Book Review: The Dream Hunter

Just finished reading Sherrilyn Kenyon's The Dream Hunter, the first book in her Dark Hunter series. From her website:

"Sired by the gods of sleep, nightmares and dreams, we are the children of Mist (and at times human mothers).

"Traditionally called the Oneroi, we are what protect the humans, Apollites, and immortals while they slumber. We are the Dream Warriors. The ones who battle the Skoti Daimons who drain the energy, dreams and life from sleepers, as well as provide highly erotic dreams to those who catch their fancy.

"During the light of day, we walk among the humans as either humans or as unknown phantoms. And whenever human eyes happen upon us, they immediately glance away without registering our presence (unless we will it otherwise).

"Most of us are devoid of emotions (except for pain). Those who have been cursed to no emotions can only feel while in a dream state with a human or immortal host. But therein lies the danger--some of us come to crave emotions like a drug.

"Instead of being observers and protectors, they become dream instigators- controllers of the host. Should the evil Skotos continue to drain his victim, madness will descend and threaten us all. Hence the creation of a Dream-Hunter. Certain members of the Oneroi have been chosen to patrol the Skoti and Renegades, and ensure they do not prey upon those who sleep."

In this story, Arik is a Dream Hunter who has fallen for the beautiful Dr. Megeara Kafieri. Driven by the need to honor her father's memory, she hunts for the lost city of Atlantis with a ensemble of miscellaneous minor characters. Arik is drawn to Megeara because of her vivid dreams and pure, unbridled emotions. He becomes addicted to her, so much that he makes a deal with Hades: Arik can live as a mortal human for two weeks (and thereby be closer to the object of his obsession) but in exchange, he must return to Hades with her soul.

I must admit, I bought this book from a grocery store on an impulse- I saw the picture of the hottie on the cover and couldn't resist. But I think I learned my lesson. First page, third sentence: "The hot sun caressed her tanned skin while the fierce breeze whipped her plain white dress against her body."

I don't think I need to comment on that.

It's this soapy, melodramatic feminism that drowns what is otherwise an intriguing, original story. I finished the story because of Arik, because Sherrilyn obviously knows the formula for a compelling hero: a handsome man with a tortured past who will sacrifice himself for love. But the entire story was too formulatic. No surprises, everything was just as you'd expect in a romance. I just wish I'd known it was a romance when I bought it. (Nothing is quite as embarrassing as reading a steamy sex scene while on the elliptical at the gym.)

If this story had been written as the masculine action-adventure story it is begging to be, I would be more willing to overlook the jarring head-hopping, the melodramatic protagonist, and the cookie-cutter plot. There are some great moments in this book (some great fight scenes and a wicked banter session between Arik and his 'brother') that get overshadowed by rest of this Greece-set romance. This is one story that might be better off as a movie- if only for the chance to drool over the actors for a couple of hours. (Viggo Mortensen, anyone?)

As always, my blog is just my opinion. Until next time,

me