Dream Chaser

The two main characters Xypher and Simone met during one of her work investigations of a death and the disappearance of the body of the dead lady. Unknowingly that she is a half Daimon and human. Her father was a Damion who fall in love with a human women. The love change his life and his will to living. They both were tired together or bond together as a means to kill Xypher. One part of the sacrifice made by both just have their lives together got the the broker Jaden. Made him give them the live that both truly deserved. This great book and well deserved of the time reading and listening.

As much as I've gone off the romance genre as a whole, and paranormal romances in particular, I do still enjoy Sherrilyn Kenyon's stories, perhaps its the fabulous blendings of mythologies and popular culture, or maybe the world that is so deep and intertwined with real world mythology that calls to me. Whatever it is I do adore coming back to New Orleans (or any of the other cities she uses) and meeting more of the fascinating characters. In Dream Chasers it's Xypher, the half-demon half-god, who is paired up with Simone a human in an attempt to take his life. Thrown in some Charonte demons, Julian the oracle and some of the Peltiers and you have a whole bunch of my favourites back in town. I really must hunt down Xedrix's story and read it though.

Even with a packed weekend, I managed to squeeze in the latest two Dream Hunter novels by Kenyon, because I actually found them enjoyable- much to my shock. (I was less than impressed with the first two Dream Hunter novels, hence the reason it took me so long to get to these two.)In Dream Chaser, Xypher, because of his actions in the Dark Hunter novel Devil May Cry, has been released from imprisonment in Hades- for one month. He only has that amount of time to redeem himself or be sent back to hell (Tarturus) forever.But Xypher doesn't know he can get out of his eternal damnation if he proves he's worthy of humanity and certainly doesn't care- all he cares about is wreaking vengeance on the Goddess who put him there.Simone Dubois is a medical examiner in New Orleans where exposure to the paranormal is just a day in the park. For her particularly, because she can see- and communicate with- ghosts.When she's called in to investigate an apparent zombie attack, she somehow manages to get handcuffed to the rudest man she's ever met. Sure he's a looker, but who cares when they have the personality of a bear.Soon enough they discover the handcuffs are more than they seem, and find they are magically tied together-if one dies, they both die. Of course Xypher wants nothing more than to get them off- he has a mission to complete after all- but as he spends time with the frustrating woman he begins thinking less of his need for vengeance and more about how he wants to stay with her forever.Meanwhile the woman who Xypher wants dead is equally interested in his death. The evil goddess Satara, sister to Daimon King Stryker, has sent a killing demon after them but her plans are about to turn on her because its this act of evil that will set up the circumstances for Xypher's redemption.I was pleasantly surprised with Dream Chaser. I loved Xypher & Simone's love story and the race to stay a step ahead of Satara kept the pages turning.I wish I hadn't held off on this one because it had some interesting lead-ins to Ash's story (Acheron) AND it's also invaluable for the Dark Hunter Novel, One Silent Night.Of course Kenyon's repetitive themes: the wise cracking side kick and give-me-a-Happily-Ever-After-or-the-world-ends plot was present here as well- but yet, somehow... I couldn't get enough.Dream Chaser is a fun, fast paranormal romantic read no matter what anyone says.

Dream Chaser
3 Stars

A carbon copy of virtually every other book in the series. At least it isn’t as excruciating to read as Once Upon a Midnight Clear.

Xypher’s tortured hero status does not live up to its potential. Perhaps Kenyon has overdone this theme to the point of desensitization because Xypher’s suffering does not evoke any emotional reaction. Yes, he was betrayed by the woman he supposedly loved (haven't we seen this before … over and over?) and he was punished for centuries (again, been there, seen that…). Where is the originality in the characterization?

Simone is also similar to so many of Kenyon’s heroines - generous and caring, understanding and self-sacrificing. She can also kick ass along with the best of them (Tabitha, Katra, etc.) but there is nothing unique or particularly special about her (although she can see ghosts, which is kind of cool but completely underdeveloped and can’t hold a candle to Charley Davidson).

