SK - Dragonsworn

There is nothing in the universe the cursed dragon Falcyn hates more than humans--except for Greek humans. In a war he wanted no part in, they systematically destroyed everything Falcyn ever cared about. Now he lies in wait for the day when evolution will finally rid him of not only the Greeks but humanity itself.
Medea is the granddaughter of the Greek god Apollo and among the first he doomed to die. When Apollo sends a new plague to destroy what remains of Medea's people, she refuses to let him take everything she loves from her again. This time, she knows of a secret weapon--a fierce dragon who has the power to stop the ancient god and his army of demons. His name is Falcyn. But he wants nothing to do with politics, gods, mortals. And especially not her--yet. But if Medea can find a way to control a demonic dragon whose sole birthright is world annihilation, maybe there is hope. . .

Comment: This is the 28th installment in the Dark-Hunter series by author Sherrilyn Kenyon. It keeps on following the lives and adventures of a multi cast that is now a very confusing mix.

In this story we have Falcyn's story, he's a dragon brother of Maxis and Illarion (heroes from the previous two books) and this books sees himself and Medea (daughter of Zephyra) and Urian (the hero of the next book) and Blaise (another dragon) and a few others (more difficult to explain) searching for a way out of realms and complicated situations. In the meantime, without any romance whatsoever!!!!, Falcyn and Medea fall in love.

If anyone reading this has interest n the series or in my comments, you can search for my comments on SK's books on the right side list- which I label by author because of this - and you might notice most of them have repetitive sentences. As repetitive as the books themselves.

I won't go into it anymore but if you're lazy lol, basically what I mean to say is that the stories aren't romantic anymore as they used to be until books #7 or #8 or around those and not even the character's relationships got too complicated.

I won't start again on the time between installments and the need the author has to apparently publish countless things except focus on her world famed series.

I used to religiously buy and devour any book in this series as soon as it would come out but honestly, for many of the reasons I've mentioned before and alluded to here, it just isn't the same anymore and I can easily bear the wait now. I feel disappointed in two things: that the author put this series sort of aside to divide her time with other things (although understandable) and also that her attention to this world is weaker (not as understandable).

The stories used to be dramatic but with sweetness and believable plots among all the fantasy elements but now they are too superficial, the romances no longer "romantic" and the plots confusing as if the more the elements, more complexity but the simplicity of the complex elements working well together is lost, in my POV.

This book does present us with many of the now familiar plots or romance related devices the series recycles:

- Falcyn is a brooding hero, tragic past, lots of secrets and a (I admit) surprising revelation waiting to happen.

- Medea is a different heroine in the sense she isn't a sweet thing suddenly caught in a complicated problem, her past isn't exactly cute and she has reasons to be meaner.

- Their romance is basically their acknowledgement of each others' appeal and drive and need to overcome tragedy, I can't see where we are expected to just believe they are falling in love. There are some references to some sudden feeling which is there probably to let us know there is a weird connection between them.

- Both agree of letting go of some issues to embrace a more positive future with each other and their band of friends.

As for the plot, it was great some discoveries were done but again too many pantheons are mixed together with lots of other religious beliefs and such and the story lost its fascination to me. I'll keep reading but it's definitely not a priority anymore. I just wish i could let go of my investment in these characters and their fate, as a whole but since I still care, I'll keep on torturing myself by waiting...

Grade: 6/10

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Dragonmark

Centuries ago, Illarion was betrayed– a dragon made human against his will, then forced to serve humanity as a dragonmount in their army, and to fight for them in barbaric wars, even while he hated everything about them. Enslaved and separated from everyone he knew and from his own dragon brothers, he was forced into exile in a fey realm where he lost the only thing he ever really loved.
Now he has a chance to regain what’s been lost— to have the one thing he covets most. But only if he gives up his brothers and forsakes the oaths he holds most dear. Yet what terrifies him most isn’t the cost his happiness might incur, it’s the fact that there is just enough human in his dragon’s heart that he might actually be willing to pay it and betray everything and everyone– to see the entire world burn...

Comment: This is the most recent installment in the Dark-Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon, one of the most successful paranormal series out there.

Basically, this book follows the same timeline as the previous two books, but from Illarion's perspective. Illarion is one of Maxis' dragon brothers and we knew about him in the previous book, precisely Maxis'.

