Every Thursday, Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews hosts an event entitled “Daring You To Read”. The premise involves ‘daring’ the readers to go back and read one of their favorite novels. The Reading Cafe is offering up a dare. It may be a difficult dare for some, or for most, but the book we are daring you to read is ACHERON by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
ACHERON is one of those books, where you either love it or hate it, but in the grand scheme of all things Dark Hunter, ACHERON is a necessary read.
Acheron is a difficult book to read, especially the first 2/3-the first chapter in Acheron’s life. The abuse and torture of such a pure soul, will leave the reader anxious, angst ridden and requiring stock in Kleenex tissues. Sherrilyn does NOT hold anything back when she writes about the abuse Acheron has endured. We have discussed ACHERON on other sites, and found there are two types of readers with ACHERON: 1. They read it, cried, sobbed and required therapy when all was read and done. 2. They quit reading The Dark Hunter series-never to continue. Where do you stand on reading ACHERON?
Sherrilyn Kenyon wrote the WHY behind ACHERON:
From the desk of Sherrilyn Kenyon-THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: First let me say that I’m more than aware of the fact that the ancient calendar differed dramatically from our own. But since I’m dealing with a time of unrecorded history, I used our calendar for the dates to allow the reader to have an idea of when things were taking place. I hope for those of you who are sticklers for such things that you’ll understand why it was necessary.
That being said, I’ve also taken license with how things were in the ancient world in the beginning. I’ve structured the world of ancient Greece and Atlantis around a later time period and given them more technological advances than what the historical record shows for the true time of when the book is set.
In my world, they had a lot of nifty toys until Atlantis was sank into the ocean and Apollymi’s wrath sent mankind back into the Stone Age. This is also dealt with and explained in more detail in the latter part of the book.
It’s so strange now to have this tale written. I can still remember the first time I sat down to write a Dark-Hunter novel. Ash was one of the original characters, but back in the day, he was actually the leader of the Daimons and not the Dark-Hunters.
He’s changed a lot over the years, but the one thing that hasn’t ever changed is my love for him.
For my normal readers, I want to warn you that the first half of this book is very different from the previous ones. Ash’s human life is grim and it’s harsh. I promised you the whole sordid truth of it and that’s exactly what I’ve written. I’ve pulled no punches.
As a survivor of childhood abuse myself, I know the strength it takes to try and silence the voices in your head and heart that haunt you long after you’ve broken free. It’s not an easy thing to do and just when you think you’ve buried those demons, they come back for you with a vengeance.
It takes a lot strength and courage to trust a stranger when you’ve been harmed by the very ones who were supposed to protect you. But the one thing I’ve learned is that it can be done. That all of us are worthy and that we all matter. To this, I can never thank my husband enough for being the man he appeared to be both inside and out. Thank you, baby, for saving me, and for showing me that there are people in the world like you.
As my friend Tish taught me to say: Digmus Sum. Thank you Tish.
And a couple of QUOTES from ACHERON by Sherrilyn Kenyon:
pg 662-663: She reached down to brush the hair back from his forehead. Ash buried his face against her thigh and nipped the tender flesh there as her hand touched his cheek.
“Please don’t pull my hair”, he breathed in a ragged whisper, now wanting anything to spoil this moment.
“I would never hurt you, Ash.”
pg. 680: “Yes,” he breathed, reaching down so he could stroke her while she rode him slow and easy. His throat tight, her gentleness succeeded in breaking him where the beatings never had.
One small tear slid from the corner of his right eye. Slamming them shut, he surrendered himself to her. Right now, this moment, she owned him in a way no one ever had before. NO, she didn’t own him. He gave himself to her, and for the first time, he understood the difference.
*sniff…hands everyone a tissue*….Now, where was I?-Sandy
You can find Tynga at : Tynga’s Reviews
