BOOK REVIEW: Born of Legend (The League: Nemesis Rising, Book 9)

Born of Legend (The League, Book 9) 
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Author post


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
    

Dagger seems to be ready to die, he is mortally wounded when he see a young boy being bargained with by sex-slave traders, and if there is one thing that Dagger is not about to let happen, is anything to a young, innocent child. There may have never been anyone around to protect him when he was young and innocent, but he won't let the same happen to someone else.

What Dagger ultimately finds in his actions is redemption, or maybe salvation. He finally finds someone to trust and love, despite his background and up bringing.

This is a long saga book - in that there are parts of the past that are brought up, things that happened to him as a child, and then throughout the years growing up. This book is a look into the twisted and deranged mind of Erdine, the grandmother of Nyk and Jullian who tired to have Nyk killed as a toddler and who inflicted unspeakable torture on jullian. Although there is a lot of the past, there is also a lot of present - and that would be the time period after Nyk has taken over and his grandmother exiled. She is not about stand for that, and she is plotting to over through Nyk.

This book takes a character from the first books that we loved to hate, and gives them a past that no one could image and turns him into someone that we can understand and want to have a better life.

This story is so complex and the way it has built from the beginning, is amazing. I can actually image this world and it feels good to read again. Everyone in the Sentella has a sordid past, things happened to them that never should have, yet they each have risen from the destruction to become the people they are today, they are not without their scars - some more visable than others, but they all have scars and the way they have turned those scars and their past into a reason to move forward, I love it.

This series is still my hands down favorite series of all time, and I have read a LOT of books!

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Review: Born of Defiance (The League: Nemesis Rising, book 7)

Born of Defiance (The League: Nemesis Rising, Book 7)
by Sherrilyn Kenyon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At this point in the series, we are going back in time and picking up some side characters that are tied to the original members of the Sentella in ways no one would have thought.

This is the story of Talyn - who has been raised without a father in a society that values family lines above all else, in other words his life has been hell - not as bad as Nyk's but close. This story actually goes back to the time before Nyk was discovered to be alive and took over the ruling of the society from his grandmother, who plotted to have him killed as a toddler. That in and of itself is awesome, that the author can go back and add in detail to the original story without destroying it.

We follow Talyn's life as an adult who is just trying to make his way in the world, to be better and prove that he deserves what he has - of course that is not to be because he doesn't have a father, that makes him as low as a slave in the eyes of the people, but he is determined to move from his past. He has anger issues, but there are secrets about his past that will soon come out. For now though he is starting to find the right people to make a difference.

I love that this book goes back to before Nyk took power and adds to the story in a different way, this is life on his home planet and what is happening while he is thought to be dead, and how the people there are acting. It gives more of a glimpse into the people that wanting Nyk dead and it gives glimpses into how willing they were to do anything and hurt anyone and everyone to get and keep their power.

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Rise of the Gryphon (Belador, #4) by Sherrilyn Kenyon BOOK REVIEW

Rise of the Gryphon 
Belador, Book Four
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rise of the Gryphon is the forth book in the Belador series by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love. If you read no other series but one this year, make it this series, please! It is amazing, truly.

Things are moving along! I mean it almost feels like we might be getting close to finding some real answers, and we do find some in this book, but they only serve to actually raise more questions!

Evalle and Storm are still searching to get Tristian and the other Alterants to come to Macha, and the Maedb are trying to get them for their own evil purposes. Nothing of course is going as they plan it to go and they have to take things on the fly and do what they have to, without even talking to each other at times.

Tzader and Quinn are each having their own problems, and poor Evalle is trapped in the middle in that is can't talk to them about what she is doing and everyone is playing on her insecurities, telling her they are betraying her and trying to make her betray them.

Macha is trying to force Tzader and Brina to give up on their love and doing a good job of playing them against each other up to this point so far. Not sure how long it will work because they are both strong people, but you just know it has to come back and bite her in the butt.

Major fighting between the Meadb and Belador's occur, and the secret origins of the Alterants are finally discovered. Although the Belador's are able to win the battle, it seems that all is not actually over, because some new and shocking twists are revealed at the end of the book. Things that no one saw going up until now!

Belador
Book One:  Blood Trinity                          Link to My Review
Book Two:  Alterant                                 Link to My Review
Book Three: The Curse                            Link to My Review
Book Four:  Rise of the Gryphon
Book Five:  Demon Storm


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The Curse (Belador, #3) by Sherrilyn Kenyon BOOK REVIEW

The Curse 
Belador, Book Three
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Curse in the third book in the Belador series written by Sherilyn Kenyon. Let me just put this out there at the start, if you have read anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon, then you are probably hooked! She is a fabulous writer and just draws you into the story so easily that you feel part of it! I have cried, laughed, screamed and everything else under the sun along with the characters in the books.

