the Night (B.A.D.: Bureau of American Defense, Book 6) by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love Snell
Contemporary romantic suspense released by Pocket 10 Jun 08

I normally do a lot of eye-rolling when I read one of Kenyon’s BAD books. Mind you – I still read them, I just read them with the knowledge that my suspension of disbelief reflex won’t be triggered. I’m happy to report that this entry in her sometimes far-fetched B.A.D. series was actually the best I’ve read so far.

According to Kenyon’s site, this book was to have come out March 2007 and Joe and Tee’s story in August 2007. I’m guessing that Kenyon decided to not keep up her punishing release schedule – the woman has been a writing machine for several years. I hope she was able to slow down a bit and that’s the reason for the delay, and that this book benefited from the extra time spent on it.

Phantom begins with the hero – a Special Forces soldier in the jungles of South America, tracking down bad guys and saving women (naturally). While wrapping up his latest mission, he finds out his brilliant but prone-to-screw-up brother is in trouble again. Trouble that only his twin brother can get him out of and only if he goes AWOL. Naturally, he rides to his family’s rescue. As odd as all this may sound, it’s actually presented in a way that is riveting.

We then meet the heroine – a former DEA agent now B.A.D. operative in post-Katrina New Orleans trying to find her dead partner’s killer (naturally). In the course of investigating a local drug lord, she meets up with the “Phantom” – a man who scares and excites her, saves her from the bad guys several times, seduces her in very sexy ways, all while never showing his face to her. I’ll give you two guesses who he is.

The sexual tension between the H and H is palpable from the beginning. I like how naturally flawed both are – they’re not perfect, not cookie-cutter hero and heroine. I also liked the development of their “relationship” and how Kenyon/Snell helped it feel more organic and not forced. I enjoyed both characters’ interaction with the secondary characters. I grieved for both over their losses and was rooting for retribution right along with them.

What didn’t really work was the heroine’s distant past – the storyline of her mother’s death seemed an afterthought and wasn’t fully realized, in my opinion. And the introduction of the hero’s old Special Forces buddy at a critical moment in the book was a little deus ex machina. But, that those are small sacrifices to what turned out to be a really fun story to read.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who has given up on this series or who is a fan of either author. If you like romantic suspense, you’ll love this book. It can be read on its own with little trouble, if you’ve not read any of the past B.A.D. novels. The sensuality is steamy, the suspense gripping, and the main characters very sympathetic. I liked this book.

Grade: B-

Summary:

After losing her mother to a vigilante killer, Terri Mitchell has dedicated her life to justice. Working covertly as a new agent for the Bureau of American Defense agency, she’s consulting with the New Orleans Police Department to bust an organized crime ring suspected of funding terrorism. But when rumors surface of a phantom ghost terrorizing and killing the very people she’s investigating, she’s suspicious.

Nathan Drake has spent his life protecting his family, the only thing that matters to him…until the most feared drug lord in the southeast takes everything Nathan holds dear. Now he’s a man on a mission with nothing to lose. He figures he only needs to stay alive long enough to protect the innocent lives the killers are out to destroy.

As the two of them seek a similar goal by different means, Terri and Nathan are drawn deep into an evil underbelly that cuts through all levels of society. Now two people who have no reason to trust must trust in each other or die. And if they die, a deadly attack will be unleashed on thousands of innocent people.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in the series:

Limecello’s review of Playing Easy to Get by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jaid Black, and Kresley Cole
Paranormal romance anthology released by Pocket 7 Feb 06

I read this book, because TGTBTU offered a contest about it, and I discovered that Kresley Cole had her introductory story of the Immortals After Dark series published in the anthology. I’ve been following the series, and knew I had to get my hands on the story that “started it all.”

