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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Night Embrace
3.5 Stars
Synopsis:
After sacrificing his soul for vengeance against those who murdered his family, Talon becomes a Dark Hunter and vows never to love again. However, once Sunshine Runningwolf comes into his life, he can no longer deny his emotions. As the two grow closer, they discover that they are merely pawns in a horrendous plan to release the ultimate destroyer on an unsuspecting world. Talon and his fellow Dark Hunters are the only ones who can stop the inevitable destruction but will it be at the price of Sunshine’s life?
Review:
A good story with some really funny moments and some equally poignant ones. It does, however, drag at times. The first half in particular feels too drawn out until the action begins. In addition, an excessive number of characters and concepts are introduced, and I personally found it difficult to keep track of everyone.
Kenyon’s strongest skill is her characterization and this book is a case in point. Talon and Sunshine's personalities and back stories are engrossing and they are what make this a worthwhile read. Talon’s suffering is heart-wrenching but not overwhelming and he never comes across as too anguished or whiny. Sunshine is also a likeable character once you get passed her annoying name and tendency to fall for inappropriate men. She is strong and independent, and I found her quirky forgetfulness endearing. While their sexual relationship begins very quickly, their immediate connection is explained within the plot and is, therefore, realistic and believable.
The secondary characters are just as interesting, especially the psychological and physically tortured Zarek. I also look forward to reading more about Vane and the other Were-Hunters.
The epilogues are also something I appreciated in the book. The flashbacks of the other Dark Hunters’ histories are actually what compel me to continue reading the series as I am interested in discovering the connections between the characters and how they will overcome their differences.
Overall, a worthy read with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
3.5 Stars
Synopsis:
After sacrificing his soul for vengeance against those who murdered his family, Talon becomes a Dark Hunter and vows never to love again. However, once Sunshine Runningwolf comes into his life, he can no longer deny his emotions. As the two grow closer, they discover that they are merely pawns in a horrendous plan to release the ultimate destroyer on an unsuspecting world. Talon and his fellow Dark Hunters are the only ones who can stop the inevitable destruction but will it be at the price of Sunshine’s life?
Review:
A good story with some really funny moments and some equally poignant ones. It does, however, drag at times. The first half in particular feels too drawn out until the action begins. In addition, an excessive number of characters and concepts are introduced, and I personally found it difficult to keep track of everyone.
Kenyon’s strongest skill is her characterization and this book is a case in point. Talon and Sunshine's personalities and back stories are engrossing and they are what make this a worthwhile read. Talon’s suffering is heart-wrenching but not overwhelming and he never comes across as too anguished or whiny. Sunshine is also a likeable character once you get passed her annoying name and tendency to fall for inappropriate men. She is strong and independent, and I found her quirky forgetfulness endearing. While their sexual relationship begins very quickly, their immediate connection is explained within the plot and is, therefore, realistic and believable.
The secondary characters are just as interesting, especially the psychological and physically tortured Zarek. I also look forward to reading more about Vane and the other Were-Hunters.
The epilogues are also something I appreciated in the book. The flashbacks of the other Dark Hunters’ histories are actually what compel me to continue reading the series as I am interested in discovering the connections between the characters and how they will overcome their differences.
Overall, a worthy read with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Not my favorite of what I've read so far, but still pretty good. I am a little annoyed by millennia old men calling their women and being called "baby". It's a pet peeve, along with calling centuries old, or older, men and women "boy and girl". I am very appreciative of the very small amount of replay from the past books. When you use what's happened in the previous books as filler, you use up space that could have been used for more plot. Ms Kenyon doesn't seem to have that annoying habit. Short references that take up maybe a page total is much more manageable. IMO, if you pick up a book in the middle of a series, you kinda deserve to be lost.
Ok. This was pretty cool.
Putting aside the juicy sexy bits, and this one gives us a peek into Acheron's history, which if you've read The Beginning, then you know we are given a snippet of information on him and Artemis' odd relationship. We are also introduced to a lot of new characters and even get some Kyrian and Justin back in the mix. To add a cherry on top, new and intriguing information is spilled about Dark-Hunter origins, skills, and off-shoot breeds.
