Book Review: Dragonmark by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dragonmark
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre: Fantasy / Romance / Urban Fantasy / Paranormal

Ages: 16 and up

Note: So, I haven't written a review in a long time. I have meant to, but work and my own writing have taken precedence lately. This book, however, made me so mad that I had to write a review just so I could stop complaining about it to everyone in my immediate vicinity (plus, it practically wrote itself in about 10 minutes I was so mad). I hate to do it, because Ms. Kenyon has long been a favorite of mine (particularly her League novels), but it had to be done. There are mild spoilers in this review.

Description:

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 in Dragonmark, the next blockbuster Dark-Hunter novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon.

My Thoughts:

I cannot remember the last time I felt so disappointed and angry after reading a book. I love Sherrilyn Kenyon, have read all of her books including the out of print, difficult to find ones. Not all of them have been great, but Dragonmark was just...bad.

I was so excited when I started Dragonmark, wondering what twists and turns and new character angst she would spring on me this time. It started out okay. Edilyn and Illarion were sweet and fun, if not quite as deep or exciting as I was hoping for. If there was less intensity to their story than Kenyon's usual style, though, I was sure that would improve as they became more developed. I just did not realize that development was never going to come. Instead, the hero and heroine become separated and almost the entire remainder of the book is a nearly word for word repeat of scenes from the previous two books in the series, with only the most halfhearted attempt to show them from Illarion's perspective. I waited for some sort of great personal revelations on Illarion's part to justify this, as there were in Styxx, but there was nothing. At the very end - and by that I mean the last thirty pages or so - there was finally a return to new material, but it was far too late to save this book.

What bothered me nearly as much as this lazy recycling, was the knowledge that if anyone picked up this book as their first Dark-Hunter series, it would look like an insane mish-mash of partial stories. It assumes that you have read the previous two books, Son of No One and Dragonbane, and yet it repeats them anyway. My first experience with the series was Acheron and, while I definitely missed out on some references, it at least made sense as a cohesive story.

If Illarion and Edilyn's story had been a novella containing the first 150 and last 30 pages with only a tiny bit of what came between, or if it instead followed Edilyn's POV, which sounded pretty interesting in the tiny glimpse I got of it, this book would have been fine. Nowhere near the best in the series, but anything would have been better than this. I went from eagerly hoping for books about a dozen or so other characters in the DH world to hoping Kenyon hurries up and brings on the apocalypse she's been threatening for so long so she can focus on the Chronicles of Nick and League novels, since she clearly has little interest in actually writing new DH material.

I will still be reading Ms. Kenyon's books - I LOVED Born of Legend and Invision, which makes it all the more surprising that this book was so bad - but the anticipation I always felt upon opening one of her books will now be tempered by fear that it will turn out to be another Dragonmark.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence

1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:

Probably a 7-8. I was honestly too horrified to pay much attention to swearing. Lots of mid-level words, a couple of f-bombs at least.

Sexuality:

I'd rate it a 6. It was pretty mild for a Kenyon book; only a couple of semi-descriptive scenes.

Violence:

I rate it a 5 for some fighting and death, but, as with the sexuality, it was pretty mild by Kenyon standards.

                                      Lieder Madchen

Top 5 Sunday: Re-Told Fairytales

 

Hello! This week on Larissa's Bookish Life, they picked a theme I suggested! Re-Told Fairytales. :) I really, really love re-told fairytales. They make me very happy. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order.

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier, a re-telling of the Wild Swans, my favorite fairytale of all time. This book is just beautifully written wonderful in so many ways.

Deerskin by Robin McKinley, a re-telling of Allerleirauh, another one of my favorite fairytales, and also one of the less common ones. This is a really dark story, but also very beautiful.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, a re-telling of, shocker, the Goose Girl, another more obscure fairytale. This one's more kid-friendly than the previous two books on my list, and a lot of fun.

The Once Upon a Time series of YA books published by Simon & Shuster. These are short and sweet re-tellings of a variety of fairytales and legends, including Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey (the Ballad of Hua Mulan), The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey (Scheherezade), Water Song by Suzanne Weyn (the Frog Prince), etc.

Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Ok, so this one is not technically a fairytale re-telling, or at least, it isn't advertised as such. Still, I am convinced that the author was thinking of both Beauty and the Beast and the tale of Eros and Psyche when she wrote it. Really. Read the two stories, then read the novel and tell me you don't see the similarities.

