Night Huntress (Sisters of the Moon, Book 5)
by Yasmine Galenorn
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Book Reviews of Night Huntress (Sisters of the Moon, Book 5)
Book Review: Lost its way
Summary: 3 Stars
I wanted to like Night Huntress a lot more than I did. To me Yasmine Galenorn created a series that was a perfect blend of Urban and High Fantasy. The series revolves around three (not quite human) sisters, placed here from OW (a traditional High Fantasy land) who are on a quest to find and protect 9 seals that united by the evil Shadow Wing will allow the barriers between OW, Earth and the underworld inhabited by demons and the like, to fall and cause armageddon. I used to play Dungeons and Dragons and, like many others, tried to find a way of playing my D&D characters in a modern day setting. The Sisters of the Moon series was the story I didn't have the imagination to tell.
So I am extremely disappointed that I find myself less and less enthralled by the books. There are a number of reasons. For starters I think that YG made a mistake when she cast the novels in first person. There is so much action that we don't get to see because the narrator isn't present at the encounter that it gets frustrating. Action instead of exposition. Show instead tell. Anyone writer or reader can tell you that's one of the rules of storytelling, but the format is forcing more and more exposition because the sisters can't be everywhere at one time.
SPOILERS
However I think that the series really fails when it comes to the romantic relationships. There seems to be a rule in UF series that the butt kicking heroine must be entangled with multiple men at one time; and that the men can't be good for her. So Delilah, who has been having a relationship with Chase, a full blooded human (FBH) who runs the Fey-FBH CSI task force turns from a pretty decent guy to a cad. And, we find out, he's been a cad to women for his whole life. Delilah, hurt, turns to Zach, a werepuma who is absolutely perfect for her. He understands her changeling side, is crazy about her, and is gorgeous to boot. But when Chase gets himself kidnapped and everyone goes off to rescue him Delilah decides that she *loves* Chase. In one of the sickliest scenes in UF today, her dagger comes to life because of her ability to love true. Chase is rescued. And in the end Chase and Delilah try to give their relationship another shot-while Zach recovers from having his back broken saving Chase's life.
As an end note, it's hard to root for a relationship on paper, where in reality I'd tell the couple to break up and get therapy
Book Review: Night Huntress
Summary: 5 Stars
Nothing comes easy for the D'Artigo sisters these days. That is a thought that Delilah has when it seems that Hags of Fate are messing with her this time. She is already a Death Maiden for the Autumn Lord, a changeling that can now be either her tabby self or a panther; and if that isn't enough her boyfriend, Chase, wakes saying another woman's name. Now all at once Delilah has a mission to complete for the Autumn Lord and at the same time she learns of where the fourth spirit seal is and that they must get it before Karvanak does.
Both missions are completed and successful; life should be good - right? Well maybe not quite as Delilah learns that the Autumn Lord has future plans for her and then Karvanak kidnaps Chase. Just how is she going to rescue him without risking Earth or the Otherworld? With the help of her sisters, their friends, magic and a whole lot of luck.
What's a girl to do when she is part Fae, part human and just wants a normal romance? Delilah is going to have to figure it out in Night Huntress if she is ever going be happy. Delilah is suddenly faced with knowledge that can destroy her love life while she has to risk her life for another of the spirit seals. Finding her true path will risk the lives of all those she loves. I have truly loved each of the D'Artigo sisters, but Delilah grabs my heart the most as she is the softest of them. I have found there is just something about her that makes you want to shield her from the harshest parts of life, while I know she must face the hardships. There is danger, horror, suspense and magic that will keep you flipping pages just to see what will happen next and to whom - I know I did. But mostly I found there is a deep love that helps the sisters, their lovers and friends face every turn both good and bad. In Night Huntress I learned even more about Delilah and some of what her future just might be and an ending that made me cheer.
Night Huntress is the fifth book in the Sisters of the Moon series and this is a series I would recommend that you read in order. Each book builds upon the other to tell each addition to the sisters and their mission. But fair warning, the series can be addicting and then you will be with the rest of us who count the days between each book release.
Jo
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Book Review: Night Huntress Makes the Inner Kitty Purr!
Summary: 5 Stars
The D'Artigo Sisters are back as the fight against Shadow Wing rages on. This time it's Delilah, the half-human, half-Fae werecat who has more on her plate than even she can stomach. And she loves to eat!
The maniacal demon who got his grimy fingers on the third Spirit Seal is back and it's up to the girls and their allies to find the fourth Spirit Seal before Karvanak can. As if that weren't enough, Delilah's dealing with issues of her own when it seems her world spins out of control.
