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Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter #2)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 29,419 ratings · 1,207 reviews

Dear Reader,

Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power? That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minutes of it.

Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to

...more

Paperback, 324 pages

Published October 13th 2002 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

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Nov 17, 2012 Dd rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Warning—This book is strictly for fantasy lovers and please do not attempt if you do not believe in Santa or big-foot!!!

He was a Dark-Hunter and she was an accountant.There had never been two more mismatched people born.

A short-note for the readers–-

Who or rather what are Dark-Hunters?

When someone suffers a horrible injustice their soul makes a scream so loud that it resonates through the halls of Olympus.When Artemis,goddess of moon hears it,she goes and offers the one who has been betrayed a...more

52 likes · like · see review

Sep 04, 2011 Dina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

This isn't a review, it's a rant...

I know many readers love this series, but I'm beginning to think it isn't for me. This was my second book by SK - the first was Fantasy Lover - and I still don't know what all the fuss is about. The concept and the mythology of the Dark Hunters are very interesting, but SK's writing didn't work for me again. What annoyed me the most was how all her characters were constantly cracking jokes, no matter how serious and dangerous the situation was. Everyone was a s...more

33 likes · like · see review

Jul 04, 2012 Alkyoni rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: series-ongoing, from-dusk-till-dawn, clash-of-the-titans, nobody-puts-baby-in-the-corner, paranormal, say-anything

I really don’t have anything interesting to mention in this review, so let’s do it the old school way, simple and effective.

Dark Hunter Flashcard #1

Name : Kyrian a.k.a. Hunter

Age: 2,182 last July

Former Occupation: Prince of Thrace

Special D.H. power: Reading minds

Reason why he became a D.H.: (view spoiler)

Best thing that came out of his mouth: You know, I really hate Romans, but I have...more

20 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2010 Amelia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, own

Even though Fantasy Lover was shitty, I'm still intrigued by Kyrian. I was hoping he'd get his own book. Hopefully it won't be as bad as the former.

Ok.... so it wasn't as bad as Fantasy Lover, thank Zeus! I liked it. BUT it wasn't anything spectacular.

I liked the storyline but I felt like it fell flat... along with some of the characters. It just lacks a lot of OOMPF! It could go so much farther and be better but it doesn't. I am interested in some of the other characters and might skip around...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2009 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-pnr, read-own, vampires, read-in-2009, ebooks

Another great story in the Dark Hunter Series. Kyrian and Amanda's story was so cute! I love how Kenyon writes! There is so much humor, sadness and always a great twist to her stories! She makes you feel the pain of the DH's past which makes you just fall in love with the character! I'm loving her series so far.

Kyrian was betrayed by his wife thousands of years ago and Amanda shows him that she will never betray him. OF course there is more to the story like Amanda's powers she decided to put a...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2013 Vilda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: PNR and DH readers!

Shelves: e-book, read-in-2011, paranormal-romance, fans-self, men-that-make-me-swoon, re-read

Re-read: March 15-19, 2013
First read: March, 2011

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 27, 2010 ~Tina~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bite-me, paranormal, guilty-pleasure, adults, read-2010, lib

It's actually unbelievable that I get such a kick out of these books. They are completely rushed, thick with cheese and very eye-roll worthy, and yet, I'm loving it.

Amanda wanted normality in her life, but sadly it's not in the cards for her. Mistaken for her twin, she is attacked and the next thing she knows she's handcuffed to a big, tall and sexy who she can't help but want...of course.
Enter Kyrian.
I don't know why I have such a thing for tortured past-brooding tempered- smoldering vamps, but...more

11 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2010 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans PN Romance or Sherrilyn Kenyon

Shelves: paranormal-romance, read-2008

Reviewed for www.thcreviews.com

Night Pleasures is the first story in the Dark-Hunters series to actually get into the real meat of who the Dark-Hunters are and what they do. As such, it was a pretty good beginning to the overall story arc, but in my opinion, as an individual romance it suffered from a few of the same issues as it's predecessor, Dragonswan. There was plenty of material in this book, in particular Kyrian's tormented past, which should have lent itself to rip-your-heart-out moments...more

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May 28, 2012 AJ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to AJ by: Aestas

Shelves: paranormal-uf, romantic, series, kindle, steamy

What a great read!! Pure Paranormal Romance!

