Devil May Cry: A Dark-Hunter Novel

Written by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Narrated by Holter Graham

As an ancient Sumerian god, Sin was one of the most powerful among his pantheon. . . Until the night Artemis brutally stole his godhood and left him for dead. For millennia, this ex-god turned Dark-Hunter has dreamed only of regaining his powers and seeking revenge on Artemis. If only life were that simple.

Unfortunately he has bigger fish--or in Sin's case--demons, to fry. The lethal gallu that were buried by his pantheon are now stirring and they are hungry for human flesh. Their goal is to destroy mankind and anyone else who gets in their way. Sin is the only one who can stop them—that is if a certain woman doesn't kill him first. Unfortunately, Sin discovers that now he must rely on her or witness an annihilation of biblical proportions. Enemies have always made strange bedfellows, but never more so than when the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Now a man who knows only betrayal must trust the one person most likely to hand him to the demons. Artemis may have stolen his godhood, but this one has stolen his heart. The only question is will she keep it or feed it to the ones who want him dead?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Aug 7, 2007
• ISBN: 9781427201409

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Sherrilyn Kenyon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several series, including the Bureau of American Defense novels BAD Attitude, Phantom in the Night, Whispered Lies, and Silent Truth and the Belador series that includes Blood Trinity, Alterant, and The Curse. Since her first book debuted in 1993 while she was still in college, she has placed more than eighty novels on the New York Times list in all formats and genres, including manga and graphic novels, and has more than 70 million books in print worldwide. She lives with her family near Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her website at SherrilynKenyon.com.

Reviews for Devil May Cry

[anna_erishkigal · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy the Dark Hunter series the way I enjoy candy corn. Once or twice a year, I go on a romance-type-ish binge and devour a few dozen novels almost overnight before realizing they just don't have a lot of substance. Having discovered Ms. Kenyon's books at 'Acheron,' I've been playing a game of catch-up.I liked Sin. His backhistory was had little to do with the -real- Mesopotamian fertility god of the Uruk/Ur (who I've had cause to research), but I liked him despite his flaws. He got a raw deal. He was angry. The parts where he described his anger and grief at things I won't say so I don't spoil it for other readers were within the norms of human reactions if YOU had that happen to you. Was he a moody, brooding bad-boy? Of course. That's what romance readers want (even if it all starts to sound the same after a while).I was less enthralled with Kantra for reasons other reviewers have outlined. Especially when she interacted with Acheron (won't say why ... would spoil it ... but it was just like, no way!). The rest of the characters, too, seemed contrived. I felt as though Ms. Kenyon got an idea for a character with an interesting backstory, and then when she tried to put him into her existing universe it just fell flat.I enjoyed this book because I borrowed it from my library for free and devoured it during my 'candy corn' binge. It was what I expected, it met my expecations for formulaic fluff, and it was a nice escape from reality. I will keep recommending our local library keep stocking Ms. Kenyon's books because, when the cover price is divided amongst a large group of readers, it was an interesting read. Had I downloaded it to my kindle for a couple of bucks, I would have enjoyed it as well. But I feel I must only give this novel three stars because, had I paid full-price to buy it new, I would have been upset. I think Ms. Kenyon's publisher is pressuring her into rushing her ideas to market while they are still in the percolation stage and not giving her enough time to credibly bring her characters to life. I hope this changes.

[pdxwoman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favorite so far, but, contrary to my having read a Dark Hunter book every day for the last 12 days, I'm not a romance novel reader. I liked this one because, while the romance is without a doubt a major plot stream, this book is the least formulaic of the series so far. 5 stars...because I would recommend this book to people who like action, adventure, or myth/fantasy, regardless of whether or not they like romance.Side musing: Did all these people REALLY not know who Katra was?? It seemed so obvious.

[jshillingford_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Man, I just love it when an author releases a book in a series that answers a lot of questions! Kenyon has given us a gold mine here: who is Katra, why is Ash tied to Artemis, more about Simi. Wonderful, action packed with the steamy romance readers have come to expect from Kenyon. My only disappointment? Kenyon introduced a "Dream-Hunter," Xiphos, that really should be the protagonost of the next Dream-Hunter novel, but isn't. Here's hoping he pops up in a short story or something. Now, bring on Ash's story, please!

