Book 2), Born of Fire (The League

In general, I think Kenyon is a fantastic writer. But the litany of awful things the hero goes through was a little too much for me. Even half of his "trouble" would have been enough to make me sympathetic. A great read in a new, intriguing universe.

Unfortunately, I purchased this story before reading the first one of the series. I happened into a book signing by the author to promote book 9 of the series. I bought the first book to see what it was all about, then I got the second book for a real cheap price. These are not for me. Too much lust, betrayal, and anxiety from the characters and not enough story line to carry the readers interest. I read the first book and it seemed OK for an initial effort. This one degenerates into purely romance. Probably OK for late teenage girls.

After reading the first two book of this series I can see what holds them back as far as sales are concerned. The parts of the book detailing the League, the main characters and the incredibly rich and detailed universe she has created are as good as any out there. First rate and completely mesmerizing......then the author goes into her romance novel mode and soon the bile begins to rise in your throat. Choose one or the other and you have a winner...either way!! The two simply do no go together at all. I'm not saying that you can't have romance in a sci-fi story of this type, but 6,7 8 page love scenes.......SPARE ME PLEASE!!! She will throw a romance novel sentence on the end of a paragraph for what seems no real reason. Please just stick to one genre or the other. There is the small alarm bell that is set off by how much the plots of the first two books are the same, but I am still hoping for improvement in that facet of these books. I will read the third one and if this author continues to place the completely boring and excessive parts into the story I will move on. These can be five star books but are held back by the romance entries.

I really enjoyed the book, but she changed the story line from the first book(Born of Night). Very disappointed by this change with it being a series. So is it a series or not? Not wanting to say to much to spoil the books.
Syn went to the hospital to see Nykyrain after he almost died with shay. (Born of Night)
Syn didn't go to the hospital at all , he was in jail and not talking to Shay. (Bon of Fire)
Very upset by this change. Like watching a movie that is supposed be based on a book, but totally different.

Put the paranormal and future into one book and mix up the usual social classes and there's a winner. Strong women and (and yeh!) strong men. There are only a few authors who dare this genre - and I get them too.

This book had some great parts, but I felt like it could have been so much better. Sheridan is just an unbelievable character with literally an unbelievable amount of skills. Kenyon goes overboard again with all the self hate. Overall I enjoyed the read.

I loved this novel. I am not a fan of novels set in a futuristic setting. But I absolutely adore this book. The characters are heartbreakingly human. Syn has been through absolute hell yet still has a good heart,you just want him to get his happy ending. Shahara is a great match for him, she's not stranger to sacrafice and also has an abusive past.

The action was nonstop and it literally kept me captivated until the end. I actually enjoyed this novel more than the previous one Born of Night which was quite good. I guess I have a soft spot for bad boy Syn.

I am a huge fan of her darkhunter novels, but this series so far is imaginitive and really draws a reader in. As I said before I am not a fan of futuristic settings I find they can detract from the characters, this definitely was not the case in this series so far. Definitely looking foward to Born of Ice with Syn and Shahara's son as the lead character!

I enjoyed the heck out of this book as I did the first of this new series. I'm totally looking forward to the next one as well. While the heroine made some goofy mistakes that she should've known better, I still think she was great. I was glad to see Shay find a good match for herself! I've always loved reading Sherrilyn Kenyon and will continue to read so long as she continues to write.

I was excited when I discovered this series and enjoyed books 1&2. A lot too much romance for my taste but enough plot and action to make it still enjoyable. Unfortunately, book 2's plot is too similar to book 1's. A preview of 3 &4 suggest more of the same. Man and woman characters thrown together to resolve some plot scheme and pant at each other for 300 pages. Unmess someone tells me I'm wrong, can't see spending the money.

Born of Fire is book two to Sherrilyn Kenyon's The League Series, and my second favorite book out of the first three in the series. In book one, was where readers were first introduced to Syn's character and where we got a glimpse of his infamous past. Since the introduction to The League Series and the first appearance of the known-to-be ruthless C.I. Syn, I was sold! I knew right away he was going to be my favorite character, and here in book two just goes to prove that I was not wrong about my choice! I was extremely excited that witty, handsome, and mesmerizing Syn will have his own entrancing story!
C.I. Syn was not the only character who debuted in the first book; Shahara Dagan also made a slight appearance. But, Sherrilyn Kenyon made sure to only give a taste of her character-mysterious, lethal, and fierce, leaving readers curious and wanting to know more. And that is exactly what we get. Shahara Degan is known to be one of the most "frightened of" female bounty hunter to live. And it is exactly hoe Sherrilyn Kenyon written her to be in the beginning of the book. However, as we get to know her more and as the revelation of the reason she sought outs the most dangerous missions are uncover, we see that she really isn't who many claims her to be ... well ... not ALL of what many claim her to be.
One of the reason I enjoy The League Series, is because each book can be read as a "stand-alone", yet for those who rather read the whole series they get to meet up with the old characters again; and that is always fun!
The book overall was enjoyable, it brings you both laughter and tears-with adventures that a Sci-Fi novel should offer. It is worth 4.5/5 stars!

Because of that--even though I'm a fan of Kenyon's writing, I wasn't expecting too much. I rather thought that an Author's early works would be much inferior to her excellent DH series. I was partially right, as I didn't love the first book or this one as much as most of her DH books. However, I did like them.

I really enjoyed Syn as the main male character. I did not think the Heroine deserved him. She was a bit whiny and full of herself, and she never showed much remorse about the grief she caused. She just mainly excused herself and her actions by convincing herself that she did it for her family (who in my opinion didn't deserve her loyalty).

The world is interesting, and the characters (even when you don't like them much), are well developed. I do enjoy the romance, even though the characters tend to have sad and abusive past histories that have understandable impacts on their actions.

I will continue with this series, as I await more of her DH books.

~Reviewed by SUZANNE & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

Syn is on the run. So what else is new? Only this time the person chasing him is his best friends older sister and a part of him, the part south of his brain, kind of wants to be caught. But as much as Syn wants Shahara, can he trust her? A life time spent being betrayed and hurt by the ones who should love him has made Syn wary and Shahara has an agenda of her own.

