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The Last Son of Venus
Alone and in London for the first time, Alex Anderson is being hunted by the darkness as the fates have seen fit to turn his dream holiday into his worst nightmare before he even steps foot out of the airport.
An archaic evil hungers for him and will stop at nothing to possess the twenty-two-year-old and the coveted secrets that have been hidden from Alex his whole life.
All that stands in their way is a two-and-half-thousand-year-old spartan Commander named Nikos and his fellow guardian sidekick Jin; a pink-haired descendant of the goddess Hekate.
Nikos will move heaven and hell to protect Alex even if that means protecting him from himself.
When boy meets man sparks fly and an instant bond is felt, a connection that feels as old as the fabric of time. But Alex must first learn to trust Nikos and Jin while fighting his anxieties that have controlled his life if he has any hope of surviving what’s to come.
The Last Son Of Venus is the first in the fast-paced LGBT fantasy romance series of the same name. Featuring Queer male characters, High fantasy creatures, Magic and the True gods of Old. The last son of venus will take you on a long multi-series Journey to a well deserved HEA. So come and join Alex and Nikos and see what the Fates have in store.
An archaic evil hungers for him and will stop at nothing to possess the twenty-two-year-old and the coveted secrets that have been hidden from Alex his whole life.
All that stands in their way is a two-and-half-thousand-year-old spartan Commander named Nikos and his fellow guardian sidekick Jin; a pink-haired descendant of the goddess Hekate.
Nikos will move heaven and hell to protect Alex even if that means protecting him from himself.
When boy meets man sparks fly and an instant bond is felt, a connection that feels as old as the fabric of time. But Alex must first learn to trust Nikos and Jin while fighting his anxieties that have controlled his life if he has any hope of surviving what’s to come.
The Last Son Of Venus is the first in the fast-paced LGBT fantasy romance series of the same name. Featuring Queer male characters, High fantasy creatures, Magic and the True gods of Old. The last son of venus will take you on a long multi-series Journey to a well deserved HEA. So come and join Alex and Nikos and see what the Fates have in store.
305 pages, ebook
Published January 29, 2022
14 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Dion Marc
9 books12 followersScottish Australian author Dion Marc lives and breathes queer art. Whether he is painting, writing, sewing or dancing naked in the moonlight he does it with pride. He is a practising Hellenistic polytheist who believes in healing the world one hug at a time and that drinking tea without a biscuit is a horrendous crime. You can follow Dion on Instagram @Author.dionmarc
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 5, 2023
THE LAST SON OF VENUS is the first book in a new series. It is hot and dark, and leaves you wanting more!
We start off with a young anxiety-ridden Alex, on his first trip abroad and lost in London. Things start going a bit strange for him and he has no idea what's going on. What's worse is he can't get hold of his parents for their advice. Nikos has been Alex's Guardian for a while now but this is his first interaction with him directly. Add Alex and Nikos, together with Jin - a queer descendant of Hekate, against an evil sect disguising themselves as the church, and you have an action-packed story that will keep you turning the pages.
This is definitely character-led - you get the steadiness of Nikos, the quirkiness of Jin, plus the anxiety of Alex. These characters change as the story progresses. Obviously, the biggest change is Alex, but Jin changes too!
Told from varying perspectives, it allows you to see the inner workings of just what's going on. And, trust me, there's a lot. There are multiple players in this story and not all of them are black and white.
A brilliant start to a new series by a new-to-me author. I absolutely recommend this book, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 22, 2022
We start off with a young anxiety-ridden Alex, on his first trip abroad and lost in London. Things start going a bit strange for him and he has no idea what's going on. What's worse is he can't get hold of his parents for their advice. Nikos has been Alex's Guardian for a while now but this is his first interaction with him directly. Add Alex and Nikos, together with Jin - a queer descendant of Hekate, against an evil sect disguising themselves as the church, and you have an action-packed story that will keep you turning the pages.
