Retribution (Dark-Hunter Novels)

There are 2 reasons I gave this book 3 stars when I wanted to give it 1. 1.) Jess is a great character. Despite such weak material and lame love interest, he was a fun character. 2.) The bonus chapter, which had nothing to do with the book, was the best part.

The DH series was my first PNR. I have remained loyal and overlooked certain writing weaknesses because the characterizations and story made up for especially the repetitiveness. But the last two DH books, Bad Moon Rising and Retribution, were so weakly written that I had to force myself to finish them. Especially Jess' story. I had no idea what was going on until about 3/4's of the way through. There was no relatable connection between Jess and Abby. The end happened and I said "What? That's it??" Then the bonus chapter came and I smiled and remembered why I love SK. This is why I'm sad. I miss what she used to write. I miss her old characterizations... I wish she'd stick with what she knows best. It never hurts to take a different route, but you have to do it well. SK has not done it well.

Check this out at the library or borrow from a friend. I weep for the $20 I wasted on this book.

I am familiar with Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series, however, I have not had the chance to read ALL of the books in the series. I love this series for many reasons, but the combination of mythology and romance really hooked me in. As book 20 in the series, Sherrilyn Kenyon changed things up a little bit. The pantheon of gods changed from greek to native american, and I love this change. I am not nearly as familiar with native american mythology as I was with the greek, but with this new pantheon the series gets a bit of a refresher. I really enjoyed the story line in Retribution, and the characters.

In Retribution, the main Dark-Hunter is Jess "Sundown" Brady, he is a cowboy, gunslinger, deadly warrior who became a Dark-Hunter to get revenge on the man who shot him in the back. Abigail was orphaned as a young child and raised by vampires to believe that Dark-Hunters were evil, vicious killers. Abigail trained her whole life to kill dark-hunters and avenge her dead family. The Retribution theme ran throughout the book, and united the plot lines. The villains are also new in Retribution. It is a change from the usual Daimon enemies, and again a refreshing change.

As for the romance, there is romance, but there is not a lot of sex. The romance develops pretty realistically, and the characters do not just fall into bed with each other. A lot of sex really isn't needed, there is plenty of action as well as character and plot development. However, compared to previous books in the Dark-Hunter series, the sex is pretty tame in Retribution.

Overall, with new mythology, new characters, and charming romance Retribution is a really good read. Dark-Hunter and Sherrilyn Kenyon fans, you will not be disappointed with Retribution.

*****Slight Spoiler Ahead*****

I love these books and I have been a rabid reader of this series. I never thought I would have a bad thing to say about them. Until... Retribution. This book just was not all that great for me. Do we really need to add another Pantheon to the world that has been created with such stunning detail by Ms. Kenyon? No, we don't. The previous pantheons are linked. The things that they do effect the other ones. This book had no mention of the other pantheons and thus had no way of tying this one into them. To me, this book was not a Dark Hunter novel. It seemed like a book that was written for a different series and she changed some things to make it into the Dark Hunter Universe.
Plus, I really did not 'care' about the characters the way I did in the previous books. Jess and Abigail just were not compelling enough. I could have cared less if they lived or died (hell, had they died, it would have been great to see the effect that would have on Zarek). As for the other Dark Hunter characters who make cameos, they only made me miss what I was not getting from this book.
I would only read this book if you are a 'completist' like me. If you have to read all of them. Well, I will say the only good thing about the book was the Bonus Scene at the end. That was the Dark Hunter writing that I have loved. But, again, one small down side for me... I now have a small teeny tiny bit of respect for a character that I have grown to hate throughout the series. How Dare she make me have a warm fuzzy feeling for this evil heifer goddess. I hope The Guardian is better than this (I know it is a Dream-Hunter book, but in my heart they are all the same series).

It's sad when a beloved series loses it's mojo. Even more sad when the best thing about the book is it's cover. The poor Dark Hunter series has at book number 20, lost that loving feeling for me. I never ever thought I'd say this, but Retribution was a do not finish for me. It pains me to write it, because as I've stated before this is one of my all time favorite series.

I haven't read the Chronicles of Nick yet,(because I think it's stupid to have 10 books to get to one dark hunter book but friends have told me that it's like the author has poured everything she has into that seires and well, you can tell with this book. It's almost like a different writer wrote this one then the earlier novels of this series. Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh as I only got a hundred pages into this book, but with lines like:

pg.22 " Why are you more nervous then a whore at a preachers doorstep?" and this one
Pg 42 ~"Still he didn't take a lickin and not give one back."
og.79 Other than the fact that you're as loco as a three tailed cat in a rocking chair factory, I'm as clueless as a newborn colt."
pg. 86: "It's not what you think Z. Turn on those god powers and use them. I am not responsible for her knowledge of nothing."
Pg. 87: Ew. Someone was socially awkward. She wasn't sure at this point if she liked Z or not. He was rather off putting.
made it impossible for me to go any further. I know that Jesse was born in the 1800s and was a gunslinger, but seriously, I don't even think gunslingers talked like that. When the actual storyline started, I groaned out loud. It was another-I'm going to hate you for the whole book because I think you're evil till I find out I was lied to then I won't be able to live without you storyline I just couldn't get into it as much as I forced myself to keep reading it.

Another issue I had was that when the Dark Hunters whip out their cell phones or computers they are all apple products. All the I phone product placements just didn't sit well with me for some reason. I mean, I don't even see J.R. Ward doing such obvious product placements with her popular Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, and if anyone could get away with it, she could.

Also, when I learned that Acheron and Simi weren't even in the book until the bonus chapter I was like how can this be? They are the dark hunter series! How can Simi not have her BBQ or shinys to play with? Or are they too busy making cameos in Nicks books to be in the Dark Hunter world now? Despite my misgivings on this book, I tried to skim it...but here were some other cheesy lines I found:
pg.194 Nothing left of Jonah except a shimmering film that graced the floor. Iridescent like the wings of a summer butterfly.
pg.263: Life seriously needed an undo button. The coward in her wanted to turn around and run. But she'd never been a craven a day in her life, and she wasn't about now when they needed her to stand strong. I'm assuming craven is supposed to be coward, but you get the point..)

I can't remember the last time I was so disappointed in a series book. I just want the old Dark Hunter series back, and if I have to wait through 6 more stupid Nick YA books to get it then, I will,. But please, please don't churn out another DH book just trying to make the fans happy. because you've just about lost this fan doing that. I'd rather wait and have a quality one then what the last 3 have been. This review is kinda harsh, but mainly because of how drastically disappointed I was in reading this book. That being said, I'll still buy whatever Dark Hunter book comes out next. What can I say? I'm an optimist and the next one can't any worse.

I must first confess this is the first book ever I have read from Sherrilyn and am guilty of only grabbing it after seeing the hot trailer for it. I saw that trailer and OMG just had to rush out and get Retribution! I am usually so very anal about needing to read books in order if they are in a series but was assured that I should be able to read these without worrying about that. So I took a chance and broke my "code" lol

I really enjoyed the story and Jess I could just melt for with his quirky attitude and humor. But Abigail....I really really wanted to knock her senseless when she first came into the picture. She was like a loose cannon killing anything that moved and had an air of hostility based soley on sombody elses word. I dont think I could just go on a killing rampage like that without having some kind of actual proof. In her defence though she really did do alot of changing and growing up in Retribution once she followed her heart and not her loose emotions and eventually her and Jess joined forces to right some wrongs that had been set into motion.

I did feel a bit overwhelmed during my reading at times because I felt like there were so many evil things and people involved that I couldn't keep anybody straight except for basically Jess and Abigail but as I mentioned already this was my first book of Sherrilyn's and already have done some research and gathered that alot of these creatures and persons were introduced and in previous stories and I just need to go back and start at the beginning which I FULLY intend on doing!

While I liked this book a lot better than No Mercy, it still held less of an appeal than some I've read in the past. I'm hoping the series gets back on track though the Time Untime they've talked about in this book is actually the name of one of the books to come so I'm assuming we are going to continue with the Native American mythology which I'm not really into.

Having said that I did enjoy the character of Sundown Jess Brady though I don't remember him from previous books. Despite his reputation as a human, he seems far from a bloody thirsty criminal in his Dark-Hunter life. He's quick humor was often fun.

