Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon – An Anthology review

Links to order Dark Bites:  Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
For years, eager fans have been clamoring for an all-in-one collection of #1 bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon’s novellas. At their enthusiastic behest, we have delivered this brand-new short story collection, including stories previously exclusive to Sherrilyn’s website, as well as an all-new, never-before seen story!

Sherrilyn Kenyon takes readers from the Dark-Hunters to the demigods, from Dream-Hunters to demons, and everything in between.  Dangerous and exciting, each story is one thrill ride after the next, proving time and again how Sherrilyn has captivated millions of readers worldwide.  Now, readers are invited to go deep into Kenyon’s rich and imaginative world and experience the heart-racing moments that never stop coming!

Included novellas:
From the World of the Dark-Hunters:
 Phantom Lover (V’Aiden),  Winter Born(Dante),  A Dark-Hunter Christmas (Gallagher)  Until Death We Do Part (Velkan),  A Hard Day’s Night Searcher (Rafael),  Shadow of the Moon (Fury),  Where Angels Fear to Tread (Zeke),  Fear the Darkness (First Time in Print),  House of the Rising Son (First Time in Print)

Unrelated Stories:  Love Bytes, and Santa Wears Spurs


Review:
As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of anything Kenyon, especially when it comes to her Dark Hunter series, and The League series.  So when I heard she was putting together this anthology I was stoked.  Let me just say, this is a perfect anthology to add to your Kenyon collection.  I thoroughly enjoyed having all my Kenyon novella’s at my fingertips in one collection.  No need to go scrounging around anymore to find them all to add to my ever growing Kenyon collection.  This was a wonderful treat for me to read and re-visit some of my favourite characters who aren’t focused on much in the other main stories.  For any Kenyon Menyon(nickname she calls her fans) this anthology is a must buy.  I promise, you won’t be disappointed. 

Now to keep this review at a decent length, I decided to review the two first time in print novella’s along with one other novella that was originally written as a thank you to fans. The other novella’s have all been published in other anthologies over the years, but all can be found in this long awaited edition. 

Here’s a brief commentary/review those three novella’s;
House of the Rising Son(1^st time in print)
Since this is a new novella in this anthology here’s a little description from Kenyon’s website on the hero and heroine;

Aricles-Hero
The eldest son in a family of three boys, Aricles had no desire to be a soldier, even though his fighting skills were among the best in the world. He was more than content on his small Atlantean farm, living a quiet, uneventful life. But when his brother is determined to don a soldier’s uniform, Aricles joins him with a promise to their father to bring his brother home in one piece. What he never counts on is how much their new lives will forever change them, or what the risk of a forbidden love will ultimately cost him.

Bathymaas-Heroine
The first and original goddess of justice, Bathymaas was created to keep Set grounded and on the side he’s supposed to be on. Due to her justice duties, she believes herself incapable of feeling. Something that causes her to run afoul of several gods, including Leto who can’t forgive her for not punishing Hera for Hera’s curse against her and her children. But when a bitter, ruthless betrayal costs her everything, Bathymaas becomes humanity’s and the gods’ worst nightmare.

This novella about Aricles and Bathymaas is basically a prequel to Styxx.  Ms. Kenyon gives us the chance to see just where Styxx and Bethany’s lives began and then how they came to be in Styxx.  We get to see how Aricles and Bathymaas meet, fall in love and then are torn apart through treachery at the hands of that bastard Apollo.  Man that god never changes, I hate him as much as I hate his twin the heifer goddess as Simi calls her(Artemis).  Kenyon does a superb job of creating and writing her villians.  I really enjoyed this one, as there were so many parallels to Styxx’s story, and I was making certain connections from the past to the present.  Kenyon does a great job once again weaving her tale and carrying us along a fast paced story, that flows seamlessly from page to page.  When I got to the last sentence, I was very tempted to pick up my copy of Styxx and start all over again.  This is a lovely addition to the Dark Hunter series. 

A Dark Hunter Christmas
This is the special Christmas story that features the gangster Gallagher and Simi when Gallagher is temporarily relocated to New Orleans to help battle Daimons. Written as a gift for DH fans, it originally appeared in the back of the first edition of Dance with the Devil.

In Gallagher’s story, we learn of his past(being a gangster) and happily married to the love of his life.  However, one fateful night everything changes for him. While rushing to his wife’s side as she’s delivering their son, the cops show up to arrest him, and kill him on the spot.  Thus, he becomes a Dark Hunter, but is not able to have any contact with his wife and son.  It’s hard for him being a Dark Hunter knowing his family is still alive, but thanks to the Squire’s Council his wife and child are well taken care of.  Now it’s 70 yrs later, in New Orleans, and Gallagher rescues a female being attacked by Daimons, brings her to the hospital and meets his great granddaughter and isn’t allowed to let her know who or what he is now.  With this meeting all his memories of his wife and past life resurface.    Poor Gallagher is having a hard time dealing with everything, especially since his wife had just passed a way a year ago, and Ash went to tell him the news.  Feeling like he has nothing and no one Gallagher refuses to stay and celebrate Christmas with the Were’s and other Dark Hunters at Sanctuary. However, thanks to Simi, Gallagher develops a different outlook on life and families, and winds up celebrating Christmas with everyone at Sanctuary. This is a sad but sweet story.  Sherrilyn shows us just how hard it can be for a DH, and what they deal with every day regarding their emotions and existence.  The scenes with Simi and Gallagher are just so sweet and loving, and actually brought a few tears to my eyes.  I only wish the story were longer and that Gallagher would’ve found a new love at the Sanctuary Christmas party.  Who knows, maybe we’ll run across him in a future novel, here’s hoping. 

Fear the Darkness(First time in print)
This was originally done as a special thank you to readers for all the great years and was available only as a digital download. It’s a small story about Nick’s homecoming to New Orleans after his mother’s death and after Katrina.  I knew from the beginning what was going to happen to Nick. I wanted the reader to see the birth of a Dark-Hunter, only to have it with a twist. And even though I knew what was going to happen, I still cried when I wrote the scene.

When Nick finally returns to New Orleans after becoming a Dark Hunter, it’s a year after Hurricane Katrina.  Kenyon not only shows the fans how Nick is dealing with not only his ‘death’, but his mom’s death, and also the destruction done to his beloved city.  Nick is very angry and pretty much wants to lash out at anyone and everyone, especially Ash.  His emotions are so strong they just pour off the page and make your heart break for him and everything that he’s lost in his young life.  This is a heart breaking yet touching novella.  The scene with Nick at his mom’s grave, running into Menyara and chatting with her just tore me apart.  It also helps to set the stage for future events regarding Nick in the DH series, as we see that he’s made a pact with Stryker and the Daimons to go against Ash, and we also get a little insight into the fact that Nick is more then just a DH. A little hint dropping at his powers of the Malachai.  This was a very nice thank you to all her fans, and I can see why Ms. Kenyon cried while writing it.  She had me tearing up a few times in this short, yet touching story of Nick.  I can’t wait to read his full length DH story when it finally comes out in the future. 

To sum up my review, I enjoyed this anthology, and being able to going back and read about characters I don’t get to revisit with in her full length novels.  The other two short stories are fun and totally Kenyon, with your alpha males and quirky fun heroine’s.  Oh and let’s not forget that classic Kenyon humour.  Even though some of these short stories are more dark and serious, she still manages to strategically place that humour of hers in each story to lighten the mood at just the right spot.  If you are a Kenyon fan like I am, I’m telling you now, don’t wait, go out and get this anthology, it’s a must to have in your collection. 

Until next time, happy reading.

Reviewed by Marcie