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Eternal Guardians #1
Marked
THERON — Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He's the leader of the Eternal Guardians, an elite group of warriors that defend the mortal realm.
From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn't exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.
She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron's duty to bring her in. But even he wasn't strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.
As war with the immortal realm nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn't exist in real life—silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.
She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron's duty to bring her in. But even he wasn't strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.
As war with the immortal realm nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.
321 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 23, 2010
1054 people are currently reading
13186 people want to read
About the author
Elisabeth Naughton
75 books3,155 followersBefore topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal—award winning author Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A voracious reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Elisabeth now writes full-time.
Though primarily known for her romantic suspense work, Elisabeth has penned over thirty books and continues to write in multiple genres, including paranormal romance and contemporary romance. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have earned several award nominations, including three prestigious RITA® nominations from Romance Writers of America. In 2017, REPRESSED, the first book in her Deadly Secrets series, won the RITA® for best romantic suspense.
Elisabeth's work has been praised by the Chicago Tribune as being filled with "deadly intrigue, high adrenaline action, and scorchingly hot passion.” Kirkus calls her "a writer talented enough at weaving a yarn to get her readers ensnared in it.” When not dreaming up new stories, Elisabeth can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home, wrangling two cats, or chasing after one very rambunctious Dalmatian.
Learn more about Elisabeth and her books at www.ElisabethNaughton.com.
Though primarily known for her romantic suspense work, Elisabeth has penned over thirty books and continues to write in multiple genres, including paranormal romance and contemporary romance. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have earned several award nominations, including three prestigious RITA® nominations from Romance Writers of America. In 2017, REPRESSED, the first book in her Deadly Secrets series, won the RITA® for best romantic suspense.
Elisabeth's work has been praised by the Chicago Tribune as being filled with "deadly intrigue, high adrenaline action, and scorchingly hot passion.” Kirkus calls her "a writer talented enough at weaving a yarn to get her readers ensnared in it.” When not dreaming up new stories, Elisabeth can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home, wrangling two cats, or chasing after one very rambunctious Dalmatian.
Learn more about Elisabeth and her books at www.ElisabethNaughton.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,164 reviews
July 8, 2017
3.5 stars
This is the first book I have read by this author. I decided to try this series because…..the love of my life and hero was Greek!!!! I adore reading anything with a Greek hero!!
Descendants from Greek mythology heroes, set in modern day times!!!!
Well, I am happy to announce that I enjoyed Marked, the 1st book in the series.
Known as Argonauts, an elite group of warriors sworn to defend their immortal realm, Argolea and its people from creatures of the Underworld known as daemons, who were created by a very vindictive and evil ex-warrior named Atalanta. These are heroes to die for….alpha-male, dark and dangerous and absolutely gorgeous and so sexy!!
But fate has something totally unexpected waiting for Theron. Yes, he recognizes Casey to be his soul mate. I really liked her.
I enjoyed the characters and loved seeing some of the known mythological characters such as Hades, Persephone, Orpheus……also the connection between the Argonauts is really good.
Easy reading and I am looking forward to the next book.
This is the first book I have read by this author. I decided to try this series because…..the love of my life and hero was Greek!!!! I adore reading anything with a Greek hero!!
Descendants from Greek mythology heroes, set in modern day times!!!!
........... with a touch of paranormal, romance and myths….how could I resist!!!
Well, I am happy to announce that I enjoyed Marked, the 1st book in the series.
Known as Argonauts, an elite group of warriors sworn to defend their immortal realm, Argolea and its people from creatures of the Underworld known as daemons, who were created by a very vindictive and evil ex-warrior named Atalanta. These are heroes to die for….alpha-male, dark and dangerous and absolutely gorgeous and so sexy!!
Theron is the leader of the Argonauts. Descendant from Hercules, he’s been sent to the human realm on a mission for his king.
His mission is to bring a human named Casey back to the realm – the king needs her to save his dying daughter, Isadora, who is due to been crowned Queen of the Argolea realm.
But fate has something totally unexpected waiting for Theron. Yes, he recognizes Casey to be his soul mate. I really liked her.
There’s a huge amount of world building in this book setting the foundation for the series.
I enjoyed the characters and loved seeing some of the known mythological characters such as Hades, Persephone, Orpheus……also the connection between the Argonauts is really good.
Easy reading and I am looking forward to the next book.
January 15, 2015
Wow, talk about an unexpected 5 star book! A friend let me borrow this book and it isn't quite as thick as "Bad Moon Rising," so I grabbed it for a quick read. This one caught me up almost immediately. In fact, the book blurb doesn't really do it justice.
Theron is a descendant of Hercules, not immortal but long-lived...about 500-700 years or so. He bumps into Casey in a strip club. Literally. He bumps her while she's serving some jerk frat-boys drinks. She feels a tingly feeling, he looks at her as if he knows her, but can't quite place her, then he walks away. To a gorgeous petite blonde. He scoops the blonde up and carries her out. I loved the description. "He pulled her close as if she were made of glass and seconds later swept her up into his arms and whisked her out the back door of the club, straight out of a scene from An Officer and a Gentleman. Only this guy was ten times bigger and a million times hotter than Richard Gere ever was."
Casey (Acacia Simopolous) is running her late grandmother's bookstore and working nights as a waitress at a strip club while trying to figure out what to do with her life. She takes off early after watching Theron leave with the blonde (Isadora). On her way out, she sees him being mauled by...things...and tries to help.
Theron uses his jedi-mind tricks to convince Casey he was hit by a car, and to take him home to heal him. He'd sent his fiancee Isadora home and used up his powers, so he can't self-heal. The daemons had taken one look at Casey and poofed back to Tartarus. He thinks she's just a human, and is annoyed at his reaction to her. He has her help mend his gashes and he sleeps at her house. The next night, they are all over each other until he sees a mark on her lower back. it's a birthmark according to Casey...but to Theron it (he hopes) is a tattoo. If it's a birthmark, she'd be an Argolean...he's an Argonaut, a guardian of the Argoleans. So he freaks and leaves her.
Turns out Casey is King Leonides' daughter...half-human, half-Argolean. And Isadora is her sister. Oh, and she might be Theron's soul-mate. Oh and she has to die to heal Isadora. Oh by dying she saves the whole Aroglean race. No pressure or anything. But none of the Argoleans know that there are half-breeds out there. Turns out there are thousands of them, who are fighting the daemons, struggling to live, and all without help from the Argonauts. Theron swears to help them, but still has to take Casey,his soul-mate, back to the king to save Isadora, his fiancee. Neither Isadora nor Theron are in love with each other, so I didn't have to feel guilty about liking Isadora but still wanting Theron to get with Casey.
Isadora goes to Hades and Persephone (talk about a kinky relationship) and tries to bargain for her and her sister's lives. Hades and Persephone do something to Isadora, we don't know what-but I think BDSM kind of stuff- and she is never the same. Then Hades convinces Casey to die for her people and lets her know that Theron is engaged to the woman she has to die for. Oops. I won't spoil the cool ending, but it was definitely a quick fun read. Imagine Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunters meets Shannon K. Butcher's Sentinels.
My only advice on this book, is to read the glossary at the back of the book first...since it was at the back, I didn't see it til I finished the book. It wouldn't been nice to recognize some of the Greek words.
Theron is a descendant of Hercules, not immortal but long-lived...about 500-700 years or so. He bumps into Casey in a strip club. Literally. He bumps her while she's serving some jerk frat-boys drinks. She feels a tingly feeling, he looks at her as if he knows her, but can't quite place her, then he walks away. To a gorgeous petite blonde. He scoops the blonde up and carries her out. I loved the description. "He pulled her close as if she were made of glass and seconds later swept her up into his arms and whisked her out the back door of the club, straight out of a scene from An Officer and a Gentleman. Only this guy was ten times bigger and a million times hotter than Richard Gere ever was."
Casey (Acacia Simopolous) is running her late grandmother's bookstore and working nights as a waitress at a strip club while trying to figure out what to do with her life. She takes off early after watching Theron leave with the blonde (Isadora). On her way out, she sees him being mauled by...things...and tries to help.
Theron uses his jedi-mind tricks to convince Casey he was hit by a car, and to take him home to heal him. He'd sent his fiancee Isadora home and used up his powers, so he can't self-heal. The daemons had taken one look at Casey and poofed back to Tartarus. He thinks she's just a human, and is annoyed at his reaction to her. He has her help mend his gashes and he sleeps at her house. The next night, they are all over each other until he sees a mark on her lower back. it's a birthmark according to Casey...but to Theron it (he hopes) is a tattoo. If it's a birthmark, she'd be an Argolean...he's an Argonaut, a guardian of the Argoleans. So he freaks and leaves her.
Turns out Casey is King Leonides' daughter...half-human, half-Argolean. And Isadora is her sister. Oh, and she might be Theron's soul-mate. Oh and she has to die to heal Isadora. Oh by dying she saves the whole Aroglean race. No pressure or anything. But none of the Argoleans know that there are half-breeds out there. Turns out there are thousands of them, who are fighting the daemons, struggling to live, and all without help from the Argonauts. Theron swears to help them, but still has to take Casey,his soul-mate, back to the king to save Isadora, his fiancee. Neither Isadora nor Theron are in love with each other, so I didn't have to feel guilty about liking Isadora but still wanting Theron to get with Casey.
Isadora goes to Hades and Persephone (talk about a kinky relationship) and tries to bargain for her and her sister's lives. Hades and Persephone do something to Isadora, we don't know what-but I think BDSM kind of stuff- and she is never the same. Then Hades convinces Casey to die for her people and lets her know that Theron is engaged to the woman she has to die for. Oops. I won't spoil the cool ending, but it was definitely a quick fun read. Imagine Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunters meets Shannon K. Butcher's Sentinels.
My only advice on this book, is to read the glossary at the back of the book first...since it was at the back, I didn't see it til I finished the book. It wouldn't been nice to recognize some of the Greek words.
September 22, 2020
Casey and Theron
April 26, 2010
I really, really enjoy Elisabeth Naughton's voice. Marked was a fast-paced read, and I loved the light notes sprinkled throughout. Her books are always rich in exotic settings, detail, and adventure, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book!
March 19, 2013
I could not finish this book. It's not that I don't mind the slightly trashy novel once in a while, but this one took the cake. The characters were enough to make me want to scream. In fact, it was so bad that at one point, after I left my Kindle, my Kindle moved from that story to another so when I picked it up I was now on a cook book. Yes, friends, it was so bad my Kindle tried to save me. I should have listened to it.
The storyline was boring. I've only made it roughly 30% through, and it feels like a lifetime. I like none of the characters. Theron is a bully! I get that he's not in love with his fiance, Isadora, but he has no qualms about getting it on with Casey. Yeah, there's a man I can get behind: a cheater. Not only that, but he uses mind control to order her to "do anything I want", including sex. Strike two, Theron. Around these parts, we call that rape. Why is that even seen as romantic? He basically gave her the magical equivalent of a roofie. She had no more free will and he wiped her mind clean. Strike three, you're out.
And Casey wasn't much better. While I can respect her for working two jobs to keep herself afloat, that was the only good thing about her. She struck me as pretty spineless from the start. She meets Theron by bumping into him at her second job as a waitress at a strip club, and then can't stop thinking about him even though he's obviously with someone else. When she comes across him injured, she takes his word for it and takes her to her home and not the hospital, despite the fact he's bleeding heavily. And when Nick shows up at her house at three in the morning, she thinks it's only slightly creepy and not a full out "I should call the cops" moment. Pretty much, Casey got three strikes before her magical mind rape. What caused me to give up on her and the book was her slipping erotica into the book pile of an elderly customer at her bookstore, who told her she didn't want any books with sex in them. I'm sorry, but that's a dick move and Casey went from being just a normal spineless, brainless heroine in a romance novel to being a dick like Theron. If a customer says, "No sex books, please" you don't put erotica in there without telling them. And make them pay for it!
So, that's all I could handle. Little Miss Smug can join her rapist boyfriend in bliss. I will not be getting any other books by this author if this is what she thinks counts as a good heroine and a strong hero.
The storyline was boring. I've only made it roughly 30% through, and it feels like a lifetime. I like none of the characters. Theron is a bully! I get that he's not in love with his fiance, Isadora, but he has no qualms about getting it on with Casey. Yeah, there's a man I can get behind: a cheater. Not only that, but he uses mind control to order her to "do anything I want", including sex. Strike two, Theron. Around these parts, we call that rape. Why is that even seen as romantic? He basically gave her the magical equivalent of a roofie. She had no more free will and he wiped her mind clean. Strike three, you're out.
And Casey wasn't much better. While I can respect her for working two jobs to keep herself afloat, that was the only good thing about her. She struck me as pretty spineless from the start. She meets Theron by bumping into him at her second job as a waitress at a strip club, and then can't stop thinking about him even though he's obviously with someone else. When she comes across him injured, she takes his word for it and takes her to her home and not the hospital, despite the fact he's bleeding heavily. And when Nick shows up at her house at three in the morning, she thinks it's only slightly creepy and not a full out "I should call the cops" moment. Pretty much, Casey got three strikes before her magical mind rape. What caused me to give up on her and the book was her slipping erotica into the book pile of an elderly customer at her bookstore, who told her she didn't want any books with sex in them. I'm sorry, but that's a dick move and Casey went from being just a normal spineless, brainless heroine in a romance novel to being a dick like Theron. If a customer says, "No sex books, please" you don't put erotica in there without telling them. And make them pay for it!
So, that's all I could handle. Little Miss Smug can join her rapist boyfriend in bliss. I will not be getting any other books by this author if this is what she thinks counts as a good heroine and a strong hero.
May 18, 2010
Marked
may be a short book, but it is heavily detailed in its world building of mythological Gods, fates, alternate realms, magic and both mortal and immortal races. Fans of non-vampire PNR books should enjoy this one a lot, but those looking for hero's with fangs will not find it in this world.
Theron, an Argonaut guardian, is charged with finding Casey and bringing her back to his King. The belief is Casey's life will be used to spare the life of the future Queen who is dying. However, along the way they battle Daemeons, spawns from an evil army meant to wipe out Argonauts and who want to capture Casey for their own purposes. Casey learns more about her own history and meets her people, and Theron discovers she is his soul mate.
The actual romance between Theron and Casey was a bit washed out by all the world building and survival drama, and it relies on the 'destined souls' ploy to justify their rapidly paced romance. They were both likable characters, and there was enough romance to keep one satisfied, but it wasn't a favorite for me.
For those wondering about the steam factor: The steam was warm when it happened. Just don't expect anything like JR Ward, Nalini Singh or Larissa Ione. A couple pages heat up pretty good, but that's about it.
Overall, I liked it, but I think I prefer this author's rom suspense books more.
Theron, an Argonaut guardian, is charged with finding Casey and bringing her back to his King. The belief is Casey's life will be used to spare the life of the future Queen who is dying. However, along the way they battle Daemeons, spawns from an evil army meant to wipe out Argonauts and who want to capture Casey for their own purposes. Casey learns more about her own history and meets her people, and Theron discovers she is his soul mate.
The actual romance between Theron and Casey was a bit washed out by all the world building and survival drama, and it relies on the 'destined souls' ploy to justify their rapidly paced romance. They were both likable characters, and there was enough romance to keep one satisfied, but it wasn't a favorite for me.
For those wondering about the steam factor: The steam was warm when it happened. Just don't expect anything like JR Ward, Nalini Singh or Larissa Ione. A couple pages heat up pretty good, but that's about it.
Overall, I liked it, but I think I prefer this author's rom suspense books more.
January 2, 2011
I got this as a free download from Amazon.com for my Kindle.
It was way overpriced.
It was way overpriced.
September 12, 2011
Despite the 3 star I did like this book... I just felt it could've been better. It felt like forever till Theron and Casey (our hero and heroine) finally got to his world and met with her destiny.
And, as my status indicates, I also was getting very tired of the lead up to these two getting together- and then having it delayed once again. Now dont get me wrong- I love sexual tension and would much rather have the H/h not get it on til the end if, and this is a big if, the author gives you some emotional release. In this book the dragging out of the big shebang with little interludes of heavy petting just felt like a tease.
BUT I loved the world this author is playing in- Olympians, gods, demons, and fierce warrior descendents of ancient heroes like Hercules and Achilles? Yeah, i'm so on board! (I'm justing holding out on the hope that they get better as this was the first in the series!)
So yeah 3 out of 5 from me!
And, as my status indicates, I also was getting very tired of the lead up to these two getting together- and then having it delayed once again. Now dont get me wrong- I love sexual tension and would much rather have the H/h not get it on til the end if, and this is a big if, the author gives you some emotional release. In this book the dragging out of the big shebang with little interludes of heavy petting just felt like a tease.
BUT I loved the world this author is playing in- Olympians, gods, demons, and fierce warrior descendents of ancient heroes like Hercules and Achilles? Yeah, i'm so on board! (I'm justing holding out on the hope that they get better as this was the first in the series!)
So yeah 3 out of 5 from me!
May 29, 2020
Marked
3 Stars
Like so many series, Marked suffers from first book syndrome. The world building based on the story of Jason and the Argonauts from Greek mythology is original and compelling. However, it has a tendency to overshadow the plot for most of the book, and readers unfamiliar with this particular tale might find themselves a little lost as there is very little exposition on the myth itself and an overabundance of characters to sort out.
The romance is satisfying but predictable as is the resolution of the prophecy storyline. Theron is NOT my idea of a hero despite his ancestral connection to Heracles. He is arrogant, manipulative and prejudiced, and is not above using mind control to coerce Casey into doing his bidding - loss of free will is NOT a turn on in a romance novel.
Casey is an engaging heroine and her reactions to the strange developments in her life are realistic and believable. Nevertheless, she is too accepting of the non-answers and partial explanations offered by the hero and her damsel in distress routine gets a little old - my preference is for kick-ass heroines who rescue themselves rather than waiting for Mr. Wonderful to come along.
The secondary characters have potential, especially Isadora and Demetrius, but the villain comes off as pathetic rather than threatening. Although there is one disturbing scene , which suggests that there might be more here than meets the eye.
All in all, not too bad and the developing war is promising for the series.
3 Stars
Like so many series, Marked suffers from first book syndrome. The world building based on the story of Jason and the Argonauts from Greek mythology is original and compelling. However, it has a tendency to overshadow the plot for most of the book, and readers unfamiliar with this particular tale might find themselves a little lost as there is very little exposition on the myth itself and an overabundance of characters to sort out.
The romance is satisfying but predictable as is the resolution of the prophecy storyline. Theron is NOT my idea of a hero despite his ancestral connection to Heracles. He is arrogant, manipulative and prejudiced, and is not above using mind control to coerce Casey into doing his bidding - loss of free will is NOT a turn on in a romance novel.
Casey is an engaging heroine and her reactions to the strange developments in her life are realistic and believable. Nevertheless, she is too accepting of the non-answers and partial explanations offered by the hero and her damsel in distress routine gets a little old - my preference is for kick-ass heroines who rescue themselves rather than waiting for Mr. Wonderful to come along.
The secondary characters have potential, especially Isadora and Demetrius, but the villain comes off as pathetic rather than threatening. Although there is one disturbing scene , which suggests that there might be more here than meets the eye.
All in all, not too bad and the developing war is promising for the series.
December 28, 2013
Good storyline and world-building, interesting characters (especially the Greek Gods), and a hunky male who made me smile.
July 7, 2017
4 1/2 "Greek Mythology" Stars!
Loved it! I'm hooked. I don't know why I waited so long to read this book. I've had it since 2014! Maybe I'll write a real review later, but for now, I'm on to the next book!! Happy reading!
Loved it! I'm hooked. I don't know why I waited so long to read this book. I've had it since 2014! Maybe I'll write a real review later, but for now, I'm on to the next book!! Happy reading!
August 8, 2021
Marked by Elizabeth Naughton
Eternal Guardians book 1. Paranormal romance.
Descendants of the Greek gods, Theron is fated for Casey.
Underworld war. Argonaut Warrior / guardian. Fate.
Mind control.
I didn’t care for this very much. First, Greek gods. I’ve never understood the fascination of these often cruel individuals with multiple names. Second, mind control kind of takes away the freedom of choice as does Fate. Third, the hero doesn’t explain much and is arrogant to the heroine and yet she falls in love. Must be chemistry but is this again a lack of choice?
Finished because it is a bookclub read and I bought most of this series many years ago. Hoping my dislike is because it’s the first book of the series and required a lot of world building.
Eternal Guardians book 1. Paranormal romance.
Descendants of the Greek gods, Theron is fated for Casey.
Underworld war. Argonaut Warrior / guardian. Fate.
Mind control.
I didn’t care for this very much. First, Greek gods. I’ve never understood the fascination of these often cruel individuals with multiple names. Second, mind control kind of takes away the freedom of choice as does Fate. Third, the hero doesn’t explain much and is arrogant to the heroine and yet she falls in love. Must be chemistry but is this again a lack of choice?
Finished because it is a bookclub read and I bought most of this series many years ago. Hoping my dislike is because it’s the first book of the series and required a lot of world building.
December 1, 2016
1/12 - I was disappointed with this. It could have been a decent supernatural romance, instead the story was littered with plot mistakes and rambling sentences.
Theron has a magic touch that drugs women and makes them more amenable to his demands (sexual and otherwise) that he uses on Acacia the night of their first meeting. Seeing how that's reprehensible and I can't find any difference between this and slipping her a date rape drug I had a problem with Theron from then on.
The strange mix of mythology and faux mythology made the world building feel very confused and disjointed.
Acacia (Casey) was inoffensive, but not particularly interesting and her attempts to explain away the strange things happening around her were ridiculous. If I saw something that cannot be explained by science (like apparently dead beings getting back up), but is a common situation in horror/fantasy movies, my first thought would not be "Oh, I must be REALLY tired, abruptly drunk, or hallucinating", it would be "Oh, maybe the supernatural really is real after all. Better call Buffy, the Halliwells, and the Wincesters."
I probably wouldn't read any more of the series, especially if I have to pay for them.
Theron has a magic touch that drugs women and makes them more amenable to his demands (sexual and otherwise) that he uses on Acacia the night of their first meeting. Seeing how that's reprehensible and I can't find any difference between this and slipping her a date rape drug I had a problem with Theron from then on.
The strange mix of mythology and faux mythology made the world building feel very confused and disjointed.
Acacia (Casey) was inoffensive, but not particularly interesting and her attempts to explain away the strange things happening around her were ridiculous. If I saw something that cannot be explained by science (like apparently dead beings getting back up), but is a common situation in horror/fantasy movies, my first thought would not be "Oh, I must be REALLY tired, abruptly drunk, or hallucinating", it would be "Oh, maybe the supernatural really is real after all. Better call Buffy, the Halliwells, and the Wincesters."
I probably wouldn't read any more of the series, especially if I have to pay for them.
October 2, 2016
Meh. It was ok, but I'm not sure I'd continue the series.
February 1, 2011
I did not like the way this book ended. It was not a cliffhanger but it was syrupy and it left a few major questions unanswered. Some things happened that made no sense in the big scheme of things. I won't do spoilers, so I'll have to remain cryptic.
On the plus - very well written, entertaining concept, interesting cast of characters, a little rough around the edges where it needs to be, and lots of agendas. I felt Ms. Naughton used greek mythology as a foundation wisely. She did not get too deep into the various gods and goddesses, thus readers with a very base knowledge can follow. Yes, we have life mates, you know the "one and only love" thing. Nothing new there. The heros are decendents of Hercules, they are called Argonauts. If you saw the movie Jason and the Argonauts, that would be the ones. The antagonist is a woman who was not offered a slot as one of the 7 Guardian/Warrior class of Argonauts. Apparently she was on that mission to find the Golden Fleece and got pushed aside because she was a girl. She gets immortality from Hades, raises up demons from stray souls in purgutory. She and her army want to destroy the Argola society because she is pissed off. The antagonist was not interesting and that took much from the book. Her motivation and level of evil were never fully justified. The story indicates that there is more to her anger but no one is 100% sure. There is a prophecy, of couse, that complicates things for our H/H.
I don't see myself reading the next book although the characters did make an impression on me and some of them have potential for future books. I know I will be put off by the antagonist if she continues in other books, and since she is not dead -- she'll be back. Pity. A more well defined bad guy/girl, could have made all the difference for me. I am going with 4 stars because the story was good overall and creative.
On the plus - very well written, entertaining concept, interesting cast of characters, a little rough around the edges where it needs to be, and lots of agendas. I felt Ms. Naughton used greek mythology as a foundation wisely. She did not get too deep into the various gods and goddesses, thus readers with a very base knowledge can follow. Yes, we have life mates, you know the "one and only love" thing. Nothing new there. The heros are decendents of Hercules, they are called Argonauts. If you saw the movie Jason and the Argonauts, that would be the ones. The antagonist is a woman who was not offered a slot as one of the 7 Guardian/Warrior class of Argonauts. Apparently she was on that mission to find the Golden Fleece and got pushed aside because she was a girl. She gets immortality from Hades, raises up demons from stray souls in purgutory. She and her army want to destroy the Argola society because she is pissed off. The antagonist was not interesting and that took much from the book. Her motivation and level of evil were never fully justified. The story indicates that there is more to her anger but no one is 100% sure. There is a prophecy, of couse, that complicates things for our H/H.
I don't see myself reading the next book although the characters did make an impression on me and some of them have potential for future books. I know I will be put off by the antagonist if she continues in other books, and since she is not dead -- she'll be back. Pity. A more well defined bad guy/girl, could have made all the difference for me. I am going with 4 stars because the story was good overall and creative.
October 27, 2018
I started and paused this book on May 23rd 2018, I restarted it on 25th October 2018 and was determined to finish it. I completed it on 26th October 2018 and what I learnt was......do not resume books on my paused shelf! they're there for a reason!😂
This book was boringgggggggg! The H met the h when he was injured while saving his fiancee from a group of bad guys demons/daemons dudes. She takes him in ,nurses him back to health and almost has sex with him until he sees a mark on her and leaves.
The H returns home,learns the h is his fiancee's half sister and she needs to be brought back so that the future queen could be saved
Yadda yadda yadda yadda he never mentions he's promised to her sister or even much about himself but almost to the end of the book she realizes she loves him! What the what now??? Why? The relationship went from simmer to burnt in 0-60 secs!
I don't think I'm interested in the other books but as seems to be my bad luck, I already own them and May.... probably.....maybe......return to this series at a future date.
it's only book 1 and I already hate the words skata gynaika and meli because they're just plain overused in this book!
This book was boringgggggggg! The H met the h when he was injured while saving his fiancee from a group of bad guys demons/daemons dudes. She takes him in ,nurses him back to health and almost has sex with him until he sees a mark on her and leaves.
The H returns home,learns the h is his fiancee's half sister and she needs to be brought back so that the future queen could be saved
Yadda yadda yadda yadda he never mentions he's promised to her sister or even much about himself but almost to the end of the book she realizes she loves him! What the what now??? Why? The relationship went from simmer to burnt in 0-60 secs!
I don't think I'm interested in the other books but as seems to be my bad luck, I already own them and May.... probably.....maybe......return to this series at a future date.
it's only book 1 and I already hate the words skata gynaika and meli because they're just plain overused in this book!
May 25, 2019
No es el mejor libro de paranormal que he leído pero estuvo bien para inicio de serie, un poco lento al principio pero al final mejoró mucho.
Mis partes favoritas son donde sale Hades mi Dios griego favorito y tenía que ser del inframundo me gustan los hombre malotes que le voy hacer. 😈🔥🔥🔥
Y si voy a seguir la serie porque muchos personajes me han causado curiosidad y sobre todo saber que pasa con la villana.
Mis partes favoritas son donde sale Hades mi Dios griego favorito y tenía que ser del inframundo me gustan los hombre malotes que le voy hacer. 😈🔥🔥🔥
Y si voy a seguir la serie porque muchos personajes me han causado curiosidad y sobre todo saber que pasa con la villana.
Read
October 7, 2010I'm wavering between a 4 and a 5 - have to sleep on it.
Loved the world building. Was frustrated with the number of times they "almost" had sex but got conveniently interrupted.
Loved the world building. Was frustrated with the number of times they "almost" had sex but got conveniently interrupted.
Read
May 13, 2018Liked the concept and characters and really want to continue on with this series.
August 9, 2016
I couldn't quite warm to the characters, not one of my favourite books
July 13, 2017
I am OK with insta-love or even having to persuade the other person that s/he is your mate - I call a halt when there is mind control and/or rape involved. Just sayin'.
February 7, 2019
2.5
le iba a dar 2 pero al final mejoró un montón... me gustaron solo las partes de Isadora hahaha
no lo recomendaría la verdad, pero como soy masoquista tendré que continuar la serie.
le iba a dar 2 pero al final mejoró un montón... me gustaron solo las partes de Isadora hahaha
no lo recomendaría la verdad, pero como soy masoquista tendré que continuar la serie.
May 24, 2010
I couldn't seem to connect to this book. It wasn't a bad story, and it didn't have badly drawn characters, but there was nothing there to make me care.
I liked the thought of this book more than the execution. Argonauts and gods and powers, what's not to like, right? Unfortunately I felt this book was a bit more melodramatic than was necessary. It's like it tried to be dark and angsty but still came off as light and frothy. It just didn't mix well for me. I think a big part of this was the fact that I had no emotional investment in the characters. Sometimes I know characters are behaving ridiculously, but because I empathize with them I forgive them for their stupidity. The characters left me cold here so there was no understanding.
I have a question I never felt was resolved. How did Isadora know about Casey? It was a huge secret right? The only one who was supposed to know was the king, so....? It was never answered! The whole story begins with actions that hinge around Isadora finding Casey. It's like once that was out of the way the author felt no need to go back and make it make sense.
Casey seemed like the most accepting character I have ever seen. She easily accepts the existence of the Argonauts and her connection to them. Toward the end she easily accepts that she'll need to make a sacrifice. She also easily forgives Theron for lying to her. It was all just so... pat. I'm really not a fan of martyrs so when Casey just decided to roll over and die she really irritated me. How is some other world that you've just found out about suddenly more important than yourself?
The writing wasn't bad, but the actual story was just too much for me. Like I said before, I think if I had felt connected to the story my mind would have easily brushed aside all the little things that bothered me (or at least made them seem less irritating).
I liked the thought of this book more than the execution. Argonauts and gods and powers, what's not to like, right? Unfortunately I felt this book was a bit more melodramatic than was necessary. It's like it tried to be dark and angsty but still came off as light and frothy. It just didn't mix well for me. I think a big part of this was the fact that I had no emotional investment in the characters. Sometimes I know characters are behaving ridiculously, but because I empathize with them I forgive them for their stupidity. The characters left me cold here so there was no understanding.
I have a question I never felt was resolved. How did Isadora know about Casey? It was a huge secret right? The only one who was supposed to know was the king, so....? It was never answered! The whole story begins with actions that hinge around Isadora finding Casey. It's like once that was out of the way the author felt no need to go back and make it make sense.
Casey seemed like the most accepting character I have ever seen. She easily accepts the existence of the Argonauts and her connection to them. Toward the end she easily accepts that she'll need to make a sacrifice. She also easily forgives Theron for lying to her. It was all just so... pat. I'm really not a fan of martyrs so when Casey just decided to roll over and die she really irritated me. How is some other world that you've just found out about suddenly more important than yourself?
The writing wasn't bad, but the actual story was just too much for me. Like I said before, I think if I had felt connected to the story my mind would have easily brushed aside all the little things that bothered me (or at least made them seem less irritating).
June 11, 2016
First book from the Eternal Guardians series features Theron, the leader of the Argonauts. For some reason, he wasn't keen to being friends with humans or half-breeds, let alone getting acquainted with them. He was supposed to get married to Isadora, heir to the kingdom of Argolea, but something happened to change his destiny. Something to do with a human named Casey, working in a strip club, hunted by Daemons and needed by King Leonidas. But there's a consequence once Casey realized the reason why she was being pursued. Her life was at stake, both at the hands of the demons and the king himself. Could Theron sacrifice her even though he knew she was The One he'd been waiting for?
I love Elisabeth Naughton. She seemed to have lived with the Greek Gods a long time ago, because evry story she wrote made me rethink of my former classes at school about Greek mythology. I thought I knew all about Zeus and Hades and Hercules and Athena. I thought I already know about Jason and the Golden Fleece. But I was clearly mistaken because I really had no idea about the Argonauts. Now, Naughton had convinced me that these warriors had their own stories to tell, and I couldn't wait to meet them all.
Theron is like the antihero protagonist I can't help but take notice. There's something sinister about him that I like, which is weird. But when he unleashed his true power, I was surprised to stay transfixed by him. He and Casey rule the human world, the colony, the Olympus, the kingdom and most especially, the bedroom. Their sexual tension was killing me.
I would be needing a dozen pitcher of water if I would continue reading the next eight books in the series. Whew!
I love Elisabeth Naughton. She seemed to have lived with the Greek Gods a long time ago, because evry story she wrote made me rethink of my former classes at school about Greek mythology. I thought I knew all about Zeus and Hades and Hercules and Athena. I thought I already know about Jason and the Golden Fleece. But I was clearly mistaken because I really had no idea about the Argonauts. Now, Naughton had convinced me that these warriors had their own stories to tell, and I couldn't wait to meet them all.
Theron is like the antihero protagonist I can't help but take notice. There's something sinister about him that I like, which is weird. But when he unleashed his true power, I was surprised to stay transfixed by him. He and Casey rule the human world, the colony, the Olympus, the kingdom and most especially, the bedroom. Their sexual tension was killing me.
I would be needing a dozen pitcher of water if I would continue reading the next eight books in the series. Whew!
September 17, 2016
Not bad, not great. I won't be continuing with the series.
May 11, 2010
I think if people enjoy Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series, they might enjoy this as well. This is the first book in a new series, and it's also related to Greek Mythology. We see some familiar Gods, Hades and Persephone, and the main hero in this story is a descendant of the Argonauts. Dust off the cobwebs and think back to Greek Mythology and all the Greek Heroes like Hercules, and Achilles, the Argonauts are an elite group of people that protect their land from the daemons and they are all descendants of past heroes.
I love reading about mythology, and I like the combination of the mythology and the paranormal elements. In this book, the king is dying and he needs his daughter Isadora to remain healthy as she is the only heir to his throne. The problem, Isadora is slowly dying and only she knows why. There is an ancient prophecy (surprise, surprise) that the heir to the throne will be one half mortal and one half god, as Isadora becomes sicker, she is losing her god side and becoming more mortal. But of course, she has a sister that no one else knows about. Casey is a regular human working two jobs, and she has been a little sicker than normal lately. She's been ignoring it and going on with her life. The king informs one of his guardians Theron that he needs to find Casey and bring her to Isadora. Once together, Casey will die lending her power to Isadora. The only issue, Theron already knows Casey, and might not be willing to give her up.
I love reading about mythology, and I like the combination of the mythology and the paranormal elements. In this book, the king is dying and he needs his daughter Isadora to remain healthy as she is the only heir to his throne. The problem, Isadora is slowly dying and only she knows why. There is an ancient prophecy (surprise, surprise) that the heir to the throne will be one half mortal and one half god, as Isadora becomes sicker, she is losing her god side and becoming more mortal. But of course, she has a sister that no one else knows about. Casey is a regular human working two jobs, and she has been a little sicker than normal lately. She's been ignoring it and going on with her life. The king informs one of his guardians Theron that he needs to find Casey and bring her to Isadora. Once together, Casey will die lending her power to Isadora. The only issue, Theron already knows Casey, and might not be willing to give her up.
December 5, 2010
Highly recommended for Kenyon fans. I have long passed that phase and consequently found this to be a little thin for my current tastes. Even considering that, I would have rated this 3 stars if not for...
too many characters dumped on the reader. I realize this is the first book in a series but overload!
character names...too many names taken from Greek myths and this quickly got on my nerves.
the villain was ridiculous. extremely simple.
the tactic of getting the characters revved up and then preventing them from makin some lovin? I hate that. Anticipation can be half the fun but it wasn't here.
totally predictable story. With these types of books, this is kind of a given but I need something special to make me interested in continuing the series, something unique.
One bit I really did enjoy was the interaction between Hades and Persephone.
too many characters dumped on the reader. I realize this is the first book in a series but overload!
character names...too many names taken from Greek myths and this quickly got on my nerves.
the villain was ridiculous. extremely simple.
the tactic of getting the characters revved up and then preventing them from makin some lovin? I hate that. Anticipation can be half the fun but it wasn't here.
totally predictable story. With these types of books, this is kind of a given but I need something special to make me interested in continuing the series, something unique.
One bit I really did enjoy was the interaction between Hades and Persephone.
October 29, 2012
A solid 3.5 stars
This was a nice free book on my kindle. I most likely won't finish the series but it isn't because the book wasn't good, it was, it is just it feels "done already" to me. I think this is because it is similar in many ways to Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. Similar Greek mythology themes, though the basic plot is totally different. Nevertheless, I just wasn't as intrigued as I could have been. I did enjoy it though and that is why it is 3.5 stars.
This was a nice free book on my kindle. I most likely won't finish the series but it isn't because the book wasn't good, it was, it is just it feels "done already" to me. I think this is because it is similar in many ways to Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. Similar Greek mythology themes, though the basic plot is totally different. Nevertheless, I just wasn't as intrigued as I could have been. I did enjoy it though and that is why it is 3.5 stars.
November 11, 2014
I don't normally read the mythology genre, however this series stuck out and grabbed me. I loved this book. I finished it in 2 days and have bought the rest of the series and am currently on book #4.
December 8, 2019
I really enjoyed the character
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