We first meet Syn in Born of Night and I am so glad we didn’t have to wait long for him to get a book of his own. Syn has ‘hero material’ stamped all over him; he has a horrific past full of torture, pain and injustice and yet he is still essentially a good person, a good person with some mad seduction skills and the body of a god. Obviously I loved him.

Shahara, our feisty heroine I also really liked. She was strong and compassionate, and also came fully equipped with a horrible past of her own. This gave both Syn and Shahara issues that they both had to deal with before they could move on and conceive of being happy. But, I really loved seeing them both together Kenyon really got their chemistry spot on, the witty banter and sexual tension between them leaves you racing to read the next page. Kenyon also throws in some action, both in and outside the bedroom, laughter, not to mention a few tears, which all came together to make a fantastic read.

The League is definitely one of my favourite series, the world continues to grow and develop with each book. It also demonstrates that romance set in a Sci-Fi world need not be cheesy, but instead can produce an interesting and different platform from which a romance can launch.

She says that this is a rewriting of the original book and that is does not follow the time line of the 1st book. but since my library doesn't have the 1st it didn't matter to me.

I loved the sarcastic comments between Syn and Shahara. The story line was great and well paced. The descriptions of the places they went were really great. Hated Merjack and his son and what they put Syn thru because of who his father was. Liked Shahara family even if they did constantly want her to bail them out.

I have read her Dark and Leopard series and it took me awhile to decide to read this series. I found a short story set in this world and liked it so i checked out as many of them as the library had.

I have just finished my re-read of the League series, and I'm still in love with every word and every character.

Something about Syn and Shahara just screamed "perfect couple" to me. Even before they met in the book and had to overcome the challenges that each of them faced, there was just something there. I loved that Sherrilyn Kenyon decided to put them together the way she did.

One of my favorite things is that there is adventure and more than just the love story in each and every book. I feel like I'm reading a whole experience, not just a small slice of someones life with a little spice thrown in. These are the kind of books I keep buying and going back to.

Better than the first of the series but still had moments where it just seemed to drag. Unlike the first, it did seem like the characters were getting somewhere and that there was an ultimate goal in mind. Very much like Nykyrian, in the first book, Syn has had a very horrible and hard life and is very much cynical. Shahara has suffered a lot and it makes it hard for her to trust. Occasionally, I think that Kenyon's goal is to come up with the most awful pasts for her characters and see how she can make them overcome it. Of course, nothing has ever been able to beat Acheron's or Zarek's pasts (Dark Hunter Series). Still both Nykyrian and Syn come really close to accomplishing that.

The world of the League seems to be more about defying the League that really being a part of it. Usually you think the name of there series has more to do with the characters than someone they just despise and is a major factor in their universe. The League is pretty much the Empire (Star Wars) or the Alliance (Firefly) only they are assassins that are highly train, for what is supposed to be the better of society, and often ends up being to it's determent.

Syn is our hero, a very reluctant one, but one nonetheless. He's a thief with a heart of gold. He's respectful and courteous and has more names that any character I've ever come across. He always seems to have an alias and it makes it much more interesting trying to figure out who he is. One of my favorite aspects of the story is the mystery of what C.I. stands for in C. I. Syn. I'm not sure we every really find out. We also learn just how horrible Syn's past was and all the horrible things he's had to endure. Of course, none of this can really taint our hero, not even his horrible parents or his backstabbing wife.

As for Shahara, she's got a big family but she's endure a horror that made her push everyone away. So while she deals with that admist running for her life with Syn, she discovers Syn is pretty much the only man she can deal with getting close to her. Shahara also has to deal with the fact that she's been sent there to capture Syn, even though she'd rather keep him for herself. Not to mention there is a twist!

Wow. Sherrilyn Kenyon, you've really thought this through. I would say this series is getting better as it goes (I'm half way through the third book) and it is a definite must for fans. Apparently, these books are nothing like they were way back when they were first published.

Let me start out by saying if you read "Born of Night" and "Born of Fire" back to back, please be sure to read the author's note at the beginning of these books. Especially "Born of Fire". If not, you might end up being a tad bit annoyed. I read the note and so I went in prepared for the deviations.

I have never felt as connected to a character as I did Shahara who is our heroine in this book. Growing up poor, I know what its like to look at something you want so badly but you can't afford it. I also know what its like to have to be the responsible one and not want to show weakness. I sadly don't have the closeness she did with her siblings but ever emotion Shahara felt throughout this story I felt right along with her deeper than I ever had a character before.

I hurt for Syn and his story. He may have actually become one of my most favorite heroes that Kenyon's ever written. I love Acheron, Vane, Zarek, Fang and tons of the others but I think Syn will always have a special place in my heart.

I don't know why, as I said before, I'm not a big SciFi fan but this one is definitely on my favorites list. Even as I hurried to see how the book ended, at the same time, I was sad when I did reach that conclusion. I wanted more. The true sign of a good story.

I didn't go into this series thinking I'd be dying for the next installment as I had her other books but I find myself pleasantly surprised. Next time I see Sherrilyn Kenyon, likely during Dragon*con, I will be taking Born of Fire because this is a book I definitely want signed.

Five Stars. Not to sound cliche but I laughed and cried and all at the right moments. There were even times I held my breath. This is a book worthy of your shelf.

Seax Shahara (Shay) Dagan has never failed to get her target and doesn't intent to now either. Her target is none other than C.I. Syn or Sheridan Digger Wade whose famous father Irdian Wade. Everyone expects Syn to be like his father~sins of the father and all that. Shahara treats Syn as if he's his father but soon discovers that the man underneath isn't at all what she expected or thought could be. Shay feels that her tightly controlled walls of emotions are cracking in ways she neither expected or thought possible. Shay gets her target but it's he who gets under her skin. Syn's tightly controlled world comes crashing down around his eyes at the sight and sound of Shay. He swore that he would never get as vulnerable with another woman after what Mara did to him. He's stunned to learn that Shay sees him for the broken childhood he experienced. Shay sees Syn completely and loves him any way which surprises her but fears telling him so. Syn starts to believe in what Shay sees in him until she betrays him just like everyone else in his life has. Can Shay clear Syn's name? Will Syn believe Shay when she tells him the truth? Can Shay let go of her past? Will Shay be able to win Syn's trust back? Your answers await you in Born of Fire.

