The Darkest Night

Lords of the Underworld #1

by Gena Showalter

His powers—Inhuman...

His passion—Beyond immortal...

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member—a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments... and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction—and a soul-shattering test of love...

Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive—and unimaginably powerful...

Don’t miss this incredible new paranormal series from Gena Showalter!

Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Demons, Adult, Urban Fantasy

379 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 3, 2008

About the author

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love this one so much, but jeez Gena, why are you making this so hard?

To channel my upcoming rant, I will focus only on: the Plot, the Complete Idiocy, the Insta-Insta Love, the Nipples and how Promiscuity is just Rape.

The Plot - aka started from the bottom, now we here...still at the bottom.

The premise to this novel was amazing - Pandora's box was opened by jealous warriors and as punishment, their spirits were fused with one of the sinful demons released.

Their plan to prove their power had failed, for the box had gone missing in the fray, leaving the warriors unable to recapture a single evil spirit.

I mean, yeah, the ancient warriors were idiots (oh, let's open the box to show how good we are at catching the evil...totally not going to backfire...).

But, hey, I'm buying what you're selling...well...until we got a bit further into this one...

“If the box ever resurfaced, the demons would be sucked back inside. That’s good, right?”
He shook his head. “For the world, perhaps, but not for me. Without the demon, I will die.”

So, you're telling me....you could literally end world violence/pain/death/whatever?

Now, I'm as selfish as the next person...but surely, after centuries of living you could find it in your heart to save the world?

No?

Ohhh, it's cause the hot immortals haven't found love....now that makes sense...

The Complete Idiocy - aka dumb idea. Sign. Me. Up.

There is more to ruining the plot than a few plot holes... and let's just say everyone in this book... hmm... how do I put this delicately... they were not the sharpest crayon in the crayola box.

Aka, the main characters were all a bunch of idiots.

How dumb? you ask.

Ashlyn (the blushing virgin(TM)) spent much of the book horrified that her first time would be when she was wearing her non-sexy plain white cotton underwear/bra.

And to that, I say, GURL get your priorities straight.

You were sweating and vomiting like crazy for the last two days - heck, you even had CPR in those.

Why in the world are you more upset by the "non-sexy-ness" rather than the smell? Stains? HOW DO YOUR WHITES STAY SO WHITE?

And, to top it all, the ageless demon warriors these were constantly astounded by modern marvels...like the "magic" pills (Tylenol) that "cured" the alcohol poisoning...

I just want to point out that they had access to the modern world... which they used to buy security cameras and porn.

Honestly, Maybe I'm being a tad bit judgmental....but really? They couldn't do anything better with their time?

Insta-Insta-Love - aka we made eye contact? It's motherf*cking destiny.

Was that…desire flickering in his icy violet irises, completely obliterating that must-kill glaze?

Well, Ashyln, my first instinct would be to run but perhaps Maddox (possessed by the Violence demon) isn't so bad. . . I mean, first impressions should never be -

Her skin was smooth and supple, like cinnamon dipped in a honey pot then churned into lickable cream.

Ohhh...wow. Would you look at that, Maddox went from serial killer to Michelin chef.

Well, Ashlyn, here's a little heart-to-heart, to me it looks like the super-hot-demon-possessed-immortal-warrior wants to kill you AND f*ck you...that doesn't sound like a great combination. Let's just leave this -

She gasped and moaned, on fire, burning deliciously. My life was worth living for this alone—for this man, for his touch.

Never mind, it's been two seconds. They're eternally in love.

The Nipples - aka OHMYGOD - WHAT HAPPENED TO EVERYONE'S NIPPLES

Her nipples were as hard as rocks. Droplets slid down her skin, chilling...

Oh Dear God, somebody please turn up the castle thermostat cause I don't know how much more I can take.

If there anything I've learned from this novel, it's that black is not the new black...nipple erections are...

Her nipples hardened with the thought of muscled Maddox in nothing but a pair of those briefs.

And...dare I say it, nipples have become sentient?

He reached out with a shaky hand and traced the plain cotton that shielded her nipples. Though already hard, they strained toward him.

And, is it just me, or does everyone's nips seem a bit...violent?

His chest flattened against her breasts, her nipples so hard they stabbed at his skin.

Honestly, everyone's nips were dang vigorous and stiff and straining, that I just pictured the characters walking around like this:

Promiscuity is Just Rape - aka am I really the only one who picked up on this?

Possessed as he was by Promiscuity, Paris could not bed the same woman twice, and so he seduced a new one—or two or three—every day.

Did I mention that the immortal demon warriors live in a remote castle on a mountainside? Seems like an awfully poor location when you literally have to f*ck or die.

If Paris is really f*cking 365 different women a year...in a hundred short years, he would've banged his way through over 36,000 of people...

