So, this is the story of Wulf. Wulf is Talon's best friend and he enters Talon's story (Night Embrace) by phone. What threw me off was at the start of this one, Talon is single. At first I thought I'd messed up the order, but a quick check confirmed the order.
Then Talon and Wulf have a phone conversation and I realize it's the same conversation as in Night Embrace. Just from Wulf's point of view.
This book takes place at the same time as Night Embrace and Dance with the Devil.
Once that was established it was all good.
So, Wulf is a Norse hunter - think Beowulf - who was cursed so anyone not of his bloodline forgets him after he leaves their presence. How sucky is that? He also never got vengeance.
How does that work, you ask? Well, Loki tricked him and exchanged his soul for another hunter's. It was never his choice to become a Dark Hunter.
Anyway, the reason I enjoyed this one so much was that we learn so much more about Apollites and what their lives are like. And how they view the Daimons.
I feel the need to insert my opinion about them here. Look, 27 is super young to die. I don't disagree with that. And it's a horrible, painful death. But 100 when compared to an immortal is super young, too. As is 50 when compared to 100. It's not food. They're not protecting themselves. They're artificially prolonging their lives by stealing someone elses. However horrible your lot is, you don't have the right to make someone else's worse.
Anyway, I liked the humanity, for lack of a better word, that was added to the Apolites. Up until now, we've only heard about them as Daimons. As bad guys. Killers. This shows them before they make that choice. In fact, we learn that some Daimons only take souls of criminals. The downside being that taking a soul can change yours, so it's dangerous to do it that way. A perfectly good Apollite can become a serial killer after taking a few criminal souls.
Remember I said Zarek's book, Dance with the Devil, was really sad? Well, learning about Apollites is really sad, too. Their lives are sad. I still think Zarek's is worse, but that's not really relevant here.
Anyway, Wulf and Cassandra, a half Apollite, end up together. And have a baby. They find a loophole on his soul and her life expectancy. Everyone but Cassandra and his bloodline still forget him, but he doesn't care that much about other people. So, they live happily ever after.
I guess.
My favorite part? Talon, Kyrian, Julian, and Zarek come to help Wulf out. Kyrian and Julian have told their wives they're on a "hunting" trip. *eye roll* Too bad Kyrian's wife is a strong psychic. :) Even better? Astrid, Zarek's wife, told him to come so he can make friends! Love it.
I hope we get more reunions in the future.
Oh, there was one issue. There's one part that seemed a bit homophobic. There have been parts in the other books that had made me wonder, but there was no wondering here. I hope this doesn't continue. It would really disappoint me.
Kiss of the Night, Sherrilyn Kenyon
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