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The second installment in Sherrilyn Kenyon's bestselling Dark-Hunter series, Night Embrace. As an ancient Celtic warrior, Talon made one giant mistake- he killed the son of the war god Camulus. In anger and outrage, Camulus cursed him-Everyone Talon loved would die a horrible death in front of his eyes. But when Talon's clan slaughters his young sister while he watches, powerless to stop them, he sells his soul for vengeance against them. Two thousand years later in modern-day New Orleans, show more as part of the bargain he made, he's now an immortal protector who keeps mankind safe from the creatures who would prey on them. A life he's happy with until he meets Sunshine-an offbeat artist who reminds him what it's like to really live. Unfortunately for both of them, it's Mardi Gras, and New Orleans is teeming with a complex plot of ancient gods, including Camulus, who are now out to re-conquer the world. The gloves are off and it's time for a rematch with Talon out to save everyone, including the artist who makes him insane. show lessTags
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As part of our Menyon Book Club, I am rereading all the books in order. I've tried to approach each as if it were the first time. This book is one of the most humor-laced in the series. I mean the two leads meet when he gets rundown by a Mardi Gras float for peets sake! I love this book. You could tell that Sherrilyn was getting a real feel for what the series could be. The subtle layers that would not even come to play for ten or more books are all here. But this is a story about soulmates who find each other again after centuries. Talon and Sunshine are such a wonderful couple. Opposites in every way, but so obviously perfect for each other. I love that she allows her men to be vulnerable without sacrificing any strength. And that her show more women are strong on their own merit. A great story! show less
This entry to the series was a bit more fun than usual. Talon is not as bogged down by doom & gloom thinking. He enjoys his chicory, his donuts and being a total badass. Moreover, Sunshine is a breath of fresh air. She's artistic, flamboyant and more than a match for Talon! These two made a great couple who captured me with witty banter and a lot of humor. As per usual, there is also a lot of action (both in the romance department and the fighting department) and Ash pops in.
Overall, a great story that pulled me in, had me rooting for the good guys and that I could not put down. Kenyon truly shines with her characterizations and rich world-building. Highly recommended!
Overall, a great story that pulled me in, had me rooting for the good guys and that I could not put down. Kenyon truly shines with her characterizations and rich world-building. Highly recommended!
I'm not really sure why these books tend to languish in my TBR pile so long. I always really enjoy them when I read them, but I'm never in any hurry to read the next one. Hmmm.
Anyway, this is the third Dark Hunter book, about Sunshine and Talon. He'd been cursed centuries before by a god to lose any woman he loved, and Sunshine was deliberately placed in his path to distract him during Mardi Gras, when a couple of gods planned to release The Destroyer and reclaim their godhoods.
The time of year is also a bad time of year for Daimons (vampires), and the baddest-of-the-bad Dark Hunters, Zarek, has been called to New Orleans from Alaska to help out.
I enjoyed the romance between Sunshine and Talon--Sunshine was independent and practical, show more things I always appreciate in a heroine, and of course Talon was tormented by fear of his curse. There's a twist in their relationship later on, and I thought that was handled well, and realistically.
In addition, there was quite a bit of character development of the secondary characters--we learned more about Ash, Zarek, and Valerius--and some of the history and politics of the Dark Hunters.
All in all, a fun, satisfying read. I believe there are 3 more in my TBR pile. I'll get to them eventually, and no doubt I'll enjoy them when I do. show less
Anyway, this is the third Dark Hunter book, about Sunshine and Talon. He'd been cursed centuries before by a god to lose any woman he loved, and Sunshine was deliberately placed in his path to distract him during Mardi Gras, when a couple of gods planned to release The Destroyer and reclaim their godhoods.
The time of year is also a bad time of year for Daimons (vampires), and the baddest-of-the-bad Dark Hunters, Zarek, has been called to New Orleans from Alaska to help out.
I enjoyed the romance between Sunshine and Talon--Sunshine was independent and practical, show more things I always appreciate in a heroine, and of course Talon was tormented by fear of his curse. There's a twist in their relationship later on, and I thought that was handled well, and realistically.
In addition, there was quite a bit of character development of the secondary characters--we learned more about Ash, Zarek, and Valerius--and some of the history and politics of the Dark Hunters.
All in all, a fun, satisfying read. I believe there are 3 more in my TBR pile. I'll get to them eventually, and no doubt I'll enjoy them when I do. show less
This is the best way I can describe how I felt reading this book. I didn't read the previous books in the series, so I'm definitely at fault for feeling a little behind and lost but holy guacamole. I liked the book but trying to grasp all the characters, their identities, and all their agendas made me sweat from exhaustion.