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like the ratio of supply to demand is a bit...off.

What are the odds that the nearby city had that many young (yet not illegally young), single, available and willing women? It doesn't. Just let that sink in

I just can't imagine that in the centuries that he's been stalking the thousands of women that there were absolutely no repercussions years for every single encounter. Especially because he would get these women essentially high and addicted to sex with him.

Paris would seduce her. Strip her and taste her. She would not be able to resist; no woman could.

I don't know about you -but it seems pretty clear-cut to me. This is rape.

Even if you force someone to feel good at the time...it is rape.

Even if they are enthusiastically saying yes - if their judgement is impaired to the point that they can only say yes...it is still rape.

If the woman met Paris without all his pheromones and promiscuity-demon-ness, I highly doubt that he'd have a 100% f*ck rate.

And yet, all of his friends and side characters are strangely cool with this casual rapist in their midst. Some even go so far as to pick up "sloppy seconds":

They were always drunk with sexual arousal, a consequence of welcoming Promiscuity, so they rarely cared who finally slid between their legs.

And to that, I ask, how would your interpretation change if Paris looked old? Ugly? Obese?

If a 400lb, 60 year old man oozing sores with rotted teeth forced women to crave sex with him (otherwise he'd die)...wouldn't you first instinct be, F*ck it. Let the rapist die.

But, don't worry, it's cool. Cause the author makes sure everyone knows that Paris is one hot guy. Can't be a rapist if you're hot, right?

Overall

This is my first foray into Gena's "sexy" novels...and wow. Not Impressed.

And this one honestly started with four stars...but the more I read, the worst it got...

I'm so done with this series. I don't think I could stomach another one. (Which probably means I will read book 2 in a couple of months...curiosity and the cat and all...)

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[Best_beloved · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Problem that I Know Will Not Actual Bother Everyone:

Okay, the main ‘hero’ is an immortal warrior who is partially controlled by demon of Violence. Yes, Violence, which the heroine, Ashlyn, is dating. He spends the first 50 pages (give or take) chanting kill, murder, slice, hurt, killkillkill to himself. He acknowledges that while he tries to fight the demon, he does fail - on a nearly nightly bases. Now, I’m aware that in this genre love conquers all and that relationships and people in romance novels are not expected to be 100% realistic. I know this. But. If your best friend, Sally, comes to you and says that she met this really great guy who is loving and caring and good to her, but he tells her that he holds the demon of Violence in his body, not joking, you would think one of three things 1). He is crazy, 2) He has a demon of Violence in his body, or 3) this is a lovely metaphor of his behavior after three beers. In any case, wouldn’t you tell Sally to run, not walk, to the nearest exit? I had a really hard time overlooking the mass murder aspect of their relationship. My bad.

The Other Problems with the Book:

The Hero(s). The hero and his friends are the ultimate ‘bad boys.’ They are immortal warriors each containing a demon. Maddox, the warrior of this book, has the demon of Violence and is only partly in control of it. And why does he have this demon? Because he and his friends were so pissed off that the job of guarding the box of demons was given to Pandora, a girl, that they stole the box and opened it and so released Violence, Wrath, Death, Disease, Disaster, Pain, Misery, Lies, Secrets, Doubt, and Promiscuity into the world. Yeah. Very heroic. Maddox also has the distinction of being the one who killed Pandora, while he was Violence.

The Villains. So, when demons were first placed in these immortal warriors, the demons pretty much wrecked havoc slaying and killing the population for many, many, many years until the warriors figured how to imperfectly control them. In the mean time, those pesky human who were being butchered trained up fighters to kill the demons/warriors. Yes, we’re the bad guys.

The Mythology. I think the author could have picked better demons. For example, Violence and Wrath. Both guys are all about the killing. Violence has whole mindless rage going on while Wrath kills people according to their crime (rapists have their penis removed, etc). Shouldn’t Wrath be Hammurabi or Vengeance? Or is that not evil enough? Because I don’t think Promiscuity, Lies, or Secrets are that evil either. I mean, Secrets? Really?

Pandora's Box. So the bad guys, the humans, learned that if they can find Pandora’s box and hold it next to the demon ridden immortal warriors, the demons will be sucked back into the box. The side effect will be the death of the warriors, but as Maddox spent some time complaining that there’s no way to kill himself because he just heals back that shouldn’t be a problem, right? Wrong. Needless to say, the immortal warriors are not so keen to die when it comes down to it. Now, if I hosted, let’s say Misery (we can all agree that misery is bad), and have done things in the past thousand years that make the rest of the world miserable, I would say ‘sucks to be me’ and embrace the box. But it gets better, because in the book’s reality, if I get sucked into the box – all Misery in the whole world would disappear. All of it. No more Misery. Even if it wasn’t originally my fault, even if I was an innocent bystander, if I were hosting Misery and killing the demon and myself I was ridding the world of all Misery for ever and ever, I would kind of consider it my duty to let myself be sucked into the box. And I am a selfish, selfish person.