Illarion has loved Edilyn, a human woman for centuries, even after she was killed and he had to learn to live without her. Now he finally meets humans again in the realm where he got trapped and decides to help them. How that helps him in meeting Edilyn again is a surprise for everyone, especially Illarion himself.

I'll just write a couple sentences about this book because, to be honest, there isn't much to say. I'll say a bit more about other stuff after, related to the series and author but not the book itself.

Illarion and Edilyn don't have much airtime in their book, apparently. They met a long time ago and somehow they fell in love. But of course family challenges -  that don't have much development related to themselves as independent characters - make things in such a way that they must battle enemies and Edilyn gets separated from Illarion.

The glimpses to their personalities aren't well developed, not if one compares to the first books in the series where everything seemed more vital, both the personality of each character and the relationship with others. It is as if the author took the easy path an just told us the basics and that's it. Then half part of the book - more or less - is about Illarion's perspective on others and their stories, namely the two previous books featuring Cadegan and Jo and Max and Sera. Why on earth he had to describe everything and how that helped him I don't know.

I guess I understand the logic, after all it makes us visualize how all the previous facts had an impact on each character. But come on, this did not made the plot move forward in an enriched way nor did it present a solid couple, it was simply repetitive. Having so many books all showing the same is not moving on! It's just using large chunks of story to make another book look bigger and expensive without being a book per se. The end was great for Illarion and Edilyn but why I never knew because it all happened so fast and without the expected emotional impact.

Therefore, this leads me to wonder what is the author or her editors thinking? Is the money greed so important that it's best to present hardcovers with repetitive stories rather than a solid new installment the readers deserve? The previous 3 stories could have been told in one book! This means three years of waiting and getting a story were wasted and the author could have used that time to actually develop her series with more characters! If she does insist in being prolific in giving us more and more ideas and characters then she should start having HEAs for three or four couples in each book, otherwise how can this move any further?

I understand the idea, the purpose but it's too much. Years waiting between installment, different series is getting too much an no one lives forever, the author included. Will we ever have closure for out beloved characters?

What still saves this (both the series' goal and this book in particular) is the amazing bonds between characters, the heartfelt scenes between characters, families, people we like to see happy now that their stories were told and wishing others to feel the same. If not for this eagerness to see a happy ending for all, would anyone still have the patience to wait? I really hope the author has a change of heart and realizes her rhythm isn't doable like this anymore.

Grade: 5/10

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Dragonbane

Out of all the mysterious boarders who call Sanctuary home, no one is more antisocial or withdrawn than Maxis Drago. But then, it's hard to blend in with the modern world when you have a fifty foot wingspan.
Centuries ago, he was cursed by an enemy who swore to see him fall. An enemy who took everything from him and left him forever secluded.
But Fate is a bitch, with a wicked sense of humor. And when she throws old enemies together and threatens the wife he thought had died centuries ago, he comes back with a vengeance. Modern day New Orleans has become a battleground for the oldest of evils. And two dragons will hold the line, or go down in flames.

Comment: This is the most recent installment in the DarkHunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. The series has come a long way since the first book. Many characters have had their story but so many more are still waiting for a HEA. And readers still hold on to the hope of seeing that happen...but with one book a year that wait takes (too) long to reach any semblance of completion...

This is the story of Maxis, he's a dragon shifter that has lived in Sanctuary forever it seems. Now, someone from his past is coming back and that also means he has to deal with several unsolved issues concerning his identity and what he can do.

However, Maxis' personal problems isn't the the only thing he needs to think about. New challenges are coming his way because of everything happening with the gods and beings related to them. Can Maxis help with what's to come?

All things considered, I liked his story. It had an interesting plot, good developments in the ongoing storyline and a HEA, of course.

But it was hard to overcome the lovers reunited theme and the fact things happen so slowly.

The author obviously needs to keep things at a certain pace because many books have action scenes that overlap. Nothing wrong with this but after so many books, things tend to start to look like they drag and repeat and it's getting to a point where it feels like it's a never ending cycle.

The romance disappointed me a bit. I liked that the main couple found happiness in such a short amount of time - comparing to all the time they had before but let's not point that out - and that they have a HEA and a family around them. But again I felt like I didn't met these characters at all. They fill all the right spaces when it comes to redemption and love but their connection was too quick to what we actually have to go through. We are quickly told about their pasts so there's no sense of time passing to give them some sort of continuity or established relationship. It's weird but it felt too rushed to be believable.