Life has kicked Syn in the teeth from the day he was born. His father was brutal killer. His mother abandoned him and his sister, Talia. They were horribly abused. Talia escaped by suicide. Syn thought he could escape by turning in his father to police. But the system betrayed him, throwing him into prison at just 10 years old. He escaped, living on nothing but his wits and slowly built a life for himself. But he can't outrun his past. And he is constantly kicked down by the people he chooses to trust.

Shahara is a bounty hunter, who believes in law and order. And when she reads Syn's profile, she believes all of the horrible things he is accused of. The huge bounty on his head will pay her sister's medical bills, and at the same time, she'll get a monster off the street. She figures it's win-win. But of course, when Syn enters her life, she begins to learn just how naive she has been.

There are a lot of twists and turns in the book as Shahara ends up joining forces with Syn and going on the run. She begins to fall in love with him, all the while knowing she may have to betray him to save her sister in the end. It's heartbreaking to watch Syn slowly opening his heart, with the knowledge that Shahara will likely it break it to smithereens. He has been through so much, and he deserves the love he so desperately craves. At the same time, it's hard to see Shahara as much of a villain. Her intentions are good and her feelings are genuine. It's all just a big fat mess. Fortunately, in the midst of that mess, there is a great dynamic between Syn and Shahara. And when they finally let themselves connect to each other, it is very satisfying. I love Sherrilyn Kenyon love scenes.

This is almost as good as Born of Night. It's a solid sequel to Nykyrian's book, but it also works as a stand-alone. I would definitely recommend this series. 4 1/2 stars.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Once again, Ms. Sherrilyn Kenyon made me laugh and cry with this book. Syn's story was a bit similar to Styxx's in some aspects (intelligent and wise, maltreated, and molested but still able to regain his composure to become a great man). I was happy that Syn was partnered to a strong and determined woman, Shahara Dagan. Vik, an A.I. that Syn created as his companion when he was at very young age, was so hilarious. One thing that I was not happy about the story was the minimal or less appearance of the other Sentella characters. The story evolved more of the development of Syn and Seax Dagan's happily ever after. I was aware that this book was about them, but a little smorgasbord would spice up more the story. Another great read from this author.

This was my first Sherrilyn Kenyon book so I wasn't put off by whatever inconsistencies there are between it and previous books like so many of the other reviewers. It was an engaging story with a great male protagonist that I really wanted a happy ending for so it kept me turning the pages until the end. BUT unfortunately that engaging story and awesome stud muffin hero were paired up with rather padded, repetitious and in many cases flat out contradictory story telling and a female protagonist who I couldn't stand and who never really redeemed herself even at the end.

Spoiler Alert

So we've got C. I. Syn, the most gorgeous man in the universe who is kind to nuns and puppies even though the whole of existence hates his guts and never misses an opportunity to try to kill him. He's been kicked and beaten down in virtually every way imaginable by the time we meet him. His father was a famous serial killer who beat Syn and his sister regularly and even sold both their virginities to pedophiles when they were children. He's been in prison twice for crimes he didn't commit where he was tortured again by both the inmates and the guards. He had a wife and family once but she cheated on him and dumped him as soon as she found out who he was and his son promptly turned against him too. Even his own mother called the cops on him when he tried to contact her at the tender age of 12. He has literally never caught a break in his whole life despite being a great guy and all he wants is for one person to look beyond his parentage and prison record and see him for who he really is.

Unfortunately, that "one person" is supposed to be the female lead, Shahara. She's a space-aged bounty hunter and a "Seax", whatever that is, and supposedly has such a reputation for kicking butt and bringing in criminals that she makes hardened convicts quake with fear. She and Syn meet when she tries to catch him so she can collect on his extremely high bounty. This is where things pretty much go off the rails. Shahara turns out to be a complete wimp most of the time. She's afraid of practically everything. Men, the dark, dead people, heights, rats and other critters, etc. Seriously? How could a woman who's afraid of heights ever become the most badass bounty hunter in the universe? All the criminals would have to do would be to go on the second floor of a building and she'd be so paralyzed with fear that they could easily escape. It was completely lame for her to have so many hangups and it didn't jive with what her character was supposed to be. And she was worse than useless in most of the action scenarios. Occasionally she'd kick a few guys in the balls or whatever, but for the most part she was dead weight. Worse than that because on multiple occasions her stupidity got them into the fight in the first place. Again, how could the most feared bounty hunter in the world be so idiotic about avoiding pursuers?

And the issues don't stop there. She's totally hypocritical as well. She comes down on Syn like a ton of bricks because he has supposedly murdered some girl, and she never misses an opportunity to sneer at him for being a "filch" which is essentially a thief. And yet we find out later that Shahara herself killed a man in cold blood because he'd raped her years earlier and yet that's okay. And her own father was a smuggler before he died and her brother and sister are currently in the smuggling trade, yet that's okay too. Completely hypocritical that she throws stones at Syn like he's the worst kind of criminal when she or her family have also done everything Syn is accused of doing, and he was innocent of the girl's murder! Shahara really DID hunt down and kill her rapist so she's the real murderer here.

It takes ages and aaaages for Shahara to finally admit that Syn is a decent guy, even though she's seen dozens of examples of it. Her thought process usually went something like this "wow, he just did this amazingly generous thing for no reason...but people suck and you can't trust them so he must be working some angle here." Over and over again that happens. Even after hearing all the horrific details of his childhood and admitting that it was amazing he'd survived at all, she'd still turn around and call him a convict or something else equally derogatory for no reason. It was extremely tiresome to listen to.

