Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Marked (Eternal Guardians #1)

by Elisabeth Naughton (Goodreads Author)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 4,981 ratings · 525 reviews

THERON—Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He’s the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.

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 mann

...more

Mass Market Paperback, 321 pages

Published May 27th 2010 by Love Spell (first published April 23rd 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Best Paranormal Romance Series

201st out of 1,505 books — 7,087 voters

I'd Hit That!

55th out of 488 books — 198 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 18, 2010 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-paranromal, published-2010, read-2010, steam-warm

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...more

11 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2010 Laura the Highland Hussy rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 h...more 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.

(less)

17 likes · like · see review

Jan 31, 2011 jD rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1_library-yes, otherworldly_setting, romance_mythology, 2011-read

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 dee...more

5 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2010 Jess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, paranormal-romance

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...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 08, 2010 Fiendishly Bookish rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars
Naughton channels a smattering of Sherrilyn Kenyon and Rick Riordan in her debut new Eternal Guardian series Marked which brings Greek and Roman mythology to the fore as an eternal guardian Theron must struggle with the sacrifice that will be needed to save his kingdom. But the sacrifice could well be his intended mate.

Never has an Argonaut been put to the test as Theron has. Hera has marked his soul mate as Acacia Simopolous, who is half human and half-Argoleon. She doesn’t even know...more 4.5 Stars
Naughton channels a smattering of Sherrilyn Kenyon and Rick Riordan in her debut new Eternal Guardian series Marked which brings Greek and Roman mythology to the fore as an eternal guardian Theron must struggle with the sacrifice that will be needed to save his kingdom. But the sacrifice could well be his intended mate.

Never has an Argonaut been put to the test as Theron has. Hera has marked his soul mate as Acacia Simopolous, who is half human and half-Argoleon. She doesn’t even know of her heritage having grown up as human, let alone knowing that there could be an otherworldly family that she knows nothing about. And yet despite Theron’s incredible attraction to her, he is pledged to none other than her half-Argoleon sister, Isadora. Throw in an ancient prophecy requiring the sacrifice of one of the sisters, and an evil goddess who is determined to decimate a kingdom and defy the gods to do it and you have an explosively hot paranormal treat.

How can Theron make such a choice? The love of his eternal life versus everyone and everything he knows, his beloved city of Tiyrns utterly destroyed. The wrong choice will lead to the destruction of Argolea and inevitably humankind, and he is running out of time to make a decision. In the background, the gods are conniving and manipulating forces for their own ends: Hades on side, Atalanta on the other, and the Fates thrown into the mix as well.

Naughton’s pantheon is an interesting and inventive take of Greek and Roman mythology intermeshed with paranormal elements of her own devising. She has the ability to connect to her reader, deliver exactly what is needed to move the plot and the romantic suspense forward and does not pull punches to achieve her goal. She convincingly made me believe all was lost, pushed me off the cliff, and then held down a hand to bring me back up again. Nothing will do but the most potent and heady ingredients for Naughton’s story. Her forte appears to be wrangling every drop of romance possible and laying it out for the reader to consume voraciously. Thrillingly romantic, heart-rending and satisfying…all in one breath.

You’ll be wearing a smug, satisfied smile at the end of Marked. Guaranteed. Next out in the series is Entwined, hitting the shelves on July 27, 2010.

(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 12, 2011 Zeek rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: alpha-hero, pnr, romance, angels-gods-demons, kindle

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 e...more

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 26, 2010 Larissa Ione rated it 5 of 5 stars

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!

13 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2010 Kasey rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: romance lovers, paranormal romance readers, mythology fans

Recommended to Kasey by: Larissa Ione

Shelves: paperback, series, romance-four-star, pnr-uf, contemporary

Elisabeth Naughton managed to bring together two of my favorite things in books: mythology and romance.

So, based on my rating of this book and when I started and finished it, you can assume that:

a. I really, really liked it.
b. I read it rather quickly (or more like: I couldn't put it down until it was finished).
c. My kids had cereal for dinner last night because I was too busy reading this book.

Also, for me, a book totally rocks my world when I can clearly see it play out in my mind's eye as I r...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2011 Rawles rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like really badly written books

Shelves: ragequit, fantasy, time-contemporary

I got this as a free download from Amazon.com for my Kindle.

It was way overpriced.

