Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunter #14)
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I'm over a year late writing this review. I read this back in July 2020. The audiobook was an entire experience, which a character like Acheron highly deserves. The mystique of his character was something that kept me as a reader continually wrapped up in the series. Acheron was something like a guardian angel who watched over his crew with the fierce devotion of a father. While he could not always prevent bad things from happening, he strove to protect his Dark Hunter family and moved mountains to see things right. Acheron's ongoing presence in the books is as a mentor, a sage, a friend, and an ally. Now, his story became the focus, and I was here for it.
Kenyon goes back to the beginning, when Acheron was born, and the formative years of his life, and it is heartbreaking stuff. Talking about trauma. It's hard to put into words how to describe how reading about Acheron's past made me feel. It was like a history story that I was seeing unfold but I was not able to emotionally detach from. Having seen where he came from, I can truly understand his devotion and protectiveness towards his Dark-Hunter family. I always loved Acheron, but I love him even more after reading his book.
It was honestly a relief when the story moves to the present and there's hope for Acheron to have a happyish ending. I really liked Tori. I actually think she's perfect for Acheron. Despite the huge age difference between them (like 11,000 years), there wasn't a gap or a feeling that they were mismatched. Her story was compelling in its own way, but it didn't take the smoke away from Acheron, because frankly, this is his story. She's sweet but also feisty and independent. Acheron has a protective streak, but he also needs a heroine that doesn't need to be over-protected or coddled. Their interactions were a balm to me after all the horrible stuff that Acheron went through and that toxic relationship with Artemis he'd had over millennia that served to cause him nothing but pain and actually made things worse for him in the long run.
This book did give me insight into the complicated relationship between Acheron and Artemis, and I get that dynamic and why he continued to be in that twisted relationship with her throughout the series. I can't say I feel more sympathetic towards Artemis, but I understand her feelings and connection to Acheron more. I'm glad that this book offered some closure on that.
As for the ongoing story in the book, and how it ties into the series--Well I think that it was well done how the plot does have an aspect of completion, but also ties into the ongoing Dark-Hunter storyline. I liked the concept of overcoming what one's fate seems to dictate, or in other words, taking command of one's fate. It's great to see some of the gang show up, and it made me sad to see how Nick and Acheron are at odds. As a lover of Simi, it was really gratifying to see the evolution of her relationship with Acheron and why Acheron calls her his daughter.
There was so much to love about this book. It was really long. The audiobook was (I just checked) 23 1/2 hours. But it didn't feel bloated. I was surprised at how much of the book was about Acheron's past, but it makes sense. Acheron is a hugely important character to the Dark-Hunter series. And there is so mystique about him, it only made sense that Kenyon took the time to delve deeply into who he was. While it was extremely painful at times because of the relentless cruelty that Acheron suffered, it was also enthralling to explore his character and to fall more deeply in love with him. He is a very strong person to have gone through so much and to be so good and kind for all the abuse that others inflicted on him.
Just a note about the audiobook. Holter Graham is a fantastic narrator. If the narration had been substandard, there was no way I could have listened so long and tolerated all the awful things that Acheron experienced. I have read one or two other books with him, and I would strongly recommend him. I definitely recommend this audiobook.
Final thoughts: I am well aware how late I am in reading this book. I can't regret that I finally read it when I did, in the midst of the hellscape of 2020. It was the kind of all in read I needed at that time.