Can she continue to put her trust in Chase? Or should she end her relationship with her FBH (full-blood-human) boyfriend? Would she be better off in a relationship with someone like Zachary Lyonnesse- a werepuma who would understand her more fully?
Would she ever know the truth about whether she had a twin and when she finds out what the Autumn Lord truly wants from her, it hits her like a ton of brick to realize she is bound to him not only as his Death Maiden, but he also has something special in mind for her. There's no turning back and it's a price she must pay in full eventually, whether she wants to or not.
But when Karvanak kidnaps Chase, in order to blackmail the girls for the fourth Spirit Seal and his former associate, Vanzir, the dream chaser-- Delilah must find a way to save Chase without ruining their chances of saving both worlds. Not only does she learn to unleash her panther side, but she also learns a little bit about the power of love.
Just as with each book before this one, I was glued to the page, anticipating what would happen next, holding my breath during the tough battles and sobbing through some of the most emotional scenes I've encountered in quite some time. Yasmine Galenorn has a magical way with words and storytelling and quite frankly swept me away in this newest release in the Otherworld Series. My heart ached for all that Delilah discovers throughout this book, not just about others, but about herself. Truly brilliant and now my favorite in the series.
I highly recommend Night Huntress- I recommend the entire series.
Book Review: Cheaters deserve the boot, not a smooch; there's no romance here
Summary: 2 Stars
Plot Summary: The three D'Artigo sisters are half-fae, half-human beings who have been banished to our realm. This book focuses on Delilah, who can transform into a tabby cat or a panther, and her quest to recover the `spirit seals' before a demon general can rip open the portals to the otherworlds. A busload of supernaturals are constantly hanging around together, and the group functions more like a clique than a family. None of the characters could warm me up, and a few I downright hated. It was like wandering into a Star Trek convention full of earnest fools wearing rubber Spock ears and speaking in Klingon. It's just not for me.
Until I reached the end, I thought this would be an okay read. But the romance turned me off so badly, it's like I have visions of a naked Margaret Thatcher dancing in my head. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I like my romance characters to remain faithful to each other. Catching my boyfriend banging an ex-girlfriend on his desk would be a deal-breaker. It's also a bit gross to have them talk about having an "open relationship," which I suppose is a euphemism for sleeping with whomever they please. Instead of showing me a romantic fantasy world, Galenorn has held up a model of my worst nightmare.
I found the heroine Delilah to be immature, mouthy, and only mildly endearing. It was hard to get a bead on her, because nearly every scene contained a menagerie of characters. There were usually no less than five or six people at every interaction, and it felt like I was stuck in some chatty sorority house.
This paranormal world is too dense, too obtuse. It's intricate to the point of being nerdy, like some group of fantasy world wannabes who sit around reveling in complexities that no sane person gives a hoot about. There's a glossary at the back, but it's far from adequate. I was really bored halfway through but soldiered on, and then seeing Delilah end up with schmuck-o made me lose my dinner.
Book Review: Strictly Fun
Summary: 4 Stars
I had trouble rating this one. For sheer enjoyment I'd give it a four out of five; it's really fun, with plenty of wacky characters and wild ideas. However, I do have a couple of stylistic niggles.
First, combat felt a wee bit too much like a D&D session to me. Things were over-described a lot (such as where each exit was in a room). Even though the characters acknowledge early on in one major raid on a demon-infested house that their opponents probably have preternatural hearing AND already know they're there, they stand around in the hallway debating and planning strategy endlessly.
Second, if I'm going to read erotic romance novels then I'm willing to set aside a certain amount of my normal sensitivity to overwrought description. That only goes so far, however, and a line that describes a lover's... ahem... as "a white-hot match that reached into my center to ignite my flame" just makes me snicker.
Finally, I found I couldn't buy into the love plot, which is tough on a romance (although since Chase, Delilah's boyfriend, isn't around for much of the book, it isn't as bad as you'd think). I realize the author seems to want to make some sort of point about not giving up on troubled relationships with imperfect people, but Chase comes across as enough of a jackass, and the author just doesn't make me believe in some sort of all-overcoming love between the two of them, that I seriously found myself cheering on Zach, the competition for Delilah's affections. Maybe this is one of those things I would have been able to get on board with if I'd read the previous books.
I realize that after spending so much space on what I didn't like, I've probably made it sound as though I didn't enjoy Night Huntress. However, that isn't the case. There's plenty of action, suspense, and wacky human-fae politics to keep things jumping, and I loved reading about all of that. Consider my rating a 3.5---higher if my stylistic issues don't bother you.