[mzserena · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

FINALLY a book that tells me what I want to know! We finally learn more about Ash. We also learn who Katra is. I am quite pleased with this book and am excited by the series again. I am really enjoying the storyline and I love the different Dark Hunter stories. I enjoy the way they tie together, but I'm really happy to see more Ash again.

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The aptly named Sin is an ex-god with few of his powers left. Nevertheless, he's a man with a mission - well, two: kill Artemis, who stripped him of his powers, and eradicate the gallu demons. Unlike the other Dark-Hunters, he has no problem with Daemons - which is a problem for Katra. Charged by Artemis to track down and kill the renegade Dark-Hunter, she finds herself less than willing to go quite that far. Before she knows it, she's knee deep in Sin City - and Sin's problems.

[hoosgracie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Somehow I missed this book in the series. Enjoyable story about Katra - one of Artemis' hand-maidens - and Sin, a Dark Hunter who is a former Sumerian God. Lots of back story on Acheron. Can't wait for his story coming later this year.

[dbhutch_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Power hungry Gods and Goddesses make mistakes. And Artemis has made them stacked on top of each other, and tried to cover it up. Binding the Archon to her will or periods at a time, and the seduction, power stipping an almost killing of a Sumerian God, she helped bring about the destruction of an entire Pantheon. Sin, the Sumerian God of fertility, is the soel survivor of the pantheon, and is the only one left who can stop ancient vampires from overtakigng the earth, and releasing demons far worse thm themselves. Kat, one of Armetis's daughters is sent to kill him for good, as Armetis is afriad all the fighting Sin is doing it to get top her. Kat finds him, and notices he's not what her mother says. Can she help save him, and the rest of Earth, before past mistakes come back to kill every living thing on Earth?

[miyurose_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one wasn't as good as the others in the series. Sin wasn't as strong a leading man, and the complete focus on the intrigues between the gods was a little tiring. I guess it was a nice break from the "immortal guy and mortal human woman fall in love" pattern, but it didn't have the same zing. You do get a little Artemis/Acheron back-story in this one.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sin has plotted his revenge against Artemis for many years, he takes an opportunity to kidnap a woman who appears to be her, however it isn't. It's her servant Katra. The world is in trouble and the two of them have to work together to help save it. It being a Sherilyn Kenyon novel there's also a romance and plenty of sex along the way. It's a good lead into Acheron, gives some background to stuff that goes on in it and Sin and Katra are a great couple. I enjoyed the read, even if there were moments when the deus ex shone through. Actually I enjoyed it enough that I nabbed the next one off the shelf and read it.

[zeek319_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If I remember correctly, Devil May Cry was not as popular with the reviewer's as some of Kenyon's earlier Dark Hunter novels.Me? I liked it, because no matter what other people say, Kenyon's not only did it as one of the firsts, she did it best. Sure there are times we feel cheated on some of the stories because we all have ideas on how some of these characters tales should be told and it would seem Kenyon is so busy cranking out their stories she doesn't seem to take the time to tell their stories properly. But that still doesn't mean I can't wait to get my hand on the next one as soon as it's released!It's also been said Kenyon tends to make rules in her worlds then not follow them. That doesn't bug me too much, because, darn it, I like her worlds. (I really like the meshing of pantheons for some reason. In DMC we get a look at the Sumerian Pantheon which is cool because I happen to be intrigued by that area of mythology.)For me, her DH books are like candy. I can read them fast and though the feeling of pleasure may night last long, the instant gratification is sweet and the memory of the pleasure lingers at the very least.Devil May Cry is not really about Sin and Katra as one might be led to expect by the blurb. Yeah, their love story is in it, and I did enjoy the change of pace- Kat has very little baggage despite her genetics- but what makes the book better, is the insight we get into the most beloved secondary character in the Dark Hunter novels- ever!- our Acheron. He gets lots of air time in DMC- although Artemas has him hidden away in Olympus through much of it.Still, I read DMC in one sitting, there is that!Don't miss this one before you get to Acheron's book because some secrets are revealed that you'll want to know and ... supposedly ... after reading it, we've had a peek at Ash's happily ever after!!

