Hanging out in Tartarus by the river of fire would be a jolly thing to do

Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had this book in my keeping for over a month before I cracked it open. One is because of its size: at 930 pages and at least 2.5 inch thick, I worry that if I accidentally drop it on my face when reading, I might break my nose.

OK, spoilers ahead. You have been warned.





Another reason why I am reluctant to begin is because of Acheron. For those who follow Ms. Kenyon's Dark Hunter series would be familiar with the gigantic Atlantean leader who is a god-killer and sex on legs. His book was also as gigantic as this tome, and it made me cry and cry and cry. As this is his brother, Styxx's story, I have no doubt I'd be in for a similar ride.

Basically the first 1/3 of the book reads like the most intense torture porn I've ever encountered and as a fanfiction reader, I've read some doozy. Ms. Kenyon did not spare her characters of humiliation, degradation, assault, thrashings, rape and what-have-you. I could only skim through these parts because it is just too much for me. I know terrible things happen in real life, but I try to avoid them in my fiction. I thought that of all the characters that she whumped, Zarek (my utter favourite!) had won hands down, but that was before I read how she whumped Acheron (Ash).

As the other side of the coin to Ash, Styxx had it pretty bad too. Being the crown heir to a major city state in ancient Greece did not protect him from massive abuse and douchebaggery and various horrible things being inflicted in all of his short (21 years) human life. And the fact that he kept getting resurrected, thanks to his connection as Ash's twin, who is the son of the goddess of destruction, just made the eleven thousand plus of his existence mostly a misery.

I guess Ms. Kenyon was working through some issues when she wrote Ash's and Styxx's story; I did get the impression that things aren't always hunky dory in her life (abuse, neglect, poverty among others). I hope to God that she was spared of whatever it was she inflicted on her characters because damn, no one should have to go through that kind of character building.

Basically, Styxxx is a book about surviving physical, mental and emotional abuse and triumphing against all odds. It gives hope that a terrible beginning can have a happy ending.

I shed some tears at various parts of the book as there were many heart wrenching and soul destroying parts as we walked through Styxx's life. I won't say more but to just say, go get it and devour it like I did. I hear that cold tea bags are great compresses for swollen eyes. *blindly reaches out for cold tea bags*


Male protagonist: 5/5 stars
Female protagonist: 4/5 stars
Storyline: 4/5 stars
Pacing: 4/5 stars
Fun Factor: 4/5 stars
Repeat Reading Factor: 4/5 stars

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