The Beginning

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Synopsis

Acheron lives a solitary existence, and despite his telepathic connection to the goddess, Artemis, has been trying to ignore her for the past two thousand years. When she tells him that her new Dark-Hunters are in need of a trainer, his interest is peaked, but he still has no wish to have anything to do with her again until Artemis threatens to send them into battle with the Daimons unprepared. One thing Acheron has never lacked is compassion for his fellow man, so he accepts her summons. However, making a deal with Artemis that will ensure the well-being of the new Dark-Hunters only brings about more of the heartache that has already left him jaded.

Review

This short, thirty-page novella used to be considered the second story in the Dark-Hunter series, and that is the order in which I read it. It gives an introduction to Acheron, and tells how he became the leader of the Dark-Hunters. Despite it's brevity, I found the tale to be very engaging, something of a missing chapter in the saga. In such a short space, Ms. Kenyon managed to create a character who was extremely intriguing, and I am anxious to read more about Acheron in the future. If I had read this novella on it's own without knowledge of it's connecting stories, I probably would have found it to be unsatisfying, but knowing that there is so much more to come, it simply whetted my appetite for future offerings in the Dark-Hunter series. The Beginning is now found in its entirety within the full-length novel, Acheron. It was previously published as a separate novella in the back of early editions of Sins of the Night, and can now also be read on Sherrilyn Kenyon's website for free.

Note: Ms. Kenyon changed the ordering and organization of her Dark-Hunter series twice in 2009. We will endeavor to keep up with any future changes as well, but readers are advised to check her website for the most up-to-date information on the series.

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Sherrilyn Kenyon

Themes

G/PG-Rated Romance
Tortured Heroes