Review: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Retribution is the twentieth book in the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon and a Paranormal Romance from St. Martin’s Press.


Book Blurb:


Harm no human.


A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he'd spend eternity protecting the humans he'd once considered prey.


Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief - Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.


A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster.


Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who's assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he's not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.


Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they've sworn to protect.


My thoughts:


William Jessup Brady, also known as Sundown, was betrayed in 1873 by the one person he trusted.  Crying out for vengeance, his plea reached the ears of Artemis - and another Dark Hunter was born.


Now 138 years later, Jess has been transferred to Las Vegas to help with the Daimon outbreak.  But there is something more going on - Dark Hunters are being killed.
By a human.  A human woman leading a group of Daimons.


Unheard of.


Abigail Yager lost her parents when she four years old - at the hands of Sundown Brady. She has spent the subsequent years with her foster family training for one thing - to find and kill all Dark Hunters - especially Jess Brady.


Jess and Abigail meet on the streets of Vegas and Abby is determined to put Jess down - permanently.  But there are other players in town - players that neither Jess nor Abby are familiar with - and they have their own agenda.  


Sadly, Retribution is not my favorite installment in the Dark Hunter series.  I think it has something to do with the Vegas locale, as opposed to New Orleans.  I missed Sanctuary and the usual players.


Retribution introduced new players and new lore - and it was interesting enough - but I didn’t love it.


I was very pleased with the 19 page bonus scene that included Ash, Tory, Simi and Artie - it was my favorite part of Retribution.


I give Retribution 3 out of 5 stars.




Product Details


    Hardcover: 432 pages
    Publisher: St. Martin's Press (8-2-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 0312546599
    ISBN-13: 978-0312546595