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nitzanschwarz's review
2.5
Honestly, this is probably around 2.5 stars for me. And not because it is "bad", per se...
It's a little complicated...
I guess I'll start with the fact it wasn't compelling enough to make me want to read it? Like, I've been hung on this book for nearly a month now. And it's not the same as some of the other books on my currently reading where I have kind of stopped them cold-turkey for no fault of their own (because of the reading slump), and I know that once I return to them I'll fly through. This one I kept trickling through throughout the month without putting it on GR because each time the progress was so minuscule that I felt it was silly to record it. Each time, I just... drifted away from my kindle.
But I was too stubborn to drop this one, especially since it really isn't an awful story or something like this, and I've done nothing BUT not finish books for the last two months so...
The first thing that kind of put me off was how horny Nykyrian was for Kiara. You can say I'm really over male leads who are so hot for the girl they're always hard and can't think straight (seriously, go check that. It can't be healthy for you). Here it was especially grating because this is a disciplined, emotionless assassin, who is pretty much the most feared being in the universe. His body is covered with scars, a testament to how many lethal missions he has survived thanks to his diligence and meticulousness. And this is the guy who is so horny he is getting distracted?? It kind of annoyed me. It seemed so out of character.
Not to mention everything happens so fucking fast. Like, one minute she is scared of him. The next, they're making love. Whoopsie doothey're married and then wham bam shazam pregrency!! . Like... not only did the I Love Yous come quickly, but everything else did too. I hate when this happens. I am a firm member of the "show, don't tell" club. Although, if I were honest, I knew this is going to be the way it is because most of Kenyon's stories have this.
Now, there were a lot of things introduced very late in the game (including an antagonist) that felt really disconnected from the story, and got resolved very quickly:
1) Nykyrian's baby mama was there solely to be the baby mama and then die so Nykyrian could have the child. That really pissed me off, especially since it did not fit the timeline of the story or the characters AT ALL.
You want to tell me the gang let that woman, who was injured by her husband's former beating, to go to his hideout where he was keeping Kiara, without any backup or anything while they were planning what to do? And how close is that place that she can just suddenly pop there? Is it like, five minutes away? because it felt like 5 minutes. One second she enters the house to tell the gang where Kiara is, and the next she IS where Kiara is to be brutally killed in front of her eyes.
Oh, and that woman, who KNEW what her husband would do to her if he knew of her daughter's real father, just... blurted it out to taunt him? SERIOUSLY? A woman who has been protecting herself and her daughter for about 16 years???????
It would have made sense if she was part of the plan. Perhaps she volunteered to distract him or whatever and in that endeavor, she was killed. But no. It was literally like Kenyon was suddenly "Oops, I want the girl to be with Nyk and baby mama is still alive. I've got about one chapter left with the bad guy before I kill him, better have him beat her to death now. It would show how cruel he is, right? yeah, good plan me!"
Seriously, it was so... disrespectful. I literally hated it.
2) And Jullian and the Grandmother... they, too, were there just to solve Nykyrian's problems with The League and his family and make him a worthy match for Kiara so her father would shut up. Like, that's ALL they were. We never even meet the Grandmother who ruined Nykyrian's life for no apparent reason. And Jullian is there just so he could give Kiara to the bad guy, and thus be thrown out of the succession rights. Like... that's all he is. He is literally dispatched with a "btw, he got removed and he ain't happy about it but C'est la vie I guess". They're supposedly big players in what has happened to Nykyrian... but they mean NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. Here, too, it felt like Kenyon was looking for a "plausible" way to make Nykyrian a prince and an heir to a throne so Kiara's dad would somehow accept them or whatever.
3) Speaking of Kiara's dad, how did THAT get resolved? Did he finally realize his daughter truly was in love with Nykyrian and that no one raped her or whatever? Because he refused to listen before. Is it the shine of him being a prince all of the sudden? Gah, I've got a bitter taste in my mouth...
Anyways, out of Kenyon's books, I am definitely not a big fan of this one. It was kind of all over the place for me. I do have a couple more novels in this series so I might give them a shot (I am curious about Syn!!) but we'll see.
It's a little complicated...
I guess I'll start with the fact it wasn't compelling enough to make me want to read it? Like, I've been hung on this book for nearly a month now. And it's not the same as some of the other books on my currently reading where I have kind of stopped them cold-turkey for no fault of their own (because of the reading slump), and I know that once I return to them I'll fly through. This one I kept trickling through throughout the month without putting it on GR because each time the progress was so minuscule that I felt it was silly to record it. Each time, I just... drifted away from my kindle.
But I was too stubborn to drop this one, especially since it really isn't an awful story or something like this, and I've done nothing BUT not finish books for the last two months so...
