Customer Reviews

Dream Warrior (Dream-Hunter)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

First off I want to say that I didn't hate the book completely. Otherwise, I would have only given it a single star. The only thing that really saved it were a few characters from previous DH books like Ash and Zarek. However, having said that...here are my issues with this book.

1) It seems extremely hard to believe that Cratus, who has been tortured again and again for such a long time, can suddenly forget everything he has gone through and fall in love with Delphine so quickly. I know this is a fictional novel but this is stretching it a bit.

2) Secondly, I still don't understand why some of these characters were not introduced in the past. It would have been much easier than just putting them all in this book and making it seem like they were meant to be there all along. If they are as powerful as they are said to be, then why haven't we heard of them before.

3) I know this book is meant to start phase 2 of the series but, as another reviewer has already said, some of these new characters look like cookie cutter versions of past Dark Hunters and villains we already know. The only difference is that they have new "greater" and more "impressive" powers.

I honestly think with all the new characters that were added to this book and with everything else going on there was little romance to be found. Cratus and Delphine were only alone for a hand full of scenes and the rest of the book they were trying to kill things or not be killed. How does that constitute as a relationship?

Yes, this is supposed to be a turning point in the series but at this point I couldn't care less about what new character has daddy issues or not. Frankly, I could not keep them apart even if I wanted to.

If SK had made this into a longer book with well defined charaters I would have been happy to buy it even if it cost more and I had to wait longer for it. In the future, I'm going to be borrowing from friends or from the library because I think these books aren't going to get any better any time soon.

I haven't picked up A Sherrilyn Kenyon book in a while, but I am familiar with this series...and I remember now why I quit reading them! This book is an extreme example of what was going wrong with the series: too many characters, to many myth systems being combined, all romance a forgone conclusion, and bad-a@@ men being turned into puddles of emoting pudding by their spunky true love. There are so many new characters in "Dream Warrior" that at one point I was tempted to get out a piece of paper and map them all out to figure out who was doing what to whom, and for how many cookies... The main character gets past 2000 years of abuse and cruelty toward him in the blink of an eye; the powers each character have just get more and more over-the-top; the killing never stops, and the romance hardly starts....

Well I promised myself I wouldn't buy another crappy book from Sherrylyn Kenyon, but I guess absence has made the heart go stupid because I forgot about that promise and bought another one.

Cratus, the son of Warcraft and Hate (not the same as War in the last novel) has been damned to live the rest of his life in pain and discomfort for betraying an order from Zeus. As Zeus banishes Cratus he is betrayed by all of the Gods that once feared and respected him. Once favored by Zeus for his blind loyalty he is doomed to live a lonely existence, suffering for the rest of his immortal life and wanting revenge against all those that have wronged him. He decides to ally with the enemy of the Greek Pantheon, Noir and his sister Azura, hoping that he'll get to kill Zeus in the process.

Delphine is an Oneroi Dream-Hunter who is asked by Zeus to find Cratus and convince him to help fight Noir and Azura because he is one of the few gods left that can derive power from the Source (I would tell you what the Source is, but I still have no idea). Told to seduce Cratus by his sister Nike Delphine is kidnapped by the Greek's enemy and given to Cratus as a slave. As he falls for her he realizes that the betrayals of his past need not haunt him anymore. There's also some plot involving Noir and Azura, but there are so many characters involved that it would take me days to describe it.

While technically not a Dark-Hunter novel (this one is a Dream-Hunter) it still includes a lot of the same characters and if you want to know what is happening in the world of the Dark-Hunters this one does advance the plot in them both. If you enjoy her old Dark Hunter series you might be upset at how far downhill her latest novels have become, but as far as I can tell she's more into quantity of books rather than quality. I read it in one sitting, but more due to the fact that I just wanted to finish it.

Cratus was bitter and angered but he got over that in hours because he fell in love with Delphine-it just seemed like too smooth of a transition to me. Plus the amount of characters she includes in this novel I can't count on twenty fingers and each one is more powerful than the other but can't use their powers or it will unbalance something else. It seems that the world is going to be plagued by a new enemy besides the Daimons in the evil Noir and Azura. So now by my counts we have the Gallu Demons, the Daimons, and the Daimons; mankind doesn't stand a chance. Can anyone use their powers anymore? Who are all of these characters? What the heck is "The Source," is it like "The Force?" I'm completely lost in this series now and I've read all of the previous books. I'm going to need a map to navigate my way through the next one; sucker that I am I'll probably forget how terrible this one was and buy it right away too.

