Waiting on Wednesday {11}

HI! I'm doing another Waiting on Wednesday today because I'm completely in love with this series and this novella will be the next instalment (to my knowledge anyway). It sounds so good, and I haven't really read a good m/m book in such a long time, and with Lover at Last by J.R. Ward coming out next year I'm hoping the next 12 months will be bringing much joy to my bookshelf!

Title: Cloak and Silence
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Publisher: Piatkus (UK) | Grand Central Publishing (US)
Release Date: ? 15th January 2013
Series: The League series, book 6

Blurb: 
SPOILER ALERT If you haven’t read Born of Silence, there are spoilers contained below.
One of the fiercest soldiers the Phrixians have ever produced, Maris Sulle has been an outsider the whole of his life. He grew up with a secret that cost him everything- His birthright, his family and his military career. In all his life, he’s only had one love and he has sacrificed his own happiness to see his best friend reunited with the woman he loves. But now that his good deed is done, he feels lost and adrift. Even though they do their best to include him in their new family, he’s once again on the outside looking in.
Ture has spent his life hiding from everyone around him while trying desperately to fit in. His family, the world, you name it. Badly hurt by everyone he’s ever known, he trusts no one except his own best friend. And honestly, he can’t understand why he trusts her. Nor can he believe her when she describes a loyalty between friends the likes of which he’s never seen.
But when he is in his darkest hour, he’s saved by a hero he thought only existed in novels. A man who is every bit as scarred and mistrusting as he is. One who has no interest in being dragged into another relationship with anyone.
Having spent his life as a living study of doomed relationships, Maris is well aware of the courtship and fiasco that invariably follows. Still, there is something about Ture he can’t resist. Something that won’t let him walk away when he knows he should.
But when old enemies return to threaten them both, they either have to stand together or die alone.

Why am I waiting on it?

1) MARIS, MARIS, MARIS! - He's a heart-stoppingly gorgeous Phrixian warrior, who hides really well that he can kick major butt under a layer of humour and light hearted banter. Loyal to his very core, Maris is my ideal man...if only he didn't bat for the other team :(

2) ...Darling? - As we all know, Darling isn't gay and is now happily married to Zarya but Maris still loves him. I foresee a lot of Darling in this book basically because these two are closer than brothers and I hope my prediction is true because daym that man is fine ;)

3) Ture - I know next to nothing about Ture, other than he's gay and Zarya's best friend. Everything else has come from Sherrilyn's website and the blurb for Cloak and Silence. I love meeting new characters, and to capture our beloved Maris' heart...Ture must be quite something.

4) M/M - This really isn't my genre. I have limited experience reading M/M stuff...the closest I've come in the past 3 years is in Jenna Black's Morgan Kingsley series and the relationship between Dominic and Adam. But 2013 seems to be the year for M/M because not only do we have Cloak and Silence being released but LOVER AT LAST by J.R. Ward as well!

5) It's written by Sherrilyn Kenyon - and at this point, Sherrilyn could write an essay on paint drying techniques and I'd read it. She's just that good :)

Review: Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Hey all, time for one of my all time favourite books. Born of Night is the first book in the League series and is written by the amazing Sherrilyn Kenyon (also the author of the epic Dark Hunter Series).

Title: Born of Night

Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Publisher: Piatkus Books

Release Date: October 2008
Series: The League, book  1
Source: My personal copy

From Sherrilyn Kenyon's Website:

Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades was born and trained to slaughter. Refusing to be a pawn, he turned his back on the League and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him. Now his assignment is to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father’s political alliance has made her a target. She wants nothing to do with politics, yet she is forced to submit to protection or die.
And as her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them most– each other.

Review:

Ok, so this is a little different to the things I have reviewed before, not exactly paranormal romance...more like fantasy or science fiction mixed with romance (not entirely sure). But this is still a great book. Basically Nykyrian is an ex League assassin and he is a rare one, i.e. there has never been an ex League assassin before him, you join the League and you die as they command. You can never leave. It's just the first indication of how dangerous Nykyrian is, an entire fleet of assassins have been unable to bring him down. He is a ruthless killing machine, his half human half Andarion DNA combining to bring forth the most brutally efficient killer there has ever been...his alter ego Nemesis. He has no fear, no weakness...no heart, until fate brings him closer to a fragile dancer who may be the only one who can save him from himself.
Kiara is the daughter of a politician, who now has a price on her head. Due to her father's political dealings a rival has decided he needs to be punished with the assassination of his daughter....a little extreme I know but that's the world they live in, where contracted assassinations are legal, as long as they are okayed by the League. Now Kiara has a chioice to make...accept Nykyrian's protection and walk side by side with most dangerous man in the universe or be killed brutally and slowly to make a point...
These two are so different but they may be the key to healing each others traumatic pasts, that is  if they'll let each other close enough.

