Review: Born of Ice (The League #3) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Devyn Kell spent his life in service to the League until he learned of the double dealing and backstabbing that was costing innocent people their lives. Refusing to play those politics, he became a Runner—someone who makes sure planets get the weapons, medicine and supplies they need to survive. May the gods have mercy on any who get in his way, because he definitely won’t.

Alix Garran is a woman on the run from a past she can’t escape. Signing on to work for Devyn as a System’s Engineer, she finds a cause she can fight for—and a man she can respect. But as Alix’s past catches up to her, and Devyn’s old enemies turn lethal, they have to fight together…or fall alone.

My Thoughts: You guys know that I adore Sherrilyn Kenyon and those wacky characters she creates, right?  I do.  All those tormented Dark-Hunters do it for me.  Then I picked up this series and I got all tangled up with Nykyrian and Syn.  Those boys take tortured into a whole other realm.  This book, though... I don't know.  I never felt all heart-clenching, OMG!WHY?!?!? about it.  I expected to (which is why- say it with me now- I try to go into books with no expectations) and, sure, Devyn has experienced deep betrayal and Alix had a pretty horrific childhood but I was never reduced to sobbing incoherently over their plights.

For lack of another way of putting it, this book felt tentative.  With Nykyrian's story Sherrilyn Kenyon dove into his past and poured on the heartache.  With Syn's she showed us so much pain and betrayal that it was hard to read.  With this book I always felt like we were skating around the edges of what was done to Alix.  Yes, her father treated her like a slave and abused her terribly but we only saw all that from afar.  In fact, the only part of the book that made me tear up was when Alix says something along the lines about how she doesn't blame the person she's talking to for thinking she's beneath them because that's the only thing she's ever known.

Now, I don't want you to think this is a bad book.  Good golly, it's not!  I almost think I'm being unfair to say that I expected more from it than I expect from most other books simply because it's written by an author that has a tendency to deliver the gut punches.  No, this book doesn't quite live up to the first two in the series, but it's a solid book.  I loved being able to go back and see how characters in the first books have led their lives.  I loved seeing Syn and Shahara still wrapped up in one another.  I loved the buildup of heartache for the other characters (Adron, specifically).  I liked a lot about this book.  I will most definitely be continuing with the series.

Simply put, it's not my favorite thus far.  It's well worth reading, it's just didn't reduce me to a blubbering mass.

Other reviews in this series:
Book 1: Born of Night
Book 2: Born of Fire

More books by Sherrilyn Kenyon

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