Night Embrace (Dark-Hunter Novels Book 2)

This book was in great condition when I received it. Arthur is great. She always leaves u wanting to know what's next so u can't put book down. Would recommend the seller and this series if u love fantasy adventure & hot romance.

LOVE THIS SERIES. WISH I WOULD HAVE STARTED IN ORDER, WOULD HAVE MADE IT EVEN MORE INTERESTING. I WILL GO BACK AND RE-READ THE ONES IN ORDER THAT I ALREADY HAVE. CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE FROM MISS KENYON.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Ancient Celtic Chieftain, Talon, lost everything that meant anything to him, and when his death arrived, he sold his soul to Artemis to get vengeance on his clan, sealing his fate as a Dark-Hunter.

Fifteen hundred years later all the emotions Acheron has taught Talon to bury have come roaring back to life, when an unlikely savior and artist, Sunshine, takes him home with her after he’s knocked unconscious by a runaway Mardi Gras float.

But everything changes once Talon realizes Sunshine is the wife he lost reincarnated! He’d do anything to be with Sunshine, but he’s cursed, everybody that loves him dies. The only way to save her, is to let her go. But what’s worse, watching her die again, or letting her go without a fight?

I was hoping that I’d like this book more than I did. It took me a long time to get into it. I didn’t care for Sunshine at all. I found her to be immature and obnoxious. She gets better as the book progresses, but I never liked her. I also found their insta-love connection unbelievable. We later find out why with Sunshine possessing his wife’s soul, but I still think it would have been better to have had some kind of build-up to their relationship. Plus who takes an unconscious stranger home with them and immediately strips them of their clothes? Don’t you think they may take offense to that when they wake up?

The turning point for me in this book was when we saw Talon’s past. The way he lost his son and wife was heart-wrenching. From that point on, I was fully invested in this book. But it wasn’t enough to completely pull it out of the abyss though.

And, the more we learn about Acheron, the more interested in him I become! Him prostituting himself out to Artemis really should bother me more than it does. I know I should be scandalized by it, but I find I’m not. It’s just another layer of him. Another one of the sadder moments of this book was seeing a glimpse of his childhood, how even as a baby nobody wanted him.

“The wisewoman looked down at the infant in her hands and uttered the simple truth that would haunt the boy for the rest of his existence. “May the gods have mercy on you, little one. No one else ever will.“
Not much could be sadder than that, and I for one can’t wait until he gets his happiness even though I know it will be a long time coming. It does make me respect Ash more and appreciate the struggles he’s endured.

Another bright spot in this book for me were the Were-Hunters, Vane and Fang. They breathed some life into this world along with some much needed humor. I can’t wait to see more of them!

“He’s not real friendly,” Sunshine explained as she set up her stand. “I think he has rabies or something.”
This book definitely had its ups and downs, but hopefully the series will continue to build on the foundation being laid now, and will just keep getting better.

So, you read Night Pleasures and are thinking of reading the next book? Good choice! The Dark Hunters are absolutely addictive and you MUST keep reading! They just keep getting better and better.

In this book we are focused on Talon and Sunshine. There couldn't be an odder couple in all the world - or worlds, or supernatural realms... You get my drift. Talon is an ancient Celtic warrior. Think motorcycles, tattoos, leather jacket, and pet alligators. Seriously! I love the pet alligators. Oh... and our choice of injury for the big bad Dark Hunter? Well, I don't want to post any spoilers here, but trust me when I tell you it doesn't get much weirder than the attack on him that brings us to how he meets Sunshine. Total hippy chick. She's an artist who lives in a loft decorated in tons and loads of pink. She eats tofu and seaweed. Trust me when I tell you this girl is a mess. You can't help but love her, and I would be willing to bet you will see a bit of yourself in her, too. (Maybe some of us more than others.)

So, while the hippy painter girl is hooking up with the leather clad, hot biker guy, we are also busy learning about loads of other characters in the Dark Hunter world. For instance, we find out that Artemis isn't the only ancient god involved in these stories. In fact, it looks like we might get to meet quite a few - Dionysus in this particular story. Styxx is an interesting character to meet and you will be amazed another 15 or so books down the road when you look back at this story. Oh, and Acheron! If you fell in love with Acheron during the last book, just wait to see what you find out about him in this book. Just keep reading. Don't stop. Seriously. It only gets better from here.

Talon was a Celtic tribal chieftan and warrior who was killed by his evil cousin who wanted to be the new leader of the tribe and also slaughtered his younger sister Ceara in front of him. The Celtic war god Camulus cursed Talon for killing his son in a battle and Talon is doomed to have any human that he loves die. He already lost his beloved wife Nynia and their son.

