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One Silent Night (Dark-Hunter, Book 13) | 
 enlarge | Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Category: Book
Buy New: $6.99
New (52) Used (38) from $2.99
Rating:  80 reviews
Sales Rank: 2700
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.1 x 1
ISBN: 0312947062
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780312947064
ASIN: 0312947062
Publication Date: November 4, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
While the world carries on unawares, Stryker, who leads an army of demons and vampires, is plotting an all out onslaught against his enemies—which, unfortunately for us, includes the entire human race. To avenge his sister, Stryker prepares to annihilate the Dark-Hunters. But things go awry when his oldest enemy returns. Enter his ex-wife. Zephyra. Just when he thought nothing could stop him, he’s now embroiled in a centuries old war with a shrew who gives new meaning to pain.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 75 more reviews...
 Waiting for my Old DH series to return November 19, 2008
Betsy
45 out of 49 found this review helpful
I have loved Stryker's character since he first began in the series, but this book was a total let down. The series has become too full of otherworldly characters and lost that bit of human contact that made the series great.
Now, every time one of the lead characters fall in love there is an easy out their HEA(Happily ever after for those unfamiliar) Stryker's heroine is his exwife from 11000 plus years ago and not worth my time she was so unlikeable. The fact that she tortured one of the characters Jared that we fans know is to be another Arc of the story was just a yawn we just went through that with Ash for years dealing with Artemis.
War was the best part of the book and it became kind of bland in the end. There was a bit of interesting dynamic in which Stryker, Ash and Nick had to work together, but it was much too brief.
Also, Savitar another character I adore basically got his whole HEA set up with the basic love/hate thing S.K. has started to make her central theme with what I am sure will be his relationship with Ash's mother Apollymi.
There was promise but the story just seemed as if it was an after thought, as if the author, said, well since we are beginning a new section of the story let's just throw out the whole history of the series.
Unlike others I personally adored the once great play between the Dark Hunters, Dream Hunters, Were Hunters and now even the baddies like Stryker, I'll base this on the male leads but it seems to me that it was much better when the women they came across weren't all superwomen who all knew Judo, Karate or could kick butt with the guys. I don't have anything against it but it's almost like I preferred the opposites attract angle she began the series with like in the first 6 or 7 books. Although there was the supernatural elements the heroine wasn't always perfect. They had depth and I loved to find out what happened next.
In Stryker's story I found it hard to sympathize or even care of his relationship with Zephyra. Yes, they once loved each other and although a bad guy Stryker was always one to go by his Honor. But adding his HEA as a demonic hit woman for Artemis who keeps a slave to torture and do her bidding just was too unlikable for me.
Even the similar story line from Devil May Cry where Ash finds out he has a daughter with Artemis and now we have Stryker finding out the same thing was a big yawn. All, I could think was how pitiful it was to read about the basic story of Ash's life.
What would have been good? More of the history of Stryker that was mentioned the horrors that he went through. It was mentioned that he'd been torn apart or something similar and then never mentioned again, by who and when?
And Zephyra yes they loved each other, but she can't forget or forgive what happened those 11,000 years ago? Just too much of nothing. There was not much empathy to the book at all which was so prevelent in previous books.
Between Ash's miracle heroine Tori who became powerful too it's just too many easy outs for a series that was once wonderful with intrigue, twists and just a great spirit.
It always made me happy to read a Sherrilyn Kenyon book because even though I am not those characters the women in the beginning were likeable and unique.
One Silent Night like Acheron has fallen into what appears to be a fill in the blanks style of writing.
A. Hero is this and can't have a human love interest for whatever reason.
B. Female either is supernatural already or has to get great powers too.
I am not against the Gods, Goddesses and other otherworldly creatures getting their happy ending but make it exciting, wonderful, not just a repetition of old ideas.
Bad pun but bring back the magic. The days of Bride and Vane, Tabitha & Valerius, Grace & Julian, Zarek & Astrid, Talon & Sunshine and Kyrian & Amanda.