This book spends the whole story building up to the gigantic battle between Noir and Crateus..... which pretty much never happens. Seriously. The book just sort of meanders to a close. Zipity do-dah. I'm apparently supposed to be so fascinated by the dozens of characters who are introduced -- the majority of who are never really, explained, explored or realized -- I'd want to buy the next book to find out what happened. Yes, I understand this is part of a series, but still, there needs to be actual story told in the current book, and here we get delphine and cratus fall in love in the classic love of a good woman turns bitter man around sense ('cause that's never been done before!) and therefore no different than a billion other romances and not the reason I thought the book would be interesting. There's lots of posturing about a big conflict that never really happens and that's pretty much it.

The author spends a great deal of time describing what every one is wearing, apparently gods are big fans of the goth movement (either that or black leather pants are just issued at birth to everyone). She throws in a few pop-culture references to show she's down with it, but she doesn't spend a lot of time explaining the purpose or motives of many of the dozens of secondary characters she introduces throughout the book. Really, the demon servant asmodeus is pretty much the only secondary character who had any personality.

My biggest peeve was that the race that the author says is without their emotions are, in reality, completely full of emotion and show this contantly througout the book in their actions, words, and deeds. Delphine, falls head over heels to the point where it's "I'd die for you for Cratus". She gets angry, she shows compassion, she is insecure. But really, she has no emotions...no, really, none at all. There's no difference in the non-emotional characters after their emotions are restored, the author just TELLS us they feel different. ah, ok. whatever. Just once, I would like to see a writer actually write about a race with no emotions as just that. Otherwise, it's just an overused plot device, as it is here.

But really, not a lot to hold my interest here, I was disappointed.

I don't understand what everyone is talking about. This book is one of my favorite of the series. I love Cratus. He's the defintion of a hero. He was punished for saving the life a baby, yet he didn't doubt his choice. Its definitly a step up from Striker's story. I hated that one. I liked Delphine, especailly when I found out she was Leta's babe. All in all.... this book rocked!

No one warned me this was a romance novel. I'm not familiar with Sherrilyn Kenyon's previous works and Amazon recommended this for me. I'm a huge fan of fantasy and horror.

But this turned out to be a romance novel. And not a very good one at that. When two supernatural beings are having a conversation that goes something like "Oh no you didn't" and "Oh yes, you did" you know you're not in for a compelling read.

I have never not finished a book in my life. Until now.

I'll give it one star because the story itself had potential. But Amazon misled me on the kind of book that this was and I'll be much more careful with recommendations from here on out, because they're apparently flawed. This is not the kind of book an avid Stephen King and Dean Koontz fan is going to want to read, Amazon!

I totally agree with the first two main reviews posted here. I used to love the Kenyon books, but they have become the same tired story over and over again. God, or god-like, man endures horrific existence, meets wonderful woman, he falls in love and is quickly redeemed. The end. I'm sorry, but I'm thinking if you've been tortured as badly as all these men have for as long as they have you'd really be insane and not just really ticked off. And at this point there is no possible way to keep up with the huge cast of characters she throws at us, each more powerful than the last. And everyone more beautiful, evil, selfish than the last.

It's been getting old for a while now and if this is her 'new' start for this world, I'm afraid I'm going to have to jump off the Kenyon train.

For long time DH fans, here's the low down:

- this is as short as One Silent Night, so prepare to spend more money than it's worth. Even being short I skipped huge parts of the book as it was just repetitive "I love you, but I'm too tortured to deserve you" crap.
- the plot is formula SK, tortured hero who finally gets his HEA.
- More characters are introduced than necessary, and the updates on previous characters are shallow and boring. e.g. Nick is a snot as usual, Ash has become less than "top of the food chain" as more powerful characters are introduced. No Simi dialogue, no Were's....Yawn....
- Artemis has apparently found a brain and is spouting words of wisdom about everlasting love...WTF?
- Jaden and Jared are either lovers or brothers - hopefully SK isn't going to try and head into the homoerotic.

