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A review by eloiseinparis
Born of Legend by Sherrilyn Kenyon
4.0
I was both looking forward to and apprehensive of reading this book. After reading Styxx I knew what a hot mess the "Evil Twin" side of the story could do to a beloved character. But it seems like Kenyon totally learned from her mistakes with that tale and redeemed herself with this one. Unlike Styxx this story did not retell one we already know filled with revisionist history. I think it was easier since Nyk and Dagger spent the majority of their lives apart with the universe thinking Nyk was dead, and there was no time wasted revisiting their brief time at school together. There was also no time wasted with Dagger denying all the bad things he did, instead he fully owned up to them with clear reasonings and sincere apologies.
Born of Night established that the twins mother had been cracked out since Nyk's death, their parents unmarried, and Dagger raised by their psycho grandmother. So as Dagger's side of things were revealed they never felt exaggerated or like a lie. With his mother high and his father light years away of course he would've been chum for those sharks. And his parents easily turned their backs on him at the end of BON, so if they truly were loving and caring parents, even considering the heinous things they thought he had done you would think they would have stood up for him in some way. Like sending him to a mental institution instead of letting him disappear into the ether with a death warrant against him.
This story does fit into Kenyon's special genre of torture porn, but Dagger's abuse is not the focus of this story. While he suffered his share of beatings as a child and an adult, this story focuses on healing. While there is no mental professional to help Dagger he does have religion and a new found family to help heal his psychological scars, and some friends with super powers to help heal his physical ones. I also loved the ending. It's not a fairy tale wrap up with the love of a good woman healing all wounds, it's realistic. Dagger and Nyk will be ever healing, but their children will only know love and safety. While the brothers may never form a true bond, their children doing so makes complete sense.
Born of Night established that the twins mother had been cracked out since Nyk's death, their parents unmarried, and Dagger raised by their psycho grandmother. So as Dagger's side of things were revealed they never felt exaggerated or like a lie. With his mother high and his father light years away of course he would've been chum for those sharks. And his parents easily turned their backs on him at the end of BON, so if they truly were loving and caring parents, even considering the heinous things they thought he had done you would think they would have stood up for him in some way. Like sending him to a mental institution instead of letting him disappear into the ether with a death warrant against him.
This story does fit into Kenyon's special genre of torture porn, but Dagger's abuse is not the focus of this story. While he suffered his share of beatings as a child and an adult, this story focuses on healing. While there is no mental professional to help Dagger he does have religion and a new found family to help heal his psychological scars, and some friends with super powers to help heal his physical ones. I also loved the ending. It's not a fairy tale wrap up with the love of a good woman healing all wounds, it's realistic. Dagger and Nyk will be ever healing, but their children will only know love and safety. While the brothers may never form a true bond, their children doing so makes complete sense.