Acheron

Acheron

This is the book many Kenyon fans have been waiting for since the character of Acheron Parthenopaeus was introduced in Night Pleasures in 2002. Acheron commands the Dark-Hunters, an elite force created by the Goddess Artemis to fight the Daimons, a race of beings that must suck out the souls of mankind in order to live. The Dark-Hunters were ancient warriors, betrayed in life they give up their own souls to the goddess to fight for humanity. They are strong, deadly and unbelievably gorgeous. Most of all Acheron.

Acheron is a predator. Built for sin and good at sinning, he is the ultimate male. He has more wealth than could be spent in a thousand life times. He can have anyone or anything he wants— almost. But like the men he was betrayed in life by the person he trusted most. The one person who was supposed to love him. Now Acheron loves no one and he trusts no one. He sacrifices his body and soul for his men and knows that his life will never be more than it has always been. Pain. Humiliation. Degradation.

In Acheron, Kenyon begins by telling us of Acheron’s past. In fact over 300 pages are devoted to Acheron’s life as a human. This first section reads almost like a cleansing, a purging by Kenyon of all the darkness she has held in about Acheron and his life. It is horrific and it is disturbing. The tales of his past become almost numbing in the constancy of his abuse and misuse at the hands of those who were supposed to love and protect him. Then Kenyon comes back to us.

The second half of the book is pure Kenyon. It is the story of Acheron’s redemption and of his chance to find freedom, love and all the things he never thought he could ever have. Kenyon’s wit is blazing on these pages as she shares with us a side of Acheron that breaks through his ultra cool, ultra hip persona to give us a glimpse at what it is to be Acheron Parthenopaeus, and what it is to love a man like that.

The book is really two books and I almost believe Kenyon should have made it two books. The problem is the first half is so dark as to be off-putting to her usual fans. Because of that, the book is given a conditional 4 plumes by this reviewer. The second half would have been an easy 5 plumes, awesome and wonderful. But the first half is about a 3. Read it, wade through it. It will shock you and horrify you, but you need to know who Acheron was, to understand just how special who he becomes really is.

Review by Elyssa Edwards