Necessary Evil. Which leads us to another little question of what would happen if only Death and Lies got sucked into the box? I’ll even throw in Disease as well. Death, Lies, and Disease are in the box and out of the world. Which means no more telling Aunt Jenny you love the fruitcake and the orange sweater she gave you for your birthday. Lies help grease the social wheel. Just a fact. Which leaves us with the problem of Death and age. You don’t get eternal youth, you just don’t get to die. You can still be injured and hurt and age, but no Death. It’s probably a good thing that the immortal warriors are not going into the box.

Plot and Character. There are two issues that immediately spring to mind. So, those horrible, nasty humans managed to off one of the immortal warriors several hundreds of years ago which caused the immortal group of warriors to split into two factions. One faction wanted to kill the people who were responsible for the warrior’s death, burn down the city and the kill the rest of the population. The other wanted to kill all the people who were responsible for the warrior’s death and hide themselves away from the world. Now, Promiscuity (suck it up sex positive people, it’s a sin) needs to sleep with at least, at least, two women a day and they can’t be the same woman. No repeats. As a ‘hero’ he decides to hide himself away from the world, except for his many, many trips a day into town for sex. Does this make sense? Shouldn’t he be walking the world getting laid? Even if he strikes out on his own rather than hanging out with either faction, sleeping his way through Europe? Based on the first book, on average, he has a thousand different women a year. In an isolated area? Up in the mountains? Does he order them from the internet? My second problem is that when Ashlyn, the female lead, learns that Maddox is being punish because he murdered Pandora by stabbing her six times in the stomach her response is “We all make mistakes.” Well, yes, yes, we do. I, myself, killed someone in a mindless rage just this morning. Seriously? Because you could reasonable forgive him. You could. It was a long time ago, he has been punished, he really wasn’t himself when he killed her, she loves him. But I want to see that reasoning. I want her to actually think about it. Which leaves the minor problems of introducing a literal god in the machine to break the curse, having to life bond Ashlyn and Maddox because he is immortal and she’s human, and pull out all the stops to convince the reader that the human hunters are the bad guys.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the first full-length book in this series, this book did a good job of making me want more. Aside from the love story between Maddox and Ashlyn, which was fantastic by the way, there was a lot of plot and character development. No doubt, this will serve to make future books more entertaining. It was a wholly enjoyable read.

Ashlyn and Maddox seemingly meet by chance. He thinks that she's bait for hunters. She is curious about the house of immortal beings. The townspeople speculate are angels and Ashlyn needs a miracle.

Maddox is cursed, along with his friends, for opening Pandora's box. As punishment, the demon Violence lives within him. He is in a constant battle with the demon over his body and mind. As if that weren't bad enough, he must be "killed" every night, as he killed Pandora.

Ashlyn has lived with her own curse, of sorts. She has heard voices for as long as she can remember. Standing in any given location, she can hear every conversation that ever took place there. She just wants to make the voices be quiet. She figures that if anyone could help her, it would be an angel.

When Maddox and Ashlyn cross paths, they are instantly drawn to one another. They may not trust each other, but there is no denying the attraction between them. Fierce possessive and protective instincts overtake them.

Of course, there is plenty of danger and action to keep things moving along. Somebody is still sending the hunters after Maddox and his friends. The attacks are getting bolder and more dangerous. There is also a change in immortal leadership, which is wreaking havoc on Maddox and his friends' lives.

Overall, I thought this was a nice, entertaining story. I really enjoyed the backstory and all of the secondary characters. I look forward to reading each of their stories as I get further into this series. In many ways, this book was reminiscent of the 'Immortals After Dark' series that I finally got around to reading a little while back. However, that isn't a bad thing, since I loved that series.

The only negative thing I have to say about the audiobook is that it had this really irritating music that played at a few points. Mainly, the music started during major transitions in the story. At one point, I thought Ashlyn was finally going to have sex with Maddox and the music started up. It was really cheesy and had me laughing like a loon.

[new_user · Rating 2 out of 5]

*sigh* What can I say? The Darkest Night wasn't very dark. I wanted to like this book because it came so highly recommended from friends, but I've read Showalter's writing before and I was skeptical.

Well, my first impression was unfortunately right. Showalter's writing style is still very light and sugary, only it's even more out of place in such a dark setting (i.e. constant violence).

