Dark Side of the Moon

Written by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Narrated by Holter Graham

Susan Michaels was once the hottest reporter on the Beltway Beat until a major scandal ruined her life and left her writing stories about alien babies and Elvis sightings. Life as she once knew it is over, or so she thinks, but then she gets a lead on a story that could salvage her extinct career. She heads to the local animal shelter, expecting a hot news tip, which she gets in the form of a major police cover-up . . . for a ring of soul-sucking vampires out to take over Seattle. So much for saving her credibility.
And if that isn't bad enough, she gets talked into adopting a cat and finds she's allergic to it. A cat that turns out to be a shapeshifter who claims to be an immortal vampire slayer on the prowl for the same corrupt cops. Her first thought: seek professional help.
But as Susan's drawn into Ravyn's dark and dangerous world, she comes to realize that there's a lot more at stake than just her defunct career. Now it's no longer a question of bringing the truth to her readers; it's a matter of saving their very lives and souls.
Ravyn's life was shattered over four hundred years ago, when he mistakenly trusted the wrong human with the truth of his existence. He lost his family, his honor, and his life. Now, in order to save the people of Seattle, he's forced to confront that nightmare all over again, and to trust another woman with the secret that could destroy him.
In the world of the Dark-Hunters, life is always dangerous. But never more so than now; when a very human woman can shatter their entire world with just one story. The only question is . . . will she?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Oct 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781427271662

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 Dark Side of the Moon

[dukefn99 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Due to Hurricane Katrina, the Dark-Hunter series moves from New Orleans to Seattle for this latest book. You have a shape-shifting Dark-Hunter and a love interest who is allergic to him while in cat form. The action is OK... but the most interesting part is a sub-story (and building of a recurring plot) around Nick and Ash. A slight let down from "Unleash" but not bad

[hoosgracie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In this outing of the Dark Hunter series, the protagonist is a shapeshifting cat, while the human is a reporter with a cat allergy. The series along with a number of the Dark Hunters have relocated from New Orleans to Seattle. I like that Kenyon acknowledged Hurricane Katrina.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Susan isn't having a good day. Her job is a joke, the stories her boss puts her on are insane and inane. When a friend asks if she can rescue a cat she takes the chance to escape the office, even if she's allergic to cats.It turns out that the cat is a shapeshifter. Ravyn Kontis, who was captured and put into the shelter to die.The Daimons who are hunting him force him to save her and they end up on a rollercoaster ride. Can they manage to keep alive, what about their growing attraction, and her allergies?The usual light Sherrilyn Kenyon, fun, sexy and exhausting.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Join us or die? Not much of a choice. The main character certainly handles it more gracefully than I found plausible.

[zeek319_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Many reviewers found this entry into the world of Dark Hunters rather uninspiring and slightly irritating. I disagree. I inhaled it. But you have to realize, I read the Dark Hunter's as candy- no meat, pure pleasure. AND I make sure to space them out to cleanse the pallette in between readings.Ok yeah, Kenyon introduced even MORE characters in DSOTM and I just couldn't seem to get a grasp on Ravyn, the hero of this tale. It's like I was outside watching from a distance and I hate that. Ravyn is a were-hunter turned dark hunter, so he should have had all the ingredients to make this one of my top favs from her DH series.Unfortunately, it didn't quite make the grade. Oh one more bugaboo- Just didn't seem right to have Ash missing from most of this book and for what? ASH? Tied up with Artie? UGH! Seriously. It continues to tick me off that Kenyon keeps putting him in HER bed! It's like watching the man you secretly love continually falling into Paris Hilton's bed. ARRRRGH! On the plus side of this one too- NO SIMI!

[rocalisa_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm currently reading Robin Hobb's The Mad Ship, which is fantastic but pretty dense and also long at 906 pages. I made a deal with myself that I would take a quick break when I was halfway through and read something lighter.In rare perfect timing, my copy of Kenyon's Dark Side of the Moon arrived just as I reached halfway.So I spent yesterday reading the latest Dark-Hunter adventure.There was a lot of hype about this book - Nick was going to be back; we were going to learn more about the Dark-Hunter world; it was the first hardcover. Beyond that, I avoided spoilers and excerpts and waited to read if for myself.It started off like most of the others. We met the heroine, who then met the hero and the story began. Then the balance began to shift a bit. While there's a great love story in here, the outside events taking over the Dark-Hunters and their allies and enemies are also beginning to take centre stage. Since I wasn't expecting that, it threw me off at first, but Kenyone has created a fascinating world and if this new 50/50 balance continues, I think I'll like it. It'll be better if I'm expecting it though.So, the book itself.I like Susan and I like Ravyn. They're not my all time favourites in the series (that honour still goes to Tabby and Val at this point) but they're a lot of fun. It was nice to see Susan as someone who has already hit rock-bottom and started her healing for herself. Getting together with Ravyn completed it, rather than being the cause and end of it, which I liked.The stubborn stupidity of Ravyn's family was a bit annoying though. Gald they finally came around in the end.I wish we'd seen more Ash. I guess things wouldn't have gone the way Kenyon needed if he'd been around more, but I'd rather have a fuller role for him or not have him at all than this kind of cameo. Still the scene where Susan goes into the bathroom and sees his back was wonderful and hints at, well... something. I'm not sure what yet.I had felt at the end of Seize the Night that Artemis had finally shown a hint of the potential to finally grow up when she realised what Nick's death would mean to Ash. However, here she's just a selfish little bitch again, which I found disappointing. I'd like even Artemis to have a chance to turn out okay.And Nick. What can I say about Nick? This hurts. His hurt, hurts. But what he's doing is terrifying. I am now so worried about him, about Ash, about, well, everyone and everything. Dammit, I reamain hooked on these books. My budget is so going to suffer.So in conclusion, this is a good book, but be aware it focuses on a lot more than just Susan and Ravyn. If that's what you're looking for, it may disappoint.

