Unleash The Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Unleash the Night
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2007
978-0312934330

The amazon.com product description:

It's a predator eat predator world for the Were-Hunters. Danger haunts any given day. There is no one to trust. No one to love. Not if they want to live…

An orphan with no clan that will claim him, Wren Tigarian grew to adulthood under the close scrutiny and mistrust of those around him. A forbidden blend of two animals—snow leopard and white tiger—Wren has never listened to anyone when there was something he wanted. Now he wants Marguerite.
Marguerite D'Aubert Goudeau is the daughter of a prominent U.S. Senator who hates the socialite life she's forced to live. Like her mother before her, she has strong Cajun roots that her father doesn't understand. Still, she has no choice but to try and conform to a world where she feels like an outsider. But the world of rich and powerful humans is never to meet the world of the Were-Hunters who exist side by side with them, unseen, unknown, undetected. To break this law is to call down a wrath of the highest order.
In order to have Marguerite, Wren must fight not just the humans who will never accept his animal nature, but the Were-Hunters who want him dead for endangering their world. It's a race against time and magic without boundary that could cost Marguerite and Wren not just their lives, but their very souls…

My favourite of the Dark Hunter series. This is also one of the "old style" Dark Hunter novels - where the story is a hundred percent focused on the two main characters - no continuing story arc or anything from the previous books or to build on for the next one.

At this point in the series its' still possible to read the books out of order and not miss anything other than the occasional joke. However, that starts to change with the later books in the series.

Unleash the Night is a quick and funny read if you're a fan of paranormal romances. There's myth, were-creatures and fun all around, despite the various character issues (or perhaps because of). I've read the book before and laughed my way through it, and I'm sure I will again in the future.

Book Rambling: Teen Books

In the past year or so I've noticed a bit of a trend within the teen books section of the bookstore: Authors I've seen in the regular fiction section are starting to come out with teen books now: Philipa Gregory, Sherrilyn Kenyon, David Weber, and Elizabeth George are only a few of the authors names I've seen.

Many of them are newer books, but a few have been writing for the teen market for a while now, like Mercedes Lackey who's onto the third book in her Shadow Grail series which started with Legacies. Or, James Patterson, known for the Maximum Ride series and some other teen novels such as Daniel X.

What kind of puzzles me though is the way that some of the books tie into the authors' other books. Sherrilyn Kenyon's the first author that comes to mind for me with this. She's better known for her paranormal romance series concerning the Dark Hunters. This is where I get somewhat surprised, and I'm trying to figure out what market she's appealing to.

I certainly wouldn't recommend the Dark Hunter books to teens at all, but Nick, the main character in this series is also a character in those books - this series concerns his teen years before we see him as a Squire to the Dark Hunters. At the same time, I feel like this series contradicts that one. I just don't see any place for zombies and the like in the Dark Hunter series as I know it, but that seems to be the main topic of the Chronicles of Nick novels. On the other hand, I have to admit - I haven't read any of the Chronicles of Nick series. Maybe someone who has can enlighten me.

The author that comes to mind as having done a really good job tying a teen series into an existing world is David Weber. Instead of trying to use an existing character, he's working with a time-period much earlier in the world and a character we don't know very much about - Stephanie Harrington, the discoverer of treecats. A Beautiful Friendship, the start of this series maintains the feeling of the main series, and is interesting to readers of that series, and would also work to attract new readers.

Why turn to teen books though? There've been spin-off books before in the Honor Harrington world, and some of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books were shelved as teen/young adult at the library even though they're classed as fantasy in the bookstore. Is it that they have a particular story to tell which best fits that medium? or is more likely that there's a market for teen fiction right now?

What do you think is the answer? All I know is that I like some of these books, and the David Weber ones especially seem to be missed by adults who like science-fiction and his other books. Heck, if I hadn't been in the regular habit of checking the upcoming books by some of these authors, I'd have missed out on some very good stories!

Waiting On Wednesday - No Mercy

Breaking The Spine hosts this neat meme each Wednesday: Waiting On Wednesday. It's where we can spotlight a book that hasn't come out yet that we're waiting eagerly for. This is my choice for the week:

No Mercy
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
Release Date: August 3, 2010

The amazon.com product description:

Live fast, fight hard and if you have to die then take as many of your enemies with you as you can. That is the Amazon credo and it was one Samia lived and died by. Now in contemporary New Orleans, the immortal Amazon warrior is about to learn that there’s a worse evil coming to slaughter mankind than she’s ever faced before.