I think this is a recurrent issue with too many things to deal with in the same story.

I liked the evolution in some sub plots, I liked how it felt like I was getting reconnected to so many beloved characters just by having them there or saying something or being part of a plan or stuff like that. So much time has gone that sometimes it does look like they're there just to full up space but despite everything, characters don't have a full presence in every book. I like seeing them and watching how their existence is still important.

Some personal dealings between the characters also seem to be evident here. I liked having glimpses of what some sub plots related to character relationships are now but as always, time is too short for us to have it all, development of plot and romance in an perfect balance. I wished the author would start prioritizing her characters that are the focus of some issues...

I liked the book, the ideas are still appealing and some characters still have it all to seduce me into wanting their stories. But everything takes too long, the author is too prolific and readers wait too long. I understand business and publishing reasons but it gets frustrating and annoying.

I just wish readers won't end up disappointed if ms Kenyon can't delivery on all the promised characters' HEAs.

Grade: 7/10

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Illusion

Nick Gautier is tired of his destiny. He doesn’t want to be the son of a demon who’s fated to end the world. Nor does he want to see another demon or other preternatural creature who wants to kill or enslave him. He just wants to be normal and have normal problems like everyone else.
But normality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. When he gets sucked into an alternate reality where his mother has married his mentor and his Atlantean god best friend has become a human geek, he begins to understand that no life is free of pain, and that every person has a specific place in the universe… Even the son of a hated demon.
Most of all, he sees that his powers aren’t the curse he thought they were, and that the world needs a champion, especially one its enemies can’t imagine rising up to defend the ones he should destroy.
Old enemies and new friends square off for a major battle that will either restore Nick to his real world, or end him forever.

Comment: This is the most recent book in the Chronicles of Nick series. This series is a sort of spin of/alternate reality/mass confusion of the original Dark-Hunter series by the author. In this series, for a more juvenile public, we see Nick as a teenager dealing with several things in an attempt to change the course of what happens in the original story line. 

In this book, Nick is living in a different time from his own and the people he meets are acting weird and not as he remembers them. His friends Kody and Caleb have to help him but in the end it's his own mind and heart that will have to prove being worthy of salvation.

I guess the purpose of this whole series spin off is to "explain" why some things in the original series will happen in a certain way from here on; after all, Nick is playing with the time lines. 

Still, I can't help but being repetitive when I say this is almost like trying to appease the readers instead of just getting on with the writing. I understand the need and maybe the requests for a more juvenile oriented books but did it have to be about this series? Apparently there are 7 more books to be released in these Chronicles, meaning more 7 years until Nick's book as an adult. Considering the amount of series the author is involved with, the time it takes her to actually write and the fact books can't come out every month, I believe I can say the author may have taken on too much. 

I would have preferred her to stick with what she had before new adventures. Just my opinion.

Rants apart, this book was actually entertaining because new things are found out about several characters. I really hope all the knowledge we're getting infused with will be important for the future plots in both series. Right now everything seems so confusing and the time between releases doesn't help, I really think a time line would help readers.

The main characters here all have information to share or their participation is meant to give hints or clues about their importance on the whole general scheme of things. I confess I liked the appearance of so many people, many acting in a way that is already a proof things are changing.

The main point in this series to me is, Nick is a teenager an he is put in a position where he has to deal with choices and  situations not always easy. The moral lesson of these books is how people with easy and hard paths and obvious fears and hesitations should always trust themselves and chose what's best not only for one's peace of mind but for the ones we love. It's quite the lesson and hopefully it is reaching its goal, but from Dark-Hunter fan point of view, this is all just a mess of story lines and plots and characters and I hope things don't get too unbelievable to be appreciated in the end of everything.

Like I said, I liked the fact we see and get to learn many new things, I also admit there are several scenes where I was very surprised by what I was reading and I hope this won't stop. Still, I hope things get a move on because waiting and waiting isn't easy, especially after so many faithful years.