Sunshine Runningwolf an artist who has a very short attention span. She rescues him after being hit by a Mardi Gras float and Talon can't keep Sunshine out of his head, while their enemy have their own plans to destroy them both. Sunshine carries the soul of Talon’s dead wife. Cumulus has joined forces with Dyonisus, a Greek God wanting to gain his Godhood, and with Stynx. Stynx has his own agenda to get vengaence.

In this book we get to meet Zarek and Valerius, the Roman general who both Kyrian and Julian would die to get their hands on. And Vane and his brother Fang, Katagari slayers who help Talon and Acheron.

Talon meets Sunshine when she is being attacked by the Daimons he is sworn to fight. Little do they know there is more at play than just the normal fight for a humans soul. Neither expects more of the night they share, but they can’t seem to stay away from each other. Will they be able to find the evil that is stalking them before the craziness that is Mardi Gras or will that night prove to be the end of them? I loved this book, it still brings emotions to the surface for me even after having read it several times.

This installment of the Dark Hunters series takes us further into the realm of this very interesting world created by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Ancient Celt Talon, along with fellow local Dark Hunters prepare for the lead up to Mardi Gras and the dangers it always poses with the increase of Daimon activity during the celebrations. It's not enough that Dionysus, the Greek god of wine claims this celebration as his own, but during this time New Orleans is awash with supernaturals and things tend to get tense between the different factions.

Talon has an interesting and of course traumatic back story yet manages to maintain a bit of a sense of humor as well as his ability to care for others despite living alone in a Louisiana swamp. Being cursed by the Celtic god of war, Talon is doomed to loose anyone he loves so keeps himself at arms length from people and makes sure that no one becomes too dear to him. However, when circumstances puts him in the path of Sunshine Runningwolf-that's right her name is Sunshine-Talon's world in rocked in more ways than one. He can't resist the intense attraction to her and finds himself on the losing end of the battle to shield his heart.

One of the problems that I am having with this series is that I am not enjoying the lead female characters very much. Sunshine for me left much to be desired. The thing that is repeated often in this story is that she smells of patchouli and turpentine and Talon loves it. I mean the man can't get enough of that scent. I have smelled patchouli before and it is not a sexy scent. And turpentine? When was the last time you took a trip down the aisle at Lowe's or Michael's and wanted to get a big whiff of turpentine? That's just not hot. On top of being a bit on the stinky side Sunshine is a forgetful hippie artsy type with a kumbaya mentality that just grated on my nerves. Now Talon on the other hand? A sexy Scott with Celtic symbols tattooed across his body? Now that's hot! Again, winner on the male character and a whammy on the female character. Maybe it's just me and I am being too critical, but I just can't seem to help it.

I will be continuing on with the series though. There are so many aspects to this world that I hope will keep me coming back. The Dark Hunters, the possibility of the shifter community playing a bigger role later on, and how the Greek gods and other supernatural creatures fit into these stories all intrigue me so I refuse to abandon this series just yet. I am looking forward to reading the next book which is Zarek's story. I love a damaged, troubled alpha male with an attitude and an ax to grind. I have a feeling that Zarek's story will be traumatic and I hope his soul mate is a strong interesting woman because she will definitely have to have some strength to deal with someone as angry as him.

You can find more from me at Monlatable Book Reviews

Even through the first part have many great parts there were some hard to follow moments, but over all I did really like this one. So I rated it 5 stars

Talon has been level headed Dark Hunter that been living for 1500 years, but that whole time his powers are strong from him keeping his emotions buried so deep that he dont have to live with the pain, remorse, heart break and anger that caused his path to lead into vengeance. Talon's childhood has been many ups and downs but mostly downs since his father was killed, then his sisters dying at young ages and his mother dies of pox. Talon has his baby sister to care for and his luck was so down he had to beg his uncle to let his baby sister live and he didnt care what happened to him. But his uncle let him live but with consequences. Talon grow up fighting is way to earn his place as his uncles heir. But He also found his soul mate in the process since he was a young boy. While human Talon fought for is uncle, loved his sister and came home to his pregnant wife. But all that came crashing down when his uncle was killed, then his aunt but that was nothing to what he had to face. When his wife was in labor and delivered a stillborn son and then later Talon held his dying wife in his arms as well as their son. Next came his worse fate when his clan murderer his only living sister and him in fear of the Gods, that was his cry to Artemis. Since then Ash taught Talon to bury his emotions so deep that he would never have to face them.