Shapeshifter Dev Peltier has stood guard at the front of Sanctuary for almost two hundred years and in that time, he’s seen it all. Or so he thought. Now their enemies have discovered a new source of power- one that makes a mockery of anything faced to date.

The war is on and Dev and Sam are guarding ground zero. But in order to win, they will have to break the most cardinal of all rules and pray it doesn’t unravel the universe as we know it.

Night Pleasures - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Night Pleasures
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2002
978-0312593551

The Amazon.com product description:

The Dark-Hunters are ancient warriors who have sworn to protect mankind and the fate of the world is in their hands. . .
 He is solitude. He is darkness. He is the ruler of the night. Yet Kyrian of Thrace has just woken up handcuffed to his worst nightmare: An accountant. Worse, she's being hunted by one of the most lethal vampires out there. And if Amanda Devereaux goes down, then he does too. But it's not just their lives that are hanging in the balance.  Kyrian and Amanda are all that stands between humanity and oblivion. Let's hope they win.

Night Pleasures, the second book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's world of the Dark Hunters is the story of Amanda and Kyrian of Thrace. I have to say it's not the best introduction (at least for Amanda), but it certainly is amusing: she wakes up to find herself handcuffed to this handsome stranger in an unfamiliar room. For Amanda, who just wants an ordinary life, this is the start of her introduction to the hidden world all around. The world her sisters believe in. It's a world populated by ancient Greek gods, shape-shifters (the Were-Hunters), Dream-Hunters, Dark-Hunters, Daimons and so much more). This is also a dangerous world.

Although Night Pleasures is the second book set in this world, it really does feel like the first. Fantasy Lover, although a good read, doesn't have the Daimons, Dark-Hunters or any of the other mainstays of the series in it. This is the book that introduces so many of the characters from future books to us: Tabitha, Talon, Sunshine, Nick, Acheron and others.

There's non-stop excitement in this book, as well as many amusing moments. One of my favorites is when one of the other characters phones Amanda and asks her to check on her dog, saying that all she's doing is reading the latest Kinley MacGregor (Taming The Highlander). Why it's so amusing to me is because Kinley MagGregor is the other name that Sherrilyn Kenyon writes under.

Night Pleasures is a romance novel, so the general plot is fairly predictable. You know right from the start that Amanda and Kyrian are going to get together by the end of the story, it's just a question of how. And, the odds do seem to be stacked against them.

This isn't my favorite book in the series, but it's a good one nonetheless, and one that I've read several times. I do recommend Night Pleasures along with the rest of the Dark-Hunter world to any fan of paranormal romance novels.

Night Play - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Night Play
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St Martin's Paperbacks
Copyright: 2004
978-0312992422

The back jacket blurb:

Bride McTierney has had it with men. They're cheap, self-centered, and never love her for who she is. But though she prides herself on being independent, deep down she still yearns for a knight in shining armor.

She just never expected her knight in shining armor to have a shiny coat of fur...

Deadly and tortured, Vane Kattalakis isn't what he seems. Most women lament that their boyfriends are dogs. In Bride's case, hers is a wolf. A Were-Hunter wolf. Wanted dead by his enemies, Vane isn't looking for a mate. But the Fates have marked Bride as his. Now he has three weeks to either convince Bride that the supernatural is real or he will spend the rest of his life neutered--something no self-respecting wolf can accept...

But how does a wolf convince a human to trust him with her life when his enemies are out to end his? In the world of the Were-Hunters, it really is dog-eat-dog. And only one alpha male can win.

 Night Play, the sixth book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series is perhaps my favorite of the series. It's actually a toss-up between this one and Unleash The Night. I think it's also one of the first books in the series that I read. I do know that I've re-read it several times (and I'm surprised to find that it's not already reviewed here).

Kenyon has a very different take on the world of werewolves (or other were-creatures) and vampires, including a coherent back-story for their creation. There's werewolves, were-bears, and many others as well. Each of them has two branches that are fated to always be at war.