Grade: 7/10

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Son of No One

It’s not easy being life’s own personal joke, but Josette Landry has made an unstable peace with the

beast. Life will continue to throw every bad thing it has at her, and she will continue to not put her head in an oven. But that’s okay. That which doesn’t kill her will just require a few hours of mental insanity. Completely down on her luck, Josette takes a job with a local paranormal group trying to get their own cable show as a photographer and camerawoman. Yeah, they’re even crazier than she is. The only paranormal thing she believes in is the miracle that keeps her rusted out hoopty running. But when her group accidentally releases something truly evil into the world, they are forced to call in reinforcement.
From the moment Josette meets Cadegan, she knows something about him isn’t quite right. And it’s not just because she can’t even begin to pronounce his last name: Maboddimun. Mysterious and armed with lethal sarcasm, he seems a lot older than his apparent age…
Centuries ago, Cadegan sold his soul for vengeance against the betrayer who cursed him. Forced against his will to do good, he hates everything in life. All he wants is a way out. But for the damned there is only eternal suffering. And yet there is something about Josette that intrigues him as much as it irritates and frustrates him. Something he can’t seem to fight, and the last time he felt this way about a woman, it cost him his soul.
He knows he has to stay away from her, but the evil her friends unleashed is hellbent on consuming her soul. Something he cannot allow. If one more innocent is taken, he will be sent back to an unimaginable prison that makes his current hell look like paradise. But how can he keep her safe when his being with her is the greatest threat of all? 

Comment: Being a fan of the Dark-Hunters series by this author, obviously I try to read the books that come out very slowly...I mean, I wouldn't mind it if they were all fantastic reads, but sometimes they aren't, and certainly not to the level of the first ones, but...one keeps hoping.

Son of No One is the most recent installment and the main characters are two new ones, people we've never met. Nothing against them, but with so many on line to have a story...still, I (still?) trust the author's mind to write things in a way that will make sense. Eventually.

Cadegan is a demigod trapped by his brother in a alternate world where he can see what happens in other places but never leave. Apparently his origins aren't reliable and his existence might balance the evil side if he gets angry or turned into their side. 

One day, Josette, who has always had the ability to see things in mirrors, "falls" into one at her cousin's shop and ends up with Cadegan. Of course, having nothing else to do, they have sex and start a sort of relationship which is actually true love and at the end there's a HEA.

This really small summary is actually the plot. They met, she proves him he's trustworthy and vice versa, they love each other and they become a family in our times, very much in the middle of the war going on, going to happen.

I wouldn't think much of this book if it weren't for two things. First, it was good to see the interaction with other characters. It's one of my favorite things ever to see characters who had their stories interact with others and in a way, it allows us readers to see how they're doing. I liked the scenes where this happened.

The second wonderful thing was how FINALLY something happened to further the plot along. I keep that in bold letters because it's truly surprising. We see Jaden at last, after so much conversation when Acheron was released that Jaden's arc was starting and how he never showed up or if he did I didn't even notice, he was here, he talked and we did learn something about him! Yay. I just hope it keeps on.

Sure, this happened almost at the end, but we did learn new things and there's a vibe on the air which I hope keeps up in the next books, I really hope this means things start to happen for real in the series in terms of plot and plot related issues.

The romance between Cadegan and Josette was fast, too fast actually, and honestly, I confess I got a bit annoyed at the fact we saw the word "sweety" so often. I know it's a cute term of endearment but it got annoying to read it, like a grown up can't speak without those words at the end of a sentence. It's not a bad thing, but personally annoying and that affects the way I read it.

In the end this had to be a good story because it did make me hopeful about things to come, about the character's lives. The romance wasn't the best, but I feel happy as long as something happens because it seems there's so much to happen and when it goes so slowly or without much going on, it can be a disappointment. Thankfully, this one, at least, moved the plot a bit along.

Grade: 7/10

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Inferno

Nick has his driver’s license and he’s not afraid to use it. But turning sixteen isn’t what he thought it would be. While other boys his age are worried about prom dates and applying for college, Nick is neck deep in enemies out to stop him from living another day. No longer sure if he can trust anyone, his only ally seems to be the one person he’s been told will ultimately kill him.
But life spent serving the undead is anything except ordinary. And those out to get him have summoned an ancient force so powerful even the gods fear it. As Nick learns to command and control the elements, the one he must master in order to combat his latest foe is the one most likely to destroy him. As the old proverb goes, fire knows nothing of mercy, and if Nick is to survive this latest round, he will have to sacrifice a part of himself. However, the best sacrifice is seldom the sanest move. Sometimes it’s the one that leaves your enemies confused, and you even more so.
And sometimes, you have to trust your enemy to save your friends. But what do you do when that enemy is you?

