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linzrae's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This has been one of my favorite books for years and I finally listened to the audiobook. I adore this series and when this book was first announced I had no desire to learn Julian’s side of things. One if the main antagonists from the beginning of the series, I didn’t think he could be redeemed. Not only was Jules redeemed, Sherrilyn Kenyon turned him into my favorite character. I loved how she brought in brand new characters and characters who had only been shown on the periphery of prior stories in order to remove some of bias against him. The friendships that develop in this story are life goals and the fierce way Ushara refuses to give Jules up is exactly what you expect from an Andarion female. This story had so many ups and downs and twist and turns that I catch new things with every reread, keeping it at the top of my favorite books list.
littlebookishinkblot's review against another edition
4.0
Review posted on my blog https://littlebookishinkblots.blogspot.com/2017/03/born-of-legend.html
Let me tell you up front that this book was good, and I liked it, but it was looooooong. It took me a week to finish despite listening every day for about 6-7hours. Actually, I would have given it 5 stars if not for some things like Length and Storyline repetitiveness.
Anyone who has had a chance to talk to me knows that I love audiobooks. For this particular series, Fred Berman does the narration, and he is just awesome! Oh, he also plays TIMON on The Lion King on Broadway. I only noticed that because when we watched the play for our anniversary, I saw his name on the playbill it kind of 'sounded' familiar. When I read that his artist description included audiobooks, I hurriedly checked my current read, and ohmygosh, YES! That's HIM! Squeeee!!!
Now you'd think a good narrator plus a bangin' SciFi-Fantasy-Romance series would be a perfect match -- weeeellll.. it would. Except I had too many flashbacks to a novel done by the same author but just set in a different universe and time era.
But, like I said, I did enjoy the book, despite its length. I was excited to read Dagger's story since it provides a different point of view on the storyline at the end of Born of Betrayal which was quite well done. I loved Dagger's acerbic wit and his sarcastic retorts, Ushara's determination and Trajan and Nero's kindness despite their tough exteriors. It does my heart good to see brotherly love and understanding given to Dagger when at the start it was so cruelly denied him.
I found myself actually empathizing with the characters. I felt Dagger's frustration, laughed at his jokes and sarcastic barbs, growled with irritation at some of the other characters short-sightedness and close-mindedness. In a way, this book is timely since it speaks to the reader about being accepting of and open to differences. Despite being set in an imaginary futuristic world, with the characters being a hodgepodge of difference races, cultures, and genetic make-up, it resonates with me, especially because of the current happenings in the real world.
Born of Legend parallels to the stories of the first 3 books, the events in the books happen mostly at the same time as certain Important Events. Here we meet Fain & Venneck, Talyn Batur, and of course, Nyk and Kiara, Darling Cruel, Rin Dane, and other League favorite. I like how it filled in little-known gaps in the series leading me to go "Oh.. So that's what happened.." several times over.
For newcomers to the series, I suggest reading the League books in chronological order to help give you a better appreciation of this particular novel. Though all the books can be read as a stand-alone, it's better done in a manner allowing the story to grow and develop as it was meant to.
The love story element is present, and as all romance novels go, the relationship develops almost instantaneously. They go from being strangers to lovers in a chapter and a half. That being said, I'm almost thankful that this book isn't much of a bodice ripper since that would be a little awkward while on an audiobook. LOL
All in all, it was a fun read, the narrator had a good range of voices, the storyline felt cohesive with her other books in the series, and it did not feel like a filler book -- in fact, it felt like one of those "I need to explain what the heck is going on here on the other side" book. I would have given it 5 SQUEEES but again -- length and repetitiveness.
If I wasn’t reading DarkHunters and The League at the same time I would probably not mind at all.
I do hope Sherri continues on with stories for now and looking forward to hearing about the (mis)adventures of the second generation of League characters.
XOXO,
Angelica
Let me tell you up front that this book was good, and I liked it, but it was looooooong. It took me a week to finish despite listening every day for about 6-7hours. Actually, I would have given it 5 stars if not for some things like Length and Storyline repetitiveness.