What happened Sherrilyn? November 12, 2008
Jazzy (NYC)
33 out of 40 found this review helpful
I found this book a terrible read. Not a worthy addition to Sherrilyn's writing. She's introducing so many characters and so many wild explanations about what is occuring in her Dark hunter world that I can hardly keep up. How the heck is Nick a gallu demon clothnian, Malachi or whatever the heck he is. Things have gone just way to far off kilter even for Sherilyn's world. I realize that authors evolve, but man this is just ridiculous. I long for a good old fashioned dark hunter novel now or even a werehunter novel. Too many characters have crowded into Sherilyn's world.
In this book, stryker, Ash's mortal enemy (aside from Nick) has found his soul mate some gallu demon woman from 11,000 years ago. (rolling eyes). More torture as Jared (yet another strange character) is beaten mercilessly for an unknown reason.
I tell you, after this novel, I'm taking a break from Sherilyn's writing and perhaps she needs to as well. I read Ash's novel (I liked it except for the first depressing 400 pages of torture), and the novel before that with Simone a gallu demon and the introduction of the demon broker character.
Now I can't keep up, too many characters, underdeveloped. No indepth story line. Something got lost in her journey towards the 'ever crazy'.
I miss stories like Zarek, in my book, her best dark hunter story to date.
Get back on track Sherilyn.
 I feel like I was just cheated out of six bucks... November 5, 2008
J. Kollasch (Vadnais Heights, MN)
28 out of 33 found this review helpful
I'm not going to go into a lot of plot detail because its been explained before, but I will warn you this, you have to have read at least 80% of the other books in the series in order to know whats going on. As it was I still couldn't remember half of the old plot details from books I've read in the past. If you've read any of the Dark Hunter Series before this you know that Stryker is the evil leader of the Daimons who once partnered with Apollomyi to destroy the human race and is now trying to become the ruler of the world. Son of Apollo but cursed to walk in the darkness like his Daimon brethren he is at the end of his desire to live. He summons War, a demon that does in fact cause War to break out, to kill both Acheron and Nick Gautier, two of his nemesis. In the meantime his ex-wife the equally evil Zephyra is asked by Artemis to kill him but he cons her into living with him for two weeks so he can win her back.
The romance was lukewarm, the character of Stryker as a loving man seemed forced to me. Zephyra, the love interest was mean and cold, which should be a perfect match for Stryker the king of evil, but unfortunately she just seemed like a whiny, ungrateful brat. She also introduces several new characters and plot twists that just add more confusion to an already weird plot. I'm starting to have a hard time keeping up with all of the otherworldly beings and their powers and weird names they have, but maybe I'm just slow. Oh and did I mention that the book is only 310 pages long, which would usually take me a little while to read but it looks like she increased the size of the typeface and spacing to make the book seem longer then it actually is. In total it took me three hours to read, which makes me want my money back. I used to love the Dark Hunters but this book seemed like a forced effort to produce more novels rather than something that took time and heart to write. If this was the first book in a new series I wouldn't have even made the effort to finish the first half of the book. This may be my last Sherrilyn Kenyon novel, but being the stupid person that I am I'm sure I'll buy and read the next crap she produces. If you want to try a new paranormal series that is pretty interesting I would try Kresley Cole's "Immortals After Dark" series.
 Fascinating, empathy building character study of a villain October 26, 2008
Jennifer Ray (Nashville, TN United States)
24 out of 35 found this review helpful
Stryker has finally devised a way to destroy his long-time enemies. To this end, he rouses an ancient evil - War. Virtually unstoppable, War will not rest until his mission is accomplished. But War's agenda reaches far beyond the plans Stryker has, and the world will never be safe while he walks the earth.
Having lost everyone he loved, Stryker was prepared for his own annihilation as long as it meant that of his foes as well.
Enter Zephyra, the ex-wife he never stopped loving. The woman he believed dead centuries ago. The lover he once betrayed.
Zephyra may be intent on killing Stryker herself, but Stryker wants nothing more than to win his way back into her heart for good. Now Stryker has a reason to want to live, he must stop War before it is too late.