I wasn't sure what to expect going in, except that this series came with very high praise from a trusted source so I knew I'd love it.

The story is told from multiple POVs which I love, because I love to know what's going on in everybody's head. Our heroine is Amanda, and I really liked that she wasn't damaged or needy. She kept a level head throughout all of the life-changing drama that was going on around her, and was not afraid to put herself out th...more

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Mar 14, 2011 ♥ Sarah ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampires, fav-couples, paranormal-romance

After enjoying the Dark-Hunter prequel, Fantasy Lover, I was really looking forward to this book. But, I have to say, that going into this series, I wasn't really clear on what the series is about. The prequel doesn't really set up much about what Dark-Hunter's actually are, it just sets up the world and a connection to the first Dark-Hunter novel. That being said, I now understand and am really excited to keep reading!

This book is about Kyrian of Thrace (a.k.a. Hunter) and Amanda. Just to give...more After enjoying the Dark-Hunter prequel, Fantasy Lover, I was really looking forward to this book. But, I have to say, that going into this series, I wasn't really clear on what the series is about. The prequel doesn't really set up much about what Dark-Hunter's actually are, it just sets up the world and a connection to the first Dark-Hunter novel. That being said, I now understand and am really excited to keep reading!

This book is about Kyrian of Thrace (a.k.a. Hunter) and Amanda. Just to give you an idea, Kyrian was the Commander that fought alongside Julian (from Fantasy Lover) back when they were both mortal. So there's the connection that linked into this book. Also, Amanda is one of Serena's sisters, who was Grace's best friend in the first book.

In this book Amanda and Kyrian wake up chained to each other. Neither of them, Amanda especially, really knows who had kidnapped them, nor what their motives fully are. Once they find out, they are inexplicably tied to each other while they find a way to kill the person responsible so that they, as well as Amanda's family, will be safe again. They find out quickly, however, that they have a chemistry that is undeniable, and soon that chemistry and heat turns into more than just sexual lust, but becomes dangerous when their feelings for each other start to run deeper. It is forbidden for Kyrian to have a long term relationship, as a Dark-Hunter. But, not only that, he would have to watch her grow old and die while he is immortal. So their relationship is doomed from the start. However, there is always hope, and if anyone can find a way to be together, it's these two.

I absolutely loved these two as a couple! They were so adorable and playful with each other. I thought that not only their characters, but their relationship, was really well developed and realistic. I could really see the layers of Kyrian's heart being peeled back bit by bit. I also really liked Amanda. She was not an annoying heroine at all. She was very much likable and in most situations I really understood her actions and found her to be very smart and level-headed.

In case you're wanting to get into this series, know that what Dark-Hunter's are is explained in this book. But, to be frank, it's a type of vampire. This is kind of another setup where there are both good and rogue vampires, however, their origination is completely original and very interesting. It can be a bit confusing, but I think, given time reading the series, it will become more clear.

Overall, I loved the book. I love that she gives us very likable and relatable characters, smokin' hot sex, lots of action, and humor mixed in. That's got to be my favorite combination. On top of all that, even though the ending could be somewhat predicted, I hadn't figured out all the kinks, so there was some surprises there. I'm really excited about the next books and hearing from more of the characters we were introduced to in this one, but I'm curious how she will go about it given how the world is setup in that it's not really acceptable for Dark-Hunter's to be in long term relationships. It will be interesting to see how she works around that in future books.(less)

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Sep 11, 2012 Jacqueline rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who loves sarcastic dry humor, awesome fight scenes, and sexy characters

Recommended to Jacqueline by: No one; but the series was recommended by a B.A.M. saleswoman

Shelves: author-sherrilyn-kenyon, series-dark-hunter

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 01, 2010 Jael ~ *~ Syhren ~* ~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I started this book, the beginning left me thinking "what's all the hype about". Once I continued reading and got Kyrian back story I knew what it was all about. I fell in love. Kyrian is such a sweet, caring male. I actually shed a tear for him. What that treachorous wife did to him! I want to kill her myself. He was more than deserving of Amanda's love and I was happy that he found her. I will definitely be continuing with this series, I just can't wait to get to the infamous Acheron book...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Diane ~Firefly~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire, romance, paranormal, deity-angel

The beginning of the Dark Hunter series. Kyrian and Amanda are one of my favorite couples.