This is definitely character-led - you get the steadiness of Nikos, the quirkiness of Jin, plus the anxiety of Alex. These characters change as the story progresses. Obviously, the biggest change is Alex, but Jin changes too!
Told from varying perspectives, it allows you to see the inner workings of just what's going on. And, trust me, there's a lot. There are multiple players in this story and not all of them are black and white.
A brilliant start to a new series by a new-to-me author. I absolutely recommend this book, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 22, 2022
July 25, 2022
A Joyfully Jay review.
2.75 stars
The Last Son of Venus contains explicit scenes of torture, attempted rape, homophobia, hate speech, and murder, including the murder of child, and the castration and genital torture of a gay man. If this is subject matter that makes you uncomfortable, then I strongly urge you to avoid this book. This story also ends on a cliffhanger, but as it’s the first volume in the series, a sequel is promised.
Alex is a young man who lives very much in his own head. He’s insecure about his looks and suffers from anxiety at the beginning of the book — though that anxiety seems to fall away once he has Nicos at his side. He is also very self-centered and self-focused, able to put aside the murder of his parents once Nikos and Jin inform him that he’s the son of Aphrodite. He is a strong mage when he isn’t thinking about it, and willing to go with the current so long as the current is going somewhere he likes. When Alex doesn’t want to do something — like follow a stranger, or sit quietly in a room — he will do something about it. While he has his passive moments, especially around Nikos, he is very much a character with agency and wit.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
2.75 stars
The Last Son of Venus contains explicit scenes of torture, attempted rape, homophobia, hate speech, and murder, including the murder of child, and the castration and genital torture of a gay man. If this is subject matter that makes you uncomfortable, then I strongly urge you to avoid this book. This story also ends on a cliffhanger, but as it’s the first volume in the series, a sequel is promised.
Alex is a young man who lives very much in his own head. He’s insecure about his looks and suffers from anxiety at the beginning of the book — though that anxiety seems to fall away once he has Nicos at his side. He is also very self-centered and self-focused, able to put aside the murder of his parents once Nikos and Jin inform him that he’s the son of Aphrodite. He is a strong mage when he isn’t thinking about it, and willing to go with the current so long as the current is going somewhere he likes. When Alex doesn’t want to do something — like follow a stranger, or sit quietly in a room — he will do something about it. While he has his passive moments, especially around Nikos, he is very much a character with agency and wit.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
August 11, 2022
🎧Audiobook Review🎧
Last Son of Venus by @author.dionmarc
Narrated by Jonathan Kahler
I loved this book when I read it, and I loved having it brought to life! The narrator was excellent, all the voices were perfect (especially Jin!) This is the story of Alex Anderson, who always thought he was an average, anxious guy, only to discover his life has been a lie and he is actually the son of gods. During a vacation gone terribly wrong, he meets Nikos, a Spartan warrior whose sole purpose is protect Alex. Alex definitely needs Nikos’s protection, as their are evil forces after him that he doesn’t understand. This book is full of mythology, magic, fast paced action, and a sweet and sexy romance. It’s also chock full of amazing characters (you want to meet Jin, he’s amazing!). I highly recommend this both in print and audio! Thank you Dion for the opportunity to listen 💜💜💜
Last Son of Venus by @author.dionmarc
Narrated by Jonathan Kahler
I loved this book when I read it, and I loved having it brought to life! The narrator was excellent, all the voices were perfect (especially Jin!) This is the story of Alex Anderson, who always thought he was an average, anxious guy, only to discover his life has been a lie and he is actually the son of gods. During a vacation gone terribly wrong, he meets Nikos, a Spartan warrior whose sole purpose is protect Alex. Alex definitely needs Nikos’s protection, as their are evil forces after him that he doesn’t understand. This book is full of mythology, magic, fast paced action, and a sweet and sexy romance. It’s also chock full of amazing characters (you want to meet Jin, he’s amazing!). I highly recommend this both in print and audio! Thank you Dion for the opportunity to listen 💜💜💜
November 21, 2021
This sounds so good! I cannot wait to read it!