Sunshine is Talons other half, she felt that the first time she met him. She doesn't back down to anyone, she is her own boss and he doesn't like anyone telling her what she can or cant do. She is also Talons wife. She has the soul of the woman that Talon loved when he was human and now she doesn't know if Talon loves her for her as Sunshine or that he loves her for the soul of his long died wife. She has struggled for this since she first felt love for this dark hunter. When her life is on the line she starts taking matters into her own hands and has to find a way to help Talon reclaim his soul and have a future with him or find a way for her to be something so she can be with him no matter what he is.

This book you also get a little look into Ash's life behind the Dark Hunter/God and see the struggle he has to deal with on a daily basic with his hunters and Artemis. Also this is were Valerius(?) shows up and also when Kyrian and Julian learn that the Roman is in their town as well as a few houses down from Kyrians home. Not a good time to be in New Orleans, when those two found out. If you know the story between the two Greeks and the Roman.

Last year I promised myself I would start catching up with some of the series that I've been dying to read for ages now and the Dark-Hunters was one of the ones at the top of that list. As you can see I failed spectacularly in that goal and only read the first 2 books! I really enjoyed both of those books though so it really is about time I made more of an effort to continue the series. It may have been a while since I read about the Dark-Hunters but it didn't take long for Sherrilyn Kenyon to completely suck me back into their world and I think I'm going to go on a bit of a Dark-Hunters reading binge over the next few weeks. One of the things I enjoyed most about reading Night Embrace was the humour in it, I don't remember the earlier books being quite as funny as this one and I'm sure I didn't find myself snorting out loud as I read them. There is a particular scene where Talon is caught without his clothes by Kyrian & Julian that was hilarious, I don't think he's ever going to live down that pink towel!

Anyway, to get on with my actual review I'm just want to say how much I'm coming to love this series. I had a few issues with Night Embrace because I found it quite predictable at times and it does follow a lot of those paranormal romance tropes that we've all seen many times before BUT in spite of that I couldn't stop reading. What makes this series so great is it's characters and once again both Talon and Sunshine stand out in my mind as people who I'd like to spend more time with. It was great to catch up with some of the previous characters but I'm also loving getting to know Acheron better and I was really excited by the introduction of Zarek and Vane. I already know I'm going to adore all three of these characters when I eventually get to their books (and I found out that Zarek is up next which has put a HUGE smile on my face!).

I absolutely LOVED Talon, he is so damn sexy it is unbelievable and I had to smile at the image of this huge leather wearing, motorbike riding warrior walking around with a snoopy pez dispenser in his pocket. He is a fairly typical protective alpha male but I loved the way he was so sweet around Sunshine, he has spent hundreds of years keeping his emotions locked down tight but Sunshine smashes through those barriers within minutes and he'll never be the same again. Talon lost so much before he became a Dark-Hunter that it's almost surprising that he isn't bitter and constantly angry at the world but he is actually quite a fun loving guy who has good friends amongst the Dark-Hunters. He is the one that Ash can always trust to have his head screwed on straight so the way Sunshine sends him off the deep end is quite a shock to the others. He is so protective of Sunshine that he would rather walk away and let her live her life without him than risk bringing his curse down upon her head so I'm glad that Sunshine wasn't about to let him walk away without a fight.

Sunshine is a very unique character, she is quite ditzy and scatterbrained but she doesn't have a mean bone in her body and it was hilarious to hear her thoughts about Talon. She has such an unusual way of looking at things but she she's actually quite a realist deep down. She already has one failed marriage under her belt and the last thing she is looking for is another man who is going to expect her to look after him. Sunshine is very focused on her career as an artist and isn't going to let anyone knock her off that path. That is until Talon worms his way into her heart and then, when she realises how much he means to her she is going to do whatever it takes to keep him in her life.

I loved spending time with these two characters, in a lot of ways they are complete opposites but they fit together really well and make such a cute couple. It helps that they have fantastic chemistry (there is a lot of very HOT sex in this one!) but there is much more to them than that. They build a genuine friendship together and there are a lot of other ties between them. It's hard to say too much without giving spoilers but there is one part of their relationship that normally bugs me when I come across it in paranormal romances but Sherrilyn Kenyon handled it so well that I actually ended up loving the extra connection it gave them. I can't wait to carry on reading this series so I'm going to end this review here to go and get started on Dance with the Devil!

** spoiler alert ** I loved Talon and Sunshines story.

We learn a lot more about the Dark Hunters in this book that will probably lead to other books, I sure hope so.

