Review: Bad Moon Rising

Title: Bad Moon Rising

Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Dark Hunter/Book 18

Published: August 2009

From the inside cover ~

Fang Kattalakis isn't just a wolf. He is the brother of two of the most powerful members of the Omegrion: the ruling council that enforces the laws of the Were-Hunters. And when war erupts among the lycanthropes, sides must be chosen. Enemies are forced into shaky alliances. And when the woman Fang loves is accused of betraying her people, her only hope is that Fang believes in her. Yet in order to save her, Fang must break the law of his people and the faith of his brothers. That breech could very well spell the end of both their races and change their world forever.

The war is on and time is running out...

Finally, Fang and Aimee's story. They're sort of the Sam and Alyssa of the Dark Hunter world. LOL It seems like we've been waiting a long time for their story. Pretty much since Night Play (book 5). I did read some reviews and heard some grumblings about how Bad Moon Rising was a repeat of what has already been told in previous books. I can see why there might be some less than happy fans, especially if they paid for the hardcover but overall I liked getting Fang and Aimee's POV and what was going on behind those closed doors of theirs. :)

Aimee Peltier is a waitress at her family's restaurant and bar. She's just a normal young woman except for the fact that she's a wereswan, a shape shifter who can turn herself into a bear. I really liked Aimee. She's been in previous books and while I had a sense of who she was, Bad Moon Rising let's the reader into her heart and mind. She's very devoted to her family and has a kind heart for the underdog or underwere (LOL) as the case may be. But don't think she's a pushover. She has brothers galore that have taught her how to stand up for herself, otherwise they would smothered her with their love and protection and she wouldn't be allowed out of their sight.

Fang is such a stubborn, irritating, in-your-face, itching for a fight, pain in the ass hero. LOL Dang, that was a mouthful! He's also one of the most loyal and honorable Were Hunters around. Fang isn't easy to like because he doesn't want to be liked but once you get past that tough guy exterior he's such a wonderful, beautiful and caring individual. Fang had a terrible family life and the only things that made it bearable were his sister Anya and brother Vane. When Anya dies and Markus, their father, has Fang and Vane beaten and left for the Daimons, Fang ends up in the Nether Realm, spending some time in another dimension that leaves him less than whole. I kept hoping he would catch a break and all the bad shit would stop landing at his door. But in this of course wasn't the case, had it been the book would have been a lot shorter.

The plot is one that readers of the series are very familiar with. I kept having a sense of déjà vu. Bad Moon Rising starts before, most notably for me, Vane, Fury and Ash have their HEA so it was a bit odd to have them single and all cranky cause they weren't getting lucky with their mates. Almost all of the book has already been told in previous books so you know the basics of what will happen if you've read them. But Bad Moon Rising is different by giving us Fang and Aimee's POV we get a whole other story of what had been going on that we didn't get to see. With new characters, both good, not so good and all out bad, Kenyon puts a new twist on the old story arc. Some questions are answered while some new ones crop up. There are a number of characters to keep track of and being a lover of graphs, charts and glossaries, I do wish some type of glossary would have been included. Oh, one of my favorite Dark Hunters does spend some time on the page. Valerius in all his well dressed glory showed up to remind me why I like him so much. :)

So would I recommend? Yes, if you're a fan of the series. It's a decent story and I do like Fang and Aimee a lot. It kept me entertained and still wanting to read more from the Dark Hunter world. Is it worth the hardcover price? Hmmm.... that's not so easy to say. I waited and got mine from the library so no cost but my time. If the only way I could have read it was to buy the book new, then I would have waited until I could get it used, which would probably be a long wait. But I'm cheap. :)

Sherrilyn Kenyon has an extensive website with tons of info on her books, characters and worlds. Check it out here but plan on spending time some time looking at the eye candy. :)

Rating: B