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One Silent Night (Dark-Hunter #16)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 13,316 ratings · 451 reviews

While the world carries on unawares, Stryker, who leads an army of demons and vampires, is plotting an all out onslaught against his enemies—which, unfortunately for us, includes the entire human race. To avenge his sister, Stryker prepares to annihilate the Dark-Hunters. But things go awry when his oldest enemy returns. Enter his ex-wife. Zephyra. Just when he thought

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Paperback, 1st Edition, 310 pages

Published November 4th 2008 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

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Mar 03, 2013 Vilda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Dark-Hunter fans! (& series to PNR lovers!)

Shelves: paranormal-romance, read-in-2013, e-book, didn-t-want-to-put-down

'"Swear it on your life."
His gaze hardened. "That I can never do."
She pressed the point in until it drew a bead of blood. "Why can't you?"
"Because you are my life," he said, his voice cracking. "And I can't live another day without you."'

Wow! I was a bit worried about how I'd react to Stryker's story, but I shouldn't have worried--it was just as good as the rest of the series! I love how good Kenyon is at showing both sides of a story and it was very interesting to see things from the Daimons'...more

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Nov 08, 2008 Gina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic, fantasy, own, romantic-suspense, paranormal-supernatural, suspense

Not completely disappointed, but it’s cutting it really close!

Okay, let me begin by saying I’m a huge fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon. I was first introduced to her Dark-Hunter series with Seize the Night, loved it, went back and got the rest of the series and have been following it ever since. Let me continue that by saying: although the story and plot was good, I was disappointed and found the book overpriced.

I paid $8.09 CND for OSN - I have an iRewards card through Chapters. I felt like I was cheate...more Not completely disappointed, but it’s cutting it really close!

Okay, let me begin by saying I’m a huge fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon. I was first introduced to her Dark-Hunter series with Seize the Night, loved it, went back and got the rest of the series and have been following it ever since. Let me continue that by saying: although the story and plot was good, I was disappointed and found the book overpriced.

I paid $8.09 CND for OSN - I have an iRewards card through Chapters. I felt like I was cheated. I opened the book, saw the size of the font and though, WTH! If the font was the usual size, no way would the book be any bigger than maybe 200 pages. That is the size of a Harlequin romance, for crying out loud! A novella! Not impressed with that. Automatically it put me in a frame of mind that didn’t favour the book.

With that said, I’ll jump into it without giving too much away. Kenyon warned that this book is a bridge between the last and the next books. It most certainly is that, but I wasn’t thrilled.

Stryker is the bad guy - plain and simple. He has a happily-ever-after; while that’s not a completely good thing, it’s not a completely bad thing either. That’s not why I picked up OSN. Stryker is forced to take the souls of humans to stay alive: we already knew that. We may not be happy with it, but we understand it. But the whole ‘pitty me, Dad vowed to rape, torture and kill my pregnant wife while I watched so I better leave her to protect her’ BS was just that - a big butt-load of BS. That card shouldn’t have been played. Is it supposed to drag sympathy from the reader? Um, if Zephyra was a nicer person, perhaps, maybe. And that’s a big Maybe!

I hated Zephyra, with a capital ‘H’. The synopsis called her a shrew… oh, she’s much more than that, but unfortunately, I need to watch my language; I’ve a few names to call her, but I have kids present. I understand why she’d hate Stryker. Should he have told her the entire truth behind why he was leaving her? YES! D’uh. She turned to Artemis, who gave shelter for her and her daughter, Medea. She did what she had to do to keep her daughter and herself alive. Do I commend that? What mother wouldn’t. However, the hell she lived through shouldn’t have been enough to turn her into the cruel b*tch that she now is. Stryker doesn’t do torture, but Zephyra seems to revel in it, especially towards Jared, a Sephiroth. Jared had been offered to Zephyra to keep her from killing a gallu demon. She took custody of him and killed the demon anyway, refusing to be anyone’s slave. She has control over Jared because of a collar previously placed on him, but what I don’t get is her continual torture directed at him. She’s just plain cruel. I can understand cruelty if there’s something behind it. In Jared’s case, from her, there is none. But his traitorous act that pretty much wiped out the rest of his kind is the reason why he’s wearing the collar, that he’s supposed to be tortured for all eternity because of that act, and that act plus the thousands of years of torture has him in the frame of mind that goes along with: I just want to die. If you ask me, that hand is being overplayed. Enough already! Medea seems to be the only one of two in that bunch that has a compassionate bone in her body. I’m curious to see what becomes of her. LOL, wouldn’t it seem fitting if she becomes Nick’s heroine? I liked Davyn, even though he’s one of Stryker’s commanders. While he needs to feed on the souls of humans to stay alive, he is Anglekos: he only steals the souls of evil humans, those who deserve to die; ei: rapists, pedophiles, murderers. The lowest of the low. And strangely enough, he reminds me of my brother, Davin, who may be a big teddy bear but who’d do anything to protect his family.

So, since Stryker doesn’t care if he lives or dies now that everyone he’s ever loved is dead, he does something really stupid so that he can finally get rid of Ash and Nick. And wouldn’t you know it - that act comes back to bite him in the ass. What’s surprising is how Stryker, Ash and Nick join forces to beat back the really, really bad guy, to save the world. And yet, Stryker and Ash, even though they respect each other, are still at an impasse; Stryker’s daimons need to feed on the souls of humans to stay alive, Ash and his Dark-Hunters are protecting human kind. But there’s a curve - daimons are now feeding off gallu demons - and can now walk in daylight. That has me curious to see what’s going to happen and I’ll be continuing the series. And Nick… He is now a Malachai, a supremely powerful creature. And until my curiosity is sated, I will always want to know if Nick and Ash can get passed what happened to Cherise, Nick’s mother.

Now that we have a few glimpses of what’s to come, I can close my review by saying that I am far from satisfied. I have never, in all the DH novels, given any of them lower than a 4 star. This one’s a solid 3, and that seems somehow generous, which is very, very, unlike me.(less)

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Nov 06, 2008 Celeste rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am so disappointed with this book! I don't think I've ever given a Sherrilyn Kenyon book only 2 stars! Both main characters were entirely too harsh and mean for my tastes! While I usually love some good tortured souls and a long road to fulfillment and HEA, I don't particularly like it when the women are known for their brutality and cruelty and have slaves that they beat! Jeez! I was like, ok, at some point something is going to happen to make me love both of these characters... nope. That ne...more

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Feb 09, 2009 Sarita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Okay. I needed some time to think today before I added a comment about this book.

First, I must say I love Kenyon and even though my rating was low by my standard, I am still an avid fan.

This seemed to be another filler/change of direction book. I can see how some people would be overwhelmed with all the different species if they haven't read all the previous books. Everyone's stories were going back and forth and back and forth...

I want to say that I would have loved a longer story on Stryker....more

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Jul 17, 2010 Ronda Tutt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, favorites, erotic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Another Great Read - I absolutely love this series, the more books I read the more I learn about Acheron and his world with the gods, the paranormal creatures, and his Dark Hunters in their other worldly realms.

Stryker (Daimon)and his wife Zephyra (Daimon/Gallu Demon) romance was interesting. Zephyra tells Stryker that if he drinks from the Gallu and then kill it that he can capture his soul and then he would never have to kill a human for its soul again and he is now immortal. Once he learns th...more

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Nov 06, 2012 AJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-uf, romantic, series, steamy

Well, this book has shown me that I am a fickle, fickle, sappy reader. It’s taken Stryker, a character that I have hated and wished dead through 15 books of the Dark Hunter series, and made me love him a little bit. God, I disgust myself! Regardless, I loved this book! Especially getting inside of Stryker’s head, seeing his regret at what he’s done in the past, and understanding why he is the way he is.

The book starts with Stryker unleashing an ancient God, War, to destroy his worst enemies – h...more

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Jan 26, 2009 Rebyj rated it 1 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book so much !
No offense to those of you who liked the book or to SK herself, I just didn't like it at all.

It's way too full of characters and character types/species. Greek, Sumerian, Egyptian (and maybe more?) Pantheon's were all represented.

I counted over 80 characters and character type/species!
Seriously, want the list?
That's in a 300 page book with a large font no less.

Stryker's character was much better developed than Zephyra's I guess because his backstory is men...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: it's too complicated

Shelves: evil-horned-ones, fanged-and-deadly, dafuq-did-i-just-read, whiny-bitches, reviewed-2011, wtf-am-i-doing, masters-of-snoozeville, cheesetacular, romance-paranormal, just-kill-it-already, zzzzzzz

First of all I MUST comment about the number of pages this book has. 166 – magic number. Cmon Stryker should get more than that! Make it a short story then if you’re out of ideas. What should I call this? Medium story? Sounds like crap. I don’t like medium stuff. I either like it huge, long or short. And for all you pervs out there STFU!!

I have to tell you from now that I won’t be giving this a good score. I am so damn disappointed in Stryker because I was expecting his story to be more wild, d...more

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Aug 15, 2010 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: in-my-harem, by-george-thats-awesome, author-sherrilyn-kenyon, series-dark-hunter, 5-stars, come-here-baby-so-i-can-lick-you, scars-and-tats-and-piercings-oh-my, thats-some-funny-shit, its-all-in-the-accent, bad-boy-take-me-away

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I absolutely loved this book. I thought that maybe I might not like it because it was completely about Stryker and, while I love him, he and I have a love-hate relationship, particularly when he tries to kill my Acheron. However, I believe this might be one of the best Dark-Hunter books.