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 17, 2012 Bubbles Hunty rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-f, hello-syphilis-goodbye-condom, free

Oh joy, we get everyone and their third cousins pet fish's pov...

I like story parts but get really bored with the sex parts and stop reading. Maybe it's cause I'm gay and her leaking vagina grosses me out or maybe the sex is just lame. But it bores me. The sexual tension is good but when they start doing sex it always seems too wordy and takes too long to be interesting.

Ohhh My Fucking God! I finsihed!!

Months later and I'm done. There was so much wrong with this book I won't even go into deta...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 07, 2013 Corey rated it 5 of 5 stars

I found this book to be exceptional. I love a good book that contains some romance, some steamy lust, action, suspense, and maybe even a little mystery. This book has all of that. The best part is it is all balanced well. There is not too much action to over power the book. The romance and steaminess is just the right amount to not make it a sex fest but yet has enough sex to keep you warm at night! The suspense keeps you guessing but does not leave you flipping through the book to get over the...more

like · see review

May 28, 2013 Christie Palmer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: may2013

Best line from the book:
"I'll always find you, Acacia. That is a promise." Theron, as he prepares to fight daemons in order to save Acacia.

My Review
This was a fun and interesting read. I really enjoyed the story building and the different take on Greek Mythology. Readers who enjoy heros and Greek mythology will like this novel.

Liked:
I really enjoyed the world building. It felt realistic and well thought out.

Theron and Acacia are a great duo. And this is a great beginnig to the Eternal Gaurdia...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2013 Stephanie Wideman rated it 1 of 5 stars

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 fee...more 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.(less)

like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Alexandra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was great. It wasn't drawn out, which I really enjoyed, and the characters actually have substance. The heroine was strong, smart, and easy to relate to, but not arrogant or on the contrary had self-esteem issues. Sometimes it bothers me when authors make a big deal about the female lead being average with statements about how she isn't beautiful. There were a few of those statements here, but the character didn't dwell too much on her looks. She was represented as courageous and didn...more

like · see review

Jan 23, 2013 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Lovers of mythology

Shelves: read-100-books-in-a-2013

Set in a world where modern human culture and the Gods of Olympus clash, Marked is an exciting and action packed story that allows the reader to truly enjoy the fantasy of Greek mythology.
Elisabeth Naughton has drawn on things were have read or touched on at some stage in our life, and built a world where Argonauts, Daemons, Gods and other realms really do exist. Marked is full of adventure, power plays, deceit and sizzling romance to keep their readers entertained.
Join Theron, while he discover...more

like · see review

Oct 31, 2012 D.W. Nichols rated it 4 of 5 stars

Siempre me ha fascinado la mitología griega y la historia de la época griega clásica. A veces eso es un coñazo, porque me “obliga” a leer cualquier cosa que tenga algo que ver con estos temas, aunque sea remotamente. Digo coñazo, porque no todo lo que llega a mis manos, es bueno. Me he llevado muchas decepciones literarias por esa causa, por no ser capaz de hacer una criba entre todas las ofertas que hay en el mercado, pero hay muchos autores y autoras cuyos nombres son sinónimos de calidad y ri...more Siempre me ha fascinado la mitología griega y la historia de la época griega clásica. A veces eso es un coñazo, porque me “obliga” a leer cualquier cosa que tenga algo que ver con estos temas, aunque sea remotamente. Digo coñazo, porque no todo lo que llega a mis manos, es bueno. Me he llevado muchas decepciones literarias por esa causa, por no ser capaz de hacer una criba entre todas las ofertas que hay en el mercado, pero hay muchos autores y autoras cuyos nombres son sinónimos de calidad y rigor.

Es cierto que las autoras de novela romántica que tienen sagas basadas en la mitología griega, no brillan precisamente por su rigurosidad. Claro que no sé hasta qué punto puede hablarse de rigor cuando se trata un tema totalmente fantástico. La cuestión es que cogen el tema y lo desvirtúan todo lo que quieren y más, hasta modelar a su antojo a unos personajes con unas características muy marcadas dentro de una tradición ancestral.

Eso no me molesta específicamente, simplemente me marea un poco cuando sigo diferentes series que tienen la misma base, ya que cada autora convierte a dioses y diosas del Olimpo en personajes completamente distintos.