Her heroes are supposed to be Greek immortals, exalted and admired guardians of the gods until their hubris leads the immortals to quarrel with Zeus & co. In their pride, the immortals open Pandora's forbidden Box. They loose the worst demons on mankind: Violence, Disease, Pain, Misery, everything that plagues the world. As punishment, the immortals are forced to house these demons -and their terrible desires- in their own bodies. It's many years until they learn to control these demons, and in the meantime, the carnage they inflict on the world is terrible.

This sounds like the formula for a wonderfully dramatic, angst-ridden read, but there was no drama. Main character Maddox mentions many times that he hates "what he is," keeper of a malicious demon. I'm convinced he feels angst, but we rarely ever see examples of the terror he houses inside him. I see little evidence for his guilt, his "great dilemma," besides a few fistfights with his bros (the one point of depth in the novel). Why is it so terrible? It's only at the end that someone, a villain, shows evidence of the terrors inflicted by these men, and it's never explained or even verified that the horrors were actually committed by them.

His demon sees little development, and the protagonist hardly sees more. He is never really developed beyond the loathing he has for his demon and his sin, aside from a note on woodcarving, and after he meets Ashlyn he becomes subintelligent. It's love at first sight, and he must protect her because she's "his." There wasn't much else to explain his sudden, overwhelming need for this woman. It was very much like reading The Life and Times of the Caveman at points. He's literally had centuries with no company other than his own and five other private men. At least Ward's men had their hobbies. I really wish he would have had some interests or some intelligent, clever, or any observations at all to make other than his inexplicable attachment to the heroine-- who also mysteriously falls in love with him, though he has no apparent attraction for her other than that he solves that little problem of the voices in her head. Oh, and his muscles. Showalter wants to make sure we're aware that these heroes have muscles, numerous times. They're all very muscley cavemen.

But to their credit, the other men seemed to have more personality than Maddox. Promiscuity and his charm, Death and his considered, calm intelligence, Aeron and his austerity, Disease and his humor. I'm not really sure about Pain. I do hope they don't become simple like Maddox does, when they find their women.

The existence of these men is never really explained, however. They're immortal guards, but since the story's origins have some basis in Greek myth, I expected to be able identify them as demi-gods or some other familiar staple of Greek legend, but they're never really identified.

A lot in this book is unexplained, actually, such as how the most feared demons in the Underworld can apparently be "tamed" by women. The book really could have benefited with some detail, some development of the Hunters, the Lords, even the world (where angels apparently also exist).

The bedroom scenes were a little saccharine for me, but some readers will enjoy them. I found it a little strange that the dialogue was abbreviated in every scene, however. "Love you. So good. Need you." They never managed a full sentence between them, and this style does get annoying when used in every single sex scene. The plot was good, at least.

So, in essence, this is still Showalter, still sugary Harlequin romance with paranormal trappings. Don't look for another J.R. Ward here, but if you're due for a quick romance, give it a try.

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Every night death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he'd have to die again later. That was his greatest curse and his eternal punishment."

This book is a great intro into the Lords of the Underworld series and I admit, I am completely hooked!! I will not stop until I read them all!!!







Before I tell you about the story, you have to know a few facts about the Lords (all of these facts will be explained in the first 10 pages of the book so I won't be giving any spoilers)
This is based on Greek mythology and Pandora's box is what triggered the events that led the Lords to this situation.
For punishment, each one of them holds a different demon inside them, and they can't be separated from the demon because that would mean death to the host.
That's the most basic that you need to know, for more just read the book :))
Anyway, the story...

Maddox leaves the castle looking for their enemies, the Hunters, and he comes upon a woman who is not behaving very sane LOL, she begs him to take her with him, and he complies :)
Ashlyn is looking for a cure to her special ability and thinks the strange men who are famous in legends could help her.
She doesn't know everyone would see her as the enemy's Bait, and that leads to some very tricky situations :))
And so the question remains, will Maddox be able to kill her when the others order it, if it is confirmed she is Bait, of will their love transcend everything and (omg I am puking now I just can't write the sweet stuff), well you know what I mean :))) And you probably know the answer to it too :))))







She has a special ability that's she's trying to get rid of, and the Lords are her only option.
She didn't plan to be held captive in their castle and accused of being Bait, but oh well life is like that :))
The only thing that helps is having Maddox around, because he is the only one she trusts, and it doesn't take long to figure out they have some crazy chemistry between them :)

-------------------------------

Ashlyn was a good character, didn't love her but didn't hate her wither, she was just OK to me :)
BUT I did love what she did in the end, that was amazing :)))))







Possessed by the demon of Violence, Maddox has a short fuse on his temper, plus the gods cursed him with an additional curse which is pretty terrible so yeah, poor Maddox is having a tough time through all these thousands of years of punishment.
With Ashlyn, it's the first time man and demon actually agree on something, and he doesn't want to let her go :)

-------------------------------

He is uber protective of her and I loved that about him :))
The additional curse is just terrible and I felt bad for him, I mean really, the gods are just too cruel.
Anyway, he was a pretty good character :)))))








He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do with her. He knew what he should do—and what he couldn't. Both mattered little just then. Because, more than anything, he knew that he didn't want to share.