Anyone who has had a chance to talk to me knows that I love audiobooks. For this particular series, Fred Berman does the narration, and he is just awesome! Oh, he also plays TIMON on The Lion King on Broadway. I only noticed that because when we watched the play for our anniversary, I saw his name on the playbill it kind of 'sounded' familiar. When I read that his artist description included audiobooks, I hurriedly checked my current read, and ohmygosh, YES! That's HIM! Squeeee!!!
Now you'd think a good narrator plus a bangin' SciFi-Fantasy-Romance series would be a perfect match -- weeeellll.. it would. Except I had too many flashbacks to a novel done by the same author but just set in a different universe and time era.
But, like I said, I did enjoy the book, despite its length. I was excited to read Dagger's story since it provides a different point of view on the storyline at the end of Born of Betrayal which was quite well done. I loved Dagger's acerbic wit and his sarcastic retorts, Ushara's determination and Trajan and Nero's kindness despite their tough exteriors. It does my heart good to see brotherly love and understanding given to Dagger when at the start it was so cruelly denied him.
I found myself actually empathizing with the characters. I felt Dagger's frustration, laughed at his jokes and sarcastic barbs, growled with irritation at some of the other characters short-sightedness and close-mindedness. In a way, this book is timely since it speaks to the reader about being accepting of and open to differences. Despite being set in an imaginary futuristic world, with the characters being a hodgepodge of difference races, cultures, and genetic make-up, it resonates with me, especially because of the current happenings in the real world.
Born of Legend parallels to the stories of the first 3 books, the events in the books happen mostly at the same time as certain Important Events. Here we meet Fain & Venneck, Talyn Batur, and of course, Nyk and Kiara, Darling Cruel, Rin Dane, and other League favorite. I like how it filled in little-known gaps in the series leading me to go "Oh.. So that's what happened.." several times over.
For newcomers to the series, I suggest reading the League books in chronological order to help give you a better appreciation of this particular novel. Though all the books can be read as a stand-alone, it's better done in a manner allowing the story to grow and develop as it was meant to.
The love story element is present, and as all romance novels go, the relationship develops almost instantaneously. They go from being strangers to lovers in a chapter and a half. That being said, I'm almost thankful that this book isn't much of a bodice ripper since that would be a little awkward while on an audiobook. LOL
All in all, it was a fun read, the narrator had a good range of voices, the storyline felt cohesive with her other books in the series, and it did not feel like a filler book -- in fact, it felt like one of those "I need to explain what the heck is going on here on the other side" book. I would have given it 5 SQUEEES but again -- length and repetitiveness.
If I wasn’t reading DarkHunters and The League at the same time I would probably not mind at all.
I do hope Sherri continues on with stories for now and looking forward to hearing about the (mis)adventures of the second generation of League characters.
XOXO,
Angelica
boosmummy's review against another edition
5.0
I love the League novels and this one is the best (so far) only put it down when my eyes were too tired to stay open any longer.
romancejunkie1025's review against another edition
5.0
As always i am amazed by Kenyon's ability to make her characters evil bastards from one person's perspective and a wonderfully loving and enigmatic character from another. I always hated Jullien but now he has become one of my favorite Kenyon characters. I loved every second of this and didn't put it down all weekend. It carried over so many of the stories that i have loved in the past and it was beyond interesting to see them from this other persepctive. I cried a lot throughout and the ending about broke my heart but i am looking forward to whatever comes next in this amazing series by one of my favorite authors.
brigittewhoa's review against another edition
5.0
This might be my favorite League book. Sherrilyn Kenyon has this amazing talent of making someone you thought of as a bad guy into this complex, amazing, wonderful person who had bad things happen - and color his world. I never thought I would love this character so much after reading about him in other books. Amazing.
nellesnightstand1's review against another edition
So I got the audible and the ebook because the audio was 30 hours long. I had meant to listen to it on the drive tomorrow but...oops I couldn't put the book down. I was reading it during the commercial breaks from Big Brother! That was one long ass book!
SK really knows how to turn a perceived bad guy into a hero. From the first of this series Julian has been the evil twin to Nik. Who'd of thought he'd have the heart of a poet. Ushara made Keira look like a wimp! All those characters we know and love were shown to be as shores and have massive faults.
I fell for Julian immediately. Hands down a self admitted "contentious asshole", his sarcastic wit was entertaining.
I think this proved why SK is one of my favorite authors. I think I prefer this series to her Dark Hunter one though. It's not AS confusing, yet.
