ARC Review: Crossing Acheron by HG Bride

ARC Review? Well, I finally did it: I cancelled my Kindle Unlimited subscription. I receive not many, but a few requests to do ARCs. Honestly, as I’m becoming more involved in the book world and trying to write some things of my own, I really wanted to try reviewing some ARCs.

Malachy Donovan was born human. But after waking up in a pool of his own blood, he knew that fact, which once felt so certain, had been changed forever. After being freed from imprisonment by Acheron and his elite unit of bodyguards, Malachy quickly learns the truth of his condition: he is a dhampir, a rare and powerful creature born half-human, half-vampire. Forced into a blood bond with the vampire prince—the same man who rescued him from captivity—to leave his side would be the same as being hunted down by the armies at Acheron’s command. Now caught in a war between the prestigious vampire High Clans and the vampire anarchists who abducted him, Malachy finds himself at a crossroads: should he fight to retain his humanity among the creatures who would see him become a monster? Or give in to the growing attraction he has for the beautiful yet manipulative Acheron…and the dark allure of the underworld said prince would do anything to protect? Crossing Acheron is the first book in the LGBT+ dark fantasy series, Kin & Kine. This book features MM enemies-to-lovers , slow burn over high heat , promiscuous vampires and Machiavellian royalty, dragon-shifters, werewolves, and witches. Kin & Kine contains content some readers may find distressing and, as such, is intended for an adult audience.

You know going into my first ARC I was worried about the writing and finding something I would actually enjoy reading. Well let me tell you, this book immediately grabbed me by my metaphorical balls. Bride is a great writer and this book was a treat to read—in the beginning.

The names..

One of my gripes with this book is the names. Good lord, maybe because I’m not as cultured as I think I am, but I had to look up how to pronounce a lot of the names.

Our MC’s name is Malachy, which I thought would be like Mae-Le-KAI, but I think its supposed to be Mae-Le-KEE. However, according to a random youtube comment, “Hebrew pronunciation of the Hebrew book of Malaki is said to be Malak(eye). Malach(ee) is said to be Gaelic pronunciation.” SO, WHICH IS IT?

“You may call me Lord Acheron—and for transparency’s sake, I clarify, it is lord to you. Commander, if you prefer. I imagine you have many questions. I will answer them to the extent I am capable.” pg. 27 *swoons*

Our lord Acheron’s name is pronounced a·kr·aan.

There was also a Ekaterina (i·ka·tr·ee·nuh).

Never again will I be complaining about book characters having overly mundane names such as James.

But I digress, as this is just me being overly anal about making sure I have the correct pronunciation in my pea-sized brain.

The little twists and turns

The first couple of chapters were so gorgeously written that I thought I had found another 5-star book. But that was followed by a noticeable slowdown in the middle that left me somewhat conflicted. I am seriously resisting the urge to add quotes from the first chapter because I don’t want to spoil any of the good parts. So many large and small plot twists and turns that left me 😮.

The tension in the beginning between the two was sooo good. I mean, who doesn’t love a centuries-old brooding vampire as the love interest??? The initial chapters of the book are proof of the author’s writing prowess. The prose is beautifully crafted, drawing me into the world and story of Malachy. It was in these early pages that I thought I had stumbled upon a literary gem. The writing style effortlessly interweaves an enchanting atmosphere that immerses readers into the political vampiric narrative.

What I didn’t like *minor spoilers start now*

• Why does Lord Acheron have so many children? Are they his children? Does he actually have a lot? Why is that one jealous of his relationship with Malachy? I just didn’t like this plotline.
• Why is Malachy already in love with Lord Acheron—basically immediately—after torturing him? Give me more hatred and add more fuel into the enemies to lovers trope.
  • From my notes app while reading: “Ours MCs feelings change every minute…oh I hate you, you tortured me *2 minutes later* lets be boyfriends.
  • This is advertised as enemies to lovers but feels more like mutuals to mutuals.
• Plot holes & random added elements such as horns( ???) that aren’t thoroughly explained.

What I liked

• Malachy, a 28/29 year old ‘baby‘ dhampir with a lot of wit. Reading the reviews, it seems there are a lot of mixed feelings about our MC; however, despite being unable to make up his mind, overall I quite enjoyed him.
• The world-building and politics: This is a true horror fantasy mixed with steamy scenes and torturous ones.
• This book had soo soo much potential and I will be on the lookout for more books by this author.
• Although it’s not really enemies to lovers in my humble opinion, I still really like the relationship and tension between Malachy and Acheron. It will still have you kicking your feet and turning those pages.

“‘If you want to think of it as a date, that would be your prerogative. Just don’t expect romance from me. Courting is not one of my interests.’ ‘You really know how to make a guy swoon.’…’If I was trying to make you swoon, I wouldn’t be using my words, Malachy.’ pg. 322

• I initially rated this book at 3 stars, then bumped it up to 3.5. Why? Because the author is simply that talented. She infuses this book with subtle touches of everything.

“Philosophy is the study of what is real, good, beautiful, and true. It’s how people come to understand their very existence and how they fit into it. But sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t understand. No moral theory will ever encompass all there is to human nature. Lives can’t be lived completely though utilitarian consequentialism, or Kantian deontology, or Aristotle’s virtue ethics, Sometimes human nature—survival—is a contradiction.” pg. 326

In conclusion…

I went into this expecting it to be some cheesy dark romance, which I do enjoy reading, and came away with something much more intriguing. If you are looking for a new dark romance vampire I would recommend this. But honestly, I really want to read something else by this author.

---

Disclaimer: My posts often include affiliate links, which means that I receive a small commission for any purchase made through my links, but with no extra charge to you. Thank you for supporting me and my blog.