Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon – a Dual Review

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Description:
Just when you thought doomsday was over…

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?

Marcie’s Review:
One box of kleenex, complete with red puffy eyes and sore nose, multiple cups of chamomile tea with honey, and a couple of Tylenols I finally finished Styxx.  After reading Acheron I never thought Sherrilyn Kenyon would be able to put me through another emotional ringer like Ash’s book did, but she proved me wrong.  She put me through the emotional wringer once again and then some. I am completely spent after reading this book.  I don’t think I have any tears left in me to cry.  I cried both tears of sorrow and joy, screamed in outrage, laughed at some of the lighter moments, and numerous times I wanted to reach into the book and throat punch both Estes and Apollo, then gut them and leave them to bleed out for what they did to Styxx. I’m not too bitter towards these two am I’m? (evil laughter rings out)

When Ms. Kenyon coined the phrase You Don’t Know Styxx, she hit the nail on the head, for we certainly do not know who Styxx truly is.  I am so glad Styxx decided to stand up for himself and speak to Ms. Kenyon to have his story told, for it was a story worth telling for her readers.  I just wish he would’ve spoken up sooner, this way I wouldn’t have disliked him for so long.  After reading his book I now see how very wrong I was about him.  Styxx is an amazing character, one who is worthy to stand at Acheron’s side and be the brothers they always should have been.  In Styxx’s story we really get to see everything that happened to split the twins up and wreck total and complete havoc on their innocent lives.  Had the gods not interfered the way they had none of this would have happened to either of them.  Both Styxx and Acheron suffered horrendous acts of brutality against them as they were growing up, but thanks to Apollymi wanting to ensure her son was protected, poor Styxx wound up having to feel everything Ash went through on top of his own pain and abuse.  However, no matter what happened to both brothers, Styxx still managed to somehow try and see the bright side of things, and continue to love his brother, even though everyone else was trying to turn them against each other.  I don’t know how he managed to endure what he did, if it were me I would have tried to find a loophole and do myself in a heck of a lot sooner.  Styxx somehow found an inner strength to endure and muscle on.

As hard as it was to read the abusive parts to Styxx’s story I muscled on, because I knew it was through all the horrible stuff done to both he and Ash that I would learn what I needed to learn about just who Styxx really is.  I’m so glad that I did and didn’t skip over any part of his story. If I had I would never have learned that Styxx has a heart of gold, and the only thing he ever wanted was to have his brother at his side and be loved like everyone else wants to be.  Not only does Styxx have a heart of gold, and wears it on his sleeve, but he also has the heart of a warrior, and no matter how the odds were stacked against him, he never once backed down, but instead found a way to preserve through it all.  If I had to pick someone to be my champion it would be Styxx. (shhh, don’t tell Acheron as he’s been my favourite DH forever)  However, I have enough room in my heart to cherish both brothers so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.  😉  

Through all the horrors and abuse we see Styxx subjected too, Kenyon manages to write an absolutely wonderful and loving romance between Styxx and Bethany.  I absolutely loved reading their scenes together, watching Styxx come to trust and love Bethany and be able to forget about everything else but her when they are together.  The love they have for each other oozes off the pages and makes you feel so much happier and light hearted after all the pain we read about. When it comes to happily ever afters, no one writes them better then Kenyon.  Yes there is always much heartache, torture, and abuse that happens to our hero, but in the end Kenyon manages to skillfully balance it with a tender and loving romance.  Without everything Styxx went through, he would not have come across Bethany, and would never have known what true love really is and just what you would do to hold onto it, no matter what.   Speaking of love, another part of the book I enjoyed was the relationship between Styxx and Galen that Kenyon created.  Galen treated Styxx like a son and loved him as such.  Styxx came to love and depend on Galen like a son does a father, and I was glad to see Styxx had someone else on his side besides Bethany.

Along with the love story between Bethany and Styxx, and the father/son relationship between Galen and Styxx, we also get to see Acheron and how it affected his attitude towards Styxx.  As much as I love my Acheron, I will admit that there were a few times in the book where I wanted to slap him upside the head, and tell him, “stop being an idiot already and listen to Styxx”. Yes Acheron was dealt a raw deal and suffered greatly, but like Kenyon herself said, there are two sides to every story. Ash owed it to Styxx to hear him out and find out the truth of what happened to his brother too.  When he finally realizes he doesn’t have all the details or the full truth, my heart broke for him and Styxx and what they were missing out on all these years.  Watching Ash try to make up for 11000 yrs of suffering to Styxx and try to reconcile was something I’ve been waiting for, and I absolutely loved watching the brothers start to trust each other again and forge new bonds.  This was one of my highlights in the whole book. Another highlight for me was the friendship that sprung up between Styxx and Urian. Urian is a character I’ve been dying to learn more about and let me tell you, we learned plenty.  I won’t say what, but it was a gem and a total “are you kidding me moment”.  I never saw it coming, but was happy with the result.  Styxx and Urian did provide many of the lighter, funnier moments of the book with their wit and wicked sense of humour, and I hope to see more of it down the road in future books.

