Review - Echoes of Destiny by Ken Sanchez

Eons ago, the old gods fought a war over the human realm. Hades and Apollo were at the forefront of the fighting, as well as lovers. Apollo sacrifices himself to end the war and free Zeus. Grieving over the loss, Hades steps aside as ruler of the underworld and takes up residence in the human realm, where he becomes Alex and forms the Shadowguard, a team of magical beings charged with safeguarding the human world.

Eryx is a very talented up-and-coming musician. When Alex’s team is called in to deal with a situation at a concert where Eryx is playing, the two men meet. Both feel an instant attraction to each other. Little do they know their fates are destined to be intertwined as the ancient forces of evil once again set their sights on the humans.

“Echoes of Destiny” casts the ancient Greek gods as modern day superheroes, along with magically gifted humans and demigods. It’s not really fresh territory, but this book adds a gay angle that makes it interesting.

The narration alternates between Eryx and Alex. Eryx comes across as a very sweet natured young man despite having achieved some fame as a singer. He seems eager to help others even as he is coming to terms with some disturbing things about himself. Eryx’s compassion and vulnerability make him a very endearing character.

Alex cuts a very heroic figure. We get a very clear picture of someone that’s very dedicated to helping people, while hurting inside from the loss of a great love. Alex has a fierce determination to protect the people closest to him, even though they may not need it.

There is some very good writing in this book. Some passages are very evocative. Unfortunately, there are a lot of inconsistencies in the story, as well as some overblown prose that might be more at home in a comic book. Even though this is supposedly the second edition of the book, with substantial edits, there are repeated passages and one character that gets mis-named in one chapter. This probably could be a five-star book with a better edit.

“Echoes of Destiny” is available from Amazon (commissionable link).