Also, is there a novel in this series about Vane and Barbie because I would be all about that. I want to know more about the Kataragoi (I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong) and Barbie seemed like a really cool chick (even though she was mentioned quite briefly)
Then of course there is Talon and Sunshine! Their story is interesting and had some elements I wasn't expecting *cough* Granny Runningwolf. And boy are these two sizzling together, hot damn!
Putting aside the juicy sexy bits, and this one gives us a peek into Acheron's history, which if you've read The Beginning, then you know we are given a snippet of information on him and Artemis' odd relationship. We are also introduced to a lot of new characters and even get some Kyrian and Justin back in the mix. To add a cherry on top, new and intriguing information is spilled about Dark-Hunter origins, skills, and off-shoot breeds.
Also, is there a novel in this series about Vane and Barbie because I would be all about that. I want to know more about the Kataragoi (I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong) and Barbie seemed like a really cool chick (even though she was mentioned quite briefly)
Then of course there is Talon and Sunshine! Their story is interesting and had some elements I wasn't expecting *cough* Granny Runningwolf. And boy are these two sizzling together, hot damn!
Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon: This is the 3rd (????–one of my complaints about this series is that there is no real list of reading order even on the authors site) book in the Dark-Hunter Saga. It is an enjoyable read and while I found myself wanting to learn a little more about some of the secondary characters, the main characters are a great couple to root for. You do learn more about the lore and the storyline carries on quite nicely.
http://megansbookmaddness.blogspot.com/2015/10/night-embrace-by-sherrilyn-kenyon.html
I am re-reading the Dark Hunter series and I did not write a review for most of them which is ludicrous. Especially since they are some of my favorite books and I think everyone should read them. And this one is one of my favorites.
Talon is male perfection. He has to be one of the most patient men alive. Sunshine cold be a handful at times and where most men I know would have yelled or at least been irritated, Talon thought it was cute. Which makes him one of the sexiest men ever. And then how can you not love Sunshine. She is so ditzy and forgetful and sweet. She isn't your typical heroine and I think that's why I love her so much. I think it would be impossible to hate her.
I loved seeing them together. They are so different but they are so perfect for each other. I loved the whole healthy food vs non healthy food bickering. It was adorable. They are both sarcastic so conversations were funny.
I also loved that there were so many of the different characters in this one.. Now it may be different for me because I have already read all the other books and I know all the characters stories because I have read a couple reviews that complained about this. I loved it though. I love seeing them all interact together. It's like a huge family.
And then there is Zarek. And I love him. I love that he ended up helping Sunshine because she gave him a bowl. I know there are other little reasons but really who doesn't love Zarek. He obviously just needs someone to be kind to him and again I love him.
I am re-reading the Dark Hunter series and I did not write a review for most of them which is ludicrous. Especially since they are some of my favorite books and I think everyone should read them. And this one is one of my favorites.
Talon is male perfection. He has to be one of the most patient men alive. Sunshine cold be a handful at times and where most men I know would have yelled or at least been irritated, Talon thought it was cute. Which makes him one of the sexiest men ever. And then how can you not love Sunshine. She is so ditzy and forgetful and sweet. She isn't your typical heroine and I think that's why I love her so much. I think it would be impossible to hate her.
I loved seeing them together. They are so different but they are so perfect for each other. I loved the whole healthy food vs non healthy food bickering. It was adorable. They are both sarcastic so conversations were funny.
I also loved that there were so many of the different characters in this one.. Now it may be different for me because I have already read all the other books and I know all the characters stories because I have read a couple reviews that complained about this. I loved it though. I love seeing them all interact together. It's like a huge family.
And then there is Zarek. And I love him. I love that he ended up helping Sunshine because she gave him a bowl. I know there are other little reasons but really who doesn't love Zarek. He obviously just needs someone to be kind to him and again I love him.
Second in the Dark Hunter series. Talon is a 1500 year old celt who is the ultimate loner until he meets Sunshine, an artist who just might be able to save his soul. Beautifully written and we get to know a bit more about the Dark Hunter’s leader Acheron.
Three stars for Talon and Sunshine's story, but an added star for a glimpse of a multitude of interesting characters (Fang, Acheron, Valerius, etc), that I look forward to learning more about in Kenyon's subsequent novels.
