No Mercy
by: Sherrilyn Kenyon
*Today we are shining the spotlight on one of doll Mona Leigh’s favorite authors, Sherrilyn Kenyon. When Mona first read Kenyon’s Dark Hunter book she immediately returned to the book store and bought every other title the author had published that was in stock at the store. Since then she has read EVERY single thing Ms. Kenyon has ever published. Today she gets to share her love of Kenyon’s books with us and kicks off our Sherrilyn Kenyon feature with a review of No Mercy plus a little extra background on previous books. Enjoy!
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.
Sherrilyn Kenyon’s latest book covers the lives of Dark-Hunter Samia Savage and Devereaux Peltier, Dev for short. Dev is a bear quad and bouncer at Sanctuary, the family bar and neutral haven for all immortals. Sam hunts Daimons and is assigned to protect Nick Gautier, former squire, Dark-Hunter, and god-in-the-making.
The Weres have a general rule against fraternizing with the Dark-Hunters so Dev is naturally wary of his developing feelings toward Sam. But when the Daimon leader, Stryker, decides she’s valuable to his plot to change the future of his people Dev has a fight on his hands just keeping her safe.
During their struggles, friendship and lust turn to love and they end up mated. Both Dev and Sam have been damaged by family, and reconciling themselves to love is an almost insurmountable feat. One neither of them takes lightly.
Once again, Ms. Kenyon has delivered a story guaranteed to keep you waiting on pins and needles for the next book. Her timeline is spot on as usual. For anyone unfamiliar with the series, her books cover vast amounts of time, and to date, she has managed to maintain accuracy even while blending the lives of the various characters over many millennia, countries, pantheons, and civilizations. Whew!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=067W4Kvqa4g?fs=1]
*An Additional Goodie-Dark Hunter series synopsis*
For new and future fans, I’ll give a brief rundown of the series. Since Ms. Kenyon is a very prolific writer, for the sake of brevity I’ve included only one of her short stories in the rundown.
Fantasy Lover – 2002 – The story of Julian of Macedon and Grace Alexander. Julian, a god cast aside and unloved, was cursed and trapped in a book only to be released when a woman called on him by name (along with other criteria, of course). Grace worked as a sex therapist and was given Julian’s book by a friend trying to help her cure her miserable love life. Her love helped break Julian’s curse and free him from his prison.
Dragonswan – 2002 – A short story about Sebastian Kattalakis, an Arcadian Sentinal Drakos (dragon) and Channon MacRea, a scholar who spent years deciphering an ancient tapestry. Said tapestry brings the two together.
Night Pleasures – 2002 – Dark-Hunter Kyrian of Thrace falls in love with accountant Amanda Devereaux. In his mortal life, he was betrayed by his wife and murdered for his trouble. While he was tortured, his wife denied him and had sex with his torturer in front of him. Damaged and broken, Kyrian doubts Amanda could ever love anyone like him, and she doubts anyone as gorgeous as him could love anyone as frumpy as her. A match made in heaven.
Night Embrace – 2003 – The tale of Talon of the Morrigantes and Sunshine Runningwolf. Talon doesn’t ask much out of immortality – chicory coffee, warm beignets, and his best friend on the cell phone. Sunshine is beautiful, but she pushes all his buttons. She saves his life, but can’t remember where she put his pants. A study in contrasts, the sparks fly when they’re together.
Dance with the Devil – 2003 – (A personal favorite) Zarek is so damaged that even the gods contemplate putting him to final death. Yet Astrid, one of the Fates, seeks to give him a chance to prove his worth, and he does so in spades. To quote him, “(Insanity is) a condition many say I suffer from after being alone for so long. But I don’t suffer from my insanity – I enjoy every minute of it.”
Kiss of the Night – 2004 – Once out of sight, no one can remember Dark-Hunter Wulf Tryggvasen – except Cassandra. Cassandra Peters is half-human/half-Apollite and the last of Apollo’s direct bloodline. Brought together by fate, Wulf must protect her. If she dies, so does the sun, the earth, and everyone who dwells here.