How do you take a villain who has long been reviled in a popular series and make him a sympathetic character? You tell the story if his life, the betrayals that turned his heart to stone, the incidents that erased any trace of humanity from his soul until he was left a cold-hearted creature bent on vengeance against a world who wronged him. You show his doubts, his fears, and meet the people he once loved more than life itself.
Believe me, I had misgivings about how Sherrilyn Kenyon would make me actually like Stryker. But this author has never let me down yet, and so I looked forward to ONE SILENT NIGHT with great anticipation.
Ms. Kenyon does indeed show Stryker in all of his faults, never glossing over his misdeeds. Yet she also shows him as a being with a strange, yet somewhat honorable, code of ethics. Yeah, he has no qualms about going after those he deems his enemies, but there are some limits as to just what he'll do to achieve his nefarious goals.
We feel his regret over the way his relationship with his son Urian ended. The loss of his son is something that haunts Stryker without mercy, just as the loss of his other children and grandchildren throughout the centuries has done.
When Zephyra unexpectedly enters his life again, she returns his soul to life, his heart to warmth, and restores in him something long ago lost - hope.
Will Stryker ever change his ways and give up on his vendetta against Acheron, Nick, and humanity as a whole? Only time will tell for sure, but with the return of love in his life, there is a very good chance that Stryker will seek redemption for his past evil. To say more would certainly be a huge spoiler here, and I wouldn't want to spoil the story for other readers.
What I will say is that Sherrilyn Kenyon has succeeded admirably in fleshing out a character who had been easy to despise up to now. After reading this story, I may not like what Stryker does, but I can understand how he became the way he is.
ONE SILENT NIGHT is a fascinating character study exploring just what events create a villain, and demonstrating once again that all creatures have the capacity for good and evil. It is the way we respond to the obstacles and tragedies in our lives that determine who we are.
**Courtesy of Wild on Books**
Series Order:
There are many books in the Dark-Hunter series. For a list of those books in reading order, check my Amazon Listmania list for Sherrilyn Kenyon's HUNTERS series.
"The Old & The Gutless" This book was like a bad corny soap opera. SPOILERS here, but who cares? November 5, 2008
Alyce In Wonderland (Over the hill or underland, or just behind a tree)
17 out of 23 found this review helpful
What a disappointment! So many things were off about this book, I'm not bothering to write a synopsis in my review. I read the first half, then got so bored that I skimmed the second half. Then again, with a type font large enough for my third grader to read, the book was a quicky anyway.
Why the book lost my interest:
1. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Stryker the mean bad-a** Daimon who slaughtered his own son, Urian, in cold blood? How can it be that he is now a teary-eyed sentimental sap, with too much honor to stomach the torturing of slaves? How is it that he is now a voluntarily whipping boy for his ex-wife, Zephyra?
2. The total lack of basis for Zephyra's blood thirsty hatred of her ex-husband. (She wasn't Urian's mother.) I understand... he left her. Yeah, that's it. He walked out on her... 11,000 YEARS AGO! You would think time would have calmed her anger a bit by now. No, she is salivating at the thought of ripping his throat out. Ummmm.... we've all had a relationship go bad, but how many of us wanted to commit violent murder over it? The whole thing was beyond ridiculous.
3. Way too many new uber-powerful characters are popping out of the woodwork. At least three of whom are so powerful they can wring Ash out like a wet rag. That much power, and none of them were heard of until now? It seemed like Kenyon was desperately throwing new faces into the mix to revive the DH storyline.
4. Nick's new found identity... Oh please.
5. Total lack of any actual DH activity. Nothing but gods and demons/Daimons.
6. BORING story. No part of this book got my adrenaline pumping. I was never worried for any of the characters. Never really cared what happened to any of them.
7. The ending... Ugh! Is Kenyon joking? In less than one page, the Daimons are suddenly able to walk in the daylight? After 6 years of this series, one of the main species is rewritten. Unbelievable. Even for fiction.
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