Upon The Midnight Clear (Dream-Hunter Novels Book 2)

This was my second shot at a "Dream Hunter" novel and I'm sorry to say that they still suck. The scenario of the book is this, a gorgeous yet jaded guy staying in remote cabin in the wilderness to get away from the society that he hates because he feels that they turned on him. Unbeknownst to him he has been targeted by his own brother to be killed by the god of pain, yes, that's right, the god of pain because his brother hates his success and has turned everyone against him with the lies that he has spread. But a beautiful woman shows up unexpectedly at his door claiming to be lost in a sudden snowstorm and he grudgingly lets her stay until the storm subsides. She is actually there to protect him because as a Dream Hunter she has made it her mission to defeat the god of pain again as she once did hundreds of years ago. So here we have a beautiful woman alone in cabin with a gorgeous man who even though he hates and distrusts all people on page one has decided that he can trust her once she reveals that she is there to help him and also because he is just so damn attracted to her.
They never leave the cabin except in his dreams which of course she can enter where they battle the god of pain who they ultimately defeat and live happily ever after.
What I don't get is how her Dark Hunter books can be so good and these can suck so much.

The only thing that made this book bearable was the glimpse into other characters' lives in the end in a kind of short story. It was nice to hear about Bride, Nick, Ash and the others. Not that this part was in any way a short story, it was too jumbled up for that, I just liked reading a a bit about Kenyon's other characters who actually are interesting and likeable.
Because believe you me, the characters in this book: Upon the Midnight Clear are everything but. How Kenyon who has written so many exciting books that I tear eagerly through, still hungry for more when the book is over. How far, far away from that this book is. Buying th,is book is a waste of time and money. Don't buy it and don't read it unless you feel a strong urge to punish yourself.
There is practically no story here. The entire dribble is uneventful, unengaging, flat, frustrating and just plain boring.
The main male character, Aidan, is a whiner who spends the entire book whining and complaining how bad the world has been to him and how he is such a wonderful, perfect person himself who has never done a single thing to deserve the harsh treatment of the world. After a couple of pages of: Waaahh waaaah, poor me, I have it so bad, feel sorry for I wanted to slap his face. Unfortunately, it only gets worse. The whole sorry story is in fact nothing but mind tearing, frustrating whine from this most boring of characters.I wanted to throttle him, slap him and scream in his face: Would you please stop! I can't take any more! Seldom does it happen that I actually want a character to die an excruciating death and never to be seen from or heard again (actually, that NEVER happens) but in this case I did. He was begging for it! What were you thinking Kenyon in inflicting this story upon us unsuspecting fans?! To borrow a page from this wretched character's book: What did we do to deserve this horror?!
The main female character, Leta, is supposed to be a goddess who is there to save Aidan from a horrible death. Well, I didn't see much saving there. Leta is such a lame, weak goddess that she actually can't manage that. Despite of Aidan being a puny human he is better suited to dealing with the angry god who is out to get him, rather than the goddess Leta who is all but worthless in a fight.
What can I say about Leta. Flat. Uninteresting. Dull. She is supposed to have a tragic background but I can't muster any interest in it. She is totally lifeless. Once in a while she comes up with a snide comment that spark a glimpse of humour in an otherwise dull story but right after she starts to feel for Aidan and his poor, poor soul. So the book is from start to finish a whiny retelling from Aidan about the bad, bad things people have done to him and the rest of it Leta thinking: Poor, poor Aidan.

In short: Nothing happens in this book except for mind numbingly boring conversations between the main characters about how bad the world has been to poor, undeserving Aidan, the rich movie-star and the thoughts of the MCs on the same matter.
That's it.

Please, PLEASE, in the name of everything that is good, wake up Sherrilyn! Stop torturing us and give us something good, fun and original to read again! You're too good for this! Find the spark again! Cause it sure wasn't in this sorry excuse of a book.

This is a surprisingly short book. Although initially appearing usual mass-market paperback size, as soon as the pages are opened it becomes clear that there's less to the story than initially expected. It's almost like reading a large print book with the font size very large and a significant gap between the lines. Despite the normal(ish) number of pages at 250, it's more like a novella and took me less that two hours to read in total. Also, despite the seasonal title, there's very little in this book about Christmas; that's not a bad thing, just that if it were being purchased for seasonal reading it wouldn't quite fit.