As to the romance, Simone and Xypher go from contempt to attraction to love in no time at all and have zero chemistry. There is also very little progression of the overall story arc aside from the introduction of Jaden, who is quite intriguing and we will apparently be seeing more of him. Hopefully, his book (if he gets one) will be better than this one.

Next up is Acheron - really hope it lives up to the hype.

Audio- I almost skipped this book. The last dream Hunter book just did nothing for me. This one woke up my need for the Hunter world. This edition to the series has strong ties to the Dark Hunters, with a few characters overlapping into the story. It was exciting, mysterious, romantic, and set in New Orleans !
Simone Dubois and Dream-Hunter Xypher are the perfect mix of hot and cold. They are trapped together, and boy oh boy talk about opposites. Snicker** this is where the fun starts. They torture each other by pushing those buttons and some how growing closer. He fights it more than her but he needs her to stay alive so he can full fill his greatest desire revenge.
Dead bodies start showing up and there is something not right when the bodies get up and walk away. Simone is the medical examiner and is called in to advise on these deaths. What she finds out sends her and Xypher on a path that will change her and his future forever.
Blood, ghosts, death and evil.

Loved it! It made me remember the early Dark Hunter's books and all the fuzzy and warm feelings it gave me. Sim and Xypher were great together and had an amazing chemistry, which made the story that much better. I loved the plot and how it hooked to Acheron's one. Can't wait!