[mom2lnb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dark Side of the Moon got off to an excellent start, thoroughly tickling my funny bone. The heroine is a serious investigative journalist who got fired after a story went bad and has now been reduced to writing stories about alien babies and killer moths for a Weekly World News style tabloid. The conversation she has with her boss in the opening chapter about her moth piece and sensational headlines had me grinning from ear to ear. Then we meet the hero, a Were-Hunter, in his animal form, which at that moment happened to be an adorable but very ticked off house-cat who's stuck in a cage at an animal shelter. The way he was hissing and spitting at his captors, especially when they threatened to neuter him, was hilarious. Add to that the heroine “adopting” him in spite of being terribly allergic to cats and taking him outside where the poor baby's fur kept getting singed by the sun, creating a horrible stench in her car, and I thought that the book had the makings of something truly LOL funny. Unfortunately, this was just the first thirty pages or so of the story and after that, it was just never quite as humorous again, unless you count the author's numerous cheesy jokes which just never seem to do a whole lot for me.While Dark Side of the Moon had a certain sameness to its characters and situations, there were some unique elements to it as well. Some of this uniqueness was what I consider “good,” because it added to the Dark-Hunter world-building. To begin with, the hero was the first Dark-Hunter/Were-Hunter hybrid. His form is that of a leopard, but as I mentioned above he can shrink down to the size of a house-cat. I would have loved to see more of him in this form, but as an Arcadian rather than a Katagaria, I suppose there was less call for him to take on his animal shape. This book also has the first alliance between humans and Daimons which made for a bit of mystery as to why these two species would be working together. This was an interesting side-story, but I would have liked to have seen a little more actual investigating considering that the heroine is a reporter. By the end, the reader also gets a glimpse at a demigod in the making, although I was rather on the fence about this since I thought that demigods were born not “created.” However, I think this sub-plot may be part of a huge build-up to Acheron's story and in a roundabout way, may have revealed some things about his background, so I'm willing to let it slide for the moment. Then there were differences that I consider to be “bad” (or at least not well explained) such as the Dark-Hunters and Squires breaking/bending rules left and right, particularly those prohibiting blood-drinking and mating/marrying, seemingly without consequence. Not that there hasn't been some occasional rebellion in the ranks before, but it seemed especially egregious in this book. There was also a secondary Dark-Hunter who was implied to have been turned Daimon, but if that's the case, I don't entirely understand how, as it wasn't really explained. Lastly, the ending for the hero and heroine was different than that of other Dark-Hunters who have found their mates to this point. I think it was intended to address the life-span issue between a human and a Were-Hunter, but logically, it didn't make sense to me.Ravyn and Susan were nice enough as the hero and heroine, but even after learning both their back-stories, which were quite sad, I still couldn't seem to make a deep connection with them or muster much enthusiasm for them. I liked the way Ravyn showed Susan many small but thoughtful kindnesses, and I liked how Susan took care of Ravyn when he was drugged. Also, Ravyn's surprising compassion for others in general, made me feel some small emotional connection to him, but as a couple, they just didn't spark off the pages for me like some of Sherrilyn Kenyon's other heroes and heroines. I think this was owing in some part to the author's penchant for having her stories take place over a mere few days time. Everything just happened too quickly to make them falling in love believable to me. Even though Ravyn and Susan spent some time talking about their backgrounds, it felt more like sympathy and lust, than a true intimate and loving bond that comes from knowing someone for a while. There just needed to be deeper, more meaningful character development for me to buy into a lasting relationship.Even though the story is set in Seattle, far away from the Dark-Hunters home base of New Orleans, there were a number of character sitings, both new and old. The Seattle contingent of Dark-Hunters are mostly new characters with the possible exception of Zoe who I believe made one or two brief appearances elsewhere. I was intrigued by Cael with his kilt and Scottish accent, and I have a feeling he will play a role in future stories. There are also a number of characters reappearing including the Squires, Otto and Kyle, and the goddess, Artemis. Savitar puts in a brief appearance, and I find myself still on the fence about him, as he seems too arrogant and self-centered for my taste. Stryker plays a big role, once again as the villain. There was a little more development to his character this time, but I continue to have a hard time seeing how he's going to be redeemed sufficiently to have his own book. We also get to really see Nick again for the first time since he was turned Dark-Hunter at the end of Seize the Night. He is obviously no ordinary Dark-Hunter to begin with and even less so by the end of this book. I dearly miss his sarcastic humor. He's now a bitter, angry shell of his former self who only seems to be living to seek revenge against Acheron. Then, of course, there's the amazing Ash, who never fails to steal the show. I so admire him for the way he grieves deeply over every lost Dark-Hunter and over his lost friendship with Nick. It's one of the things that makes him so human and relatable. As usual he is as sweet as can be while continually getting screwed over by Artemis which seems to be causing some friction with the Dark-Hunters and the possible beginnings of rebellion against him. I truly can't wait for his book to see him finally be free of her clutches.Dark Side of the Moon had some decent action sequences, but it also probably had an equal number of instances where the story seemed to plod along. This was, in part, due to Ms. Kenyon's penchant for repetition. I realize that she likes to do this so that new readers who may jump into the middle of the series will be up to speed, but for someone like me, who has been following the series religiously from the very beginning, it's nothing but a bunch of filler that can be easily skipped. Not to mention, when she starts repeating stuff from earlier in the same story, it can actually become annoying. The author also has a tendency to overuse certain words such as “Uh-huh” and one character calling another male character, “boy,” as well as the phrase “begs the question” which happens to be an incorrect usage of the expression anyway. Overall, in spite of my criticisms, Dark Side of the Moon was a decent story in the Dark-Hunter series. I just wish that Ms. Kenyon had pared down the repetition in favor of better character and relationship development between Ravyn and Susan. As is, it happened to be one of those books in the series where, generally speaking, I was more interested in some of the sub-plots about other characters like Acheron, Nick and Cael than I was in the main romance. For the bits and pieces that were added to the bigger Dark-Hunter story arc, I definitely recommend it to fans. Dark Side of the Moon is book #9 in the Dark-Hunter series. There are currently a total of 19 full-length novels in the series and quite a number of related novellas and graphic novels as well, with more still to come (#20 is due for release in Aug. 2011). A complete list of all the books and their recommended reading order can be found on Sherrilyn Kenyon's website.