What I really like about this book is the characters. Bride feels 'real'. She's not perfect, has her flaws and doubts, yet she still gets her happy ending. Vane as well. Along the way they've left me laughing so many times. Just wait until you get to the 'boyfriend meets the family' scenes and you'll see what I mean.

Night Play is, I've found a book that can be read many times with just as much enjoyment as the first time. Yes the books are light entertainment, but they're done in such a way that they don't seem overly formulaic.

I consider this to be a five-star book, and if you like paranormal romance, give it a try.

October Review Round Up

A few days late, I know, but I've been distracted by NaNoWriMo (which isn't going as well as I'd hoped it would. I'm only 3300 words in on the third day).

Anyway, these are the books I read and reviewed during October:

The Fiery Cross
Diana Gabaldon

A snippet from my review:

Diana Gabaldon has a knack for description of all sorts, be it clothing, settings, behavior or any number of facets of life. She's got the details down. I can't say if they're all accurate, but the characters and the way the live in the late seventeen-hundreds "feels" right to me.

In Celebration of Lammas Night Created By Mercedes Lackey
Editor: Josepha Sherman

A snippet from my review:

If you're a fan of Mercedes Lackey or Andre Norton you'll find that In Celebration of Lammas Night is filled with familiar names: Ellen Guon co-wrote the books of Bedlam's Bard with Mercedes Lackey. Josepha Sherman, the editor of this book, worked with her on A Cast Of Corbies. Holly Lisle co-wrote When The Bough Breaks, one of the Serrated Edge series, and also worked with Marion Zimmer Bradley. Susan Shwartz has written with Andre Norton in the past. The list goes on. It's full of authors I recognized: S. M. Stirling and Jody Lynn Nye are two other well known authors who have stories in this anthology.

Bad Moon Rising
Sherrilyn Kenyon

A snippet from my review:

Although this is the story of Fang Kattalakis, its also just as much the story of Aimee Peltier, the lone daughter of the bears who run Sanctuary. That meant that rather than the scattered references to Sanctuary and how it was run, we really got a good view of the running of the bar. Kind of neat to see that different view on the Were-hunters and their lives. I also liked the greater insight into how the Were-hunter women factored into their society. So far, nearly all the Were-hunter main characters we've seen had been male.

Defenders of the Scroll
Shiraz

A quote from my review:

This is in many ways an absolutely spectacular book. Each page is set on the background of a rolled scroll, which is a little detail I've never seen done before. And yet, despite the darker background, the text is still clear and easy to read. Also spectacular are the full page illustrations of the events and adventures the characters go through.

Geisha, A Life
Mineko Iwasaki and Rande Brown

A snippet from my review:

Geisha, A Life was an interesting read, and I may have to go hunting for more books on the subject. Memoirs Of A Geisha caught my imagination, and this book has only whetted my interest even more. A world where an adult can get by without any of the normal skills? Money and it's value? Cooking (the disasters Mineko manages to create are just plain amusing), etc.

I know very well, that although this is a world I find interesting to read about, I wouldn't want to live in it. Mineko lives a life of privilege, but from the start, she's been at the top of her society. How different was it for less fortunate Geisha? That's one thing this book (and, for that matter Arthur Golden's novel) doesn't really go into.

Bad Moon Rising - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Bad Moon Rising
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St Martin's Press
Copyright Date: 2009
978-0312369491

The Amazon.com description:

Fang Kattalakis isn't just a wolf. He is the brother of two of the most powerful members of the Omegrion: the ruling council that enforces the laws of the Were-Hunters. And when war erupts among the lycanthropes, sides must be chosen. Enemies are forced into shaky alliances. And when the woman Fang loves is accused of betraying her people, her only hope is that Fang believes in her. Yet in order to save her, Fang must break the law of his people and the faith of his brothers. That breech could very well spell the end of both their races and change their world forever.

The war is on and time is running out...

I love the Dark-Hunter series Sherrilyn Kenyon has been writing. Bad Moon Rising is the most recent addition, just being released in hardcover this past August.

Finally one of the loose ends of Night Play, the fate of Fang, is tied up. I'd been wondering about that since I first read the aforementioned book. Fury's story is told in one of the short stories Kenyon has written, but nothing more had been said about Fang.