I am a big fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series (read my review of book 1- Night Pleasures), so when I came across Born of Night I had to give it a read. I am so glad I did! there are no words to describe how much I enjoy reading this, I never get tired of Nykyrian and Kiara's world and I love all the characters in it. Syn, Jayne, Darling, Caillen, Hauk, and of course Nykyrian and Kiara themselves are just amazingly well written. I want to be part of their group! The chemistry between the characters as a whole is fabulous, and one of the best parts. From Syn the Doctor with a complicated past, to Jayne the ex bank robber - a skill courtesy of her father. Not forgetting Hauk the 7ft tall Andarion whose brutal, warring race have been known to find human flesh a delicacy and of course Darling, the noble who works as an assassin on the side, and resident explosive expert. The camaraderie is astounding and you can tell that they are a family and would die for one another....though the amount of insults and knife throwing may indicate otherwise haha.
Kiara may not be physically strong unlike the others but her strength of spirit means she earns her own place within the group and as she unearths pieces of Nykyrian's traumatic past she starts to see the man behind the armoured exterior. Their relationship is quite rocky with twists and turns, Kiara has to adapt every time Nykyrian reveals some part of his history. But a strong bond begins to form, however it isn't always enough to protect Kiara from those who seek to harm her, or those who wish Nykyrian harm and can get to him through his only weakness...Kiara.


I absolutely adore this book, I laughed, cried and became frustrated with these characters...but in a good way. It truly is a fabulous read and I and so glad to have given it the chance. I have always liked the tormented hero's and boy is Nykyrian a good one. A fabulous addition to my collection and well worth a read.


My Rating: 5/5

Review: Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Review time! This is the fantastic Sherrilyn Kenyon with her Dark Hunter Series, Book 1 of which is Night Pleasures, get ready for the world of Dark Hunters, Daimons and one spoilt Goddess.

Title: Night Pleasures

Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Publisher: Piatkus Books

Release date: 7th April 2005
Series: Dark Hunter Series, book #1
Source: My personal copy

From the author's website:
See how it all began...
Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power?
That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minute of it.
Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmare: an accountant. She's smart, sexy, witty, and wants nothing to do with the paranormal.
My attraction to Amanda Devereaux goes against everything I stand for. Not to mention the last time I fell in love it cost me not only my human life, but also my very soul. Now I find myself wanting to believe that love and loyalty do exist.
Even more disturbing, I find myself wondering if there's any way a woman can love a man whose battle scars run deep, and whose heart was damaged by a betrayal so savage that he's not sure it will ever beat again.

Kyrian of Thrace

Review:
Ok then, first off, this book is NOT written from Kyrian's point of view despite what the passage above suggests. Also let me explain about who Kyrian of Thrace is just so no-one's confused. Kyrian of Thrace is the male lead in this book, he's an immortal warrior of the night and having been a General in the Greek army before he died and sold his soul to Greek Goddess Artemis, he's pretty kick ass, not to mention gorgeous. If you're wondering about the whole selling his soul to Artemis part, let me explain. Kyrian is a Dark Hunter. Dark Hunters are an elite group of warriors who died in their mortal life by suffering such a betrayal that their very soul screams out for justice. Enter Artemis, a Greek goddess who offers that person a chance at revenge in exchange for an eternity of fighting Daimons, and of course she also wants their soul.

For over 2000 years Kyrian faithfully served Artemis as a Dark Hunter, relishing in his job protecting the innocent, until one night when his battle with Daimons ended with him waking up handcuffed to his worst nightmare. An accountant.
Amanda Deveraux is quite content with her perfectly normal life, in fact she goes out of the way to avoid anything paranormal. Happy as the 'normal' twin (her sister Tabitha is a vampire hunter) Amanda is unprepared when she wakes handcuffed to an admittedly gorgeous man. Handcuffed together by a Daimon Kyrian is hunting Amanda wonders how she could have been caught up in this insanity...she's been mistaken for her sister. Running from the Daimon who has chained them together, Amanda and Kyrian have to fight for their lives. At the same time these two can't help but be attracted to one another, despite being exact opposites.
Together they face the strongest Daimon ever known and along the way they discover parts of themselves they'd buried deep inside. Together they must face the trauma of Kyrian's past, his betrayal at the hands of the woman he loved. Slowly Amanda reaches the heart of this warrior who shields himself from the world. But will she become the other half of Kyrian's heart or will she betray him to save herself?

I loved this from start to finish Kyrian and Amanda have such great chemistry, the way that this is written is just superb, the romance between Kyrian and Amanda does not detract from the general plot at all (as can sometimes happen). The humour in this is just genius, I absolutely love books that can mix a good sense of humour in with the storyline (I'm a sucker for a good giggle). We meet Julian again (who featured in Fantasy Lover...sort of the Dark hunter Prequel if you like) and we also meet Talon, whose book is coming up next. Finally we are introduced to the best character in the entire series, Ash a.k.a. Acheron, a.k.a. someone you do not mess with... or ask questions about...or question in ANY way...because he might decides the world would better off with out you, and you'd be in itty bitty pieces on the carpet. Ash has weird, scary-ass powers and is by far the most mysterious character I have come across in any series. I'd be happy to read the entire series just to find out more about him! The banter between the Dark Hunters is fabulous and constantly has me laughing, though I admittedly have an odd sense of humour. It just shows how much camaraderie these strapping warriors have and how much they care about each other, in a non touchy-feely way. Honestly can't see them having a group hug.

Thankfully this plot has enough twists to keep me interested but the character development is by far the best part. If Mrs Kenyon keeps this up I'm going to have to buy the entire series.. all 15 of them! Overall, a good read with fantastic parts (mainly Ash's bits). I loved the banter between the Dark Hunters and will happily buy the next one.

My Rating: 4/5