Title: Styxx
Series: Dark-Hunter bk 24
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Genre: Paranormal
Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge.
As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s.
The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. But it was never a task she relished. Until now. She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her.
But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line. Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer.
Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it’s your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul?
Thoughts: I’ve been looking forward to this book ever since Sherrilyn announced she was writing it. I knew it was going to be emotional and change everything we thought we knew about him and Acheron. And I was right.
I’ve always suspected there was more to Styxx and Acheron’s relationship than we’ve seen, because we only got Acheron’s perspective. And in his mind Styxx was just as guilty of what happened when he was a mortal as his parents. This is something very common with abused children. They have to block things out to survive, and they can’t see past that to what else is going on. So we only had his perspective to tell us about his twin brother.
I’d been warned going into this book that it was way more emotionally charged than Acheron, and it was. The first three quarters of the book takes place Styxx and Acheron were mortal, and if you thought what happened to Ash was bad it was nothing compared to what happened to Styxx.
The love he felt for Bethany was so beautiful and heartbreaking. I cried buckets reading their story.
For me though as heart breaking as the first 3/4 of the book were, it was when was saw what happened to Styxx in modern times, that my heart really broke for him. At this point I was so in love him, I wanted to reach into the book and wrap my arms around him and tell him someone loved him. When Urian became his friend I wanted to high five him. When Danger took him under her wing, I cheered. When Ash had to face the truth of what really happened when they were mortal versus what he thought happened and deal with the consequences, my heart broke for both of them.
Here was a man who for more than eleven thousand years desired only one thing, to have someone love him. And with the exception of one person who was taken from him, he has been bitterly disappointed. And yet when his brother needs him to save his family he doesn’t hesitate in putting his life on the line, expecting to be betrayed. Because as much as he hates his brother, he still loves him and craves his love in return.
There was one scene however that literally broke my heart. It was the scene I posted with our Sunday Snippet, and you can read it here.
I’ve discovered over the years of reading this series that my favorite heroes are the ones everyone in the Dark-Hunter world hates. The ones they want nothing to do with, and treat like they are worthless. These are the heroes that have only desired one thing in their entire lives, to be loved.
I will warn you, when you read this book you will want to hate Acheron. Don’t. Until now we’ve had the perspective of a man who was horribly abused as a child, and survived the only way he knew how, by blocking out a lot of what actually happened. I will tell you it’s okay to hate Rissa by the end of the book, even Tori does.
I’ve read every single book in this series, and I can honestly say this book is in my top 5 books in this series. For fans of this series you can’t skip this one as it changes everything we thought we knew about Ash, Savitar, Urian and the Dark-Hunters.
Tori from Heroes and Heartbreakers and I had several conversations about this book and our thoughts and feelings about it. You can find her review of the book here.
Grade A+
Purchase