-------------------------------

"Take off your clothes." His voice was huskier than he'd intended.
She blinked up at him, her lashes casting shadows over her cheeks. "Wh-what?"
"Take off your clothes."
"Right now?" she squeaked.
His brow furrowed. "Do you normally shower with them on?"
"No, but I normally shower alone."
"Not today."

-------------------------------

"I don't even know what to say." Aeron.
"I do. Fuck." Paris.







Well I liked this one, I really did, this is actually 3,5 stars but I rounded to 3 because the writing isn't really polished enough (well that's just my lousy opinion but I can't help it), anyway, some of their lines were too bombastic and dramatic, maybe if it was toned down a bit.
And my main reason for 3 stars is that I just didn't buy the insta-love here. Yes I know it's a PNR and in that universe insta-love is something perfectly natural, but yeah I don't think someone would fall in love with a man who possessed a demon inside him after only one day. I would be just a tad bit scared or I don't know. Something. If it was at least the second day or something. But the first? Dunno.

BUT!

Like I said, this is a great intro to the series, we get to meet all the other characters and the author did an amazing job of hooking the reader to each one of them, and honestly, I was reading the first book but all I kept thinking was: "OMG! I have to read the other books ASAP! OMG! This one is so interesting!! And this one too! I bet this guy's book will be amazing because of his demon!" and so on, anyway, lots of OMGs and squeeings and those sort of things :D

So kudos to the author for writing a book I didn't really love, but that made me want to read all the other books from the series :))
I am so glad I started it :)))

I definitely recommend this to all PNR fans!!!

[Sophia Triad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddox: Demon of violence
Butterfly: upper left shoulder, wrapping around to his back
His curse: He is stabbed every night only to be brought back to life the next day and then the next night he has to die again.

Ashlyn Darrow: She works for the World Institute of Parapsychology.
Supernatural ability: She hears voices about things that they happened in the past.

In ancient time, Maddox is the warrior that killed Pandora and then the box that included all the vicious demons disappeared and all the demons possessed the responsible warriors who opened it. The demons have been imprinted on the warriors’ bodies with BUTTERRLY tattoos. All of them have been cursed for thousands of years to suffer.

Every night death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he’d have to die again later.

Ashlyn is a very confused girl. Totally reliant on the World Institute of Parapsychology and totally tired of hearing voices, she is sent to Budapest to meet the “men” who are rumored to have supernatural abilities. She needs help; the Lords think that she is bait from their worst enemies. And maybe she is. Before they come to a conclusion, lonely Maddox already wants her and already protects her. Their age difference does not really matter. Ashlyn is twenty-four years, while Maddox is a few thousands.

“Why? What’s she to you?”
“Mine,” was the only answer he had. “She’s mine.”

Lords of the Underworld is one of my favorite PNR series. I have already reread most of the books a few times. The world building is fascinated. Its mythology that tangles mainly ancient Greek myths, myths from other countries, stories from the bible and the writer’s imagination is excellent.

I also love the dark humor of the novels.

The Darkest Night introduces the story of Maddox and Ashlyn which will only grow stronger in the next books as well as some details of the stories of the rest of the Lords who are waiting patiently their own book and their own love story and salvation.

[Μaria Vrisanaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Λοιπόν, λοιπόοοον… Μαζευτείτε και διαβάστε!!! Μην κοιτάξετε καν αυτή τη χάλια περίληψη που αδικεί την ιστορία