Turn Up the Heat by Sherrilyn Kenyon

This is a contemporary romance, and part of the Bureau of American Defense (B.A.D.) series. Allison George is an average heroine, whose life changes when she wins a sweepstakes to be a heroine in a book. Her friend happens to work for the company and pulls a few strings. There’s a lot of action, because the hero Vince Cappelleti is an ex-mob hit man, but the family isn’t willing to give him up. This story wasn’t entirely believable, and I found myself most interested in a secondary character, “Z” – Wulfgar Zimmerman. For once, I didn’t mind the story was so short. In fact, it would have worked just as well if it were shorter.

Grade: D +

Read an excerpt here.

Hunter’s Oath by Jaid Black

A paranormal romance dealing with modern day Vikings who live underground, the story isn’t quite what you expect. We’re introduced to Sofia Rowley when she’s in a cab going back to Fairbanks, AK after attending her brother’s funeral. What happens is she’s kidnapped by bride hunters, who provide the underground Vikings with women, because a prophecy says some day women will be near extinction above ground.
It’s cute because the Viking men are taught that their brides are the best thing since sliced bread and that they’ll love them – even though they’re told the brides might give them trouble and try to run away and hate them for a while, because, you know, they were kidnapped! Interesting, because the women are stripped naked, oiled up, some are drugged, and they’re auctioned off like chattel.
A creative idea, but I didn’t really get into this story. I found it too unbelievable, and that the relationship between Sofia and Johen depended too much on his indoctrinated belief that he’s to love his bride. And the sex they have. Lots and lots of sex.

Grade: D-

The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole

This novella starts of the Immortals After Dark series, and tells the story of Nikolai Wroth and Myst, the Valkyrie. This book like many of Ms. Cole’s others includes a reversal or roles. The woman holds all the power and knowledge. Wroth is a vampire, but he doesn’t really know much about vampires, or any of the other creatures in the Lore (paranormal beings). Myst is Wroth’s Bride, but after she bloods him, leaves him, and he hunts her for five years, in a very, um, ready state. (When a vampire is blooded, his heart begins to beat again, among various other changes.) Five years makes the Viagra cautionary message seem like a joke. Wroth is displeased, to say the least, and has a violent reunion with Myst.
Myst hates vampires, but finds herself attracted to Wroth. He’s different from all the others, and might just be the one to show not all vampires are pure evil. He kidnaps Myst, and ends up able to control her through a spell. Their relationship is troubled and dysfunctional, but it works with their personalities.
I really enjoyed this story and recommend reading it because it’s very well written, and provides helpful background for the IAD series.

Grade: B

Read an excerpt here.

A quick anthology that was overall enjoyable, but not outstanding. I’d recommend this to Sherrilyn Kenyon fans, and would go far as saying it’s a must read for Kresley Cole’s IAD fans.

Grade: C

New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon and rising stars Jaid Black and Kresley Cole unlock the pleasures and perils of embracing the boldest and most powerful of lovers — 100% alpha males — in three sensually erotic tales. Discover the physical rapture of his muscular arms…. Become a prisoner of passion, swept away by an encounter with his primal side…. And get lost in the all-consuming thrill of white-hot pursuit by a relentless stranger who may be your most dangerous foe, the best lover you’ve ever had — or both.

Let your fantasies run wild with these unforgettable novellas where bigger is most definitely better — and playing easy-to-get is the only way to go!

Gwen’s review of Playing Easy to Get by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jaid Black, and Kresley Cole
Paranormal romance anthology released by Pocket 7 Feb 06

This is an older (sheesh – 2 years) anthology that I picked up because it had the first Immortals After Dark story in it – Nikolai and Myst. It also has an earlier Sherrilyn Kenyon B.A.D. story and one of those goofy underground viking stories by Jaid Black. Here’s a quick review and a handy dandy little contest at the end…

Turn Up the Heat by Sherrilyn Kenyon
(Contemporary romance)

This is a story about a Mob enforcer from the wrong side of the tracks in a seedy part of Staten Island who wants out of the game. He gets help from a rich, connected childhood friend and ends up, through some interesting happenstance, meeting the love of his life – a wholesome southern girl who looks like a dairy maid. With me so far?