February 24, 2022
Enjoyed the story.
February 14, 2022
Great start to a new series. Can’t wait for the next instalment!
June 22, 2022
Wow, what can I say - the evolution of Alex’s Character is just epic. From anxious to bad ass. Does any one know when the sequel is coming out?
September 2, 2022
🎧 Audiobook Review
Story ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Narration ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Overall ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Another new author Dion Marc surprised me with his unique fantasy/paranormal mm-romance storyline between guardians and God's 😍😍😍. I really enjoyed the world building, the mystery factor is on point and the cliffhanger was WOW 🫣...I can't wait to read what's going to happen next book.
Still, let's talk about the MCs first. MC1 Alex aka Alexandraus is going on his long planned travel trip to Europe. But, right from the airport in Australia, he's facing mishaps after mishaps. Top it all he has severe anxiety, and when he reaches his brink he gets panic attacks. The only people he counts on calming him down are his parents and his best friend. What he does not get is why his parents rushed him to take this Europe right now. Well, he somehow reaches London, but even before reaching his motel, he meets his Adonis😉, who saves him from getting robbed. But, Alex gets anxious by the authoritative tone of the Adonis and runs off before he could clarify his presence.
MC2 is Nikos, a spartan warrior and guardian assigned to Alex by the Gods. Alex has no idea of his status as the Son of Goddess Venus and has been living like a normal human boy in Australia. Nikos and his partner Jin were protecting and keeping a watch on Alex since he was a baby. But, when Nikos tries to reveal who they are Alex in his panic state runs away. And everytime Alex runs from Nikos he finds himself in a real bad situation, like getting attacked by cultist 😑 (honestly, I got a bit annoyed by Alex's running away habit). Anyway, when they finally rescue Alex a second time, they know Alex has to know and understand his true identity, which isn't Nikos forte (he's not good in peopling 😋).
Jin the other guardian is like a magician his powers aren't brute strength and force like Nikos, but balanced magic and spell craft. He's also a crafty drama queen, who takes a kick out of annoying Nikos for everything. But Nikos knows that he cannot count on anyone to.watvh his six accept Jin.
The trio band of God's son and his guardians was quiet a fun pairing. Chemistry between Nikos and Alex starts to sizzle from the start, but it builds up slowly. Nikos feels the attraction but feels divided with his Guardian duty to protect Alex. Alex on the other hand is still trying to figure out his new status and powers, not to mention incident after incident keeps happening with him. It's a little hard to fathom how the guy was not in a full panic mode😏, but his baby warriors presence helped. The villain is quiet a cruel and vicious character and he wants to capture Alex nd gain his power. His menacing gory nature and actions were quiet disturbing. Anyways, how Nikos and Jin help Alex and protect him, help him gain his powera and fight of the evil high priest is how the rest of the story goes.
Jonathan Kahler is new narrator for me and quiet a good one. He has has given some good variation voices and there are plenty of characters in this story to keep up. He has even managed multiple accents, which isn't a small feat. Maybe I'm spoiled by accent perfectionist narrator Joel Leslie, that I was not able to let go the part of Alex not having an Australian accent, being that he was brought up in that country😐. The narrator kept his background narration voice in American accent, but he also gave American accents to both guardians and Alex, which is fine accept for the little detail that Alex is Australian. The guardians have to blend in present world so there accents can be acceptable. All in all it was still an enjoyable performance.
***I received a copy of this audiobook from Gay Romance Reviews, for an honest review.***
Story ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Narration ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Overall ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Another new author Dion Marc surprised me with his unique fantasy/paranormal mm-romance storyline between guardians and God's 😍😍😍. I really enjoyed the world building, the mystery factor is on point and the cliffhanger was WOW 🫣...I can't wait to read what's going to happen next book.
