Category: Romance

TITLE: Born of Legend
SERIES #: The League: Nemesis Rising #11
CHARACTERS: Jullien “Dagger” & Ushara
AUTHOR: Sherrilyn Kenyon
PUBLICATION DATE: June 21, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
“It’s official Take a Psycho to Work Day. Why else would I be here?”

Hunted. Hated. Betrayed. Outcast Dagger Ixur is on the run for his life. As one of the most recognizable members of his royal house, he has a bounty on his head that guarantees him no quarter from any friend or even family. But surrender isn’t in him. He will fight to the bitter end. A resolve that is sorely tested when he narrowly escapes a trap that leaves him severely wounded. With what he believes is his dying breath, he saves a boy born to an extinct race from a group out to enslave the kid for his legendary abilities.

Ushara Altaan has spent her entire life hating the Andarion royal house that drove her entire species into virtual extinction. As a rare Andarion Fyreblood, she is sworn to end the existence of any royal she finds. But when Dagger saves her son’s life, she is torn between her people and a debt that can never be repaid.
Yet worse than Dagger’s family that’s still out to end hers and him, are the League assassins after him who will stop at nothing to claim the lives of her Tavali family. The only hope she has to save them all is to put their future and her faith into the hands of the very enemy whose grandmother personally extinguished Ushara’s legendary lineage. But how can she ever trust Dagger when he is a disinherited outlaw whose real name is synonymous with betrayal?

REVIEW:
Wow! Ok, in my review for Born of Betrayal I complained a bit about how Kenyon seemed to be re-writing Jullien’s character. Well, I should have known his book would be next and all the answers would come! Kenyon really is the queen of re-writing characters that we think we knew and showing us them in a whole new light (cough – Styxx – cough); this was no different. The book starts off a few years after Nykyrian’s return and spans for several years. Jullien is broken, battered and on the run. He meets up with Ushara and so begins the long unraveling heartbreak of his past. I really loved Ushara and Jullien together. She is a very strong heroine with a wild and crazy family that does some really messed up stuff, and then some really great stuff. Her son is the whole reason Jullien and Ushara cross paths and I love seeing the relationship grow between him and Jullien. We also get to see Jullien interact with some of our favorite characters of the series because his story runs concurrently with the events of previous books. I gotta say, Kenyon really laid it on thick in terms of Jullien’s abuse and neglect. While I understand painting a picture for readers, I really started to get frustrated with it about 2/3 of the way through the book. Some of the exact same phrases are used dozens of times in the book and a lot of that story became repetitive; that is the only reason this is a 4 star and not a 5.

However, by far my favorite part of this book is Trajen! I love this darn Trisani so much and cannot wait for his book – I know he’s getting a book and it is going to be brutal – however I have no idea when that will be. I’m just hoping we’ll continue to see him in other stories until then.

Then finally that brings me to the end – the part where we catch up to the events of Born of Betrayal. I was waiting for this the entire book, and while I am ok with how the book played out, I would have liked to see a little more dialogue around the events of Jullien’s life, his parents and Nykyrian.

All in all though, the book was freaking fabulous and I couldn’t put it down. Kenyon is a great author. Yes this series is so convoluted and confusing, there are way too many characters, and planets, enemies and allies, but you love it all the same!

Disclaimer:
I purchased a copy of this book. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.