As I said, I love Stryker. I hated seeing him try to kill Ash, and almost succeeding until Savitar's intervention. I loved seeing a softer side to him, though: he can't stand torture, everlasting love, really lov...more

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Dec 06, 2008 Miss Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Dark Hunter Fans

Recommended to Miss Kim by: continuation of series

Shelves: dark-hunters, paranormal, 2008

Really 3.5 stars -

I was really anticipating this book, since I just finished Acheron not long ago. However, I was kind of disappointed.

I didn't expect to like Stryker, but I did come around as I read on. I suppose he really does have a heart. It is hard to have sympathy for Ash and Dark-Hunters' enemy.

His ex-wife, Zephyra, shows up here. She is a mean, hateful, shrew, and I just couldn't like her. They were married eleven thousand years ago when they were children of 14. I was a little uncomfo...more

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Nov 04, 2008 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sherrilyn-kenyon

This was a considerably shorter book than some of the others in the series, but I loved it because it provided so much insight into many of the characters. We got to see that not everything is either good or evil, but that so many of the characters are a mix of the two. I couldn't help but feel bad for Stryker, especially when you realize how much he has lost. The revelations about Nick made me like his character even more, despite him being all pissy at Acheron. And for some strange reason, I h...more

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Aug 29, 2009 Lady Valee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pnr-romance

First of all I do not get why some did not like this book. In my opinion it was awesome. It was great to be able to see things from another point of view. To understand the apollites better.

Stryker and Zephyra were a great couple, I loved the chemestry between them, and the fact that even though when they were fighting you knew they did not mean it. You could see the love they had for each other very clear.

I love boys with the worst bad ass attitude, except when it comes to their girls.

I did not...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Jilly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-hunter

I'm not usually that in the story of the bad guys but at times it really does make you understand and feel bad for them. I wouldn't say that was the case this time around. I mean I have read all of the Dark-Hunter series to this one was a must but I didn't really feel for Stryker.

Well maybe I'm being to harsh. I did feel bad that Apollo was such an awful father to him and that his father would stoop to such a low level to prevent his son from being married to a woman he didn't like. At the same...more

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Mar 05, 2013 V Johnson rated it 2 of 5 stars

I love the Dark Hunter series. At least I did a couple of books ago. This is what happens when a series goes on for too long. Too many characters are added and many of the series are tying together! A quick look at upcoming books showed that there are at least 4 series tied together: Dark Bites is Dark-Hunter, #24; Were-Hunter, #10; Dream-Hunter, #6; Hellchaser, #6.

I have ceased to purchase the books and I now check them out from the library. I do this to preview the book and see if it is worth...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Lyra Dimagiba rated it 4 of 5 stars

Stryker’s book.

I don’t know what to expect when I opened this book. We know Stryker is the villain here, and that only made me want to know more about him because, one thing I noticed about SK’s stories was that her characters became what they are because of a reason.

There is always a reason.

Either betrayal, lack of love, or whatever, there is always a reason.

And this book didn’t disappoint me.

I now understood why Stryker turned to Apollymi after getting cursed by his very own father.

I also lik...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Beth rated it 1 of 5 stars

Pure crap.

Other than the snippets that speak of Nick and Acheron this book was horrible.

Stryker and Zephyra are absolutely disgusting to read about. I found it horrible that Stryker seemed more "noble" than Zephyra. I don't really care how much torture and loss you go through, turning that evil has no excuse.

I mean look at Ash.. he had it worse and he's fair. These 2 are like hannibal lecters long lost children. And their rough sex scenes and their twisted daughter.. ugh.

I don't even really c...more

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May 23, 2011 Leontine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

After hearing much about One Silent Night and after the frustrating wait for my paperback copy to finally arrive I was just about fed up with this novel before I even read the first word. So I placed it on my bookshelf and lost myself in the holiday season. However, as I entered 2009 the red cover started humming unto a point I could no longer ignore it or Stryker. What can I say; it was with the mere first pages that confusion was already a part of my reading experience as Stryker conjures an a...more After hearing much about One Silent Night and after the frustrating wait for my paperback copy to finally arrive I was just about fed up with this novel before I even read the first word. So I placed it on my bookshelf and lost myself in the holiday season. However, as I entered 2009 the red cover started humming unto a point I could no longer ignore it or Stryker. What can I say; it was with the mere first pages that confusion was already a part of my reading experience as Stryker conjures an ancient War God to kill his two most hated enemies. Once, a long time ago, we started with the Dark-Hunters and the Daimons, with Were-Hunters and Dream-Hunters as secondary races. Now we have been introduced in the last couple of books to Gallu Demons, Chthonians, more Gods and Demi Gods than I care to remember with a hierarchy that basically says, I have incredible powers…but there is someone else who has even stronger powers than I and can kick my ass any day of the week. Add to this vast world the new Malachai kind, Sephirii kind, the Sephiroth kind, The Source and then some more characters of yet to be determined race and you can witness this reader practically begging Sherrilyn Kenyon for a GPS system to navigate her world!

