Review: Born of Shadows by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Born of Shadows (The League #4) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Synopsis (Goodreads):

For Caillen Dagan, a defiant soldier of fortune, survival isn't a right, it's a brutal daily battle. Moving through the Ichidaian universe like a wraith, his brushes with the law and death are legendary. But when an act of rare heroism reveals his hidden birthright, he's forced into a world much more dangerous and cold-hearted than the bloody streets where he was raised-one of obscene wealth and lethal politics.

Ferocious and determined, Desideria serves as an official bodyguard for her queen. Born of questionable genetics, she will do anything to prove herself worthy of the weapons she carries and the position she's won by combat. But when she uncovers a ruthless plot to assassinate the queen and overthrow her country's government, Desideria is caught in the crosshairs.

With assassination contracts out on both of them, Caillen and Desideria must learn to fight together or die alone. And if they fail, their governments will fall into the hands of an unimaginable evil.

My Thoughts: I've really enjoyed this series as a whole but book 3 wasn't my favorite (that honor belongs to book 1. Nykyrian is awesome in an entirely assassin-tastic way!). So I put off this book because of the mild disappointment I felt. And I put it off. And I put it off. Then I finally read it. I ended up really liking it and now I'm kicking myself for letting it linger on my shelf for so long. Caillen and Desideria worked well together and there were enough twisty plot points and unexpected meetings between those of questionable morals (SPACE PIRATES!) that I was all flaily and happy. Plus, the sheer bloodthirstiness of these characters makes me love them so hard! I've come to accept that there's probably something wrong with me for liking all the blood and death but the heart wants what the heart wants. Right? Oh, that phrase isn't usually used when talking about bloodshed and mayhem? Well. Okay.

Caillen is seriously awesome. He's the guy I want beside me when enemies start popping up out of the woodwork. His backpack of wonders can keep a person alive under some pretty dire circumstances. His stoicism in the face of overwhelming odds....well, who doesn't like a guy who can kick ass ten ways to Sunday? He's been shaped by a pretty harsh hand-to-mouth life and he's turned into a downright awesome guy once the hard layer he protects himself with gets scraped away.

Desideria was a surprise to me. She was pretty darn cool and she worked very nicely as Caillen's partner. Her reluctant reliance on Caillen when she realizes how out of her league she is was well done. All her fighting skills basically amounted to nothing when she saw that she didn't have the slightest idea how to scavenge for food or how to blend in on an alien planet. Yet, this didn't detract from the fact that she was powerful and a warrior. She saw her lack and she was willing to accept that Caillen could keep her safe far better than she could in the situation they were in.

One thing I love about this series is that we get to revisit characters from previous books and see how their relationships have grown since their time in the sun. Shahara tells Caillen at one point that relationships aren't easy but they are so worth the aggravation. The little back and forth between Shahara and Syn about leaving the toilet seat up is kinda awesome and I love that we got to see them arguing about something so mundane.

Overall, I ended up enjoying this one far more than I expected to. I'm ready for Darling's tale now. Bring it!

Books in this series
1. Born of Night
2. Born of Fire
3. Born of Ice
4. Born of Shadows - Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle
5. Born of Silence
6. Born of Fury

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