The overall theme of this story is about trust. Aiden O'Conner is a famous actor with five Oscars to his credit but now no-one he can trust. His fiancee, friends and family have all turned against him in order to get money, even though he was previously willing to freely give it. He's now holed up in a cabin on his own licking his wounds, feeding his anger and vowing never to trust anyone again.

Leta is a goddess who once was able to stop Pain, otherwise known as Dolor, by banishing him. However, when Donnie O'Conner summons Dolor in order to inflict Pain on his brother, Leta realises she will have a battle again to defeat Dolor. She needs to work with Aiden to do this but he doesn't trust her - or anyone else. Aiden's already riddled with pain from all the treatment he has received from those he thought loved him and he is unwilling to trust Leta - initially at least.

The story follows their battle with Dolor along with meeting various other gods and the sacrifices Leta has to make in order to protect Aiden. It's a short read which is reasonable enough but the characterisation of Aiden didn't seem to work for me - he was too good to be true and his friends and family were too bad to be true. Fans of Kenyon's other works will no doubt enjoy this story but as a standalone novel it's short and rather lacking.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2007

I think Sherrilyn should start taking advice from Acheron: Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Just because she has an established fan base and loyal readers, doesn't mean that she should just offer us anything, and still expect us to buy it. This latest story: Pure Trash. This was a short story stretched with a 20 font. I wondered why the book looked so thin when I bought it. Honestly, as readers, there comes a time when you really have to start taking your pride back. Sometimes, this means refusing to purchase books from authors that you used to love.

Honestly, Sherrilyn hasn't written a good, solid story in years. And in trying to be unique and prolific, she's turned her "world" into something that's complicated and silly. I read this book, wondering, okay, who are the Dolophonos and aren't the Cholothonians (sp?) more powerful? Quite frankly, I really resent the fact that you probably need to own a freaking "guide" to understand the characters in her world and their places.

This book was stupid. The romance was dry, and too quick. Where's the build-up?? And, it wasn't worth $1.00, much less the $5.00 I paid for it. It certainly wasn't worth my time. Read at your own risk!!

Really a novella masquerading as a novel, which is why I am so confused by the price. For a dream-hunter Christmas novella, it was good. Rushed romance and no actual plot development for the main series, but sweet. Still, disappointed by this.

I loved Sherrylin Kenyon's books but the last few have been nothing but a great let down. I bought this book despite the bad things I read about it because of the author. This might have made an ok short story but she tried to drag it out. There are less then 200 page and the font is HUGE. There is little substance, the characters are poorly developed, and I cannot even begin to describe the plot (if I ever could find one). In the previous books there was some development of a relationship between the two main characters but here they hate each other one second and jump to loving each other deeply and passionately next without any reason. The ending seemed to be too perfect as well with no explanation and no real consequences. I agree with some of the earlier reviewers, I will wait for Ash's book because that one was written earlier. But in regards to this book and any of her future books I will not waste my time or money.

The second book in the Dream-Hunter series and the eleventh in Dark-Hunter series. I enjoyed this one, mainly because it was a quick read. It did seem to get a bit repetitive at times but it was so quick it didn't even bother me. At times it almost felt as if she was dragging it out on purpose so that it would be a longer story.

Your best friend is just your first betrayer. That's pretty much the code Aidan O'Connor lived by. Trust no one because they're going to use it against you the first chance they get. Leta, a Oneroi has awoken from her 2000 year stasis to find that her enemy has escaped her curse. Dolor is out for vengeance but not before he can find a human host. Leta has to save Aidan from Dolor, one of the gods of pain before it's too late and he's released into the world.

As I said, it was repetitive. Aidan hated everyone, we get it. It was annoying at points because he was constantly reminding us of that hate. Yeah yeah. His brother betrayed him. His family turned on him. The only people he loved. I get it.

Even with that, it was still a good quick story. Easy enough to figure out but still entertaining.

In traditional Kenyon style, Upon The Midnight Clear is very formulaic. Boy meets girl, boy (or girl) has a troubled past, girl (or boy) helps them get past it and everyone lives happily ever after. It's a great formula which has made her books not only successful sellers but very popular in the paranormal romance genre. Her Dark-Hunters continue to be popular and this second book in the Dream-Hunters off-shoot was much anticipated.

