[REVIEW] Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Hello, lovelies! 💮 A few days ago I finished Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon. This is book two in her Dark-Hunter series but IS often taken as the first book since this is the original introduction to the Dark-Hunters as main characters.

See how it all began…

Have you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power?
That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minute of it.
Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmare: an accountant. She’s smart, sexy, witty, and wants nothing to do with the paranormal.
My attraction to Amanda Devereaux goes against everything I stand for. Not to mention the last time I fell in love it cost me not only my human life, but also my very soul. Now I find myself wanting to believe that love and loyalty do exist.
Even more disturbing, I find myself wondering if there’s any way a woman can love a man whose battle scars run deep, and whose heart was damaged by a betrayal so savage that he’s not sure it will ever beat again.

Kyrian of Thrace

What I loved;

• The story follows Kyrian of Thrace, Julian’s best friend and brother in everything but blood. We learn a bit of Kyrian in Julian’s story, he was a prince, very loyal and fearless – he was also crucified by the Romans.
• Kyrian is sarcastic and gloomy, he goes on with life as a chore and nothing else. As a Dark-Hunter he is under Artemis’s reign and will walk the human world for as long as Artemis wants. He is apathetic to life but has a close ‘camaraderie’ with Nick.
• He has a vast fortune and is good to his employees – often taking care of them when they needed it. But, overall, his personality is very cold and his demeanor not approachable.
• I bleed for Kyrian in this story, especially when he talks about his family: Kyrian was a prince who had a kingdom but decided to be a warrior and fell in love with a ‘hetaira‘ (entertainers and companions to wealthy men). She was a beautiful woman of low upbringings whose job was to sleep with whoever could afford her. Kyrian fell in love with her and against his family, he left his kingdom and right to the throne. This is extremely important in the story because throughout it we see his regret: not for the throne and what he lost but for his family and how even after his death they were affected by it. Kyrian was a family man, even when his father rejected his bride he still loved them. He loved his three sisters and mostly his father, he also loved his friends and the feeling of fighting in a group where he belongs.
• During the story, we see how Kyrian’s mind doesn’t sleep when it comes to his past. He thinks about it at all times and has closed himself from anything remotely close to love. His bride betrayed him, drugged him and he was given to the Romans who after weeks of torture decided to crucify him for everyone to see.
• Amanda, on the other hand, is surrounded by family and love. She’s one of the younger sisters of Selena who we meet in book 1. Unlike her sister, Amanda is the ‘sane’ one in the family. She is an accountant who wishes for a life where everything is relatively normal and her family is not filled with witches and crazy people – as she puts it. She has a twin sister – Tabitha – who is so unlike her sometimes Amanda feels like the odd one. Amanda has a lot of sisters, all of them working or doing something related to witchcraft or along the line. From the beginning of the story, we get a sense of Amanda’s personality. She has her feet very much on the earth, is very forward and smart. She is also very tired of her family’s antics – especially when it comes to finding and sticking with a romantic relationship.
• Amanda and Kyrian’s meeting is funny and so them – which we get to see as they grow closer. Amanda is mistaken by her sister and kidnapped with Kyrian and learns of a world she knew existed – in the very back of her mind thanks to her sister and her antics – and starts to dip her toes in a pool that results in an ocean.
• Together they are sarcastic, spend the time bickering, and wanting to jump on each other’s bones. Amanda is adamant about finding a solution and getting the hell out of Kyrian’s life – but she also feels a strong pull – and going back to her boring life – thank you very much – but things don’t go as planned and she’s stuck with Kyrian. Kyrian who is incredibly handsome, a vampire – or close to it – and who is also a bit of an ass at the beginning.
• During the story we see Amanda transition into her powers. They are not ‘powers’ per se, but she can ‘see’ into Kyrian’s past from his POV and see things that will happen – like how her best friend died in a car accident before it happened. As she has suppressed her power, she begins to open that door slowly because she realizes she will need her powers in order to save Kyrian.
• Kyrian is so in love with Amanda that a truck can pass over him and he won’t even blink. But, his past experience has not been the best and he’s afraid to be betrayed once again by the woman he loves.
• Their relationship has a lot of ups and downs – especially downs – as Kyrian is not sure he will fall in love again. When he does he tries the ‘martyr’ face and pushes Amanda away. But, Amanda doesn’t give up, she fights for her man until she is able to win.