Evalle has little time to find Tristian and the origins of the Alterants. Of course Sen refuses to give her any time off from her Belador responsibilities to do that and is watching for any and every mistake of fault she might make. And there is still a traitor in the Belador ranks. To top it all off, Storm is missing.

Storm, after being thrown into a wall by Sen as he was trying to protect Evalle, has being lying in a coma for three weeks, hover on the edge of death. His spirit has been keeping him alive, but this is his last chance, and he is fighting back. Once he comes back to Evalle, there is a little tension, as to who his spirit had to trust to take care of Storm while he was out, Adrianna.

This book focus' a little more on the prophecy, or curse as Flaevlynn likes to call it of what must been done to allow the Queen to live forever and not die on her 666th birthday. It also gives more insight into why they are hunting for Evalle and the other Alterants and what their plans are to do with them.

As always, Evalle is working her hardest to do everything she can for Macha. Tzader and Quinn, along with Storm are there to help her the best they can, but for the most part she is limited in what she can actually tell Tzader and Quinn, so she has to rely on Storm the most, which is growing the relationship between them more and more. That is a pleasure to see, especially after everything that happened to her growing up. She deserves someone like Storm.

Belador
Book One:  Blood Trinity        Link to My Review
Book Two:  Alterant               Link to My Review
Book Three:  The Curse
Book Four:  Rise of the Gryphon    Link to My Review
Book Five:  Demon Storm


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Cloak and Silence (The League, #7) by Sherrilyn Kenyon BOOK REVIEW

Cloak and Silence 
The League, Book Seven
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cloak and Silence is labeled as book 6 in the League series, but I call it book 7, because I don't label books as 2.5 and such. So my numbering is sometimes a bit off the numbering on the books themselves, but I still keep them in the correct order, and work very hard to make sure that I get books that come out later worked back into the series where they rightfully belong.

The last book was Darling's story, so we saw a great deal of Maris, now we get to move on to Maris and find out his story! Maris is just one of those guys that you can't help but love. He is just always looking out for his friends, always ready with a joke and making everyone feel better and we all know that underneath it all he is probably hurting but won't let anyone know it.

Maris comes from another of those war-mongering planets that believes a man is measured by his might in battle. So for a young man like Maris, who is gay, growing up there was extremely rough! His own family took out hits on him. But the thing about Maris is that when you become his friend, he is loyal to the bitter end.

Ture has lived all his life on the same small planet, doesn't know much about other cultures or planets, but he was disowned by his parents when he told them he was gay, and he is only looking for someone who will love him for who he is and not try to change him.

Maris and Ture are introduce by Zarya and it is an instant attraction, but both have been hurt before and are a little guy shy of trying another relationship. This is a well written and beautiful relationship that unfolds in this story. Just because it is about a gay couple, don't let that turn you off the book, it is well worth the read. This is a future world that will give you pause to think about your own world, and some believes and traditions going on now.



The League
Book 1:  Born of Night
Book 2:  Born of Fire
Book 3:  Fire & Ice
Book 4:  Born of Ice
Book 5:  Born of Shadows            Link to My Review
Book 6:  Born of Silence              Link to My Review
Book 7:  Cloak & Silence
Book 8:  Born of Fury
Book 9:  Born of Betrayal
Book 10: Born of Defiance
Book 11: Born of Vengeance

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Born in Silence (The League, #6) by Sherrilyn Kenyon BOOK REVIEW

Born of Silence
The League, Book 6
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The future worlds under the protection of the League are once again the setting for this, the fifth book in the series. Sherrilyn Kenyon takes us back to a cruel and tough existance of this future, yet one where poeople who truly find love, love more deeply than anyone else.

This story will follow the Sentella agent Kere, the governor to be Darling Cruel and the leader of the resistance forces, Zayra. Zayra and Kere, meet on missions and fall in love, and although he has managed to keep his indenty hidden form her, to protect Sentella and the organization, he is ready to reveal all to her, but he needs four days he tells her to protect his family. Of course, we all know what happens to the best laid plans of mice and men.

