Styxx (Dark-Hunter Novels, 17) Mass Market Paperback – March 25, 2014

This is the 23 book in this series (not counting novella's) and since we first learned about Acheron's royal brat brother, I have hated Styxx. I mean lets be honest, the only reason why Styxx has ever done anything for Acheron was because Artemis forced Styxx to experience Acheron's life.So, when this book popped up on Amazon for pre-order, I refused to push the button. Why do I want to read a story about a spoiled brat who realizes Ash actually had a horrible life and had a sudden epiphany and decides to be a good guy. What else could this story be about, everyone knows that Styxx has no redeeming qualities. Eventually, I decided I had to purchase this book. I love the Dark/Dream/Were Hunter series so much, I figured if nothing else I will get the opportunity to catch up with my favorite characters.After the first chapter I realized all of my preconceived notions couldn't be more wrong. I flew through the pages that told of a childhood that was so different than the one I imagine the spoiled brat had lived. This story isn't for the faint of heart. Anyone who read about Acheron's childhood knows about the horrors that are possible and we see a lot of the same tortures in this book. There is so much darkness in this book and by the half way point I was thrilled that Styxx had finally found some happiness, however, with so much left to the book you know something bad is about to happen, something, really, really, bad.This book does span 11,000 years, so there was a lot of change going on, not just in this book but in the reader as well. Once I got to the twenty first century, I had a new respect for Styxx. As you read about his childhood, I know that I teared up a few times, but as I got to the point where other's realize how mistreated Styxx actually had been, I was balling. I couldn't stop the tears and more than once I had to actually put the Kindle down because my tears were making the words too blurry for me to continue. Last night I didn't sleep because I was absorbed in the story and couldn't stop until I knew that Styxx was safe and happy.The relationship between Styxx and Bethany is everything you want on a romantic journey. There is laughter and love and amazing chemistry. Plus, the sex scenes are hot enough to send you off to a cold shower. I love the way Bethany protects Styxx and how she loves him unconditionally. And there is so much humor in their relationship, everything from their witty flirtation to her inability to kill him no matter how hard she tries because she was protecting him. There is also enough pain and sorrow that you will start cursing the gods along with Styxx.This book takes you on a journey that stirs your emotions and pulls you in. There is so much to love about this book, and I want to tell you all about it, but I hate to leave spoiler alerts, so you're just going to have to read it. I will say that after Acheron I always imagined I was like Ryssa. That I would have fiercely protected Acheron and love him when no one else would. And, when I started this story, I was exactly like Ryssa, I knew exactly how mistreated Acheron had been and I knew just how spoiled Styxx was. By the end of the book, I had taken her off the pedestal I had put her on and I felt sorry for her too. This time because she will never have the opportunity to change and see things as they actually were.If you are debating, should I bother reading this book, it's huge, it will take forever to read, I don't like the violence in the book, whatever the reason you think you won't enjoy it, let me assure you, the book flies by, the violence is horrible, but it gives perspective to the life Styxx has lived, and the journey is amazing. Pick up this book and allow Styxx to invade your heart and soul. It is so worth the journey.