I am re-reading the Dark-Hunter series and enjoying it although I find myself taking my time instead of gobbling it up like I do when I read a book for the first time.
There is always so much information and story-building packed into Sherrilyn Kenyon’s books that I feel like I have to lead with some definitions and terms before I get started or everyone will be confused.
Apollites – A race of people made by Apollo with the intention that he would one day replace Zeus. He thought that he could create a race superior to humans. Apollites are stronger and taller than humans with psychic powers. Angered by this, Zeus made declared war on them and exiled them to Atlantis.
When the Apollite queen became jealous of Apollo’s beloved mistress, Ryssa, she ordered Ryssa and her newborn’s son to be killed and ripped apart. In sorrow and rage over this, Apollo cursed all Apollites to die painfully on their 27th birthday because that was how old Ryssa was. They also could no longer live in the daylight and had to live only off of Apollite blood. In doing this, he also cursed his son, Stryker.
Daimon - some Apollites live longer because they have learned to suck the souls out of humans to extend their lives but they have to keep a steady diet of souls to live. Daimons have black tattoo-like marks on their chests like inkblots where they gather souls.
Dark-Hunter – a warrior who sold his soul to the goddess Artemis for a single act of vengeance. They hunt and kill Daimons to protect mankind and are immortal. Each warrior has his own unique power or set of powers such as mind-reading, telekinesis and healing. Because Daimons have animalistic instincts and features such as fangs, so do Dark-Hunters but they do not drink blood. They also cannot go into the sunlight. They cannot marry or have a lover for more than one night. Because Dark-Hunters are so powerful, two cannot be near each other or their powers will drain. They also cannot hurt or kill each other because what one does to the other happens to them also; if one hits and breaks the nose of another Dark-Hunter, his or her nose will break also.
Were-Hunter – A long time ago, a king with the help of a god did magickal experiments on animals of prey and Apollites to save his sons from the Apollite curse of dying when they reach the age of 27 which resulted in humans and animals to shift into each form. There are two kinds of Were-Hunters, Arcadian and Katagaria. The gods cursed them to hate each other so they always fight between the two races.
Arcadian – Were-Hunters who are born human but can shift into animal form when they reach puberty and unlock their magickal powers. Arcadians believe they are superior to Katagaria because they are more human. When they sleep, they retain the natural form of a human.
Arcadian Sentinel – soldiers, chosen by the Fates, who hunt down Slayers. Only a few are born to each patria. A Sentinel knows he or she has been chosen because when they reach maturity, geometrical shapes appear and cover one side of their face. Many choose to use their magick to hide the markings to blend in with humans and so other Weres don’t know what they are.
Katagaria – are animal hearted Were-Hunters who are born in animal form and able to transform into human form when they reach puberty and unlock their magickal powers. When they sleep, they retain their natural form of an animal.
Slayer - Katagaria who are lost to their animal impulses and attack Arcadians. More violent and vicious Slayers are referred to as True Slayers. Slayers and True Slayers are hunted down by Sentinels. Even other Katagaria look down upon Slayers.
The Story
Talon is an ancient Celt who was cursed by the god Camulus to lose everyone he ever loved. After he lost his beloved wife Nynia when she bled to death after giving birth to their stillborn son, he was heartbroken but had to lead his tribe and take care of his younger sister. His cousin, wanting leadership for himself, turned the clan against Talon and killed his sister right in front of him and then killed Talon. With his last breath, he called out to Artemis and became a Dark-Hunter.
Talon is now one of the Dark-Hunters for the New Orleans area. He used to share it with Kyrian Hunter but since Kyrian won his soul back from Artemis, she decided to replace him with Kyrian’s enemy, Valerius. And since Mardi Gras is coming up, she called in temporary help but she chose the most psycho Dark-Hunter of all, Zarek of Moesia. He has been isolated in Alaska for the last 900 years because he does not play well with others. Talon is not looking forward to Mardi Gras at all.
He meets Sunshine when she is attacked by a group of Daimons and he helps rescue her. One of the Daimons pushes him in front of a Bacchus Mardi Gras float and Sunshine ends up taking him home to her flat above her father’s bar.