SK really knows how to turn a perceived bad guy into a hero. From the first of this series Julian has been the evil twin to Nik. Who'd of thought he'd have the heart of a poet. Ushara made Keira look like a wimp! All those characters we know and love were shown to be as shores and have massive faults.
I fell for Julian immediately. Hands down a self admitted "contentious asshole", his sarcastic wit was entertaining.
I think this proved why SK is one of my favorite authors. I think I prefer this series to her Dark Hunter one though. It's not AS confusing, yet.
bookloverchelle's review against another edition
4.0
Another great read from Sherrilyn Kenyon in The League series. I'll admit, it's been a few years since I've read a League book so a lot of the secondary characters, I'd forgotten their backstories so how they fit in to the bigger story-line got a little confusing. And I think I would have enjoyed some of the battles told from Jullien's POV a little more if I remembered the original battles from previous books. But really I absolutely love Ms. Kenyon's novels because they are filled with such emotion. Her characters are written so well that it's almost gut wrenching, reading the pain that her heroes and heroines go through, and this story was no different. I really loved how Ushara and Jullien came together, battling their own feelings and those of family and friends around them, but trusting in each other and finding happiness. This would have been a 5 star read except for the confusion I had on back-story and secondary characters. Other than that, amazing read!
nellesnightstand's review against another edition
So I got the audible and the ebook because the audio was 30 hours long. I had meant to listen to it on the drive tomorrow but...oops I couldn't put the book down. I was reading it during the commercial breaks from Big Brother! That was one long ass book!
SK really knows how to turn a perceived bad guy into a hero. From the first of this series Julian has been the evil twin to Nik. Who'd of thought he'd have the heart of a poet. Ushara made Keira look like a wimp! All those characters we know and love were shown to be as shores and have massive faults.
I fell for Julian immediately. Hands down a self admitted "contentious asshole", his sarcastic wit was entertaining.
I think this proved why SK is one of my favorite authors. I think I prefer this series to her Dark Hunter one though. It's not AS confusing, yet.
SK really knows how to turn a perceived bad guy into a hero. From the first of this series Julian has been the evil twin to Nik. Who'd of thought he'd have the heart of a poet. Ushara made Keira look like a wimp! All those characters we know and love were shown to be as shores and have massive faults.
I fell for Julian immediately. Hands down a self admitted "contentious asshole", his sarcastic wit was entertaining.
I think this proved why SK is one of my favorite authors. I think I prefer this series to her Dark Hunter one though. It's not AS confusing, yet.
jazzrizz's review against another edition
5.0
Wow ... what a book. I've been listening to earlier books, so I had a refresher on previous views of Julien's actions from those books. In true Kenyon fashion, we're shown Julien's side of things, and his past will break your heart.
SO much is happening in this book. Julien's back story takes up a pretty big chunk of the book. I was a bit disappointed that things really felt a bit rushed by the time the story catches up to the ending of [b: Born of Betrayal|23848002|Born of Betrayal (The League #8)|Sherrilyn Kenyon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1426664309s/23848002.jpg|41132851] though.
Ushara is totally badass. Their relationship may be one of my very favorites, as she's one of the few females who doesn't betray her beloved before they "work" things out.
I loved seeing more behind the Tavali curtain. Chayden and Jory's relationship with Jullien are some of my favorite moments in the book. Thraix and Trajen are pretty awesome too. I've always been a Nero fan ... and I can't wait to see where things go with them.
I can hardly wait for Bastien's book!!
SO much is happening in this book. Julien's back story takes up a pretty big chunk of the book. I was a bit disappointed that things really felt a bit rushed by the time the story catches up to the ending of [b: Born of Betrayal|23848002|Born of Betrayal (The League #8)|Sherrilyn Kenyon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1426664309s/23848002.jpg|41132851] though.
Ushara is totally badass. Their relationship may be one of my very favorites, as she's one of the few females who doesn't betray her beloved before they "work" things out.
I loved seeing more behind the Tavali curtain. Chayden and Jory's relationship with Jullien are some of my favorite moments in the book. Thraix and Trajen are pretty awesome too. I've always been a Nero fan ... and I can't wait to see where things go with them.
I can hardly wait for Bastien's book!!