Review - Born of Shadows by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Title: Born of Shadows
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: The League (Book 4)
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Original Publication Date: April 20, 2011

Setting: Ichidian Universe

In the universe where the League is law, most live in fear. We fight back. Welcome to a world where corrupt assassination politics dominate everyone. It’s kill or be killed.

For Caillen Dagan, a defiant soldier of fortune, survival isn’t a right, it’s a brutal daily battle. Moving through the Ichidian universe like a wraith, his brushes with the law and death are legendary. But when an act of rare heroism reveals his hidden birthright, he’s forced into a world much more dangerous and cold-hearted than the bloody streets where he was raised- one of obscene wealth and lethal politics.

Ferocious and determined, Desideria Denaraii serves as an official bodyguard for her queen. Born of questionable genetics, she will do anything to prove herself worthy of the weapons she carries and the position she’s won by combat. But when she uncovers a ruthless plot to assassinate the queen and overthrow her country’s government, Desideria is caught in the crosshairs.

With assassination contracts out on both of them, Caillen and Desideria must learn to fight together or die alone. And if they fail, their governments will fall into the hands of an unimaginable evil.

Warning: Born of Shadows is the fourth book in the League series. Although I'm reading this series completely out of order (like I do with all of SK series), I suggest you not to. I've read Born of Fire (Book 2) first, and then Born of Silence (Book 5) and then Born of Shadows (Book 3) and now I'm on to Born of Night (Book 1). Yeah crazy, I know... Anyway, who were side characters in one of the books will be the main characters in their own, so if you're reading this series out of order, or backward, it might be a little weird. Like seeing Syn be single, or Darling being homosexual. Or you'll get confuse who's who, where are they from, and sometimes there are phrases you won't understand (and google won't help you either), because the definition is in a previous book. However it's completely up to you. Reading them order, it's not necessary, but highly recommended.

The book starts with a scene where Cai is just a boy running away with his dad from the assassins who are out to kill them. And Cai witnesses his father's death. Then we jump twenty-two years in time, and he's running again to rescue one of his sisters from the Enforcers and get caught. So adrenaline junkies will love this, because it's fast paced and exciting and dangerous. I love when a book starts with a blast.

Three weeks later, the League are about to execution him, but someone from high places intervenes and turns out Caillen is a prince on a white spaceship...*gasp*

He's trying to blend into his new position (this is a little slow part of the book filled with politics). Meanwhile, someone's trying to assasionate the Emperor and framing Cai for the horrible crime. But soon he realizes that he doesn't belong to this world and wants to go back to his old life.

Desideria is a half-Qillaq, and the queen's daughter and new bodyguard. No one respects her, thus no one believes her when she tries to warn her mother about the forthcoming assassination she overheard, in fact, the queen sends her home. But the whoever wants her mother dead, they want Desideria dead too...

When Cai saves Desideria and she returns the "favor", they end up wanted criminals. They have to find out who wants to kill the Qillaq Queen and the Emperor and why, clear their names and protect their governments. But first of all, they have to survive. Which is hard, when there’s a ten-million-credit bounty on each of their heads and a determined, unknown assassin after them.

This couple is extremely entertaining. Cai is really sarcastic (like all of the hero in the series),egoist and fun, while Desideria is more serious, but her comebacks are killer!

She scoffed. “Explain to me how is it possible that the three of us actually fit into this pod?”
Now he was the one who was baffled. Did they do math differently on her planet too? “Three of us?”
“You, me and your extremely overdeveloped ego.”

Muhahaha I Like this girl! And the fact, that it's the first time that Desideria is out of her home, and she doesn't know a lot of thing about the world, and the universal language it's kinda sad, but still hilarious at the same time. Plus she's a true warrior! Seriously, she's tough.

This is one of the few series, where you love the side characters just as much as you love the protagonists. Okay, yes, obviously I hate the bad guys, but I still love tham as villains (does this make any sense?). Anyway, Cai and Desideria get help from Hauk, Fain (they're extremely hilarious!!) and Chayden Aniwaya (who is somehow related to Desideria). We see the Qillaq Queen, who is a bitch...or just a full blooded Qillaq (You'll understand this after you read the book). Caillen's father (I personally liked him, he had faith in his son), and Cai's sisters and Syn (my love!). Darling and Maris (and this was a little bit weird, becaue I've read Born of Silence first, but it wasn't bothering me) are stopping by too. And the rest of Desideria's family have big role in the book.

Favourite character(s): Caillen (but I serously loved all of them)
Favourite scene(s): Whoosh! That's hard to pick one!! Maybe when they were in the rescuing pod. Oh and the Epilogue!! It was sooo sweet (can't believe I said that)!
Favorite quotes:

"Who wants to live forever?
For the record and in case any higher deity was listening and taking notes, he did."

“So how big is this thing anyway?” Desideria asked
Chayden made a sound of irritation. “You know, that’s not really a question I want to hear my younger sister ask a man, especially not one I consider a friend, while he’s lying bare-assed on my floor.”

“Well after that testosterone-shattering experience, I have no more dignity to worry about. Ever. Anyone have a cushion I can sit on? A really big fluffy one? Hell, let’s even make it pale pink with bows on it just for good measure.”

“Love is the greatest corrupter ever known and has been the numbers one downfall of mankind since the first creation.”

OVERALL: I loved this book, because it's not lacking the sci-fi elements. There were battles in the space, our couple shipwrecked on a hostile planet inhabited by predatory alien race, various kinds of civilizations. And the romance (of course), humor and action. Plus the mystery behind the assassinations (it was like as we were dragged by a rope from s suspect to another and back and forth... really when I said HE/SHE is guilty, turned out that person was innocent, or vice versa. Loved it!). It's definitely worth the money!