The last few Dark-Hunter books were kind of so-so for me, so it was nice to finally find another story in this series that engaged my attention better. Not to mention, I'm thrilled to finally be caught up to Acheron which is the book in the series I've been waiting to read for a long, long time. Although I've been tempted to skip ahead several times, I didn't want to miss any crucial pieces of the overall story arc. Therefore, I've been patiently biding my time and reading every book and short story in the series in order, hoping it will be worth the effort.The hero of Dream Chaser is Xypher. He's pretty much a typical Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dark-Hunter hero: tall, dark, handsome, and deeply tortured. After being betrayed by Satara, he was killed and has spent centuries being physically tortured by Hades in Tartarus. Hades made a bargain with Katra in Devil May Cry to allow Xypher out for one month in order for him to help her and Sin stop the Dimme, a particular type of demon that could bring about the end of the world. Xypher is half-god, half-demon, and was raised by his demon mother's family, so he's never really known any gentleness or love in his life. When he took up his Dream-Hunter side and met Satara in the dream world, he was easily manipulated by her false declarations of love. For her, he turned Skoti and did some terrible things before the gods finally 'put him down.' He spent his time in Tartarus nursing a need for vengeance, and now that he's temporarily free, he's determined to find a way to get into Kalosis and kill Satara before his time is up and he has to return to hell. When the story opens, Xypher is pretty much acting like a big jerk, but after all that he's been through is revealed, his attitude is pretty understandable. There are certain aspects of his character that were very sympathetic, such as the fact that he spent his first week on Earth with nothing to eat, only the clothes on his back, and no place to sleep. When Simone starts showing him even the smallest kindness, like buying him a meal, he's completely suspicious of her motives, which really tugs at the heartstrings. However, from there, he seems to turn around fairly quickly, with few repercussions from all the torment he's suffered through the years. I personally would have preferred more focus on Xypher overcoming his past and learning to trust again, but instead we get him and Simone embroiled in a supernatural serial killer mystery which didn't leave a lot of time for exploring his feelings. Most of his turnaround felt like it was being told rather than shown.Simone is a very sweet, lovely young woman. She is a medical examiner who currently teaches at the university and only works in the field when her good friend and fellow ME, Tate, calls her in. She thinks that she's some sort of medium or psychic, because she can see ghosts and sometimes talk to dead people. This part of the story reminded me a little bit of the short-lived TV series Tru Calling, although if memory serves, Simone's and Tru's powers work quite a bit differently. This is an intriguing ability I would have liked to see her use a little more, but it really only comes into play during the first few chapters. Despite her ability and knowing Tate is a Dark-Hunter squire, her knowledge of the supernatural world is still pretty limited. When she meets Xypher in a dark alley after being attacked by Daimons and suddenly finds herself essentially handcuffed to the guy, she really has no idea what's she's in for but along the way finds out some surprising things about herself. Simone bore witness to the murder of her mother and brother when she was just a child, sometime later found her father's body after he committed suicide, and spent three years in a children’s home before being adopted, so she's had a really rough life too. Maybe it's because at some time in the past, she came to terms with her all-consuming bitterness and need for vengeance, maybe it was because she channeled that energy into becoming an ME to fight the bad guys, or maybe it was because she had her ghost friend, Jesse, to keep her company and keep her sane. Whatever the reasons, she didn't really come across as what I would call tortured, but because of her past, she did understand Xypher's burning need for revenge even though initially he's pretty reticent. I also like how she just intuitively 'gets' him and doesn't easily take offense at his barbs. Instead, she usually lets them roll right off her as she keeps trying to reach him.The secondary cast is interesting and varied with several carry-over characters from other Dark-Hunter books. As side-kicks go, Jesse was a pretty amusing one. He died in a car accident in the 1980's and is perpetually stuck at the age of seventeen. Having come of age myself in the 80's, I couldn't help liking him and his obsession with the pop culture of that era. If I'm remembering correctly, Tate has only come into the story in the past when a Dark-Hunter needed to be removed from a sticky situation during day-light hours, so it was nice to see him at work here, although his job seems to be primarily finding creative ways to falsify reports on supernatural killings. We get to see the Native American, Were-Hunter doctor, Carson, again. I like him and wouldn't mind seeing him as a hero in a future book of the series. Other past and future main characters who pop in for a visit: Julian (Fantasy Lover), Stryker (One Silent Night), Dev Peltier (No Mercy), and or course, Acheron (Acheron), although I have to admit that Acheron has been losing some of his edge lately, even though it pains me to say so. He used to be a major scene-stealer, but I haven't found that to be the case as much in these last few books. I certainly hope this changes in his book and he returns to the Ash I know and love. Last but not least, Dream Chaser introduces Jaden. We don't exactly know what he is, just that he's an ancient being who is very powerful and for a price, can grant his summoner the means to do almost anything. I've heard rumors that Jaden will get his own book somewhere down the line and like with Acheron, it will be a pivotal one in the series story arc. When Jaden first appeared, I wasn't sure I liked him very much, but by the end, I was starting to warm up to him. However, the cynical part of me feels like he's merely being set up as a replacement for Acheron since Ash will presumably be largely out of the picture after the next book of the series. Just enough is told about Jaden in this book to make him seem like an Ash clone, but I'll try to keep an open mind if I decide to continue with the series after Ash's book.Although I thought Dream Chaser was one of the better books in the series, at least among the more recent ones I've read, it still had some weaknesses. For starters, it seemed a little too similar in plot to the first book in the series, Night Pleasures, which also had the hero and heroine handcuffed together temporarily and a heroine who discovers her supernatural powers. As with all of the Dark-Hunter books, there were things that changed or simply occurred at the convenience of the plot. This is something I've never liked, but it wasn't as egregious in this book as some of the others. Probably the most bothersome thing was what happened with the Dimme. I can't say much more without giving away a spoiler, but after the intense battle to keep them locked up in Devil May Cry, it seemed like a bit of stretch. However, I guess I'll just go with it, because if there's one thing I've learned while reading this series, it's that no matter how frustrating something is, you can't fight it. The other main issue I had was that I didn't feel the emotional connection both between the hero and heroine, and with them as a reader, in the way I would have liked. There were some scenes where it was difficult to stay in the moment, and I think a large part of this was because of Ms. Kenyon's penchant for head hopping. I would no sooner get adjusted to the scene from Xypher's POV, than it changed to Simone's or vise versa. Sometimes the author switched back and forth between them several times within one scene, making it very hard to get into each character's mindset and also interrupting the building emotion of the scene. For me as a reader, it is sometimes nice to see one character through the other one's eyes as they observe their reactions and intuit what they might be thinking rather than always knowing. Otherwise, Dream Chaser is a decent story that mostly held my attention, and like I mentioned earlier, I'm relieved to finally be able to read Ash's book next. After that, all bets are off. Lately, I've been feeling like the Dark-Hunter series is getting a little long in the tooth and needs to be put to rest, but as I understand it, there are gobs more books yet to come. With that in mind, it remains to be seen if I'll be able to stay loyal to a series that only occasionally floats my boat these days.