But okay, this is my frustration and for those who have it all under control, please bear with me as I will get to an actual review! When I have invested myself into a series I want to have a global understanding of the world and the characters in it. I enjoy the perception of good versus evil, I can be thoroughly surprised if an enemy doesn’t turn out to be so…..nasty and has a hidden side. But I feel Kenyon is overstepping her philosophy that everyone has a point of view from which a story can be told. The balance in her world is shifting dangerously towards tipping the scale into chaos of storylines and character introductions/development that, instead of deepening her world, she turns it into a shallow one. I can be wrong, perhaps the last few books have just been much on introducing the new and shifting in storylines to get ready for the new arch and closing on Acheron’s one. For now, it stirs chaos and I’m starting to lose myself in it.

Is it all negative you might wonder? No, Sherrilyn Kenyon wouldn’t be the kind of author to entice the curiosity with certain characters and plotlines. In One Silent Night there is, once again, a tortured hunk that has my mouth watering and raised my interest where he fits in this world of the author. And the end signals for a dawning of a new era…or story arch for that matter!

Strykerius, or Stryker as we come to know him, together with Zyphera, his ex-wife, take a shot for the romance in this story. It basically tells that there’s a suitable man for every woman and vice versa. Now, Stryker always had an unusual code of honor which only he has the privilege of understanding and this sometimes results in allowing the enemy to live or, could mean instant death without mercy. What I think was well done, was the fact that Stryker remained consistent in his character traits throughout the series and in this novel. He doesn’t turn all roses and daisies on us, he doesn’t go all starry eyes over a woman, let’s face it, Stryker is just not that kind of man. He will always remain scheming with evil intentions, but in One Silent Night there is also another side to him born from events in the past. It reveals a bit where he was coming from regarding his actions throughout the series and thereby presenting an insightful moment or two in this story. I am not saying I suddenly turned into a Stryker fan, because I still don’t trust him or his motives. But even bad guys fall in love, even they desire someone to stand by them in rough times. And to Stryker this someone is Zyphera, who proves to be his match and equal in all that he throws at her. Her spine is strengthened by what she also has endured in the past and eleven thousand years makes the term: Hell has no fury for a woman scorned a Disney slogan. Nevertheless, I’m just that much of a romantic soul to be glad for Stryker and Zyphera’s happily ever after…as long as Acheron and his gang knock them out in the good versus evil department, I can live with the fact that the Daimon King has found his Queen (again).

The romance is more of a road trip on memory lane for both Stryker and Zyphera with a swift progress in mutual understanding. Their very natures are on edge with unfulfilled desire and revenge turning the interaction to be brisk as it is also acerbic. This of course erupts in mutual passion though it is a minor element in this tale. Inserted to this entertaining love story is a bitter fight with one kick ass War God and includes major character development for one of the most beloved (ex) squires of the Dark-Hunter series, Nick Gaultier. If it is my unwilling mind that cannot wrap itself round all the changes or not, I feel there are some inconsistencies surrounding Ash’s character that doesn’t seem to add up. I can’t specify due to perhaps the spoilerish nature of it but how can I fuse one with the other regarding Ash and how did it come to be in the first place? Perhaps I missed a sentence here or there in previous novels to explain this fact to me?

The signature writing style of Ms. Kenyon steered me towards reading page after page, desperately wanting to know how it all would fit. I am frustrated for some parts but I must admit, the ending predicts whole new things for the Dark-Hunters, Daimons, Demi-Gods, Gods, Gallu Demons etc. In the end Sherrilyn Kenyon does it again as she stirred my curiosity for the next book and I’m writing down the release date of Dream Warrior. For me Kenyon’s novels have turned into a double edged sword bringing both pleasure that equals my frustration.

Quote Zephyra to Stryker:
“You know I’m not the same weak-kneed fool who couldn’t cut her own meat that you married. I will kill you.”

“I know.”(less)

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Mar 06, 2011 Jennifer Mckinney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Title: One Silent Night, Book 13 in the Dark-Hunter series
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
From: Bought from Amazon as a mass market paperback.

About (From Amazon): While the world carries on unawares, Stryker, who leads an army of demons and vampires, is plotting an all out onslaught against his enemies—which, unfortunately for us, includes the entire human race. To avenge his sister, Stryker prepares to annihilate the Dark-Hunters. But things go awry when his oldest enemy returns. Enter his ex-wife. Ze...more Title: One Silent Night, Book 13 in the Dark-Hunter series
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
From: Bought from Amazon as a mass market paperback.