Ο Μάντοξ, ο Ρέγιες, ο Τόριν, ο Πάρις, ο Λούσιεν και ο Έρον ήταν έξι (και όχι οι μόνοι) από τους πολεμιστές του Δία. Τώρα είναι οι καταραμένοι Άρχοντες. Οι Άρχοντες του Κάτω Κόσμου.
Γιατί???
Επειδή, όταν ο Δίας αποφάσισε να κρατήσει προστατευμένο το Δαιμονικό, το κουτί που είχε κλείσει μέσα όλους τους Δαίμονες, ανέθεσε αυτή την τόσο σημαντική αποστολή, όχι στα παλικάρια μας, αλλά στην νούμερο ένα καλύτερη πολεμίστριά του, την Πανδώρα! Προσβεβλημένοι οι πολεμιστές, αποφάσισαν να εκδικηθούν τον Δία και… έκλεψαν και άνοιξαν το κουτί!!! Οι δαίμονες ελευθερώθηκαν και ο Δίας για να τιμωρήσει τους πολεμιστές, τους καταράστηκε μετατρέποντας τα σώματά τους σε ξενιστές για κάθε έναν από αυτούς τους Δαίμονες.
Η Βία
Η Αρρώστια
Ο Πόνος
Ο Θάνατος
Η Ακολασία
Η Οργή
έχουν στοιχειώσει τους έξι αυτούς Άρχοντες, που τώρα ζουν απομονωμένοι σε ένα κάστρο στη Βουδαπέστη, όπου προσπαθούν να αποφύγουν τους Κυνηγούς, ανθρώπους που θέλουν να σκοτώσουν τους Άρχοντες για να φυλακίσουν ξανά τους Δαίμονες πίσω στο κουτί της Πανδώρας. Όμως αυτό το κουτί θα πρέπει να καταστραφεί αν δεν θέλουν οι Άρχοντές μας να πεθάνουν. Αλλά πού βρίσκεται και ποια ομάδα θα το βρει πρώτο;

Οι Θεοί ανατρέπονται, οι Τιτάνες κυριαρχούν, νέοι Άρχοντες που καταλαμβάνονται από δαίμονες του κουτιού της Πανδώρας εμφανίζονται!
Ο Όλεθρος
Το Ψέμα
Η Δυστυχία
Η Αμφιβολία

Και σαν να μην έφταναν όλα αυτά, στο κάστρο βρίσκεται η Άσλιν, μία κοπέλα που ακούει φωνές και χρειάζεται τη βοήθεια των Αρχόντων για να απαλλαγεί από αυτές. Όλοι την αντιμετωπίζουν ως Δόλωμα, από αυτά που χρησιμοποιούν οι Κυνηγοί για να παγιδεύουν τους Άρχοντες με σκοπό να τους σκοτώνουν.
Η Άσλιν και ο Μάντοξ, όμως, θα ερωτευτούν! Το πώς και γιατί θα το δείτε. Έχει και βιολετί ματάκια το παλικάρι, πώς να μην ερωτευτείς!!



Όμως υπάρχει ένα μικρό προβληματάκι. Ο διπλά καταραμένος Μάντοξ κάθε βράδυ, ΚΑΘΕ ΒΡΑΔΥ, τα μεσάνυχτα έχει ραντεβού με τον Πόνο και τον Θάνατο, ώστε ο Πόνος να τον σκοτώσει με τον ίδιο ακριβώς τρόπο που ο Μάντοξ σκότωσε την Πανδώρα, και ο Θάνατος να τον οδηγήσει στον Άδη, όπου όλο το βράδυ θα καίγεται στην κόλαση μέχρι το επόμενο πρωί που θα ξυπνήσει υγιής για να ξαναπεράσει το ίδιο μαρτύριο το βράδυ, και κάθε βράδυ! (Με αυτή την πληροφορία ξεκινάει το βιβλίο και κάπου εκεί εγώ ξετρελάθηκα!!!)



Νομίζετε ότι έκανα spoil? Δεν έχετε δει τίποτα! Αυτά που είπα ήταν τα βασικά, πληροφορίες των 3-4 πρώτων κεφαλαίων!

Τουλάχιστον εξαιρετικό!! Το λάτρεψα!! Έρωτας, αγωνία, γέλιο (πολύ γέλιο, πέθανα με τις ατάκες του Πάρη) και πλούσια ελληνική μυθολογία μέσα σε ένα ευκολοδιάβαστο κείμενο και μια ιστορία που δεν κουράζει καθόλου!! Έξι διαφορετικοί Άρχοντες (και πολλοί περισσότεροι) με εντελώς διαφορετικούς χαρακτήρες, όπου ο καθένας περνάει το δικό του μαρτύριο και πολεμάει τον δικό του Δαίμονα που τον έχει στοιχειώσει. Ανυπομονώ να γνωρίσω καλύτερα και τους υπόλοιπους, μιας και σε αυτό το βιβλίο παρακολουθούμε κυρίως τον Μάντοξ.

Εσείς τι θα προτιμούσατε;
Να υποκύψετε στη Βία του Μάντοξ, που γκρεμίζει ό,τι βρει στο πέρασμά του??
Να υποκύψετε στον Πόνο του Ρέγιες, που αναγκάζεται να πληγώνει συνέχεια τον εαυτό του με ένα μαχαίρι??
Να υποκύψετε στην Ακολασία του Πάρη, που συνεχώς χρειάζεται νέες γυναίκες για να καλύψει την ακόρεστη ανάγκη του για ηδονή και τη βρίσκει με πορνοταινίες, μαστίγια, πλαστικές κούκλες και ηλεκτρονικά παιχνίδια όπου οι γυναίκες κυλιούνται και τρίβονται στις λάσπες??
Να υποκύψετε στην Αρρώστια του Τόριν, που μόλις αγγίξει άλλο πλάσμα, αυτό θα μολυνθεί και θα πεθάνει από κάποιον θανατηφόρο Ιό;
Να υποκύψετε στον Θάνατο του Λουσιεν;
Ή Στην Οργή του Έρον???