Not to mention that as she finally starts to have feelings for him, she's holding onto a secret that she's planning to screw him over in the end. She's taken a job to find a chip that Syn stashed somewhere two decades ago and when she gets it, she's going to turn him in to the cops. Even after she admits to herself and him that she's in love with him it never occurs to her to just TELL Syn about the job so they can figure a way out of it together. Nope, she just goes on and on in her inner monologue about how guilty she'll feel when she betrays him and how much it'll hurt him. Great plan. But that's in between her continued bouts of bitchiness where she argues with Syn about the slightest little thing. She even complains about the way he keeps saving her life just because it involves going to some less than nice places. So sorry your highness but wouldn't you rather run through a sewer and live than die on a nice clean street? It just never ends with her.

I thought the ending was going to make up for a lot of Shahara's crap but she went and ruined it with her usual attitude. She betrays Syn but convinces a judge to give him a fair trial. She also held onto the chip she was supposed to turn in because it contains the confession of a presidential assassin. It saves Syn's life that she did this because he was on the brink of being executed but it also means he gets tortured again for hours and hours while they try to get him to say where the chip really is. Eventually he's acquitted and free to go but he can't forgive her for betraying him again so they go their separate ways for a few months. Finally Syn's friends come and basically say he's not a man if he lets her go so he swallows his pride and goes to her.

She has supposedly been depressed and pining away for him for months but when he shows up at her door, rather than falling to her knees and apologizing and begging him to forgive her she pulls an attitude. Suddenly deciding that if he can't say the words "I love you" then she just can't be with him. Excuse me? And when her coldness makes him turn away and almost leave, she doesn't do anything to stop him. He changes his mind on his own and despite her being a bitch to him just 10 seconds ago, he gets down on one knee and proposes.....and she gets angry because she thinks the ring he's giving her was bought for some other woman. Again, WHAT? He has to reassure her that it was bought for her and offer to show her the receipt before she finally deigns to accept his proposal. And even then she's still issuing demands, wanting to know what the C. I. initials in his name stand for, claiming she won't marry him if he doesn't tell her and when he does tell her, she laughs at him.

She definitely didn't deserve him.

Aside from those issues, the book was kind of padded with endless recitations of all the horrible things that had happened to both Syn and Shahara in their terrible lives, as well as long inner monologues from both of them re-explaining why they had trouble trusting each other. Things could have been tightened up quite a bit by removing that stuff.

I have read some badly written characters before but Shay has topped the list. Syn deserved so much better than this B. Shay was a real piece of bad work and their is nothing redeemable about her. This story has horrific torture and rape in detail of the lead male character Syn. I am so done with Sherrilyn Kenyon. I know she is a victim of abuse but I am not a therapist. I do know this is just Sick writing even for Paranormal Stories. There is nothing romantic about this book.

I read the Kindle version acquired from my local library.

When I read the first book in this series, Born of Night (The League Series Book 1), I was a little disappointed for several reasons, universe was not explained, too many coincidences, really bad guys turned kind of marshmallowy, and too many unspoken things and coincidences. However, overall I had enjoyed the story and hoped that in the second book things would be explained and the author would settle into this universe, that didn't really happen. Granted in the Author's Note it was explained that originally this novel was unable to be a true sequel to the first due to contract issues, however, my issues don't come from the minor time line hiccups, but that many of the problems of the first novel are still present.

I still don't have a handle on how this universe operates. What I know is there are several planets, several species, a League, and life isn't worth much, and there is some sort of class difference. Not knowing the overall universe, makes understanding some of the characters actions questionable.

However, more than that are the characters. Their actions don't always fit into how they have been described. In the first book Shahara was described as being feared and one of the best trackers. In this novel, she seemed naïve and barely functional, except for when the plot demanded she be an expert. After awhile her ineptness and lack of knowledge of her own profession seemed weak and whiney.

Throughout this novel, the lack of trust between the characters is discussed ad nauseum, after awhile I wanted to scream, I get it, they had bad childhood's, they don't know how to trust.

But the most irritating thing was, just as in the first novel, coincidences became expected.

As these novels seem to have been written early in the author's career, and the 3rd novel deals with the next generation, I have decided to give the series one more try.

Until I read the 3rd novel, I can't recommend this series.

Sherrilyn Kenyon has written a truly beautiful LOVE story in this book. Syn and Shahara are thrown into a situation where they are forced to spend most of the story together, hence getting to know each other, getting under each others skins, and burrowing their way into each others hearts. I really love when characters are given the chance just to talk, to find themselves unexpectedly sharing their secrets because they need so much for somebody to know who they truly are and accept them anyway. SK did a beautiful job of this in Born of Fire. I especially loved the scene down in a cavern where Syn wrapped Shahara in his arms and told her about the worst parts of his childhood. I felt their emotional connection potently at this point, and his desire for shared trust.

This is a League book, so expect lots of action as well as romance. A great combination that will leave you turning page after page until you discover you've hoovered they whole thing!

I always try to read at least the first 2 books to judge a series. Book 1 was a strongstart to a new series and the character of Syn was interesting enough for me to want to see how his story played out in the 2nd book.

However, while the character of Syn was fully developed, it was a little disturbing and a little overkill (how many stories of his abusive childhoo do we really need to read) and all we ever really found out about the lead female character, Shahara, is that she is a rigid killer who sees the world in black and white. Therefore, how Syn could possibly want any kind of relationship with her does not make any sense. Then, Bam! the conclusion is rushed and crammed into the last 2 chapters.

I am a huge fan of Kenyon's Dark Hunter series so a little disappointed this series is not quite up to par with the DH books. This is really more of a science fiction book than a paranormal romance.However, very enjoyable series so far.

This paperback edition is a lot different from the original ebook edition. Kenyon has massaged the details to make it fit into her League series.
Shahara is a free-tracer, which is sort of a freelance bounty hunter, as well as a Seax, which I'm still not clear on what that means. She needs to pay her little sister's hospital bills, so she takes a contract on C.I. Syn, a filch and assassin, who has allegedly raped and murdered a princess. Shahara finds out that's not necessarily the case and as she an Syn run for their lives tracking down a valuable computer chip, she comes to understand his past and fall in love with him.
The suspense is continuous and the passion between the two fugitives crackles. Recommended.

I must start out by saying that I have been reading this series out of order, and that I started out with Born of Ice first. This does not ruin a series for me, as I get to go back and see how it all began!

