Name: Styxx
Rating: 4.619047619047619 (21 reviews)
ISBN: 9781250029881

Sherrilyn Kenyon

A highly anticipated latest entry in the best-selling series that includes Acheron traces the story of the Dark-Hunter leader's powerful twin, who risks his life to prove his loyalty only to fall in love with a reluctant Atlantean goddess who resolves to pay back a debt at any cost.

Styxx

Cindy McKee

After re reading Acheron, I decided to stop and re read Styxx to get the flip side of the tragic history they shared. I loathed Styxx in Ash's story, and could not fathom how she could write any story where I would feel anything for him but that. How could I doubt Ms.Kenyon? Her favorite saying is "there are three sides to every story, yours,there's, and the truth that is somewhere in between." In many ways Styxxs story is even worse than Ashs. He felt every horror visited upon his brother, was stabbed by every member of his family, was tortured, abused, and and scarred inside and out. He was unable to kill himself, unable to die, and so very alone that it was painful to read at times. But he found love and a friend in Galen his fight instructor and Bethany the blind daughter of a fisherman(or so he thinks). However, Bethany is a goddess in two pantheons. Styxx is brutalized by Apollo and abandoned by everyone. During the destruction of Atlantis Styxx loses Bethany and his unborn son. He tries to end his existence by ending Ashs, which doesn't work. He tries to make amends and get to know Ash, but that doesn't work out either. But time and time again, he helps Ash. He eventually finds a friend in Urian and makes a little life for himself. However, even Ash gets a powerful lesson in the truth along with everyone else, and Apolloymi comes clean about that fateful day. Of course there is a massive battle with the newly awakened Atlantis gods, and Apollo. But the good guys win the day, and Styxx gets his wife back. Even better, it turns out that Appollymi saved their unborn son after all, and it is Urian. Yes, she managed a plausible story line in the midst of pain and chaos. Styxx is a hero that earns his happy ending a hundred times over. Ash and Styxx reform their twin bond and Styxx gets his Clhothian powers to go with his immortality. And the best part, Apollo gets his comeuppence! Styxx delivers him with a bow to Appollymi to hopefully torture for eternity. This book was emotionally draining even with the happy ending. But definitely one of her very best books. I'm glad I decided to read the stories back to back even if I spent a good deal of time crying over the guys tragic past. It was amazing what she was able to accomplish even with the two books being written years apart. Truly, this series just continues to amaze me.

Tatiana Alvarez 

Wow. Wow. Wow.

This book was a journey and I have so many thoughts about, which I will try to keep coherent. But honestly my mind is going 1 thousand miles her hour right now because I'm feeling every which way about this book. So, let me start off by saying this. This book is not for everyone. Honestly, I did not think this book would be for me because it was problematic in some parts and EXTREMELY hard to listen to.

Trigger warnings. This book contains, extreme and excessive violence, rape (continual), incest, and both verbal and physical abuse. I am not one to shy away from dark motifs because I think survivor stories are extremely important...but damn I nearly put this book down on more than one occasion because it was so hard to hear. It gave me such anxiety to the point where I had to remind myself that this is a fictional book with fictional characters. Even then, it was difficult.

Styxx is the companion book to Acheron. When I read Acheron, I thought his story was sad and I absolutely loathed Styxx, making me love Acheron all the more. I even loved Ryssa, Styxx and Acheron's sister. In Acheron, she was the only one that had ever loved her brother and showered him with kindness, while Acheron's twin Styxx, only had disdain for his brother. Or so we thought.

Everything we know about Styxx changes in this story. He is not the bastard Acheron makes him out to be and his life is not perfect. I believe Styxx says is best to Acheron, "Just because your life was bad, doesn't mean mine was good." That has to be the understatement of the year. Styxx is hated by his mother and father and constantly beat for disrespecting the king. Even as a prince, Styxx isn't treated as such.

Then his beloved uncle comes and takes him on a hunting trip. This is the first time Styxx is drugged and gang raped by his uncle and his uncles friends. That was hard enough to listen to, but that is just the beginning. That moment set into motion the rest of Styxx's personal hell. Knowing who his uncle is, he attempts to free Acheron from his grasps and ends up being used as a whore alongside his brother. Not only used by the Greeks, he's also used by the gods, tortured by priests, and constantly mocked and scorned by Ryssa who believes him to be a spoiled brat.