This was an entertaining read. The ending was a bit far-fetched, but any book in Kenyon’s BAD world is a bit that way. Once I let go of my “bullshit detector” and just enjoyed the story, things got a lot better. Pulitzer Prize-winning material it ain’t, but isn’t bird-cage liner either.

Grade: C+

Read an excerpt.

Hunter’s Oath by Jaid Black
(Contemporary/Speculative romance)

Our heroine is a beautiful young woman who lost her parents a few years before and her brother a few days before she’s kidnapped and sold to viking bride merchants. She is then sold to a viking warlord in a weird underground viking society.

I really hate these stories and I don’t know why I keep reading them. They’re a combination of all that is bad about paranormal, erotic romance, and 1980′s style captive bride bodice rippers. Triple blech. The only reason I didn’t give it an F is it’s actually somewhat readable, it’s just dreck by my book. Perhaps there are some fans out there, but I ain’t one of them. Luckily it’s short.

Grade: D

Read an excerpt.

The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole
(Paranormal romance)

This story is the beginning of the Immortals After Dark series. I know! More IAD goodness! Cole is consistently good in this first story of the series. The Valkyries are a hoot! Nikolai is suitably tortured. The romance is believable (for a Valkyrie and a Vampire, that is). And the story is just way fun.

I loved this story and it alone is worth the price of the book (plus it’s LONG). I love how Cole manages to surprise me with the emotional development of her characters. There’s so much free will going on, that it’s very gratifying when the h/h finally come together. Gosh – I hope that makes sense. Don’t miss this story!

Grade: A

     Summary:

     Nikolai Wroth, once a ruthless human warlord in the 1700s and now a general in the rebel vampire army, needs to find his Bride, the one woman who can render him truly alive. As a turned human, he doesn’t enjoy a heartbeat or breaths and is consequently weaker than natural born vampires. He wants his Bride for the power she will bring him and can hardly believe it when his heart beats for Myst the Coveted, a mad, fey, mythological creature.

     Myst is known throughout the world as the most beautiful Valkyrie, part chillingly fierce warrior, part beguiling seductress who can “make you want her even as she’s killing you.” She has devoted her life to protecting an ancient, powerful jewel and to fighting the vampires, and she now sees a way to torment one-for with Wroth’s heartbeat comes consuming sexual desire that can only be slaked by her.

     She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen the jewel which commands her, giving him absolute power over her. While he possesses it, he can make her do anything, and he plans to in order for her to experience first hand the agonizing, unending lust she’d purposely, boastingly, subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Wroth realizes he wants more from her and frees her, will she come back to him?

     Read an excerpt.

This was a fun anthology, even if one of the stories wasn’t my cuppa tea. I highly recommend it to any fans of these three authors. It’s a “can’t miss” book for the Kresley Cole IAD fans, though.

Overall Grade: B

     Summary:

     New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon and rising stars Jaid Black and Kresley Cole unlock the pleasures and perils of embracing the boldest and most powerful of lovers — 100% alpha males — in three sensually erotic tales. Discover the physical rapture of his muscular arms…. Become a prisoner of passion, swept away by an encounter with his primal side…. And get lost in the all-consuming thrill of white-hot pursuit by a relentless stranger who may be your most dangerous foe, the best lover you’ve ever had — or both.

     Let your fantasies run wild with these unforgettable novellas where bigger is most definitely better — and playing easy-to-get is the only way to go!

CONTEST! Comment here by midnight Wednesday according to the blog timestamp (12:00am US Central, Thursday, technically) with what you love about the Immortals After Dark series or Kresley Cole’s books in general and you could win one of four copies of this book, all SIGNED by Kresley Cole!

Sandy M. and Teddypig (aka the West Coast side of The Pond) have compiled a list of upcoming books that we here in The Pond cannot wait to read!! Some of the biggest names in the industry are taking risks and releasing work far outside of their usual comfort zones. WOOT! Bring ‘em on!