His story, told in Bad Moon Rising begins just before the events of Night Play and spans the timeframe of several of the books, making reference to events in them. For instance, the story of Wren, told in Unleash The Night is mentioned from Fang's perspective.

This is, honestly, something I found a bit confusing, at least at first. So far when I've read the books in the Dark-Hunter series, they've more or less followed one on the next in order. Here we are, jumping back in the timeline quite a ways and running parallel to the other books. The story is also the somewhat more complicated storyline as seen in the most recent books (Acheron etc.), rather than the more individual story of the earlier ones.

Although this is the story of Fang Kattalakis, its also just as much the story of Aimee Peltier, the lone daughter of the bears who run Sanctuary. That meant that rather than the scattered references to Sanctuary and how it was run, we really got a good view of the running of the bar. Kind of neat to see that different view on the Were-hunters and their lives. I also liked the greater insight into how the Were-hunter women factored into their society. So far, nearly all the Were-hunter main characters we've seen had been male.

Still, it's a romance novel, which means that you know that somehow, the characters are going to get their happy ending, no matter how unlikely it seems at times. And, this book really had me wondering how the author was going to be able to get them together in the face of everything. Bear and Wolf? Parental Disapproval? Outside Plotting? All of those are factors and major plot points in the story.

This whole series is mind-candy, if violent at times. Still, it's a favorite series for me, and in Bad Moon Rising we revisit some of my favorite characters. I do recommend this whole series if you're a fan of the paranormal romance genre, and I'm eagerly waiting for the next installment in this series.

Mailbox Monday - October 5

Mailbox Monday is kindly hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page. She warns (accurately) that this meme can lead to massive TBR piles too. Read on at your own risk :).

I got off fairly lightly this week, at least compared to last week.

No books came in the mail, and I only bought three:

Order in Chaos by Jack Whyte:
The amazon.com description:

Order in Chaos begins just prior to Friday the thirteenth of October 1307, the original Day of Infamy that marked the abrupt end of the Order of the Templars. On that day, without warning, King Philip IV sent his armies to arrest every Templar in France in a single morning. Then, with the aid of Pope Clement V, he seized all the Temple assets and set the Holy Inquisition against the Order.

Forewarned at the last minute by the Grand Master himself, who has discovered the king’s plot too late to thwart it, Sir William St. Clair flees France with the Temple’s legendary treasure, taking with him several hundred knights, along with the Scots-born widow of a French Baron, the Lady Jessica Randolph. As time passes and the evidence of the French King’s treachery becomes incontestable, St. Clair finds himself increasingly disillusioned and decides, on behalf of his Order, to abandon the past. He releases his men from their “sacred” vows of papal obedience and leads them into battle as Temple Knights one last time, in support of King Robert Bruce at the battle of Bannockburn. And in the aftermath of victory, he takes his surviving men away in search of another legend: the fabled land, mentioned in Templar lore, that lies beyond the Western Ocean and is known as Merica.

The bookstore had a signed copy on the shelf, and I couldn't resist.

Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
The Amazon.com product description:

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.

Winter Moon: Moontide\Heart Of The Moon\Banshee Cries by Mercedes Lackey, Tanith Lee and C. E. Murphy
The Amazon.com product description:

In an isolated land where the lure of the "Moontide" leads to shipwrecks, a woman is torn between obeying her father or her king. When she chooses to follow a Fool, she discovers magic she'd never expected… at a price that might be too high….
World Fantasy award winner Tanith Lee
Struggling under the curse of a dead comrade, Clirando, a warrior priestess unready to face the powers trapped within her, must face "The Heart of the Moon" to reveal what has been hidden….
C.E. Murphy
In "Banshee Cries," ritual murders under a full moon lead Jo Walker to confront a Harbinger of Death. Maybe this "gift" she has is one she shouldn't ignore— because the next life she has to save might be her own!

Book Rambling: Cover Images, Series and Reprints

Cover images...

If it's not an author you already love (the way Mercedes Lackey is for me, or J.R.R. Tolkien), I'd bet the cover image plays a part in your choice of a new book to read. They're carefully planned, designed and created to appeal.

That's all well and good, but what about when you're reading/buying a series and the publishers change the cover style completely half way through?