Abby was also enjoyable because she wasn't some weak heroine who needs the hero to save her all the time. Granted every hero or heroine has there moments but she came into this story killing the big guys. Unfortunately, those big guys her Dark-Hunters and a Guardian whose death brings about another apocalypse.

The banter between Jess and Abby is fun and light-hearted though there romance seems rushed and a little odd considering he knew her whens he was a small child. Also Jess's Squire Andy is rather funny as well. I did enjoy the appearance of Talon, Zarek and the short about Ash and Tori at the very end.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I realize now that this in number 20 in the Dark Hunters Series. This is good because it helps me realize why I was so lost at times in the reading. I think the books can be read out of order, but starting with 20 left me a bit confused at times.

The story was entertaining and held my interest most of the time, only when the story switched from present to past it took me a minute to realize the shift. Lots of characters fill these pages, many names, shapes and animals with mystical powers and sorted pasts. Jess is a man that could get any women's heart pumping fast. Abigail on the other side is a bit too whiny. I really didn't care for her, Jess deserved better in my estimations. I did like the way the story started in the past and then today, the flow was good even with the time shifts.

I entered a blog hop to win this book since I had never read this author before. I had heard of her and many of my friends on Goodreads had commented on her books. I'm trying to read things I don't usually pick up at the library, this is definitely one I would not have grabbed. That said I really am enjoying paranormal, especially the act that anything can happen and usually does.

I would suggest this book to those who love paranormal romance and action stories.

for whatever the reason the author doesn't seem to get my attention
which admittedly is difficult to do - I think the author did a poor job
of setting this up (i.e. why am I supposed to care) and then the story
went all over the place and after a few chapters I'm crying uncle and I
quit reading it - I even tried to re-read the book but it didn't get any
better with the second reading. I'm sure you can blame the reader
and I accept that blame but it isn't all my fault - a lot of it is
that the author just didn't set it up very well. When I read the
author's comments at the end it made a little more sense - but she should
have put that at the beginning of the book. Honestly trying to tie
the Cherokee Mythology and the Greek Mythology and this concept of Dark
Hunters together is just something that was just a little too far
fetched for me - And far fetched can work for me as I really enjoyed
the Skin Map - But the Skin Map had a small element of believability whereas
this doesn't. Which is why this book doesn't work.

I wish I could say something nicer about this book - like I said
I think the reader is to blame in this case but the author is too and
the author moreso.

I have been a long time fan and automatically buy each new SK book in hardback asap. This will be my last one. Her last few books have been absolute rubbish but I kept buying hoping they would find the old spark: unforgettable characters, intriguing plots, adult language and situations, etc. Characters are now reduced to half a page of back story and a cliched name, plots are paper thin (eg in Retribution when the scorpions are attacking they turn the TV on to find out what's going on - boy that is some on-the-spot ace reporting, the news crew happen to be in the exact spot at the exact time to record something like scorpions erupting from the earth and get it on the TV within 20 seconds), swearing is now "good grief" and "flippin'". We're adults, I think we can cope with stronger language than that. The stories are getting shorter too; hardback books are now made to look longer by increasing the width of the margins, double spacing, larger font and starting each chapter three quarters down the page. Chapter 1 has 26 words of story on the page. 26. I haven't finished the story and can't summon the enthusiasm to do so. Don't care about the "characters" at all. Think I can guess how it ends. They vanquish the baddie, Jess gets his soul back, HEA.

PS. "Acheron" was an exception to the "last few books have been rubbish" statement. Acheron was everything that it should have been considering how long we've been waiting for his story but also I believe "Acheron" had been written for some time and was waiting to be published at a certain point in the series arc.

I've adored the Dark-Hunter series and Sherrilyn Kenyon's other books for years. Retribution was a huge disappointment for a wide variety of reasons: the language, the plot, and the book itself. The language was completely juvenile--Kenyon used the same style for Nick's series, but in that context it makes sense since Nick is a teenager. In Retribution, it is completely misplaced and non-sensical (e.g. "'Little late now, bucko.' The last word was said with such snapping venom, it oddly reminded him of a chicken clucking.") The story line added very little to the Dark-Hunter mythos. It had a series of cameos from very early characters that only loosely tied Jess and Abigail's story to the Dark-Hunters, the fight against the Daimons, and the averting of various apocalypses due to the interaction between those groups. The new view of Jess and Abigail's introduction fell really flat. The family dynamic that appeared in other DH novels between Apollites was entirely absent--Abigail's adoptive brother and sister were dei ex machina that were included only to wrap things up. I think this book would have been a much better read had Kenyon used her Native American mythos for a new series. The hard copy itself was an extraordinary waste of money. Not only was the print huge, and the spacing excessive, but each new chapter started on the bottom third of the page with extra indenting on both sides. The book was completely inflated to a whopping 416 pages of story, which I suspect in the paperback version will barely top 200.

All in all, I skimmed the last 150 pages since I was no longer interested in reading such goofy language and such a weak plot. The bonus chapter proves that Kenyon can write an excellent story, but chose not to edit or develop the language and story of Retribution more carefully. I will personally stop purchasing DH books and just wait for my local library to get them.

It's hard to not give SK a glowing review; she really doesn't write bad books, but I really didn't like this book. It was like someone promising you chocolate ice cream and then giving you vanilla, very disappointing. A Dark Hunter book has certain elements that are a given; Ash, Simi, Nick, New Orleans, Stryker and so on and so on. Retribution had none of those elements so it was like reading a completely different series. Just because you call a character a Dark Hunter, doesn't make him one without everything else that comes with it. I could not get into the story, it was confusing and basically boring. I thought the story should have been presented as the start of another series, not a part of the Dark Hunter series. The best part of the book were the few pages she included about Ash's baby, and that appeared to be an afterthought. I waited a whole year for chocolate ice cream and she brought me vanilla. If you want to explore your roots, do it on ancestry.com, not in your next book. Oh well, there's always next year.

This book was really lacking and switched directions so quickly it gave me whiplash. Where were the characters we all love (and hate) so much? No Savitar, no Striker and only small glimpses of Ash and Nick? Why the sudden change to Indian folklore? I was confused and seriously disappointed. I love Jess and was really hoping his book would be more like the earlier Dark Hunter books but this one was definitely out of character for Ms. Kennon. Don't get me started on Abigale, what a complete BRAT! Really did not like her character at all. This book was not worth the wait and not worth the price of a hardback. The only reason she gets two stars instead of one is due to the bonus chapter of Ash's sons birth and the fact that there were two or three scenes with Sasha, Talon and Zarek that made me laugh. My advice, wait until it comes out in paperback or get it at the library.

I have read every single one of Kenyon's Dark Hunter books, and although some are far better than others, this was just the worst. I usually read the new release within a couple of days this took over a week, and that was somewhat of a boring struggle. It felt like I wasn't reading a Dark Hunter book at ALL. I appreciate the Native American folklore and witty banter between the characters but thats about it. Oh, and I did like the birth scene with Acheron and Tory. If there was only going to be one sex scene then it should have been explosive and awesome but it wasnt, and guess what, there were none after that. I had high hopes for Sundance and was looking forward to it but was greatly dissapointed. When you read good ones like Zarek's, Acheron's, Vane's, and Talon's stories then you expect the same kind of quality with the rest of the Dark Hunters. Not so in this case.

It is Official. I cannot buy another dark hunter book.. Although this one was much better than the ones that I have absolutely hated, I still have to say that this story was too simple. Everything that was so dire about this particular story seemed to come together too easily and in a neat little bow. The action was alright. The romance was luke warm at best. And I just really did not care for Jess or Abby as individuals or as a couple. There were a few funny moments but ultimately the story fell flat for me..

Now I do have to say that I have read only some of this series, there were a few in this series that I absolutely loved and others that I hated. And because of that fact, I have not read this series in order nor have I read all the books in this series.. If you are a die hard fan of Ms. Kenyon and you have followed this series, then you would probably love this one as well.. But I would not recommend this read for those in my boat.

I love Jess from his days with Zarek. I enjoyed Zarek's and Talon's appearance in this book. But except for the fact that there were dark hunters in this book it could have been a completely separate series. Really did Ms Kenyon need to create another patheron? We already have the Atlantian, the Greek, the Sumerian, the Demons, now let's jump in and create the Native American. Can't we just stick to the way things were and finish an arc then establish new ones?