How I imagine the author writing this. Seriously, we've got gods from EVERY mythology, paranormal beings, and bears, oh my! You know someone out there has cataloged all these characters, their connections, and biography; bless their heart.
If there was a visual of me reading this. Look, this book has been out a while and others have written amazing reviews for it, I'm not going to even attempt one. This is just all show more about my narcissistic need to put my feelings out there. Even with the massive amount of characters and story lines (the writing gets a little loose at times), I felt the need to hang on for the ride. There is a certain charm to characters and writing (the hero of this book, Talon, is also too hot to trot with his Celtic tattoos and general hero-ness) that kept me locked in. Our leads have the whole soulmate thing going on, so no gradual falling in love but kind of instant, they also got ignored more than I liked in favor of the overall story arcs.
I'll definitely be continuing with the series (so, there's like a dragon inside Acheron?!) and I guess just hope as more heroes/heroines get their individual stories, the books won't be as jammed packed and things will make more sense.
Or maybe I'm in for more of,
Either way, sign me up!
If you've read the series, discuss your feels and let me know if things improve/fall apart.
Thanks to Lover of Romance for the rec! show less
Talon is a Dark Hunter. Sworn follower of Artemis, he hunts down the soul devouring daimons that plague the world from his base in New Orleans.
And it's a major job. Mardi Gras is coming, which always attracts the daimons in droves. And to make things harder, the Dark Hunters who are supposed to be backing him up loathe each other – and him – making it even harder for them to work together than it usually is.
And there is an additional threat far above and beyond daimons. The Celtic god of war, Camulus, the Greek god of excess, Dionysis and the ancient Atlantean immortal Styxx have formed a pact together. A pact to reclaim their lost power and godhead by raising an entity far darker and greater than even them – though whether they show more can control it is another matter
And to complicate matters, Talon meets Sunshine. New Age hippy, naieve, scatty, carefree, loving, kind, independent – and immensely attracted and attractive to Talon. The soul of his wife resides in her body and his ancient love is kindled anew – but how can he keep her alive in the face of Camulus' vicious curse and his duty to Artemis?
This book began in a similar way to Night Pleasures. Not that the plot was similar – but we had a similar format – some random stuff happened, the main man and main woman meet – and then devote pages and pages and pages and pages to how
And then we have sex. This is before we've had more than the tiniest thread of plot. I actually double checked the author to make sure I hadn't picked up a Laurell K Hamilton. And the sex is long and keeps on going and going and going.
Oh and on the second day of sex, Sunshine is already thinking about the consequences of marriage with Talon. Now, I do think her thoughts on marriage, sexism and how women are commonly expected to sacrifice for their husbands rather than the other way round are extremely on point and very well put. However, at the same time I think hearing wedding bells the second night you've had sex with a guy whose surname you don't know is, perhaps, a trifle premature.
Read More show less
And it's a major job. Mardi Gras is coming, which always attracts the daimons in droves. And to make things harder, the Dark Hunters who are supposed to be backing him up loathe each other – and him – making it even harder for them to work together than it usually is.
And there is an additional threat far above and beyond daimons. The Celtic god of war, Camulus, the Greek god of excess, Dionysis and the ancient Atlantean immortal Styxx have formed a pact together. A pact to reclaim their lost power and godhead by raising an entity far darker and greater than even them – though whether they show more can control it is another matter
And to complicate matters, Talon meets Sunshine. New Age hippy, naieve, scatty, carefree, loving, kind, independent – and immensely attracted and attractive to Talon. The soul of his wife resides in her body and his ancient love is kindled anew – but how can he keep her alive in the face of Camulus' vicious curse and his duty to Artemis?
This book began in a similar way to Night Pleasures. Not that the plot was similar – but we had a similar format – some random stuff happened, the main man and main woman meet – and then devote pages and pages and pages and pages to how
And then we have sex. This is before we've had more than the tiniest thread of plot. I actually double checked the author to make sure I hadn't picked up a Laurell K Hamilton. And the sex is long and keeps on going and going and going.
Oh and on the second day of sex, Sunshine is already thinking about the consequences of marriage with Talon. Now, I do think her thoughts on marriage, sexism and how women are commonly expected to sacrifice for their husbands rather than the other way round are extremely on point and very well put. However, at the same time I think hearing wedding bells the second night you've had sex with a guy whose surname you don't know is, perhaps, a trifle premature.
Read More show less
I enjoyed this story immensely. I thought it was well written, the plot line was well thought out and I definitely didn't see a lot of the twists coming. I am enjoying the way Kenyon writes. I'm enjoying the mixed genre.This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.
