Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon, although proclaimed as a Dark-Hunter story on the cover, is very much a Were-Hunter story. There is only the briefest of appearances of Dark-Hunters in the story and it is the Were-Hunters who take the centre stage here.

Wren Tigarian who has previously been seen working in Sanctuary is the Were-Hunter in particular who this story is about. Still in Sanctuary the solitary hybrid, half snow-leopard and half tiger, is about to find that his time of hiding away from the world is running out.

Marguerite “Maggie” Goudeau is the daughter of a US Senator and the last sort of person that would normally frequent the biker bar known as Sanctuary.

But Maggie knew all about the place from her friend and study group member Nick Gautier, one of Wren’s only friends, and currently missing, suspected of murder and presumed dead. Deciding to go to the bar with the remaining members of the study group, Maggie intends to raise a glass in memory of her absent friend and little more.

But the single drink sets in motion events she could not have imagined.

Recognising Wren from Nick’s description she can feel his gaze on her from across the room, something her so-called friends find offensive, especially since not all of them wanted to go to the bar in the first place.

Ejected from the bar by the family who owns and runs it Maggie doesn’t imagine that she will ever see Wren again. But she sees him sooner than she thinks when he comes to her rescue from muggers.

Wren knows that the human woman should be off limits to him, but as an outcast even amongst his own people he can’t resist returning to the woman who has no idea of what he is.

Added to this complication is the fact that the Were-Bears of Sanctuary don’t want him to remain in their home and when one of the Were-Tigers claims that Wren killed his own parents, Nicolette Peltier seizes on the opportunity to rid herself of her unwanted lodger.

Taking the case before Omegrion the vote is not unanimous but it is enough to mark Wren for death.

Now his only hope is to uncover the truth about his parents deaths and clear his name, for which he will have to travel through time and with the endangered Maggie in tow, he will have his work cut out for him.

Personally I usually enjoy the Dark-Hunter stories more than the Were-Hunter stories; the background created for the Dark-Hunters intrigues me. However with this book the background for the Were-Hunters begins to catch up and we get to see more about those who run the community and the rules they live by.
This book shows a new side to the Peltier Were-Bear family, a harsher side to and one which reveals just how they are able to keep the peace within Sanctuary, and why they built it at all. After seeing this new side to the family the Aimee/Fang romance seems even more doomed than it was before.

We also get to see the mysterious Savitar in more detail and learn about his role in the Were-Hunter community.

And there is also a telling hint of the direction Nick is going in following the events in Seize the Night.

The hints of things to come are strong and I am waiting anxiously for the next instalment.
 

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Also by Sherrilyn Kenyon: Link to the Complete Dark-Hunter series List. (at least to date)

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