About (From Amazon): While the world carries on unawares, Stryker, who leads an army of demons and vampires, is plotting an all out onslaught against his enemies—which, unfortunately for us, includes the entire human race. To avenge his sister, Stryker prepares to annihilate the Dark-Hunters. But things go awry when his oldest enemy returns. Enter his ex-wife. Zephyra. Just when he thought nothing could stop him, he’s now embroiled in a centuries old war with a shrew who gives new meaning to pain.

Review:

Overall: 3/5

Heat Meter: 2/5

One Silent Night is an unexpected book to say the least. While most anyone, including myself has grown to loathe Stryker after reading all of Kenyon’s books leading to this one, you will see a different side of him in this book. I will admit to a certain lack of ambition towards this book, I was not looking forward to it and it was an unusually slow read for me. I just could not get into it as easily as the others and it wasn't the page turner I am used to with Kenyon's books. It was good, don't get me wrong but nothing compared to what she has written before. Stryker does show emotions in this book which is something we haven’t really seen with him before; most strongly love towards his wife Zephyra and his daughter Medea. These emotions play him in a different light, not so much as the vicious, unfeeling Daimon he was presented as in all the other books. The book brings Stryker's motives to light and allows the reader to actually sympathize with him and his choices even if they weren't the best ones such as his relationship with Apollymi.

The sexual tension between Stryker and Zephyra is definitely there but compared to her other books it is not acted upon as much. Stryker and Zephyra don't spend too much time together in this book but their past relationship (11,000 years ago) is retold in detail in bits and pieces through the book. I must say that I am disappointed at how easily the happily ever after came. The book was shorter than normal so there was room for more. I was left under stimulated by this novel. Her previous books enacted the effects of heart racing, rapid page turning and carrying the book around the house while doing other things (I literally try to wash dishes and brush my teeth when I am in love with a book and don’t want to put it down ). I did not feel that with this one. I wasn't as excited to read it or to continue reading it.

Zephyra, who is Stryker’s wife in this book is unlikable and as bad a person as he has been in the past. She keeps and tortures a certain Sephiroth (a guardian and consort of the first order of Gods) whom I won't mention so as not to ruin the book. She is portrayed as a ruthless, vicious woman and I would have to say those are my feelings of her exactly. There is nothing good about this woman. I would have said that her and Stryker deserved each other but as I mentioned before he is starting to grow on me. He’s not as bad a person as we may have been led to believe.

But......there are good points to this book as well such as the introduction of a new character, War, who definitely made the book come to life more. Then, some of our older, more loveable character such as Acheron, Tory, Danger, Nick, Simi and Urian were all also a good part of this book. The interactions of those characters with the main characters in this book were great and unquestionably stimulating. I read through those parts like a speed demon. ;)

With all that said, it is necessary to read this book if you are reading the series. It does contain essential information and you won’t want to miss it!
(less)

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Apr 24, 2010 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010

Stryker is the adopted son of Apollymi, the Atlantean Goddess of Destruction and Ash's mother. He's been fighting to destroy Ash and the Dark-Hunters since the beginning of the series, plotting behind Apollymi's back to kill her beloved son. Knowing that it would mean his own death, Stryker summons War and makes him flesh to unleash him on Ash and Nick, Ash's best friend and (fairly) newly turned Dark-Hunter. Just to complicate things, Stryker's 1st wife (he believes she has been dead for the pa...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Darcy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, audio-book, demons, greek-mythology, listened-to-at-work, pnr

I had a couple of issues with this one. I didn’t care for the narrator, he was over the top in how he would say or drag out the words, then I was irritated by how he would not say the names right. My other issue was I have a hard time liking a character who has been a bad guy, which Stryker was and still is, proven by his last words.

I have never liked Stryker, he has seemed like a sulky sullen boy who didn’t get his way. He hates Apollo, thinks he did him wrong, which he did. Kills his own son...more

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Oct 31, 2011 Shiran rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, sherrilyn-kenyon, vampires

Stryker is the leader of the Daimon's, a vampiric race that need human souls to live. Stryker is a cruel and cold man and he has very few people whom he trusts and loves, one of them was his sister Satara who was murdered. Now Stryker wants revenge, he awakens the one man he thinks can kill both his enemies, Acheron and Nick, but War is not a man to trifle with. When Artemis finds out that Stryker is after Ash she sends in the one person who hates Stryker the most, his ex wife Zephyra. But the l...more Stryker is the leader of the Daimon's, a vampiric race that need human souls to live. Stryker is a cruel and cold man and he has very few people whom he trusts and loves, one of them was his sister Satara who was murdered. Now Stryker wants revenge, he awakens the one man he thinks can kill both his enemies, Acheron and Nick, but War is not a man to trifle with. When Artemis finds out that Stryker is after Ash she sends in the one person who hates Stryker the most, his ex wife Zephyra. But the love Stryker and Zephyra have for one another, and their daughter, transcends even their brutal cruelty. In the end the only way to save the ones he loves is to team up with the people he hates the most.