I LOVED Vic and there were many LOL moments for me. I also loved the twists and turns of the storyline. The only thing that I didn't like, was the constant repetition of going back to the past and the insecurities. I felt that could have been omitted with more action thrown in. That was the reason I didn't give it a 5 star review. I caught myself skimming thru a lot of that.

I also loved how Shahara stood by her man, and played both ends against each other! This is a definite recommendation to my friends!

With the deaths of their parents, as the oldest Sharara "Shay" Dagan takes responsibility for her two younger sisters and brother. She has fed them and put roof over their heads by being a free-tracer bounty hunter. However, with bills still to pay and her sibling Tessa hospitalized, she needs to make money fast or the government will refuse medical treatment. She accepts a contact to bring in accused rapist killer C.I. Syn, a friend of her sister Caillen. They know each other and he has been kind to her family, but a job brings in needed cash.

Shay pursues Syn as only she can. He is on the lam struggling with the betrayal by his wife and his son and knows his pursuer is a legend in bringing in criminals. However, when Shay catches up to Syn, she fears her attraction to him may be coloring her belief he is innocent; but she prays she is right because she is taking a chance that could harm her sister.

The second Ichidian Universe League futuristic fantasy romance (see Born of Night) focuses on two people who know each other, but his past has made him a semi-loner as expected of an assassin while she remains responsible for her siblings. Fans will enjoy this rewriting of an e-book as this is the ultimate cat and mouse gender war between a take no prisoners tracer and an assassin felon as only Sherrilyn Kenyon can describe.

Harriet Klausner

I love Kenyon's Dark Hunter series, unfortunately this book falls way below in my opinion. I started out liking the heroine, but by the end of the book, I did not like her at all. I found myself while reading some of the most inane dialogue having to stop reading to roll my eyes. This book seems to have taken no thought as to the characters. The hero was too accomplished and should have dumped the heroine along the way.

I can picture you reading my title and then going back and looking at the two stars. Yea, I know. Yet, I think I'm accurate in saying it was better than the first one. Mainly because the heroine, Shahara, was more likable than the heroine in the previous League series. By the way, what's up with the series' name? Kenyon never takes us inside the League.

First, the fight scenes are the worst I have ever read. I thought I would scream if I read another "scissor kick." Apparently, Kenyon likes her characters to stand in place and just do the same move over and over. The sad part, she had the exact same "scissor kicks" in the previous novel. Apparenlty, all her heroes and heroines have the same trainer.

Second, the world building is horrible. I think creating a world where everybody is evil on every world with the exception of the hero and heroine sucks. It's simply not realistic.

Lastly, and most importantly to me, Kenyon has written two books in a row where the hero has been abused in the most extreme and horrific way a person can imagine for numerous years (from birth until adulthood). Why? What does this accomplish? To describe rape, abandonment, beatings, drinking from toilets, being kept chained? Why does her hero have to go through these things? Does it make a more interesting character? I don't think the debasement of a person has to happen in order for that person to grow up good. And considering the fact that in Kenyon's books everyone else is evil except the one who was treated poorly says that. Again, unrealistic.

I gave this one a try thinking she might have improved from the first one. I won't be reading the third and I don't recommend this book.

Born of Fire is the second in the League series and just as good as the first.

The story line is fast paced, with loads of action and plenty of humour.

I am really looking forward to reading the next one!!

I could really get behind this couple. She was strong, but fully fleshed as a character with believable flaws (although I think she could have done with just one fear instead of many) and he was strong yet flawed as well. The plot was nicely paced and introduced interesting characters like Nero, who I hope we get to see later. The timeline is off from its predecessor, but Kenyon explains that in the forward. The League novels are a refreshing break from her Dark Hunter series, which I'm also a fan of, but this is a totally different world with the same good writing style and story lines. I am noticing a bit of a trend with Kenyon's heroes though - but I don't mind since I happen to like the tragic Alpha male hero. Others might be a bit bored, but she is good at varying the heroines.

Born of Fire is about C.I Syn a thief who has a bounty on his head that will surely help Shahara save her sister, Tess, from being thrown out of the hospital after a beating she had taken for now paying her gambling debts.

Seax Shahara is the best bounty hunter there is. Syn trained by assassins is the best at running and hiding, until he meets Shahara. They either have to team up or their lives will be over.

Not unlike any of her other books both heroine and hero survived the worst sorts of abuse. Just when you think it can't possibly get any worse it does and in detail. I guess the best thing that comes out of it is that you get a real sense of the character and what they went through to be where they are now. It's important to building the character even as you're screaming on the inside for the injustices they went through. For the characters the hits just keep on coming. To the point where you're wondering if they'll ever have anything go their way.

The only thing that stands out to me in this book as slightly annoying is that every tracer, bad guy, or man that went to attack Shahara would drop them with one signature move. Ok, I get it. It's effective but come on. You can't win every fight by going in that way. The fighting and the action was exciting it was a bit like, ok, we've seen you do that one already. Nevertheless it was still a good read. Sad, disturbing, exciting, depressing all wrapped up in one novel. The second in The League series by Kenyon.

I had read some of the reviews before I bought this book. However, since I loved Born of Night so much, I thought I would judge for myself. Sorry to say but I should had paid attention to the reviews. This book started out great. I had just got done reading a so so book and when I started reading Born of Ice with a great start to it I thought...it is good to read a well written book. Unfortunately, has some reviews so stated, one gets third of the way through the book and then it drags and drags and drags. A lot of unnecessary things were added...why I do not know. It was a big book.....about 540 pages.... but being a big book does not mean it is going to be good, and this is the case in this book. It was so boring, that I simply could not read the last 1/4 of it....not when I have other books sitting on the shelf waiting for me to read. I usually do not "cry uncle" but since this book was quite large, I just could not give it the time. I hate to say it but do not waste your money on this book. I definitely am not going to get the third book of this series. It is a shame.