So why the two star rating? I can't speak for the many others who have reviewed or commented though I can say I see many valid points presented. From the opening of the book the large print and strangely laid out chapters were a red flag. Something was certainly different this time around. One could argue this was a bad thing but if this was the worst issue I think most readers will get past that.

This is the story of Leta and Aidan. Both characters have reasons to be doing what they are doing as the story starts that could have made for a good story. The trouble is the action started so quickly and moved so fast I wasn't sure what motivated the characters beyond the basic emotions. Aidan is angry and doesn't trust anyone... but why? I kept finding myself asking "Okay, but why?" over and over as I read. When the story was done I was still left wondering why on many things. I hate to use the analogy but this book reminded me of Swiss cheese. It's cheese and it's likable... but there are holes in it.

I feel that this story would have been a very suitable addition to an anthology like Holidays are Hell with its timeframe set at Christmas. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't backed by one of Kenyon's usually well built plots. I'd have liked to see more Dream-Hunter mythology presented in this book and hope that when book 3 comes out it will give us that.

If you go in expecting a diet sized story you shouldn't be too disappointed and the Christmas catch-up with all of the couples we know and love from the Dark-Hunters series is certainly a fun little tidbit. Buy it if you're a collector or hate an incomplete series, borrow it if you'd rather save your money for a stronger story. Sit down on a free night with a glass of wine and enjoy it in one sitting. Enjoy!

I lost interest in this story half-way through the book. I couldn't have cared less about the characters. I didn't like the first Dream-Hunter book but at least I managed to finish that one. I did try to read this again after a few weeks but I was just as bored as the first time I tried to read it. The only enjoyment I found in this book are the Christmas stories at the end of the book about the Dark-Hunters. I hope Xypher's story is a lot better than this one because I did find him intriguing in Devil May Cry. Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Hunter" books are an automatic buy for me but this book makes me worry that my anticipation for Ash's story (scheduled to be released later this year) will result in a big disappointment.

~Upon a Midnight Clear~
Dream-Hunter Series
~Book 2~
Novella

At one time he was a world-renowned celebrity who gave freely of himself and his money without wanting anything in return...until those around him took without asking. Now Aidan wants nothing of the world--or anyone who's a part of it.

Born on Olympus as a goddess, Leta knows nothing of the human world. But a ruthless enemy has driven her from the world of dreams and into the home of the only man who can help her: Aidan. Her immortal powers are derived from human emotions--and his anger is just the fuel she needs to defend herself...
Trapped together in a brutal winter storm, Aidan and Leta must turn to the only power capable of saving them--or destroying them both: trust.

*Aidan is a very bitter man, but for good reason he was Betrayed by everyone he ever knew.Even his own Family. his brother Sent the God of Pain to torture and kill him. Leta a Goddess/Dream-Hunter is Sent to Save him.

another entertaining quick Read in the Dream-Hunter/dark-Hunter/were-hunter Series. I've enjoyed all the books in the Series I love Sherrilyn Kenyon Writing Style She's A Very Gifted Writer!

I really believe that Sherrilyn has great writing talent but i have a feeling that her publishers etc are trying to get too many books out of hre,too quickly.
The first six or so Dark Hunter books were excellent..well written,funny,good character developement..and enough action,passion and romance to keep me happy.
However starting with "Dark Side of the Moon" i feel that her characters have become cardboard cutouts..they have no depth and i don't get a sense of passion or real love between any of the recent hero's and heroines.
I will try one more dark hunter book but will give the whole dream hunter series a big miss from now on..i found myself just skimming through the end of all three of the books as they didn't hold my interest past the halfway point..and that's sad.

I should have known when I opened this book, that it would not be up to my normal standards. The print was huge. That could only mean the following things: 1. The characters would not really have any depth. 2. It would happen in a relatively short amount of time. 3. There would be really little action. 4. I wouldn't care much for the characters.

I was right on all the accounts. The story line was implausible, how could this bitter angry man fall in love and trust so quickly with Leta? I was bored by the time he fell asleep. I plodded on because, you never leave a dying man behind but my goodness, was this book boring. I finished reading in less than 2 hours. Not 100% fair because I speed read but I expected more.