I cracked up at how he woke up naked with pink tie-dye curtains surrounding the bed and how Sunshine and her mother talked about him like he wasn’t there. The things they said were hilarious like how they had no qualms talking about his body and his private parts. He thought they were certifiably nuts.
Meanwhile, Camulus has teamed up with the god Dionysius aka Bacchus and someone named Styxx. They seemed to have engineered the meeting between Talon and Sunshine for some reason. Camulus and Dionysius want their god statuses back and have plans along with Styxx to release the Destroyer, the goddess Apollymi, on Mardi Gras when the veil between worlds will be at its thinnest. To do this, they need to kill Acheron, the leader of the Dark-Hunters.
Each one has their own additional motives for doing this. Camulus wants to hurt Talon. Dionysius thinks he can be a powerful god and Styxx wants revenge on Acheron. The trio stir up all kinds of problems to keep the Dark-Hunters busy. They use Zarek’s reputation against him and make it look like he murdered a woman and shredded her with the metal claw he wears on his hand. Then they sic Daimons on him and call the police so they see him attacking the Daimons. He escapes but his picture has been shown on television and is now a wanted man. Artemis wants him killed because she thinks he is psycho and will expose Dark-Hunters to the humans. They use Kyrian and his best friend Julian’s hatred of Valerius to stir up trouble and keep Acheron busy playing referee between them. And they keep Talon busy with Sunshine.
Sunshine starts having dreams about Talon and his earlier life. She believes Nynia’s soul was reborn in her but Sunshine is nothing like Nynia who was timid and did everything that Talon wanted. Sunshine is outspoken and a free-spirit. She would never let a man dictate how her life should be or be second best in a relationship. She’s been there and done that already with her ex-husband who she has not told Talon about.
Talon starts falling for Sunshine but knows he can never be with her because of his curse and because he is a Dark-Hunter. He knows that if he falls in love with Sunshine, Camulus will kill her.
This book introduced a lot of characters who we will see in future books in the series and it introduced Sanctuary, a bar where a lot of action happens in future books. Sanctuary is a bar owned by a family of Were-Hunters but, as of yet, we do not know what kind or what animal. It is a place where humans, gods and Were-Hunters all gather…not that the humans know this. They just think it is a cool biker bar.
We are introduced to and/or learned more about:
Vane and Fury Kattalakis – two Katagaria Were-Hunter wolves. Vane stood in as bodyguard for Sunshine as a favor to Talon for a day while she sold her art in Jackson Square. He seems very unsociable and was bored the entire time until he saw Sunshine’s friend, Bride. He seemed interested in her.
Acheron – We know very little about this man except that he has unimaginable powers and that he was the first Dark-Hunter. His eyes are swirling silver and he likes to dye his hair different colors. He has a strange bird-like tattoo and the goddess Artemis has a strange obsession and attraction with him that he doesn’t seem to share.
Styxx – He looks just like Acheron except for the swirling eyes. He hates Acheron.
Artemis – She is….well, I don’t know what to think of her. She is a goddess so she is spoiled and selfish. She has a weird obsession with Acheron like she is attracted to him and wants him even though it is obvious he doesn’t feel the same way and she abuses and torments him. Yet she seems to be on the side of the humans and wants to protect them…sort of.
Valerius – He is the grandson and spitting image of the Roman who tortured and killed Kyrian of Thrace. Julian also hates him. Zarek, from comments Valerius made to him, was who his father used as a whipping boy. He is arrogant and haughty and thinks he is better than everyone. He doesn’t seem to have a lot of friends.
Zarek – He is totally anti-social and scary. He isn’t even nice to people who try to be nice to him. He keeps himself closed off from everyone yet I see some good in him…not much but some. I can understand why he is like this because he was used as a whipping boy all his life for Valerius’ family. When Ash met him, he was disfigured, scarred and blind in one eye. Acheron removed all of it and restored his body.
There were also a lot of other appearances of some characters who will be in future books and some who will not or have not been yet but they had very minor roles in this book so I am not going to mention them here. I don’t think I could remember them all and I didn’t jot them down as I was reading.
With each book I am amazed at how much I missed or have forgotten but now I know what to look so I am trying to keep it all organized and straight in my head. This series is already complex and it will only get more so as it continues. It keeps me on my toes and intrigued.
www.paranormalromanceslut.com
There is always so much information and story-building packed into Sherrilyn Kenyon’s books that I feel like I have to lead with some definitions and terms before I get started or everyone will be confused.