I must say when I read who this book was about I was skeptical. I have never liked Stryker in the previous books and unlike other characters in the series that you don't know how you could like them at the beginning, Stryker is essentially the bad guy in the series. So I wasn't sure I would be able to find this book appealing but like all SK's books you just can't help but find a place in your heart for her characters. I won't say that I love Stryker or that I have changed my mind as to how he is in this series but I have to admit that I felt sorry for him and kind of understand why he is the way he is. SK is so phenomenal at creating rich, full back stories that you feel as if you have lived and characters that are well rounded and completely believable.

I must say despite her intense cruelty I kinda liked Zephyra, she is strong and at the end of the day the kind of mother who would die for her child. I loved how much she hated Stryker, purely because she still loved him. I also liked that she managed to put the fear of God into anyone she met.

What I loved most about this book was the secrets that came out. Oh, Nick Gautier how you have fulled us all. As always SK managed to wow me and surprise me in this book and while it was a quick read it held enough romance and twists that I couldn't put it down. (less)

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Feb 23, 2012 Tessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have previously avoided this book due to some negative reviews, but I thoroughly enjoyed this installment. Background stories need context and motivation to be interpreted accurately, and Kenyon gave us a great deal of information that explains why certain characters act or respond the way they do. I didn't think I missed much by reading some of this series out of order. But then I go back and read one I skipped and I have these "Ahaa moments" where things click into place, and I know I have n...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Jaime rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance

Each entry in the Dark-Hunter series told of a hunter (were, dark, dream) finding true love and redemption. So, I was thrown for a loop when one of the series mainstay villains found his true love - Stryker. When he releases the primal entity known as War to kill Nick and Ash, he discovers she is still alive and that he still loves her.

More than anything, the purpose of this story seemed to be to introduce a new arc in the overall mythology (rather than a romance), including a new "pantheon" and...more

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Nov 12, 2010 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. right... I wrote this once then stupidly clicked off the tab and lost it all :( so i think it might make me sway towards a more negative opinion on this novel due to my blackened mood...

First, i should say that I am a HUGE D-H fan and that I adore the series. BUT in this novel I was seriously let down. This novel by Kenyon falls way short of her usual standard.

Firstly,thank god I bought it at a discounted price else I'd feel increadibly cheated - WHAT WAS WITH THE MASSIVE PRINT!!!!!!!! The only...more right... I wrote this once then stupidly clicked off the tab and lost it all :( so i think it might make me sway towards a more negative opinion on this novel due to my blackened mood...

First, i should say that I am a HUGE D-H fan and that I adore the series. BUT in this novel I was seriously let down. This novel by Kenyon falls way short of her usual standard.

Firstly,thank god I bought it at a discounted price else I'd feel increadibly cheated - WHAT WAS WITH THE MASSIVE PRINT!!!!!!!! The only conclusion I can draw is that this is an attempt to make this a novel as opposed to a novella.

Secondly, What is with this sudden 'feel sorry for Stryker' parade that she's rolling out. Stryker is the bad guy for a reason and thats why fans both like/dislike him at the same time!!! I feel that in this novel Kenyon risks damaging what makes her D-H novels so popular - the war between D-H and Daimons and how Ash and his mum are stuck on opposing sides of the conflict.

Thirdly,Zephyra is hideous!! theres no other way to describe her. Her back story just didnt equate to her actions in the novel. Sure Stryker left but come on! he apologized - GET OVER IT!!! there was no need to go all Bitch-fest and torture Jared etc. So for me there just seemed to be a massive gap there. Also whats with this relationship built on insult. At times it felt like I was reading pages of pointless back and forth insults between Stryker and Zephyra. HOW BORING!!!!! At times I was simply desperate for real dialogue to take place.

However, saying all this there were a few things that stopped this book becoming a 2 star. One, Nick was back and in a big way - since he's one of my favourite characters in the series that was a definate plus for me. Also the revealing that he's a Malachai tied in nicely with Kenyon's story in the chronicles of nick which I actually read before OSN. I enjoyed picking up all the little details and hints. Of course Ash's presence made the book better too and the whole Nick vs Ash thing is just so heartbreakingly addictive that their scenes together made the book loads better. For me i think the book would have been best if it was just made up of Nick + Ash's scenes and the whole Stryker/Zephyra thing just wasn't in it- Stryker's moties for his behaviour (which i think is what kenyon was trying to justify in this novel) had been taken care of in previous novels - thus there qwas no need for this novel!!! To be fair the whole daimon + gallu = freedom thing WAS interesting and I think will feature well as a plot device in future books, not to mention the book explained the whole Jared/Nick thing which I'm sure will also figure later.