What I enjoyed:
* Kyrian. He is an amazing hero. He had such a horrible end before becoming a Dark Hunter and hides such a tender heart under his snarkiness (which I love).
* Amanda. She thought she wanted a normal life but quickly adapted and did what was needed to save herself and Kyrian.
* Nick. Yes, I'm partial to snarky and he's got it down pat and I love the relationship with Kyrian.
* Amanda's family is...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 14, 2011 Zeek rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha-hero, favorites-pnr, angels-gods-demons, pnr-kitchen-sink, pnr, romance, vamps

I used to say, I'm not a vampire reader, although I loved the Buffy and Angel series on TV.

After hearing rabid raving over LKH creations, I decided to give it a try awhile back.

Na uh. Not for me. Totally couldn't get into it.

I even tried some other popular paranormal authors ... Feehan, Shayne ...

None of them pulled me in.

Then a friend sent me Kenyon's Night Pleasures and I thought, "Ah ha!", now here's a vamp series I can have fun with. It's not an Anne Rice rehashing, which I always found so d...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2011 May rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series, scifi-paranormal-fantasy-etc

I have been told by so many that I would LOVE this author + that the earlier books in this series are gold... so I had to check it out. Here's my verdict:
1. Don't like this world. It just doesn't make sense to me. To be in this "dark hunters" club you have to have had such a F'ed up life/betrayed/etc. that when you die you catch the goddesses notice and she turns you into a creature of the night - soulless + unable to view sun + under contract to fight bad guys forevers.
2. To get your life back...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Sillylittlefishey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read this review on the OBS blog http://openbooksociety.com/article/ni...

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May 11, 2013 Axia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, 2-česky, 4-mixed-supernatural-world, 4-vampires

Kyrián Thrácký už od dob Velkého Říma bloudí světem sám, neschopen zapomenout na zradu své ženy, jejíž vinou přišel o rodinu, zemi i smrtelný život, a už dávno ztratil naději, že by nějaké ženě ještě někdy mohl věřit.

Sherrilyn Kenyonová představuje svět Stopařů, temných lovců a bojovníků, které stvořila bohyně Artemida a kteří každou noc vyrážejí do boje proti Démonům, svým upířím protivníkům.

Amanda Deverauxová se snaží žít tak normálně, jak to jen jde s rodinou, v níž je jediným obyčejným člově...more Kyrián Thrácký už od dob Velkého Říma bloudí světem sám, neschopen zapomenout na zradu své ženy, jejíž vinou přišel o rodinu, zemi i smrtelný život, a už dávno ztratil naději, že by nějaké ženě ještě někdy mohl věřit.

Sherrilyn Kenyonová představuje svět Stopařů, temných lovců a bojovníků, které stvořila bohyně Artemida a kteří každou noc vyrážejí do boje proti Démonům, svým upířím protivníkům.

Amanda Deverauxová se snaží žít tak normálně, jak to jen jde s rodinou, v níž je jediným obyčejným člověkem otec, ovšem matka i všech osm sester jsou buď věštkyně, čarodějky nebo lovkyně upírů. Jen proto, aby měla zdání normálna, stane se účetní a chodí s co nejnudnějšími a nejpředvídatelnějšími muži. Ve chvíli, kdy na ni v bytě její sestry-dvojčete a lovkyně upírů zaútočí neznámý muž a ona se probudí připoutaná k cizímu muži, z nějž se vyklube obávaný Stopař, upír a bývalý římský generál Kyrián z Thrákie, Amanda pochopí, že její nudný život vzal za své.

