The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter review

Maddox is a god among mortals. More precisely, he is an immortal warrior created by the gods. As one of the most elite & powerful warriors to ever grace the mount, Maddox was a relatively content man. He & his comrades shed blood when needed & enjoyed female companionship when it suited them. All that changed when Maddox & his friends were scorned by the gods' preference for Pandora (another immortal warrior) to transport the box of oppression carrying the most atrocious demons that not even hell could contain. Their vanity cost them everything.

When they opened the box containing the demons, all hell broke loose. The demons were crazed from their captivity & entered into each of the warriors. Now each one must bear the eternal burden of carrying such demons as Promiscuity, Pain & Violence. Maddox was settled with Violence. In his thousands of years with his brotherhood of damned warriors, known as the Lords of the Underworld, Maddox has learned to contain & tame the demon as much as possible. There are definite signs of Violence in their remote fortress in Budapest, but no more than to be expected of warriors. What he doesn't expect, especially after all these years, is to find someone the demon doesn't want to kill, maim or even hurt.

That person turns out to be Ashlyn Darrow. A woman with an extra-sharp sense of hearing, so sharp she can hear any & every conversation that has ever occurred where she is currently located no matter the time, date or year, who is in Buda doing some research for a corporation she believes to be helping those with "special" abilities. Despite her boss's warning, Ashlyn treks toward the fortress hoping that the mysterious Lords can help her tame & control her hearing.

When the two meet on the snow-covered embankment there is an intense silence that neither can deny. The voices are silent for Ashlyn & the demon is silent for Maddox. What that means for them is unclear, but Ashlyn's boss is none too pleased at her disobedience & intends to prove his point against the Lords.

This was a doozy of a read! I devoured this book in less than 24 hours because I just couldn't get enough of these characters! The Lords are unlike any other possessed character I have ever read. Now it's possible that I just haven't read enough, but we can't be sure. :)

The torturous relationship of Lord & demon is so raw & incisive that I was completely drawn in to their world. Of course, since this is a romance novel, all the Lords are especially hunky in their own ways. Most of them are ridiculously muscular with a striking visage. The main female in the role is a trim, but toned woman that most men would faun over. While I can get tired of these stereotypical roles, the writing, characterization & plot development overrode any annoyances I might have perceived. Again, this is a romance novel so there are some sex scenes that vary from taught & tame to wild & a bit raunchy. If you're in the mood for that, read on; if not, feel free to skim/skip ahead as I do. ;)

The Lords of the Underworld presents a unique history & presentation of the gods. There is A LOT of back story, that is surprisingly well-handled. I didn't feel bogged down in history so much that I couldn't enjoy the action! A fabulously fun read, The Darkest Night is the first in a continuing series by Gena Showalter that I fully intend to see to the end.

Have any of you read these books? How did I miss them?! What do you think about the romance? Is it on par with the genre or a little more/less than is typical?

Review: The Darkest Lie (Lords of the Underwold #6) by Gena Showalter

In this riveting new installment of New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series, Gideon, keeper of the Demon of Lies, fights to uncover the truth….

Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie—until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding — or bedding — her. But he wants to ... almost as much as he wants her.

But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free, and a future with her could mean ultimate ruin. Especially as Gideon’s enemies draw closer . . . and the truth threatens to destroy all he’s come to love ...

From Goodreads

In case you were wondering what one of my "guilty pleasures" in reading is, this would be it. Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series is campy and fun with some serious sexiness mixed in. Even so, there is so much going on, and so many characters, that I sometimes have to really focus to keep up with the plotline. Although this is definitely one of those books where the plot is not the main point of reading the story.

Despite that, I enjoyed catching up with Gideon in this installment. Cursed with the demon of Lies, trying to keep up with what he really means is always a challenge. And the woman most likely to drive him batty with her staunch refusal to play by his rules is his supposed wife Scarlet. They aren't necessarily on the same side, but at least they aren't outright trying to kill one another...right now. What doesn't add up though is their backstory. There are so many holes & missed steps that something just smells wrong.

With all these red flags going off, it's amazing that they still find time to be attracted to one another. Even though it's been hundreds, if not thousands, of years since they've been in each other's presence, they are drawn together in a battle they won't soon forget.

Gena makes you want her characters as badly as they desire each other. From their behavior to their structuring, down to their vocabulary, if you enjoy macho, virile men for entertaining purposes, then these books are just for you. If you still like a bit of substance to accompany your bawdy tales, then this is even more perfect for you. The background that she uses, from settings to characters, is unique unto this series. While lots of other books use gods & goddesses, I don't think anyone has done it as singularly as Gena.

