Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter, Book 11)
How to review this book…how…how…? Revelation after revelation from the very start, and I have to do this without letting anything slip. Either I wasΒ a little dim during the entire series, or Sherrilyn Kenyon is very clever,Β because I did not see any of it coming!
This is basically “Kat’s” book, and there is much about Kat that we did not know. Her background isΒ quite important in the grand scheme of things. I was taken by surprise when it all came together, and the series became even more complete, in regards to how the different pantheon’s intermixed. Along with Kat & Sin’s tale,Β we are given a more in depth look into the lives of Artemis, Acheron, and Appollymi (LOTS of good stuff here!!)
On the “earthly” aspect of the story, Kat is sent by Artemis to kill “Sin” (an ex-Sumerian god turned Dark-Hunter).
“I thought he was dead.”
“No, Acheron saved him before he could die and made him a Dark-Hunter. Sin thinks I’m the one who drained him of his powers and left him for dead.” The terror in Artemis’s eyes scorched her. “He’s going to kill me, Katera, I know it. The entire world is going to end. We are coming up on the Sumerian apokalypsi-“
Artemis, having stolen his godly powers in the past, suspects that he is on a revenge mission to destroy her (and come to find out, she’s right!)
Along with his agenda to kill Artemis, he also has a much bigger concern to contend with. While Sin might be a Dark-Hunter, he bypasses the Daimons, and the usual Dark-Hunter assignments to pursue something far more lethal. Being from a different pantheon, his people have created lethal demons (Gallu)Β that are also hunting humans, and an even more dangerous enemy (the seven Dimme demons)Β that Β are at risk of being unleashed into the world, potentially bringing about it’s ultimate destruction. Only he has the ability to combat them, and without hisΒ godly powers, his efforts are waning.
At midnight on New Year’s Eve as people rushed to celebrate, the seven Dimme demons that Any had created to avenge their fallen pantheon would be freed. The only one who could fight them was Sin, and since he no longer possessed his god powers, he didn’t have a hope in hell of succeeding in beating the Dimme back.
May the gods, ancient and new, have mercy on them all.
“Damn you, Artemis,” he snarled.Β The stupid bitch. By one act of selfishness, she condemned them all. And she didn’t even care. She thought her own godhood would protect her from the demons to come.
She was such a fool.
Why do you even bother? All fighting would do was prolong his own death. But it wasn’t in him to just stand aside and do nothing while innocent people were killed.Β Do nothing while the earth was overrun and destroyed. No, he’d been fighting back the gallu demons for too many centuries to cede the earth to them without taking out as many as he could.
When confronted by Kat, he feels an immediate hatred towards her (let’s just say she reminds him ofΒ someone from hisΒ painful past). After getting past his original outrage at her presence, he begins to trust her. As Kat’s powers allow her to delve deep into his psyche, she realizes that he is not the evil man Artemis makes him out to be. Actually, he is suffering an overwhelming hurt. The compassion they share for each other takes form, and the reader is granted many touching moments asΒ they bond, and she aids him on his quest.
What she saw there jolted her into releasing Sin’s arm. Kat gasped as she stepped back in shock.
She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t see or hear anything other than the unbelievable agony inside her. It hurt…it hurt…Over and over images continued to flash in her mind. Sin’s memories. She saw his wife in the arms of another man. Saw his son, Uto, and his daughter, Ishtar, as they died fighting the demons Sin’s own father had created.
The agony was unbearable.
How could Sin stand all that had happened to him? How? They had laughed at him and they had shamed him.
Then they had died and left him completely alone…
Kat wanted peace, but there was no comfort to be found. All she could see was the bitter images that ate at her. bitter images of guilt and betrayal.
“Help me.” she whispered, her heart breaking.
Sin stood beside Kat, watching her shake. The sadistic part of him enjoyed the sight of her there like that. It was what she deserved for intruding on his emotions and memories.
But he wasn’t the bastard he wanted to be and the jou only lasted a millisecond of a heartbeat before he was gathering her into his arms. She was sobbing against him.
“Sh,” he whispered as he rocked her. “Let it go. It’s not yours to feel.” Closing his eyes, he cradled her against his chest and reached out with his powers to ease the pain she’d taken from him.