I am still not a fan of the Dream Hunters. I did like the story, but it wasn't as good as I was hoping for when I started. I'm tired of the all of the sudden, the hunter gets their happy ending. A lot of them seem forced. This one wasn't as bad, but it seems like it was twisted at the end to make the happy ending.I still am enjoying Kenyon's writing, so I will keep plodding on. Especially since Acheron is the next book... finally... back to the Dark Hunters.

I loved Xyper's story! He so needed a happy ending and he got it! That's another thing I love about this author, she makes you love her characters rooting and cheering through the whole book.

I was underwhelmed by the last two Dream Hunter books. I felt the characterization was weak and the romances had little basis. Moreover, they lacked the familiarity of the D-H world. Thankfully, this novel hit the mark perfectly. I was engrossed from the very beginning and did not put the book down until I finished it.Xypher was interesting and three-dimensional - he was more than simply "I have no emotion, but I like yours, so let's be a couple." I liked him and his bad attitude. And I felt the same for his heroine, Simone. This is very likely because not only is she more than she seems, she has a tenuous knowledge of the D-H world. Her best friend and colleague is a squire so Xypher didn't have to hide his nature the entire book. They felt like real people, albeit in Kenyon's world. This was readily apparent in the dialog. They bickered, bantered and teased their way to a familiarity on which a romance could be based. There was a lot of humor and sarcasm that the last two books just didn't have. Yes, there was sexual attraction (and some hot sex in the second half), but also understanding and intimacy. I was also happy to return to the D-H world, including Sanctuary, with cameos from Julian, Acheron and our favorite baddies. This book felt like it was part of, and added to, the mythology of the D-H world.I do agree with other reviewers that the heroes are getting somewhat cookie-cutter: extremely sexy, ripped and cocky (pun intended) men who really only differ by their eye and hair color. However, I read Kenyon for escapism and that is a trademark of the D-H series. Overall, I felt this was closer in quality to the first few books of the series and one I would read again. Highly recommended!

Another good story - I enjoy them I really do, they are a great escape, but for me its marred by sloppy writing (and editing by extension) and the characters lack consistency in parts.

The best part about this book is the introduction of the demon broker. Apart from that, rather ho-hum.

Ok so I think I have changed my mind: Were's are still my fav in the series but the Dream-Warriors have taken 2nd place with the Dark Hunters third. Though really I think I like the "good" Demons over all :) This was a really good book with some twists and turns I did not always seem coming. The two leads were both likable and stubborn. The supporting characters were fun and it was great to see a whole other side to the lore. My only real complaint was not enough of the "demo...more Ok so I think I have changed my mind: Were's are still my fav in the series but the Dream-Warriors have taken 2nd place with the Dark Hunters third. Though really I think I like the "good" Demons over all :) This was a really good book with some twists and turns I did not always seem coming. The two leads were both likable and stubborn. The supporting characters were fun and it was great to see a whole other side to the lore. My only real complaint was not enough of the "demon broker" but I think his book will be down the line :)