They've done it with Jack Whyte's Camolud Chronicles (although, to be fair, they only really did it after the main series was completed, so theoretically it's quite possible to have a matching set). I'm commenting about this one, because I'm missing one of the Sorcerer pair, and I can never remember which one it is when I'm at the used bookstore.

Diana Gabaldon's books are another example. The first books had the strip with the title in the bottom third of the page, and a painting/mixed image for the rest of the cover. I'll admit that that was one of the things that attracted me to the first book, Outlander. Now, it's a plain solid cover color with a simple celtic ornament in the center, and has been from The Fiery Cross onwards.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter novels are another example of reprinting with new covers. This one downright confuses me some of the time, as I have them in one set, and the ones in the store are different. At least it's not too different in style (up until Acheron and Bad Moon Rising, anyway). However, I still think of Night Play, for example as being the pink book. now the main cover color is blue. Kind of throws me off a bit when I'm searching them out for customers.

The other headache in covers/editions for me is the History of Middle-Earth series. There's so many editions, and all have different page numbering.

The Pern series by Anne McCaffrey are another set of books where the covers have changed over the years. Some of the earlier books have been reissued in the new covers, but not all, I don't think. Also, the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels by Laurell K. Hamilton are mixed like this. The change is at Obsidian Butterfly, I think.

Question is, are you collector enough to want to have matching sets for books? If so, do you do anything about the re-issues (such as re-buying the series), or do you just gripe mentally, and put up with the multiple cover styles?

Personally, I tend to put up with it (although, as I said, I'm hunting certain exceptions in the used book store). The one exception is the History of Middle-Earth series. I'm trying for the black HarperCollins trade paperbacks, simply so they'll all work with the index volume, which I intend to buy.

Upcoming novels by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Sherrilyn Kenyon has quite a few new novels due out over the course of 2009.

There's the League series, of which the first three are due out (at least I think they're the first three, the character names are not familiar to me):

Born of Night
Mass Market
978-0312942304
Due out: September 29, 2009
Amazon.com product description:

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.

Neither Amazon or Indigo display covers for this series yet.

Born of Fire
Mass Market
978-0312942311
Due out November 3, 2009
Amazon.com product description:

In a universe where assassins make the law, everyone lives in fear—except for Syn. Born of an illicit scandal that once rocked a dynasty, he always knew how to survive on the bloodthirsty streets. But that was then, and the future is now…

Syn was raised as a tech-thief until his livelihood uncovered a truth that could end his life. He tried to destroy the evidence, and has been on the run ever since. Now trained as an assassin, he allows no one to threaten him. Ever. He is the darkness that swallows his enemies whole.

Shahara Dagan is the best bounty hunter in the universe. When Syn comes back on the radar, she’s the only one who can bring him to justice. There’s only one problem: Syn is a close family friend who’s helped out the Dagans countless times. But if she saves him, both of their lives will be on the line. Is Syn’s protection worth the risk? The only hope Shahara has is to find the evidence he buried long ago. Now it’s kill or be killed—and they, the predators, have just become the hunted…

Born of Ice
Mass Market
978-0312942328
Due out on December 1, 2009
Amazon.com product description:

In the Ichidian Universe, the League and its ruthless assassins continue to keep rule. But at what cost? Welcome back to the future…and a whole new world.

Devyn Kell spent his life in service to the League until he learned of the double dealing and backstabbing that was costing innocent people their lives. Refusing to play those politics, he became a Runner—someone who makes sure planets get the weapons, medicine and supplies they need to survive. May the gods have mercy on any who get in his way, because he definitely won’t.

Alix Garran is a woman on the run from a past she can’t escape. Signing on to work for Devyn as a System’s Engineer, she finds a cause she can fight for—and a man she can respect. But as Alix’s past catches up to her, and Devyn’s old enemies turn lethal, they have to fight together…or fall alone.

Then there's the Lords of Avalon series she's written as Kinley MacGregor...

Lords of Avalon: Knight of Darkness Graphic Novel
Hardcover
978-0785127680
Due out September 23, 2009
Amazon.com product description:

The world of best-selling author Sherrilyn Kenyon's dark spin on the Arthurian mythos returns in this adaptation of the second book of the Lords of Avalon series! Varian duFey may be the son of evil Adonai sorceress Narishka duFey, but he turned his dark heritage to the side of good, acting as Avalon's most deadly assassin. Though hated and mistrusted by the other knights whose cause he shares, when someone begins killing Grail Knights, Merlin sends her darkest knight on a quest that leads him directly to his mother's door... and to a hag named Merewyn, who is more than she seems. Collects Lords of Avalon: Knight of Darkness #1-6.