For fun, romance, and even so acceptable war-based violence, The Darkest Lie is a great addition to the Lords of the Underworld series. Enjoy!

The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld #4) by Gena Showalter review

 May contain spoilerish information for previous books!

 
He is the keeper of Doubt and his entire world’s about to be rocked.

Bound by the demon of doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern…until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.

Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love…

From Goodreads

Sabin hasn't had a woman in years. The last woman he destroyed because his demon couldn't be kept in check has ruined him for all other women. Completely distraught over that incident, Sabin has kept to himself & thrown himself into his work looking for the gods' artifacts. On one such quest he & his fellow Lords stumble upon a nest of nasty Hunters. What's worse is what the Hunters are protecting.

Immortal women, many of them pregnant, are caged like animals inside the temple the Lords raid. They subdue the Hunters intent on torturing them for information. While freeing the women, Sabin's eyes land on one in particular & he is mesmerized. 

Gwen helps Sabin to release the others & finally herself. What he couldn't have known & most certainly didn't expect was that Gwen is a harpy. As soon as her prison is lifted she vanishes, only to reappear covered in a Hunter's blood. Soon enough Sabin realizes what he's found & decides to help her. She refuses to return home like the other immortals so Sabin charges himself with her care & training. 

Despite knowing they should leave one another alone, their animal instincts are drawn to one another. He is the only one able to calm her down & she is the only one who can stroke his fury in a productive manner. With the two combined, there's only one thing left standing in their way... her 3 harpy sisters.

A fabulous continuation of the Lords of the Underworld series, The Darkest Whisper is a very quick read. Sabin is a very quiet character for the most part. His demon does enough for the both of them. Surprisingly he is a caring man with intense emotions that he struggles to control. Granted a lot of that is from pent up frustration & guilt. 


I was most fascinated by his relationship with Gwen. Since we're in a mythological/paranormal world I knew we'd meet other types of immortals, but I never expected to see a harpy! Her alter-ego is just as demanding & deadly as Sabin's demon, so watching these two interact was certainly entertaining. Personally, I was extremely surprised to see how volatile their ... exchanges... were. There was no real tenderness or romance to their tristes, just pure, raw need. Definitely a different take from what we've seen with some of the other Lords & their ladies.


Even better though was when her sisters came to reclaim her. Having not one, but four harpies really allows us to comprehend the severity of Gwen's situation. They also give us a fuller picture of just what we can expect from Gwen & her powers.


Again, this is an adult book, so there is cursing, questionable moral behavior (torture, murder, etc) & definitely some rather explicit sex scenes, but nothing we haven't seen before in Gena Showalter's stuff. A nice continuation of a very long story, The Darkest Whisper was a delectable treat.

The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3) by Gena Showalter review

This is the 3rd book in the Lords of the Underworld series. Fair warning, SPOILERS may follow.

Now that we've met Violence & Death, how about Pain? Reyes has been feeding Pain steadily over the years. He was fortunate enough to find a way to sate his demon without hurting others, but not fortunate enough to refrain from hurting himself. The easiest way to manage Pain is to give it exactly what it wants; whether that's jumping from the top of a building while his body slowly repairs itself or simply slicing away at the flesh is all dependent about the amount of stress.

Reyes has been at his threshold of tolerance ever since Danika came into his life. A torturous temptation that he could never taste without ruining, she was condemned to die by the hand of Reyes's fellow Lord Aeron. Despite this edict, handed down from the gods, Reyes chose to pursue & protect her. The best way to do that though is to keep her close by his side. But Danika's not as weak as Reyes feared & she's putting up one hell of fight, especially since only she knows who she's really working for.

This series just keeps getting more involved & more exciting with each book I read! Each time I read a book I think, "I'm not sure I really like this guy" & by the time I'm half way through the book I'm as madly in love with his as the other women. Gena Showalter does a phenomenal job of character portrayal & story building. You think you know a character based on how he or she is seen by others (and occasionally by him/herself) but then you read a chapter or book dedicated solely to them & you find that there are facets you haven't seen before.

The characters continue to play off each other very well, bantering like friends & foes. The best part of building this series is watching the new relationships form when new characters are introduced. There is a history between all the gods, titans, Lords & Hunters whether we know it or not. I find that the women are the pivotal characters because they move the story along without tying it up. They are the catalyst for change in an otherwise static world. I'm not saying without the ladies there would be no interactions or exchanges, I just think they would be flat.