This is my first Sherrilyn Kenyon book I've read and I liked it more than I thought I would. My one and probably only problem with it is that sometimes she went on for too long about things. Although I'm not usually into Sci-fi stuff, I liked this book because the sci-fi parts were not boring or too hard to follow. I really loved Shahara and Syn's relationship and the tension and the passion between them. Kenyon describes the feelings of the main characters in the book very well. It was easy to relate to both Syn and Shahara. Vic confused me though, because I had no idea what he was. He could transform and everything, but I didn't quite know how to picture him, but he was funny.

This book is a science-fiction romance. If you prefer your futuristic reading sans-romance, you probably will not like this one.

I thought it was a good love story. Shahara is a bounty hunter and a Seax, sworn to uphold justice, who has always seen criminals through the charges being levied against them. She performs her duties without qualm as she feels she is helping society by ridding them of the bad elements. She struggles as her beliefs are challenged when she develops feelings for a "criminal" she is sworn to bring into custody.

I found this book a nice change of pace from my normal reading.

Others have reviewed the plot lines, so I won't repeat. Of the league books, this is probably the least grippping... but still an excellent read. Excellent plot twists kept surprising me. In places the story could have been tightened up a bit, quite a bit of dewlling on Lack of Trust over and over and over and over... its' only real weakness. I love strong women who overcome others' trying to limit them without dwelling overmuch on the negatives... Good heroine from an oppressive culture who doesn't bow to negative influences trying to kill kindness.

After reading Born of Night I was ready for another good read but really struggled with this book. Shahara really didnt come over as a bounty hunter and you could accept what she did to Sin the first time but not when she went and did it again! There was also just a rushed explaination from Sin's mother to why she left her kids, it just was like something was added into the book not really thought out. And Shahara's sisters....really a bounty hunter is going to let her siblings treat her like that???

Happy with how the book ended but normally I would of finished a Kenyon book in one or two sittings this one took me a week and at times I skipped dialgoue just to get it over with. I have the third one sitting ready to be read but no really urge to start reading it. Hopefully it picks the series back up.

Everything was great about this book the characters, the story, the adventure, the twists and turns but..... that ridiculously scripted ending and the tying-it-all-together-fairy-tale-ending epilogue was ridiculous and I wish it had all ended before the sappy craptastic conversation and unnecessary epilogue. But hey I still gave it 5 stars right?

our heroine is a bounty hunter responsible for arresting lots of people and handing them over to prisons with huge human rights violations. Some of these people are also innocent of any wrong doing. Towards the end of the book when she realizes this she quits her job and hides out at home feeling sorry for herself. I would have liked to see her try to make amends somehow to all of the people she hurt. She could become a crusader for human rights in prisons or try to improve the justice system so that it's harder to convict innocent people. Anything but sit at home & mope like she's the one who should be feeling bad.

Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Refreshed from reading a more mainstream fiction novel, I picked up (as in from my pile of books) the next in Kenyon's League Novel series. Why they're called that is beyond me since the only thing with the word `league' in it is this Assassin's Guild that you really never get to see inside in the two novels out of this series. I have no hope that the third one will.

This book started out at a good pace and didn't seem too bad. My optimism rose. I thought, `Okay. The editor gave the author a good slap in the face after leaving all that crap in the last one'. The one thing the editor can't do is make a better writer. Not possible. Either you have it or you don't. I still can't believe the mindless simpletons that praise this author and keep her in front of a computer coming up with this drivel. The last 100 pages were pure torture to finish and had I not been invested that far in the book, I wouldn't have finished it. This book could have been around 300 pages instead of the 500+ it was

Know let's break down the things that went wrong in this novel. Grab your coffee, bourbon or kool-aid. It's a long one.

Normally in a romance novel, you get inside the head of the two MCs. Their doubts, their desires, etc. Kenyon tries this tried and true technique and fails miserably. It's like she does it because it's the norm and it comes across choppy and disjointed. It's like the two MCs thoughts are at battle with each other over whose self-absorbed world is more pathetic and whiney.

The female MC, Shahara, acts like this big bad chick that bounty hunts- or as Kenyon calls it in her world, tracer. So you think someone who goes after hardened criminals would be able to handle herself. At some points yes but mostly not unless it's necessary to show the speck of weakness in the male MC. Half the time she acts like a scared infant and should really consider a career move. The male MC, on the other hand, is very good at threatening to kill but clearly doesn't have the balls to do it.

If this poorly contrived universe is as hard as the writer would have us believe, the canyon of credibility is vast and deep. Her action scenes often revolve around two moves- scissor kicks and percussion chop... whatever that is. Maybe Nick Cannon comes out of the fingertips of Shahara to Drumline the assailant's head to death.

The awkwardness of the writing also shows in any scene that almost passes as a romantic interlude. I had to literally re-read several sections. Unfortunately it wasn't for the pleasure of the passage. It was because one minute the Male MC is on top and then the next moment his moves don't match that. I'm supposed to assume that they switched positions? How does one walk on all fours in a large bathtub full of water and bubbles?

The writer is also obsessed with talking about muscles, washboard stomachs, and SAMMICH SHE NEEDS! This is all sprinkled in with the word `Gah!' being overused. I see the word `gah' and I think the character's being surprised as in `Gah! I didn't see you'. For Kenyon it's some exasperation moment. It would have served her better to have the character grumble instead but what do I know.

Another element of romance novels is the lack of trust between the potential lovers. This is used tenfold to the point your want to jump in the novel, yell `gah!' and scissor kick them both in the head. The ring part just made me want to rip my hair out... OMG! He still loves his ex! He has her ring still.... WAHHH!!!

Would someone please buy this woman a clue on how to make the characters uniquely different? The MC from the first novel had a strikingly similar background. Oh wait... Syn drank. That was the difference except unlike the first novel, he seems to cut back a little even though he laments he functions better on it. Pseudo alcoholic? Let's top that off with the female MC saying she doesn't like how he acts when he drinks when she's only witnessed a handful of times and each time he has a different personality- none truly different than when he's sober.