I thought after the Acheron arc finished we were going to either focus on Jaden or Savitar but neither made an appearance in this book.

Are we now having a friendlier, happier Artemis? Just seems kind of weird. No word on how Nick got Jess's soul back and only reward for helping Ash is that she's sorry he missed Kat's childhood? Really?? Wow...

I liked the romance between Abby and Jess but just slightly creepy since his ex-fiancé was her great great great great grandmother. The fact that Abby looks like Bart was mentioned twice, but never talked about how Jess got over that fact. If he wasn't going to be bothered by it why even bring it up.

Maybe Sherri's fame got to her and she's just too busy with all the different series to produce the quality work that got me hooked on her series. I still find myself reaching for the classics like Night Embraced or Night Play, which are my all time favorites.

Having trouble getting through this, it's so bad. Have loved kenyon books in the past, but won't be so anxious for any new titles after the complete disappointment of this book. Can't STAND the "heroine." Keep hoping she will die so there won't be any more of her whining toddler tantrums--she makes Artemis look like a wonderful person. And the story is so confusing I thought I must have missed a bunch of info because it began making no sense and things just started popping into the story line, but no, went back to the beginning and it didn't get any better.

I would greatly prefer QUALITY over QUANTITY of books. How many new series does she think she can start and not burn out and start producing garbage? oops, wait, she already did start churning out garbage

I have read all of Ms. Kenyon's Dark Hunters series. I love her books! But she must have been in a hurry to get this one to the publishers? I was very disappointed in this one. I am part cherokee myself, and while I can appreciate her determination on the stories and legends of the cherokee, I am disappointed on the entire story. For one thing, there is No passion between Jess and Abigail, very short love scenes and oh so boring. And the fighting between the Dark Hunters and the Daimons is at best, mediocre.
It reads like a bible story or a history lesson?
Don't waste your time or money on this one. Sorry Ms. Kenyon, but you dropped the ball on this one.

I absolutely loved this book !! it was a lot going on about the past present and the future but I absolutely loved it , and it’s worth reading it all the way to the end. I thought the love story between Jess and Abigail was so sweet . They seem to complement each other so well with their personalities

I am a huge fan of the Dark-Hunter series, but this...this was just terrible. The characters were weak, there was no chemistry, and the story rambled so much that I often had to re-read pages because I thought I'd missed something vital.

Not to mention all of the grammatical errors. (Who on Earth edited this book?!)

There was no connection to the other books with the exception of some very poorly thought out cameos.

Needless to say, I'm glad I checked it out from the library as opposed to purchasing it.

I don't know what Ms. Kenyon is trying to do. First, she re-writes history with the Chronicles of Nick, and now this. I would much rather she stop writing than to put out something so sub-par. Those who rated it highly must not have read the series, or must be someone from her publisher.

Though the book was good I was a little disappointed with some of it. There was only one love scene and it was kinda disappointing. The plot was interesting but a little confusing with all the flashbacks. I thought that Abby was an interesting heroine though. I liked that she was loyal to her family until she had actual proof of their betrayal. I would have thought less of her if she had just believed they were terrible with out proof. Jess was a great hero but a little one dimensional. He was a good guy that for all his past was not that tormented. He didn't really have a moment where he let go of all the pain of the past or had to over come any intense hatred or self pity. He was pretty much unchanged through the whole book. Abby was the one who went through a extreme change. I thought it was a little rushed but I liked her character. She started out with some serious misconceptions due to the brainwashing her vampire family did to her. But faced with the truth of what really happened Abby really struggled to deal with it. Maybe she accepted it faster than I would have but I figured the demon blood in her made her more able to accept the truth quicker. The end was a little cliffhangerish. not with the characters but with the over all plot. Obviously the next book will be Ren. Whom I like a lot. The epilogue with the birth of ash's baby was awesome. I laughed and almost cried right along with Ash. I want more little moments of Ash's life. I wish we would have gotten some moments of Ash and Tory during the pregnancy. I would have loved to see Ash pampering her and going across the country for ice cream or other foods she was craving. All in all I liked the book but other than the epilogue its not one I will be rereading a lot.

I have read all of Ms. Kenyon's Dark Hunters series. I love her books! But she must have been in a hurry to get this one to the publishers? I was very disappointed in this one. I am part cherokee myself, and while I can appreciate her determination on the stories and legends of the cherokee, I am disappointed on the entire story. For one thing, there is No passion between Jess and Abigail, very short love scenes and oh so boring. And the fighting between the Dark Hunters and the Daimons is at best, mediocre.
It reads like a bible story or a history lesson?
Don't waste your time or money on this one. Sorry Ms. Kenyon, but you dropped the ball on this one.

I absolutely loved this book !! it was a lot going on about the past present and the future but I absolutely loved it , and it’s worth reading it all the way to the end. I thought the love story between Jess and Abigail was so sweet . They seem to complement each other so well with their personalities

I am a huge fan of the Dark-Hunter series, but this...this was just terrible. The characters were weak, there was no chemistry, and the story rambled so much that I often had to re-read pages because I thought I'd missed something vital.

Not to mention all of the grammatical errors. (Who on Earth edited this book?!)

There was no connection to the other books with the exception of some very poorly thought out cameos.

Needless to say, I'm glad I checked it out from the library as opposed to purchasing it.

I don't know what Ms. Kenyon is trying to do. First, she re-writes history with the Chronicles of Nick, and now this. I would much rather she stop writing than to put out something so sub-par. Those who rated it highly must not have read the series, or must be someone from her publisher.

Though the book was good I was a little disappointed with some of it. There was only one love scene and it was kinda disappointing. The plot was interesting but a little confusing with all the flashbacks. I thought that Abby was an interesting heroine though. I liked that she was loyal to her family until she had actual proof of their betrayal. I would have thought less of her if she had just believed they were terrible with out proof. Jess was a great hero but a little one dimensional. He was a good guy that for all his past was not that tormented. He didn't really have a moment where he let go of all the pain of the past or had to over come any intense hatred or self pity. He was pretty much unchanged through the whole book. Abby was the one who went through a extreme change. I thought it was a little rushed but I liked her character. She started out with some serious misconceptions due to the brainwashing her vampire family did to her. But faced with the truth of what really happened Abby really struggled to deal with it. Maybe she accepted it faster than I would have but I figured the demon blood in her made her more able to accept the truth quicker. The end was a little cliffhangerish. not with the characters but with the over all plot. Obviously the next book will be Ren. Whom I like a lot. The epilogue with the birth of ash's baby was awesome. I laughed and almost cried right along with Ash. I want more little moments of Ash's life. I wish we would have gotten some moments of Ash and Tory during the pregnancy. I would have loved to see Ash pampering her and going across the country for ice cream or other foods she was craving. All in all I liked the book but other than the epilogue its not one I will be rereading a lot.

Kenyon is always good for a fast action novel with some pretty spicy romance, and this book doesn't disappoint. I have to admit, having read a number of Kenyon's Dark Hunter books that at times I can't keep track of the the characters and their connections. But I find that once you have had an introduction to the Dark Hunter universe, each book can stand on its own.

I loved the characters in this book, and the non-stop action. The twists and turns are fast enough to keep one entwined in the story, and I have to say that I couldn't really put the book down once I started. It is a quick read, unless one restrains oneself.

A lot of the other reviewers mention the bonus chapter, and I like to save my introduction to new books until I can read them all, but I am sure it is good too.

And a writer that cares about the quality of her writing. Frankly, Ms. Kenyon needs to take a break. Surely she has made enough money to do so, so why does she continue to churn out this stuff? I really liked the Dark-Hunter series--for a while. And I'd have been interested in Sundown's story, too, but I only barely made it through this book. I never could sort out the Native American pantheon, but that's probably because the author didn't flesh out any of these "gods" as she has done in the past with the Greek pantheon. And who cares what happens to such 2-D characters? Also, I kind of liked Sundown, though his "cowboy" speech patterns were as cliched and dorky as ridin' yer filly into a sunset through that-there purple sagebrush. Too bad he got stuck with such an immature idiot as his woman. Abigail is the epitome of the dumb blonde stereotype (even though she's brunette). This lady's IQ seems to be about ten points below a tennis ball, and other than the contrived similarity between her and his human-life fiancee, there's absolutely no reason for Sundown's attraction to her, (plus, lots of reasons for him not to be attracted. Oops--killed your friends by mistake. Sorry about that. And how 'bout them-there glowin' red eyes?). And "Abs" makes a truly remarkable transition from enraged hatred to eternal love, but perhaps this is possible when there are no coherent thoughts to clutter up your emotions.
I know Ms Kenyon is capable of better writing than this. The book is full of sloppiness such as sentence fragments and unintentional grammatical errors ("slinked" is a word?). Some of this is just her writing style, but some just seems the result of carelessness, inattention and poor editing/proofreading. I hate to see this series go down the tubes, so, take a sabbatical, Ms Kenyon--please!

