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 – his father, Apollymi, Acheron and Nick Gautier - and, most likely, himself - as well as most of mankind. In order to fight back, the Gods order Stryker’s death, however, in an interesting twist (thanks to Artemis - the scheming witch), the assassin is Stryker’s ex-wife, Zephyra. Talk about an evil bitch! OMG, this woman was a piece of work. Stryker has always loved Zephyra and, thinking her dead, has missed her terribly since they were torn apart 11,000 years ago, however Zephyra has been very much alive and has spent every day since hating Stryker with a passion, so she’s more than happy to kill him. And just to add to the fun, when Stryker learns this (and even though he’s just unleashed the ultimate evil onto the earth) he is still feeling playful enough to make a bet with his ex-wife that he can win her back in two weeks - if not, he will let her kill him.
So that’s the set up. The storyline from there weaves all over the place as usual, with fights, MAJOR plot twists, and big reveals occurring throughout. There is also quality time with Acheron (squee), Savitar (squee), Nick (squee), and a new character – Jared (squee). We only learn a little bit about him, but he’s another epic Acheron-like character that I already love, and can’t wait to see more of! And in the final fight scene, all of the boys come together, along with Kat, Simi, Tory, Hades and others to bring down the bad guy. And it’s freaking brilliant!
“You know you’re the only man alive I’d ever follow after what I’ve been through. You’re also the only one I respect.”
“And you’re one of the extremely few I trust.”
Urian held his hand up to him. “Brothers?”
“Brothers to the end,” Ash said, taking his hand and clutching it tight. “Now before we get all girly and cry, get your ass upstairs and prepare for what’s coming.
But Stryker is definitely the main character of the book, and however evil he is, Kenyon did make me feel for him, and I even kinda like him a little bit now. Who knew the big, bad guy could get so freaking swoony? Zephyra is an evil bitch, but I liked the chemistry that was still obviously between them (steamy much? Whoa!) as well as watching them battle it out to overcome what happened to them in the past and move forward. Both of them are still definitely bad guys, but I was glad that after all they had been through, they still got their HEA in the end.
“You are my life,” he said, his voice cracking. “And I can’t live another day without you.”
I have heard that people skip this book, thinking that because it’s Stryker it’s not exciting, or a necessary part of the story. DON’T DO IT! Every book in this series is an important piece of the overall puzzle, and nothing should be missed! Every little thing that happens, however small, has repercussions later. It’s what makes this series such an incredible ride! I’m loving it!
I was going to go with 4 stars, but went the extra because SO much happened, and it was such a mix of action, drama, funny, swoony and steamy, and I squeed so much at the end there it was embarrassing. And with all of the plot twisting going on, it’s just such a cleverly written book.
5 stars, all the way!
And just to finish off - there is sensational bantering in this book, and I found myself laughing out loud at these gods and goddesses and beings of ultimate power bitchfighting like children. I’ll leave you with this scene that had me in hysterics…
"We have to find some way to contain War."
Savitar gave him a droll glare. "You're the one who unleashed him."
"Yeah, well, let's move on from the blame game. I was having suicidal thoughts and it seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, not so much."
"Most major mistakes do," Apollymi said quietly. "Not many people carry out thoughts they know going into it are stupid... morons not included."
Savitar laughed. "Then that leaves you out, huh, Stryker."
He glared at Savitar. "For the record, we're not friends."
"For the record, I don't care."
"Enough, children," Apollymi said between clenched teeth. "In case you haven't noticed, we have a major situation playing out. We have to find and stop War, corral the gallu, protect Apostolos, and get Savitar out of here."
"Why the latter?" Jared asked.
"Because I hate his guts."
Savitar shook his head. "I hate you too, precious."
She sneered at him. "Put on some real clothes. What is that you're wearing and does it come in adult sizes?"
He looked highly offended by her attack on his wardrobe. "Cargo pants and a Hawaiian shirt are real clothes."
"Not in my realm they're not, and button that shirt."
"Hey!" he snapped as the shirt closed itself. "You know there are woman who would pay to see me naked."
"I'm sure there are women you pay to see you naked. Perish the thought, but I'm not one of either group. Now hush while I think.