Comment: This is the fourth installment in the Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon. To be honest I wasn't that eager to read this but some friends, also SK's fans, have convinced me so I gave in...

In this book, Nick has to deal with school, apparent friend's betrayals and the knowledge you should be the person you feel you are, not what other make you do or what you think others want to see. In the middle of many adventure an ricks, can Nick be true to himself?

What a mess this book. Really, there are so many people and so many details to bear in mind....

Nick is a teenager but we also get glimpses of the possibilities from the past where things weren't changed and from the future where things might reach. But there's also the one from the future which is actually the past where we know he will end up...so, so tricky to maneuver!

The the cast, well, there's Nick, there's the friends he has whom we know (if we read the DK series), there's the friends he has now because of the whole time messing around and there's people we know will be important, there's the people who never showed up but now are here, there's the people we never imagined existed but apparently are key figure here...

To summarize, the place where things are at the moment in this spin off are so tricky, so confusing and weird with new things new people and new turnabouts all the time, not only is my head fuller, but it gets more difficult to follow the connection all the time.

After persevering from the previous books, Nick is at a point where he needs to learn lessons in order to stop his future self to become evil. This is the biggest issue here for what I can tell. The best way to do so is to avoid temptations and distractions that might make him change who he is. Teenagers aren't known for their certainty of anything even when they do say so, so this part annoys me.

Really, if not for the fact the things happening in this spin off might induce change into future DK books I wouldn't read anymore. But seriously, then what has been the meaning of the previous DK books about this issue? Meaning Nick and his problems affecting the time line and the plot. Once again, what a mess!

Good things about this book, well, we get to see happy times between Nick and Ash. We get possibilities about how hopeful it is to dream of better times for the future books and we finally learn more about some characters and who they are. Although that also makes me more confused because one of them is actually offspring of someone we know but we never got a clue and how is that possible if no one ever mentioned even the possibility? Really confusing and odd.

Then something major happens at the end which will certainly have influence in the future..but how and why did it happen now? Mysteries...

The end of the book is very cool in terms of adventure and action scenes, but - again - it just entails possible situations which don't seem wise or easy to deal with in terms of making all this look right or closer to any sort of conclusion. Frustrating...

Plus, I just saw the series - which I thought would be about 9 books - on Goodreads and the indication there is 15...if one thinks one book a year...dear God.

Ok, I liked some things but honestly, there's too much happening, too many ideas, characters, pantheons, stuff mixed together, I don't think even the author has control over what is happening. Oh well, maybe the next one is better...

Grade: 5/10

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Styxx

Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute

destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge.
As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s.
The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. But it was never a task she relished. Until now. She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her.
But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line. Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer.
Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it's your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul?

Comment: This book was released, I received it and honestly I just let time pass because I wasn't sure I wanted to read it even despite the good opinions of people I know who are fans. I guess I just wasn't in the mood, although this series was one of my addictions in the past. I think that, as it happens with so many others, too much time between books in this series aren't good for one's focus and continuous dedication. I still like the series but I do feel a decrease in eagerness which didn't happen when I could read a book every month like it was when I first met and read the series. Now the direction it took along with the time in between made me rather aside from the feel of the series. I suppose many fans are in this stage as well, no matter how much they still enjoy the books.

This is the story of Styxx, the twin brother of Acheron. The two brothers have lived many years and each one always thought the other had the better life until the present where they leaned the truth behind each of their existences. During their long lives they had challenges and so many obstacles and tragedies happening to them, and with this book we see things from Styxx's perspective and at last, his chance to be happy and in peace.

Many people have read this book and said is is brilliant. Others say it's full of so many awful things it's impossible to enjoy. As always, taste is personal and it is the way each person sees the same things. This is exactly the lesson to learn in this book (and Acheron's), the reality is we don't get to see everything, we see things through our own eyes and we think we might know what is happening in the other's side of things. Styxx has an idea things might not be well in the lives of those around him but t times he also is powerless to change that and he has his own feelings to deal with. I can't fault him foe not saving this one or by not choosing a different path to that... I felt angry and many times sad over the things I was reading. The author certainly has a man streak by making the characters suffer through so much. But in the end all ends well and with a happier note so things not so good can be put aside.