Joey W. Hill ~ The Greek Billionaire Vampire’s Secret Baby
Greek billionaire Stakeros Nachos Monsteranni III was captivated by Mary-Kate. But their passionate affair was cut short when Mary-Kate’s mother attempted to pound iron stakes into his coffin. Seven months later, Stakeros is shocked to see Mary-Kate again during a trip to the local blood bank. She’s struggling to make ends meet as a trained Phlebotomist and she’s visibly pregnant! If she’s carrying the Monsteranni heir, that can mean only one course of action for Stakeros: She must become his love slave!

N.F. Roberts ~ Born to Death
The Concannon sisters of western Ireland are post modern women of ambition and talent, bound by the timeless spirit of their land and a terrible blood thirst. This is a tale of Howitzer Concannon, assassin daughter of Maggie Concannon and some nameless sequel hunk Nora never got around to writing about. Almost fatally injured in a plane crash the government of Ireland decides to rebuild Howitzer, augmenting her with cybernetic parts which give her superhuman strength and speed. After accidentally stabbing Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas 45 times during an electrical storm, this complexly wired woman, whose tacky superhero costume includes a short skirt and horizontally striped stockings, must seek to sooth the distraught Roarke Dallas. Will his wounded heart be slowly healed by a gentle and forgiving love?

Karen Marie Moning ~ The Highlander’s Bad Touch
Journey to a world of disco magic, breathtaking sensuality, thrilling time-travel….

Journey to the world of The Bad Boy Highlander. Crisscrossing Castro Street and the centuries, here is a novel as gripping as it is awesome– an electrifying adventure that will leave you breathless….

I am Dogbert MacKilted, a man with one good conscience and thirteen inches, driven to sate my darkest desires …

Forced through time, he winds up on the dance floor of the infamous Castro Bar Badlands, where Dogbert looks out over a sea of sweaty gyrating male flesh with a funky beat. A sixteenth-century Scot trapped between queens, he is fighting a losing battle with horny men seeking to get his phone number, dooming him to an eternity of sexual pursuit. When Anita Man, Drag Queen extraordinaire, student of life, girl on the go, and Sister of Perpetual Indulgence in training, buys him a drink, she finds the insatiable alpha male an irresistible lure especially when she realizes he has no underwear under there. Before long, Anita is caught up in an ancient prophecy that will sweep her back in time to medieval Scotland. Plunged into a world without Cover Girl makeup or a decent bartender, our Drag Queen will soon face the challenge of a lifetime: fighting thirteen vicious jacked up ugly ass bitches for the heart of one irresistible man who better take her home soon… if he knows what the hell is good for him.

Sherrilyn Kenyon – The Devil Needs a New Swan Hat (Dark Hunters, book 542)
Siyphfer had just perfected his best Tina Turner impersonation when, thinking he was only entering another talent show, he was instead tricked into Artemis’ service as a Dark-Hunter. This immortal has dreamed only of regaining his crown and seeking revenge on the vicious evil nasty queen who betrayed him. But when a hot young fashion designer, Christian Siriano, in perilous danger from that man eating bitch, Heidi Klum, suddenly appears in his life, Siyphfer knows that he just may have found the answer to all his prayers… a love that will cross realms to bring him a fabulous new swan hat

The incomparable Cassie Edwards has just announced the title of her next upcoming release!

Out of print for years, this classic will soon be re-released for a whole new generation to discover!

Sherrilyn Kenyon wrote a post a couple of days ago that has just stuck with me. And stuck and stuck and stuck. I can’t get it out of my head.

Please take the time to go read her post, “Laughter through tears.” It’s longer than her normal posts, and it’s profound, heartbreaking, and uplifting all at the same time.  The reading of it goes very quickly. It proves to me that you never truly know someone until you walk a mile in their shoes – or read a blog post.  It’s posts like hers that makes me grateful for the Internet – we’re able get glimpses into each other’s lives.  It makes the world a bit smaller and a lot more profound.

