Death Doesn’t Bargain by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Review

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Description:
SPOILER WARNING for anyone who hasn’t read Deadmen Walking

The following synopsis contains plot spoilers for Book 1. While the books don’t have to be read in order, if you read DEATH DOESN’T BARGAIN first, you will have certain facts that are “shockers” and that some would consider to be SPOILERS for DEADMEN WALKING. So if you’re a stickler about SPOILERS, please take note and avoid reading DEATH DOESN’T BARGAIN until after you’ve read DEADMEN WALKING.

From the #1 New York Times & International Bestselling Dark-Hunters Series
Setting: Spanish Main, Golden Age of Piracy

The Deadmen are back…

But so are the demons who have broken free of their eternal prison and are bent on mankind’s destruction. The worst of the lot is Vine, determined to claim their lives for taking hers. She will see the world burn…and has the perfect lure to destroy them and Thorn, leader of the Hellchasers, once and for all.

Kalder Dupree has never known a day of mercy. Born to a mer-race who prides themselves on cruelty, he sacrificed himself for the only woman who has ever shown him kindness. Locked in a hell realm, he doesn’t expect anyone to come to his rescue. He accepts the fact that he was born alone and that he twice died that way, once by his own mother’s hand.

Cameron Jack is determined to set Kalder free. As a Hellchaser Deadman, it’s her calling, but her resolve stems more from the fact that she’s the reason he died in the first place. If not for him, she’d still be suffering. And she cannot allow even a not-so-innocent to be tortured for an act of kindness that spared her damnation.

To defeat evil, it sometimes takes an even worse evil, and Cameron is willing to do whatever she must to make this right. Even make a bargain with the Devyl and the devil himself. If Vine thought she had her hands full before, she hasn’t seen anything nearly as powerful as Cameron’s resolve.

Hell hath no fury as a woman wronged, and two of them are now about to face off, with the very fate of humanity hinging on the one who emerges victorious.

Death Doesn’t Bargain is the second historical fantasy title in New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Deadman’s Cross series. Where Deadmen tell their tales, and every soul is damned or redeemed by the final choices they make.

Review;

Death Doesn’t Bargain by Sherrilyn Kenyon is a continuation in the Deadman’s Cross series.  It picks up right where Deadmen Walking ended.  In this one the focus switches from Mara and Devyl to Kalder Dupree and Cameron Jack.  As they take center stage and their story unfolds we learn more about who Kalder and Cameron are. We learn more about Kalder’s race of merpeople(Myrcians) and Cameron Jack and her brother Payden.  In Deadmen Walking, we learned that Cameron possesses powers and is a Seraph, now we learn just how she and her brother came to be Seraphs and what their purpose in this battle between good and evil is.  We get to see both Cameron and her brother Payden in their Seraph forms fighting against the evil that wishes to see them all dead.  From their descriptions with their wings, hair and skin colour changes they sound pretty spectacular, and I wish we could have drawings of them in these forms to accompany the descriptions.  This goes for Kalder as well when he’s in his mer-man form, his description is just as cool sounding.  Not only is Kalder from a vicious race of mer-people but we find out he’s also a demi god.  We learn that his father had an affair with ‘the’ goddess of the sea.  She’d pretty much be on the same level as Zeus I’d say in their folklore.  Since Kalder is a demi god, he possesses powers no one ever knew he had except for Thorn.  He finally tells Kalder the truth of his parentage and that’s when we see Kalder’s true form, that of a demon that can syphon powers of other creatures/gods/goddess’ etc.  When Ash appears on scene and finds all this out on Savitar’s island he’s not too happy with Thorn allowing Vine and company to have gotten their hands on Kalder in the first place.  These scenes between Savitar, the Deadmen, Thorn and Ash are classic Kenyon and had me LOL!!  It was nice to see these characters come together to help solve the current problem with the evil forces threatening to destroy the world as they know it and take over.  It’s always a treat when Kenyon tosses scenes like this into her story, it’s like a reunion between friends and enemies all in one.  Plus we get some of her off the wall humour thrown in and it makes for a good read. 

As the story unfolds we learn more about Vine and company’s plans and why they need to be stopped.  It’s a fast page turner with plenty happening from all angles.  There isn’t a dull moment in this one and it kept me turning page after page wanting to find out more.  It was interesting and exciting to see Wyneria, the underwater city where Kalder and his people are fun.  Meeting his family was even more fun.  No wonder the poor guy turned out the way he did.  When your whole family pretty much turns on you and your own mother kills you, yeah I’d hate the world too.  However, thanks to Cameron, Kalder finds that little bit of soul that’s pure and untouched by all the bad that was done to him and learns to love and see things in a different light thanks to her.  Kalder is pretty much Cameron’s hero and he awakens feelings and longings that she never knew she possessed.  Their romance is sweet, funny and sexy.  The more time they spent together the more you can’t help but want them to have their HEA. 

Death Doesn’t Bargain is a wonderful addition to the Deadman’s Cross Series and Kenyon doesn’t disappoint in this one.  For any Kenyon fan this is a must read as you continue your adventures with the Deadmen. 

Until next time, happy reading Menyons!

Reviewed by Marcie