Darling Cruel may be his name, but he is anything but cruel, although that is not what the world thinks of him, and he just lets them think what they want. The abuse and torture that Darling endures throughout his life at the hands of his Uncle, schoolmates, doctors, guards, and captors is beyond belief. It is more than anyone one person should ever have to go through, in fact it is probably more than ten people should have to go through. Does it explain who he is? Sorta, but more it makes the love he feels for those friends that he holds dear that much more remarkable. He is willing to die for certain friends that have proved their loyalty to him. There is enough detail in the accounts that you understand what is going on and what happened to him, but not so much that you are sick to your stomach.

Now, I have read a few reviews that said they HATED this book because they felt like the author jumped ship with Darling. I am not sure what they are talking about. They felt that the author "turned a gay character straight" and I think that is silly. In the entire series I have never though Darling was gay. Yes he hung out with Maris, who is clearly gay, but I got the feeling more that Darling didn't want anyone to know anything about his love life, it was a closely guarded secret, not that he was gay. So this book did not seem a departure from the past storylines for me, in fact I felt it fit in perfectly.

I have loved this series, and excited to say that it looks like there are at least three more books scheduled to be released in the series, or at least the author have given out titles for three more. I also happen to love the setting, the future and this harsh and unforgiving world, where people love better. Sometimes I wish I could actually go there!


The League
Book 1:  Born of Night
Book 2:  Born of Fire
Book 3:  Fire & Ice
Book 4:  Born of Ice
Book 5:  Born of Shadows            Link to My Review
Book 6:  Born of Silence
Book 7:  Cloak & Silence             Link to My Review
Book 8:  Born of Fury
Book 9:  Born of Betrayal
Book 10: Born of Defiance
Book 11: Born of Vengeance

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Born of Shadows (The League, #5) by Sherrilyn Kenyon BOOK REVIEW

Born of Shadows
The League, Book Five
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Caillen Dagan has spent his life taking care of his sisters and getting them out of one scrape or mess or another, so when his sister needs helps he thinks nothing of coming to her aid. It never occurs to him that he might end up with a death sentence on his head. A last second stay of execution turns his world upside down, when he finds out he is not who he always thought he was, and now must adjust to a new life and a new role. Good thing he has friends in high places to help him through it.

Desideria is a bodyguard for the Queen, her mother, but she has much to prove, since her father was not of their planet, she is looked at as less of a warrior. When she overhears a plot to kill her and her mother, no one believes her, until she is attacked and Caillen comes to her rescue, only problem, she jumps to help him in the fight and they end up in an escape pod, only to be later labeled as the murder's of their parents.

Now they must work together, with a few good friends of Caillen's to uncover the plot, and figure out who is out to frame them both and how it all is connected. Especially since they had never meet before that day. At the same time, Caillen and Desideria find themselves falling for each other.

Travel back to the future world of Sherrilyn Kenyon and The League, and those ever rogue good guys, the Sentella. I have to say that this is probably one of my all time favorite series, at this point I am even thinking about going back and rereading the beginning books. It is just that I love the world that the author developed the idea of this League and this band of rogues that need to police it and take care of things no one else can.

You will again see favorite characters from the first two book, since this book goes back to the first generation again.


The League
Book One:  Born of Night                 My Review Link
Book Two:  Born of Fire                   My Review Link
Book Three:  Fire and Ice
Book Four:Born of Ice                    My Review Link
Book Five:  Born of Shadows
Book Six:  Born of Silence               My Review Link
Book Seven:   Cloak and Silence      My Review Link
Book Eight: Born of Fury



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Alterant (Belador, #2) by: Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love BOOK REVIEW

Alterant
Belador, Book Two
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alterant is the second book in Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love's combined efforts series Belador.

Ok, I'll come clean, I LOVED this book. I loved the first book. There was something about Tzader and Quinn and even Storm that just exudes sex appeal and raw manness right out of the book. I just was intrigued by them, captivated and couldn't put the books down. While I was waiting for this book to arrive, after reading the first, I read some more of Sherrilyn Kenyon's books, and how she makes the draw, the appeal and the grab of the male characters come across in writing is beyond me. I am not talking sex scenes, but just in the protection of a lady, the kindness, the way they talk and act. It is just amazing!

So back to the story, this book picks up right at the end of book one, Blood Trinity. Yes, book one ended in a cliff hanger, and normally I hate those, it just makes me so made, but in this one all I wanted was to get the next book and read it. This one again just kinda ends in the middle of the story, I mean some things are resolved but new things are opened and just as those are about to begin, the book ends. It has me clawing at the computer to get the next book!

Evalle is slowing learning that not all men are to be rejected. That the hurts of one man does not apply to the whole of mankind. Although being an Alterant puts her in a class below others, she still fights for truth and justice. And she just may have found that someone knows more about the Alterants and where they came from. It just might help her to understand, but as always, there is a catch. Can she trust someone who has betrayed her in the past.

