"The Dream-Hunter" by Sherrilyn Kenyon

OK, I don't know how many of you have read any of Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series. If you've never picked up any of them, you're missing a guilty pleasure, something the Bookbabe's sister turned her on to. The guys are always hunky, the women are a little chunky, and the lovin' is very funky! (Sorry, couldn't resist trying to be cute!)

Anyway, Dream-Hunters are part of the mythos that makes up the Kenyon World. They are not led by our beloved Acheron, but that's OK - Ash makes an appearance in this book, which is a nice little tease. Also, savvy DH fans will realize that this particular entry comes early in the DH time line; Nick is still an irritating boy with a very loving mother, not something we've seen out of him in quite a while.

Anyway, here's the basic story: Dr. Megeara Kafieri has taken up her father's cause of Atlantis, finding and excavating enough evidence to prove it's existence. Arikos, the Dream-Hunter, has been visiting her dreams on a regular basis due to her intense emotions, something that Skoti (aka Dream-Hunters) can only feel while in a human's dreams. Arik decides to make a deal with Hades to be human for two weeks, so that he can know Geary as a real woman, not just her dream self. Of course, you should never make deals with the gods, as they tend to bite you in certain anatomical regions, and Arik's deal is no different. In order to be human, he must obtain a soul for Hades - Geary's soul.

Obviously, the main part of the novel is the love story between Geary and Arik. There are several subplots, not the least of which is the fact that several key gods, goddesses, and other minor deities do NOT want Atlantis to be found, mostly because it "contains" Apollymi, also known as The Destroyer. Her release would be a bad thing for all human and immortal beings, so several people attempt to keep Geary from her quest. There's a subplot involving Arik and his "brother" Solin, something I'm not sure has been mentioned before unless in a short story (which I obviously haven't read). There's Kat, who is actually Katra and a handmaiden to Artemis, but also friend to Apollymi, and she's got something for Acheron, too.....

It's a very fast-paced book, and at times, I really could have used a score-card. Luckily, I've read just about all the Kenyon books up to this point, which helps. Would probably also have a better feel for things if I knew my Greek mythology, but it doesn't keep me from enjoying these books. As I said, they're guilty little pleasures! I will, however, recommend that you find Ms. Kenyon's website and check out the reading order - it does make a huge difference. Certain characters will seem to be acting out of character if you don't!