Gwen’s review of Acheron (Dark-Hunters, Book 12) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Paranormal Romance released by St. Martin’s Press 5 Aug 08

Kenyon wrote this book in two parts, so I’ll review it in two parts.  Part I is the story of Acheron’s early life. (“Acheron” is properly pronounced “Ack-uh-RAHN” and we learn he’s westernized to “ASH-uh-rahn” or “Ash”.)  Part II is the story of his modern life and his love story.  I couldn’t review it in any other way than two parts.   I tried, and just couldn’t.  When you read the review, you’ll see why. 

Part I, Acheron’s Early Life [my name, not the author’s]

Part I is the (long) tale of Ash’s birth and the first roughly 2,200 years of his life.  The focus is on his human days, before he’s re-born into his godhead. It centers around his step-sister’s journal for large portions – giving an interesting first person accounting of his most vulnerable moments.  Much of it is told in third person after his sister is sent to Apollo’s temple.

We learn more about his mother, his history, his family.  We learn just how badly Artemis treated him and why (that woman needs some serious counseling).  And we learned how totally screwed over he was and how little anyone cared about it – including his real mother despite all her protestations of love.

However, as interesting as all this was, I have to admit, I didn’t read all of Part I.  I skimmed and skipped sections.  It was really dull to me.  Perhaps I need to be more of a fangrrl to have slogged all the way thru it, but I just couldn’t.  After roughly 200 pages of reading what was roughly the same event, for what felt like the thirtieth time, I just skimmed and thumbed until I saw more dialog.  Then I skimmed and skipped until it looked like something might be happening.  Therefore, I can’t say I read all of Part I – perhaps I will by the time I stop thumbing thru it, but I can’t say I slogged all the way thru it and it was a slog for me.

That’s why my grade of Part I is…

Grade: DNF

Part II, Acheron Present Day

This part of the book is set in modern day and is the typical Dark-Hunter novel we all know and love.  Well, know at least.  This part of the tome would be the typical mass market paperback length, about 300 pages.

It’s no secret by now that Ash’s heroine is a character mentioned in the first Dream-Hunter novel – Megeara’s (“Geary’s”) cousin, Soteria (“Tory”).   Ash and Tory meet when Ash, in a very uncharacteristic move and to cover up the existence of Atlantis and what happened to him there, submarines Tory’s archeological peer findings presentation. Tory immediately decides she hates him.  Of course, the love story begins.

Tory isn’t what I expected for Ash.  Not at first, at least.  In many ways she grows into the part by the end of the book.  I enjoyed their love story and their HEA. I thought the chemistry between them was believable and sweet.  Hey – we also learn why he’s always carrying around that backpack and actually are told what’s in it.

I liked the secondary characters, even if I felt a bit of the Feehan’s Dark Celebration thing going on in part of it.  You know what I mean: trooping out all the old characters like a family reunion to no very good purpose, making a “kids perform in front of the relatives” kind of thing. It seemed a bit overkill there once or twice, given that Ash didn’t really need the help and how the bloody hell did all those guys manage to get in one place at the same time anyway.  Seemed a bit much to believe and felt a little disingenuous.

The last issue I want to bring up is what Kenyon seems to be doing to her heroes.  I think she’s trying to make them more “vulnerable” and less “alpha”.  In doing so, however, I feel that perhaps she’s taking them down the “woe is me” path too much.  I mention this in my reviews of a couple of her last few books.  Her heroes all are more than damaged – they’re damaged and wallowing in it.  I don’t like men (or women) who wallow.  Life sucks some most of the time – just pull up your big girl/boy panties and get on with it.  Now, mind you, going thru decades of torment might skew your view of the world for a few years, but 11,000 fucking years?  C’mon!  There’s a difference between caution and cynicism, over holding onto a grudge and self-pity. Learn it.  Live it.  I just thought Acheron would be tougher emotionally than he turned out to be.

The upshot is the second half of the (enormous) book called Acheron isn’t bad.  It’s not great – it’s a kind of middlin’ sort of Dark-Hunter book and was a little disappointing.  I expected a lot more.  Not sure what.  Just.  More.

Grade: C+

Summary:

The most anticipated story in the blockbuster Dark-Hunter series. The never-before-revealed story of the Dark-Hunter leader, Acheron. He was made human in order to escape death, but in death he was reborn a god. . .

Eleven thousand years ago a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent a lifetime of shame. However, his human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the earth. Then, brought back against his will, Acheron became the sole defender of mankind.

Only it was never that simple. For centuries, he has fought for our survival and hidden a past he’ll do anything to keep concealed. Until a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.

Now his survival, and ours, hinges on hers and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.

War has never been more deadly… or more fun.

Read an excerpt here.