Well, I can honestly say I'm done with SK's books. She sold out or gave up after Unleash the Night, because that was the last truly good book she's written. Maybe it's because she's trying to branch out into Manga and Hollywood and not paying enough attention to her writing. Either way, I bid you adieu SK. If others are looking for a new series to get into, Look into:

Charlaine Harris - Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1)
Patricia Briggs - Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)
Jeaniene Frost - Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1)

I've read about seven of her Dark Hunter/Dream Hunter novels so far. There are three really good things about them, and three really terrible things about them. Heres the bad news...

1) The same love story ...essentially.
It appears that Kenyon has the objective of playing matchmaker. Each of her novels tells the love story of a handsome stranger with a great body and piercing eyes who has been brutally betrayed or hurt and has decided to scorn love and wants vengeance. There's a female thats human or has lesser powers and wants to help him since they are drawn or bound to him. They meet early have severe "romantic" tension and trust issues. The woman is usually chaste or close enough, and the male has never felt this way before. Ultimately, the lady tames the beast, all while preventing the end of the world.

2) Characters galore
I can not keep up with the multitude of characters in these novels. There's way too many betrayals, scandals, and affairs to remember who did what to whom, and why they were punished for what. I wanted to create a cheat sheet.

3) Redundant Romantic Imagery/language
All of the characters seem to have the same feelings expressed in the same words. Every male seems to "ache" for his female, has not been touched in centuries and is going to "growl" from satisfaction. So tired of reading: "he dipped his head to kiss her" "touched his soul" "cupped her face" "feral"


For the good news!
1) Good always teaches evil a lesson
Good always prevails. Though they take a good beating, end up dead, and somehow brought back. Being that the good guy was usually a former bad guy, her novels are a testament to second chances, and reprieves.

2)Cliffhanger suspense
Though the love tales are redundant, there is usually a new threat proposing world destruction. You wonder who will attempt to destroy the world this time. There are also a lot of fundamental questions that are unanswered and require further reading.

3) Love vs. vengeance
I think everyone can appreciate the duality of love and vengeance. As deeply as one can love, they can hate when betrayed. (Think of a cheater in your life) What's nice about Kenyon is that she always starts the novels with a new approach to betrayal/vengeance which will ignite fury. However, she ends every novel with the consistent belief in love.

Kenyon earned her four stars because I can appreciate a very utopian society. Every princess finds her knight in shining armor. These books are infectious if you liked Buffy and Angel, and Twilight, but wanted a bit more lust and romance. Though they are redundant in many ways, who doesn't want to keep hearing about how love conquers all.

This was a real improvement over One Silent Night (Dark-Hunter, Book 13). Jericho and Delphine were more enjoyable as a couple, with the familiar theme of an angry, wounded-soul saved by love. That has been a staple of the D-H series, and part of what keeps me coming back. That said, this entry also heightened my fear that the gods are taking over. Acheron is one of the most-powerful gods; his mother is the Great Destroyer. So, where do we go from there to provide a challenge? We need new, even more all-powerful gods direct from "the Source" who threaten all the existing pantheons. Enter Noir and Azura, and a bunch more. Don't get me wrong, the expanded mythology IS interesting. My concern is that the series has strayed so far from the Dark-Hunter redemptions, especially given how Acheron (Dark-Hunter, Book 12) ended with Artemis refusing to bargain for their souls.

The story opens with Noir having attacked the entire Greek Pantheon. Many gods have been killed, and many more captured. They need a great warrior who draws his power from the Source - like Cratus, the god Zeus has been torturing for centuries for disobeying an order to kill a baby. Though I think the mythology is getting carried away, this installment did provide a lot of answers (like where the heck has Noir been the entire series to suddenly be a threat?), made the Oneroi a major plot-thread, and gave us more interaction with Jaden and Jared. I think they are two of the best new characters - the first in a long time that make me want them to get their own novel. Overall, the story was fast-paced, the romance was sexy (albeit rushed), and we got a lot of answers. Not the best of the series, but definitely a worthwhile read.