What a disappointment. Kenyon grabs for straws in this edition. One must assume she was playing beat the clock with a deadline, because it was NOT up to her excellent standards. The story line was convoluted. The action kept switching gears. Where is the passion? She does not make a good enough case for these two falling in love. Every time she backs herself into a corner with the action, it seems as though she just invents a new magic power out of thin air. She alludes to Abigail's potential to turn demon at some point and kick butt, but it never happens. I had to force myself to read to the end; and I did it only out of loyalty to an author who needs to get back on track. Sherrilyn, no one gets it right every single time. So get up, brush yourself off. We are still waiting eagerly for you. I thank you for all you have given your readers; but I demonstrate my true thanks by paying for your work.

Marilyn T. Paventy
Fan

Did Sherrilyn Kenyon actually write this book? I would feel a lot better if it were a forgery! This book is terrible! The plot builds on one of the most unoriginal Wild West cliches there is. . .the character of Jesse James. The heroine is also nothing to admire and other character's reaction to her are completely unrealistic. If some chic went off and killed colleagues you had known for centuries, would you easily forgive her even if she was decieved to believe they were evil? Uh, no. I didn't think so. So, she can't reason idependently, is not intuitive or suspicious but justifies killing? Huh, sounds like a fanatic that deserves to die, not a heroine. It's very hard to have any empathy and to stay involved in this book. To add to the weak main characters, nothing original develops in the Dark Hunter world either and prominent characters get a once-over probably just to include them in the book as opposed to having them add any value to the storyline. This series has been on a downward slide since "Acheron" and this is definitely the worst to date. I plan to check this series off my 'to-read' list until something interesting like Salvitar's story comes along.

So, when I first discovered the Dark Hunter series a few years ago, I was totally hooked. Yes, the first few books were a bit cheesy (if you're a jaded paranormal/urban fantasy reader), but the 4th book onwards? Total love.
Thus... I was really disappointed when I got my hands on this latest work in the series.
It was as if the language regressed; one of the things I love most about Sherilynn Kenyon's series is her ability to make the characters seem very multi dimensional and oddly endearing. Acheron, Simi, Tory, Zarek, Valerius- I could go on, because I loved every single one of her characters. I had such high hopes for Jess and his lady love and I almost got it; Jess goes the way of oddly endearing (though, certain actions he took in the novel I had to pretend he did not do because they just contradicted his characterization written a few pages before) but Abigail did not hold much of my attention. She was almost a caricature of interesting heroine. I could almost predict her actions and the reasonings behind those actions.
**Semi Spoiler**
Right before I hit the middle of the book, I predicted the next few chapters would lead to a sex scene, and right in the middle of an quasi action sequence, cue sex scene. Abigail decides she just must have sex with Jess. In a car. Covered with killer wasps. While a killer mountain lion (?) is trying to get inside the car to murder them all. Carpe diem is pretty much her only reasoning along with the trite 'he is the only one who understands me' bit although she believed he murdered her parents years ago and she ended up a fair share of Dark Hunters.
Whatever happened to the more detailed thought sequences and witty quips that the main characters are supposed to trade back and forth before said main characters start unzipping pants and snapping bras?
***End Semi Spoiler***
I know some of the reviewers complained about the addition of a new gods and etc on the scene, but I thought Sherilynn Kenyon made the segue somewhat trackable.
I only got half way through the novel- right up until the sex scene, before I could not take it anymore and pulled out Acheron (Book 12) and reread it to make sure I was not confusing series/arthors. Nope, Acheron is still a great read with great descriptions, scenes and characterizations. I am not raising Sherilynn Kenyon on an impossible pedestal for her to reach to type out amazing zany (in a positive way) novels.
All I can say is that I really hope this is just a dud, and that the Dark Hunter series does not go the way of the Anita Blake series.
Please.

It is not too often I read a Kenyon book and wished I had a glossary of characters on hand...but this one did it for me. I have been waiting for Sundown's story for a long time and although I was not too thrilled with his story, at least I got to see him fleshed out a bit. Abby, the leading femme-bot character I was not happy with. She spent more time trying to figure out her life in self reflection as opposed to actually living it.

As others have said before, Kenyon has somewhat lost her way with the story line since Bad Moon Rising. I have no idea what or where she is going with the story line but introducing Native American folk lore sure blindsided me. At the end of the story I was left with a "say what now" expression on my face and in my head. The only thing that really saved this story for me was the banter between Sasha, Ren and Sundown. The scenes between Sundown and Abby were quick and few in between and even their love affair felt a bit tepid at times.

I would say save yourself the time and trouble, but sometimes one must read for themselves to be on the cautious end of the stick.

I have never been so excited to get my copy of this book I would like to make this series required reading for youths, We wouldn’t have to be conserved about birth control for today’s young adults. Thanks to the stories about Life Mates we as well as everyone who reads these no matter how jaded or hopeless at least begin to once again have hope!

Normally I would either preorder one of sk's books or I would get up very early to buy it,not this one. The reviews are so bad and consistant that I would not be comfortable spending so much money on it. I was really looking forward to another dark hunter novel and I know that not every book is going to be a hit.She has spoiled all her reader's by writing great books time after time and we have all become enamoured with all the characters in this series.I will wait for the next dark hunter book and hope sk gets back on track. To be fair she is not the only great writer that is not putting out the stories we are use to.Seems the quality is going down while the prices rise.

I was very torn between 3 and 4 stars, so maybe a 3.5 would have fit better. This was far from my favorite DH story. I'm OK with the addition of a new pantheon. However, I was not OK with some of the errors. Like Jess has a bomb shelter in his basement with 10 foot steel walls. However, they can bang a hole through the ceiling into the first floor. Not much of a bomb shelter. At another place, he says there are 6 daimons, 3 on the right and 4 on the left. Now I only made a C in calculus, but I think I see a problem with the math. And I got a bit tired of Jess's poor grammar and pithy "cowboy" sayings. In 138 years of life, you would think it would have improved. The book didn't have as much sex in it as some of the DH books.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series is still going strong with her latest installment, Retribution. With a rowdy gunslinger, a damsel hell-bent on getting revenge and the impending apocalypse, this novel is a one heck of a journey.

William Jessup Brady a/k/a Sundown has never lived his life on the right side of the law. When he finally finds the one woman worth changing for, his partner in crime kills him on his wedding day. Not one to let things go easily, he exchanges his soul with a Greek goddess to have his revenge and become an immortal Dark-Hunter.

Orphan Abigail Yager has been raised to believe Dark-Hunters are the enemies of the world. After all, Dark-Hunter Jess Brady brutally killed both her parents in cold blood. She has been raised and trained to protect her adoptive family's race and to destroy the Dark-Hunters. More than anything though, she wants Jess...dead.

When Jess is ordered to find the person responsible for the recent Dark-Hunter deaths, he never expected to find Abigail. He realizes she looks very familiar and resembles a part of his past that he wishes he could forget. He is also shocked she's out for revenge since Jess most certainly did not kill her parents. With everything that's happening, Jess can't help but feel something funny is going on. Then they find out Abigail has unintentionally started the apocalypse. Jess and Abigail must decide if they can fight together to stop it before all hell breaks loose...literally.

Well I always love me a good Dark-Hunter novel! Retribution is certainly up to par with the rest of the series as this series just seems to keep going on and on! I really enjoyed the different approach with this novel taking on a western flair with Native American history but still keeping true to the Greek history and paranormal craziness that Kenyon fans love best. Retribution certainly kept you on your toes wondering what was going on or what was going to happen next. It had a great supporting cast of characters, witty dialogue and plenty of excitement.

I have always thought Kenyon created the best paranormal heroes and this book continues my theory. Jess is the bad boy cowboy with a `give `em hell' attitude...which is completely adorable! Still, he has a past that tortures him every day. Underneath it all is a gentle heart just trying to do right in the world to atone for his sins. All this together makes a character any girl would swoon over.