The structure of this book is the same as in Acheron. The story is divided in two parts, the before and the nowadays. Of course, if you read Acheron you know the first part is full of tragedies, injustice, horrible pieces of a life unfair. Truly, do expect the same here, probably worse because you already know some of the unsaid and unmentioned things.
The second part is the the present, where the current action of the series is taking place. Obviously this part is the one to look for, because it's where the fans have their interest and expectations.
Still, I was overall happy with the story. But really, the past part didn't have to be so long, in almost 900 pages, 600 were horrible past happenings, so many tears and unfairness...really had to digest.
Then the present, which should be the confirmation of a much needed happiness happens, once more, in stages. The author takes Styxx from year to year through things we've seen in other books but this time from his POV until the time action finally reaches the exact date where the series is.

Honestly, it wasn't as wonderful as that, despite the fact we learn interesting new tidbits about what is happening. We see characters and clues that will certainly matter in the future.
I just can't help repeating how annoying it is for the author to take so long to develop things...she spends way too much time in the past but we do know all of them suffered and are tortured heroes and heroines! Some development is needed, please.
Then, the thing I most wanted to see considering the awful past the brothers had, well, that thing which I won't say but I guess you have an idea what might be, happens way too fast between them. After so many misguided years of thinking badly of the other, their relationship is...wrapped up pretty well, but not good enough in my opinion. I wanted more emotion, more discussing what happened and yes it can be a contradiction after saying suffering was enough, but people take time to deal with those kind of misunderstandings...

Well, the very end was quite happy and offered many ideas of what might happen, who might be part of the whole thing. One thing is for sure, the series is reaaaally populated.
Styxx as a character is lovable, likable and I felt sorry for him. So, in the end I have to be glad he found his deserved happiness. love, family and peace. 
I give this a good grade, but I confess a part of it comes from my loyalty to the series, but things aren't as powerful as they were before, in the first books. Where is the simplicity of a story where the action moves forward? I want that back, please.
Grade: 7/10

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Time Untime

The Mayans aren’t the only ones with a 2012 prophecy…
Long before recorded history, there was a Keetoowah warrior so feared that everyone trembled before his wrath. Only a brutal betrayal by the one closest to him could defeat him. But not even death was the end of a man so strong.
The Time Untime approaches…
Kateri Avani has been plagued her entire life with dreams she doesn’t understand. Images of places she’s never been and of a man she’s never seen. Her quest for answers has driven her to Las Vegas where she hopes to finally silence the demons in her mind.
What she never anticipates is coming face to face with the warrior who has haunted her her entire life. One who belongs to a world the scientist in her refuses to believe is real.
Ren Waya came back from the dead to keep the prophecy he began from coming true and ending the world. For thousands of years, he has fought the same evil that once possessed him. But now that evil has found the one person he can’t fight. The one person who, against his will, holds the most sacred part of him.
His heart.
But if he doesn’t kill Kateri, the deadliest of evils will reemerge and destroy everyone else on the planet. It was a sacrifice he made once.
Will he be able to make it again?

Comment: This is one the series I have updated. Since I've read the first book I was in love with the characters and the world the author created because she has imagination to write a compelling story and to present an end that makes the reader believe in the happy-ever-after.
However, a good author also has to come up with some sort of closure to a story and if it's a series even if allowing things to keep developing, thus providing a long life to it, there are things that should be solved at some point, because otherwise everything would just drag around and always be...murky. This is my issue with the series like I've said before. I think several subplots aren't being solved soon enough and then others are inserted in there and I feel very confused, as I'm sure many other fans do.
Still, I don't give up because those characters are there and I want to know what happened to them. A friend said about this that, at some point a reader should just consider seriously if the books are being read by enjoyment or duty and if it's the second, why should we? I have to confess this subject isn't completely black and white for me and in the meantime I'll keep reading these. But it's a thoughtful issue, the lifelong continuation of a series...