Evalle isn't the only one to have their lives and futures played with. The Goddess Mecha is playing in a number of lives, including that of Tzader and Brinna. To be honest, there were times when I wanted to smack Mecha and tell her to butt out, but she is the Goddess so I guess she can do whatever she wants, but I find her a little hard to like after this book. It's just a little scary the way she thinks people should give up true happiness to do her bidding.

This book had a pronunciation key at the end of the book, which I loved!! Wished it had been in the first book, but I found that I was pronouncing things correct. The "evil" druids that are trying to take over are called the Medb, which if you know Gaelic is pronounced Maeve. That happens to be my daughter's name, so I had to tell her about her role in the book. As a family we always find it neat to see names we know in a book, and since my kids all have very traditional old Irish names, I never see them in a book. Sherrilyn Kenyon has changed that. She has included my daughter in this book, and in the League series, my son Tiernan is one of the characters! Wow! Now how often do you see that?!

This is a great book, a great series and even more a great author. I am looking forward to reading more of this series and more by this author.

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Born of Ice (The League, #3) by: Sherrilyn Kenyon BOOK REVIEW

Born of Ice 
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Born of Ice is the third book in the League series and this book moves on to the next generation. At the very end of book one we met Adron, the son of the Quickaides and then at the end of book two we find that Syn and Shay are expecting.

Book three we are introduced to all the children of the families, not just the Wades and the Quickaides, but also the Cruel's and the Kauk's, everyone that was part of Sentella in book one, has children in book three. It's actually really neat.

This book is centered around Syn and Shay's son Devyn. The man is a saint, never done a thing wrong, unless of course you consider the fact that he runs medical supplies through League lines to war-torn villages even though that is against the law.

Alix is sent to find or fabricate evidence on Devyn, she is told he is a criminal, but she is finding it hard to believe the more she is around him. I find Alix hard, some times she is naive and others cruel almost, it's just hard to understand her. I don't get her most of the time.

I find Devyn to be so much like Syn, without the trauma that I love him to death. We again meet Paden, and I actually find him to be refreshing although a bit unbelievable.

I loved this world. I have been a fan of it from the first book and I find that I am still a fan of it. I really find myself enjoying each and every book. I was a little sad because there were only the three at the library, but I just found out there are more to this series, so now I am excited again. Now to just find them!

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Born of Fire (The League, #2) by: Sherrilyn Kenyon BOOK REVIEW

Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Born of Fire is the second book in The League series, and although the League is a set of trained assassins, Syn was a doctor at one time, never in the League, but his best friend was. He still features in both the first and second books.

I love Syn! Ok, so I am a sucker for a man that was given a rough road and pulled himself up from it, not once but twice and made a good life for himself, he has taken the punches that have been dealt him, and although he drinks himself into a comfortably numb state most of the time, who wouldn't? He is just too much man not to like! I mean there is just nothing about him not to like, and it is hard to even believe the stories told about him.

Not as big a fan of Shay, but you can't win them all. I still liked the book. I love this world. I love the story and the life and everything about it, and I just enjoy reading and losing myself in this world.

I am such a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon's and this is only the 3rd book of hers I have read now! I am just loving the way she writes and the way she draws me into this world, and I can image it and feel it, and see it. I am there and I want to read more.

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Born of Night (The League, #1) by: Sherrilyn Kenyon BOOK REVIEW

Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had just finished a book by this author, and loved the way she wrote, and was waiting on the second book in that series to arrive so I went to the library, and found another series by the same author to read while I wait on the other book.

Born of Night is the first book in a series called The League. The League is an elite solider training group, and these guys are trained as assassins, once you are part of The League, you are part of it until death.

Nykarikan is done. He is out of the League, he no longer wants to play by their rules, but no one leaves the League, but then again, Nykarikan is not just any other assassin either, he is the most elite they have ever trained, so if anyone can leave, it would be him.

This story follows Nykarikan years later, he is still hiding from the League, and doing a good job of it, along with some other guys who fly under the radar of society in a future world, they protect the innocent and police those who are suppose to be policing the world. Corruption is everywhere, same as today, so they are the "Robin Hoods" of the future in a way.

He is tasked with protecting a Princess and it goes against everything he is, and it pushes him to places and decisions he never wanted to make, to discover things that are even worse than he thought were the truths of his past, and to come to terms with them.