Here’s a snippet:

I received an email earlier today that struck me vividly. It was a question from a fan asking me what it was like to live my life. To have good family and everything I have ever wanted and it made me want to cry on so many levels that it drove me here to the keyboard. She asked me how I was able to see my characters so vividly and the answer is simple. I’ve been there.

I know what it’s like to live and love with fear, to be mocked with cruelty and to have to try and find shelter through the most vicious of storms. If there is one scene in all the books I relate to most, it’s the one of Zarek walking barefoot through the blizzard, seeking comfort. Of him standing outside, looking inside the cheerful house and wishing with all his heart that he was one of the happy, warm people inside.

If my life was perfect, I wouldn’t have gotten up today with only three hours of sleep to work. I would sleep until noon and have my hubby wake me with roses and my children would be perfectly healthy and happy. My oldest son wouldn’t be autistic. My middle son wouldn’t have health problems and my baby wouldn’t be ADHD. My oldest sister wouldn’t have Cerebral Palsy. My older brother and my mother would still be alive and when something good happened to me, I wouldn’t feel the fear that has made a permanent hole in my heart.

You see, I am Acheron. And I know that the strongest steel is truly forged out of the flames of hell. The kindest thing I can say about my childhood is that I survived it. I know what it’s like to be so poor that you have to swallow air so that you can fool your stomach into thinking it’s got something in it. I was that child who went to school in boy hand-me-downs, who stared at the pretty dresses the other girls wore and wished I had one too.

Go here to read the rest.  Have some tissues handy.  And be ready to hug someone when you’re done.

Gwen’s review of Dream Chaser (Dream-Hunters, Book 3) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal romance released 5 Feb 08 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks

All hail the return of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Mojo!

Dream Chaser is the first book of hers in a while that I have enjoyed (notwithstanding the tortured syntax in this sentence).  The hero and heroine were engaging.  I didn’t even want to slap them! Nor did I want to throw the book at the wall!  And that’s progress for me with one of SK’s latest!

It’s normal, I suppose, for an author to burn out on a character, topic, or a world.  I mean, how many different ways can you write basically the same story and keep it fresh?!  I wouldn’t want to try.  I have a enough trouble figuring out different ways to prepare vegetables (how many different ways are there to prepare broccoli anyhow).  So, I’m not critical of Kenyon, per se.  I’m more critical of the marketplace demanding more and more of something until it reaches the point it becomes birdcage liner.  But this book isn’t liner!  Hallelujah!

Dream Chaser continues with Kenyon’s recent “demonkyn” worlds – demons, clans of demons, types of demons, demons tied to one pantheon but not the other.  It’s all rather confusing, to be honest, so I hope she puts a cheat sheet up on her site.  Suffice to say, it’s a new and interesting world with a whole new set of pressures and rivalries.  It all makes for some very fun tension and bad guys/gals.

What I REALLY liked about Dream Chaser was how much I liked the heroine, Simone.  She is an accomplished professional, a self-confident, well-rounded woman.  She has had a tough life, but doesn’t wallow in it or close herself off from the world.  Sure, she’s lonely for male companionship, but she hasn’t become bitter.  Simone is someone I would love to have coffee or drinks with.  This was a nice change for me. I have never felt like that toward one of Kenyon’s heroines, that I can remember, and have seldom felt like that about any paranormal romance heroine beyond just Kenyon’s.

I enjoyed the hero, Xypher, even if I have a tough time figuring out how to pronounce his name – he was a mean SOB for the first part of the book.  His rather abrupt change mid-way thru was a little sudden – I would have liked to see him continue to be more of an SOB to other characters, even after he realized he was feeling tenderness for the heroine.  Instead, he was a bit too reformed for my suspension of disbelief.  Regardless, he was a yummy hero even if he waited too long to get his freak on with Simone.

The secondary characters that are closest to the H/H were well developed.  There are visits from several of the previous books’ characters – Ash, Katra, Julian, and a couple of others.  There were some very intriguing new characters introduced – Jaden is one that I hope to see soon.  (See?  There I go – perpetuating the “problem” and asking for more books – sigh – it’s a sickness I tell ya.)