Apollites – A race of people made by Apollo with the intention that he would one day replace Zeus. He thought that he could create a race superior to humans. Apollites are stronger and taller than humans with psychic powers. Angered by this, Zeus made declared war on them and exiled them to Atlantis.
When the Apollite queen became jealous of Apollo’s beloved mistress, Ryssa, she ordered Ryssa and her newborn’s son to be killed and ripped apart. In sorrow and rage over this, Apollo cursed all Apollites to die painfully on their 27th birthday because that was how old Ryssa was. They also could no longer live in the daylight and had to live only off of Apollite blood. In doing this, he also cursed his son, Stryker.
Daimon - some Apollites live longer because they have learned to suck the souls out of humans to extend their lives but they have to keep a steady diet of souls to live. Daimons have black tattoo-like marks on their chests like inkblots where they gather souls.
Dark-Hunter – a warrior who sold his soul to the goddess Artemis for a single act of vengeance. They hunt and kill Daimons to protect mankind and are immortal. Each warrior has his own unique power or set of powers such as mind-reading, telekinesis and healing. Because Daimons have animalistic instincts and features such as fangs, so do Dark-Hunters but they do not drink blood. They also cannot go into the sunlight. They cannot marry or have a lover for more than one night. Because Dark-Hunters are so powerful, two cannot be near each other or their powers will drain. They also cannot hurt or kill each other because what one does to the other happens to them also; if one hits and breaks the nose of another Dark-Hunter, his or her nose will break also.
Were-Hunter – A long time ago, a king with the help of a god did magickal experiments on animals of prey and Apollites to save his sons from the Apollite curse of dying when they reach the age of 27 which resulted in humans and animals to shift into each form. There are two kinds of Were-Hunters, Arcadian and Katagaria. The gods cursed them to hate each other so they always fight between the two races.
Arcadian – Were-Hunters who are born human but can shift into animal form when they reach puberty and unlock their magickal powers. Arcadians believe they are superior to Katagaria because they are more human. When they sleep, they retain the natural form of a human.
Arcadian Sentinel – soldiers, chosen by the Fates, who hunt down Slayers. Only a few are born to each patria. A Sentinel knows he or she has been chosen because when they reach maturity, geometrical shapes appear and cover one side of their face. Many choose to use their magick to hide the markings to blend in with humans and so other Weres don’t know what they are.
Katagaria – are animal hearted Were-Hunters who are born in animal form and able to transform into human form when they reach puberty and unlock their magickal powers. When they sleep, they retain their natural form of an animal.
Slayer - Katagaria who are lost to their animal impulses and attack Arcadians. More violent and vicious Slayers are referred to as True Slayers. Slayers and True Slayers are hunted down by Sentinels. Even other Katagaria look down upon Slayers.
The Story
Talon is an ancient Celt who was cursed by the god Camulus to lose everyone he ever loved. After he lost his beloved wife Nynia when she bled to death after giving birth to their stillborn son, he was heartbroken but had to lead his tribe and take care of his younger sister. His cousin, wanting leadership for himself, turned the clan against Talon and killed his sister right in front of him and then killed Talon. With his last breath, he called out to Artemis and became a Dark-Hunter.
Talon is now one of the Dark-Hunters for the New Orleans area. He used to share it with Kyrian Hunter but since Kyrian won his soul back from Artemis, she decided to replace him with Kyrian’s enemy, Valerius. And since Mardi Gras is coming up, she called in temporary help but she chose the most psycho Dark-Hunter of all, Zarek of Moesia. He has been isolated in Alaska for the last 900 years because he does not play well with others. Talon is not looking forward to Mardi Gras at all.
He meets Sunshine when she is attacked by a group of Daimons and he helps rescue her. One of the Daimons pushes him in front of a Bacchus Mardi Gras float and Sunshine ends up taking him home to her flat above her father’s bar.
I cracked up at how he woke up naked with pink tie-dye curtains surrounding the bed and how Sunshine and her mother talked about him like he wasn’t there. The things they said were hilarious like how they had no qualms talking about his body and his private parts. He thought they were certifiably nuts.