Night Play – 2004 – Were-Hunter Vane Kattalakis isn’t looking for a mate when he meets Bride McTierney. She’s had it with men who are cheap, self-centered, and unable to love her for who she is. But the Fates have a warped sense of humor and have marked the two as mates. He has to convince her of that within three weeks or spend the rest of his life neutered.
Seize the Night – 2004 – Valerius Magnus was the son of a legendary Roman senator. A brutal betrayal caused him to bargain his soul. Tabatha Devereaux has trained herself to fight vampires. Her twin sister, Amanda, is married to Valerius’s mortal enemy. In order to save Tabitha’s family, Valerius must find a way to bridge a 2,000-year-old feud.
Sins of the Night – 2005 – Think the Dark-Hunters are bad boys? Alexion is their worst nightmare. When the Hunters violate their code, he is judge, jury, and executioner. Dangereuse St. Richard was born the daughter of a French actress and a French nobleman and grew up on the stage. As she tried to smuggle her family to Germany for safety during the revolution, her husband, Michel, betrayed her. She was killed by him while trying to protect her small brother and sister from the guillotine. Now as a Dark-Hunter, she meets death final death.
Unleash the Night – 2005 – Wren Tigarian should never have existed. A forbidden blend of snow leopard and white tiger, he’s known very little love in his life. Marguerite D’Aubert Goudeau is the daughter of a prominent U.S. senator and hates her socialite life. She strikes a chord in Wren and he would do anything for her, but in order to be together they must race against time and magic to save their lives and their very souls.
Dark Side of the Moon – 2006 – Ravyn Kontis is an Arcadian Dark-Hunter/Were-Hunter leopard. Susan Michaels was a hotshot reporter until her reputation was ruined. Now she works for a rag writing stories about alien babies, killer moths, etc. When she adopts a cat from the shelter, her life takes a turn she never expected. Because the cat turns out to be Ravyn.
The Dream Hunter – 2007 – Stripped of all emotions, Arikos (aka Arik) started out on the right side if the law as an Oneroi, but after his prey turned a human victim on him Arik tasted her lust. He went from the best to the worst – becoming an Erotikos Skotos and moving from dream to dream in search of emotions. Dr. Megeara Kafieri (aka Geary) wears an Atlantean coin around her neck that her father gave her when he died. Determined to salvage his ruined reputation, she searches for the lost city of Altantis to prove he wasn’t crazy. Arik bargains a human soul for the right to be mortal for two weeks – her soul.
Upon the Midnight Clear – 2007 – Leta was born on Olympus as a goddess, but a ruthless enemy has driven her from the world of dreams. Aidan O’Connor is a celebrity who’s chosen to seclude himself from the world. His anger is just the fuel she needs to defend herself. Trapped in a brutal winter storm, they must turn to the only power capable of saving them – trust.
Devil May Cry – 2007 – Sin is an ancient Sumerian god turned Dark-Hunter – one of the most powerful gods until Artemis robbed him of his godhood. Katra is the goddess daughter of Acheron and Artemis and Sin is her enemy. Now she’s the only one who can help him thwart the gallu demon resurgence.
Dream Chaser – 2008 – Xypher pursues sensations in the dreams of humans. Condemned to death for it, he’s given a month of mortality to redeem himself. Simone Dubois is a psychic coroner who can see and hear the people she works on. When Xypher turns up on her table, she’s okay with it until he gets up to leave. He doesn’t have time to waste on her. But attempts on her life force him to try to protect her, and she begins to touch a heart he’d thought long dead.