The DelightA story that can make me cry is a keeper, but with caveats. Styxx's story is as dark as his twin brother Acheron's. Bethany had my heart, but also sometimes my scorn at her actions. Read on to find out more.All through Acheron's story, we all probably held a deep hatred for Styxx, so when I started this story, I was forcing myself to read it. How could he redeem himself? I didn't think Stryker did, so in no way did I think Styxx could do it. Boy was I wrong. How the author weaves these two stories together is interesting as we took everything Styxx said and did wrong and we never saw what happened in his life.The story begins when Styxx and Acheron were young boys and right away you want to cuddle these two innocent children. Styxx wasn't the bully you thought he was when he took Acheron's wooden horse, but he was protecting him from being blamed for stealing it. Through every action, Ryssa (their older sister) comes across as a royal bitch. She never sees anything good in Styxx. At night they would lay back to back, feet bent to each others feet. As twins they shared everything. The Gods who were looking for Acheron put voices in his head, but not the loudness that was put in Styxx's head. Styxx could hear everyone's thoughts which gave him incredible headaches and nose bleeds. While everyone thought Styxx was his father's beloved son, it was quite the opposite. And every pain brought down on Acheron, Styxx felt it too. Not only was his life line tied to his brother's, he pain was too.When Acheron is taken away, Styxx is often confused by the pains he feels from him. At one point Styxx's father thinks he is possessed and gave him to the priests to exorcise. He is burned, beaten and violated until finally his father brings him home when Apollo persuades him to, but Apollo wants the boy. Yep, good ole Apollo is into guys.The first really violation on Styxx happens when his uncle takes him hunting and camping with a group of his friends. They drug him and violate him over and over. We are talking a teenager here of young age being raped and raped by his uncle and friends. This is when Styxx realizes what Acheron is going through and we see him try to save Acheron by fleeing fast ahead of his uncle only to have Acheron betray him. Once again drugged and sold as a prostitute with is brother.And so the story continues with so much sexual violations I can't even begin to understand. Styxx tries to kill himself and finds out he can't until Acheron is dead. And that is when he comes upon a blind maiden fishing. She is beautiful and she can't see all his scars. The two continue to meet for a time and gently fall in love. He tells her is name is Hector so she connect him to the prince everyone talks about.Unbeknownst to him, Bethany is a Goddess of two pantheons, Atlantis (her mother) and Egyptian (her father). She is searching for Acheron for his father but often skips away. The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, she has not been happy for a long time nor smiled. She also hides this fact from Hector (Styxx) as she knows how much he hates the Gods who have forsaken him.There is a great war where Styxx at a young age does what no other Greek has, almost made it to the heart of Atlantis when he is called back. But during this time he kills Atlantean's that Apollo loves. So he gets bitch slapped by Apollo, meaning Bethany has no claims on him. At some point they both reveal who they really are, but they love each other so much, it matters little.There is a lot more to this story but I don't a blow by blow to the story in the past. Suffice it to say Styxx is betrayed by everyone except for Bethany, but at one point I think she should have done so much more. Bethany gets pregnant and Styxx is going to marry her when Acheron dies violently leaving Styxx dead as well. But good ole Acheron is brought back by Artemis and so Artemis takes him off to a island. An island he spends eleven thousand years on, by himself as Artemis says she will provide for him, but as with Arty, she forgets he even exists. When he is brought back he knows what Apollymi has done to her pantheon, killing is wife (even if not officially married) and unborn child.There is so much more to this story and just how much these two love each other. The often just cuddled, talked and dreamed of a life together. The both accepted each other and had no qualms loving each other. It was a sweet love. One that Styxx desperately needed and Bethany needed as well. Now eleven thousand years later they need a miracle to ever be together considering Bethany and the child are dead. You know this author had a plan to get them back together.Now in the future, I get to start hating Acheron. He is so forgiving of each of his Dark-Hunters, but his brother, he can't even find time to talk as he has what he feels is all the information. He condemns Styxx and I don't now how Styxx can handle it. Eleven thousand years and no one give a s*** about you. I would have caved in. But he can't die until Acheron does.While the future isn't as brutal as the past, he is used unfairly. He finally has to retreat once again to be alone. To find himself. He just wants to be left alone. And that is what was breaking my heart.Deep down while I loved this story I also think it went too far and too long just like Acheron's. There is only so much abuse I want to read about. There is a happy ending, but the struggle almost did me in to get there. Oh, oh, and Ryssa...can't I cut that bitch? I thought she was selfish in Acheron's story but then again she didn't have much power. This time, I wanted to cut her up and make her feel an ounce of either brothers' pain. Dear old dad....someone needed to assassinate him and the uncle.I can't give this five stars for so much violence, but I can't discount just how truly I felt for Styxx and his one moment he wanted peace and happiness. A great addition to the story line, but I really have to say I am done with 800 page books. They take everything out of you.

Venia doblado, algunas partes rallada que ya se veía lo blanco

I absolutely LOVED this book! To be honest... I went into it fully prepared to hate it and Styxx. But I very quickly changed my mind and came out the other end a huge Styxx fan! Frankly... I never thought anyone could compete with Acheron in my heart, but Styxx certainly has. Overall in the entire Dark Hunter series I have never had another favorite character, it's always been 100% Acheron. But now Styxx is tied with him for first (followed recently by Wren in Unleash the Night).So a few things to note about this book...1. READ Acheron first! Trust me on this one. While Acheron and Styxx both take place during the same time period (but differing POV), Acheron's book has a lot of information in it that you will need in order to make sense of Styxx. I think anyone who reads Styxx first will be very lost.2. While I do adore this book... be forewarned that it is very brutal! There is a lot of rape in it... a lot of physical violence... just a lot of unpleasantness overall. If you are squeamish about such things, just be warned that this book is not a light hearted fluffy romance novel in any way shape or form. It's harsh and brutal and hard to read in parts. But it is SO WORTH IT in the end! The first half is very rough, and I took a while to make my way through it simply because my poor heart couldn't take too much all at once. But once I hit the half way point, I read the second half of the book in one sitting! SO GOOD! There is a light at the end of the tunnel!3. While it's not necessary... if you are not familiar with Kenyon's Dark Hunter series, you may want to read a couple of her other novels before you dive into this one. I would suggest, Devil May Cry (Kat's story), Sins of the Night (Alexion's story) and also maybe Night Pleasures (Kirian's story) and Night Embrace (Talon's story). It's definitely not necessary to read these ones first, but they do play a part in Styxx's book. The author does give you enough information in Styxx so that you can make sense of what's going on and not be lost, but there are some spoilers for these other books contained within Styxx.Up until now Acheron has always been my favorite book in the series, none of the others could ever come close, but now that I have read Styxx I'm really not sure which is better! They are both well written and have the ability to make you feel things you never expected.

This book was so well written but sometimes it was so heartbreakingly sad. The main character had 11,000 years of hell and the author wrote so well that i felt like I was there. This book is very different from the other dark hunter novels and sadder in parts than the Acheron novel. I highly recommend it but I don't think it will be for everyone.

I was skeptical about Styxx' story because he was such a bastard in Acheron's memories but, well... Now I like Styxx better than Ash and oh boy, did I cry. I think I read the book five times now and I've cried in all five. To me this is the best of Sherrilyn's books.

This book is absolutely amazing, an authentic masterpiece. Sherrilyn Kenyon is a very great author, capable of putting people in the fantastic world of her books. Styxx is a complete character, who's capable of arousing strong emotions in other people hearts. I absolutely loved this book! I laughed, I cried, I was excited for every single page I was reading, and this made me want to read more and more! I highly recommend this book to all those who love classical mythology, science fictions and love stories. You will love this book, it's guaranteed.