Por eso fui reacia a empezar esta serie, aunque la mantenía en mi biblioteca. Me daba pereza empezar de nuevo a asimilar nuevos caracteres de diosas y dioses que ya conocía de hacía tiempo, pero que tomarían nuevas dimensiones en manos de otra autora.

Bueno, mi recelo estaba completamente injustificado, ya que, por lo menos los dioses que salen en esta entrega, se acoplan perfectamente a la idea preconcebida que tenemos de ellos, lo que hace que no exista tal “mareo”. Bien. Y el argumento engloba a un grupo de personajes creados totalmente por la autora, sin paralelismos con ningún grupo étnico mitológico conocido anteriormente. Mejor. El único nexo de unión con la mitología, son los ancestros de los personajes, descendientes de los míticos héroes griegos, Heracles, Aquiles, Jasón, etc.

El argumento base no es muy original. Lo hemos visto anteriormente en series como los cazadores oscuros, los señores del inframundo, los paladines de la oscuridad, y muchas otras. Un grupo de guerreros sobrehumanos que luchan contra demonios para proteger a la humanidad y a su propio pueblo. Hombres adustos, sin sentimientos, feroces, tozudos, que cargan con una maldición cuando se trata de encontrar a su alma gemela. No puede tildarse precisamente de original. Y sin embargo, lo es.

Lo es cuando empezamos a leerlo y comenzamos a conocer a los personajes, tanto los principales como los secundarios. Lo es cuando vamos vislumbrando la profunda vulnerabilidad de Theron, escondida tras innumerables capas de pragmatismo, honor y obediencia ciega; pero sobre todo, cuando somos testigos de los cambios que las interacciones con la protagonista, Casey, producen en él. Theron comienza siendo un hijoputa sin sentimientos ni conciencia, y acaba siendo la representación física del término “humanidad”.

La historia te atrapa y te transporta en un viaje a través de la psicología de ambos y de las tribulaciones que pasan. El futuro que, mas que incierto, parece absolutamente imposible, hace que nos preguntemos una y otra vez qué pasará, y que tengamos nuestra parte de sufrimiento por ellos. Los momentos en que parece que todo va a ir mal y que, de hecho, va mal, consigue que la novela se vuelva imprevisible y adictiva, y que no puedas apartar los ojos de las páginas para devorarlas.

Momentos dramáticos que golpean. Diálogos sarcásticos que hacen que esboces una sonrisa. Situaciones tiernas y otras explícitamente eróticas. Secretos no desvelados y personajes intrigantes. Pero, ante todo, el suspense que planea categóricamente durante toda la lectura.

Altamente recomendable.(less)

like · see review

Sep 20, 2012 Christine Morehouse rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review: MARKED is a science fiction and romance aficionados dream all wrapped up in one powerfully beginning to an intoxicating series that any reader should have on their book shelf. If you are a fan of #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilynn Kennyon’s Dark-Hunter series then you should not miss out on Naughton’s Eternal Guardians Series. This series will knock your socks off, replace them and then turn around a strip them off again. In a word—Phenomenal!

The other day Bestselling autho...more

1 like · like · see review

May 03, 2012 Alisha rated it 3 of 5 stars

I know they say never to judge a book by it's cover, but one look at this cover and I rolled my eyes. I expected a read that was heavy on the overly explicit and drawn out sex scenes with a half-assed attempt at a plot. I've seen covers like this, read the book, and gotten just that. I went into this book not expecting much.

I'm glad I was wrong. I think the writer's style does need a bit of work, but her writing was strong enough that she didn't bore me to tears. The plot was well worked and whi...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 05, 2012 Dolly Markel rated it 2 of 5 stars

