Sherrilyn Kenyon, Seize the Night

Seize the Night

Sherrilyn Kenyon

St. Martin's, Jan 2005, $6.99, 339 pp.

ISBN: 0312992432

Valerius Magnus was the son of an Ancient Roman Senator and a successful General until he traded his soul to become a Dark-Hunter. Centuries later he still hunts vampires, but remains alone as his peers are Greeks who hold a bias that has led to an unfriendly rivalry just because he is a Roman.

In New Orleans, mortal Tabitha Devereaux represents a new breed of vampire hunter who has proven her worth without bartering her soul. Val meets her while she battles the undead. She stabs him during the melee so afterward she takes him home. Tabitha realizes that his haughty aloofness is a front to hide his hurt and fear of rejection; she plans to peel away his armor. However, as she sets in motion her plan, a dangerous vampire surfaces with a powerful grudge from his previous life; his objective is to destroy Tabitha's extended family, which forces two Dark Hunters to either end their feud or watch their loved ones die.

The latest Dark Hunter tale is one of the best tales this terrific series has to offer as the exciting storyline contains plenty of action, deep characterizations (including the return of the stars of NIGHT PLEASURES) that provide additional light on the origins of the good guys, and a strong romance. Val is an interesting protagonist because though almost two thousand years have passed since his changeover he remains an aristocrat deep into his soul, which makes the earthly Tabitha his total opposite except when it comes to hunting vampires. Readers will embrace the darkness of the Kenyon night seeking other works in this pleasurable series.

Harriet Klausner