"I gotcha." Sundown's grip tightened on her hand in a silent promise that he wouldn't let go.

She locked both her hands around his and hoped he wasn't holding a grudge against her for anything. "Please don't drop me."

He actually winked at her. "Not on your life."

The reason this book does not have a perfect rating is the history between the two characters. Without going into too much detail, Abigail and Sundown have a bit of a past. Abigail would flashback to these moments and it was really distracting to their romance. In her flashbacks, she was a child and since Jess is immortal, he looked the same as he does for the current time of the book. It was a little odd to read, but not that major of a hindrance. It's also a very fast romance. The book is focused around a time period of one or two days, so if you like your paranormal romance a little more drawn out, this may not be the book for you.

Could you read this book as a stand alone? Absolutely. Should you? That I'm not so positive about. Plenty of characters from earlier books are brought in to help save the world and new fans may be a little lost. I will say for as much history as this series has, Kenyon does an excellent job of recapping or explaining the history of her paranormal world. I don't know of any other series that manages to explain everything so quickly and so thoroughly. Old fans who haven't visited this world in a while will appreciate the effort that is taken to bring you up to speed.

Suffice it to say, I completely enjoyed Retribution. Kenyon is proving to be an unstoppable literary force in the paranormal world as she continues her amazing Dark-Hunters series. Who knew the end of the world could be so much fun? And so funny? Dark Hunter fans won't want to miss this!

Overall Rating: 4/5
Heat Level: 4/5

Lisa @ Once Upon A Chapter

If I could I would give this 4.5 stars, but I can't. I have loved every single Kenyon book I have read, but I'll admit this one wasn't my favorite. That's not saying it was bad, it just wasn't as good as it could have been.

My big issue was that the relationship between Abigail and Jess wasn't believable or fulfilling. On top of that, she was not a likeable lead. I doubt many Dark Hunter fans liked Abigail, but then maybe she wasn't supposed to be likeable. The other problem I had was that, while entertaining, the storyline was confusing towards the end. I don't know if I accidentally missed something earlier in the book or what, but I was pretty lost.

As for the good things - I LOVED the switch up in pantheons! As much as I enjoy reading about the Greek gods, I found the Native American mythology to be a breath of fresh air. I can't wait until Ren's book, I'd love to see where Kenyon takes the Native American story. I also loved the new and old characters in this one - Sin, Zarek, Sasha and Talon all make an appearance and it is awesome. The new characters were great too, my favorites were Ren and Andy (Jess' dramatic squire).

Of course, I can't leave out the one BIG moment in the book - the birth of Ash and Tory's baby. It felt out of place, but it was still a wonderful moment and I am so glad Kenyon included it into the book.

While Retribution is not my favorite, I still find it highly impressive that 20 books into the series and Kenyon is still making it new and interesting.

William Jessup "Sundown" Brady was a notorious gunslinger in the nineteenth century...until the day he was murdered by his best friend. He was brought back to life as a Dark-Hunter by Artemis, and it's his job to protect mankind from soul-sucking Daimons. Now it's the twenty-first century, and Jess is tasked with a special assignment; eliminate the monster that's assassinating Dark-Hunters. Jess is ready and willing to protect his brethren, but he gets a hell of a shock when he comes face-to-face with the killer.

Abigail Yager is a human who was raised by the Dark-Hunters' enemies after her parents were slaughtered. She's out for one thing; the blood of Dark-Hunters and Jess Brady's in particular. When she's thrown into Jess's path, however, Abigail finds that he's not the monster she thought him to be. She also starts to question her belief that Jess is the one that murdered her parents. Caught between opposing supernatural species, Abigail must learn the truth and outwit a darker power that's out to destroy them all.

Pantheons collide in the fast-paced RETRIBUTION. Author Sherrilyn Kenyon adds a fictionalized version of Native American beliefs and legends to her DARK-HUNTER series in RETRIBUTION and for the most part, it works. I love that Ms. Kenyon takes readers out west where Dark-Hunters and Guardians will have to defeat some very powerful evil before Time Untime - Ms. Kenyon's version of a Cherokee twenty-twelve prophesy. It's a change from the other plotlines running through the series and though Time Untime doesn't fit seamlessly with the other overarching storylines, it's interesting enough that I didn't mind it while reading RETRIBUTION.

As for the characters, well, I've been waiting a long time for Sundown's book and thankfully, his heroine is everything I'd hoped she would be. Abigail may be narrow-minded at first, but she's been essentially brainwashed since coming to live with her adopted family when she was a traumatized child. Once she falls in with the Dark-Hunters, Abigail's strength shines. Jess, in turn, is a little more tame than the first time we met him in DANCE WITH THE DEVIL, but nevertheless, he's every bit the hero I knew he would be. It was wonderful to watch these two fall in love, even though it wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination.

Ms. Kenyon has delivered another solid DARK-HUNTER novel that fans, both old and new, of the series will likely enjoy. I finished RETRIBUTION a well-satisfied reader, and I cannot wait to continue with the Time Untime legend in Ren's book, TIME UNTIME.

Lily
Reviewed for Romance Junkies

~Dark-Hunter Series~
~Retribution~
~book 16~

~A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he'd spend eternity protecting the humans he'd once considered prey.
Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief--Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.

A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster...

Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who's assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he's not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.

Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they've sworn to protect.~

Aonther Enjoyable installment in the Dark-Hunter Series....There isn't one book in this Series that I Didn't Like!!

IMHO I think that Sherrilyn Kenyon is an EXCEPTIONAL Writer!! Can't Wait till Aug for Time Untime!!

I loved the Bonus Chapter at the end About (ASH & TORY) won't Spoil it for the New Readers of the Dark-Hunters Series!

Well it was a ok book but the ending reminded me so much of Bad Moon Rising I thought I had the wrong book in my hands. The story lines are getting very repetative. Another issue I have with the writing in general is all the pithy lines. ALL the characters are saying the same things...like "People in hell want ice water" and "went to hell and only got a t-shirt". It really is getting old. The characters just throw out sarcastic banter constantly and there is very little actual conversation. It all is starting to seem forced and almost unemotional and fake. The story was interesting in itself but seems like every other book for the past 5. Nothing really new or interesting just 10 new pantheons to keep track of. The big bads in the books are starting to lose their impact. Would rather go back to New Orleans storyline and see the old crew there. Actually liked the birth scene better than most of the entire book.

I'm a big fan of Dark-hunter series, and I've waited for this book to come out like most of you, but I don't know what's going on with these writers lately (JR Ward, Kresley Cole, and so on ) somehow these books not longer have the same interest as the first ones did. I'm not sure I will continue reading this series, it happens often that a writer becomes a # 1 best seller and her latter books are no longer written like the first ones. Sorry this is my personal opinion.

Also $ 12.99 for Kindle Edition...Come on !!!!! Safe the Forest ???? Ya right !!!!

When I first read a Dark Hunter book, I almost stopped because of the dialogue. "Holy Guacamole" is what I think the character said. And then the characters, the story and the romance grew on me. And here we are back to the drivel. This was pretty bad. It was short, pointless, confusing, poorly written, and I couldn't care less about the characters. I am trying to think if there was anything good about this and I would have to say the 2 pages with the Dark Hunters from previous books. 2 pages out of...like 400?!? Not a good average. If you a fan, you'll read it and see what I mean. One suggestion, borrow it.

Jess Brady must find the human who is taking out Dark-Hunters. He never expected it to be Abigail, thinking she was long since dead. He especially didn't expect her to be connected to the Apollites. With the impending apocalypse they must set aside their hatred and find a way to work together if they want to stay alive.

Loved this story! Ever since Jess 'Sundown' Brady made his first appearance in Dance with the Devil, I've been hoping he'd get his own book. Retribution is a rip-roaring adventure of monsters, plagues and romance. Both Jess & Abby have endured such heartache, it's quite a miracle they found each other. I loved that there is definitely a different feel to this story compared to the other books. Once again Kenyon has expanded her Dark-Hunterverse and made it much more than it was. Which makes it even more exciting to spend time in.

This was my first time listening to an audio of a Dark-Hunter book and I really liked it. Retribution is narrated by Holter Graham. While not my favorite narrator Mr. Graham did a lovely job bringing the story to life, and an excellent interpretation of Sundown Brady.