Xypher has been given one month to be spent on earth by Hades to redeem himself. If he fails he will be endure the punishment of eternal torture. Redemption meand nothing to Xypher and decides to use his free time to get revenge on the one who caused him to fall. Simone Dubois is excellent at her job as a medical examiner. She has one advantage that others don't, she can see the dead. A gift that brings justice to those who have been wronged.Xypher needs Simone's help to open a portal to a hell relm in order to fight the demons. She must help him and in the process save him from an eternity of torture

Xypher is a half god/half demon and a Phobotory Skotos who used to bring nightmares to others before he was betrayed and spent centuries in his own nightmare of torment by the god, Hades. When Hades grants Xypher one month of freedom to seek revenge on his betrayer, he is determined that nothing will stop him.Simone Dubois is a teacher and medical examiner whose insights into the strange and unusual give her the ability to help solves crimes of the most horrendous nature. While at a crime scene she is suddenly accosted by a herd of daimons and saved by the wildest man she could have imagined. Now their lives are bound together and both Xypher and Simone have to learn to help each other to keep themselves alive.This Dream Hunter story was definitely a step up from the last I read, although it still doesn't match the quality of some of her former Dark Hunter novels. I enjoyed the characters, particularly Jesse, the ghost and I really liked the relationship between Jesse and Simone. It didn't hurt that I was also a teen of the '80s and loved many of the music and groups that Kenyon named during the course of the book. I liked Xypher too, but I did feel his complete personality about face was rather sudden. I think it would have been more believable if it had been a more gradual shift. The part with the Charonte demons sparked a memory and its driving me a little crazy trying to remember where they came in to this series before. Oh well, that's the curse of a bad memory!Overall I did enjoy the story although it did seem quite reminiscent of a few of her past books and I continue to look forward to continuing on with the series.

Background on my reading: Before my writer's conference last weekend, I knew Sherrilyn Kenyon was one of the major romance writers in attendance. I had no idea how fanatic her following is, or that the wait in line for her autograph was over an hour long. She was the keynote speaker at our Friday dinner and spoke of the obstacles to not only getting published, but to staying published. She had spilled a drink on her speech, too, which made her and everyone else laugh when she couldn't read a section. When I spoke to her during the book signing, she was very sweet and encouraging and wanted to know how conference was for me and if I'd had any agent requests (yes!) and she even squeezed my hand for good luck. That means a lot coming from someone who is such a huge success and a #1 New York Times bestseller.The book Dream Catcher was one of many free books I was given during the conference. I've never read any of Sherrilyn Kenyon's novels, nor any other paranormal romance. I read very little romance, period. I found this book quite fascinating and compelling. She has created a vast and detailed world that involves all the major pantheons of gods; this book focused most on the Greek, Sumerian, and Atlantean deities. The characters felt very real, complete with a plethora of pop culture references (even one to Hannah Montana), and it was believable. The sex scenes were inevitable, but at that point both of the characters had matured and it felt... well... right. Yes, it had some of the same flow that one would expect with a romance novel, but it was still a refreshing approach. I wouldn't mind reading more of her books.

Excellent addition to the Kenyon's world. In this outing, we head back to New Orleans where Medical Examiner Simone sees ghosts and other supernatural things and runs into Dream Hunter Xypher, out for vengeance. One nice feature of this book is we get to see a few characters from past novels that we haven't seen for awhile.

Xpher is a dead Dream Hunter. A bargain with Hades has given him one short month of "life" during which he intends to hunt down and kill his betrayer, Satara. Fate intervenes in his plans in the form a pair of gold bracelets binding him to medical examiner Simone Dubois. Poor Simone has her own problems -- she sees dead people.Somewhat better than Kenyon's recent offerings, but still fairly formulaic and it has some plot holes. The storyline seems forced and rushed at the same time, with familiar characters tossed in where convenient and unfamiliar characters (who will probably have their own books soon) introduced willy-nilly with no real regard for character development. It wasn't terrible, but early books in the Dark Hunter series were written with more attention to detail. For a treat, try Night Play or Night Embrace for well-developed (no pun intended) heroines with attitude and love interests that really smolder.