The last 100 pages of crap. Like I said. I almost wanted to throw this book into the fire but I had vested 400+ brain draining pages already. The grand finale in this book had the dumb skinny sammich-needing chick not only meeting the ex-wife that ruined her love toy but the mother that abandoned him for her own ambition. Bang-bang. No, that's not a gun going off... that's my head against the wall. Again a poorly written illusion of a plot driver. I'm all for not having a concrete outline because it ruins the flow but not grasping at straws as this author does.

Things that needed to go:

The robot bird/rat/whatever. Again it seemed like she was running out of `witty' banter and needed to throw an extra character to save it. Having a sarcastic robot made by the male MC was the solution and quite frankly, it was more of an annoyance than anything. He appears and disappears at random.

The openness of the characters as a whole. For a character trying to hide his past, Syn opened up to way too way considering the anti-trust factor between them. A person that tried to bring him in and wounded him he opens up to because he feels something. Right. See Gap (or in this author's case Canyon) of Credibility. A person whose tried to hide his past for as long as this isn't going to open up and he's sure not going to allow a convenient Uncle babble on and on about his past to Shahara. Oh I see she cares so I'm going to tell her everything.

All in all, though I kind of enjoyed the character of Syn in the first League novel, I lost a lot of that through this book. The tension, the characters as a whole. I couldn't believe them or feel for their predicament. The female MC asks questions like a five year old and the fact that the male MC doesn't tell her to STFU (considering his background) is baffling. The writing is too jerky and seems like elements are tossed in because the writer either stumbles in the storyline or has a big poster of "things needed in a romance novel" taped above her computer. Oh I forgot to put that in! Tap-a-tap-a-tap....

If you haven't guessed this now, stay away from this author. I have exactly one more book to read from her and it will be the last one I ever get.

Born of Fire was an excellent read. Sherrilyn Kenyon never lets you down. I could not put it down once I started reading. This book like the rest of this series is spellbinding. I love to read but I am very picky about the authors I read. I read every one of hers that I can. This series is just as good as her other series. When I finished reading Born of Night I immediately followed up with Born of Fire. When you finish one you can not wait to start the next one and this is my second time reading this series. I would recommend this book and this series to any who like reading paranormal.

Fast paced, strong characters, Sin and Shahara are perfect for each other. They were amusing, good dialogue, and when Ms Kenyon makes someone suffer, THEY SUFFER, you feel it, you get caught up in everything they went through, once started you do not want to put down the book. Only one thing disturbed me. In the first book when Nykyrian was badly wounded and undergoing surgery Sin and Shahara rushed to the hospital, Sin even recognized that he was wrong about Kiara, I could not find any part in this book when this could have happened. I like things to fit. This is my one fault with this book.

OMG...I AM ADDICTED TO THE LEAGUE!!!!! I'VE DONE THE DARK HUNTERS/BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD (ALL OF THEM)AND NOW THE LEAGUE AND THIS GIRL DON'T GET TIRED!!!! SYN IS GENEROUS, FUNNY AN FINE!!!!! HEART BREAKING CHILDHOOD, HOWEVER, OUT OF ALL THE BOOKS I'VE READ HIS AND ACHERSON MADE ME CRY!!! NEVER THE LESS SHERRILYN.... AND AWESOME READ!!!!CAN'T WAIT TO START BORN OF ICE...THE SONS???

I have read the other 15 reviews on here about this book. A few things stick out to me in all the reviews and the main point is it seemed "juvenile" type of writing. I agree that it is not her best work, but if you as the reader read the first 2 pages of the author's note you would notice she flat out tells you that it was her second book she wrote and that some parts are not able to be meshed when coming from Born of Night.

2nd to last paragraph: "While putting the two stories back together as a real series, I realized that the overlapping storylines still worked, but that they wouldn't mesh 100%, and for that I beg your understanding as a reader."

If you liked Born of Night but didn't like this then that's all right. Everyone has their own personal tastes in books, and in a whole I really enjoy the twisted mind of Sherrilyn Kenyon. She provides to me an alternate world which makes me forget about all the pressures of the world that I currently live in.

The characters she introduces are forgettable, however it does play a part to know the family ties and the wrapping effects of dealing with a gambling sister, a tough sister, and a brother who wants to be the man of the family. Shahara isn't always the most likable character, but she does bring some interesting "assets" to the table in this book.

I give it 3 stars because though it's not the best book I have ever read from her, it's also not the worst. Would I read it again? No. Does it at least continue the series in a way that makes me want to read Born of Ice? Yes.

If you are a fan of Born of Night this book has little to resemble that well made novel. Sure you have two tortured souls who find each other and heal their wounds...etc. Again like the first we have a female,Shay, who thinks the worst of our Hero Syn. Here is where the problem begins Spoiler alert!!! When Syn pays for the sister's hospital bill, and Shay finds out that Syn is the mystery friend of both of her siblings for years AFTER Shay delivers Syn to prison to be beaten and sexually probed...that may be the time I would be the time any normal person with an IQ over 72 would step back and re evaluate the situation! NOT Shay! She makes another agreement to break Syn out of prision and retrieve vital info for a corrupt prison official and bring both Syn and info back! That isn't even HUMAN!!!There is no redemption from that! Through the whole book Syn comes across people (nuns and 300 orphans,family including Shays,homeless etc) that bear witness to the good deeds and honerable person Syn is only for Shy to continue to question him and plot against him. For myself I never made a connection with Shay and in the end she never deserved Syn. To turn a man that has shown nothing but compassion, honor and integrity not once but twice to a system that violated him to an inch of his life...Shay deserves her own personal cell in that prision.
Vic was totally not necessary. This character is a hanger on aka side kick! For the last half of the book you had a little robot flying around in and out of scenes making comments...It just wasn't necessary. At the very front of Born of Fire the author writes how this story came about and taking that information into consideration I hope this book is what she wanted. I just couldn't over come the stupidity & back stabbing of Shay. Even the authors attempt to interject Syn's mother and Undo the Drowning...Come on! BORN of ICE! I read the first part of this book and Why of all character's and possibilities did she have to go here! I'm quiting this series now. Hey Born of Night was a brilliant book that I highly recommend and will keep for my personal library. I'm not even loaning my copy out. Get your own.

Syn, Syn, Syn.... need I say more?!