Overall OSN is definately not the best member of the D-H series. To be fair to Kenyon she mentioned that this is a bridge book between the first and second parts of her series (details on her website) and i think thats a fair conclusion for the book- a bridge, neither excellent nor totally useless but one where i would skip out large portions of the text to just get the best bits!(less)

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Nov 24, 2012 Sammy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons-rock, paranormal-romance

How is it that Kenyon actually had me cheering for the bad guy, Strykerius, and hoping he would find love, when I have hated that man since book #1 of this series. I wasn't even thinking I would like this book, let alone not be able to put it down. Very good story and there is a series change about to take place in the world of the Daimons. This is a must read for all Dark Hunter fans.

Stryker unleashes an evil being and sends him to destroy Ash and Nick. That being then turns on Stryker causing...more

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Feb 12, 2009 Nely rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bad boys need lovin’ too!

This is the story of Stryker - yes, Strykerius (tormentor of all things, Dark-Hunter, Acheron and Nick Gaultier related). Yet I thoroughly enjoyed reading the bad guy’s side of the story.

In this story we were able to get a glimpse of the romance between Stryker (all around Dark-Hunter nemesis) and his first-wife Zephyra (she’s a total bwitch). Upon reading this you see Stryker in a whole new light and why he is the way he is. Yes, Stryker, was human at one point. He was...more

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May 26, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Second time reading this. I'm finding it hard to think of Stryker as a total bad guy...but I guess looking at it from the good side, he is. I just love how when Stryker unleashed something evil that in the end he stood with the very reason he unleashed it in the first place. That just cracks me up at the absurdity of it. Could have avoided it all together...but great story. I'm not sure how I feel about Jared/Nim being owned by Zephyra. The way they made it sound was she was this innocent loving...more

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May 11, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, science-fiction, beach-read

I found this copy at Half-Price Books while I was looking for copies of Eragon for literature circles. I was happy to see a new light read for the weekend. I'm feeling rather brain dead.

Even so, I was not impressed. I've always hated books and movies in which love thinly masquerades as hate. I'm just not into the whole "I hate you/I love you" dynamic. I think it confuses way too many young women and they mistake disgust for sexual excitement.

Before I was halfway through the book, I was already t...more

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Sep 17, 2011 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-romance, mythologhy-base, romance, sensuous

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Dark Hunter series - we always feel sympathy for the heros and heroines - and it is interesting how after a bit, Kenyon throws in bits so that we also feel sympathy for some of those evil doers (Artemis, Apollymi, and now Stryker)... Stryker, the leader of the Daemons. He has a tattoo of a black tear drop for each of his dead children, his dead wives, and hs sister - he mourns them.

The storyline is of Stryker and zephyra... married when they were 14... 11,000 years ago... We learn that Apollo wa...more Dark Hunter series - we always feel sympathy for the heros and heroines - and it is interesting how after a bit, Kenyon throws in bits so that we also feel sympathy for some of those evil doers (Artemis, Apollymi, and now Stryker)... Stryker, the leader of the Daemons. He has a tattoo of a black tear drop for each of his dead children, his dead wives, and hs sister - he mourns them.

The storyline is of Stryker and zephyra... married when they were 14... 11,000 years ago... We learn that Apollo was cruel to his son - one time dressing him in a dress and threatening to castrate him and placing him in service to Aretmis with his sisters)... and he truly loved the servant girl Zephyra... but when Apollo threatens rape, torture, & death for Zephyra unless Stryker leaves her, he does (after collecting her picture, a ribbon she wore at their wedding, and the ring she tossed at him in anger)... and he thought she died after a normal human life, but he thinks of her every day.... (for 11,000 years ?

Instead, Zephyra was thrown out on the street by her father after he took the money Stryker left for him, and she drank the bollod of a gullo to become strong & immortal to protect their daughter (that he never knew he had) and goes under Artemis' protection for trade of becoming her assasin to take care of her problems...