The Darkness Within
(Kinley MacGregor)
Mass Market
978-0061140488
Release Date: August 25, 2009

Amazon.com has neither a product description or a cover image yet for this book. However, it is apparently, the third book in the Lords of Avalon series, following Knight of Darkness and Sword of Darkness.

Bad Moon Rising
Hardcover
978-0312369491
Release Date: August 4, 2009
Amazon.com Product Description:

Fang Kattalakis isn't just a wolf. He is the brother of two of the most powerful members of the Omegrion: the ruling council that enforces the laws of the Were-Hunters. And when war erupts among the lycanthropes, sides must be chosen. Enemies are forced into shaky alliances. And when the woman Fang loves is accused of betraying her people, her only hope is that Fang believes in her. Yet in order to save her, Fang must break the law of his people and the faith of his brothers. That breech could very well spell the end of both their races and change their world forever.

The war is on and time is running out...

Honestly, this is the one I've been waiting for. Only two months and a bit left to wait.

Upcoming Books (Mostly New Ones)

The Serrano Succession
Elizabeth Moon
Baen Books
978-1439132883
Release Date: September 8, 2009 (Amazon.com)

This is an omnibus edition of the third and fourth books about Esmay Suiza and Barin Serrano. The first two books in the series were Once A Hero and Rules of Engagement. This volume is comprised of Change of Command and Against The Odds.

I remember enjoying the series when the books first came out, so to be honest, I'm eagerly keeping an eye out for this one when it's released. I can't exactly give details about the storyline however as it's been long enough since I read the books that rereading is going to be like reading the series for the first time. Elizabeth Moon is one of my favorite authors for military science fiction (the other one being David Weber).

By Heresies Distressed
David Weber
Tor Books
978-0765315038
Release Date: July 21, 2009 (Amazon.com)

This is, going by the title and the cover image, going to be the third book in the series beginning with Off Armageddon Reef. Going by the previous book, By Schism Rent Asunder, this is going to be a book that will keep me up all night reading it. At the moment there is very little information about the book available on the amazon.com page, and no blurb on the indigo.ca page either.

Storm From The Shadows
David Weber
Baen Books
9781416591474
Release Date: March 3,2009 (Indigo.ca)

This is, I'm sure the book all David Weber fans are looking for: It's the next book set in the world of Honor Harrington. According to the Indigo.ca page blurb, the book is the prequel to The Shadow of Saganami. It looks as though a third (or, is that fourth?) side is going to start getting involved in the war between the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Havenite forces. I can't wait. Weber is one of those authors that keeps me up far to late at night when I'm reading his books.

Skin Trade
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley Hardcover
978-0425227725
Release Date: June 2, 2009 (Amazon.com)

The seventeenth book in the Anita Blake series. Going by the hints on Laurell K. Hamilton's blog, this looks like it's going to be a really good book (of course, I've got to get around to finishing the previous book, Blood Noir, first). It's certainly got some stunning (and creepy) cover art displayed. However, at the moment, there's no blurb about the book on either Amazon.com or Indigo.ca.

Acheron
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
9780312949419
Release Date: March 31, 2009 (Indigo.ca)

This is the awaited mass-market release of Sherrilyn Kenyon's book Acheron. I know I've been waiting for it even though I've already read the book in hardcover.

Born of the Night
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
9780312942304
Release Date: September 29, 2009 (Indigo.ca)

I can't even guess whether this is a Dark-Hunter novel or one of her other series. I'd have said Dark-Hunter, but there's Phantom in the Night which came out last year, which I believe is one of the B.A.D. novels. Unfortunately there's no blurb available yet. I'll be posting a note when I do discover a blurb for the book. Simply consider this an early warning to start saving for more Sherrilyn Kenyon novels. In addition, Amazon seems not to have this item even listed yet. All the information here is off of indigo.ca

Bad Moon Rising: A Dark-Hunter Novel
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
978-0312369491
Release Date: August 4, 2009 (Amazon.com)

This one is definitely a Dark-Hunter novel, and I think, the next major one. It's certainly the next hardcover issue, and as a result, I don't think there will be any complaints about the book being too short. Unfortunately, as with the previous Kenyon listed, there's no blurb to say who the book is about. Still, I can't wait, as given the cliff-hanger in Dream Warrior, the book should definitely be a good one. I'll be keeping an eye out for the blurb, at which time I'll post an alert. Not only is there no blurb yet, but no cover display either.