Aaaaand....Because I read so many fairytales, I can't stop at 5. I must add more, such as:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer & Sequels. Cyberpunk fairytales = awesome.

Five Hundred Kingdoms series by Mercedes Lackey; a fantasy world where the characters are forced to live by fairytale rules and sometimes twist them to their advantage.

Entwined by Heather Dixon, a lovely re-telling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy. This is a folktale rather than fairytale, but I love it so much that I'm counting it anyway.

Everything by Alex Flinn (loved Beastly) Jane Nickerson, Melanie Dickerson, Jessica Day George...I could keep going, but I'm already cheating enough as it is. :)

                      Lieder Madchen

Book Review: Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Styxx
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Romance / Mythology / Paranormal

Ages: Adult. Very adult.

22nd book in the Dark-Hunter series, you can read my review of Acheron here, though I really should re-review it now that I'm a little older and can do it justice.

Description:

Sherrilyn Kenyon's most highly-anticipated novel in the Dark-Hunter series since Acheron is here—the unforgettable story of Styxx, Acheron's twin brother and one of the most powerful beings on earth

Just when you thought doomsday was over . . .

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? 

My Thoughts:

I waited eagerly for this book to show up on my kindle at midnight and started reading it immediately. Given that it is eight-hundred and forty-eight pages long and completely engrossing from page one, I did not get any sleep. I wondered how in the world Ms. Kenyon could possibly turn Styxx into a hero, given all the awful things he did in previous novels, but I knew from experience that with her fantastic imagination it would certainly be something to see. Complete. Understatement.

I started to love Styxx as the protagonist immediately; that sad little boy who was neglected and abused just as badly as Acheron, maybe even worse, because he didn't have Ryssa and his father continuously vacillated between hating and loving him. It was easy to pity him at first, then admire and cheer him on.

The majority of Styxx takes place during the same time as the first half of Acheron; every moment, every conversation takes on new meaning from Styxx's point of view. It was utterly fascinating and oh-so very painful. There were times I wanted to kill Acheron and I didn't think anything could do that. The worst of Styxx's torment may have started when he was a older than his twin, but it was just as bad. Sherrilyn Kenyon sure likes her tortured heroes. Emphasis on the tortured.

The romance surprised me in that it started so early. Styxx was such a sweet, innocent young lover. His ever-enduring faithfulness was one of my favorite parts of the whole novel. Beth, however, I wanted to smack upside the head. How could she...do something I can't say because of spoilers? She's a goddess and she was with him for years and yet all the while...grr. Not saying anything more. Despite how much she annoyed me at times, I did like her for the most part, except...I find I really can't say much about her without spoilers. Suffice it to say she is not my favorite of Ms. Kenyon's heroines. She seemed a little lacking in the 'heroics' department. However, she did have a good sense of humor and once she...bother. I liked her more in the second half of the book.

The relationship between Ash and Styxx was brilliantly handled. Their interactions were limited, but when they met...oh, boy. Sparks flew in all directions, sometimes literally. It was so easy to see how alike they are, no matter how much they would like to deny it.

I loved, loved, loved how hints and foreshadowing and characters from the previous novels were worked into this book. I won't say what they were, but I am very interested in what will happen next in the series. I have new questions by the bucket load, especially those stemming from a delightfully shocking little revelation. It's going to drive me mad waiting for answers.

Overall, I loved this book. The fact that I got annoyed with characters just made me enjoy it all the more; that made them more human (figuratively speaking). Plus, who doesn't love to yell at fictional characters? I highly recommend Styxx to anyone who likes the rest of the Dark-Hunter series. I would not recommend reading it out of order. It gives away the ending to Acheron, Night Embrace and Devil May Cry as well as other things. Make sure you have a few to several hours (depending on your reading speed) before opening this book. You won't want to stop.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence

1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:

I rate it a 10.10 for strong, frequent language including 108 uses of the f-word (no, I didn't count them all; my kindle did).

Sexuality:

I give it a 10.10 in sexuality for multiple scenes of sexuality and rape, as well as multiple references, innuendos and fade-aways. Most were not graphically described.

Violence:

I rate it a  9.10 for extreme violence including torture and ghastly wounds of all varieties.

