Review: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Retribution (Dark-Hunter)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Publication: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (August 2, 2011)


Description: 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: This was another great addition to the Dark-Hunters series. Jess was a feared outlaw who was redeemed by love. However, he was shot in the back by his partner before he could marry her. He dies craving revenge and Artemis picks him up. Now he is hunting daimons in Las Vegas. 


Abigail is a descendant of the woman Jess loved but she has been raised by Appolites to hate and kill Dark Hunters. Besides, she saw Jess kill her parents when she was a small child and definitely wants revenge on him. Her Appolite family injects her with demon blood to make her a stronger fighter and sets her loose.


But it is all really a plot. The plot is complex and based on Native American philosophy and includes Guardians, Coyote, Choo Co La Tah, Snake, and other figures out of myth. Add in a variety of Dark-Hunters and former Dark-Hunters from earlier books in the series and you have a novel filled with characters and complexity.


See, Coyote has a plan....


I loved the character of Jess who is one part outlaw and one part goofball. And, he is all loyal and protective of Abigail (once he convinces her that he didn't kill her parents). The story is about what you are willing to give up for love.


I recommend this to fans of the Dark-Hunter series.


Favorite Quote:

She put her hand over his to stop him from cutting the belt. "Go. There's no need in both of us dying."

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I'm not leaving you. If we go, we go together."

"Don't be stupid, Jess."

He scoffed as he returned to sawing on the belt. "Brains don't exactly run in my family. Suicidal lunacy, on the other hand..."

"Runs thick?"

He grinned at her. "Move back."

I received a finished copy of this book for review from Zeitghost Media and Macmillan. You can get your copy here.