Review: Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Night Embrace (Dark-Hunter #2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Format: paperback
Source: purchased
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Dark-Hunter
0.5. Fantasy Lover
1. Night Pleasures
2. Night Embrace - Paperback | Kindle
3. Dance with the Devil
4. Kiss of the Night
5. Night Play
6. Seize the Night
7. Sins of the Night
8. Unleash the Night
9. Dark Side of the Moon
10. The Dream-Hunter
11. Devil May Cry
12. Upon the Midnight Clear
13. Dream Chaser
14. Acheron
15. One Silent Night
16. Dream Warrior 
17. Bad Moon Rising
18. No Mercy
19. Retribution
20. The Guardian
21. Time-Untime
22. Styxx
23. Son of No One
24. Dragon Bane
25. Dragonmark
26. Dragonsworn
27. Stygian

Sherrilyn Kenyon
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

Dear Reader,

Life is great for me. I have my chicory coffee, my warm beignets, and my best friend on the cell phone. Once the sun goes down, I am the baddest thing prowling the night: I command the elements, and I know no fear. For centuries, I've protected the innocent and watched over the mankind, making sure they are safe in a world where nothing is ever certain. All I want in return is a hot babe in a red dress, who wants nothing more from me then one night.

Instead, I get a runaway Mardi Gras float that tries to turn me into roadkill and a beautiful woman who saves my life but can't remember where she put my pants. Flamboyant and extravagant, Sunshine Runningwolf should be the perfect woman for me. She wants nothing past tonight, no ties, no long-term commitments.

But every time I look at her, I start yearning for dreams that I buried centuries ago. With her unconventional ways and ability to baffle me, Sunshine is the one person I find myself needing. But for me to love her would mean her death. I am cursed never to know peace or happiness— not so long as my enemy waits in the night to destroy us both.

—Talon of the Morrigantes

My Thoughts: Well, hellllllo there, Talon! I'm sorry but a guy who loves his coffee and beignets as much as Talon does earns extra awesome points in my Big Book of Heroes. So. This book is kind of one of those pivotal books where you meet A LOT of characters you'll see later in the series and the groundwork is laid out for all sorts of shenanigans down the road. Zarek's actions during the celebration have direct bearing on his book (the next in the series, WHEE!) (Randomly, I realize that I have a soft spot for [literally] tortured characters who go by Z - Zsadist from the BDB books and Zarek. Huh.), Valerius learns a shocking truth that will carry though a couple of books, and Ash's deep dark secrets are (slowly) being revealed. Added plus, we get to see just how ridiculously petty the gods can be. Which is always fun. Except for Artemis. Her pettiness isn't fun. It's just mean.

Talon and Sunshine. I liked how scattered Sunshine was. I liked how Talon found her absent-mindedness amusing. I liked... a lot of things, really. I love the interactions between the Dark-Hunters. They are ridiculously territorial and they have ISSUES. Lots and lots of issues going on there. They way they'd attack one another and refuse to bend was very junkyard dog-esque. THIS IS MY PATCH OF GROUND AND I WON'T CEDE IT TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE! LET'S GO KILL DAIMONS! Issues, guys. Which makes sense because you normally don't sell your soul unless your issues are monstrously large. Amirite?

Highly enjoyable reread. I did think it bogged down a bit in the flashbacks of Talon and Nynia but that was mostly because I wanted Talon to *see* Sunshine. Still, I liked it and I'm super excited that my boy Z is up next!