Meanwhile, Camulus has teamed up with the god Dionysius aka Bacchus and someone named Styxx. They seemed to have engineered the meeting between Talon and Sunshine for some reason. Camulus and Dionysius want their god statuses back and have plans along with Styxx to release the Destroyer, the goddess Apollymi, on Mardi Gras when the veil between worlds will be at its thinnest. To do this, they need to kill Acheron, the leader of the Dark-Hunters.
Each one has their own additional motives for doing this. Camulus wants to hurt Talon. Dionysius thinks he can be a powerful god and Styxx wants revenge on Acheron. The trio stir up all kinds of problems to keep the Dark-Hunters busy. They use Zarek’s reputation against him and make it look like he murdered a woman and shredded her with the metal claw he wears on his hand. Then they sic Daimons on him and call the police so they see him attacking the Daimons. He escapes but his picture has been shown on television and is now a wanted man. Artemis wants him killed because she thinks he is psycho and will expose Dark-Hunters to the humans. They use Kyrian and his best friend Julian’s hatred of Valerius to stir up trouble and keep Acheron busy playing referee between them. And they keep Talon busy with Sunshine.
Sunshine starts having dreams about Talon and his earlier life. She believes Nynia’s soul was reborn in her but Sunshine is nothing like Nynia who was timid and did everything that Talon wanted. Sunshine is outspoken and a free-spirit. She would never let a man dictate how her life should be or be second best in a relationship. She’s been there and done that already with her ex-husband who she has not told Talon about.
Talon starts falling for Sunshine but knows he can never be with her because of his curse and because he is a Dark-Hunter. He knows that if he falls in love with Sunshine, Camulus will kill her.
This book introduced a lot of characters who we will see in future books in the series and it introduced Sanctuary, a bar where a lot of action happens in future books. Sanctuary is a bar owned by a family of Were-Hunters but, as of yet, we do not know what kind or what animal. It is a place where humans, gods and Were-Hunters all gather…not that the humans know this. They just think it is a cool biker bar.
We are introduced to and/or learned more about:
Vane and Fury Kattalakis – two Katagaria Were-Hunter wolves. Vane stood in as bodyguard for Sunshine as a favor to Talon for a day while she sold her art in Jackson Square. He seems very unsociable and was bored the entire time until he saw Sunshine’s friend, Bride. He seemed interested in her.
Acheron – We know very little about this man except that he has unimaginable powers and that he was the first Dark-Hunter. His eyes are swirling silver and he likes to dye his hair different colors. He has a strange bird-like tattoo and the goddess Artemis has a strange obsession and attraction with him that he doesn’t seem to share.
Styxx – He looks just like Acheron except for the swirling eyes. He hates Acheron.
Artemis – She is….well, I don’t know what to think of her. She is a goddess so she is spoiled and selfish. She has a weird obsession with Acheron like she is attracted to him and wants him even though it is obvious he doesn’t feel the same way and she abuses and torments him. Yet she seems to be on the side of the humans and wants to protect them…sort of.
Valerius – He is the grandson and spitting image of the Roman who tortured and killed Kyrian of Thrace. Julian also hates him. Zarek, from comments Valerius made to him, was who his father used as a whipping boy. He is arrogant and haughty and thinks he is better than everyone. He doesn’t seem to have a lot of friends.
Zarek – He is totally anti-social and scary. He isn’t even nice to people who try to be nice to him. He keeps himself closed off from everyone yet I see some good in him…not much but some. I can understand why he is like this because he was used as a whipping boy all his life for Valerius’ family. When Ash met him, he was disfigured, scarred and blind in one eye. Acheron removed all of it and restored his body.
There were also a lot of other appearances of some characters who will be in future books and some who will not or have not been yet but they had very minor roles in this book so I am not going to mention them here. I don’t think I could remember them all and I didn’t jot them down as I was reading.
With each book I am amazed at how much I missed or have forgotten but now I know what to look so I am trying to keep it all organized and straight in my head. This series is already complex and it will only get more so as it continues. It keeps me on my toes and intrigued.
www.paranormalromanceslut.com
I've read this book many times, Probably one of my favorite Sherrilyn Kenyon books. Love the characters so much!
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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