While the romance aspect of the story is between Kat and Sin, I found this moment between Artemis and Acheron tugging at my heartstrings somewhat.Β It exemplifies the complicated relationship and conflicting emotions they have for each other (I know, I know, things probably change DRASTICALLY in Acheron’s book as I am assuming he finds the love of his life, but I will admit I’ve had a twisted fascination in regards to Artemis and Acheron’s bond).
“You hate me, don’t you?”
Sometimes. No, most times. But he felt her current vulnerability and for some reason he could never fathom, he had a need to soothe her. Yeah, he was one sick sonofabitch. “No, Artie, I don’t.”
“You’re lying,” she accused. “Don’t you think I know the difference?” A single tear slid down her cheek as she stared at him. “You used to hold me like I mattered to you.”
She was right, and the sad thing was, back then she’d mattered to him more than his own life.
Plenty of angst in this novel!Β Constantly warring against their own emotions, we get to experience stuff like this (a trial break-up as per Sin’s demands, and he finds himself suffering without Kat…):
“Sin?”
He tensed at the sound of her voice saying his name. It sounded like she was right behind him. But he knew better.
Then he felt it. The soft whisper of a hand on his shoulder. Afraid it was nothing more than torture invented by his mind, he didn’t want to open his eyes.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether or not you’re still there when I turn around.”
“Do you want me to leave then?”
The word “no” hung in his throat. Dammit, man, shake your head and tell her to leave. It’s for her own good. It’s for your own good.
Still her touch was on his skin.
Forcing himself to turn around, he opened his eyes and saw the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. Kat’s face. Unable to stand it, he pulled her to him and kissed her.
Awwww….I LOVE moments like that. Trust me, there is more to that scene, but I’ll let you enjoy it for yourselves π
4 stars!
Interested in the series? —> Sherrilyn Kenyon β Dark-Hunter & Dream-Hunter Reading Order
I love how you reviewed Devil May Cry. You are right that itβs very hard to put it in our own words since Kenyon really executed it well and there is no chapter that is just passive. Every scene is an explosion after an explosion.
Devil May Cry was the first book of Kenyon that I read which started my obsession for the series. I could not even phantom the roller coaster of emotions I’ve felt while reading it. It made my heart break for the characters fate and how they all deserve happiness from the beginning. How I wish I could change and made it better for most of the characters.
You might find it outrageous but I am a die hard fan of Acheron and Artemis’s “partnership”. There are so many times in the series that I wish I could be their mediator and make them realize that they are meant for each other. But I do understand from this that there are different degrees of love. You might think you’ve given everything for that person but in reality you haven’t given back an inch from what the other person might and have been sacrificing for you.
This is one of my most favorite quotes in Devil May Cry:
“How can anyone be afraid of love?
How can they not? His face was completely aghast. When you love someone… truly love them, friend or lover, you lay your heart open to them. You give them a part of yourself that you give to no one else, and you let them inside a part of you that only they can hurt-you literally hand them the razor with a map of where to cut deepest and most painfully on your heart and soul. And when they do strike, it’s crippling-like having your heart carved out. It leaves you naked and exposed, wondering what you did to make them want to hurt you so badly when all you did was love them. What is so wrong with you that no one can keep faith with you? That no one can love you? To have it happen once is bad enough… but to have it repeated? Who in their right mind would not be terrified of that?”
I know Maryse would agree with me that every Paranormal Romance fanatic should read Devil May Cry. It is a βMORAL IMPERATIVEβ to have it on our bookshelves. ο
Agreed!!! Excellent quote, and a great book. I loved the break-up (or was it the make-up that I liked better?) hahaha – soooo good!
LOL!! It was really hard not to be affected by the love scenes.
The most special part for me is the βfather and daughter advice about love scenarioβ. It proves how deep Ashβs feelings are. How tormented he was with how his life had been. It was every inch of reality in the human world. And it was amazing with the flexibility how one quote applies for many characters in the story. Like Acheronβs sacrifice for love is somewhat the same as Sinβs sacrifice. As I said, There are really differences faces of love. Same basic principles but Itβs how we show it and how it is interpreted/ given back that makes the difference.