Customer Reviews

Acheron: A Dark-Hunter Novel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Horrible. I wish I could get a refund.

This is the first Sherrilyn Kenyon book I've read and, if this book is anything to go by, I am at a loss to understand her popularity. The writing is just so bad.

First, the characters are one-dimensional and do not change. Second, the book is waaaaaaaaay too long for the content it contains. Case in point: the endlessly repetitive torture scenes. Do we really need to experience these in minute detail over and over? We get it, okay? Poor Acheron is all alone in the world. Nobody likes him. Can we move forward? Please? That leads me to my third observation: nothing happens. I mean, once you remove the torture scenes, nobody is really doing anything. None of the characters are changing/growing/learning...it's just more beatings. Acheron keeps bemoaning his fate. The king keeps punishing Acheron for existing. The princess remains a constant fool. This just goes on and on and on and on...what is the point? It is tedious.

I made it halfway through the book but I can't take any more. I just don't care anymore what happens to any of these characters.

This book really is quite hard to get through. The book is extremely repetitive, which only really serves to drive the point home. The protagonist has been severely handicapped and abused. Apart from the sometimes quite visual and terrible abuses, one just about wants to tear one's hair out at the stupidity and incredibility of some of the characters. While trying in a quasi-psychological style to justify the behaviour of her characters, Kenyon really takes us for a ride: they're rather stereotypical and a tough sale to any sane reader out there.

For such a long read, the reward is rather poorly. I was left quite frustrated. I don't consider the book to be the worst of the worst (hence the two stars), because I was able to finish it and I liked the 'twist' with the main character, Acheron, rising to power and operating in our day and age. The interaction between the divine and our secular daily life was quite rewarding and the story was definitely more interesting in this second part of the book. But really... hundreds of pages preceding it just to let us know what a psychologically damaged kid our Acheron was, is just too much.

I love reading and have extremely eclectic tastes. I usually share books with friends that I think might like them, or at worst trade them in to a used book store. This one I threw in the garbage so no one else experienced the depressing, poorly written, sexual sadism that made up most of the book. I'm not a prude. I am not very sensitive. But this was just awful trash.

A good editor might have been able to save the book, but they didn't. So in the garbage it went.

I do love to read about the Gods of yesteryear. It is remarkable and my imagination goes back in time to visualize the world these people lived in. I know it is partly fictional but love it anyway.

I have waited for this book for a very long time and was completely thrilled with it. For those of you who did not enjoy it I would suggest going back and reading the other books that came before it. Archeron is a wonderful character and I was excited to finally get to read his story. Any fan of Sherrlynn Kenyons series waited a long time for this book to come out and as a fan I absolutely loved it.

I thought the story of Acheron was a very compelling read. Yes the story was tragic in the beginning, but that made the later part of the book even better. Because of all the horrible experiences he had, including the unhealthy relationship he has with Artemis, I found myself hoping that things would get better for him. As awful as his relationship with Artemis is, I was happy to discover that some good resulted from their dysfunctional relationship.
There were a lot of questions that I had about Acheron from reading the other Dark-Hunter books, because he is by far the most interesting character out of all the Dark-Hunters, Dream-Hunters and Weres that she has created. It also makes his character even more honourable after you find out what happened to him at the beginning of his life. After the bad experiences in his life, instead of becoming bitter, he chose to help others in need. I like how he is around when people need him the most and I wonder what will happen between himself and the Malachai (I won't reveal who that is in case you haven't gotten that far yet).
I would recommend this book to others, although you should probably read some of the other Dark-Hunter books before reading it to get some background on some of the other characters and events.

This was so worth the wait for Acheron's story. Sherrilyn Kenyon released a book that is two books in one and I couldn't put it down until it was finished. Definately buy it, read it and then you will find yourself reading it again its so good! So stop reading this review and go get the book!

ACHERON is the best book I have ever read. I loved it ! It was amazing from start to finish.When I was done, I wanted more.

I had read this book first not realizing it was part of a series. I thought it was wonderful and it made me look further into the author and purchase the complete series and when I got to the Acheron book, in the correct reading order of the series, again and reread it I still found it to be a great book. Yes his back story is quite abusive but I find it helps the reader to realize and appreciate the person he becomes at the end of it all. No book ever made me feel so sad and then so happy for a character ever before. Acheron is my most favourite character in any book I've ever read.

With his past hinted at in so many of the previous Dark-Hunter novels, finally having one that gives you all the details helps to ease the curiosity that was built through out the series about him. Was it heart-wrenching to read about it, absolutely! Definitly a box of tissues is a must have companion when reading this book! Betrayal is typically why most people in "real life" don't trust and have issues that become obstacles to their obtaining happiness. And most people in "real life" want someone that shares their interests, or at the very least understands them on a deep level. Sherrilyn Kenyon's novels provide these fundamental foundations in every book, in a way that never seems to get stale, or cliched. Repeatedly she is able to take what is truly a basic concept and spin it into the most amazing of tales that will always have a special place on my bookshelf!