The love story is very believable between Simone and Xypher.  This new cast of baddies is interesting, if complex.  All in all, this made for a very interesting new entry in SK’s paranormal world.  You also find out something VERY interesting about how Dream Hunters lost their emotions – it’s a surprise that I won’t ruin for you, but I went “Ah HA!”  Actually, I went “Ah HA!” a couple of times in the book, but I won’t mess that up for you either.

I can recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of Kenyon’s Hunter novels.  I don’t recommend reading this if you’re new to the world.  You should read a couple of the Dark-Hunter books and at least the 11th Dark-Hunter book, Devil May Cry, before you venture into Dream Chaser.

Grade: B-

From the back cover:

     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?

     Read an excerpt.

P.S. Don’t forget Ash’s story comes out 5 Aug 08!  There’s an excerpt at the end of this book that is quite tantalizing.

There’s an excerpt of the new comic book Lords of Avalon: Sword of Darkness up on Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Myspace page.  So go have a peek – it looks just terrific.  It comes out next week. 

In a world where Camelot is ruled by Lord Kerrigan, the peasant Seren has become a pawn between the rulers of light and the rulers of darkness. But the talented seamstress faces a dilemma after Lord Kerrigan kidnaps her: Is Kerrigan truly the demon others portray him to be, or is he her savior in disguise? Jump into this new twist on Arthurian legend, adapted from best-selling author Kinley MacGregor. MacGregor, known for her historical romance novels, is the pen-name of Sherrilyn Kenyon, the best-selling and award-winning American author known for her supernatural romance and vampire novels.  

Releases 5 Feb 2008!

Read the excerpt of the new Dream-Hunters novel, Dream Chaser, on Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Myspace page.  It’s some of the best writing I’ve seen from her in a few books.  Here’s hoping the excerpt isn’t like a movie trailer; you know the ones – they contain the only good scenes in the movie.  Hey, one can hope…

From the back cover:

Hades doesn’t often give second chances.Xypher has one month on Earth as a human to redeem himself through one good deed or be condemned to eternal torture in Tartarus. But there’s one catch: the only way he can feel emotions is through the dreams of others, a punishment the gods inflicted upon him before he received his death sentence.Until one lonely night in the morgue…Simone Dubois is a coroner 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 on of the dead gets up from her table and walks away, it stops her cold.Now the fate of the world hangs in her hands…It was bad enough when just the dead relied on her. Now there’s the seductive Dream-Hunter Xypher, who needs Simone’s help in tracking down a Dimme demon out to literally devour the human race. The fate of mankind is at stake-and so is her heart…

Devon’s review of Upon the Midnight Clear (Dream Hunters Book 2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Contemporary paranormal romance published 30 Oct 07 by St.Martin’s

Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Night Pleasures was the book that introduced me to paranormal romance and, in fact, re-introduced me to the world of romance reading. Her Dark Hunters were addictive: entertaining, action-packed and hot. There were issues–sometimes the characterization was so broad as to be cartoonish, the wisecracks sounded like something a middle schooler would come up with, and the language could be cliched and repetitive. But the complex mythology was entertaining, and the mix of angst and humor helped make the whole package rock. Unfortunately, I have found the more recent releases to be increasingly disappointing, and I am afraid Upon the Midnight Clear continues in that vein. It was as if Kenyon focused on the stuff I don’t like, but forgot to include the stuff that makes her books good.

Ms. Kenyon specializes in heroes whose caring, strong natures have be twisted by ill-treatment and betrayal. Many of them are sexy and delicious (see my personal favorite Valerius). UtMC’s actor hero, Aidan O’Connor is standard Kenyon hero. He is Angry! Bitter! Jaded! He loved and supported his family and friends, and they all betrayed him out of greed and jealousy. Now, he walks alone, he walks alone. Unfortunately, he’s also kind of boring and one-note. When the heroine, Dream Hunter Leta shows up at his remote Tennessee cabin, he’s all cynicism and TMI, spewing cliches about how everyone’s out to get you. Leta herself was ok, but a bit boring.