Noční rozkoše jsou sice románem žánru paranormal romance, tudíž čtenář předpokládá, že na romantiku i sex v knize dojde, zpočátku se ovšem zdá, že sledujeme akčňák á la Zatím spolu, zatím živí. Sexy hlavní hrdina, který od začátku ví, oč kráčí a co musí udělat, a kterého nic nerozhází, se snaží z nebezpečné situace zachránit nejen sebe, ale také mladou a krásnou hlavní hrdinku, jež se od čehokoli nadpřirozeného snaží držet co nejdál, a přitom spadne přímo po hlavě doprostřed bojů mezi dvěma frakcemi upírů.

Postupně hrdiny poznáváme stále víc. Ze zpočátku naivní a nepříliš sympatické Amandy se postupem doby vyklube silná a rozhodná žena, jež víc než co jiného chce uchránit svého vyvoleného před nebezpečím a utrpením, které pro ně oba má připravené hlavní padouch Desiderius. Kyrián je starověký válečník, který odmítá důvěřovat komukoli kromě svých spolubojovníků, jelikož stále nemůže zapomenout na dva tisíce let starou zradu své někdejší manželky, a ačkoli po Amandě touží stejně jako ona po něm, nechce si ji pouštět moc blízko k tělu.

Románu by se kromě kýčovitého názvu a klišovité obálky dala vytknout klišovitost i v některých scénách příběhu, z nichž lze poznat, že se autorka specializuje především na historické romance, v nichž se to naivními pannami a neohroženými horaly jen hemží. V románu ze současnosti je spíše trapné než romantické, když se žena probudí přivázaná k cizímu urostlému přitažlivému muži v bezvědomí a spustí monolog:

„Hej! Pane?“ zkusila to znovu a zatřásla mu svalnatým ramenem. „Pane rytíři, nemohl byste se prosím probrat, abych mohla pryč? Opravdu se mi tu nechce trčet zavřená s mrtvolou ani o chvilku déle, než je nezbytně nutné, víte? No tak, prosím, nedělejte z toho horor. Jsem tu jenom já a vy jste takový kus chlapa.“ (s. 17)

Stejně tak je od autorky poměrně naivní, když nechává hrdinu kráčet světem dva tisíce sto osmdesát dva let, jak je psáno v knize, a přitom ho stále nechá myslet na ženu, která ho před dvěma tisíci a více než sto lety zradila, a dovolí, aby následující události ovlivňovaly i v současnosti jeho rozhodování, co se týče boje, ale i chování a jednání vůči ženám a v ložnici. Za dva tisíce let by se člověk měl s tím, co se kdysi stalo, dávno smířit, a ne se v tom pořád rýpat.

Na druhou stranu se mi velmi zalíbilo, když autorka použila svůj pseudonym ve scéně, kdy sestra hlavní hrdince vytkla, že místo aby vyrazila mezi lidi, sedí doma a s hromadou pralinek čte poslední román od Kinley MacGregor. V románu najdeme více scén, které u čtenáře vyvolají úsměv na tváři, případně ho rovnou rozesmějí. Autorka má velmi příjemný smysl pro humor, který využívá v některých situacích ke zmírnění napětí, přesto čtenáři poznají, že i když hrdinové vtipkují, vyhráno ještě nemají.

Noční rozkoše jsou prvním dílem série, ale ze setkání hrdinů s několika postavami i z několika událostí, k nimž v příběhu dojde, má čtenář pocit, že mu něco uchází – jako by se před tímto dílem odehrával minimálně jeden další příběh, ve kterém se vysvětlují vztahy s těmito vedlejšími postavami i svět, v němž se děj odehrává. Nejspíš je to tím, že dílu předchází v originálu několik povídek, ty ovšem český či slovenský čtenář k dispozici v překladu nemá, takže se v množství termínů a informací, jimiž Kyrián Amandu zavalí, aby ji, a potažmo i čtenáře seznámil s tím, s čím mají vlastně co do činění, ztrácí i s Amandou, – na rozdíl od ní ale čtenáři v terminologii světa Stopařů tápou až do konce příběhu.

