Styxx (Dark-Hunter #12) By: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Plot:

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?

Review:

If I was rating this book on the first six hundred pages it would not get a good rating. It was a continuous stream of torture. The titular character was physically, psychologically, and emotionally abused, by everyone around him. There were only two people in his entire life that didn’t treat him like absolute crap, so naturally they were taken from him.

The blurb above is really just about the last three hundred or so pages and not nearly as climactic as it sounds. The only reason I felt into the last part of the story was because I’d spent six hundred freakin pages seeing all the horribleness that was done to Styxx. If I hadn’t gotten to finally see Acheron realize that his brother wasn’t evil I would have imploded.

That’s another thing, I do not recommend reading this book in hardback, it is huge and unwieldy and just not something you want to lug around.

I’ve read the Dark Hunter series for a while now and I miss how the characters back story was briefly explained. We knew they’d been tortured and put through a ton but we didn’t have to read every excruciating detail. It was all about the romance. There was plenty of romance in this book but I felt that the bigger story was the relationship between Styxx and Acheron. I feel like Kenyon really wants you to know that she can create an intricate world and that she’s a history buff, but ultimately I don’t care. I want an epic romance. I like the world she’s created but she’s started going into too much detail for me. It’s impressive but not what I’m looking for in her Dark Hunter series.

3/5

Side Note: This review is not a reflection of the writing quality. Styxx was amazingly well written, it was just not something I plan on re-reading or ever owning.