Devil May Cry, Sherrilyn Kenyon

So, I read this one out of order by mistake, just 2 books off, but still. I'm reviewing it in it's proper place, but hopefully I don't let my foreknowledge get the better of me and mess with the review.

So, we finally learn all about Kat!

I'm still surprised.

She's Ash's daughter! With Artemis'.

I really did not see that coming. I still think she thought about Ash in non-fatherly terms before. Not in a creepy way, but...I donno. It just seemed like she was...pining for him.

Which doesn't necessarily make it romantic. I know. You can pine for a father. But this is a romance series.

So, yeah, daughter. Ash doesn't find out until this book. Artemis made a half ass attempt to tell him when Kat was born, but Ash thought it was a child Artemis had taken from her mother to try to replace his nephew. That's how the gods got servants back in the day. Well, that and having parents leave the kid as an offering. Whatever. I would explain what happened to his nephew but I have no idea. We haven't been told yet.

However, instead of making sure he understood, she lashed (physically and verbally) out at him and kept Kat from him. She let her pride get the better of her. Needless to say, he was not too pleased when he does finally find out. Poor Ash, every time he turns around, Artemis has something new to hold over him - a new way to hurt him.

Sins of the Night, Sherrilyn Kenyon

So, this one had a lot of good backstory. Not just about the Dark Hunters, but specifically about Ash.

Here we meet Alexion, which seems to be more title than name, but they use it like a name. His real name is Ias. He was the third hunter ever created. He's also the one who got the "get your soul back" out clause established for all the hunters.. He paid for it by becoming a shade, which is basically a sadder form of ghost.

Yeah, his bitch wife intentionally dropped his soul.

But Ash hates the idea of his hunters suffering. He tries to save Ias, but wasn't familiar enough with his powers and kinda fucked it up. Since then, if a hunter dies in the line of duty, Ash takes them to a special island where they can be as content as shades can be. He even gives them some kind of form. He doesn't tell others because he worries they'll be more reckless if they know they can come back from it. Sorta.

A fair point given the attitudes of most hunters.

Anyway, as I said, Alexion is a title. Basically he's Ash's #2. Apparently over the past eleven thousand years, a pattern has developed. Every couple thousand or so, a bunch of hunters get their souls and go free, and another bunch decide to mutiny. When that happens Alexion goes in and saves those he can, and executes those who insist on fighting Ash.

I should clarify that those who revolt do so with the idea that the should rule humanity and prey on them. Its not just a pissed off Ash.