So about the book. I liked it and it provided an entertaining tale but to be honest it doesn't have the same sense as the first ones did. Actually the last 4 or 5 books didn't feel the same in terms of story development and writing skills. It's like the author keeps saying the same things...I don't know. But I was curious and was happy for the characters when they accomplished something. the storyline follows the same plot we've got used to before and it did show some older characters that I loved seeing.
The best thing about these long series is to see beloved characters and sometimes we only get a scene here and there or a tidbit but it's enough for the reader to know everything is till the best for them it it's great. The same thing happens here, a small scene with a character form one of the first books showed me his happy and it was one of my favorite parts in the whole book.
The romance was too fast, but this happens all the time, or at least now it feels like it to me, despite being the same in all books...but I feel the writing changed so, it's like it shows more in this part. Still, I was glad for their happiness.
Another scene in there made my day because it makes me hopeful about two characters that didn't stand each other lately and it makes me curious to see when they will be fine again but obviously it would take very long, but just the idea of it is a good clue to eager fans.
Overall, it wasn't the best or the worst for me. But it's definitely not the way things were when the series begun and part of me feels a bit sad over it even though it's natural at this point, being this the 23rd book.
Let's hope the next one rocks!

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Infamous

Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That's the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn't the average teenager. He's a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him.
He's learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive and keep a girlfriend so dang hard? But that isn't the primary skill he has to master. Survival is.
And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known.
Or he'll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he'll lose everyone he cares about.
Even himself.

Comment: Another installment in the Chronicles of Nick series. the problem with this series is that it will wayyyy too long to see some end..actually 7 more books if I recall correctly, and by the end of it the readers will finally have the story of Nick, as an adult, in the usual dark-hunter series. There's one book in this Chronicles every year, which means it will have its final book in 2019. If we're lucky, and nothing happens to ruin the schedule (like setbacks or more books that really need to be published, oh kill me now), then adult Nick's story will come out in the autumn of that year, if not only in 2020. Will fans manage to survive life time enough to see that day? I surely hope so. So to keep things straight, this Chronicles of Nick are the preparation to that final book, you know, just reading the usual series isn't enough because in this Chronicles, adult Nick plays with time and things change...so we kind of need to see them so we can follow the storyline with the hope nothing outrageous happens until that book in the usual series (which would leave us more confused than we are right now).
This is the theory, but will it happen this way? Ha..we have lots of time to wait to see if it will...

In this 3rd book, Nick is faced with the problem of his dad showing up and how someone at school is posting stuff about everyone else, things that are secrets and that humiliate the targets. All this while dealing with mom, girlfriend, school buddies and paranormal friends. Nick's life isn't easy but his posture, his positive attitude and his good heart are always great weapons to fight the bad things that might come in his way.
These books are full of new things happening all the time, it's hard to keep track. Gods and important people everywhere, vital decisions to be made, small details to bar in mind...I have to confess I feel confused, not all the time, but most of it. I can see where the author is going with all this, but to have to wait, to have to see all the twists before she can put the characters in the right track...it can be tiring. It's my problem with this, she could do a great job in less time, it's very clear she is doing this to maximize not only Nick's story, but the whole concept of dark-hunters, and hey she's a success so she can do it and we wait and enjoy (most of) all the books but in all the time we have to wait, it gets too tiring. If I could froze time and wake up when it's all done and I could read everything in a row, now that's would be more like it, but as it can't be, the wait can be tiring. These Chronicles show another side of the action that took place during all the books, more or less. the reader doesn't revisit all that happened, just how Nick was doing at the time and we already have many differences from that, which can be very confused if we think about a comparison between each series, so let's not do that. Let's only enjoy this story as an almost epic one and see every little detail as part of a big thing. The best thing is all the things we get to find out while in the other series some characters still don't have a clue.
I just hope I'm still here to see the end of it.

Sherrilyn Kenyon - The Guardian

Dream-Hunter Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions: To descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill her and her kind. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm's most vicious guardian...
Seth's time is running out. If he can't hand over the entrance to Olympus, his own life and those of his people will be forfeit. No matter the torture, Seth hasn't been able to break the god in his custody. Then there's the beautiful Dream-Hunter Lydia: She isn't just guarding the gates of Olympus -- she's holding back one of the world's darkest powers. If she fails, an ancient curse will haunt the earth once more and no one will be safe. But evil is always seductive...

