Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon (2008, Hardcover)

Deadly...sensual beyond belief...riveting and hot...this hero has been tightly woven throughout Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series of novels since 2004...and now she brings him to the forefront with blistering, amazingly hot force.

Conceived from the union of the Atlantean god Archon and his wife Appolymi, the Atlantean goddess of destruction, and cursed to die before his birth by a father who fears him even in the womb, Acheron is taken from his mother's body and placed in the womb of a queen about to give birth, in defiance of Archon's demand that the babe be killed before he could become a menace to his pantheon.

Believing that her son will be raised in comfort and safety as a prince until his twenty-first birthday when he will come into his full godhood, Appolymi is unaware that her beloved infant son will be cast out as evil, and left to the mercies of those who want only to harm and abuse the child.

This August 2008 novel from Sherrilyn Kenyon follows the babe from prior to his birth, through the incredible horrors and degradation he is forced to submit to throughout his life, weaving a tale of how the child grew to manhood in spite of his "curse", and how he survived. She weaves a marvelously intuitive tale that shows the depth of her understanding of human nature, and she handles the subject magnificently!

Filled with gods and goddesses of multiple pantheons, and showing a rare talent for historical correctness while weaving a delicate web that totally ensnares her readers, Kenyon draws from ancient history and wisdom to create finely drawn, marvelous characters with an acute sense of continuity that you don't find often in serial literature.

The book covers a period from nearly 9600 years BC through the present, and Kenyon's wry wit and loving hand draw the reader into sitting into the wee hours, unable to put the book down.

If you are familiar with the Dark Hunter series, you know that the Greek goddess, Artemis, created an army of immortal men who sold her their souls for the chance of revenge against those who destroyed them. This tale tells us of her reasoning in creating this army...as a method of holding the one man she loves against his will, forcing him to protect her army and to heel at her call. A "man" who could destroy her without even a thought, despite her god powers, but who willingly gives her dominion over him to protect his "humans".

Acheron is the creme de la creme of Dark Hunters...a god of fate and destruction without equal...a god who has suffered and bled for humanity since the beginning...and a god who is about to meet his match. And his match comes in the form of a human woman whose life is, and always has been, intertwined with his for several generations of her family, even before her birth.

Soteria Kafieri wants to prove that Atlantis really exists. Her father and uncle and cousins have given their lives in pursuit of the fabled kingdom that sank beneath the Aegean Sea over 11,000 years ago...and she wants the world to know that her family is at last vindicated. A family that has been scorned for years, laughed at and ridiculed because of their belief in the lost continent of Atlantis. She has proof of its existence.

But Atlantis cannot be found. To find Atlantis endangers the very fate of mankind, and Acheron cannot allow her to succeed. Soteria has met her match. And the resulting conflicts and craziness make for an amazingly fabulous read! Buy it! Enjoy it!

First I have to apologize as I am not an eloquent writer but let me assure you the book far surpassed my expectations! The inside cover reads:

"Eleven thousand years aga a god was born. Cursed into the body of a human, Acheron spent his human life in 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 centeries, he has fought for our survival and has hidden a past he never wanted revealed. Untial a lone woman who refuses to be intimidated by him threatens his very existence.
Now Acheron's survival, and ours, depends on her, and old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.
War has never been more deadly... or more fun."

The book is divided into two parts. The first half is Acheron's past and then the second half takes us to the near future (Oct. 8, 2008). Very well written with every attention paid to detail with great humor. I had a hard time putting it down and found myself trying to steal away from my visiting family to read it. When I it ended I was sad it was over, like a good vacation you don't want to end. Some parts are a little graphic and it does help to have previous experience with this author. I recommend reading some of her early Dark-Hunter books before reading this one. A side note...I do not recommend reading Phantoms in the Night. Also, she does have a glossary out "The Dark-Hunter Companion" to help and give some back ground information. One confusing part was Acheron not being able to hear Tory's thoughts but in different parts of the book he could hear her thoughts? Anyway, the hero is lovable & had my empathy. While the heroine was witty & funny. Both were easy to relate to. This will defintely be one of those books I read again & again and come away with something new each time.

When I purchased this book, I knew what I was buying. Acheron, a book from the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. She is an amazing author that writes about fantasy, romance, and the dark aspect of them together. I bought it for a friend, who is in love with this book. I knew he would love it! The minute he saw how large the hardcover, there was a a huge smile on his face. This was definitely a great buy for anyone who wants to sit down with an amazing story.

usually I start with the back of the book says:
but in this case, if you have been reading the dark hunter series then you know who acheron (ash) is and this is his autobiography sorta.

It's over 700 pages in length, the first 428 pages are the most heart wrenching fiction you will ever read, like some of the earlier dark hunter stories ash has a tragic past, however his is the most tragic of all the darkhunters, although ash is a god and the 2nd half is in line with her normal dark hunter story.

it's good, i wonder how long it will be for nicks story..........

Acheron is a great book if you already are in love with the Dark-Hunter series, written by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

I decided to buy this particular book because it has so far been the best book I have ever read and I thought it was worth having in hardcover. It is a magnificent story and the book is beautifully made, with very nice paper used inside.