Still, let's talk about the MCs first. MC1 Alex aka Alexandraus is going on his long planned travel trip to Europe. But, right from the airport in Australia, he's facing mishaps after mishaps. Top it all he has severe anxiety, and when he reaches his brink he gets panic attacks. The only people he counts on calming him down are his parents and his best friend. What he does not get is why his parents rushed him to take this Europe right now. Well, he somehow reaches London, but even before reaching his motel, he meets his Adonis😉, who saves him from getting robbed. But, Alex gets anxious by the authoritative tone of the Adonis and runs off before he could clarify his presence.
MC2 is Nikos, a spartan warrior and guardian assigned to Alex by the Gods. Alex has no idea of his status as the Son of Goddess Venus and has been living like a normal human boy in Australia. Nikos and his partner Jin were protecting and keeping a watch on Alex since he was a baby. But, when Nikos tries to reveal who they are Alex in his panic state runs away. And everytime Alex runs from Nikos he finds himself in a real bad situation, like getting attacked by cultist 😑 (honestly, I got a bit annoyed by Alex's running away habit). Anyway, when they finally rescue Alex a second time, they know Alex has to know and understand his true identity, which isn't Nikos forte (he's not good in peopling 😋).
Jin the other guardian is like a magician his powers aren't brute strength and force like Nikos, but balanced magic and spell craft. He's also a crafty drama queen, who takes a kick out of annoying Nikos for everything. But Nikos knows that he cannot count on anyone to.watvh his six accept Jin.
The trio band of God's son and his guardians was quiet a fun pairing. Chemistry between Nikos and Alex starts to sizzle from the start, but it builds up slowly. Nikos feels the attraction but feels divided with his Guardian duty to protect Alex. Alex on the other hand is still trying to figure out his new status and powers, not to mention incident after incident keeps happening with him. It's a little hard to fathom how the guy was not in a full panic mode😏, but his baby warriors presence helped. The villain is quiet a cruel and vicious character and he wants to capture Alex nd gain his power. His menacing gory nature and actions were quiet disturbing. Anyways, how Nikos and Jin help Alex and protect him, help him gain his powera and fight of the evil high priest is how the rest of the story goes.
Jonathan Kahler is new narrator for me and quiet a good one. He has has given some good variation voices and there are plenty of characters in this story to keep up. He has even managed multiple accents, which isn't a small feat. Maybe I'm spoiled by accent perfectionist narrator Joel Leslie, that I was not able to let go the part of Alex not having an Australian accent, being that he was brought up in that country😐. The narrator kept his background narration voice in American accent, but he also gave American accents to both guardians and Alex, which is fine accept for the little detail that Alex is Australian. The guardians have to blend in present world so there accents can be acceptable. All in all it was still an enjoyable performance.
***I received a copy of this audiobook from Gay Romance Reviews, for an honest review.***
September 3, 2022
I enjoyed The Last Son of Venus book when I listened to it! The narrator did a great job as all the voices were fitting for the characters they narrated. This story revolves around the main character Alex Anderson, who has low self-esteem. He is anxious and feels subconscious about his worth, although he is ironically the son of gods. During a vacation gone awry, he meets Nikos, a Spartan warrior whose purpose is to protect him. Alex needs Nikos’s protection since evil is following him that he doesn’t understand. This audiobook has mythology, magic, action, and romance. I recommend this book in audio! I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this audiobook.
August 27, 2022
This was a great book very fast paced with a lot of wild and interesting moments the cliffhanger wasn’t to terrible to me though I am super intrigued to find out what happens next Nikos and jin were interesting protectors for alex and their magic and banter were fun to witness a lot of horrible things happened in this book but I still really enjoyed listening to it and am ready for the next book
September 1, 2022
I enjoyed this story. I very rarely read fantasy but I am glad I decided to read this one. This was a great listen. The narrator was a great voice with the ability to change between characters with no problem.
I liked the author's characters. They felt so real. I could really relate to Alex's anxiety issues around traveling.
I loved the author's storyline. It was intense and had great adventure/excitement. I appreciated the trigger warnings at the beginning, so I was not scared.
I received this complimentary copy of this story and I freely left this review.
I liked the author's characters. They felt so real. I could really relate to Alex's anxiety issues around traveling.
I loved the author's storyline. It was intense and had great adventure/excitement. I appreciated the trigger warnings at the beginning, so I was not scared.
I received this complimentary copy of this story and I freely left this review.
September 3, 2022
This book is great! I love the world building and the different characters. Alex finds himself an adventure and his fated mate which is more than planned for when he left home. Nikos is tasked with keeping Alex safe and has a hard time resisting their fated mate pull. It's a fun story with lots of exciting bits. I'm very much looking forward to the next book.
September 4, 2022
I couldn't put The Son Of Venus down. It captivated me from the beginning. This story was so unique and so original but it had characters from the Greek/Roman mythology. The author, Dion Marc, did an incredible job in weaving an intricate and intriguing story with famous mythological characters into modern urban fantasy. It has suspense.. It has unpredictability. It has great plot. It has great characters. It has everything for a great story.
I'm so excited for the next installment.
I'm so excited for the next installment.
August 7, 2022
Thanks for sending me a copy Dion 😘
Well, this book is quite the paradox! You have excessive dark and light rolled into one story. I was quite surprised how barbaric and dark this book was at parts…don’t let the sweet magical cover fool you!! 😂 But it also had lighter sides of a growing love story with a very extreme sassy side character. However, the story focuses on Alex and Nikos. Let’s just say if I was in Alex’s position, it would screw me up!
Alex’s anxiety made me feel anxious too. It was at a very very high level and he is a very easily triggered character. But, then again what would you expect being a son of gods?! Nikos however is more level headed and grounded and is definitely Alex’s anchor. His protector. They really do compliment each other, especially in the bedroom, Nikos certainly rules that room! Hot hot hot.
It’s a very detailed fantasy with a lot going on, lots of word building and historical features, you can tell a lot of research has gone into this story. Dion really did gel the past and present together seamlessly.
This is only the first book so it is left on a cliffhanger. Fantasy lovers who also enjoy a side of dark will love it.
Please read it’s trigger warnings first if needed.
Well, this book is quite the paradox! You have excessive dark and light rolled into one story. I was quite surprised how barbaric and dark this book was at parts…don’t let the sweet magical cover fool you!! 😂 But it also had lighter sides of a growing love story with a very extreme sassy side character. However, the story focuses on Alex and Nikos. Let’s just say if I was in Alex’s position, it would screw me up!
Alex’s anxiety made me feel anxious too. It was at a very very high level and he is a very easily triggered character. But, then again what would you expect being a son of gods?! Nikos however is more level headed and grounded and is definitely Alex’s anchor. His protector. They really do compliment each other, especially in the bedroom, Nikos certainly rules that room! Hot hot hot.
It’s a very detailed fantasy with a lot going on, lots of word building and historical features, you can tell a lot of research has gone into this story. Dion really did gel the past and present together seamlessly.
This is only the first book so it is left on a cliffhanger. Fantasy lovers who also enjoy a side of dark will love it.
Please read it’s trigger warnings first if needed.
December 17, 2022
Raw and gripping, The Last Son of Venus completely took me by surprise and sucked me immediately into a fascinating journey of self-discovery, love, and sacrifice. The first book in a new series, The Last Son of Venus does end in a cliffhanger but the author has promised us readers a second book, which I’m eagerly awaiting.
The main character, Alex, is an insecure and vulnerable young man with a hidden secret even he’s not aware of. It doesn’t take long for the action to start and completely turn Alex’s world upside down. Despite Alex’s insecurities, he does display moments of bravery and strength which continue to develop throughout the book. The author has created a lot of room for character growth and evolution which intertwines nicely with the plot.
One of the best elements of this book is the intricate and detailed world building. The magic system is well structured, and magical law enforcement agency was interesting. I loved the use of the Greek mythos pitted against an overwhelming evil force. All these details add a dynamic flair to the story.
The audiobook was narrated by Jonathan Kahler who does a fantastic job voicing all the characters. This created an engaging performance that kept me on the edge of my seat. The audiobook production was well done and made for an enjoyable listen.
The main character, Alex, is an insecure and vulnerable young man with a hidden secret even he’s not aware of. It doesn’t take long for the action to start and completely turn Alex’s world upside down. Despite Alex’s insecurities, he does display moments of bravery and strength which continue to develop throughout the book. The author has created a lot of room for character growth and evolution which intertwines nicely with the plot.
One of the best elements of this book is the intricate and detailed world building. The magic system is well structured, and magical law enforcement agency was interesting. I loved the use of the Greek mythos pitted against an overwhelming evil force. All these details add a dynamic flair to the story.
The audiobook was narrated by Jonathan Kahler who does a fantastic job voicing all the characters. This created an engaging performance that kept me on the edge of my seat. The audiobook production was well done and made for an enjoyable listen.
June 20, 2022
There’s an impressive array of magical and mythological elements and characters here– with magic aplenty, as well as a lot of action and intrigue surrounding it. The balance between the events of the plot and the scaffolding for what’s to come with character and relationship development is well done– it doesn’t feel like there’s a dull moment but there’s still plenty of focus on who the central characters are and how they relate to the events surrounding them and to each other. Alex is, as a protagonist, deeply interesting: his anxiety has been a powerful force in his life even before the addition of (gestures vaguely at magical mayhem) and like it or not– and initially it’s very much not– he has to cope with that as well as the developing connection with Nikos, who’s a lot (mostly in a good way) in his own right. Overall, a really easy book to be drawn into, and I look forward to seeing where the story goes.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
June 15, 2022
I've been having great luck with some fantasy series recently and this one continues my winning streak. Alex is an incredibly well drawn character and considering what he is about to face, having him prone to serious anxiety attacks was a really interesting choice by the author. His panic at even the smallest change in plans is palpable and when he is brave enough to make a trip to London and is confronted by Nikos and Jin his whole world turns upside down. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes clear that he can't just ignore what they are telling him as he is clearly in mortal danger from "something" and is going to need help and protection. There is a nice amount of steam here but also a genuine emotional bond between Alex and Nikos as well as some great world building. Cannot wait to see what the author has in store next.
June 22, 2022
Anxiety shouldn't = useless
I tried but I couldn't finish, Alex was just so annoying. He breaks down over the most inane things and if he's not "spacing out" he's crying, I get that he suffers from anxiety but man was he useless. Even Jin with all the nicknames, 'babycakes' and 'babydoll' got tiring. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood but yeah I couldn't get into it.
I tried but I couldn't finish, Alex was just so annoying. He breaks down over the most inane things and if he's not "spacing out" he's crying, I get that he suffers from anxiety but man was he useless. Even Jin with all the nicknames, 'babycakes' and 'babydoll' got tiring. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood but yeah I couldn't get into it.
August 20, 2022
Solid book.
paused
March 19, 2023Missed the trigger warnings... be warned of very explicit human sacrifice of innocents, attempted rape, and violence. Also, cliffhanger ending
However, despite this, I am really liking the story. I plan on coming back when book two is out...
However, despite this, I am really liking the story. I plan on coming back when book two is out...
September 26, 2022
Great book
I need the next one now!!! This was a wonderful book and I as well listened to it. Loved it. Please please bring Jin back they have to. He needs his HEA.
I need the next one now!!! This was a wonderful book and I as well listened to it. Loved it. Please please bring Jin back they have to. He needs his HEA.
September 3, 2022
This was the first book in this fast paced series.
This was a new to me Author and I loved their writing style.
I enjoyed the world building of this urban fantasy romance
The characters were interesting and the storyline was quite gripping
If you enjoy a fast paced action packed adventure with rich world building definitely recommend
This was a new to me Author and I loved their writing style.
I enjoyed the world building of this urban fantasy romance
The characters were interesting and the storyline was quite gripping
If you enjoy a fast paced action packed adventure with rich world building definitely recommend
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews