Review: Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Title: Born of Night

Author : Sherrilyn Kenyon
Languange : English
Publisher: St Martin's Paperback
Length :  539 pages
Series: The League
Published date: September 29th, 2009
Format : Mass Market Paperback

Genre : Science Fiction, Romance

Author web: Click Here
Buy Links: Bookdepository, Open Trolley

For Adult Readers

Sinopsis :

In the Ichidian Universe, The League and their ruthless assassins rule all. Expertly trained and highly valued, the League Assassins are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption . . .

Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades once turned his back on the League—and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him or stop him from completing his current mission: to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father’s political alliance has made her a target.

As her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them the most: each other.

 Review

Note: This review is copied from my Goodreads review with some editing. If you find any mistake in grammar and structure, please kindly email me at : sawamura_foxman AT yahoo DOT com , so I can correct it. Thanks! :) .

Born of Night is the first installment of the League series and this a book that have complicated history, if you read the foreword by Ms Kenyon herself. Born of Night is kinda Ms Kenyon's debut, a book that she wrote first and she write it in her darkest moment. No wonder Born of Night is so dark, darker compared with any Dark Hunter books (and no, I'm not talk about Acheron or Styxx). I know that tortured hero is Kenyon's trademark and she have a quirky habit to tortured her heroes. A lot. I almost cringe when read about Nykyrian's horrible childhood and how he still survived to become a high assassins in the League. I guess, normal people will go mad, yet Nykyrian still manage his insanity is beyond me.


Kiara is just an okay character and I know that she is a cliche of what I said "a heroine that will balm the hero's wound". Yep, Kiara is pretty much like that. But, I like her development from naive girl to strong woman. Her reaction when she discover Nykyrian's killing without mercy and disgusted about it is normal. That event also a turn of tide for her life. She act just like a normal person who shocked by cold-blooded thing that Nyk did. I cringed when reading part when Syn's -Nyk's close friend- harsh words to Kiara. He told her that she was so naive, innocent and didn't know anything about violence life that Syn and Nyk had endured. Again, its a normal reaction if reader assess their condition. The world of the League is harsh, they will get eaten if they can't defend themselves

My complaint just this book is too long. Part about Nykyrian feel unworthy to Kiara was prolonged over and over, but when reader get revelation about his true identity, it's too short. His reunion with his parent also too short and need more development. The last part also feel rushed, because the beginning and the middle part feel like a hamster spinning in its whell. Meaning? Some part are unnecessary and some can be shorten. The part about Nyk's half daughter is kinda shocking, tho. What make me annoyed is part when Nyk declare Kiara is his wife. It's less romantic. I want it to romantic, not just "hey, you sleep beside me while I'm naked, so I pronounce you as my wife for eternity". Yeah. Scene that make me pissed off is when Nyk pretend to be death, and I didn't like his harsh attitude to Kiara. Really Nyk *rolling my eyes*

What I like is the friendship between Syn, Nyk and another Sentella member, Darling, Hau, Jayne and the smuggler Caillen. I love their witty bantering, snark and sarcasm. And behind all of this, they form a strong bond that had been test through time. I want to know more about Syn, and especially Darling.

The League sure is darker than Dark Hunter. If you cant stomach violence and gore, don't read this. If you don't like angst and drama, don't read this. But if you like them all, well, why waiting? This book is sci-fi, but the science fiction term is very light and some planet name also easy to pronounce and remember, so don't let the sci-fi part make you hesitate to pick Born of Night.

 Story & Sensuality Rate

My rating for Born of Night  is

And the sensuality rate is

Not-too-graphic sex scenes