A fun, steamy romance with enough sexual tension to take you right to the edge & drop you, The Darkest Pleasure continues the feast that is the Lords of the Underworld. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books!

The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld #2) by Gena Showalter review

This is the 2nd book in the Lords of the Underworld series. Fair warning, SPOILERS may follow.

Lucien houses the demon of Death. He is like Charon is that Lucien is the ferryman for the newly dead into their afterlife. He differs from Charon in that Lucien gets to go to heaven & hell. After centuries of ferrying souls to their final resting places, he was content to be alone so that he would never have to ferry another lover to either location. To prevent women from ever desiring him, Lucien intentionally marred his face so that no one would ever want to get close again. Unfortunately Anya isn't just anyone.

Anya, the goddess of Anarchy, is on the run. Since the Titans took over the Mount (and imprisoned the gods & goddesses) she is avoiding drawing too much attention to herself. With Lucien though, she's doing just the opposite. She's doing everything in her power to attract him & despite his constant cold shoulder routine, she is relentless in her pursuit. She's aware of his curse & doesn't mind at all, considering she has a pretty big curse of her own that she's not willing to share.

All of their bantering back and forth may be all for naught if they can't work together against the Hunters that are constantly plaguing the Lords. With little regard for themselves, these two are destined to find some measure of happiness. In this life or the next.

Gena Showalter continues the non-stop action that I'm enjoying so much. We pick up where we left off after The Darkest Night and start to move deeper into the plot of the story. I don't really mention what Lucien & Anya are working on together because there is just way too much detail to go into in order for you to understand. It would be way easier to read the books. Seriously. Basically the Hunters are the "bad guys" that want to exterminate the Lords by returning their demons to the box they came from. Unfortunately that has the nasty side effect of killing the Lords. Therefore, the Lords (and those feisty women helping them) are trying to stop the Hunters from gaining the upper hand.

These main characters were a little more extreme than the last ones. While Anarchy can sometimes facilitate the necessity for Death, the two are not mutually exclusive. Lucien is a brooding, dark, pensive kind of personality while Anya is bubbly, conniving, & jovial. She does have her Debbie-downer moments, but she tends to bounce right back from them. They are both highly developed characters that never cease to intrigue & bewitch me.

The writing continues to be strong. Again, there are sexual situations, but not as much (or as graphic) as in the first book. I find myself being more & more drawn into the story & the Lords' lives. I'll be very happy to see what's up next in their battle for survival!

The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld #5) by Gena Showalter review

 May contain spoilerish information for previous books!

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting - and falling for - Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this mortal with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?

With an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't...

From Goodreads

  Seriously, there has been someone's eyes glued to Aeron for a good majority of the time for several weeks. It's something so scary that it frightens his daughter-like demon Legion back into hell. She can't be around this invisible presence so naturally Aeron can't stand it. When his invisible stalker finally appears he's unprepared for what he sees.


Olivia is broken, bleeding, & crying out Aeron's name at the top of her lungs. Determined not to be enticed by her & truly believing her to be some sort of Bait (from the Hunters or from the gods) Aeron just wants her patched up & moved on. Unfortunately he doesn't take her seriously when she tries to explain that she is a fallen angel. Eventually the truth comes to light that she has chosen him & his company over her immortally blissful life as an angel. 


This doesn't mean that his assassination has been cancelled, the gods still want him dead for bringing Legion into a realm in which she did not belong. As the days pass many immortal beings interfere with Olivia's speedy exit from Aeron's life, providing them all the time they need to become rather desperate for one another. But who will pay the ultimate price? The piper must be paid & he's coming to collect sooner than they'd like.


This was one of the best Lords of the Underworld book I've read since the first one. Aeron has long since been one of the more intriguing Lords because of just how much he cares. All the Lords, being the Immortal warrior brothers they are, care deeply for their friends, but Aeron takes it much more personally. Possessed by the demon of Wrath, he feels compelled to punish others for their sins & crimes. With Olivia being an angel, she is free from any tainting that might have occurred in a mortal existence. 


The over-arching war storyline continues with some very distinct twists & turns. While we don't learn nearly as much about the warriors' female companions, we spend a lot more time in the field learning about the enemy. Even better, Gena brings some older characters back to the surface & allows their continued growth.


All in all, I'd have to give this one a big thumbs up! A reminder though, this is an adult series. There is cursing, questionable moral decisions (involving torture & murder) & quite a bit of sex. This is a romance book, so it's to be expected & honestly this is at least more tame than many other romance books I've perused. So if you're a fan of the paranormal romance genre, or even just looking for something steamer than your current reads, give this a shot!