Next time Miss Kenyon, give us a little more fleshed out story. How about the epic battle between Leta and Dolor? How about some of Aiden's time in Hollywood? How about some time that Leta spent with her family? Give me more than just a basic outline with some filled in details.

Uugghhh

I'm sorry but this book was an exceptional mess. Completely unbelievable and left me asking what it had to do with any of the series and why was it even published as a full length book. Definitely a short story and not worth the time it took to read. Aiden and Leta fall in love in one day when he has so many trust issues, that you have to read about over and over and over, we get it already. The reasons behind his brothers betrayel are laughable at best. Don't waste your time skip it and go to the next dark hunter/dream hunter novel.

A morality tale. 4.25stars

This novella from the dream hunter portion of the Dark Hunter universe was basically a morality tale to me. It was well done and not preachy but a morality tale nonetheless. What happens when youÂ're consumed by or a victim of extreme jealousy. I liked it better than the other Dream Hunter installments so maybe this piece will be a turning point for them.

I love the Sherrilyn Kenyon Dark-Hunter & Dream-Hunter series. I will say some are better than others but this really fell short with me. This story seemed trite compared to the others and it felt mostly like a really long supplement for the novel Acheron. Okay I don't mean to be terribly rude but it was long-winded when regarding everyone's "feelings" and I felt like I was being preached to more than narrated to. All in all this is my least favorite book she has yet written. And if I never have to read the word "seared" again it will be one moment too soon.

I have faithfully stuck with Sherrilyn Kenyon in spite of the fact that her last few books have been really tired. I so hoped that this would break that sad trend. Other reviewers have talked about the whys and wherefores of this book so I will just highlight the top two reasons to wait for this book to turn up in a used book store... which will be soon because this is NOT a keeper.

1. Kenyon simply phoned this in. This is a somewhat mediocre short story that was padded with inane conversations to lengthen it. I spent most of my time wanting to yell 'Oh stop whining why don't you!' We have read this story in one form or the other dozens of times. Not original and certainly not on par with Kenyons earlier books.

2. This should have been published as part of an anthology or as a Harlequin length book for about $3.50. Instead the publisher opted to set the print in larger letters and pad the end with previews. This not value for money at all.

Robbing readers with a sub-par story and overpriced product are a poor way to reward faithful readers or try to attract new ones. I can safely say that I will not be in hurry to put down my hard earned money for any of Kenyon's books again.

Another good read! Aidan (Human - Famous actor) and Leta (Dream Goddess - body guard against the god Pain) romance was sweet in the end.

The story was based upon how jealousy can ruin your life if you let it rule you, it can cause you to lose everything you love without you even realizing it.

.....beacuse clearly they aren't doing their job properly. This "book" and I use the term very loosely is now officially the worset I have ever read from Sherri on my own personal meter. Clearly she has eitehr surrounded her self with people that just want to bow down and tell her that everything she writes is brilliant, or she has believed her own hype so much that Sherrilyn feels she can write any garbage and send it off to be sold for way over it's actual value.

Her earlier work was brilliant, it was fresh, you connected with the characters and the dialogue flowed greatly. The plots didn't feel rushed, trite or luckluster. There was real connection and no price seemed to over the top to pay for these quality stories. Now, geez, I paid $3 for a second hand copy after I was so dissappointed with The Dream Hunter and Devil May Cry and even then I still think I paid too much. Just like with the last few books this was littered with inside jabs at former friends and employees of the authors but the worst bit of the whole story was how it was so rushed, the characters were very whiney and one dimenional and the plot was so laughable I found myself just wishing Aiden would end up dead at the end of the book to put me out of my reading misery.

I truely did have high hopes that Sherrilyn's books would start to find their way back to their quality of old but I hold little hope for that. She has too many series ont he go, is churning out some absolute rubbish, and sadly no one seems to have the balls to tell that to her face so she can save what is left of what was once a great series.

I really liked the first few books of this series but as each new book comes out I no longer rush to buy them. I only buy them when I am bored with everything else and have NOTHING else to read. The plots are horrible and the romance is stale. The author commented once that it only took her a couple of weeks to write a book and I can definitely tell. She needs to slow down and actually get back into a 'good' writing mode. I probably won't buy her newest book for about 2 or 3 months. It took about 3 months to even finish this one.

