Esher by Felicity Heaton [Review]

Esher (Guardians of Hades #3) by Felicity Heaton
Format: ebook
Source: provided for review

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Date read: March 18, 2018

Guardians of Hades
0.5. Queen of the Underworld
1. Ares
2. Valen
3. Esher - Kindle
4. Marek
5. Calistos
6. Daimon
7. Keras

8. Thanatos
9. Hades

Felicity Heaton
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Prince of the Underworld and Lord of Water, Esher was banished from his home by his father, Hades, two centuries ago and given a new duty and purpose—to keep our world and his from colliding in a calamity foreseen by the Moirai.

Together with his six brothers, he fights to defend the gates to the Underworld from daemons bent on breaching them and gaining entrance to that forbidden land, striving to protect his home from their dark influence. Tormented by his past, Esher burns with hatred towards mortals and bears a grudge against Hades for forcing him into their world, condemning him to a life of battling to keep a fragile hold on his darker side—a side that wants to kill every human in the name of revenge.

Until he finds himself stepping in to save a female—a beautiful mortal filled with light and laughter who draws him to her as fiercely as the pull of the moon, stirring conflict in his heart and rousing dangerous needs long forgotten.

Aiko knows from the moment she sets eyes on the black-haired warrior that he is no ordinary man, just as she’s no ordinary woman. Blessed with a gift, she can see through his stormy façade to the powerful god beneath, and the pain and darkness that beats inside him—pain she grows determined to heal as she falls deeper under his spell and into his world.

When the daemon bent on turning Esher against his brothers makes her move, will Esher find the strength to overcome his past and fulfil his duty, or will the lure of revenge allow the darkness in his heart to seize control, transforming him into a god intent on destroying the world?

Thoughts on Esher: I'm not saying any of Hades' boys are the poster children for being well-adjusted (although Callisto seems to have things fairly well under control, but given how tumultuous their lives are that could change at any time, really), but Esher DEFINITELY had some issues he needed to address. His hatred of mortals, for one (a justifiable hatred, as it turns out, but still an issue he needs to address seeing as he's charged with protecting mortals from VERY BAD THINGS).

That hatred gets a little muddled when he crosses paths with Aiko. Mortal and the complete opposite of Esher, she digs into his head (in a purely metaphorical sense) and sets up camp in the best way. She soothes away some of Esher's raw edges and gives him another connection to the world. Which, it would seem, the poor guy desperately needs.

We got to spend time with the brothers (and the mates of the brothers who have found mates), got hints as to what the unattached brothers will have to deal with (except Callisto, I think. That guy's sort of an enigma), and got a sweet, steamy relationship between Esher and Aiko. Did I mention the bad guys? SOMETHING BIG IS AFOOT and the brothers will have to unravel what the baddies have planned if they hope to save the world from complete destruction.

Which, you know, I'm sure the mortals are hoping for.