[jenson_aka_dl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once the sumarian god of fertility before betrayal led to the loss of his powers, Sin is all too familiar with the harm that can be caused by trusting the wrong woman. Katra is the daughter of Artemis sent to complete the destruction of the former god she began long ago. However, when these two forces collide they discover a common enemy, but will they be able to overcome their past to join together and stop an ancient evil that threatens mankind?Although I have always loved Sherrilyn Kenyon's novels I have to say her most recent ones haven't been my favorites. Oddly, much of the time the small bits of backstory that can be gleened seem to be the most compelling parts. The good thing about Devil May Cry is that this backstory gets a lot of front stage evolution. The bad thing is I felt it kind of overwhelmed the main portion of the book. There were also some events in the book which I don't feel were explored as completely as they could have (unfortunately I can't say what without spoiling the story) But, all in all I was very happy with the book as a whole. I really liked Katra, she was a very unique type of heroine and Sin made a very sympathetic hero. I particularly felt bad for Sin's brother and truly hope that he gets his own story of redemption.

[rocalisa_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Devil May Cry - Sherrilyn Kenyon (9/10)Paranormal romance; Book 14 of the Dark-Hunters.I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I've always looked on this series as a guilty pleasure, but I found this one to be more than that. In the most recent books, Kenyon has moved away a bit from a total focus on a couple and the books are now about half and half fantasy about her now-detailed world and about a romantic relationship. I like that balance better, so the series is going well for me. In this one, we also learn one of the major secrets Kenyon has been keeping for a while - just who is Katra and what is her relationship to some of the major characters? We also face the Summerian apocalypse and while the immediate threat is averted, it's clearly not all over yet. The world is facing some rough times as the series progresses. I'm looking forward to it.