We know that Talon is a Dark Hunter whos soul is owned by Artemis and that from the previous books we know how ones true love can release them from their immortality and make them human again.

Well when Talon meets Sunshine, he learns that she was born with his past wifes soul and he starts having feelings again and the past memories is brought forth for him to deal with. Their romance is hot and so sweet and I love how they have so much respect for each other.

In the end, Talon and Sunshine learn that Sunshine's grandmother is the goddess Morgan after Sunshine has given Talon his soul back, but the real shocker is, Morgan tells them that they are both immortal so they can live their lives together for eternity.

Lots of other things happen in this book. For instance, we learn that Dionysus is Artemis brother. Acheron has a twin brother named Styxx. Valerius and Zarek are brothers.

All these new facts will hopefully be revealed more in the future books. I especially want to know more about Zarek and his brother Valerius to see if they can forgive their past and have a brotherly relationship. Same goes for Acheron and his brother Styxx.

Also some new characters were introduced, Vane and Fang - the werewolves - I hope she writes a story on them. Also the werebears were introduced so that ought to be interesting to learn more about them and maybe even the werepanthers.

Over all, this was a great story.

Well, hellllllo there, Talon! I'm sorry but a guy who loves his coffee and beignets as much as Talon does earns extra awesome points in my Big Book of Heroes. So. This book is kind of one of those pivotal books where you meet A LOT of characters you'll see later in the series and the groundwork is laid out for all sorts of shenanigans down the road. Zarek's actions during the celebration have direct bearing on his book (the next in the series, WHEE!) (Randomly, I realize that I have a soft spot for [literally] tortured characters who go by Z - Zsadist from the BDB books and Zarek. Huh.), Valerius learns a shocking truth that will carry though a couple of books, and Ash's deep dark secrets are (slowly) being revealed. Added plus, we get to see just how ridiculously petty the gods can be. Which is always fun. Except for Artemis. Her pettiness isn't fun. It's just mean.

Talon and Sunshine. I liked how scattered Sunshine was. I liked how Talon found her absent-mindedness amusing. I liked... a lot of things, really. I love the interactions between the Dark-Hunters. They are ridiculously territorial and they have ISSUES. Lots and lots of issues going on there. They way they'd attack one another and refuse to bend was very junkyard dog-esque. THIS IS MY PATCH OF GROUND AND I WON'T CEDE IT TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE! LET'S GO KILL DAIMONS! Issues, guys. Which makes sense because you normally don't sell your soul unless your issues are monstrously large. Amirite?

Highly enjoyable reread. I did think it bogged down a bit in the flashbacks of Talon and Nynia but that was mostly because I wanted Talon to *see* Sunshine. Still, I liked it and I'm super excited that my boy Z is up next!

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

Night Embrace
Reviewed by Ann & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

Dear Talon,
I'll hold your spear.
Love,
Ann

NIGHT EMBRACE is the second book in the Dark Hunters series and I have to say that it is definitely my favorite so far! I usually have a problem with Kenyon's tendency to overdramaticize, but for this book, I don't think she pulled anything crazy or over the top.

As always, the hero is a tortured soul. Talon has lost something that he holds dear. But he doesn't allow it to run his life now. I loved Talon's lighthearted attitude. He was fun, flirty and soo damn s*xy. The first part of this book has lots of s*x in it (not that I'm complaining) so Kenyon really established Talon as the ultimate s*x warrior. She even comes up with some very interesting positions. I'll make note of those, thank you very much.

Another great thing about this series is Sunshine. She really sparkled in this book. I loved her quirky ways and her unique spirit. She compliments Talon well and I loved that they were so willing to give up their world for each other.

With a strong romance and an even stronger camaraderie between the Dark Hunters, I can say I'm very excited to see what's in store for Zarek!

I loved it!!!

***Spoiler Alert***

Talon, another Dark Hunter, meets Sunshine. They immediately hit it off but there are dark forces, stopping them from being together. This is when we also get a glimpse of Archeron and his past.

Talon lives in the swamp with his pet alligator - there were really funny parts about this.

Sunshine is a free spirited woman and she has some abilities too. There is a twist about her family and heritage. It was jaw-dropping.