Upon The Midnight Clear - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Upon The Midnight Clear
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2007
9780312947057

From the back of the book:

Ever think Scrooge had it right before the ghosts ruined his life? Meet Aidan O'Conner.

At one time he was a world-renowned celebrity who gave freely of himself and his money without wanting anything in return...until those around him took without asking. Now Aidan wants nothing to do with the world - or anyone who's a part of it.

When a stranger appears on his doorstep, Aidan knows he's seen her before...in his dreams.

Born on Olympus as a goddess, Leta knows nothing of the human world. But a ruthless enemy has driven her from the world of dreams and into the home of the only man who can help her: Aidan. Her immortal powers are derived from human emotions - and his anger is just the fuel she needs to defend herself...

One cold winter's night will change their lives forever...

Trapped together in a brutal winter storm, Aidan and Leta must turn to the only power capable of saving them - or destroying them both: trust.

This is one of the two Dark-Hunter books so far that especially irritates me, thought I still like the story a lot. The other is Dark Side of the Moon. The reason for this one has nothing to do with the story though. It's more that I feel cheated: $8.99 for a book I can easily read in three hours or less. I know I'm a fast reader, but still... In this case the font is about twice normal size (I think to expand the book and make it look like more).

Upon the Midnight Clear is more or less the book version of the Christmas episode of so many T.V. shows: Short, set at Christmas and full of fun.

This is also a bit of a different story as the woman isn't a mere human as compared to the male Dark-Hunter, Were-Hunter and the other Dream-Hunter heroes. Instead the story is somewhat reversed, with a human male and a goddess of a woman/heroine. Also, there are none of the other familiar characters in even a walk on role in this book.

The pattern for the story is typical of the Dark-Hunter series/romance.

I did like the short stories in the back of the book a lot though. All three of them are Christmas stories with the old familiar characters: Nick, Fang, Fury and the like. Also Stryker, Acheron and Simi.

Dream Warrior - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dream Warrior
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2009
9780312938833

From the back of the book:

We are the Dolophoni. Diligent. Vigilant. Fierce and inescapable. Servants of the Furies, we are the right hand of justice and no one stands before us...

The son of Warcraft and Hate, Cratus spent eternity battling for the ancient gods who birthed him. He was death to any who crossed him. Until the day he laid down his arms and walked into self-imposed exile. Now an ancient enemy has been unleashed and our dreams are his chosen battlefield. The only hope we have is the one god who swears he will never fight again.

Dream Warrior

As a Dream-Hunter, Delphine has spent eternity protecting mankind from the predators who prey on our unconscious state. But now that her allies have been turned, she knows that in order to survive, the Dream-Hunters need a new leader. Someone who can train them to fight their new enemies. Cratus is her only hope. But she is a bitter reminder of why he chose to lay down his arms.

Time is running out and if she can't win him to her cause, mankind will be slaughtered and the world we know will soon cease to exist.

Dream Warrior, the latest of the Sherrilyn Kenyon novels and the sequel to One Silent Night is the most recent book set in the Dark-Hunter world. It is also the third in what I'm calling the 'new' series, where the events of the previous books play a serious role in the current one. Previously (up to about Acheron), it was easily possible to read the books in any order and not get too confused. Now, half of the characters have been introduced in previous books and the events certainly have been. I'm starting to feel like I need a chart of who's who for the characters, both good and evil.

I enjoyed the read, even though it was over a bit sooner than I'd have liked: the font size in Sherrilyn Kenyon's latest two has been a bit larger than normal, although not as bad as in Upon The Midnight Clear, which is more like a large-print book. I'm also waiting for the next book as, other than the obligatory happy ending, none of the issues raised in this book were resolved. Certainly not the victory against the current evil!

