Acheron by S. Kenyon

The latest Dark-Hunter novel by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Acheron has been highly anticipated by her legions of fans and I have been right there with them. The one Dark-Hunter that has always been an enigma, we finally get to see who Acheron is and how he became the man/god he is. Originally, the novel was suppose to be two separate works – the first part being his early (and mortal) history and the second being set in the present day. Needless to say, that didn’t happen and we’re given both stories at once. While this novel is huge (and can be a bit intimidating), the story of Ash’s life is so encompassing that we learn more about him than we ever have. Granted, that is the point of this novel, but there are things in his past that he has kept such a secret that they will shock you.

I could probably go on and give you a brief synopsis of the novel, but we’ve seen a lot of it already mentioned throughout the series, but now we’re given the details and feelings behind each scene from Ash’s life. We see the child who wants to be loved by his parents only to be casted aside for his “unnatural” appearance. We see the abuse he lives through while being raised by his own monsters and we see his initial meeting with Artemis and the subsequential betrayals. Everything we’ve known about Ash up to this point has only been the tip of the iceberg and the depth of emotions and physical pain he has lived through will strike a cord in everyone’s heart.

For a character who has been in every dark-hunter novel since the very beginning, there is an amazing amount of development for Ash. Before, he was always popping into others lives, helping in any way he can, and then he would vanish. Now he can’t do that and we see a whole new side of him that, in my opinion, we have never really seen. The first half of his story takes up a lot of the book, but without it, I think we would miss out on getting to know the real Ash. His life wasn’t easy and to read a novel about a character set in their own time period, the era they were born to, it’s refreshing and intriguing all at the same time.

The plot for the second half of the novel centers around finding Atlantis. Go figure. What else would be deemed worthy enough to get his attention. He’s been fighting daimons for thousands of years; but if someone were to find Atlantis and set his mother free…that can’t happen and he goes to take care of it. This is where we get to meet the woman who will heal Ash. A woman with an obsession for Atlantis, who is just as stubborn and can be just as much of a pain, will be the one to bring our Acheron to his knees. Afterall, if you haven’t figured that part out yet, then you obviously haven’t been reading the series. The situations the two of them find themselves in to is good and the scenes flow seamlessly. There really isn’t any time in this entire novel that made me want to put it down because I was getting distracted with everything else. The exact opposite occurred…I kept getting distracted by having Acheron sitting someplace and I wasn’t reading it. The plot was so engrossing that even without it being about Ash, or including the first half of his life, it would still have been an excellent read.

Overall, Acheron is so worth the expense if you’re a fan of the Dark-Hunters. If you haven’t read the series yet, then you need to before reading this novel and trust me, you won’t regret picking these novels up. I’ve been a fan for years. I actually started reading Kenyon prior to ever picking up LK Hamilton, I just never realized it. Seize the Night was my first novel and it’s still one of my favorites today. This series is so unlike any other vampire novel, that it’s in a league of it’s own, with this novel being one of the best ones ever. I’ve heard that Acheron ends one story arc, and a new one will begin with One Silent Night. However, I’m not really sure which story arc has ended (besides the obvious). I can see how one would think that, but I will have to wait and see what happens in November when the next novel comes out. The next dark-hunter story, One Silent Night, actually involves Stryker, our villainous daimon leader, and I’m really interested in seeing how she gives our favorite villain and happy ending. I will definitely be in line waiting to get my hands on his story.

Read Order:
Fantasy Lover – Julian
Night Pleasures – Kyrian
Night Embrace – Talon
Dance with the Devil – Zarek
Kiss of the Night – Wulf
Night Play – Vane
Seize the Night – Valerius
Sins of the Night – Alex & Danger
Unleash the Night – Wren
Dark Side of the Moon – Ravyn
Devil May Cry – Sin & Kat
Acheron
One Silent Night (Nov 2008) – Stryker

Also reviewed by:
Bitten by Books
Amberkatze
Dirty Girls Review
More Than Just Books
The Good, the Bad, the Unread

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

1 Comment

  1. Acheron is sitting here looking at me. I have had it a week and still haven’t picked it up because I know I need to be at home long enough to read it because it is just too darn big to take anywhere to read.

    Hopefully this weekend….

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