Ke knize jsem sice přistupovala s postojem „Jsou v tom upíři, tak to přečti“, příběh mě ovšem velmi mile překvapil, protože dokáže čtenáře pohltit a já se od dobrodružství Kyriána a Amandy nemohla odtrhnout. Nakladatelství Ikar vydalo tento román před pěti lety a až nyní svitla naděje, že se k příběhům Stopařů opět vrátí. Držme jim pěsti, protože Noční rozkoše za sebou nechávají několik otázek nezodpovězených. A já se už nemůžu dočkat, až na ně odpověď dostanu.(less)

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Nov 17, 2012 bobo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite-prn, review

4 stars this time!!! Why? Because I've read it from a new perspective of fantasy books. I've meet for the first time with the DH world about 3 years ago and since then I've read many books,various genre, so I had the chance to compare them. And, I'm positive that DH series is a 4 stars read, except those with 5 stars, of course :)) No review here, because my buddy read, D, made a fabulous one. Give this series a try and you'll be amazed by this wonderful, hilarious, complex world of Dark Hunters...more

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Oct 01, 2008 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second book in the Dark Hunter series (the first, technically, if you don't count Fantasy Lover, which I do, since it first introduced the pantheon, and those characters continued in later books). I should mentioned that I started out reading the series out of order, but am now trying to read them in order.

Of all the Dark Hunter books I've read so far, I do believe this is my favorite. Kyrian is a fantastic, believable character. And I really liked that conservative accountant Amanda...more

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Dec 26, 2007 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of paranormal romance novels

Shelves: paranormal-romance

A light, sexy romp with Kyrian, a Dark-Hunter vampire, who is several thousand years old. This is the second novel in the "Dark-Hunter" series. I started the series with this one, because my local B&N didn't have the first one, "Fantasy Lover."

I enjoyed the new twists on vamp lore and the cast of characters Kenyon has created for this series. The dialogue is snappy and the sex is hot. There are some action/fight scenes, but overall the action isn't exhausting, and it's evenly balanced with t...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: done-book-read

Amanda - Kyrian of Thrace. Great descriptions better & more detailed than The first 2 Julian/ Grace and the dragon swan. I love Kyrians personality his jokes, sarcasm & his effort to be mean when he's just hot. Perfect mix of paranormal, love, passion, pain and action....

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May 08, 2011 Debora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fisicamente_posseduto, preferiti

Stupefacente!
Finalmente ho trovato un'altra scrittrice in grado di affiancare una trama avvincente alla storia d'amore!
E' innegabile il carattere romance (paranormal, precisiamo!) del romanzo ma le avvincenti peripezie di questi eroi della notte sono abbastanza spericolate per soddisfare anche le amanti di romanzi pregni di intrighi e misteri. Insomma, di certo non ci si annoia!

L'incredibile novità, in questo periodo fatto di vampiri e licantropi, sta nell'affiancare in modo così elegante e pe...more

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Nov 24, 2008 JP Seabury rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who like a lot of sex scenes in their reading

Recommended to JP by: I promised not to tell

Shelves: smut-with-a-plot

After posting this book, I learned that it's the 4th in the series. I thought it was book #2. The books, so far, aren't closely linked together, so I don't feel that I've missed much.

This is a vampire series that I'm reading on the recommendation of a friend, although truthfully, I don't find them all that terribly interesting. I'm told that the series gets much better up past #12 in the series -- I'm not sure I'll have the will to read that far into them.