I just kept thinking this book was sort of simple. The use of Greek Mythology was interesting, but the plot elements were kind of paint by numbers (standard paranormal romance fare), and there wasn't really anything new or interesting to pull me in. The characters weren't that complex and neither was the story. I never cared that much about any of them, in fact, I thought Theron was kind of a jerk - the way he was willing to "hypnotize" Casie into doing "whatever he wanted" in the beginning. And...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 22, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Die Protagonistin Casey ahnt nichts davon, dass sie kein normaler Mensch ist und doch fühlte sie sich bisher nirgendwo zugehörtig und hatte bisher auch nur eine einzige richtige Freundin (Dana). Sie führt den Buchladen ihrer Großmutter seit deren Tod weiter und liest auch gerne den ein oder anderen Vampirroman, aber an übersinnliches glaubt sie dennoch nicht. Und schon gar nicht an Dämonen. Oder Götter. Da bleibt nur eine Erklärung für das, was sie vor dem Club zu sehen glaub: Drei Kreaturen rei...more Die Protagonistin Casey ahnt nichts davon, dass sie kein normaler Mensch ist und doch fühlte sie sich bisher nirgendwo zugehörtig und hatte bisher auch nur eine einzige richtige Freundin (Dana). Sie führt den Buchladen ihrer Großmutter seit deren Tod weiter und liest auch gerne den ein oder anderen Vampirroman, aber an übersinnliches glaubt sie dennoch nicht. Und schon gar nicht an Dämonen. Oder Götter. Da bleibt nur eine Erklärung für das, was sie vor dem Club zu sehen glaub: Drei Kreaturen reißen einen Mann beinahe in Stücke. Ganz klar ein Hirngespinst, nichts weiter.

Statt den verletzten ins Krankenhaus zu bringen nimmt Casey ihn mit zu sich nach hause, denn sie kann ihn nun nicht einfach dort liegen lassen. Er stellt sich als dunkler, unglaublich willensstarker und sturer Sexgott heraus. Und er ist übersähnt mit Wunden und Blut. Niemals hätte sie gedacht, dass dieser Mann ihr Schicksal sein könnte. ...
Eben dieser Sexgott ist Theron, ein Krieger und der Anführer der Argonauten. Die Bewacher der Tors in ihre Welt und bekämpfer der Dämonen und dennoch ist er nun auf der Suche nach Casey, denn sie ist die Halbblütige Tochter seines Königs.

Diese Geschichte ist vom Verlauf her nichts neues: Frau trifft auf einen Sexy Mann, beide fühlen sich zueinander hingezogen und sollten es nicht und sie beudeuten für einander mehr als sie ahnen. Ja, dieses Schema ist auf vielerlei Romane anzuwenden. Interessant ist immer nur, was genau der Autor oder die Autorin daraus macht. Elisabeth Naughton mischt das Ganze mit der griechischen Mythologie. Ich finde für ihr erstes Buch dieser Art schlägt sie sich wacker, dennoch sind einige stellen nicht ganz ausgearbeitet. Mir fehlte zum Beispiel mehr Informationen über die Argonauten - dessen Anführer Theron ist - denn sie werden zwar als große Krieger dargestellt, dennoch kommt dieses Gefühl beim Leser nicht an. Auch die Dämonen sind einfach da und erst gegen Ende wird erwähnt wer sie eigentlich sind und woher sie kommen. Aber erwähnt ist nicht erzählt, will ich behaupten.

Die Liebesgeschichte, die zwischen Theron und Casey ohne zweifel besteht fand ich richtig schön. Wobei ich zugeben muss, dass beide sich einfach ein bisschen schwertaten zueinander zu finden. Theron wegen seiner Sturheit und Casey wegen ihrer Unsicherheit, da sie niemals vorher wirklich so gefühlt hat. Dennoch legt sie gerade am Ende sehr viel stärke an den Tag, bei der Theron einfach nicht wiederstehen kann. Wobei: Wer kann schon seinem Schicksal wiederstehen?
Wobei ich ja sagen muss, dass mir die Entwicklung vom extremen Pascha-hey-mir-gehört-die-Welt zu dem Liebenden Theron ein wenig zu abrupt ging, es fehlte hier einfach ein bisschen nachvollziehbarkeit in seiner Entwicklung.

Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist in Ordnung, wobei mir die Ausdrucksweise oftmals - gerade am Anfang - doch etwas gezwungen schien. Zu gewählt gerade für die rohe Gewalt der Dämonen und Krieger. Doch ich habe auch bemerkt, dass sich das nach und nach etwas gelegt hat und die Sprache wird lockerer, glaubwürdiger.
Super fand ich auch, dass Elisabeth Naughton die griechische Mythologie nicht einfach mit der Nennung und dem Glauben an die Götter einbringt, sondern ihnen Gestalt verleiht und sie am Geschen Teilhaben lässt. Die Götter in die Geschichte mit einwebt.