Nick, the Squire turned Dark-Hunter back in the earliest books is starting to reappear in the most recent couple of books, which is neat. Now, if only we'd get some updates on how the other characters from the early books, such as Fang and family are doing. There've been some hints in the early books that there's quite a story there, and I for one am waiting to read it. For now, though it seems as though Kenyon's focus has shifted from the Dark-Hunters and the Were-Hunters to the Dream-Hunters.

One thing I've got to say about this world is it's always growing. Each book opens some new aspect for our reading pleasure (and most of the time it is a reading pleasure with this series). It's interesting to see the characters of the Greek pantheon as they were characterized in myth in the modern day. They certainly don't seem to have changed much!

Honestly, I can't wait for the next book in the series, and this seems to be a series that isn't going to be ending soon. There's always another character Kenyon can focus on and come up with a new story. Sure the characters follow a particular pattern, but this is a romance series after all. It doesn't get in the way of the story.

Upcoming Paperback releases

These are some of the books being released in paperback that I think might be interesting in the near future. All of the release dates are taken from the Indigo/Chapters website.

Acheron
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Due out March 31, 2009

One of the Dark Hunter series, Acheron's story has finally been told. It came out in hardcover last August. I found it to be an incredible story when I read the hardcover. My review, although I haven't bought the book yet. I've been waiting for paperback.


The Snow Queen
Mercedes Lackey
Due out February 1, 2009

A gem of a story, to say the least. This is the most recent of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series. I'm not sure though if it is the fourth or fifth in the series. Either way, I loved it. My review of the hardcover edition. Again, I've been waiting for it to come out in paperback before buying.


Victory Conditions
Elizabeth Moon
Due out January 27, 2009

The conclusion to the five book Vatta's War saga. Elizabeth Moon is one of my favourite authors for both her science fiction and her fantasy. This definitely met the standard. My review.


Swallowing Darkness
Laurell K. Hamilton
Due out August 25, 2009

The hardcover of this book is barely out yet, and they've got the paperback lined up already! This is the most recent of the Merry Gentry novels, and I think, one of the best. I'm waiting for the paperback though to buy it. My review of the hardcover.

One Silent Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon

I'm finally catching up on the books I read over the last month while working on NaNoWriMo. As a result, the reviews may be a bit shorter than normal. I know in this case it's been nearly a month since I read the book.

One Silent Night
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
Copyright: 2008
9780312947064

This is the most recent offering from Sherrilyn Kenyon in her Dark Hunters series. On the down side, I found it a bit too short (I finished it by mid-afternoon the day I bought it, and I wasn't even at home. This involved doing most of the reading on the bus), which I found disappointing given the cost of the book. I've found lately that font sizes and margins are going up for a few authors, including Kenyon.

I did find the story to be good to say the least, although it was different. I don't think she's done a story from the villain's point of view before. In fact I don't think I've ever read a story in a series that's set from the villain's view. I liked it though.

Before reading this book you really need to have read Acheron. A lot of her books can be read out of order, but for this one, you need to have the background, or else a lot of the characters won't make sense.

I'm waiting for the next book now, as she's left plenty of open questions to tease us with.

Acheron - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Acheron
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press
Copyright: August 2008
9780312362157

The most recent book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series, this is the story of Acheron, one of the characters that shows up in all of the books but Fantasy Lover. He's been a mystery to the readers from day one.

Who is he? What happened to him? What is he? Why does he hate Artemis so, and yet keep returning to her, and what hold does she have over him? We've been given hints about Acheron through all the books, leading to the above list of questions, which are answered in this book. Finally.

Acheron is also the longest book in the series to date, with 736 pages. It's also quite different from the typical Dark Hunter story. Where the others start in the present day, and we learn about the character through flashbacks, Acheron starts with the main character's birth and works forward, until it finally jumps into the present day.

To be honest, this wasn't my favourite book in the series, that being held equally by Unleash the Night and Night Play, but especially the latter present day half of the book was a good read. I did find myself skimming some parts of the earlier half of the book, as it made for slightly depressing reading. So as not to spoil things, all I will say is that Acheron did NOT have an easy life.

On the other hand, as this is a romance novel, you know that it will have a happy ending, and so it turns out. Acheron does get his happy ending, but it leaves some major questions to be answered in future books. I'm looking forward to them.