I usually buy everything from this author. I don't know what happened to Mrs Kenyon with this book. It makes you think that it was written on a weekend. The story was rushed and the dialogue repetitive. The characters too simple minded and childish. The font extremely big to make the book look like regular novel. You can resume the story in 20 pages.

Read the rest of the reviews before buying it!!!

Okay, I adore Sherrilyn Kenyon's books but "Upon the Midnight Clear" was horrible. It read like a cheap knock-off of "Dance With the Devil" (Zarek's story).

I was also very uncomfortable with the sibling hate in this book. It felt like the author was directing a very personal message towards certain family members.

This book was one of the most disappointing things I've looked forward to in years. After months of looking forward to the next installation in the Dark-Hunter/Dream-Hunter series, this book was definitely not worth the wait. What it lacked in plot it also lack in actual words. This was much more suited to an anthology than a novel and even that would have been sorely lacking in depth. Hopefully the editor will choose not to subject paying consumers to something so lacking in the next book.

Kenyon is becoming more and more prolific at branching out within her dark-hunter world, from were-hunters now to dream-hunters. I am glad to see her world becoming more secular to include these other stories, and you will not be disappointed with this latest installment as the dream-hunters are slowly regaining their emotions. As she begins these new books, we are embraced into the enigmatic world that once and still does elude the dark-hunters, and even the Gods themselves. I look forward to her third installment in February, and am greatly anticipating ACHERON to be released in August 2008! Thank you Mrs. Kenyon! You have given me a new world to explore!

Sherrilyn Kenyon was up front and honest about the size and content of this book. She TOLD us it was shorter than her regular novels. She TOLD us it was a christmas story NOVELLA. She never misled us or promised anything different. The book was good, it introduced new characters to love, and increased our knowledge of existing ones. It let us in on some things we'd speculated about but not yet seen. If you don't like it, TOUGH! It's no reason to bash it. Anyone who read this book and got nothing from it, in my not-so-humble opinion, didn't read it thoroughly enough.

The characterizations in this book were incredible. Some peripheral characters will catch your attention and make you wonder or want more. Some characters from previous books are shown in a new light. The insight into the day to day fear experienced by Dream Hunters and their leaders will leave you gnawing at your hand and FUMING at the originator of that fear. The intra-family relationships will give you pause, and sadden you. The actions of a few of the characters will give you hope for their futures. These characters have run the gamut of love to hate, and learn to love again, releasing a wall of indifference that keeps them separated from those who would care for them.

The font was larger, by the way, from her older fans requests. You know, those of us with failing eyesight and a love to read. It was kind of her and her publishers to help us out.

The characters were vibrant, AS USUAL. The scenes heart-rending and Laugh-making, AS USUAL. The background was believable, understandable, and Myth-compatible. The scenery was well described, and actually essential to the story. The new characters have me wanting more, and the VIGNETTES were the Icing on the cake. The insight provided into the world of the Hunters, be they Dream, Were, or Dark, was excellent.

If you didn't like it, Fine. I'll buy an extra copy of her next books, so that she feels not the loss of you and your poor opinion. I support the AG, and I put my money where my mouth is. I have not yet read a book by this Author that I haven't liked.

I made the mistake of buying this book without checking the number of pages. It seemed slim, but spoiled as I am by other writers, I assumed it would have small print to accomodate its size. I was wrong. Not only is it less than 300 pages, but it's about a 14 typeface. In her earlier days, this would have been an "extra" at the end of another book, not one released on its own. I haven't read this "book" yet because I am planning on returning it. Her last 3 or 4 books have shown me it's not worth the 7 bucks.

Like many other readers, I was very disappointed with this offering from Sherrilyn Kenyon. I would have preferred that she had taken her time and fleshed out the characters and the story that to submit this half-baked insult to those of us that pay good money for her books. If this book had cost $2.00 it may have been worth the price. I was more interested in learning about the twins than I was in how the main characters would resolve the problem. Besides the ending was extremely predictable. No suspense at all and minimal romance.

Please keep your hard earned dollar, this is a novella that they tried to pass off as a full length novel, with ginormous print & humogous margins...I say shame, shame, shame...And you know what sucks about the whole thing? The plot reeked, it was so bad, even with the 10 or so pgs that it consisted of, took forever to get through, talk about painful to read! I wanted poke my eyeballs out! Save your money and yourself some torture!!