His only happiness is Beth and his swordsmaster Galen. Galen fights along Styxx when he is forced into the army at 16. Yet, despite his age he becomes a hero and fierce warrior. Upon his arrival home, his father is mad about something, since he is always mad and eventually strips Styxx of his title. Styxx's reply is the single most bad ass moment in the book. He strips himself naked, renouncing his name, and leaving the palace with whatever dignity he has left. Word spreads over what the king has done so Styxx's men protest by stripping down in front of the palace and leaving until Styxx is finally given back his title. This had to be my favorite part in the book.

Oh! and Beth, who ended up leaving him, now comes back because she realizes she loves him so much, is pregnant. Yay! Galen and Styxx go into town to buy a ring but Galen ends up dying tragically. Because Styxx cannot have any happiness, destruction runs through his world again, killing his entire family, Beth, and his unborn son.

Except, you know, Styxx lives because fate hates him. He lives thousands of years on an island all alone. All this time Acheron is roaming the real world, aware that his brother is isolated, but does little to help him.

Their relationship is completely devastating and I found myself hating Acheron the more this book went on. He damned Styxx to this life of complete misery and kept blaming his brother for every bad thing that happened in his life. Naturally, they reconcile, but I wanted Acheron to suffer for what he did to his brother. Styxx wanted his brother back and eventually forgave him, but I did not. And I will continue to look at him differently in the series. I just hope I get more of Styxx because I did not want it to end.

Styxx did get his happy ending, which I am so thankful for. He deserved his Bethany back, his child, and his new child. I have never had a book put me through so many emotions. I honestly had a hard time keeping all my emotions in check. This book stuck with me throughout the entire read. I am so glad I did not put it down, like I was tempted to many times.

I would not recommend this book to many people. However, if you are a fan of this series, I would definitely say you need to stick through this book. It is probably the best thing Kenyon has written.

Did I even make sense? Because wow.

Sarina Sherman

3.5 stars ⭐️ Jesus WHAT. did i just read?? I picked this up after not reading this series for a year and I... forgot how it can be. Tbh, this was Acheron 2.0 but worse. So much miscommunication, misunderstanding and characters that just pissed me off. Part I was WAY too long, but I do appreciate the attention to detail and how all of the scenes from Acheron were from Styxx’s point of view. Anyway. Styxx and Beth’s romance was put on the sidelines and not fleshed out at all. I just had higher expectations and they weren’t fully met. The ending was cute tho.

Judy Hudgins

Styxx and Stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Well, Sherrilyn Kenyon's latest just proved that saying wrong.

I am a Sherrilyn Kenyon fan. I have several Dark-Hunter novels on my shelf which I go back and reread time and time again. So when I saw this huge 836 page latest release was coming out, I had my name on the waiting list at the library (one of the perks of working there, first crack at the new books.)

After a painful week of reading, I only made it to page 277. I actually wanted to stop at about 113, but kept on. I thought there was no way she could continue to belabor the bad childhood Styxx and his twin had, but I was wrong. It continued. And continued. And continued. Don't get me wrong, I am not squeamish about a man getting gang raped, but when it happens again and again, the 'horror' of it is lost and it's just 'get on with the story already'.

Then he finds the love of his life, while he is under an assumed name. And she hates Styxx, so he can't tell her who he is for fear she will be repulsed. But she is under an assumed identity too. And her real persona wants Styxx dead. Can you tell where this is leading?

The only saving grace of this book (I flipped to the back few pages) is that Simi appears, and who can't love Simi, and that the original 1600 pages was cut to the 836 pages. 

Sorry, Simi, but even a liberal dose of BBQ sauce doesn't make this book worth reading.

The most highly-anticipated novel in the Dark-Hunter series since Acheron is here - the unforgettable story of Styxx, Acheron's twin brother and one of the most powerful beings on earth 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. Misjudged, condemned, betrayed and abandoned, this is Styxx's only chance to set the record straight. He hasn't always been on his brother's side but now he could prove his loyalty . . . if he's willing to trade his life and future for Acheron's. When allegiances are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that threatens to consume the entire world - one that may soon devour your very soul?

Styxx

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