Book Review: Inferno by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Inferno by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publish Date: April 9, 2013

Hardcover, 452 pages
ISBN: 9781250002839
Chronicles of Nick #4
 

My Review:
I love the Chronicles of Nick. Getting the back story on one of my favorite characters in the Dark Hunter novels is really great and Inferno is another good installment.

So Nick is back and he has girl trouble and of course paranormal trouble, but thankfully he has friends at his side to cover his back. I loved seeing glimpses of Bubba and Mark but missed having them more in the book. Caleb plays the most major role besides Nick in the book and it was interesting to see more of his back story. Nick continues to fight his true nature and there is some growth in this book, but it wasn't as much as in the past. Seeing the glimpses into the future was also really interesting and very foreboding. I am intrigued to see where Nick and the others go in the next book and from the ending the next one should definitely be entertaining.

The action is good in this one as well. It lost me a few times, but was well worth finishing the read. Books in a series are like that, one is stellar, the next one not-as-much but again, worth reading and I'm not abandoning this series anytime soon. But for some reason this one just didn't grab me as much as the others in the series did. It could just be me, because it has a high Goodreads rating. But then everyone is different.

Inferno is a good installment in the Chronicles of Nick. While it wasn't my favorite, it was still highly entertaining if just for more of Nick and his smart mouth. There is good action, interesting new characters and definitely a new baddie in town, so if you love Nick and love this series, make sure you grab this one. I just wish it wasn't almost a year until the next one. I love me some Nick!

My rating: 4.0/5.0

About the Book:
The heat is on, and a new threat to humanity has risen…

Nick has his driver’s license and he’s not afraid to use it. But turning sixteen isn’t what he thought it would be. While other boys his age are worried about prom dates and applying for college, Nick is neck deep in enemies out to stop him from living another day. No longer sure if he can trust anyone, his only ally seems to be the one person he’s been told will ultimately kill him.

But life spent serving the undead is anything except ordinary. And those out to get him have summoned an ancient force so powerful even the gods fear it. As Nick learns to command and control the elements, the one he must master in order to combat his latest foe is the one most likely to destroy him. As the old proverb goes, fire knows nothing of mercy, and if Nick is to survive this latest round, he will have to sacrifice a part of himself. However, the best sacrifice is seldom the sanest move. Sometimes it’s the one that leaves your enemies confused, and you even more so.

And sometimes, you have to trust your enemy to save your friends. But what do you do when that enemy is you?

About the Author (from Goodreads):
Sherrilyn Kenyon lives a life of extraordinary danger... as does any woman with three sons, a husband, a menagerie of pets and a collection of swords that all of the above have a fixation on. But when not running interference (or dashing off to the emergency room), she's found chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary friends. With more than ten million copies of her books in print in 26 countries, she certainly has many friends to play with.

Writing as Kinley MacGregor and Sherrilyn Kenyon, she is the author of several series, including The Dark-Hunters, Brotherhood of the Sword, Lords of Avalon, Nevermore, BAD (Bureau of American Defense), Sex Camp Diaries, The MacAllisters and Sea Wolves.

Her books have appeared in the top five of the New York Times, Publisher's Weekly, and USA Today lists.

Website
Twitter
Facebook

***I received this book from my local library for my reading pleasure.  I was not compensated in any way for this review.  ***

ArmchairBEA Day 2: Genre Fiction

Today's discussion from ArmchairBEA is Genre Fiction, which is one of my favorite types of books to read.  Which genre do I prefer?  Since I've been blogging I think I have read just about everything, but if I had to pick an all-around favorite I think it would be a toss-up between Romance and Mystery/Thriller.  Now I could go one step further and say I prefer contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, erotic romance and romantic suspense.  There are probably a few other types mixed in as well as you know if you are familiar with the romance genre. Just like I lumped together Mystery/Thriller, but there are political thrillers, medical thrillers, cozy mysteries, regular mystery, etc.  Once upon a time I remember it was just called Romance or Thriller or Mystery, but now there are so many wonderful books of all types out there that these additional classifications seem to help narrow down the field for those that aren't scouring blogs, Amazon, Shelf Awareness or have publicists sending them wonderful announcements.

 

But back to the questions from ArmchairBEA:

 

If you’re a reader of genre fiction do you have a favourite author or series? Nora Roberts, Stephen King, James Patterson (yes I still read him for sheer entertainment value) will always be go to authors for me.  I seek out their titles from the library when they release.  Joe Hill is another great one and I still love Dean Koontz as well.  I got my start with horror books, but it seems that slowly my favorite horror authors have gone the way of thrillers.  Has anyone else noticed that?  But then again there are new great horror authors out there as well.

And what keeps bringing you back for more fantasy/sci fi/horror etc?  Well-written books, or just sheer entertainment value.  When I go to read a book, I'm not looking for life lessons unless I read non-fiction. Now if I get one in the process of being entertained, that doesn't bother me.  But I want a pure blissful, fun reading experience when I pick up genre fiction. Yes sometimes the books are heavy, but if I'm in the mood for it then it's perfect.  That's what I love about genre fiction, there really is something for everyone in it.

And if you don’t read one (or more) of these genres what is it that deters you from those sections of the bookstore? I don't think there is a section of the bookstore I am deterred from.  I love to just look and browse.  Now there are sections I will probably never buy from, but I still love to look around.  Who knows a cover or title may catch my eye and one day I may have a new favorite genre!

I’m also curious to hear why you think these genres often don’t get the recognition they deserve. I am hopeful that one day they will get the recognition they deserve.  Just because of the sheer amount of genre fiction these days, I am in hope that one day a high school class will be studying the greats of the current times, the ones that were read and lauded by the masses not the few.  I really feel Stephen King can be there one day, I mean his writing is amazing, he just happens to write genre fiction.  And character studies could be done on Nora Roberts' characters (though the books probably aren't fit for a high school classroom, but hey I read them shortly after high school).  I am pleased to see my middle schooler getting options for his reading program that run from the middle school classics (Hatchet by Gary Paulson) and new YA stuff (the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer).  Kudos to them for engaging the kids and hopefully starting a life time of reading with these choices!

What's your favorite genre fiction?  If you've posted during today's BEA question let me know and I'll hop on by your blog as well!