And Stryker releases War - after getting his agreement to kill Acheron and Nick - and knowing that War would kill him after killing the other two... and in anger, Artemis sends Zephyra to kill Stryker -

and now Stryker wants to live... he didn't know she was alive,, he didn't know he had a daughter with her... and he fights her for the right to 2 weeks with her - and if she still wants to kill him after 2 weeks, he will let her - he realizes that he has no life without her, and that he would be happy if it were her to take his life...

and she is touched, bit by bit, as she appreciates the teen he was, the man he became (they do share a bloodlust and dislike for humans)... and she finds his momentos and is touched, and he shares the full memory of this father's threat, and his pain, and her words the night he left her, and she forgives him... ahhh... and he finds his trust in her (or accepts his death in her) when War is preventing them from leaving and feeding, and sends in 3 gallu's to manipulate and threaten ... and Zephyr tells him to drink all of the gallu's blood (though their blood converts them to demon and in controlof the demon), but she tells him to drink it all and to take her soul... and he trusts her and does, and it removes the curse of Apollo - so that they are not dependant on human blood/souls... and as many Apollites as possible are following suit - a new threat to humans - they can go out in the day... hmmmm

but the Dark Hunter's story moves forward - with War's attack on Nick unlocking Nick's true nature as Malachai - inherintly evil, but tempered by his human mother's love & their poverty - and only Jared (a new character) can kill him - being of the same source... and the Jared character - servile to Zephyra and Medea - chained in a room, tortured by them (especially Zephyra) for past 'crimes'... and he has his own Simi (Nim, a small adult male with a teddy bear) whom he wants to protect, and whom Zephyra uses to manipulate... I;m guessing his story will be soon...

And Nick takes some responsibility for his actions and feelings - and joins with Stryker and Acheron to take down War (although it takes Tory, Kat, and Zephyr to finish War off).

(less)

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Nov 30, 2010 Nina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-hunters, paranormal, series

So after the rush of finally reading Acheron's emotional hurricane of a book you get to this one. Stryker's. And you think, "Huh." It's small, and is obviously set around Christmas but it's about Stryker. The bad guy that's been hanging around for like 10 books now, so it would be interesting to see a love situation for this antagonist. Then you meet his lady love who has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

I get it. They're the "bad" guys. They're supposed to be evil. But even Stryker has shown...more So after the rush of finally reading Acheron's emotional hurricane of a book you get to this one. Stryker's. And you think, "Huh." It's small, and is obviously set around Christmas but it's about Stryker. The bad guy that's been hanging around for like 10 books now, so it would be interesting to see a love situation for this antagonist. Then you meet his lady love who has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

I get it. They're the "bad" guys. They're supposed to be evil. But even Stryker has shown depth beyond, "Evil! Evil! Evil" with his relationship with Apollymi and his Daimons and even the way in which he's battled the dark hunters. He's a formidable villian who fights with a warrior's code. His ex-wife is brought back onto the scene by Artemis because Stryker has awoken War in his effort to kill Acheron and Nick this episode, and we all now Artie just wants to protect Ash in the end. For Kat. Right. So yes, here is Zephyra, who was once the 14 year-old wife of Stryker, and was the timid, tiny blond daughter of a poor fisherman with a mean right hook. The two 14 year-olds met and fell in love and got married because that's what you did back then, and in there time together had really heated sex that they both still think about. Stryker had to leave his teenage bride because Daddy Apollo picked a more suitable choice for him, and amongst his "Daddy! No's!" He ended up peacing out anyway, because there were threats of rape and murder so he left behind his pregnant teen wife who then gave birth to both a daughter and a mean chip on her shoulder. Enter Apollo's curse and some wheeling and dealing and you've got a pissed off ex and a curious daughter who both enjoy torturing the mysterious character Jared who they keep locked up in their basement. To these broads killing children is nothing to freak over. Check your morals at the door when it comes to fighting with these ladies. And yes, one of them we're supposed to root for to fall in love. How...romantic. And I love two romantic leads that fight it out until the love kicks in, so it wasn't them trying to kill each other that threw on the brakes for me. It was the heated memories of 14 year-old sex and him instantly wanting to bone her and her wanting to kill everything in sight. Painfully. All very weird.

That being said, aside from crazy bloodthirsty Zephyra, I enjoyed the glimpse of Ash with Tory at home together. That was worth trudging through the strange romance of the main characters. This book is rolling in the new battlefield for the dark hunters, which hasn't included many dark hunters yet. It's been a minute since we've seen those guys do their work. This is the organization of the Daimons and this is the entrance of who Jared is and the Source and all these evil Greek ghosts. Like War and his friends. Savitar shows up, which gives me an Acheron-like thrill. Apollymi and him seem to have an interesting back and forth, which may or may not be a prelude to something, even though Savitar always calls Ash his little brother. Oh, and some WTF revelations are made about Nick. So it was all of that that made this book enjoyable and hurry up let's read the next one. Not the romance. But when you're as deep into this world as you are by this book you'll forgive the hiccup. (less)

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About Sherrilyn Kenyon

Sherrilyn Kenyon lives a life of extraordinary danger... as does any woman with three sons, a husband, a menagerie of pets and a collection of swords that all of the above have a fixation on. But when not running interference (or dashing off to the emergency room), she's found chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary friends. With more than ten million copies of her b...more

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Dance with the Devil (Dark-Hunter, #4; Were-Hunter, #1)

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One Silent Night (Dark-Hunter #16)

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