Side characters;

• This story introduces other Dark-Hunters such as Talon and Archeron; plus the mention of many others. Talon is very closed to Kyrian and lives surrounded by crocodiles who take care of him – yeah, you read that right. He is smart and funny, plus has a dark past that we will soon get to know.
• Archeron – used to be one of my top favorite characters in this whole universe, but that’s another story! – he is the leader of the Hunters and the ones who help Amanda free Kyrian from Artemis’s reign.
• We have Amanda’s crazy family who takes a very important role within this story – from her sisters and her parents to her sister’s beloved dog.
• Nick – such an important role not only in this book but in the whole Dark-Hunter universe! – he is funny, smart, and loves his mother – his only family. Nick does everything for Kyrian – a personal assistant – who complains but at the end of the day enjoys his job and loves Kyrian like family.

“Nick Gautier,” he said with a charming, dimpled smile. “Better known as “Nick, get your butt in here, I need you to…” Fill in the blank”

• Julian’s part is very important because at the end of the day he is Kyrian’s adelfos and will always be part of Kyrian’s life.

The world-building of Dark-Hunters vs. Daimons vs. Apollites;

• The whole concept behind Dark-Hunters (also, Were-Hunters and Dreamer-Hunters) is incredibly fascinating. So, it goes like this:

Apollo created a new race; the Apollites – superior to humans in everything: intellect, beauty, strength and also aggressive. Apollites were ready to dominate the Human World if allowed. Zeus banished them to Atlantis for them to stay peacefully, but they didn’t stay quietly. They would punish humans and attack them, so the humans created a scheme: they gave Apollo their most beautiful woman as a wife (Ryssa)* in order to have the God on their side. Apollo married Ryssa and they had a child. The Apollite’s Queen ordered the death of Ryssa and her child and made it look like an animal attack. Apollo, cursed his own race, they would all die a tragic death by 27 years of age (Ryssa’s age).

* Ryssa is Acheron’s sister. She was a regular human who loved Acheron with all her heart.

• Now, you would think, okay but where do Daimons come from. Daimons are those Apollites who suck a human’s soul before their 27th birthday in order to continue living. The cursed placed on the Apollites is for them to die on their 27th birthday by turning into dust in a span of 24 hours. Because of this, Apollites’ resources are limit and they suck human souls in order to continue living, by doing this they become Daimons and continue living – but they also need to continue sucking souls for the rest of their lives.
• As part of the cursed placed on them by Apollo after Apollo destroyed Atlantis, they would not be able to walk under the Sun – since that’s Apollo’s power -, and they would grow animal’s characteristic – from here comes the Were-Hunters.
• The Dark-Hunter’s job is to kill all Daimons and protect the humans from them. Under Artemis’s orders, Dark-Hunter hunt during the night, cannot go outside in the daylight and have fangs – even if they don’t drink blood.
• So, if you guys know a bit about mythology – Artemis and Apollo are twins. Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon and Apollo the God of the Sun. Basically, Artemis is sending her Hunters to hunt her brother’s children. And in doing so, she created the Dark-Hunters with the same qualities as Apollo did with his children. The Hunters are strong, intelligent, and handsome, and they also have the Apollites’ characteristics after Apollo’s curse.
• In this story, in order to become a Dark-Hunter, someone must suffer a horrible injustice so big that their souls call for revenge – and that is how Artemis recruits her Dark-Hunters. Kyrian was betrayed by his loved one and so his soul called to Artemis when he was dying. When one becomes a Dark-Hunter they are able to take revenge on those who betrayed him but Kyrian couldn’t and so he walks day by day with that reminder.
• The whole world-building is amazing, you have a dying race that will do anything to keep themselves alive. You have the Gods playing their own game, and a bunch of Hunters with a sad past and maybe, looking for something better without even knowing it.

“It takes a certain demeanor and passion to become a Dark-Hunter. . . . I guess you could say we are all mad, bad and immortal.”

Two tiny things tho;

• Some of the Spanish lines in this were a bit off. Kyrian speaks in Spanish to the woman who helps with the cleaning and cooking, and while some lines are good, there is one in particular that I was like ‘why didn’t no one correct this.’
• Also, some descriptions are so damn cheesy, like come on, as a young girl I didn’t really pay attention to it but now, I often laugh out loud and roll my eyes at the cheesiness.

Pshhh, this book and the next one have also been published as a manga, in case you’re interested 😉

I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK with my eyes closed. This is just the beginning of a world that is badass, mad, and chaotic – but that is also incredibly well done and full of characters with a dark past and a bright future.