This is completely a personal taste, but I just don’t find the Dream Hunter mythology as compelling as that of the Dark Hunters and Were-Hunters. And Aidan got screwed, but man it was all so cartoony. Everyone he had surrounded himself with was just soooo evil, because they had no Oscars. This book just failed to keep my interest. I found myself counting pop culture references instead. There was Bauhaus, Dexter, The Indigo Girls, 300 and Joe Walsh, off the top of my head. There’s something about the god of Dread quoting “Life’s Been Good” that makes me feel angry.

Although this book was sold as a full-length title, it felt skimpy. Some of the issues I had are problems I often have with novellas: rushed and unconvincing romance, caricatures rather than characters, speedy plot with abrupt ending. When Aidan’s few loyal hangers on show up at his cabin, bearing good wishes and a ham, I had to walk away for a bit. It was a shadow of a Dark-Hunter romance, with some cheesy sentiment thrown in for good measure.

What kept this book a C was the added story “Holiday Gatherings,” which I rather enjoyed. In it we return to the world of the Dark Hunters, and peek in on their holiday celebrations. Again, it was a bit cheesy and sentimental, but it was like seeing old friends. “Hey Aimee, Fang. When are you guys getting your own book?” “Valerius, Kyrian, Deveraux clan! Good to see ya.” Same for Bride and Vane. The scene with Sin, Katra, Ash and Artemis made me want to read Devil May Cry, which I’ve skipped, and I’m still excited for Ash’s book. I would suggest saving your money and hitting the library instead. Henceforth, I think I’ll stick with the Dark Hunters and leave the Dream Hunters be.

Grade: C

Blurb:

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 of the world-or anyone who’s a part of it.

When a stranger appears at 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.

Excerpt: Prologue, Chapter One

Read Gwen’s review of this book here.

Read more from Devon at Is that a stake in your pocket?

Gwen’s review of Upon the Midnight Clear (Dream-Hunters, Book 2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Contemporary paranormal romance published by St.Martin’s 30 Oct 07

Sherrilyn Kenyon is quite good at writing heroines. I have always loved her women and Leta is no exception. She’s determined and self-sacrificing. An all-around nice person. She’s also a Greek goddess of dreams and isn’t supposed to have any emotions, as per Zeus’s curse on her kind. A curse that isn’t working, by the way.

I have been ambivalent on Kenyon’s heroes – for example, loved Zarek, hated his brother Valerius. This book’s hero, Aidan, is on the down side of Gwen’s Likability Scale. He’s a whinny, self-pitying bitch for most of the book. No noble characteristics about him at all. As such, it was very difficult for me to believe in his relationship with Leta.

The interesting twist in this book was the heroine had the special powers and the hero was the human. I always like that, when an author switches things up. It did very little to help this story, though. Leta managed to stay a bit weak and ineffectual when it counted, leaving the heavy-lifting to Aidan.

When you see this book, it seems short for a paperback – not as many pages. When you open it, it seems REALLY short for a paperback – they have used double spacing, wide margins, and a large font. Now, either Kenyon’s publisher is formatting books for her older, more myopic fans, or this was a short-story that was made into a novel. Add a little padding and a huge font and, presto-change-o, you have a very short paperback that you can still sell for the full paperback price. Grrrrrrr! That did not amuse me.

All in all, it just wasn’t a very good book. It should have been left a short-story and put at the back of one of her other novels. I’m depressed about this. I’m a big Kenyon fan and her last three books just haven’t been as good. On the plus side, the Holiday Gatherings short-story at the end of the book was a fun read – perhaps she needs to go back to the lesser Were-Hunters. This does not bode well for Acheron’s story, coming out next year – but I’ll still buy it (it’s a sickness).

Grade: D+

blurb:

     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 of the world-or anyone who’s a part of it. When a stranger appears at 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.