Syn was a standout in #1, so it's expected that he get his own book. By far, my favorite character in this universe, because he is that good.

Typical of other Kenyon books in this series, there were moments of intense torture and abuse, which I just skip.

I really loved Syn. The characterization on him was well done if maybe a little too overdone in places, similar to how Acheron's abuse was too over the top.

I agree with others who have reviwed this book that the heroine did not deserve Syn.

The story kept my interest and I'll eventually read the last in the series, Born of Ice someday.

Loved the DK series but this was one of the worst books i've ever read. The heroine is suppose to be a feared bounty hunter who was one of the few to pass difficulty seax training, but she keeps making stupid juvenile mistakes like taking Shy back to her condo once he is broken out of prison. I guess the authorities won't find him there! Duh! And Shy come on! She breaks into your house to kill you and you keep her locked up in it with free reign of the house. Then you come home After not sleeping for awhile and proceed to fall asleep on the couch! Will not read another book in this series.

For me Syn and Shay are characters that will stay with me for some time because of the depth of characterization. And as those of us who took the time to read the Authors Notes at the beginning of Born of Night and Born of Fire know these are early works that Ms Kenyon's publisher brought back for our enjoyment. Even though these stories were early offerings they are still rich with Ms Kenyon's style and expertise. Reading these earlier stories we can easily see why Ms Kenyon is the author she is today, especially at characterization, action and plotting. The characters of Syn and Shay are believable and heart wrenching as they both come to terms with their pasts and learn to move on. The action only stops long enough to let you take a deep breath then it is on again to the next. I am looking forward to Born of Ice.

I thought this book was great. This is the first book I have read by Sherrilyn Kenyon and I loved it....
It has a great story line and the suspense was well done. This book really kept moving and I like that.
I am looking forward to reading the next one "Born of Ice"

This was a very good book and equal to Born of Night which I also loved. Strong hero meets strong heroine...what's not to like...But mix that with back stories that can choke you up....well what's not to love.

Book drags on and on, extremely boring, and the characters are extremely weak. Shahara Dagan who is supposed to be the best bounty hunter in the universe comes across as really weak, so weak that she is practically a doormat for her siblings. I wonder how she can catch those rapists, murderers, pedophiles, terrorists etc .... unless the villains in this universe are so lame....
And Syn? He who is practically Nemesis' no 2 and is a qualified doctor acts like someone who needs to be on the shrink's couch ....
This book is definitely to be put on the Charity bin....

I loved the story of Syn and Shay. I actually adored Syn and found his characterization very interesting. Shay was a little weak as I didn't find her to be the threatening bounty hunter as her character is suppose to be. I still loved their connection though.

Many people have called this juvenile. I believe the information on the publisher line is misleading; it is a reprint of a book from the 90's. Early 90s, it is before Paradise City which was out in 94. Not her best work, but ok. The SF elements are handled well.

Shahara accepts a bounty on Syn that will cover her sister's debt and medical bills. CI Syn is a trained assinsin, among other things, and is a close friend to Shahara's only responsible sibling. And of course, as all of Kenyon's characters, there is just so much more to him!

I really loved this book. Very few authors are able to transorm a rape victim and introduced them to an intimate relatioship to a man who is worth it and still REAL. Although they were written for each other they were created before these two met which makes it more realistic and romantic. Absolutely loved this book!

I bought this book for some escapist fantasy reading. I wasn't looking for great literature, but this falls below even my lowered expectations. The female lead is supposed to be the toughest bounty hunter in the universe, but the author writes: "Her nerves stretched almost to the breaking, she waited until she thought she'd scream in anxious nervousness." And this is just because she believes her "bounty" might enter the bedroom where he'd thoughtfully deposited her (unmolested) after he overpowered her. I thought I'd scream from the awful badness. Later, "With practiced, stalking strides, she inched toward the bedroom." A stride is a "very long step," according to my dictionary. Unless she's six inches tall, if she's striding, she's not inching. The "futuristic" setting is an afterthought. There's not even an attempt at world-building. This is a straight-up romance novel built on unlikely scenarios peopled with wooden characters.

The book is sooooo long and boring! The characters are not likeable. A true shame because Syn had a lot of potential in Born of Night. SK has clearly honed her craft since writing this novel. Borrow this a the library because it is a waste of money.

Let me start by saying I love SK's Dark Hunter series and have read almost all of her books. I was excited about this new series, but it has been ho-hum to say the least. Book one had a lot more action and kept my interest - I wish I could say the same about book 2. The beginning started out interesting enough with plenty of action, but the middle of the book drags on and on and on. I have put it down and picked it up multiple times hoping it will get better, but it doesn't - at least for me, it did not. While I realize this is a sci-fi/futuristic setting, I can't get past the flying robot named "Vic" whom Syn created when he was a kid. The way SK describes it reminds me of the flying metal owl in the movie Clash of the Titans (early 80's)... was this one of SK's early or first series that wasn't published until now? For some reason, I get that impression or maybe I read it in a blog. None-the-less, the writing seems "juvenile" for lack of better description. Anyway, I can't recommend this book, sorry. I will probably pick up the 3rd book in December just to finish the series - I hope it is a better read then book 2.

Summary of the critique
This book was really poor.

What I liked
I liked the characters.
Why I liked it
The idea was good. The execution was really bad, filled with deux x machine, and poorly executed plot devices.
What I didn't like
The plot was OK. The execution was poor. The understanding of science was really poor.
Why I didn't like it.
The material is really weak.

There were many things that I enjoyed about this book, but I just couldn't get over the feeling that Shahara never deserved Syn. I have always really liked the heroines in Kenyon's books- with this being an exception. The idea that she was a feared bounty hunter was complete opposite of the timid and whiny character that she is.
Kenyon's heros are still the best and I will definitely still look forward to the next book.

There were many things that I enjoyed about this book, but I just couldn't get over the feeling that Shahara never deserved Syn. I have always really liked the heroines in Kenyon's books- with this being an exception. The idea that she was a feared bounty hunter was complete opposite of the timid and whiny character that she is.
Kenyon's heros are still the best and I will definitely still look forward to the next book.