Average Rating: 
Rating: - "Pleasure" to read ...
I consider myself fortunate to have stumbled across this fantastic new series. Sherrilyn Kenyon (who also writes under the name Kinley MacGregor) has created an entirely new mythology around her Dark-Hunters, Were-Hunters and Dream-Hunters. I recommend a visit to her outstanding web site, HunterLegends.com, to get a feel for her larger world. Ms. Kenyon is a web site developer by trade, and that is immediately obvious when you visit her sites. They are among the finest author sites I've seen.Other reviewers have done a great job of outlining the plot to "Night Pleasures." I picked the book up by chance in an airport, and have read it through twice just this week. The dialogue is snappy and sophistocated, the story well-paced, the characters fascinating and well-developed, and the heroes are all "mad, bad and immortal." Ms. Kenyon has an extensive series of sequels planned, so get in on the beginning, because you won't want to miss out on any of the excitement!
Rating:  - Thoroughly enjoyable escapist fun
I very much enjoyed the first book in Kenyon's series, Fantasy Lover, and so decided to give this a go since it's about Kyrian of Thrace, Julian's best friend. And I didn't regret it.Like Julian from Fantasy Lover, Kyrian is also an ancient Greek. He was a prince and a war-hero, but he was horribly betrayed by the wife he loved dearly, and was tortured and crucified by his Roman enemy. Except that he struck a bargain with Artemis to become a Dark-Hunter and thus achieve immortality. What's a Dark-Hunter? Immortality sounds like a pretty good deal, yeah? Well, not really. A Dark-Hunter is a little like a vampire, except that they don't have to drink human blood (though they do like the taste of it). They can only exist in the dark, that's true, and they can't easily be killed. Their role is to find and kill Daimons, who are vampires of a sort, but only live 27 years unless they steal a human's life - and soul - to give themselves a longer life. So Kyrian has been tracking and destroying Daimons for centuries. Until he meets one who is cleverer than most. And this is how he meets Amanda: she has been kidnapped by the Daimon Desiderius, because of her hidden psychic powers, and Desiderius hopes to use her against Kyrian. Unfortunately for the Daimon, Amanda and Kyrian are immediately attracted to each other. However, there are a few problems. First, Amanda's sisters are vampire-hunters and they all assume that Kryrian is a vampire. Amanda refuses to believe that she has any special powers, and anyway she doesn't want her nice, normal life disturbed by a sexy ancient Greek. She's not sure that she can trust any man, after her ex-fiance rejected her - and anyway, after his wife's betrayal, Kyrian has no intention of trusting any woman, ever again. And, worst of all, as a Dark-Hunter Kyrian has no soul. He can't fall in love (or so he thinks) and he can never build a relationship with a woman. Kenyon's writing is fast-paced, highly amusing in parts and also poignant. She has a great line in secondary characters, in particular Nick the Squire, Ash (Acheron) the leader of the Dark-Hunters, who I hope will get his own book in due course, and Talon, the hero of Kenyon's next book. Not five stars because the crucial denouement felt glossed over somewhat, and because I wanted to see more of Julian and Grace than I did.
Rating: - I love Sherrilyn's Books!
I have to say it again. I love Sherrilyn's books. Her books are always filled with excitement, danger, humor, tenderness, passion, and love. Her characters come alive and you feel as though you know them personally. I've been lucky enough to chat with Sherrilyn online and she's a wonderful person. I eagerly await everyone of her books whether she is writting under the name Sherrilyn Kenyon or under Kinley MacGregor.This book is the first book in the Dark-Hunter series but it has its roots in the novel FANTASY LOVER. The hero Kyrian of Thrace was the best friend of the hero in FANTASY LOVER, Julian. Both are from ancient Greece. Julian was cursed and has spent the centuries as a drawing in a book only to be released to pleasure women for a short time, that was until he met Grace who freed him and gave him a life. Kyrian was his best friend who gave up his soul to become a Dark-Hunter. He's a protecter of the innocent against Daimons who are "vampires on Steroids with a God Complex" In other words bad dudes. The dark-hunters are also a bit like vampires. They can't go out in the sun and are immortal. Kyrian is doing his job when he finds himself handcuffed to Amanda.
Amanda is a very quiet person. She is the stable one in her family of vampire hunters, fortune tellers, and witches. She doesn't believe in all that and it takes some convincing to bring her around. Being attacked, handcuffed to a vampire and watching him battle Diamons might just do it though. In the middle of all of this they fall in love. Amanda finds a tenderness and passion in Kyrian that has been lost for centuries. He has been deeply hurt before and that pain is what helps drive him. She must show him that she can be trusted with his heart before he can be truely free of his demons. I laughed and cried and laughed some more over this story. Its very exciting and thrilling and is a wonderful lead into other stories. I can't wait to read the future books. This is definately a keeper!
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