The whole concept of the worlds is fun and exciting, and the interactions between the characters and the relationships are well developed and they mirror so many other realities of life. It is just a great book. I was so engrossed in the book that I read it in one day!

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AUTHOR: Kinley MacGregor

AUTHOR:  Kinley MacGregor

This is actually a pen name for the author, Sherrilyn Kenyon. She used this name when writing historical books, such as the four series listed below.

Brotherhood of the Sword Series
1.  Master of Desire
Author Site Link 
2.  Born in Sin
Author Site Link 
3.  Dark Champion
Author Site Link 
4.  Return of the Warrior
Author Site Link 
5.  The Warrior
Author Site Link 

Lords of Avalon
1.  Sword of Darkness
Author Site Link 
2.  Knight of Darkness
Author Site Link 
3.  Darkness Within
Author Site Link 

MacAllister's Series
1.  Master of Desire
Author Site Link 
2.  Claiming the Highlander
Author Site Link 
3.  Born in Sin
Author Site Link 
4.  Taming the Scotsman
Author Site Link 
5.  The Warrior
Author Site Link 

Sea Wovles
1.  A Pirate of Her Own
Author Site Link 
2.  Master of Seduction
Author Site Link 
 

Blood Trinity (Belador, #1) by: Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love BOOK REVIEW

Blood Trinity
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked this book up on a trading website on a whim. It just looked good, nothing more than that, wasn't sure about it, and it has sat in my to read pile for almost a year because I have had other things that I was interested in or that about to read. Yesterday, I needed a read, nothing in the house and I looked at this book and I thought why not. Oh am I glad I picked it up!

First off, this is a paranormal, alternative life, society book in that the world is here but there are paranormal, or others living in it protecting the humans without them knowing about them. I know, the standard, true, but this is written in a different way, something that just made sense in a way and pulled you in and made you want to uncover that world and figure it out and be a part of it. I couldn't put the book down! Literally, it's 519 pages that I read in one day! It had that much pull!

Evalle (E-val) is the main character, she doesn't really fit the human world or the Belador world. The Belador's take care of the human world. Although Evalle fights for the Belador's and claims to be part of them, they don't trust her or claim her as part of them. She is only half Belador. We see small glimpses of her past, which help us to understand her trust issues, but there is so much of her past that we are still, even at the end of the book left wondering about. Her loyalty and true allegiances are seen.

A number of other characters enter this book that make it interesting and exciting and keep you guessing as to what is going to happen, who the good guys are and who the bad guys are and what is really going to happen.

The book ends on a cliffhanger of a note, which has me in a panic searching for the next book in the series to get my fix. This was such a good book and I felt for the characters and enjoyed the world in which they lived and this was written. I so want to go back.


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AUTHOR: Sherrilyn Kenyon

AUTHOR:  Sherrilyn Kenyon

BAD Agency Series  (with Dianna Love on books 3-5)
1.  Born to Be BAD
Author Site Link 
2.  BAD Attitude
Author Site Link 
3.  Phantom In the Night
Author Site Link 
4.  Whispered Lies
Author Site Link 
5.  Silent Truth
Author Site Link 

Belador  (with Dianna Love)
.5  Dead After Dark
1.  Blood Trinity
Author Site Link        My Review Link
1.5 Fire Bound
2.  Alterant 
Author Site Link        My Review Link
3.  The Curse
Author Site Link        My Review Link
4.  Rise of the Gryphon
Author Site Link        My Review Link
5.  Demon Storm
6. WitchLock
6.5 Tristan's Escape
7. Rogue Belador
8. Dragon King Of Treoir
9. Belador Cosaint

Chronicles of Nick  (Young Adult)
1.  Infinity
Author Site Link 
2.  Invincible
Author Site Link 
3.  Infamous
Author Site Link 
4.  Inferno
Author Site Link 
5.  Illusion 
Author Site Link 

The League: Nemesis Rising
1. Born of Night
Author Site Link            My Review Link
2. Born of Fire
Author Site Link            My Review Link
3. Born of Ice
Author Site Link            My Review Link
3.5  Fire and Ice

3.6  In Other Worlds

4. Born of Shadows
Author Site Link            My Review Link
5. Born of Silence
Author Site Link            My Review Link
5.5. Cloak and Silence
Author Site Link            My Review Link
6. Born of Fury             My Review Link
Author Site Link 
7.Born of Defiance      My Review Link
8. Born of Betrayal                

9. Born of Legend                   My Review Link
10. Born of Vengeance
11. Born of Blood
12. Born of Trouble
13. Born of Darkness - publish date 2020