[mom2lnb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This far along in the Dark-Hunter series, there are still things that I enjoy about it. The characters are usually likable and generally relatable, the Greek mythology woven into the stories is interesting, and the overall Dark-Hunter concept is intriguing. These things, as well as being a huge fan of Acheron and very much wanting to read his story, have kept me coming back and slowly working my way though the series. However, lately, whenever I pick up one of these books, I seem to have a harder and harder time getting past some of Sherrilyn Kenyon's writing quirks to really be able to enjoy the story she is telling. I know for a while there Ms. Kenyon was publishing an almost unbelievable number of novels and novellas per year (far more than most authors I read), and I think that the rapid pace at which she was writing these books shows through in the lack of quality. When I'm feeling like taking my red editor's pen to a book and rewriting passages in my head while reading, it isn't a good sign.Now that I'm a writer myself and learning the do's and don't's of writing, I keep seeing more and more writing no-no's in Ms. Kenyon's work. To begin with, her books tend to have a lot of repetitiveness not just from book to book, but within each individual book. The dialog can be a little too long-winded and often leans toward being cheesy and juvenile. With Ms. Kenyon being a huge Buffy, the Vampire Slayer fan, I think she's going for that kind of sarcasm, but sometimes just doesn't know when to reign it in. Also, most writers and editors I've talked with have said there should be no head-hopping, yet Ms. Kenyon does this constantly. Sometimes she switches between several different characters multiple times within a single chapter, which as a reader, can be frustrating to keep up with. Last but certainly not least, a large amount of the narrative prose in Devil May Cry was written in a passive voice with an overuse of “be” verbs which would probably explain a large part of why I didn't feel deeply connected to the characters. A few times, I experimented with rewriting some sentences in a more active voice and found that the narrative would have really popped if Ms. Kenyon and/or her editor had given more care to this process.Another issue I had with Devil May Cry was the number of poorly explained occurrences which seemed more like plot holes. Probably the most glaring one was Kat getting bitten by a gallu, but no one realizing it until she falls ill. Now the gallu are vicious demons, so I couldn't help wondering wouldn't Kat have known that she was bitten, and if she did, wouldn't she have told Sin, knowing how dangerous a gallu bite could be? Granted there were some intense and emotional scenes following the revelation, but overall, it seemed like a too-convenient set-up for bringing Ash into the mix and creating a permanent bond between Sin and Kat. Long after the fact, Kat finally acknowledges that she knew she'd been bitten but forgot. Really? How does one forget being bitten by a monstrous demon? I know I certainly wouldn't have, and in my opinion, this weak excuse made Kat look completely incompetent as a warrior goddess. I think Ms. Kenyon could have done a lot better with that one. Another thing that didn't make sense to me was that Kat said she could access Apollymi's powers, but at no point during the story did she do so. It seemed to me that if Kat could use the destroyer goddess's power, she probably could have wiped out the demon invasion all on her own, but for some unknown reason, it didn't work that way. These are just two of the more prominent things that left me scratching my head.This may be more of a personal preference, but I've always disliked Sherrilyn Kenyon's habit of introducing surprise powers or surprise characters with the needed powers to make things work out. It's almost like each and every book is nothing more than a series of mini deuce ex machina moments. It makes me feel like the characters don't have to work as hard for their victories, because there will always be a fail-safe. By the same token, I find it annoying when a character's powers and magical devices arbitrarily work or don't work to suit the story. An example of this is that Sin and Kat use a sfora given to her by Acheron to locate Sin's brother, Zakar, but when Zakar disappears again later, Sin and Kat just stand around for several pages wondering how they'll find him again, eventually coming to the conclusion that they'll just have to wait for him to return. I wanted to jump into the story and say, “Hello, use the sfora again!” Finally, they think of that, but then the device doesn't work for some unexplained reason. To me, relying on this type of storytelling is not only lazy, but it confuses the overall mythology of the series to the point that it's about as clear as mud. I never have any idea who can do what, because as soon as I try to figure it out, they're sure to find some untapped power source or their powers will quit working or some other equally ridiculous thing will happen.Up to this point, I know I've been pretty critical, so I'm going to try to add a few positives here. Even though I felt like they were somewhat underdeveloped as characters, I did like Sin and Kat as the hero and heroine. Although Sin's past wasn't brought out in as stark relief as some of the other tortured heroes in this series, he was a tormented soul nonetheless. I sympathized with him not trusting anyone because of having been betrayed so many times in his life. He was also robbed of most of his god-powers, and when he finds out who did that to him, he is understandably upset, although he does come around rather quickly in spite of it. Although she isn't officially a goddess, Kat wields more power than many of the gods. She is a tough girl who can handle herself pretty well, but at the same time she has great compassion for humanity. When Kat's parentage was revealed, I guess it wasn't too surprising, but at the same time, I had very mixed feeling about her mother's and father's identities, mainly because I didn't really want these two characters connected in that way. However, I can't say much more about that without giving away a big spoiler.Sin and Kat made a nice couple, but I can't say that I felt a deep connection between them. As with most of the stories in the Dark-Hunter series, their relationship develops within a matter of days which is just a little too quick to be entirely believable to me. There were some touching moment between them, but oftentimes I felt like their deeper emotions were being skimmed over and not given the weight they deserved. Their first love scene was good, but ended a bit too abruptly and without enough payoff, considering that it was Kat's first time. Also, and this is another personal preference, I wasn't overly fond of the way Sin and Kat (and other characters throughout the series) simply zap their clothes on and off at will when in the heat of passion. Initially, it was kind of cool, but Sherrilyn Kenyon has done it so much now that it's starting to loose its novelty. In my opinion, not having the characters take their time undressing each other, takes away valuable moments for foreplay and the building of sexual tension.Probably the best thing about Devil May Cry was Acheron. We get to learn several more things about his past, probably in preparation for his story. The scenes where he imparts his wisdom to Kat and expresses his own regrets about the way that he treated Nick were among some of the best in the book. These scenes actually had some depth to them and proved to me that Sherrilyn Kenyon can write deeply moving material that isn't constantly filled with breezy one-liners. This gives me hope that Ash's book will be better than Devil May Cry and some of the other more recent offerings in the Dark-Hunter series.I've come to the conclusion that you can't have a Dark-Hunter book without revisiting many previous characters. Other secondary characters who showed up include Artemis, although I have to say that I wasn't entirely pleased with the direction her character was taken in this book. She has always been a character that I love to hate for the way she has treated Ash, but here Ms. Kenyon couldn't seem to decide whether Artemis was going to be a selfish witch or sympathetic. The softer side of Artemis that was shown here in a few scenes is very difficult for me to reconcile with the vengeful goddess who beats Ash and uses him as a sex slave. The other characters who put in appearances are Apollymi; the Charonte demons, Simi and Xirena; the Dream-Hunter leaders, D'Alerian, M'Adoc, and M'Ordant; and Deimos, the Dolophoni. Wulf and Cassandra (Kiss of the Night) have a brief phone conversation with Kat, and Stryker (One Silent Night) puts in a cameo at the end. We are also introduced to Xypher, a rather intriguing Dream-Hunter, who becomes the hero of Dream Chaser. Devil May Cry had enough issues to annoy me, but in spite of that, it was still mostly entertaining which is why I didn't rate it any lower. I simply had to work hard at trying to ignore the glaring holes and writing that wasn't quite up to par, and just enjoy the ride for what it was. It was still better then some books I've read, and I do plan to continue with the series for the time being. Even though it might be difficult to reign in my criticisms, I'm invested enough at this point that I can't turn back at least until I've reached Acheron. Just two more book to go.:-)

[thebooknerd · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was very excited when this book first came out because it draws on Sumerian mythology -- something not seen too often, and a particular interest of mine. So, of course, I was extra disappointed when this one turned into a flop. My gripes: Katra's character is poorly and unconvincingly developed, the pacing is too rushed, the plot is nothing new, and romance aspect fell way short of appealing. Though not the worst Dark-Hunter book out there, this is a bad one.

[thehistorychic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love Sin/Katra! I thought it was interesting the family dynamics in this book but they played out well. I did like how things seem to be moving forward and showing different aspects of the main people in the series. I actually liked the Ash moments in this book, still did not like the Artemis areas, and loved Sin's little world in Vegas. It was a fun read!

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Devil May Cry
4 Stars

An improvement over the last few lackluster installments.

The plot is good with the introduction of new villains and interesting revelations concerning well established characters. Acheron and Artemis's relationship takes on a new dimension and while their interaction still annoys me, at least it is more understandable now, although I wish the "bitch-goddess" would get her just desserts already.

Kat has intrigued me since Kiss of the Night and answers are finally provided to the questions I had back then. Sin makes an excellent tortured hero and his romance with Kat is sweet. They grow as individuals throughout the book and make sense as a couple despite the somewhat cliched obstacles and the short time frame.

My favorite aspect of the book is Ash's little talks with Kat, which often left me smiling.

All in all, Kenyon is back on track with this one. I only hope she continues in their vein.

[nittygrittydowndirt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book I've read in Kenyon's Dark Hunter series and I think I have a Dark Hunter addiction! Sin's a real bad ass who's been doing things pretty much on his own since Artemis took his godhood from him, trusting almost no one and looking to extract revenge on Artemis. Then Artemis catches him doing "something bad" and calls upon Katra to go and kill Sin only to find out that the "something bad" Artemis saw him doing was actually something good. See the Sumerian gallu are days away from escaping there prision and when they do escape they plan to liberate the Dimme and that pretty much means the end of humanity unless Sin and a small army can stop them. Oh and then there's Artemis' BIG secret that she kept from Acheron! Not going to give that one away though. Gonna have to read the book to find out what that is. I really like how Kenyon wrote this story. Big ole bad ass Sin getting verbally slapped around by little ole Kat....Good times. The fight scenes were GREAT in my opinion too. All the characters, even the not SO good ones, were written in a way that made them all at least a little bit likeable. Oh and then there is the sex....those scenes were written really great too! Just saying.