The Guardian
by
Sherrilyn Kenyon
It is part of the , Dark-Hunter 21 series and is a paranormal romance in Paperback edition that was published by St. Martin's Press on November 1, 2011 and has 345 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Blood Trinity, Man of My Dreams, Invincible, Born of Shadows, Retribution, Big Guns Out of Uniform, Tapestry, Deadly Promises, In Other Worlds, Dream Warrior, "One BAD Night", Dark Side of the Moon, Alterant, Whispered Lies, Infamous, Born of Silence, Aftertaste, The Curse, Inferno, Rise of the Gryphon, Styxx, Dangerous Women, Son of No One, Dragonbane, Born of Vengeance, Deadmen Walking, Stygian
Fifth in the Dream-Hunter and twenty-first in the Dark-Hunter paranormal-romance series. The couple focus is on Lydia and Seth, the Guardian.
My Take
Well, there is certainly a lot of action in this one. Unfortunately, Kenyon never grabbed me with her characters. A few of the series’ characters were brought in for cameo roles but this was more a rote relating of information than a compelling story. Part of my disenchantment is the lack of information. Important events occur that are just dropped in without explanation or lead up which only confused me. It simply yammers on and on about how awful Seth’s life was.
Kenyon’s last few stories have been losing the grip previous ones have had on me. It’s going from a “buy as soon as it’s published” to a “well, I’ll get around to it” kind of read. I think this whole “everyone’s out to get me” approach is wearing thin for me.
Now for the good bits. I did enjoy Seth learning about the changes made in the world and especially his encounters with a laptop and the marvels it reveals.
The Story
Seth has not experienced love in a v-e-r-y long time. Over 4,500 years in fact. Most of it spent in the most hideous torture after being beaten and left in the desert at age 6 and then sold by his foster family at age 13. A very well-rounded torture as his jailers piled on the physical, the emotional, and the mental torture in equal amounts. Talk about self-esteem issues!
Now, Noir is granting Seth the chance for a few hours of relief if he brings the Key to him. An impossible task made even more impossible by the demands Noir makes, by the feelings he discovers with Lydia Tsakali, the warrior who storms Azmodea to rescue Solin. Whom Seth captures and holds prisoner against Solin’s promise to find the Key and return with it. Enabling Lydia to learn Seth, to fall in love, to change him.
The Characters
Lydia Tsakali has lost her entire family except her father, and there is something that threatens her existence, keeps her lurking under the radar. Solin is a dream-hunter entrusted with the Key that can open up Olympus and total access to its gods and their annihilation.
Seth, the Guardian, son of Set and a human woman, is a demigod.
Noir and his sister Azura are both demon-type gods who rule in Azmodea, a hell. The Dolphonoi and the Phonoi did something bad to Seth at some point — too vague to really know what happened in that battle.
Madoc is the elder leader of the Oneroi and not happy about having to enter an alliance with Solin. Especially when Solin reveals that he has lied about the Key’s existence. Jaden reveals more about his past. Thorn has a shaky alliance with Noir that can be breached with the right incentives. Zarek, Delphine, and Jericho are part of the even shakier alliance Solin has with Madoc.
Sanctuary is now run by Aimee Peltier and her mate, Fang. Carson is still the doctor and Margery is the other doctor while Dev and Colt still work there. Menyara, a.k.a., Ma’at, the Egyptian goddess of justice, helps to heal Seth and then sets Maahes to guard him from Verlyn, a hunter of Noir’s who never stops, never fails.
The Cover and Title
The cover is grainy shades of velvety red with a lacy elaborate border focused on an ornate skeleton key standing on end, a yellow light radiating out from its handle.
The title refers to the story’s hero, the Guardian, an Egyptian demi-god.