Was die Bewertung dieses Buches angeht bin ich etwas zwiegespalten, denn es ist nicht sehr schlecht, aber auch nicht sehr gut. Eine weniger neue Geschichte mit interessanten Elementen, einer süßen Liebesgeschichte und dennoch einigen defiziten. Auf jeden Fall werde ich mir die Fortsetzung gönnen sobald sie erscheint, denn ich will schon wissen was weiterhin passiert und wessen Welt dann auf den Kopf gestellt wird.

Ich gebe diesem Buch als 3,5/5 Sternen.
(less)

like · see review

Feb 12, 2012 Anorielt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Erster Satz: An manchen Abenden wollte eine Frau einfach ihren Schädel gegen eine Wand rammen, um nicht loszuschreien.

Obwohl die Kurzbeschreibung sich anhört wie so viele andere, war ich irgendwie sehr gespannt auf dieses Buch. Vor allem als ich dann herausfand das die griechische Mythologie eine große Rolle in der Geschichte spielt. Casey ahnt nichts davon das sie eigentlich kein normaler Mensch ist und an Dämonen und Götter glaubt sie natürlich auch nicht. Nur was waren das dann für Kreaturen...more Erster Satz: An manchen Abenden wollte eine Frau einfach ihren Schädel gegen eine Wand rammen, um nicht loszuschreien.

Obwohl die Kurzbeschreibung sich anhört wie so viele andere, war ich irgendwie sehr gespannt auf dieses Buch. Vor allem als ich dann herausfand das die griechische Mythologie eine große Rolle in der Geschichte spielt. Casey ahnt nichts davon das sie eigentlich kein normaler Mensch ist und an Dämonen und Götter glaubt sie natürlich auch nicht. Nur was waren das dann für Kreaturen auf dem Parkplatz und wieso waren sie dabei den großen attraktiven Mann zu zerreisen der ihr schon im Club aufgefallen war?

Anstatt den schwer verletzten Mann in ein Krankenhaus zu bringen, nimmt sie ihn mit zu sich nach Hause und pflegt ihn, nicht ahnend das sie damit Dinge ins Rollen bringt von denen sie nie geahnt hätte das es sie gibt. Casey wird in einen Krieg hineingezogen der schon viele Jahrhunderte lang existiert und der jetzt kurz davor ist komplett auszubrechen. Es dauert nicht lange bis heraus kommt das Casey ene eintscheidende Rolle spielt und unbedingt nach Argolea gebracht werden muss damit die Prinzessin geheilt werden und den Thron besteigen kann. Theron, der Krieger den sie gerettet hat, soll sie durch das Portal nach Argolea bringen bevor die Dämonen sie finden und tötet. Dabei kommen sich die beiden immer näher und näher und das obwohl Theron klar ist das ihre Beziehung keine Zukunft hat.

Theron ist der Anführer der Argonauten und damit ein großer Krieger. Das wird immer wieder geschrieben. Leider kam dieses Gefühl bei mir einfach nicht an. Im Gegenteil, oftmals erschien er mir ziemlich hilflos und leicht verzweifelt wenn er es mit mehreren Dämonen zutun bekam. Allgemein werden die Agonauten hier etwas in den Hintergrund gestellt, was ich wirklich sehr schade finde. Sie bewachen das Portal und jagen in der Menschenwelt Dämonen und außerdem stammen sie von den größten Helden wie Herkules oder Achilles ab, aber ansonsten hat man nicht viel über sie heraus gefunden. Ein paar von ihnen lernt man später kennen, aber bis auf Zander nur sehr flüchtig. Man kennt ihre Name und das war es dann auch schon. Auf das Thema hätte eindeutig mehr eingegangen werden sollen, ich gebe die Hoffnung aber niht auf das man im nächsten Band etwas mehr über sie erfährt. Ich muss aber auch sagen das mich das Wort Argonauten ein bisschen gestört hat weil ich jedesmal an Astronauten denken musste.

Schön fand ich dagegen die Liebesgeschichte zwishen Theron und Casey. Man hat von Anfang an gemerkt das etwas zwischen den beiden ist das sich nicht erklären lässt und Theron ist ihr gegenüber wirklich sehr zärtlich und fürsorglich. Dennoch fehlte das prickelnd größtenteils. Vielleicht liegt es aber auch einfach daran das Theron nicht sehr geheimnissvoll ist. Sein Innerstes wird sehr schnell bloßgelegt und außer seiner Pflicht das Portal zu bewachen und die Dämonen zu töten, gibt es in seinem Leben eigentlich nicht viel.

Die Welt die Elisabeth Naughton geschaffen hat ist wirklich sehr interessant und lohnt es sie zu erkundigen, allerdings ist sie auch noch ausbauefähig. Viel hat man in Schwur der Ewigkeit von ihr nicht zu Gesicht bekommen und sollte sich das in den nächsten Bänden nicht ändern, wird die Eternal Guardian Reihe wohl nur eine unter vielen sein.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fazit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ein guter Auftakt für eine vielversprechende Reihe, wenn auch noch nicht ganz ausgearbeitet.

3,5/5 Sternen(less)

like · see review

Dec 15, 2011 Shauni rated it 4 of 5 stars

I find it amazing that I have stumbled on so many excellent authors in the past few weeks.. First Dianne Duvall, then Then Jennifer Lyon and now Elisabeth Naughton! I found Marked after reading a brief review on a previous site. My TBR pile was shrinking and I needed something new and fresh. Marked was both. Lately, one of the trends with the PNR genre is the usage of Greek Mythology and the gods interacting in today’s society in some way or another. Originally of course this was a unique and br...more

like · see review

Sep 21, 2011 Lucy Dosch rated it 4 of 5 stars

This series is about the seven guardians. They are the descendants of the original seven Argonauts who journeyed with Jason to find the golden fleece. The Argonauts were favored by the Greek Gods and granted a home called Argolea. They protect their kingdom and the world of the humans from daimons, who are lead by Atalanta. She was an Argonaut not favored by the Gods (because she was female) so she made a deal with Hades for immortality.

The series involves the Argonauts (the Eternal Guardians),...more This series is about the seven guardians. They are the descendants of the original seven Argonauts who journeyed with Jason to find the golden fleece. The Argonauts were favored by the Greek Gods and granted a home called Argolea. They protect their kingdom and the world of the humans from daimons, who are lead by Atalanta. She was an Argonaut not favored by the Gods (because she was female) so she made a deal with Hades for immortality.

The series involves the Argonauts (the Eternal Guardians), the Argoleans, the misos (who are mix of half argolean/half human), humans and the daimons, and don’t forget those rascally Greek Gods who are always causing trouble.

Marked is the first story of the series and features, Theron, the leader of the Argonauts who is the descendant of Heracles a/k/a Hercules, and Acacia (Casey) Simopolous, a small town girl, by day, trying to keep her grandmother’s bookstore afloat, and by night, waitressing at a local strip joint. She comes upon Theron who is being attacked by several daimons and takes him home with her so he can heal and recover. We learn that Argonauts have no emotions and Theron starts our story a bit of a jerk, but the time he spends with Casey helps him tap into his human side and we see his character grow.

The Argonauts are also cursed by Hera (since most of the original heros were fathered by her husband Zeus). She curses them and their descendants to have only one soul mate and that woman will be the one person they would never choose for themselves. I found this aspect of the story to be a little off putting. Casey is human and although Theron will protect them, he feels interacting with humans is unfathomable.

I wasn’t really involved with these main characters right away, but they did grow on me a bit. Also getting into all the what’s and why’s of this series took some time. I found some of the subcharacters even more interesting than the main characters, like Nick, the leader of the misos, and Demetrius, one the Argonauts which a serious attitude problem. The third story in the serves, Tempted, will focus on Demetrius, and will hopefully unravel the mystery of his PMS attitude.

I was interested enough in the series to give the next few books a try.
(less)

like · see review

Sep 19, 2011 Blood Rose Books rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In her debut into the paranormal romance genre, Naughton, has taken the Gods from Greece, transferred them to this day, and age and shown how even after thousands of years, some Gods are still be fascinated by Humans.

Casey (a Human) is just trying to find her place in the world, after her grandmother died and she is alone. She works two jobs to attempt to keep her grandmothers book stop afloat now which she feels is her only real connection to the world, to something. Theron is a descendant of H...more In her debut into the paranormal romance genre, Naughton, has taken the Gods from Greece, transferred them to this day, and age and shown how even after thousands of years, some Gods are still be fascinated by Humans.

Casey (a Human) is just trying to find her place in the world, after her grandmother died and she is alone. She works two jobs to attempt to keep her grandmothers book stop afloat now which she feels is her only real connection to the world, to something. Theron is a descendant of Hercules and the leader of the Argonuats, who are sworn to protect the portal between the Human world, the Underworld and Aroglea (which is the barrier before one has access to Olympus). Casey and Theron meet by mistake as he travels into the Human world to retrieve his Fiancé who is curious about the Human world and it is hinted, the women. He is able to return her without harm to Aroglea but he is attacked by Daemons who are in service to Atlanta. Atlanta, in this book was granted immortality by Hades as well as control of Daemons, with the bargain that every Argonuat she kills their soul will go right to the Underworld and Hades will give her more power which gives Atlanta the ability to attack Aroglea where she believe she belongs. Casey comes upon Theron being attacked by the Daemons, becoming badly wounded and ends up saving his life. Theron will not let Casey take him to a hospital and she is forced to take him to her place, stitch up his wounds and hope he heals. Good thing for her and Theron, that he is a fast healer. When he wakes up, he feels a strange attraction to Casey, something he thought would not be possible as she is a Human. Casey does not understand this stranger in her home, or what has happened to her tonight, but she can’t fight her attraction to him and she really does not want to. But when Theron disappears suddenly, she does not even know if the night was real. There is also the strange man Nick, who always seems to just show up when she is in trouble, but she does not know if she can trust. When Theron returns to Aroglea, he cannot get Casey off his mind, but Casey may be more important to his world than just to him, she could be the key to protect his world from the Underworld and his clan’s extinction. Theron is going to be forced to make a choice, loyalty to his people, or loyalty to a woman that he thinks he could love and might be his Soul Mate.

This is an okay book (a good start to a new series), not too much sex, just enough action and intrigue to keep the reader interested. I appreciated Naughton’s use of the Gods, as I have not read too authors that have gone the route of Gods instead of the typical paranormal creatures. But there are some cheesy moment, like a line Theron uses on Casey, that he won’t be able to tell if she was his soul mate unless they had sex together, pretty sure I laughed at that point. I wish there was more involvement with some of the other Gods but since this is going to be a series I hope other Gods may will make a presence in some of the later books. I also appreciated that Naughton did not try to do too much in her first book, she kept the reader with her till the end, and left some intriguing aspects that I was wondering about at the end of the book, that do make me want to see what will happen next.

All in all, a not bad start to a paranormal romance series. I think those who normally read paranormal romance will enjoy this book. For those who do not normally like or read paranormal romance, it might be a nice change of pace from all the dark, more like a filler book for these people though.

Enjoy!!!(less)

like · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Stacy {Texas Reader} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-greek

This book was a very pleasant surprise. I picked it up because of the Greek Mythology roots and I had never read anything about the Argonauts before. It was a little confusing at times because I didn't understand the world/back story of the Argonauts, but it all falls into place. Naughton fills you in as the story goes along. And It takes off from the first page and doesn't stop. No slow downs, it just keeps going with action and intensity. I couldn't put it down, I had to know what was going to...more

like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Rjsmommy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-paranormal-romance

Think Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters meet Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld and you have the Eternal Guardians. Good thing I love both these series!I love the Greek mythology angle that all these share and the curses that each strong male must overcome (of course through the love of that one special woman). In Marked, we meet Theron, a descendent of Heracles, and leader of the Argonauts. Through accident, destiny,and duty, he meets Casey and his journey to happiness begins. Of course, it...more

like · see review

Jul 21, 2011 Sandy M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, contemporary

Elisabeth Naughton became a favorite of mine with her Stolen series. Intriguing storylines with mysteries based in mythology, heroes to die for, heroines who are strong and independent, villains you love to hate, and a romance of a lifetime. So if you enjoyed that series, you’ll like this one even better. Mythology is front and center again, alpha heroes sworn to guard their people, heroines thrust into worlds they never dreamed of, and romance that survives ages.

These are soulmate stories. I kn...more Elisabeth Naughton became a favorite of mine with her Stolen series. Intriguing storylines with mysteries based in mythology, heroes to die for, heroines who are strong and independent, villains you love to hate, and a romance of a lifetime. So if you enjoyed that series, you’ll like this one even better. Mythology is front and center again, alpha heroes sworn to guard their people, heroines thrust into worlds they never dreamed of, and romance that survives ages.

