At Death’s Door

Deadman’s Cross, Book #3

Hellchasers, Book #3

By Sherrilyn Kenyon

ISBN# 9780765385741

Author’s Website:  https://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Valynda fell in love with a dark stranger when she was a young girl.  A dark stranger that her friends had summoned onto her beach.  When Nibo arrived, Valynda’s friends saw a different image of him, then she did because of the evil in their hearts.  They ran off in fear leaving Valynda alone with him.  Nibo enjoyed how Valynda didn’t back down, not even to him.  The two quickly fell into a sweet romance and he gave her his real name, Xuri, and let her know that if she ever calls him, he will come.

However, when her parents found out about her relationship with Nibo, they were furious.  She was ordered to marry an evil man.  And, when she refused, he killed her, destroying her very body in the process.  She screamed and screamed for Xuri, but he never came. 

Now she’s been brought back to be a part of the Deadmen’s crew, but since she has no body she has to live as a straw doll.  She would give anything to have her body back.  And, an opportunity presents itself.  The Malachai will return her to her body, but she must betray Nibo and Thorn as he wants Nibo’s crook and Thorn’s sword as payment.

She thinks she can betray Nibo since he betrayed her on the day of her death by not coming and leaving her to die.  However, she underestimated how difficult it would be to let her anger go enough to seduce him out of his most prized possession.  And everything changes when she realizes that other forces kept Nibo away that fateful day, and he was betrayed as well.  However, now that she has reconciled with Nibo, the Malachai feels betrayed and is ready to unleash his wrath on everyone in his path….

This was easily my favorite of the Deadman’s Cross books.  I loved Nibo!  He should be considered evil as he helps deliver people to hell, but yet he still manages to be good and even likable.  I loved the devotion he had for Valynda and found their romance sweet.  Nibo was murdered by his own twin, Qeenan, in his mortal life.  Qeenan had also killed Nibo’s first wife, Aclima, out of jealousy.  And, now he’d like nothing better than to kill Valynda too.  However, she proves tough to kill when Nibo has some powerful friends on his side.

We get visits in this book from two of my favorites Acheron (with Simi) and Savitar!  We even get to briefly see Hades, who I still picture as the Disney cartoon version.

So, I was really enjoying this book until the last chapter.  It ended so oddly that I was like what just happened!?!  I re-read it even, and it never made sense to me.  There was no true conclusion.  Everybody is just going off on their own, biding their time until big evil strikes again.  This book would have easily gotten a better rating from me with a better ending because I really enjoyed the rest of it.