He was a gun for hire in the Old West; feared by his so called peers other cold hearted killers. He vowed to change when he fell in love with Matilda and she agreed to marry him. Their love ends in her tragic death at their wedding when his best friend the best man killed him to collect the bounty on William Jessup Brady's head and raped Matilda. He left her pregnant. She gave her son away and went on to live a relatively happy life.

Artemis called Jess' spirit to her. She offered him a choice to go after his killer and Matilda's rapist in exchange for her owning his soul as one of her Dark-Hunters killing Daimons who eat human souls as sustenance to survive. Someone is murdering Dark Hunters and no one is as shocked as jess when that adversary tries to kill him. The slayer is Abigail Yeager who was raised by vampires who brainwashed her into believing Dark-Hunters were evil. The execution of Jess is personal as she knows he killed her parents though he vehemently denies it. They are attracted to one another, but she must be sacrificed in the valley for killing a Guardian. An old God watches the pair waiting for the moment to kill Jess and take Abigail.

The latest Dark Hunter fantasy is as fabulous as its numerous predecessors due to the seemingly star-crossed lovers. From the Greek Pantheon of the gods, Jess and Abigail must fight essences so much stronger than either of them, but love binds them to a more powerful level. She brings out the best in him while his willingness to die eternally for her encourages her to be even better of a person. They make Retribution an enthralling spellbinder.

Harriet Klausner

I'm three quarters of the way through this book. I have read the entire series in order. This book can be skipped........believe me. The thoughts are scattered. Characters are jumbled. At times I had to reread to determine who was speaking. It almost seems Ms Kenyon took to a new writing style. VERY different from the others in the series. I doubt you'll miss much.........save your money, however, do read all the others!

Ever since the series started, I've been an avid reader. Yet, This book did NOT measure up. First of all, the heroine had me wanting to bash her eyes out. I understand the whole concept of revenge, but seriously? Sundown shouldn't even have bothered. I felt like he deserved more than her naivete.

That being said, the introduction of a new pantheon (Native American) just drives the series nowhere. Is that what the second arch of the story will be about? I have to remember four(?) other pantheons from the same series and this does not help. By the time I got to the climax, I had completely forgotten who was who (Warrior, Pale One, Grizzly Spirit etc)

Positives: Some engaging dialogue. Andy's antics had me rofl when he got his car. And Chocolate (yes, I know -_-) was quite amusing for a guardian. And the Acheron tidbit at the end was a nice touch.

I would recommend this book only to move along in the series. I have read it twice, and it hasn't gotten better. I doubt it will. Sherrilyn, where are you? We miss your old spark

I couldn't put the book down... mainly because i kept waiting for the romance to bloom through all the apocalyptic craziness.

Wow i never thought i would say this but i was actually disappointed in this story, which has never happened with a Kenyon novel before. The story line was interesting but i must remind this is a romance novel-there should be a bit more romance and relationship growth. There was just a lot of twisty turny plot fun (which is why i rated as high as i did) but i wanted so much more from Jess's book. I was more moved by the 20 page bonus scene at the end of the book than by the entire story-line. The romance seemed a bit of an afterthought unfortunately.

It wont stop me from continuing to read the series (nothing could) but i hope the next book involves a bit more romance and love (passion even maybe?) to go along with the usual Kenyon Plot twists.

Her latest editions of her romances have been straying too far from the great stories of her past for me... Maybe she's been writing too much YA and has forgotten what made her the best paranormal romance author around.

Jess is a Dark Hunter who was a gunslinger in his human life. Abigail wants Jess dead because she thinks she saw him in her room the night her parents were killed. She is killing Dark Hunters and when she kills one she finds out he wasn't a Dark Hunter but a Guardian. A sacrifice must be made in order for them to stop the end of the world. As they rush thru the desert, they are attacked by wasps, coyote, scorpions and demons.

I haven't read most of the last books Kenyon has written, Ash has turned into a house husband, I liked him better when he had mystery to him. I wasn't sure this was my type of book but a friend left it at my house and I decided to give it a try. The story line seemed different from most of the stuff Kenyon has been puttting out. I actually liked it. I won't go into the story because so many reviewers are doing that, but, I actually liked it. I read it in two days. I will watch for her next book and make up my mind about it when I see it.

This book was nothing like what I have come to love & expect from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. I was looking forward to this book, especially since Sundown was a "younger" DH, hailing from the U.S., and had previously been introduced to readers, etc. I was looking forward to a different perspective, but this was ridiculous...
I have NEVER rushed through one of her books from any series before, but sadly, I rushed through this one to get it over with. It was all over the place. The connection between the "hero & heroine" seems to be an afterthought, and the new pantheon could have been introduced and explained much better. I truly enjoyed Sin's story and the intro to the Sumerian pantheon. The Native American pantheon, on the other hand, seemed spotty, ill-explained, and unfortunately boring to me as a reader.
If it weren't for the Bonus Chapter, a 1 star rating may have been appropriate. It makes me sad to write a review like this, because I LOVED all of Sherrilyn Kenyon's series prior to this...I just couldn't stomach paying the price I did for the hardcover and then feeling as though I had been totally ripped off. Hopefully Kenyon's next offering will be back to her excellent writing/storytelling...

I'm going to perfectly honest and say I was lost at first and like other's thought maybe I had missed a book somewhere, but after a little bit I caught on and got into the story. SK has an awesome talent to suck you into a book, although this book took a little longer than usual, it was worth it to me in the end. I for one knew that once Acheron hit the shelves and Nick started having his own series of books that the Dark-Hunter series had to change, and I like the way it went. If you like action, romance shape-shifter's, Dark-hunters and prophecy's whether they are Greek or Indian... I say get this book, I enjoyed it and it seems from reading the other review's that most of the other's who posted seemed to enjoy it as well, but were upset that it wasn't the same old same old, and that SK should have taken time out of her busy writing time to write an apology for doing what she does best (None of us knew where this series was going when it started and nobody was crying wanting answer's then).... All I can say is as long as SK keeps writing I'll keep buying. I cannot imagine it would be easy to start a new aspect of a story and have it be as AWESOME as everyone would like.

This book disappointed me. She took a character who was interesting in past books and made him...........I don't even know the word for it. He was not the same. I did not like the heroine at all. She was so blind and a bit annoying. She killed innocent people because she did not check her facts? Then they forgave her? Oh it's okay. You did not know! I am still a Kenyon fan and grateful that I did not give up because she came back strong in the Guardian!

I really enjoy the DH series and all its twists and turns but I think Ms Kenyon just threw a curveball that just didn't make any sense. I'm sure she does actually have a plot plan that'll bring the story back around and tie it in with the direction that the DH books had taken to this point, but we readers have to suffer through this one in the meantime. It would be different if this story were exciting/engrossing but it just draaaaaaags.

Kenyon's Dark-Hunter books have been going on for a long time now (since 2002) and the first ten books were engaging and enjoyable, while building a larger background story. After that tenth book there seemed to have been a surge in characters, background stories, mysteries, and mysterious one named beings (Jared, Savitar, etc.) Since there is such a lag in book production, and I don't feel like wasting my time making a character diagram, it has been a bit difficult to keep up with the soap opera developing. Not only that but the writing has become a bit Soap Opera-esque as well (this came to a head in Bad Moon Rising and No Mercy.)

Which is why Retribution is so refreshing! It starts with a Dark-Hunter character that has not been mentioned since Dance with the Devil except in passing, Sundown. Sundown is a character that is relatable and pretty amusing, which is a throw back to the old characters, (who you know, had actual flaws and were not invincible ultimate beings of oh-my-gosh-amazing destructive powers.) His story is a pretty traditional "I'm a bad guy" Kenyon-character with a twist, he actually WAS a bad guy, who decided to change. His significant other Abigail, is not as relatable of a character, but kind of warms up in the end and eventually I ended up rooting for her (despite her odd brainwashing at the beginning.) Both these characters are not invincible, though they do turn out to be special in a way, and have worked to become the skilled people they are. Which works perfectly with the story.
The story itself is a 90 degree turn with what people have been reading in the Dark-Hunter series. However since the main story has gotten so complex I found this to be (as said before) refreshing and not so bogged down in characters, demons, and characters-that-might-be-demons that you have to re-read it to follow easily. It is based in a different pantheon (for the most part) of Western American Indian lore and is very interesting. I found it to be engaging and not slow paced and SO much better than No Mercy (don't even buy that book, it is a mess.) There were parts that were traditional Kenyon writing (ridiculously fabulous house, cars, etc.) but some of it was different from any other book I have read by her. This is a much needed breather/back to basics book in the Dark-Hunter series and one that is much needed.