These are soulmate stories. I know there are some readers who don’t care for that type of book, but they’re one of my favorites. I mean, that’s part of why I read romance. I want a love that’s deep and what’s deeper than the soul. I also like stories that give me heroes who have that innate sense within themselves who recognize their soulmates at a glance, with a touch, and it knocks them for a loop. Theron is one of those heroes.

He’s descended from Hercules and current leader of the Argonauts, those warriors sworn to protect their home, Argolea. He’s been sent by his dying king to find the one person who can save the royal heir, Princess Isadora, to whom Theron is betrothed. Finding Casey in a strip joint confuses Theron at first, but he’ll do his duty and marry Isadora, though he doesn’t love her. It’s what’s been asked of him by his king, so he will comply.

Working two jobs to stay afloat, Casey has always felt disconnected in life, not knowing what it is that’s missing or what she needs. But her life changes fast and irrevocably when Theron shows up. Saving him from creatures the like she’s never seen, she’s amazed at how fast he heals and even more amazed when she learns about him and where he’s from. And why he’s come for her.

When the action hits in this book, it takes off and doesn’t let up until the last daemon is dead by Argonauts’ hands. These creatures come out of the woodwork, sent by Atalanta, a goddess who’s now mortal and determined to regain all she’s lost at any expense.

Now that Theron has found his soulmate in Casey, it’s his duty that will keep them apart. To save his people he has to sacrifice his new-found happiness in giving Casey’s life for Isadora’s. Greek tragedy at its best in the modern world of romance. I enjoy the relationship between the warriors, typical macho male, even if they are hundreds of years old. Some things never change.

Ms. Naughton’s writing is concise and easy to read. You’ll have this book read before you know it. Her characters are quite likable, even those Argonauts who are a little testy waiting for their turn at finding love. I look forward to the next book, Entwined, which is Zander’s story.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com (less)

like · see review

Mar 17, 2011 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

It's Greek To Me
Theron is an Argonaut - their leader, in fact. The Argonauts are a group of warriors and guardians of the people of Argolea, a kingdom created by Zeus in a dimension separate from ours for the descendants of the original Argonauts, seven demigods who sailed with Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece.

For almost two hundred years Theron has been a loyal warrior for crown and country, fighting the eternal fight against the daemons who continue to threaten the Argoleans when they...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 26, 2010 Cheryl rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Eternal Guardians are an elite group of Argonauts that guards the immortal realm from attacks from the Underworld.

Theron is the leader of the Argonauts. He has been sent on a mission to find and destroy the marked one. Theron’s people relay on Theron completing his mission.

Casey knew from the first moment she laid eyes on Theron that he was different. She fells a connection with him. Theron and Casey get closer, which makes things harder when Theron learns that Casey is the one he is after...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 16, 2010 Hope rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was a fun and a fast read. It is not a big book, but it focuses a lot on the romance between Theron and Casey whom I loved.

Both of them were well written characters, there were realistic and not over the top.
I liked the fact that their romance develops throughout the book, rather than the two of them professing their love right in the first two chapters.
I likes Casey, like I already mentioned she is down to earth, hard working, fun person and not a push...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Free Book Cha...: Marked, by Elisabeth Naughton	6	29	13 de Nov 10:58
The Free Book Cha...: Marked, by Elisabeth Naughton	3	14	7 de Nov 15:17
Hot & Sexy New Anthology Features Stories by Lucy Monroe, Jamie Denton & Elisabeth Naughton	2	32	5 de Jul 11:57

combine
Other Editions (6)

More editions...

Genres

Romance > Paranormal Romance

252 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

221 users

Romance

155 users

Fantasy

91 users

Paranormal > Demons

41 users

Fantasy > Mythology

40 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

31 users

Adult

27 users

Mythology > Greek Mythology

26 users

Fantasy > Supernatural

14 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Elisabeth Naughton

Bestselling Author Elisabeth Naughton writes full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her books have appeared on every major bestsellers list, including the New York Times, the USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Digital Book World and IndieReader, and have been nominated for numerous awards such as the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Write...more

More about Elisabeth Naughton...

Books by Elisabeth Naughton

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Marked

1 quiz

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Marked

“Some nights, a woman just wanted to bash her brain against a wall to keep from screaming.” — 1 person liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Marked
avg rating	preview: Marked Goodreads rating: 3.87 (4981 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7635629-marked?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331919202l/7635629.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7635629-marked?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Marked by Elisabeth Naughton[/url]

Marked (Eternal Guardians #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website