Εγώ, όσο τους γνωρίζω, υποκύπτω σε όλα :pppp

Τι??? Δεν έχετε διαβάσει ακόμα αυτό το βιβλίο???





Τρεχάτε!

Τι?? Σκοπεύετε να βάλετε κάτω από 4,5??

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Lords of the Underworld Stars



First read Feb 2014
Reread Sept 2019

Every night death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he’d have to die again later. That was his greatest curse and his eternal punishment.

*************************SPOILERS*****************************

What a great idea for a series. 12 Warriors jealous that a woman, Pandora, got the job of protecting the box known as Pandora's box which housed the 12 Demon lords, steals the box, and unleashes the Demon lords on the world. Now cursed by the Gods the 12 warriors house the evil Demons within themselves. The Darkest Night is about Maddox, who has the demon Violence in him and Ashlyn getting their HEA.

“Here goes. You’re not the only one possessed by something you can’t control. I hear voices. When I stand in a spot where a conversation has taken place, I can hear every word that was uttered, no matter how much time has passed.” -Ashlyn



“You are mine, woman, and I am yours. Until you, my life was desolate. I existed, but I didn't truly live. Now I live, even in my death.”-Maddox

I loved Maddox. My heart hurt for the suffering he endured every single night since stealing Pandora's box. Maddox was rough, dark, and tortured. He still had good inside though. He had a protector in him. A sweetness in him. He was just yummy. Ashlyn was completely naive and sheltered. Normally that annoys me, but it worked with Ashlyn, because she didn't come off dumb just not having much life experience. Which was understandable with her power, and how debilitating it was too her. I love how brave Ashlyn was. I felt that Maddox and Ashlyn had major chemistry. Yes they had insta-love, but it worked well for them. I loved them together.

“I've traveled all over the world for the Institute, but I never dreamed I'd meet someone like you." "Strong?" A chuckle escaped her. "Yes." "Handsome?" "Of course." "Sharp of wit and skilled with a sword?" "Absolutely." An other chuckle. "But I mean a man… friend… guy. Oh, I don't know what to call you!" He savored her amusement—and her earnest words. "Just call me yours. That is all I want to be."- Ashlyn and Maddox



Thinking about her again caused his body to harden, to ready... "Uh, I'm happy to sit close to you and everything, but I had no idea you would like it so much," Paris muttered. For the first time in hundreds of years, Maddox felt a blush creep into his cheek, "It's not for you." "Thank the gods," was his friends reply.-Maddox and Paris

I loved getting to know the other Lords as well as Maddox and Ashlyn. You could tell they were all tortured, but had intriguing qualities that really made me want to get to know them better. My favorites were Aeron, Lucien, and Strider. I can't wait to get their HEA. I loved the friendship between the lords. The plot was good, I would have liked a bit more world building, but I know that as the series goes on I will get more. Anya was a fun character that I hope to see more of. She had me cracking up laughing. I really enjoyed this series and I can't wait to read each book and dive deeper into this world.

“Aren’t all fairy tales based in fact? You yourself are supposed to be nothing more than a myth. Pandora’s box is a story parents read to their children at night,” she countered. “That means life itself is a fairy tale. Like the characters, we all live and love and search for a happily-ever-after.”-Ashlyn

[Danielle The Book Huntress *Pluto is a Planet!* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I finally started the much lauded Lords of the Underworld series. I was happy with this book. However, it does have some issues with it that I felt detracted from it as a stellar read. I felt like there was a roughness in some of the writing. I have a theory about this. I think that the publishers really put a lot of pressure on the paranormal writers to put out a series quickly. This takes time away from the authors that they need to polish each book so that it can be at its best. I felt like scenes jumped around a lot, and some things got left out, so I had to go back and reread scenes. It also felt like a set-up book. The mythology was a little more vague that I wanted it to be. It refers to the Greek gods as "The Greeks" and the Titans as "The Titans." Who are they? I wanted to know more about them. I was left with big questions unanswered. Perhaps this will be revealed as the book progresses. I just wanted to see some of this information get integrated into this book. There were some things I didn't like about the setup, like the Hunters. I'm not sure that they are formidable enough enemies. Maybe this series will come to show that there is a more dangerous menace for the Lords.

