Seattle Dark-Hunters are in trouble. Stryker, their worst enemy, has a plan to clear the city of Acheron’s warriors—and that’s just the beginning. If this experiment succeeds, Stryker’s Daimons won’t stop until all Dark-Hunters are exterminated.

Disgraced as a journalist, but otherwise a perfectly normal human, Susan Michaels hates her position at her friend’s tabloid paper. Even though she’s grateful to have a job after losing all journalistic credibility, she dreams of regaining her reputation as a crack investigative reporter. So when a veterinarian friend has a tip about missing college students, she rushes to the animal shelter to find out what’s going on. She leaves with a cat she's allergic to—and lots of questions. When the cat turns into a man, Susan is sure her friends are playing a joke on her.

It stops being funny when the bullets start flying. The “Catman” helps her escape a messy end; only to bring her into a world she just knows can’t exist. Except that it does. Now that she’s hunted by police and Daimons, Susan sticks with the enigmatic Ravyn, a shape-shifting Dark-Hunter who makes her heart jump in ways she never though possible.

Shocked to learn that people she’s known for years are involved in the hidden war to protect humanity, Susan dives in—if only to save her reputation, and her own life.

Once again, Kenyon manages to spear the reader’s heart with the adventures of her now-famous Dark-Hunters. Each hunter character in the series has been unique, with only the “bad boy” / avenger image in common. Ravyn is no exception. The strife between him and his near-immortal family is as riveting and dynamic as any of the other story lines. Susan, too, is a woman unto herself. Although her career was destroyed through betrayal, she is strong, with just enough weakness to make her believable. In fact, she may be the most kick-butt of Kenyon’s “mortal” heroines. This woman can fight alongside the best of them, and Kenyon has done a great job of explaining how a mere human can kick Daimon butt.

One rather interesting thing about this novel is that this is the first Dark-Hunter book that left certain questions hanging for Susan and Ravyn, unlike with other couples in the series. It’s hard to say whether there’ll be more about them in the future, but they make for a great couple.

And Dark-Hunter fans, don’t forget about Acheron. While this isn’t Ash’s story, there are some interesting developments you won’t want to miss. At least one major event will leave you shell-shocked and begging for more.

Don’t miss this installment. If you do, take it up with Ash.

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
7/30/2006

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