I have to admit that I was a little skeptical of the latest book in Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series, Styxx. In Acheron, Styxx is not portrayed as a likable character, sure he saves Tory for Ash, but his past history with his twin painted him as a self-absorbed prince. As everyone knows, there are two sides to every coin, and Styxx is the other side of Acheron. Just to give you a hint of how much I liked this book, I was reading late last night when I was called in to do anesthesia on a dog hit by a car, and I did not get back home until 2:00 am. I was planning on just finishing the chapter I started before I was called, but ended up reading until 4:00 am. The main reason I quit then was because I could no longer keep my eyes open.
A warning before starting this book, that some of the events of this book are not for the weak of heart or stomach. Styxx's life was not a pleasant one, and there were some quite disturbing scenes.
Styxx is not the pampered prince that Acheron thinks that he is. While he is not sold as a sex slave like Acheron, his life is not much easier. His father can barely stand him, and his mother tries to kill him when he brings her a birthday present one year. Unlike Acheron, he does not even have the love of his sister, Ryssa.
The voice in his head and the nosebleeds are not really help Styxx's cause at all. In fact, he is sent to the Temple of Diosysus where he is tortured to remove the "possession," and it is also where he catches Apollo's eye, and that is not a good thing for him. As he grows older, he catches his Uncle Estes eye, and his drugged and raped by his uncle and his uncle's friends. Broken and wanting to die, he tries to kill himself, only to discover it impossible.
After his failed suicide attempt, he runs into a beautiful, blind girl in the woods. In her, he finally finds someone cares for him. When times are bad, he seeks solace in his Bethany. It is her memory that gets him through two years of war with Atlantis, where he proves himself strong and a fierce warrior. He never tells her who he really is because he doesn't want her to hate him.
Bethany has her own secrets, like she is a goddess of two pantheons, Atlantean and Egyptian. Even as an all powerfully goddess, she finds herself falling for Styxx, who she thinks is Hector a merchants son. When she discover who he is, and that Apollo has marked him, she runs to Egypt. In her absence, Styxx is taken by Apollo and turned over to the Atlantean gods. When Bethany finally comes home, she discovers what has been done to her beloved Styxx and rescues him.
Styxx goes home and is reunited with his Beth. Just when gets her to agree to marry her, his life is ended on the night Ryssa is killed. But his peace in death is short lived, as he yanked back to life, and Artemis deposits him on a vanishing island alone without any supply. He only wishes to die, and maybe be reunited with his Beth in death, unfortunately he can't die as long as Acheron lives.
Later he is brought back to the real world, and must learn to make his way in this new strange world. He is lonely and still heartbroken over Beth, and Acheron still hates him. When the world is threatened, he and Acheron must learn to trust each other.
This is one of the most heartbreaking books in the whole Dark-Hunter series, and that is saying a lot, because that has been a lot of heartbreak in past books. Styxx is a kind and humble soul that was continually beaten down by the world around him. Even with so many against him, Styxx remains dignified and kind to those who need it most.
Styxx and Beth's love story is one of the sweetest ones. I love that when they part each time that Styxx tells her that he miss her with each heart beat that they are apart. Their relationship is just beautiful how protective Beth is of Styxx's heart and saddened by the way he has been treated, and how Styxx is worried for her safety when they part each time.
This might be my new favorite book of the series. Styxx and Bethany are such wonderful characters that if you are a fan of the Dark-Hunters do not miss this one.
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One Lucky Vampire
by Lynsay Sands
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