Night Embrace
3.5 Stars
Synopsis:
After sacrificing his soul for vengeance against those who murdered his family, Talon becomes a Dark Hunter and vows never to love again. However, once Sunshine Runningwolf comes into his life, he can no longer deny his emotions. As the two grow closer, they discover that they are merely pawns in a horrendous plan to release the ultimate destroyer on an unsuspecting world. Talon and his fellow Dark Hunters are the only ones who can stop the inevitable destruction but will it be at the price of Sunshine’s life?
Review:
A good story with some really funny moments and some equally poignant ones. It does, however, drag at times. The first half in particular feels too drawn out until the action begins. In show more addition, an excessive number of characters and concepts are introduced, and I personally found it difficult to keep track of everyone.
Kenyon’s strongest skill is her characterization and this book is a case in point. Talon and Sunshine's personalities and back stories are engrossing and they are what make this a worthwhile read. Talon’s suffering is heart-wrenching but not overwhelming and he never comes across as too anguished or whiny. Sunshine is also a likeable character once you get passed her annoying name and tendency to fall for inappropriate men. She is strong and independent, and I found her quirky forgetfulness endearing. While their sexual relationship begins very quickly, their immediate connection is explained within the plot and is, therefore, realistic and believable.
The secondary characters are just as interesting, especially the psychological and physically tortured Zarek. I also look forward to reading more about Vane and the other Were-Hunters.
The epilogues are also something I appreciated in the book. The flashbacks of the other Dark Hunters’ histories are actually what compel me to continue reading the series as I am interested in discovering the connections between the characters and how they will overcome their differences.
Overall, a worthy read with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. show less
3.5 Stars
Synopsis:
After sacrificing his soul for vengeance against those who murdered his family, Talon becomes a Dark Hunter and vows never to love again. However, once Sunshine Runningwolf comes into his life, he can no longer deny his emotions. As the two grow closer, they discover that they are merely pawns in a horrendous plan to release the ultimate destroyer on an unsuspecting world. Talon and his fellow Dark Hunters are the only ones who can stop the inevitable destruction but will it be at the price of Sunshine’s life?
Review:
A good story with some really funny moments and some equally poignant ones. It does, however, drag at times. The first half in particular feels too drawn out until the action begins. In show more addition, an excessive number of characters and concepts are introduced, and I personally found it difficult to keep track of everyone.
Kenyon’s strongest skill is her characterization and this book is a case in point. Talon and Sunshine's personalities and back stories are engrossing and they are what make this a worthwhile read. Talon’s suffering is heart-wrenching but not overwhelming and he never comes across as too anguished or whiny. Sunshine is also a likeable character once you get passed her annoying name and tendency to fall for inappropriate men. She is strong and independent, and I found her quirky forgetfulness endearing. While their sexual relationship begins very quickly, their immediate connection is explained within the plot and is, therefore, realistic and believable.
The secondary characters are just as interesting, especially the psychological and physically tortured Zarek. I also look forward to reading more about Vane and the other Were-Hunters.
The epilogues are also something I appreciated in the book. The flashbacks of the other Dark Hunters’ histories are actually what compel me to continue reading the series as I am interested in discovering the connections between the characters and how they will overcome their differences.
Overall, a worthy read with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. show less
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Author Information
261+ Works 96,652 Members
Sherrilyn Kenyon was born in Columbus, Georgia in 1965. She attended the University of Georgia. She has written novels and nonfiction works using both her real name and the pseudonym Kinley MacGregor. The name was created when she started writing historical romances. She writes several series including The Dark-Hunters, The League, Lords of show more Avalon, BAD Agency and the Chronicles of Nick. In 2018 her title, Death Doesn't Bargain, made the bestseller list. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Night Embrace
- Original publication date
- 2003-07
- People/Characters
- Talon; Sunshine Runningwolf; Acheron "Ash" Parthenopaeus; Zarek of Moesia; Nicholas "Nick" Ambrosius Gautier; Valerius Magnus (show all 14); Kyrian Hunter (Kyrian of Thrace); Julian Alexander (Julian of Macedon); Vane Kattalakis; Fang Kattalakis; Dionysus; Camulus; Artemis; Styxx
- Important places
- New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Dedication
- For my fans who support me and who have given me untold smiles at conferences and booksignings and when I read my e-mails and letters.
To the RBL Romantica and DH posters whose presence is always a source of warmth. <... (show all)br>
For my family and friends who make my life worthwhile. And for my Kim and Nancy who believe in me and who are willing to give me the opportunity to introduce the world to the people who live in my heart and mind.
Thank you all! I hope each of you has all the blessings and riches you deserve. Hugs! - First words
- A.D. 558. GLIONNAN
The roaring village fires burned high into the night, licking at the dark sky like serpents twining through black velvet. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)After all, had the incompetent god backed up, her story would have had an entirely different ending.
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