There were many highs and lows in the book that I absolutely loved, and others I didn’t.  Like I said earlier, there were many times I wanted to reach into the book and cause bodily harm to Estes and Apollo, along with a few others, but they were the two main evils who had it out for Styxx.  The way Kenyon tells Styxx’s story is astounding and I couldn’t have asked for a better story for Styxx.  He truly is a hero, worthy of having his HEA and finally, finally having everything he ever wanted in life.  There were a few ‘aha’ moments in the book that I refuse to spoil for you, Urian for example. If you want to find out what they are then you have to read this book for yourself. Trust me you won’t be disappointed.  Along with the ‘aha’ moments, there was also a reunion of sorts with some of our favourite DH characters who come together near the end of the book to add to the action packed, kick ass ending. I loved seeing some of my all time favourites come back to help out, and have to wonder where Ms. Kenyon is going in terms of a couple of characters, one character particularly(she who I hate to type her name, LOL, heifer goddess ring a bell?) Yes I’m the type who is always reading between the lines trying hard to figure out any clues/tidbits/breadcrumbs that Ms. Kenyon likes to toss our way from time to time.  There were a few near the end that have me wondering and I can’t wait to see where she takes us next.  All I know is I want more Styxx and Acheron and hope we will continue to see them in upcoming stories helping out where needed.

Until then, happy reading my DH brethren, 😉

Vickie’s Review

Let me start this review by saying that the way Styxx was written was absolutely brilliant. To think of sitting down and undertaking something of this magnitude makes me realize, even more so, how absolutely talented Kenyon is. Not to mention that everyone’s beloved Acheron is portrayed in a different light. That, in itself, had to make her heart beat out of her chest, because I know it did mine. And, to say “timing is everything” is probably the biggest understatement EVER.

Styxx was written to coincide with the timing of Acheron’s book. We all know the horrible things that happened to Ash and how his beloved sister, Ryssa, championed him at every turn. Kenyon has done a wonderful job at letting us see what actually happened. After all, to quote Ash, “There are always three sides to every event – yours, theirs, and the truth that lay somewhere in the middle”……………

Part One of this book retells the story of Styxx and Acheron’s childhood. To see how close they were as children was heart warming. They tried their best to protect each other. “Brothers. Forever and always”. Styxx was never allowed to have a normal childhood. His father, King Xerxes, was after all grooming his heir. Styxx was denied the simple joys of childhood, except for the stolen moments with Ash. But, once Ash was sent away with Uncle Estes, things were never the same. For either of them. Unbeknownst to anyone other than Styxx himself, he had been born with certain abilities that tortured him endlessly, both physically and emotionally. Until he meets his beautiful Bethany. For the first time since Ash was taken away, Styxx finds peace and someone who loves him for him. Just as happiness eluded Ash in his early years, it also eludes Styxx as he is called to lead their troops into war. War is a nasty business, but add to the mix the Gods from opposing Pantheons, and nasty doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Once Styxx and his troops are recalled from a war in which they were winning, a series of events are set into motion that changes everything. Styxx just cannot catch a break. We all know what happened to Ryssa from Ash’s book and the wrath that Appolymi rains down on Archon and the other Gods who betrayed her. But, until you read this story, you have no idea just how profoundly Styxx plays into everything that happens. Be it with the Gods, King Xerxes, Uncle Estes or even Ash.

Part Two of the book begins in the year 2004, and if you think all of the heartache is over, you’d be sorely mistaken. Styxx has been in “exile” for centuries. Enter the Gods who want to take over the world, and, oh yeah, kill Ash. And who better to aid them, but Ash’s twin brother. Again, through a series of events, things are set into motion that lead to one of the most exciting climaxes that I have read in fiction. Of course, we have our preconceived notions. These are romance novels after all. But I’m telling you, I was worried. She did an absolutely brilliant job (have I said that already??) in drawing me in as never before. Not even in Ash’s book did I feel as vested in a character as I did with Styxx. You, without a doubt, will cry for him and you will cheer him on. But, more than anything, you will understand what a travesty his life has truly been. I know, I know……. How can anyone have it worse than Ash had it?? Well, you’ll have to read and find out, because I promise you, you will sob both tears of sorrow and tears of joy for him.

The one thing that I will say about Styxx’s book is that, in my humble opinion, we could have done without at least half of Part One. The atrocities committed against Styxx were just that: atrocious. But, enough already. I had a really hard time with that part of the book. It took me several days to read it, just as it did with Ash’s book. BUT, once I got to Part Two, I could not turn the pages fast enough. I laughed, I cried…. I even did the ugly cry a couple of times, or three. There are things that happen in this book that will leave you absolutely breathless. Revelations made that will make you gasp, but, oh my sweet Jesus, what a ride!! Well done Sherrilyn Kenyon, very very very well done.