I love the dark hunter series !! That being said I don't feel this is her best work...The love story was good ...good ending but MAN the mid part of the book was a fight to finish...I started it the week it came out and JUST finished it...couldn't get into it...was different/ boring....NOT a great book like the rest...I would rate this as a kindle freebie....not a must read. :( Sad....hope the next ones are better.

What I enjoyed most of all was Jess's sense of humor. When I'm stressed out, I often use my sense of humor to cope with the situation and it really helps. Although others think I'm callus, I am very sensitive and try very hard not to joke at inappropriate times. That's why I could relate to Jess. I enjoyed the momentum of the story and as usual, Sherrilyn brings a since of reality to her fantasies and I look forward to reading more of her books in the series. I recommend to all romantics.

As many of you know I am a huge Sherrilyn Kenyon fan and had been waiting for this book to come out since it was announced. But one thing troubled me and that was the female character, Abby. I wasn't sure if I was going to like her or not because she was out to kill the Dark Hunters. And I was right at least at the beginning I didn't like her, in fact I almost hated her. I am really protective of the Dark Hunters(I know sounds silly doesn't it)and even though she had just cause for hating them I still found myself on the side of the Dark Hunters.

But by the end or even maybe the middle of the book, Sherrilyn had me loving her and rooting for her and Sundown to find a way to be together. Sherrilyn surprised me yet again in this book, actions I never expected out of a certain character(I won't say whom don't want to give it away)as well as the ending though a Happily Ever After it still wasn't like the rest.

I loved the incorporation of Native American(another subject I am passionate about) into this book. I loved the lore she spun in this book and made her own. Not much more I can say other than I loved loved loved this book.

She didn't disappoint and I especially loved the bonus scene at the end of the book. Overall this book is a nice edition to the Dark Hunter series. IF you haven't read anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon, I strongly urge that you do. Don't let the massive list of 20 plus books intimidate you. They are fast, keep you up all night reads.

Source: My Own Copy

This was another great addition to the Dark-Hunters series. Jess was a feared outlaw who was redeemed by love. However, he was shot in the back by his partner before he could marry her. He dies craving revenge and Artemis picks him up. Now he is hunting daimons in Las Vegas.

Abigail is a descendant of the woman Jess loved but she has been raised by Appolites to hate and kill Dark Hunters. Besides, she saw Jess kill her parents when she was a small child and definitely wants revenge on him. Her Appolite family injects her with demon blood to make her a stronger fighter and sets her loose.

But it is all really a plot. The plot is complex and based on Native American philosophy and includes Guardians, Coyote, Choo Co La Tah, Snake, and other figures out of myth. Add in a variety of Dark-Hunters and former Dark-Hunters from earlier books in the series and you have a novel filled with characters and complexity.

See, Coyote has a plan....

I loved the character of Jess who is one part outlaw and one part goofball. And, he is all loyal and protective of Abigail (once he convinces her that he didn't kill her parents). The story is about what you are willing to give up for love.

I recommend this to fans of the Dark-Hunter series.

Just finished the first 100 pages and finding it hard to continue reading. The heroine is very unpleasant and not very smart. She goes around killing Dark Hunters and people the ditz perceives as dark hunter and the hero still wants to save her. The plot line seems flat and boring. Very disappointed. This book pales in comparison to her earlier books - specially the paperback ones.

I bought this book thinking I was getting a typically-great SK read, but I was incredibly disappointed. The plot was confusing in that it seemed like SK was just making random stuff up and throwing it together to see what would stick. This was a little too far-fetched, even for her paranormal style. I don't think I'll be reading any more of her Dark Hunter series as she jumped the shark with this one.

After getting hooked on a book I had picked up at a book store a couple years ago the front cover just called to me(Dark Side of the Moon)I had made it my mission to buy all the books in the series. She has never let me down - each book has always kept my total attention, I can't wait to finish but then I get overwhelmed with knowing I finished the book. I have made it through all the additional series she writes as well, impatiently waiting for the next book. I am down to finding 3 of her short story books then it is back to waiting and will probably start over. Sherrilyn's style is unique to each book she writes and doesn't disappoint, ever! I tried to make it to Ann Arbor, MI for her book signing for Retribution - but was unable to get there due to the weather that night, can't wait for her to make it back this way.

This was another great addition to the Dark-Hunters series. Jess was a feared outlaw who was redeemed by love. However, he was shot in the back by his partner before he could marry her. He dies craving revenge and Artemis picks him up. Now he is hunting daimons in Las Vegas.

Abigail is a descendant of the woman Jess loved but she has been raised by Appolites to hate and kill Dark Hunters. Besides, she saw Jess kill her parents when she was a small child and definitely wants revenge on him. Her Appolite family injects her with demon blood to make her a stronger fighter and sets her loose.

But it is all really a plot. The plot is complex and based on Native American philosophy and includes Guardians, Coyote, Choo Co La Tah, Snake, and other figures out of myth. Add in a variety of Dark-Hunters and former Dark-Hunters from earlier books in the series and you have a novel filled with characters and complexity.

See, Coyote has a plan....

I loved the character of Jess who is one part outlaw and one part goofball. And, he is all loyal and protective of Abigail (once he convinces her that he didn't kill her parents). The story is about what you are willing to give up for love.

I recommend this to fans of the Dark-Hunter series.

Just finished the first 100 pages and finding it hard to continue reading. The heroine is very unpleasant and not very smart. She goes around killing Dark Hunters and people the ditz perceives as dark hunter and the hero still wants to save her. The plot line seems flat and boring. Very disappointed. This book pales in comparison to her earlier books - specially the paperback ones.

I bought this book thinking I was getting a typically-great SK read, but I was incredibly disappointed. The plot was confusing in that it seemed like SK was just making random stuff up and throwing it together to see what would stick. This was a little too far-fetched, even for her paranormal style. I don't think I'll be reading any more of her Dark Hunter series as she jumped the shark with this one.

After getting hooked on a book I had picked up at a book store a couple years ago the front cover just called to me(Dark Side of the Moon)I had made it my mission to buy all the books in the series. She has never let me down - each book has always kept my total attention, I can't wait to finish but then I get overwhelmed with knowing I finished the book. I have made it through all the additional series she writes as well, impatiently waiting for the next book. I am down to finding 3 of her short story books then it is back to waiting and will probably start over. Sherrilyn's style is unique to each book she writes and doesn't disappoint, ever! I tried to make it to Ann Arbor, MI for her book signing for Retribution - but was unable to get there due to the weather that night, can't wait for her to make it back this way.

I LOVE the Dark-Hunter series. There have been a couple of the books that I didn't love, but for the most part I can't put these books down. I was not impressed with Retribution. I really disliked Abigail and that was probably my main reason for disliking this book. I also wasn't drawn to the new pantheon of gods. I'm glad that I waited until it was out in a paperback to purchase it.

Like many others, I was very disappointed in this story. I waited a year to get a story that I was falling asleep on. I found myself skipping a lot of the tribal nonsense! I would have to reread the book in order to try and figure out what kenyon was trying to convey about the guardians and Abigail's role in preventing the destruction of the world! As far as Jess and Abie--I did not feel the connect between them that I felt with characters from Kenyon's other books. In short, the book was quite boring and I was able to put it down and read something else. This did not feel like a Kenyon book. I was also mad about the $12.99 I spent to get it. Truly, if you charge more for a book, you had better back it up with a good read or I will be demanding my money back. The last chapter about the birth of Ash's baby was the best part!

It seems like Sherrilyn is tired of her Dark Hunter series. Too bad her public isn't. I hope she can find her passion again. This book brought in Talon and Sin for a minute but there is no real feel of "family" for lack of a better word. The early books tied characters together while the latest doesn't really.
I for one want the story of Nick told so I won't be mad at him anymore.

