While the world carries on unawares, Stryker, who leads an army of demons and vampires, is plotting an all out onslaught against his enemies—which, unfortunately for us, includes the entire human race. To avenge his sister, Stryker prepares to annihilate the Dark-Hunters. But things go awry when his oldest enemy returns. Enter his ex-wife. Zephyra. Just when he thought nothing could stop him, he’s now embroiled in a centuries old war with a shrew who gives new meaning to pain.
I have mixed feelings about this book. Stryker has been a villain since he was first introduced. There are no redeeming qualities about him. He’s an unlikely hero b/c he really isn’t a hero at all. This is the last sentence of the book:
“The dawn of the Damion is here and the end of mankind is beginning.”
Stryker has no idea that his ex-wife is still alive until she shows up in Kalosis to kill him. Stryker is shocked to see Zephyra, the only woman he’s ever loved and the only woman who ever accepted him for who he was. When he was married to Zephyra, he never felt like the failure that his father always told him he was. Leaving her was the hardest thing he ever did, but he had to do it to save her life and the life of their unborn child.
Zephyra has hated Stryker for eleven thousand years. When their daughter, Medea, was affected by Apollo’s curse, Zephyra sold part of her soul to save her. Nothing is more important to Zephyra than Medea and she will do anything to protect her. When Artemis orders Zephyra to kill Stryker, she goes to do so gladly, not realizing how seeing him will affect her.
When Medea is taken by War, an ancient evil that Stryker released to kill Acheron and Nick, Zephyra and Stryker have to work together to save the life of their daughter. Though Zephyra wants nothing more than to kill Stryker, she’s not willing to risk Medea’s life for the sake of revenge.
I really feel like this was less a story between a hero and heroine than a stepping stone for the Dark Hunter series. In One Silent Night, SK has taken the Damions in a new direction. It’s also revealed who Nick really is. Personally, I liked him as a human and was pretty disappointed to learn he’s a “big bad”.
Although I did appreciate how this book moved the series in a new direction, I didn’t love it. I did like getting another look at a happy Ash. The scenes between him and Tory made me smile.
The best part of the book was when Ash, Nick, and Stryker joined forces to defeat War. Talk about an unlikely alliance.
3.75 out of 5.
This book is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can buy it here.
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I still can’t believe Stryker got a story. WTF? I’m so glad I gave up on this series. Even now I’m not even slightly tempted to pick up Acheron.
I’ve read the whole series and I have to say this book wasn’t even on the radar for me. Stryker? That just seem so odd.
Thanks for the review. I do plan on getting this book, though its not high on the list. Think I can skip his story and continue on with the series?
Holly, you have to read Acheron. I’m still waiting so we can discuss.
Tracy, I agree that it is odd.
Jessica, you might want to read it if only to know what has happened with the Damions and Nick.
I read an interview with her somewhere a couple of years ago where she said that she has the entire series planned out and that Nick will definitely be getting his story.
I can see how to keep things interesting and to move the story line along we get a curve ball like this one thrown at us.
Holly, if you have ever read one of these books you have to read ACHERON.
I was nodding along with everything you said in this review. I didn’t care for Phyra and Stryker’s romance. I didn’t even pay much attention to them. I was more interested in what was going on with Nick and Jared and then squealing to be seeing Ash, happy and in love. It was too cute.
I’m not at all happy about the whole Daimons rising to power bullish but it’s not going to stop me from reading this series.
Ugh.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I did read Acheron, I would give Stryker’s story a go. After reading a few of the Dark Hunter stories, I understand there is no true good, or true evil, just a lot of deeply scarred and messed-up creatures from all scenerios, involving f-ed up birth or death or both. Ash’s story really takes the prize. I’m still cringing.
So, sorry SK, no more of this series for me. I’m done with the hurt – no amount of intriguing curve balls (yeshhh, even that sounded painful) or HFN can make me go back.
mph