Talon and Sunshine are soulmates...this is a "I have loved you for YEARS" romance :)

Downloaded this to my MP3 player and listened to the whole thing over the course of two days. Author crafts an excellent story. I would not share this with teens as it is very sexually explicit and there are around 4 love scenes. Aside from those, the story itself carries the book. Talon takes a shine to Sunshine who turns out to be the reincarnated soul of his former wife from another century. Because he is cursed, anyone he loves is taken from him. Talon is not human, but an immortal who searches out vampires and kills them. He, however, is also limited to the night as he can't go into sunlight either. This story is about the two of them falling in love and fighting the odds against them having a relationship. All the characters are interesting and she builds a world that is thoughtfully crafted and interesting as well. This has bad boys who are good boys and bad boys who are bad. They are all hunks and dangerous except for the squires - they are just hunks. Did not expect the ending.

I give this book three stars for the cheesey humour (though really it leans much closer to getting 2 stars than 3) - it does provide cheap entertainment, and I'm tempted to think the writer is purposely writing a parody of the romance genre - but I'm not sure. It's hard to believe the relationship between her two main characters, as from the start of the book, the male lead is nothing but a walking gigantic erection, and the female lead is throbbing with painful need to be taken by the male lead from the word "go". I do wish the author had spent more time developing the characters as believable in their interaction with each other. I've read other books in this series - and its the same for those as well. The only saving grace is the campy humour of it and the side characters, in terms of keeping me reading. I find I'm skimming past "the good parts" of the book to get back to the cheesey dialogue. Actually - the sex scenes get on my nerves too. Its the same thing over and over again - and what's with all the constant hissing, growling, and moaning. All the main lead has to do is look at the main female lead, and she's either moaning with desire or hissing with desire... which then makes the male lead growl with desire. It gets old fast, and continues to add to the flat dimensions of the characters. As a couple, they are completely unbelievable. I find myself rooting for the bad guys to succeed in their diabolical schemes. At least the villains in the book are more fun to read about.

I was also annoyed by the reincarnation bit in here - not because I have issues with it in general - but how it was used in this book. From the moment the characters were on the page, the writer rammed it down our throats about how this flighty female lead was Talon's soul mate via the rebirth of his dead wife. Where's the artistry in the storytelling? It was just ridiculously unbelievable in terms of their relationship. I have certainly read much worse though, so I can't give it below 2 stars - but I've also read much better. I've read better from this author, actually... so I'm wondering if this book was just something she shot out to hit a deadline. I will try some of the other books in this series, to see if they get better - but I suspect I'll be checking them out from the library, rather then spending the money on them.
For a really good vampire/paranormal romance with some substance, I would recommend Halfway to the Grave: A Night Huntress Novel by Jeaniene Frost - or some of Laurell K. Hamilton's early Anita Blake series - before it started getting into the group orgy stuff.

Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal Romance -Sept 14th, 2010 (Reprint)
4 stars

Talon was once a Celtic war chief who sold his soul to Artemis for vengeance. Now, Talon is an immortal Dark-Hunter, who protects humans from the Daimons and other scary supernatural creatures. But one night, Talon meets Sunshine, a quirky artist, whom he feels a deep connection with. For fifteen hundred years, Talon has forced himself to detach himself from everyone, but unwittingly, Sunshine has breached his emotional defenses. When Mardis Gras approaches, Talon realizes that his worst enemy, the God Camulus, is joining forces with another old god to summon the Destroyer and unleash Daimons on the humans. Worse, they threaten to harm the one person that Talon has gotten close to - Sunshine. Can he protect her? Are his powers enough to defeat a god?

Night Embrace is a fun, quirky read. If you are expecting heavy drama or angst, you might get turned off by its cheerful, hokey tone. This is a light and action-packed read that pulls you in like a big tent-pole blockbuster movie. Before you know it, you are on the last page and reading the ending with a big, satisfied grin. The plot flows nimbly from start to end, and even though there are many characters and many things happening, Kenyon is skilled writer to be able to juggle so many plot points without leaving the reader confused or overwhelmed. Even though this book is part of a series, I was able to read it as a stand alone easily.

Another enjoyable part of this book are the two main characters - Sunshine and Talon. Talon does have his angsty part, but it does not overwhelm the funnier parts of his character. I especially liked the scene where he grumbled about abandoning his coffee and pastry because of work. It brought a smile to my face. Sunshine is also another well written character. Her quirkiness and absent mindedness causes some funny antics. She could have been a tiresome female lead by the end, but thankfully, Sunshine evolves to become a character with much more depth. My other favorites about this story is the enigmatic leader of the Dark-Hunters, Ash, and the scary guy Zarek. The whole crew just works so well together in book.

If you are looking for a fun read with vampires, demons, and immortals with caffeine addiction, you should definitely give this reprint of Night Embrace a try.

Reviewed by Pauline from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club