The first thing that kind of put me off was how horny Nykyrian was for Kiara. You can say I'm really over male leads who are so hot for the girl they're always hard and can't think straight (seriously, go check that. It can't be healthy for you). Here it was especially grating because this is a disciplined, emotionless assassin, who is pretty much the most feared being in the universe. His body is covered with scars, a testament to how many lethal missions he has survived thanks to his diligence and meticulousness. And this is the guy who is so horny he is getting distracted?? It kind of annoyed me. It seemed so out of character.
Not to mention everything happens so fucking fast. Like, one minute she is scared of him. The next, they're making love. Whoopsie doo
Now, there were a lot of things introduced very late in the game (including an antagonist) that felt really disconnected from the story, and got resolved very quickly:
You want to tell me the gang let that woman, who was injured by her husband's former beating, to go to his hideout where he was keeping Kiara, without any backup or anything while they were planning what to do? And how close is that place that she can just suddenly pop there? Is it like, five minutes away? because it felt like 5 minutes. One second she enters the house to tell the gang where Kiara is, and the next she IS where Kiara is to be brutally killed in front of her eyes.
Oh, and that woman, who KNEW what her husband would do to her if he knew of her daughter's real father, just... blurted it out to taunt him? SERIOUSLY? A woman who has been protecting herself and her daughter for about 16 years???????
It would have made sense if she was part of the plan. Perhaps she volunteered to distract him or whatever and in that endeavor, she was killed. But no. It was literally like Kenyon was suddenly "Oops, I want the girl to be with Nyk and baby mama is still alive. I've got about one chapter left with the bad guy before I kill him, better have him beat her to death now. It would show how cruel he is, right? yeah, good plan me!"
Seriously, it was so... disrespectful. I literally hated it.
2) And Jullian and the Grandmother... they, too, were there just to solve Nykyrian's problems with The League and his family and make him a worthy match for Kiara so her father would shut up. Like, that's ALL they were. We never even meet the Grandmother who ruined Nykyrian's life for no apparent reason. And Jullian is there just so he could give Kiara to the bad guy, and thus be thrown out of the succession rights. Like... that's all he is. He is literally dispatched with a "btw, he got removed and he ain't happy about it but C'est la vie I guess". They're supposedly big players in what has happened to Nykyrian... but they mean NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. Here, too, it felt like Kenyon was looking for a "plausible" way to make Nykyrian a prince and an heir to a throne so Kiara's dad would somehow accept them or whatever.
3) Speaking of Kiara's dad, how did THAT get resolved? Did he finally realize his daughter truly was in love with Nykyrian and that no one raped her or whatever? Because he refused to listen before. Is it the shine of him being a prince all of the sudden? Gah, I've got a bitter taste in my mouth...
Anyways, out of Kenyon's books, I am definitely not a big fan of this one. It was kind of all over the place for me. I do have a couple more novels in this series so I might give them a shot (I am curious about Syn!!) but we'll see.
kate9807's review against another edition
4.0
4 star audiobook. This was like a spicy Guardians of the Galaxy with the “who hurt you” trope but for him. Hero had a SUPER traumatic childhood that was very difficult to listen to.
alikatson's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars... edited: 3.75 stars - I didn't realize this was Kenyon's first novel, for some reason I thought it was published after some of her Dark Hunter books.
1. this book was wayyyy too long
2. Nykyrian had too many problems, I mean his issues could have created the plot lines for several books. I'm not sure why this happened, Kenyon loves her tragic hero but this seemed like serious overkill at times.
Despite these issues I did enjoy the book. I hated Kiara for a few chapters but otherwise liked her and she did redeem herself and her character progressed a ton over the series (because it was os freaking long)
The narrator sounds just like the one for the Night Huntress series... she did a good job.
1. this book was wayyyy too long
2. Nykyrian had too many problems, I mean his issues could have created the plot lines for several books. I'm not sure why this happened, Kenyon loves her tragic hero but this seemed like serious overkill at times.
Spoiler
I think the unknown daughter was the straw on the camel's back and was a pretty random moment. I guess he has super sperm?Despite these issues I did enjoy the book. I hated Kiara for a few chapters but otherwise liked her and she did redeem herself and her character progressed a ton over the series (because it was os freaking long)
Spoiler
she was crazy judgmental but later explained she needed time to process things which made me like her again. She didn't falter after this, Nykyrian was actually more of a crappy wish/washer and I was SO MAD at him when he didn't let her know he wasn't deadThe narrator sounds just like the one for the Night Huntress series... she did a good job.
sydneynotaustralia's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
witchylevy's review against another edition
5.0
This book was not what I expected compared to the author's other series. That said it was still a great adventure. The characters were understandable, and there was a happy ending. There were some touch and go moments that had my heart racing or skipping a beat wondering what would happen next. I already have book two checked out from my library and will be reading it soon.
chickenafraido's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the story itself, but something about the writing style just irked me. Ah well, you win some you lose some.
megs_k's review against another edition
2.0
In the end, life makes victims of us all. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon