The Guardian is book four of the Dream-Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Lydia is a Dream-Hunter, and her unique blend of skills and natural gifts make her the perfect individual to retrieve Solin, the missing god of dreams, from his captors in the Nether Realm. Her jackal blood makes her agile and her other, mysterious powers may be of help to her in her quest. There's a problem though, and Lydia finds herself at the mercy of a fearsome, soulless creature that trusts no one, believes no one, and hopes for nothing.

Seth is a demigod, tortured for centuries by a wicked overlord who appoints him to impossible tasks only to see him fail and earn yet more abuse. Cruelly abandoned by his mother and then sold into slavery by the very people he thought of as his adoptive family, he has endured betrayal at every turn. There is no kindness in him, no gentleness that would make him treat Lydia with compassion, but he finds himself drawn to her and caring for her in spite of himself. When she is given the choice to stay with him or flee to safety, what will she choose and will he survive her choice?

The Guardian continues the Dream-Hunter saga, embracing more characters and fantastical abilities from characters that continue to blow readers minds. Seth is somewhat typical of the author's characters - he's wounded, powerful and distrustful of pretty much everything and everyone. I loved that no matter what had been done to him, he never lost the core of who he was. Lydia was a bit more difficult to understand, but the author tied up her loose ends with this character appropriately and convincingly. Secondary characters were interesting and added depth and life to the story. If you like mythology flavored with power struggles and passion, this book is for you. Four Angels.

Reviewed by: Michelle B.