[thebooknerd · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book was so forgettable, I'm glad I merely borrowed a friend's copy instead of buying it. It read like a filler book, felt disjointed from the larger storyline, and lacked the sweeping romance one would normally expect from this series. Plus, after reading about other heroes who turn into wolves, tigers, dragons, etc. ... a cat? Really?

[thehistorychic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This pretty much sealed it for me---I like Were-Hunters first, Dark-Hunters second, and Dream-Hunters third. I am really liking how she is delving deeper into the lore and then in some books backing off a bit so you can just have a intertwined story. This book was a "filler" book but still a good story.

[leelynn_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really great story! Love the suspense and action! Still can't get over the fact that he is a cat haha!!! Oh boy I can only imagine what is next in line for this series.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Dark Side of the Moon
2 Stars

Synopsis
Susan Michaels is a disgraced reporter working for a tabloid. Sick and tired of writing about Aliens and mutant animals, Susan is shocked to discover that vampires are real and her newest pet cat is actually a gorgeous shapeshifter with some dangerous people after him.

Review
Once again the focus is on new characters with no background or build up.
Ravyn and Susan have no chemistry whatsoever and neither is compelling enough to care about.

The police corruption plot is mediocre with no tension or suspense and the resolution is anti-climactic.

Now to the big turn offs - Ash's relationship with Artemis has crossed the line for merely icky to truly stomach turning. Their scenes together actally made my skin crawl.

In addition, Ravyn's family are a disgrace and they get off far to easily and Nick, who has never thankfully been a favorite of mine, should just have his neck wrung.

Hopefully the next installment will be better.

[nittygrittydowndirt · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book that I've ever read by this author. I liked it but I didn't really LOVE it. Ravyn and Susan are both characters that are dealing with some extra "baggage" shall we say. Susan is this reporter who always get's her story (which has cost her dearly) but at the same time has a pretty quirky sense of humor (which you see a lot in the book) and Ravyn he's pretty much a no-nonsense kind of guy who doesn't particularly care to be around humans at all because they have cost him dearly. Well now that the Daimons (with the help of some humans) are trying to kill both Susan AND Ravyn they are kind of stuck with one another. The more time they spend together the more that we the readers learn about these two character's pasts...Not a pretty picture. There is even a little twist thrown in for good measure too. If you like a little Death, Destruction and Mayhem with some smutt thrown in this is a good book to check out.

[talksupe3blogspot · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

read full review at talksupe.blogspot.comThis book cracked me up!

[dmwmtgal_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Ravyn and Susan's story. Susan's a spunky heroine and is one of my favorites...along with Bride and Tabitha. This book has some interesting twists that I won't reveal for those who haven't read it, but it's another great story by Sherrylin!

[1983mk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Dark Side of the Moon" by Sherrilyn Kenyon is the tenth book in Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series. In this book we focus on Susan Michaels, a disgraced reporter who is now working on staff of her college friend's gossip paper. The male lead is played by Ravyn Kontis, part human, part Arcadian, part Dark-Hunter.The Daimons have teamed up with the humans to take over Seatle and get rid of all the Dark hunters in the area. Will they succeed? Will the Dark hunters suffer another tragic blow at the hands of the Damions or will good prevail and humans stay safe in their beds at night?I have read a few of Kenyon's Dark-Hunter books in the past, not necessarilly in order. I would have to say that this book did not quite live up to her earlier works. The book was slow to get going and the plot line felt oddly repetitive. However, Kenyon brought her characters into clear and realistic focus, and they did keep me entertained as the book got moving. If you are a fan of the Dark Hunter novels you should definately read this book.

[jshillingford_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unfortunately, I think many readers were disatisfied and overly critical of this book because it wasn't filled with all the familiar characters. All Kenyon's previous Dark-Hunter novels had the same recurring characters (i.e. Ash, Kyrian, Tabitha, Vane, etc) even when they were not part of the main story - they always appeared with more than bit parts. In fact, until now the hero in one book was most often a secondary character in a previous book. This novel breaks the trend. I don't think this detracts from the novel at all. I love Ash's character as much as the next fan, but it was nice to have new characters, in a different city introduced. Ash can't be everywhere even if he is a god:) Also, New Orleans has been the setting for all the previous novels, but other cities must need protection from Daimons. So, Seattle. I admit Susan is not my favorite heroine (she does whine and bitch way too much), but Ravyn is a great, and unique, hero. Were-Hunter/Dark-Hunter hybrid. There is a lot of humor in their relationship and it was a good adventure. Don't shy away from the hardcover price. Most mass markets cost $8 anyway and this will hold up to re-reading better. Recommended!

[mzserena · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this story immensely, but it's not as good as some of the others have been. I think that the storyline was reaching. A Dark-Hunter AND Were-Hunter? I don't see how you can be both. I did like the interactions between Ravyn and Susan.I'm still wanting more Ash. It was nice to see him back. I also want more Nick.

[kw50197 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good for a read, but not a keeper.

[loritori · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not the best Dark-Hunter novel, but still enjoyable.

[altarasabine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Susan Michaels used to be a hot shot repoter. Now she wroks for a small Seattle newspaper where she has been reduced to writting stories of the weird, vampires and aliens, after falling for a bogus story that destroyed her reputation. Ravyn Kontis, were hunter, has been betrayed by those he loved. His heart has turned cold and he spends his time hunting and battleing the daimons.In search of a story that will put her reputation back intact Susan follows a source to an animal center. Only to have the source spouting out nonsense about vampires. Despite having allergies the source talks her into adpoting a cat. But this is no ordinary cat. Susan discovers that the "nonsense" is true.Susan causes feelings that Ravyn has never felt before. Together they must conquer the ultimate battle. One that can destroy both of theirworlds.

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Disgraced reporter Susan Michaels is having a really bad day... month, year... life. Reduced to working for a complete rag (think alien-babies and giant moths attacking Texas) she's pretty sure her life can't get much worse. Until she ends up adopting a cat (she's allergic) which shape-shifts into a gorgeous, naked man in her living room. Suddenly she's a Squire, inducted into a centuries-long battle between Greek gods. And she thought her life was complicated before!Susan's quick, clever, sharp-tongued and level-headed. And the allergies are a nice touch. Her romantic foil, the cat-shifter Rayvn, is a bit angst-y, but likeable.

[lostshadows · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Maybe I don't read enough paranormal romances, but I gave this an extra half star for the pairing of were-cat and woman with a cat allergy. I was amused.

[miyurose_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've never read a Dark-Hunter book before, so I wasn't sure when I picked it up if I would be lost or not. I wasn't too lost! The politics of it all is a little confusing and I'm still not sure I grasp it all, but the characters were great and the story was interesting. There were references to a few things in the past, but I'm not convinced they were actually covered in another book. Overall, I really enjoyed this, and will likely look for others by Kenyon.