Comment: After many books that didn't seem to follow the same storylines we had from lots of previous books, here we got another one where we actually see characters and things familiar to what we wanted to read about.
I say "we" because I believe many fans are eager to see some things solved or, at least, advancing in its solving.
Anyway, so this book centers in Seth, a demigod Noir has and doesn't release. Seth has been in Noir's dungeons since he was a teenager and that happened a long time ago, withour ever leaving and being there because Noir has the power to bring him back if he ever dared to go. Solin is another prisioner Noir recently got because he believes Solin will give him the Key, something that would unlock the powers from the Gods in the Olympus. Solin, however, doesn't give him the Key and Seth is set to make him get it for Noir.
At the same time shows up Lydia, a dream-hunter with lots of secrets, to set Solin free because he is important to her. While dealing with all the things happening, Seth trusts someone else for the first time and they fall in love.
I was so glad to see beloved characters like Solin and Jaden! they both make a strong appearence in this story. We believe this is Jaden's arc because the author said so a long time ago and perhaps it really is, because in this book we finally see jaden and learn a little bit more about him and his past. We meet new characters (as we do all the time) and maybe it mean more than we think. I do feel this book is similar to the first novels because Seth suffered a lot and doesn't think much of himself but he gets his HEA and I'm so happy for him.
I hope after the next book (a kind of continuation from Retribution) she will get back to this plot and will solve something orat leat present a book with these characters we want to know more about.
Despite all, The Guardian is a good book.

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Retribution

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he'd spend eternity protecting the humans he'd once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief -- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.
Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who's assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he's not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.
Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they've sworn to protect.

Comment: Each new book by this author is like a ray of hope in the fans. We always expect that this is the book that will bring more news about the world we love so much.
However, this one brought even more questions. As usual.
I understand the need of the author to explore to her maximum all the ideas in her head, but to be honest, there are so many things happening at the same time, so many pantheons and gods around that it's getting difficult - even for someone who has read the books from the beginning - to get in mind all the facts and names and beings and stuff.
I wish she would solve some things along the way, in order to make the world evolve. Things happen here, happen there but I don't see much link between everything and at the rhythm she can follow, I don't know how old I'll be when the series finally end.

The story. Of course I enjoyed knowing more about a whole different pantheon, I'm indeed curious to see where this will go, especially since, apparently, the new DH book, coming out next year, will follow this one.
The romance was good, I liked seeing them together, but I think the way the story was presented, that everything happened too fast, and honestly can you get in on when surrounded by wasps and there's the danger of them reaching you?
Anyway.
This book presents a new pantheon, like I said, and with it, new myths and legends. What I found interesting in the middle of all the new information is the roles both Jesse and Abigail have. Didn't see it coming and if, on one hand, it's amazing to see the author's freshness of ideas, on the other it just complicates all we know and there we go again to that not-solving-things-at-the-moment thing.
What I really enjoyed was to see some characters from previous books. Always a pleasure.
Also good was the bonus scene at the end of the book, where we see Tory having her baby. Wonderful to see that scene and even better to see Ash living though it with people who love him, *sighing*
Next month is released another book in the series, although labelled dream-hunter. To me it's all the same thing, as everything is connected one way or another, so I wish/hope to see something new happen, something solved.

Sherrilyn Kenyon - Invencible

Nick Gautier’s day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul.

His new principal thinks he’s even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can’t even mention and the girl he’s not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him.

But more than that, he’s being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn’t learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them...


Comment (or a rant?): I must say I'm only reading this YA new series because of what may appear in them, otherwise, I'd not suffer throught the maze of new information again and again.
The author has an amazing imagination and we know she has a lot on her mind to write down, but...there are so many things happening in this series, I'm starting to feel very confused over everything! She keeps bringing more and more characters from all types of lengends and they all live in this world. This wouldn't be bad if she didn't change the focus all the time! But, alas, she does.
I've been in love with the series since book #1 and it surprised me how she could bond a story with so many emotions in a series labelled paranormal romance...there has been so much more going on...and now I feel she isn't tracking everything. I feel lost, pure and simple.
I think this YA series featuring Nick are very interesting but now we have to worry about things, the same ones I mean, in two different settings, with two possible outcomes, but which may be the same thing in the end. Confusing? Oh yes.
I'll admit it and say I'll read them, I'll keep confusing myself instead of waiting for the last one and take my chances, but I'm masochist that way. It will ease my conscience and that's it.