Acheron – 2008 – Oh, my god. This is a book like no other. The first half of the book tells the horrifying story of Acheron’s mortal life. Too complicated to sort out here, suffice it to say no one should be subjected to the abuse he endured as a child, teen, and young adult. Given as a fetus by his goddess mother to a mortal woman to save his life, he’s feared and hated because of looks. Around nine years of age, his mortal father gives him to his brother to rear but instead, he’s used as a sex slave for the pleasure of anyone willing to pay the price. The agony he suffers continues for years. He’s abused, castrated, and gutted. Artemis denies his love in order to protect her precious reputation, and he’s killed because of her. This was a very difficult book to read because it details the torture, pain, and fear of a young man loved by no one save his goddess mother. I cried throughout most of it, and the heartache was almost unbearable.
The second half deals with his present day life as a secret god and leader of the Dark-Hunters. He carries the shame of his childhood thinking no one could ever love someone as unworthy as him. Soteria Kafieri (aka Tory) is a certified genius who is cousin to Geary. She’s obsessed with finding Atlantis. But Acheron fears that if she finds it all his secret shame will be revealed and he’ll be the laughing stock of the world.
Somehow, the two of them end up saving each other and finding the enduring love they’ve earned.
No matter how crowded my bookcase becomes, Acheron will ALWAYS have a place on the shelf.
One Silent Night – 2008 – Stryker is the Daimon leader who continuously plots to take over humanity and end the plight of his Apollite/Daimon people. He is the bitter enemy of the Dark-Hunters and is protected by Acheron’s own mother. His nemesis, ex-wife Zephyra, returns with the daughter he never knew existed and he becomes embroiled in a war that gives new meaning to the word pain.
Dream Warrior – 2009 – The son of Warcraft and Hate, Cratus spent eternity battling for the ancient gods who birthed him until he went into self-imposed exile. Dream-Hunter Delphine has spent eternity protecting mankind from predators who prey on our unconscious state. When her allies have turned and the Dream-Hunters need a new leader, she’s forced to find someone who can train them to fight – Cratus. But convincing him is easier said than done and time is running out.
Bad Moon Rising – 2009 – Fang Kattalakis isn’t just a wolf – he’s the brother of two of the most powerful members of the Omegrion. Aimee Peltier, Sanctuary bookkeeper, waitress, and only daughter of the Peltier bear clan nurses him back to life after a Daimon attack. When she’s accused of betraying her people, he must break the law to save her. His breech of trust could very well spell the end of both their races and change their world forever.
Want to find out more about the amazing author of this series? Sherrilyn Kenyon answers some questions for the Dolls later today, so stay tuned. You can also find out loads of awesome info on Kenyon’s websites, clubs, and networking sites.
Day is a dreamer who has never met a stranger. She is fearless and will talk to anyone and read anything! She taught music and dance and was a singer/actress for years, performing on stages both nationally and overseas. Now married with children, she spends less time singing on stage and more time writing songs at home. But, family life has not completely slowed this chick down. She still loves an adventure and learning new things. She resides in Texas with her family, Great Dane (Sophie), Labradoodles (George & Cosmo) and Chihuahua (Juan Carlos).
Doll Day
Mona, wonderful review and overview!
I love Acheron! His book was…well, like you said – keeper shelf.
Now, if only Nick would grow up quickly and get his own HEA ;)
Also, how much do you love Simi?
I recently finished JR Wards Black Dagger Brotherhood series and really enjoyed it. This series sounds like one I will enjoy too.
Thank you so much for the series run down. That really helps someone like me who isnt as familiar with an author.
Ooh I love the dark hunter books this one's already in my TBR pile :)
Simi totally rocks!
Like @Noa I cannot wait for Nick's book and adored Acheron's story.
I read Acheron because of Mona's recommendation and it was very heartbreaking and well written.
Great review Mona, Thanks!
Yay! :) I love Sherrilyn Kenyon's books too.
The only thing I don't like is waiting a year between books :P It seems like the most interesting characters take forever to have their own books. I get excited just thinking that eventually Nick, Savitar, Jaden, and Jared will have their own books. (I like them the most)
^^ Great review!
The DH series is one of my faves.
I really enjoyed reading about Sam & Dev, they are so fun together; and of course, any tidbit of Nick is always welcome.
With the introduction of even more characters, it seems SK is keeping her list full of more books to come.