Read an excerpt.

Gwen’s review of Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter, Book 11) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal romance published 7 Aug 07 by St. Martin’s Press

This is the latest entry into Kenyon’s long-lived Dark-Hunter series.  The heroine is one of Artemis’s koris, Katra, and the hero is a Sumerian ex-god named Sin.  This book is centered around a new fight with a new pantheon’s baddies.  These baddies are actually badder than the Daimon baddies.

This entry into the Dark-Hunter world introduces another pantheon (Sumerian) and a new set of bad guys (the Gallu and the Dimme). None as familiar to us westerners as the Greek pantheon, though, and this leaves the reader a little at sea. This fact shouldn’t be fatal to a story if that story is well-told and interesting.  But, this story is well-told, just not that interesting.

In Devil, I felt like Ms Kenyon never gets very invested in Katra’s deeper feelings and motivations.  She talks about Kat’s immetiate motivations, her immediate reactions, some of her immediate feelings, but we never get much more than superficially involved.  I felt that at the end of the story I didn’t know Kat a whole lot better than I did at the beginning.  Among many things, I wanted to know more about how she felt about having to depend on another for sustenance, after an unfortunate encounter with one of the demons.  We never know, though.

I felt like the male lead character was more developed than Katra, but I didn’t like him very much, so I didn’t care.  He was too sarcastic and too unappealing to me to begin to care about him much.  I felt sorry for him, but only because Ms Kenyon reminded me over and over how betrayed Sin was, how wronged he was, etc. etc.

Let me equivocate a bit by stating the absolute fact that I have always liked Sherrilyn Kenyon/Kinley MacGregor novels.  Tons.  Perhaps I’m just tired of the whole D-H thing, but I’m interested in other paranormal series similar to the Dark-Hunters.  Well, then, perhaps I’ve been overexposed to the D-H’s, but it’s been months since I read a D-H novel.  Perhaps it’s just run its course with me. 

However, I’ll be picking up the next one.  Is that sick, or what?  I’m such a sucker for these stories.

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool D-H fan, you’ll enjoy this book, but perhaps not love it.  If you’re new to the whole D-H craze, I wouldn’t start with this book – it picks up several existing characters mid-stream and will be confusing.  Start with the first book in the list below, Fantasy Lover – it’s fantastic, as are most of the subsequent entries (especially Zarek’s story, Dance With the Devil - loved it).

Grade: C+

Here’s the book blurb:

     Trust of any kind died in him the moment Artemis tricked him, but now he must rely on another woman or see an annihilation of biblical proportions. Enemies have always made strange bedfellows, but never more so than when the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Now a man who knows only betrayal must trust the one person most likely to hand him to the demons. Artemis may have stolen his godhood, but this one has stolen his heart. The only question is will she keep it or feed it to the ones who want him dead?

     Read an excerpt.

Here are the other Kenyon Dark/Dream-Hunter books:

Sins of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Grade: B-
Sensuality: Hot

I have only read Fantasy Lover and two short stories in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter world. Since I can’t ever seem to read a series in order, I figured Sins of the Night was as good a place as any to revisit the world Kenyon created. I wasn’t disappointed and am glad I’ve been glom-buying this series, but Sins of the Night does seem to be building more on the back-story and has a “file away – you will need this information later” feel to it.

Kenyon does provide an Author Forward, instructing readers that The Beginning, a short story about Acheron (aka Ash, and the first Dark Hunter ever created), should be read as the second in this lengthy series – reading it prior to Sins of the Night really helped. (the short story is actually printed following the book, or you can read it at her website). I like it when an author tries to make things easy for me, and hey two stories for the price of one, so score! It does let the cat out of the bag regarding who Alexion is, although honestly since the author does it, I can’t see that it was a big secret.

Full review is here

and just so I can make kristie and maili’s eyes roll to the back of their heads… When does Ash’s books come out.

hee look at me, next I will be trying to cast eve and whatshisname.