This is the story of Amanda Deveraux, an...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Shadowlynx Behr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This second book in the series was the one that cemented my descent into becoming a Kenyon fan. Kyrian Hunter blew my fantasies of a bad-ass warrior out of this world. Kenyon has managed to combine several things that I've grown up loving: Greek myths, fast-paced action, flirty romance and women who can hold their own in the line of fire (Amanda Devereaux is the first of many). Add in lots of humor and some of the best lines to come out of fictional characters mouths and I can't seem to put down...more

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Jun 03, 2013 Kerry rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-have

"Beauty is sometimes best when it's lethal"

This read worse than a B-rated movie. The dialogue and monologue was awful. Kenyon certainly has come far from her earlier books.
The action and a lot of the dialogue were horribly repetitive and really cheesy.
I love the Chronicles of Nick, so I was really happy to read Kyrian's story. I was most ecstatic that Nick was also a part of this book. It was good to see that his whole character development is the same in his series as it is in this book.
There...more "Beauty is sometimes best when it's lethal"

This read worse than a B-rated movie. The dialogue and monologue was awful. Kenyon certainly has come far from her earlier books.
The action and a lot of the dialogue were horribly repetitive and really cheesy.
I love the Chronicles of Nick, so I was really happy to read Kyrian's story. I was most ecstatic that Nick was also a part of this book. It was good to see that his whole character development is the same in his series as it is in this book.
There were a few things that happened in this book that didn't make a lot of sense.
Amanda was engaged to a man who hadn't met her family. That right there was a bit awkward. But I could go along with it. What I didn't understand was how she would have him stop by her sister's home--whom he supposedly hadn't met--to let out her dog. Ugh...yeah, I understand you had to have a reason to get him inside Tabitha's home to do his plotting and what not, but really? Did you forget just how unlikely that would be?
Amanda asked a lot of stupid questions for someone who had grown up dealing with supernatural all around her. She has 8 sisters who are all a little wacky, her twin is a vampire slayer, yet she still asked questions based off shit she saw on T.V? I was rather confused by her ignorance. I just don't see how she could have avoided coming across a lot of the knowledge she was seeking by being around her family for any amount of time.
Amanda also has untapped powers--but you don't actually learn about them until later in the story. I found that to be a little dodgy, too. She should have mentioned at least something about it in her thoughts at the very least. It ended up feeling very convenient.
Amanda claimed to be a beta female--yet everything she did from that moment on was anything but.
The romance wasn't very believable. I didn't feel any connection or the chemistry that Kenyon tried to drill into your head. Both Kyrian and Amanda's thoughts about the whole thing were awfully redundant to the point that I wanted to rip my hair out.
Overall though, the plot was good. I enjoyed the character interaction in the fact that they were characters I already know. Having read this, I now understand Kyrian a little better from the Chronicles of Nick, and I am eager to see where his character goes in the story, since Nick was 24 in this book and he's still only a teen in those books.(less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Miraphora rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In effetti, avrei dovuto scrivere che è il numero 1 della serie...ma non me la sono sentita di togliere a Julian quell'unico primato. Il fatto che la serie effettiva inizi con Kyrian è stato aggiunto a serie inoltrata da mamma Sherry, per cui posso benissimo considerarlo come il secondo romanzo.
A tutti gli effetti, con questo romanzo, inizia la vera serie dei Dark - Hunter: si delinea il tipo di personaggio, il tipo di storia, lo schema ricorrente ed eventualmente una trama che si ricollega da...more In effetti, avrei dovuto scrivere che è il numero 1 della serie...ma non me la sono sentita di togliere a Julian quell'unico primato. Il fatto che la serie effettiva inizi con Kyrian è stato aggiunto a serie inoltrata da mamma Sherry, per cui posso benissimo considerarlo come il secondo romanzo.
A tutti gli effetti, con questo romanzo, inizia la vera serie dei Dark - Hunter: si delinea il tipo di personaggio, il tipo di storia, lo schema ricorrente ed eventualmente una trama che si ricollega da libro a libro.
Abbiamo quindi un esempio eclatante di paranormal romance nella sua forma basilare: Kyrian è un cacciatore oscuro, non è un vampiro anche se possiede le caratteristiche tipiche: velocità, vista notturna, immortalità, impossibilità di esporsi al sole ecc...ha anche l'istinto di mordere per succhiare il sangue, ma non ha bisogno di nutrirsene per sopravvivere. Diciamo quindi che questi DH sono una versione rivista e corretta del tipico vampiro. Questa figura si inserisce nel contesto mitologico che la Kenyon ha creato: i veri 'vampiri' sono gli Apollinei, creature di Apollo, che per non morire si nutrono delle anime umane. I DH non sono altro che i loro cacciatori, e quindi sono anche i difensori dell'umanità. Detto così sembra semplice, e fino ai primi romanzi lo è, ma per chi conosce la serie sa bene che tutto diventerà molto più complesso. Ma è un'altra storia...
Parliamo di Kyrian, che è meglio. Un principe della Tracia, un guerriero, biondo con occhi verdi come il prato, vitale e passionale, energico quanto ironico, devoto e fedele...un esemplare praticamente perfetto. Finchè un bel giorno quella vacca maledetta di Theone...bhè è spoiler...e lui diventa un Dark-Hunter. Ovviamente è perfetto anche in questo ruolo, con l'aggiunta di un carisma decisamente troppo affascinante. Poteva la Kenyon affiancarlo ad un'eroina tutta bellezza e perfezione? Decisamente no. Una cosa che amo di Sherry è che lei utilizza sempre eroine vicine alle persone reali (nel limite del ragionevole è ovvio, siamo pur sempre in un romanzo paranormale), con pregi, difetti e insicurezze tipiche di una ragazza qualsiasi. Anche nel loro aspetto fisico molte non hanno la bellezza, ma il fascino, la personalità; e questa non è una cosa da poco: ci si immedesima facilmente con Amanda.
Amanda è una contabile che ha rinnegato i suoi poteri. Vuole vivere normalmente, al contrario di tutti i membri della sua famiglia, finchè un giorno viene assalita e si risveglia ammanettata a...Kyrian.
Da qui si sviluppa una storia fatta di battute divertenti, ironia, dialoghi frizzanti ma anche di sentimenti veri, passione e amore. Insomma, lo stile è quello della Kenyon, un momento ridi e quello dopo hai i bollori, il tutto esposto e narrato con semplicità e fluidità. Non c'è un momento morto o noioso, non c'è un personaggio inutile o una scena troppo 'carica'. Questa è la Kenyon agli albori, quando tutto nel suo stile era in equilibrio e i personaggi erano incastonati perfettamente in una storia quasi perfetta (si sa, una storia perfetta non esiste). E' assolutamente da leggere se si apprezza il genere, perchè la Kenyon è una delle colonne portanti del paranormal romance, e nessuno può dire il contrario o che ha copiato qualcuno perché se mi capita di leggere un commento del genere credo che potrò digievolvermi in un mostriciattolo brutto e cattivo come un Gremlins...quindi cito mosca e prostratevi ai piedi della mitica Sherry.(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Bookswithbenefits rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Best Moment: I sincerely love the introduction. That sounds weird, but something about opening a book with a guy and a girl handcuffed together (nothing dirty despite the stupid book title) with some sarcastic thoughts thrown into the middle of a dangerous situation is highly amusing. It's a great scene and a great way to open a book.