I should have stuck with my gut and not purchased this book when I opened it to the first page and saw the absolutely humongous font jumping out at me. It seemed wrong to pay $6.99 for a short story that was being sold in the guise of a novel, but being a Sherrilyn Kenyon fan, I went ahead and bought it anyway. I have no one else to blame but myself.

The story was a true letdown. I did not connect with the characters in any way and I just wasn't able to swallow the premise that two people with absolutely no chemistry could fall in love so quickly (less than a day) and be willing to give their lives for each other.

Also, the constant theme of anger and jealousy running through the book made it appear as if Kenyon was standing atop some sort of personal soap box.

If you are considering buying this book, don't. It may not even be worth borrowing it from the library. I really hope Kenyon makes a comeback with Ash's story....

This was an impulse airport buy that I regretted for the duration of my cross-country flight. It was my first book by Ms. Kenyon and I'm not sure I'll attempt a second title.

In summary, the storyline was weak, the characters one dimensional, and the writing was tired. I'm an avid reader of paranormal romances and this was by far one of the worst in a burgeoning genre full of great writers.

By this point I really should know better. I have only myself to blame because the Dream Hunter novels have never been anything less than absolutely dreadful. Sherrilyn Kenyon has been really cranking them out this year, with at least three Whatever-Hunter novels and who knows how many of her other series that I don't read. Too bad they've all been unabashedly terrible. It occurs to me that Kenyon has reached a point in her career that she obviously doesn't care anymore. Her hard core fan base is going buy, buy, buy no matter what. I'm sorry but three pull your hair out awful books in a row amounts to three strikes you're out.

Admittedly Kenyon was never really a high caliber writer to begin with but there is no comparison with her early books. There was a freshness, an excitement, to the work. These were genuinely exciting adventures and the story reflected an obvious passion and enthusiasm that Kenyon had for her characters and her world. It could pull you along. Now? Ehh... the style is more akin to a bored salary worker just doing it for the paycheck.

Upon a Midnight Clear is the usual Dream Hunter malarky. Leta, the oneroi heroine, like all Dream Hunters is supposed to be under a terrible curse that has sealed away their emotions. Of course, this doesn't stop her from being whiny and angsty. Leta is on the trail of her archenemy Dolor, the god of pain. Dolor's target is Aidan, a reclusive actor that is supposed to be a stand-in for Eboneezer Scrooge. He's shut himself off from the world thanks to having the standard Kenyon background of having his friends and family be the usual string of evil cartoon villains that live only to torment him. Leta shows up at his cabin and teaches him the meaning of true love and charity like some erotic Tiny Tim (Isn't that an awful thought?).

Truly, one of the reasons the Whatever-Hunter series has gotten to be such a pain to read is that Kenyon can't make her characters nuanced anymore. Evil people are like comic book villains, insane laughing balls of unstoppable malice just because it feels good. Really, how seriously can anyone take a character that acts like Gargamel from the Smurfs? Good hides itself behind rippling pectorals and a wounded past. Wounded as in every person you ever met treated you like a red headed step child. Everything is about as subtle as a bat to the face. Plus everyone, from the gods to thirty something humans, talks like an idiotic teeny-bopper. Also included in the back of the book is a short piece about the Dark Hunter characters past and present opening Christmas presents together. It was a mistake to include this because it really drives home the point that all the characters have one single personality type to share between them like the Gorgons share a single eye.

I also have to wonder about the editing. In one scene, Kenyon tries to work in a Dexter reference but its so forced that any decent editor should have nixed it. As if the audience is to dense to get the joke, the writer clarifies that it's a show on Showtime. And Dexter is serial killer! And he lives in Miami and has boat! Really, I don't appreciate being talked down to. The audience is either going to pick up on the reference or they aren't.

To add insult to injury, this is really an anthology piece disguised as a novel. This story probably wouldn't crack one hundred pages if not for huge margins, huge typeset, and the fact that with every new chapter the text starts on the last fifth of the page. Best of all, its sold to you at full novel price! Unbelievable! There is absolutely no redeeming value to this. If this was supposed to be a Christmas present to the fans, it amounts to a lump of coal in your stocking.