Born of Legend by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

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Description:
It is in the darkest hours of a universe’s past that their legends are born and their heroes rise…

No one knows exactly how much heart they have until their mettle is put to the hazard and they reach the lowest point of hell. There, they have only two choices. Lie down and die. Or find the strength to push themselves to their feet and fight back with everything they have.

In the words of Trajan Thaumarturgus:

Every great legend begins with one hero giving his finger to destiny and fate.

For those who have read Born of Betrayal, Dagger is the alias that is used by Ushara’s husband, and the father of the twins, who is on the run for his life. This is his story and shows how he became a member of the Tavali and what happens to them after Born of Betrayal ends.

“It’s official Take a Psycho to Work Day. Why else would I be here?”

Hunted. Hated. Betrayed. Dagger Ixur is on the run for his life. As one of the most recognizable members of his royal house, he has a bounty on his head that guarantees him no quarter from any friend or even family. But surrender isn’t in him. He will fight to the bitter end. A resolve that is sorely tested when he narrowly escapes a trap that leaves him severely wounded. With what he believes is his dying breath, he saves a boy born to an extinct race from a group out to enslave the kid for his legendary abilities.

Ushara Altaan has spent her entire life hating those born to nobility. After all, it was a royal house that drove her entire species into virtual extinction. As a rare Andarion Fyreblood, she is sworn to end the existence of any royal she finds. But when Dagger saves her son’s life, she is torn between her people and a debt that can never be repaid.

Yet worse than Dagger’s family that’s still out to end hers, are the League assassins after him who will stop at nothing to claim the lives of her Tavali family. The only hope she has to save them all is to put their future and her faith into the hands of  the very enemy whose grandmother personally extinguished Ushara’s legendary lineage. But how can she ever trust Dagger when he is a disinherited outlaw whose real name is synonymous with betrayal?

The story behind the story;

While writing Born of Betrayal, this was one of those characters and stories that grabbed a hold of me and threw me to the ground and said, “Hey, Sherri, you HAVE to tell my story. It’s time.” I fought it. I denied it. But in the end, I lost. The hero ripped my heart out and made me feel for him. Most of all, he made me root for him. It answers a lot of questions and I am so glad I lost my battle and gave in.

Review;

I for one couldn’t be happier that Ms. Kenyon lost that battle and wrote Jullien’s story.  I absolutely loved Born of Legend by Sherrilyn Kenyon and am so sad the book had to end it was that good.  Honestly I don’t where to start with this review because so much happened.  We learn everything about Jullien and why at first he’s a character we can’t stand and want to see dead, but by the first quarter of the book, I was falling fast for Jullien and didn’t want him dead.  In fact I too was rooting from him just like Ms. Kenyon was and I couldn’t be happier that he got a HEA. 

Jullien’s story is once again a gut wrenching emotional read, as Ms. Kenyon herself said, “the hero ripped my heart out and made me feel for him”, I echo those sentiments and then some.  How Ms. Kenyon manages to write such emotional stories that can rip our hearts out one minute, then in the next breath we’re howling with laughter over the dry wit and humour that our characters possess is mind boggling.  If it wasn’t for the dry wit, superior sarcasm and plain old Kenyon humour in this one I think my eyes would be permanently red and puffy over the tears I spilled while reading about the hell Jullien lived in.  How he managed to survive as long as he did, first with his family(who deserve a beat down for their treatment of him), and then on the run is beyond me, but he does and manages to wind up meeting the one person who could pull him out of the hell he’s been living in, his Darling Star Ushara.   Absolutely loved her character and am glad she’s Jullien’s mate.  Ms. Kenyon couldn’t have picked a better female for him. She alone manages to reach the part of Jullien he’s buried deep down inside himself so as not to hurt any more then he already does.  She brings him out of the dark and back in to the light and living, letting him see he’s someone special. She makes him see that what has happened to him all this time isn’t his fault, but of those who were suppose to be there for him and protect him, his family.  She teaches him what family truly means and gives him two things he never imagined he’d have; a loving family, and friends who will lay down their lives for him no matter what.

Jullien and Ushara have got to be one the cutest and memorable couples Kenyon has created, at least that’s how I feel right now.  Their love for each other is soul deep and pours off the pages.  It’s a beautifully crafted, yet emotional love story about finding your soul mate, learning to love, trust someone fully, and putting your life in their hands.  Every moment spent with Jullien and Ushara is adorable, sweet and just down right funny at times.  I love so many of their scenes together that I can’t list them all, but two that are most memorable are; the first time they make love and she teaches him what it means to really make love, and the birth of their daughters. Both grabbed me by the heart and wouldn’t let got.  Well done Ms. Kenyon, well done.

In Born of Legend we also are treated to learning about what it means to be Tavali and how the Tavali came to be.  We also get to meet a slew of other characters who helped advance the story and bring more depth to it.  I absolutely loved Ushara’s brother Davel, her best friend and boss Trajen another Trisani, and his friend Thraix, also Trisani.  These characters along with Jullien provided most of the much needed humour with their sarcasm and dry wit to balance out the raw emotion in this one. They definitely kept me in stiches numerous times.

Just when I think Ms. Kenyon can’t make the next League installment better then the last one, she goes and proves me wrong.  Born of Legend is a well crafted and thought out story that pulls the reader in and never lets you out.  It will tug at your heartstrings and have you hoping mad over the injustice done to an innocent for no other reason then being born a hybrid.  Ushara and Jullien’s romance will have you crying tears of happiness, and the rest of the cast of characters will have you howling with laughter as well. The action and drama in this one will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and chewing your fingernails.  For any Kenyon fan this is a must read.

Until next time my fellow Menyons, happy reading!

Reviewed by Marcie