Worst Moment: I don't want to ruin anything, but I have to say there is some major cheesy cheeser cheese cheese with the conclusion. Just...*sigh* Also...I hate the...more

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Oct 20, 2012 OpenBookSociety.com rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Amanda is trying to be the “normal” person in a family of crazy. From her sister Selena that runs a psychic booth telling others their fortunes to her twin, Tabitha, who hunts and kills vampires with her boyfriend, her family has always been strange. Amanda tries to stay away from all things paranormal and to just be an average Jane kind of girl. She was recently engaged to Cliff until she finally took him to meet her family. They pulled out all the stops to s...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2006, 9, paranormal, romance, reread

REREAD #1: 9/10 (31 December 2005 - 1 January 2006)

I do like these books. I look on them as a not-so-guilty pleasure. I acknowledge that they're never going to be considered great literature, but they're a great read. The characters are fun, the world Kenyon has created grows ever more complicated as we learn more about it, but so far it holds together. There are mysteries to ponder, gods, magic, true love, vampires and lots of sexy men with supernatural powers. What more could a reader ask for...more REREAD #1: 9/10 (31 December 2005 - 1 January 2006)

I do like these books. I look on them as a not-so-guilty pleasure. I acknowledge that they're never going to be considered great literature, but they're a great read. The characters are fun, the world Kenyon has created grows ever more complicated as we learn more about it, but so far it holds together. There are mysteries to ponder, gods, magic, true love, vampires and lots of sexy men with supernatural powers. What more could a reader ask for when looking for a fun read?

