The Dark-Hunters Vol 1 by S. Kenyon

Since I was at the Kenyon appearance today in Ann Arbor, I decided to pick up a copy of the Dark-Hunters Vol. 1 manga has my third book to be signed.  Oh yeah, this was spectacular to pick up.  So totally worth it.  I read it in two, maybe three, hours.

In the war against vampires, mankind has only one hope: The Dark-Hunters. Ancient warriors who died of brutal betrayal, the Dark-Hunters have sworn themselves into the service of the goddess Artemis to protect us.

It’s a pact with pretty good perks. Immortality, power, psychic abilities, wealth and a cool wardrobe. But it comes with a few drawbacks: fatal sun poisoning and a new, irreparable dental problem. But aside from the fangs and nocturnal lifestyle, it’s not so bad.

Kyrian is an immortal Dark-Hunter who just lost his Dark-Hunter powers and along with it, his immortality. Now he is faced with the chance to regain not only his humanity, but his very soul. The problem is, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Desiderius is closing in and if Kyrian and Amanda are going to save humanity then Kyrian must take the war to his enemy or it may be too late.

It’s been awhile since I’d read Kyrian’s story (Night Pleasures) and I have to say reading the Dark-Hunters Vol. 1 gave me a really good refresher, not only on Kyrian himself, but on a lot of the world building as well.  There’s a lot from the first Dark-Hunter novel I had forgotten (like who is Sundown?) and it was awesome re-reading the story in a new format.  With the manga, I was able to see what each character looks like and it didn’t take nearly as long to go through.  Plus, I have to say that Hephaestus is way hotter than I thought he was.  Of all the characters I was looking forward to seeing, he was the one that most surprised me.  Let’s just say he doesn’t match the stereotypical idea of a blacksmith.

Dark-Hunters Vol. 1 is Night Pleasures in pictures.  However, Kenyon does a really good job translating the novel to the manga format.  She obviously couldn’t transform the entire novel, word for word, so obviously things were cut.  However, I can honestly say that while I don’t remember Kyrian’s story in detail, I believe that all the important pieces were there.  If I had to complain about something, it would have been that some of the transition scenes really didn’t work.  There were times I felt like a scene suddenly ended and I had to go back to make sure I didn’t miss anything.  Realistically speaking, the transitions weren’t bad, I mean it is probably a lot harder to transition between scenes in a manga/graphic novel than it is with a book, so I’m not complaining too loudly.

Overall, very good book.  I’ll be honest, this was my first manga, so reading the book from right to left threw me for a bit at first.  However, Kenyon easily captured my mind and I soon forgot how I was reading it.  It ended up seeming really natural and it was really easy to fly through it.  Seriously, if you’re a fan of the Dark-Hunters, then you really should pick up the Dark-Hunters Vol. 1.  If you’re still one of the few who is sitting on the fence regarding this series (why may I ask?), then starting with the manga would not only give you an idea into the world Kenyon has created, but it’ll show you what some of the characters look like as well.  Either way, as soon as you read the manga, you’ll be wanting the full novel since the manga only covers about the first half of Night Pleasures.  However, that means we have to wait until March 2010 for the rest of Kyrian’s story.  That’s the only downside.

And no, Ash hasn’t shown up yet, but Tabitha has.

Read Order:
Fantasy Lover – Julian
Night Pleasures – Kyrian
Night Embrace – Talon
Dance with the Devil – Zarek
Kiss of the Night – Wulf
Night Play – Vane
Seize the Night – Valerius
Sins of the Night – Alex & Danger
Unleash the Night – Wren
Dark Side of the Moon – Ravyn
Devil May Cry – Sin & Kat
Acheron
One Silent Night – Stryker
Bad Moon Rising – Fang & Aimee
Scars & Souvenirs (8/4/2010) – Dev and Samia

Also reviewed by:
Enchanted by Books
Nose in a Book

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

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