A Dream Within A Dream: Deadmen Walking Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2017/04/deadmen-walking-by-sherrilyn-kenyon.html

Deadmen Walking (Deadman's Cross Trilogy #1)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: May 9, 2017
Publisher: Tor Books

Description:

Hell On Earth

When the Chthonians brought the primal gods to a truce at the end of their great war, part of the pact they forged was that the worst of the evil the gods had unleashed against each other and mankind would be forever banished.

But forever is a long time. And nothing can contain those determined to find a way back.

To catch evil, it takes evil...

While Thorn is able to contain the demons unleashed on the ground, the ones who prey on the innocent sailors and sea faring travelers are beyond his reach.

For the sake of humanity, he makes a shaky alliance with an old foe, Marcelina. In the form of the ship they sail upon, she assembles a team under the command of Captain Devlyn Nathaniel Bane, one of the most notorious and bloodthirsty pirates to ever sail the high seas.

Damned and murdered by his own, Bane is out for revenge. With his own secret agenda, he agrees to take charge of the motley crew of pirates and brigands, and to protect the seas from the preternatural terrors that seek to devour every unwary soul they can take.

Theirs is a sacred and deadly task, as they are hunted by their prey and human authorities alike. If they fail, the world will fall to the ancient gods of chaos, and anarchy will reign. Most of all, the Southern gate, where the greatest, most powerful darkness is imprisoned, will be opened and there will be no stopping it.
It’s yo ho ho and a bottle of high seas stakes where the souls of all humanity are the ultimate prize and bargaining chip.

Praise for DEADMEN WALKING: A Deadman's Cross Novel:

"Kenyon (Born of Legend) puts the lie to the old adage “Dead men tell no tales” in this jam-packed, appealing first book of her Deadman’s Cross historical fantasy series...this piratical tale is filled with swashbuckling, death, glory." ―Publishers Weekly on Deamen Walking

“Kenyon’s writing is brisk, ironic and relentless imaginative.” ―Boston Globe

“Arguably the most in-demand and prolific authors in America these days.” ―Publishers Weekly

“[An] engaging read.” ―Entertainment Weekly

Deadmen Walking is an exciting start to an adventure-filled new fantasy trilogy. This is my first book by the author, and I'm glad I finally got to read some of her work. There were a ton of great aspects to the book, and a few points that I thought could've been better. My mind is still reeling a bit, so I'm going to make this as concise as I can by doing a list-type review.

Pros:

Plot - Pirates, mythology, lots of action and adventure, and romance to round it all out. I haven't read much pirate-based fiction, so my knowledge and experience in the category is limited. I really loved learning about all the various creatures, demons, the damned, the gods/goddesses, witches, etc. There was a LOT of stuff happening throughout the entire novel, and I did get confused a few times. (More on that in the next section.) The story line was kind of predictable and definitely had a "Pirates of the Caribbean" vibe. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the world she created to life and making it all so vibrant. I'm hoping to learn even more in the next installment, and hopefully it'll help clear up any leftover confusion on my part.

Characters - Well rounded and intriguing. There were a few major characters, like Thorn, Marcelina, and Captain Bane, and each of them had very distinctive personalities and traits that brought them to life in my eyes. Even the secondary characters were quite intricate and rounded, and made each of them unique. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters we met, and I definitely look forward to learning more about them in the next book.

Writing Style - The writing style is always a huge deal for me, and definitely can make or break a book in my eyes. The author chose to use the third person point of view to tell the story. I normally don't like this style because it always feels impersonal and makes it harder to connect with the characters. However, I was okay with it for this novel. There are several main characters that need their own stories told, and it would have been ridiculously confusing if the author had tried to use the first person. I think the only way to go was with the third, or almost guarantee losing the reader even more. I would've had a more intimate experience and probably could've lost myself in the story with the first person, but I would've been so confused. So, I guess this was the lesser of two evils (in my opinion).

Cons:

Writing Style - See above. Quick recap - I'm not a fan of the third person, and although I believe it was the better option for telling this story, I stand by my opinion.

Confusion - There was SO much happening and SO many characters and various creatures that I got confused early on and quite a bit throughout the book. I'm thinking a second read will help clear up some things I'm still lost on - or perhaps I should've made some notes while reading. Either way, there's a ton going on and it's really hard to keep it all straight, especially when you're trying to do it all at once with the plot.

Overall, this was a solid start to an exciting new trilogy. I do plan on reading the next book because the pros outweighed the cons for me. I really hope to get all the details in order before the next installment though - probably by re-reading this novel first. Definitely recommended for fans of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, science fiction, romance, and fans of the author.

New York Times and international bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon, is a regular at the #1 spot. With legions of fans known as Menyons (thousands of whom proudly sport tattoos from her series and who travel from all over the world to attend her appearances), her books are always snatched up as soon as they appear on store shelves. Since 2003, she had placed more than 75 novels on the New York Times list in all formats including manga and graphic novels. Her current series are: Dark-Hunter, Chronicles of Nick, Lords of Avalon and The League, and her books are available in over 100 countries where eager fans impatiently wait for the next release. Her Chronicles of Nick and Dark-Hunter series are soon to be major motion pictures while Dark-Hunter, Lords of Avalon and The League are being developed for television. Join her and her Menyons online at SherrilynKenyon.com and www.facebook.com/AuthorSherrilynKenyon