As with her last few books this one fell very short off the mark for me. I bought the hardcover, big mistake on my part. Another reviewer noticed as well that the margins were huge and the text was bigger, like she was trying to take up more room like a high school kid fudging a report. I paid full price for basically a short story that made no sense what so ever. This book was garbage in my opinion. The earlier books were so great, but its almost like shes turning them out to meet some deadline and not putting any real effort into it. I read the Guardian too and that was also trash. Total waste of money. I love the dark hunter books, have read them all over and over again, but the last bunch are terrible.

I would give this 2 1/2 stars....and thats being generous. Kenyon has done some absolutely beautiful writing in the past and this just didn't cut it for me. First book of hers where I wanted to throw the book at the wall and walk away. She is doing TOO much to the storyline of the dark hunters. Soooo many pantheons, the daimons, the demons, Thorn and his army, the were hunters, the dream hunters, and now the native american back drop? When will the madness end? There was ZERO chemistry between the main characters and I found myself rolling my eyes at Abigails dialog. The scene at the end made up alot but not the whole thing. Can i please have the old sherrilyn kenyon back? Fingers are crossed "The Guardian" will bring back that magic we saw in her earlier novels

So if you just look at the book as a whole it was good. Not your typical SK book but good. Now if you look at it from where it fits into the DH series, I would say.... where is the dark hunter in the dark hunter book???? It was really lacking to fit into the series. However if you can read it just as a book and not think about the rest of the series read it. It wasn't bad. Just don't compare it. I did have to ask myself though where on earth she is going with this series, and if it keeps going in this direction I will think long and hard about paying for a hard back of it!!!

Holter Graham did another amazing job narrating this series. Sometimes I feel like male readers don't do enough to emphasize female characters, but Graham never fails to create wonderful voices for each distinct character. He reads so clearly, recreating Kenyon's words with his accents, pronunciations, and diction which are always spot on.

I am always so excited when i see that there is a new Dark-Hunter book out! I am soooo disappointed in this "dark-hunter" book. It had none of the excitement, mythology, romance and drama of the other books. I felt like she wrote it on some busy weekend while she had a moment here and there. I'm really starting to wonder if she even wrote this book. I know that there is another one coming out in a month and I'm hoping that it will be up to par. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Sherrilyn, do not become like James Patterson and just churn out book after book of the same thing with nothing special about it. Here's hoping!!

I use to be pulled into Sherrrilyn's Dark-Hunter stories as a true Entity watching the lives of my friends get better. Action and kindling feelings are my fuel. This book kept me out of the story and awear of my home surroundings. Ok, frankly I want Sherrilyn to revisit her earily writings and find what she missed in this book.

This story delves into Native American mystery and religion and is a great story. Although some complain about too many new areas being discussed, I think going this direction is the next logical step. And I can't wait to read more. Thank you Ms. Kenyon for continuing to write AMAZING stories!!

When I purchased this book I didn't know that this was part of a series. I was undertaking a long drive and needed a new book on cd saw this and thought, this sounds good. Wrong!

I actually thought this was a first book for the author, I have never "read" anything that seemed so forced. The author couldn't go a paragraph without throwing in a "one liner" most paragraphs were nothing but a bunch of "one liners" strung together to form a paragraph.

This book was horrible, I would not recommend it to anyone and if this is the style of writing the author uses in all of her books I won't be buying any of her works again.

This is the worse Dark Hunter book Ms. Kenyon has written to date. I rated it a 3 because I am a fan of the Dark Hunter series, however if this was the first Dark Hunter book I read, I probably would not buy anymore DH books. For all the character and plot development, this should have been a short story.

I have read each and every Kenyon book, in all, this was the worst. I struggled for a month trying to get to the end of this book.I usually finish her books in 2 days. Nothing made sense. Artemis playing nice, whats up with that. No chemistry between Sundown and Abbey. I could not follow this book at all, I finally finished it and returned it to the Library. Glad I did not waste money on it. I love Sherrilyn Kenyon. I just hope that her next Dark Hunter book is worth the read. This one was a total disappointment.

With authors that I've loved their past books, I rarely check the reviews before reading their latest books. I don't like having others negative opinion influence someone I love to read. I'm about 90 percent finished with this book and so confused about how it could be so bad that I wanted to see what others thought. The only thing giving me hope is what is being referred to as a bonus chapter. I'll finish the book on that hope alone, but I think I would have passed on it entirely had I read the reviews first.

don't see the point this book. It contributed nothing to the DH universe; for goodness sake, it went down an entirely different mythology!

The characters had no chemistry and were as boring as all get out

I was rather disappointed in this installment of the D-H Series. As a long time reader of Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kinley MacGregor novels, I have always appreciated her attention to detail. This book, while entertaining, was not in keeping with many details from the rest of the series. If not for the sneak peak at the end, I would have been upset I paid 8$ for this story.

Dark Hunters have gone Native American?!?!?!? I must have missed the memo about Dark Hunters no longer being about the GREEK pantheon of gods along with other rival pantheons (Atlanteans, Sumerians.....), or this book went wildly veering off course...............The last several books have been very "templated." so I guess this was her attempt at being "fresh" only it backfired in a big way.

I'm not against bringing in other ancient civilizations and their oral history of gods, dieties, etc. However, the way Kenyon presented her shift to a new storyline of all new characters left me at a total loss due to the lack of sufficient background information about the characters and then they way they fit together in the present.

The very tiny "bonus" chapter at the end of the book about Ash and Tory is the ONLY thing that made this book worth reading. And even then, what happens is not at all beleiveable given the history between Artemis, Ash and Tory. For this bonus chapter I give the book 1 star. Otherwise, it deserves NEGATIVE stars.

Borrow the book to read this bonus chapter. Otherwise, do not waste your time or money reading this book!

Retribution was a quick lively read with epic doom, shapeshifters, dark-hunters, sarcastically funny dialogue and romance. Jess Brady's complex story finally comes out in Retribution. Another great book from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. Read more from link below.

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I've read all of the Dark Hunter books, and this is the worst yet. Neither hero nor heroine interested me, and the other characters just got in the way of any meaningful dialogue. Cliche plot, boring dialogue. Even the steamy scenes were uninteresting. I expect more of Kenyon.

I rather enjoyed listening to Retribution, but I was dissapointed that the last chunk of the "unabridged" cds was rather abridged, leaving out several important pieces of information and character pieces.

I love Sundown all the way back from Zareks story. Sherri finally delivered this much awaited character's story and here it is. This story opens a bit differently then any other dark-hunter novel, With Sundown we fully go through he's last moments of being a human AND we actually live (my work for reading) through Jesse's pact with Artemis the Heifer-Goddess. I'm not going to spoil any of this book but i got it on the 3rd and i didn't put it down till I was done with it. Sherri truly is the Author-Goddess.

I love this new cover. And on the back Sherri has a new Author's Photo, looking all the like the Author Goddess we Kenyon Menyon's call her. Under the slip cover the book is a dark green and the page edges are in the same her other hard-backs... something i wasnt used to in ACHERON but i've now come to think of as simply Sherri.

Overall a great new book that Kenyon fans will love. If you've read all of this series, it won't disappoint, if you're new to the dark-hunter world.... I suggest to all new Kenyon fans to start at the beginning. But if you want to start with RETRIBUTION you won't be left completely in the dark with back stories.

Excellent story. For those of us who have been long-time Minions, we've been awaiting this book since Dance With the Devil. But, the wait was well worth it. The story is complicated and captivating--enough to keep me coming back to read it again.

So far I have read all of the dark hunter series and this new one was just as great, with the same funny, sarcastic love story and with some new characters you will have a good time reading! Can't wait for the next one.

Once again Sherrilyn Kenyon adds another great tale to this AMAZING series. This is a great read that adds another blend of mythology to the mixing pot making these new tales of the Dark-Hunters more complex and diverse, interesting and loveable characters. Speaking of which, we get a mixture of new faces and surprise visits from old friends. If you love the Dark-Hunter series you gotta have this book!

Retribution was one of kenyons best novels yet. I loved it. This novel was unlike any in her dark hunter series. It had more to do with the cherokee heritage than with her normal mytholgical stuff. I can't wait for the next one!!!

I am so in Love with this series.. i have been since i picked up the fisrt book.. This one though went a little difeerently than the others and i enjoyed that it still had she sherrilyn that i love and well "know".. the bonus read was a unpredicted treat.. i missed Ash in the book.. but i got him in the end..