Months ago, I started rereading these, then got sidetracked by the many other books on my TBR mountain. When Dave suggested I needed to read a 'trashy romance' between the gigantic Pandora's Star and the almost equally gigantic Ship of Magic, I remembered my Dark-Hunter books and headed immediately for 'K' on the bookshelf. This was a perfect break and I'm glad I did it. While Kyrian and Amanda aren't my absolutely favourite couple in the series (at this point, that honour goes to Tabby and Val), this book will always hold a special place. Despite there technically being a novel and a short story that can go before Night Pleasures, really, this is the start of the Dark-Hunter series. This is where we start learning about their world. It's where we meet our first Dark-Hunters, the Deveraux sisters, Nick, Ash, even Artemis, for the first time. It's where we learn about Were-Hunters and even Dream-Hunters and discover that within the pages of Kenyon's books, there really are nasties that go bump in the night and there's a whole army out there protecting us mere mortals.

Amanda is a good heroine to start with; the quiet sister who wants her life to be boring, but is used to craziness before she even meets Kyrian and slowly realises that she can't avoid that 'supernatural stuff' and might as well accept and even embrace it. Kyrian is pretty much typical of Kenyon's heroes - old, powerful and sexy with deep emotional scars that far outweigh any physical ones they might have. Distant, with their emotion barricaded away, their heroine is the one to heal them and save them. For all that, Kenyon makes them all individuals. If the template is similar, the results are all unique and endearing. Especially effective, is that these are alpha heroes who do make the effort to let the woman make her own decisions, which makes them a lot less annoying that some out there in romance land.

Rereading this book has been interesting, as there are hints and comments in there that make sense this time around, but that I couldn't figure out the first time because I didn't have enought information. Ash is described as having a 'bird like tattoo' on his shoulder; this meant nothing before, but now I realise it is Simi. At the end, Artemis whispers to Ash who she will send to replace Kyrian and he reflects that it won't go down well with the Greeks. That was just a mysterious comment on first reading, where now I know she's going to send Valerius and really ruffle some feathers. I do like books where there's more to find on a rereading and I rather suspect that I'll be reading my way around through the series when I'm looking for a reliably good book that doesn't make me think too hard.

The Dark-Hunter books are fun, clever and sexy braincandy and that's what I love about them.

[Copied across from Library Thing; 17 October 2012](less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was nice reading Night Pleasures and bumping into familiar faces. Grace and Julian, the main characters from Fantasy Lover, are regulars and you're finally introduced to Acheron, Nick [who I was unaware was this involved in the story line - pleasant surprise for me] and Artemis, a character I could have gone without but hey, every story has one character you're supposed to hate. And in the case of Sherrilyn Kenyon's books, Artemis is the gal for the job.

As for Kyrian and Amanda, these two wer...more

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Which is your Favorite, Dark Hunters or Were hunters?	128	180	Apr 22, 2013 12:31pm
The Lost Challenges: Book 2 Night Pleasures (Jan 16th to 31st)	18	34	Apr 12, 2013 11:30am
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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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Books by Sherrilyn Kenyon

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

Night Play (Dark-Hunter, #6; Were-Hunter, #2)

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“Oh God, I just kissed a vampire!"

Oh Gods, I just kissed a human!” — 618 people liked it

“WHAT ARE YOU, NUTS? THE MAN'S A VAMPIRE!
Yeah, but he's a really, REALLY sexy one.” — 392 people liked it

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Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter #2)

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