                                Lieder Madchen

Book Review #68: Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Acheron

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre: Adult Fantasy / Mythology / Romance

Ages: Umm, older than me. By a lot.

Book 12 in the Dark-Hunter Series (Yes, I am reading them out of order)

Amazon Description:

Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron became the sole defender of mankind.

Only it was never that simple. For centuries, he has fought for our survival and hidden a past he’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.

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

War has never been more deadly... or more fun.



My Review:

Hmm, I am finding it impossible to rate this book. On one side, I would give it 4 stars for great characters, plot and originality. On the other, there were many times I nearly quit reading it in the first half because there was so much utter nastiness going on.

I loved Acheron, Ryssa and Soteria (Tory), but Artemis made me want to vomit, as did several other characters. (Mostly the ones featured in the first half of the book.) Of course, these were the evil characters that made me feel sick, but still.

I found the mixture of mythology and modern action (What isn't there to love about an Atlantean god who dresses like a punk and gets drunk on Sprite?) to be fun and different, but still, there was so much nastiness that I honestly don't know quite what to say about this book. There were some points that were almost physically painful to read, and others that made me laugh. I don't know that I have ever been quite so conflicted over a book before. On one hand it was wonderful, on the other it was awful. Maybe I shall read it again when I am 40 or something.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence

1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:

I give this a 9.10 for quite a bit of strong and mid-level profanity.

Sexuality:

10.10. Way too much for me. I was skipping pages like mad.

Violence:

Also a 10.10. It was not so much the quantity of violence as the nature of the violence that earned it this rating. Imagine the worst kinds of torture, multiplied over 20 years and more.

                                                          Lieder Madchen

Book Review #58: Born of Shadows by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Born of Shadows
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre: Science Fiction / Romance
Ages: 16 and up
My e-book is courtesy of NetGalley for this review.
Book 5 in the League series.

Amazon Decription:
For Caillen Dagan, a defiant soldier of fortune, survival isn't a right, it's a brutal daily battle. Moving through the Ichidaian universe like a wraith, his brushes with the law and death are legendary. But when an act of rare heroism reveals his hidden birthright, he's forced into a world much more dangerous and cold-hearted than the bloody streets where he was raised-one of obscene wealth and lethal politics.

Ferocious and determined, Desideria serves as an official bodyguard for her queen. Born of questionable genetics, she will do anything to prove herself worthy of the weapons she carries and the position she's won by combat. But when she uncovers a ruthless plot to assassinate the queen and overthrow her country's government, Desideria is caught in the crosshairs.

With assassination contracts out on both of them, Caillen and Desideria must learn to fight together or die alone. And if they fail, their governments will fall into the hands of an unimaginable evil.

My Review:
I found this book to be surprisingly fun. Sure, Caillen is an obnoxious jerk with an overly-healthy sex drive, but underneath his bad boy attitude he is such a sweetheart. I love the way he would gladly strangle any and all of his three older sisters on any given day but would rip anyone else to pieces if they tried such a thing. He loves them dearly and is quite willing to shoot them for their own good and then get himself arrested to save them. What's not to love about a brother like that? Not to mention he is extremely good looking. I would have to say that Caillen is one of the most fun characters I have met recently.

Desideria is tough, smart, beautiful and has confidence issues. Since her father's death, she has lived with the constant criticisms of all of her female relatives and has received no love from anyone. The fact that she is just as stubborn and has as quick a temper as Caillen makes them a great team in more ways than one.

The dialogue in this book was fast-paced and fun with insults flying through the air, some good-natured, some not. I loved the easy banter the characters fall into during life and death situations. They joke about Caillen's bad driving even as he evades enemy fighters.

This is the first League book I have read. Indeed, it is the first Sherrilyn Kenyon book I have read, so there were times when I felt I was missing something. This book works well as a stand-alone novel, but I think I would have understood a few of the references better if I had read the earlier books in the series. I now have holds on the rest of the series, hopefully they will come in soon!

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality, and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:
There were multiple uses of the f-word as well as quite a bit of mild to middling language. I give it a 8.10

Sexuality:
There was one pretty graphic scene as well as quite a few references and innuendos. I rate it a 7.10.

Violence:
There are scenes of battle, murder, and explosions, none of them offensively graphic, as well as brief references to a past rape. I rate it a 7.10.

                                       Lieder Madchen