Okay, you are probably asking why this is a four star book, having said all this? I'll talk about that after I get the issues off my chest. Don't get me wrong. I love these paranormal series, but I wish that as much energy went into the first book, so that the quality is consistent. It's really hard when you try to recommend books to people, but you have to say, "But don't give up if you don't care for the first book." I hate when that happens, because then that person thinks, "Hmm. What's up with her taste in books?" Not that I think that, mind you. But you worry your friend will think that.

Okay, let's talk about the positives with this book. I loved the concept of these warriors who have been cursed by being inhabited by ancient demons that were released from Pandora's Box. Yes, the Pandora's Box of Greek Mythology. Pretty darn awesome premise. And the execution is very good so far, minus the issues I expressed above. The characters were interesting and I wanted to learn more about them. Each warrior stands out from the other. I already feel emotionally engaged with the Lords, and I want to see that happy resolution for each of them. I think Gena Showalter's imagination is really apparent in the characters she creates, and the storylines. She's really funny, too. I like the way the Lords interacted. What can I say? I'm a big fan of the group of guys who live together and fight together. They're friends, most of the time, but sometimes they can be antagonistic with each other. But at the end of the day, they would die for each other.

Ashlyn was adorable. Not just that. She was pretty courageous. Some might consider her too sweet, but I like sweet heroines. I thought she was a perfect match for tortured Maddox. I like how drawn she was to him from the beginning. He made the voices stop, but she was very attracted to him, and almost was the pursuer in this book. Maddox was a good hero. You liked him and felt for him. I think how he suffered was pretty awful. I don't think the dark elements are as dark as they can be in a paranormal romance, but I can't quibble about that. I know there are darker series that I can read for that. And at the end of the day, I love the sweetness of Gena Showalter's stories. I really want to smile when I finish reading them. I loved the end of this book. It was so satisfying that I read the last page again.

The steam factor is higher than her prior books. And she did well with that. The love scenes are hot and explosive, but they are loving. The best combination. You want the couple to be together. I loved all their scenes together and the way their attraction unfolds. There were parts that made me sigh, and other parts that made me want to fan myself because the scenes were hot.

This is a good book that will give you some enjoyable hours of entertainment, and you'll definitely want to keep reading the series. And if you're kind of iffy about this one, don't give up on this series, or the author (Grin).

[chan ☆]

dnf @ 30%

[Kellie Maddox-Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE BACK STORY

Long ago twelve immortals warriors made by Zeus, became jealous of Pandora she was chosen to guard a box. Inside that box housed some of the most dangerous demons ever known. The Immortals made a horrible mistake of killing Pandora and opening the box. As punishment for the evil they have unleashed each warrior was sentenced to carry one of those demons for all eternity. They are - Violence, Pain, Death, Disease, Disaster, Misery, Doubt, Promiscuity, Defeat, Lies, Secrets, and Wrath. Angry with the Gods the Lords wreaked havoc killing anything and everything allowing their demons to take over. They are then banished to Earth. A group of humans rose above the bloodshed and called themselves The Hunters. Hell bent on punishing the Lords for every wrong that has ever been caused. After killing Baden keeper of Distrust, they realize that they cannot kill a Lord without unleashing the demon into the world. Both sides learn that they need four godly artifacts to find Pandora’s box to entrap the demons again. Time is now running out with the Titans have taken the throne, the Hunters are growing and one by one the Lords are learning to trust others besides themselves to help win the war.
Who will find them first.
Lords. Gods. Or Hunters.

Name – Maddox
Hair color – Jet black
Eyes – Violet – But glow red when angry
Demon – Violence
Tattoo – left shoulder wrapping around back
Things to know – Maddox was the one to kill Pandora, as a punishment every night he has to die by Reyes hand and then Lucien takes him to hell to be punished. He awakens the next morning to do it all again. One of the best fighters out of the Lords.

Name – Ashlyn Darrow
Things to know- American orphan who has been brought up by World Institute of Parapyschology aka the government., aka The Hunters. Has the ability to stand in one spot and hear every conversation that has ever occurred there.

THE LOVE STORY

We are introduced to the Lords that live in their Castle in Budapest.
Maddox – Violence, Lucien – Death, Reyes – Pain
Aeron – Wrath, Torin – Disease, Paris - Promiscuity.

Ashlyn has heard of the “Angels” that live in the castle on the top of the hill in Budapest. She is hoping that they can help her stop hearing the voices in her head.

When she gets to the woods near the castle she is going half mad with all the voices talking to her when all of a sudden they just stop. Confused she looks around and finds a man. A man covered in blood. She doesn’t care he has made them stop somehow. She wants to stay with him and find out more.

Maddox has just killed the first hunters in 100’s of years, They were near the castle. The girl brought them… she didn't know they were following her. but he still wants her. It’s nearing midnight and he will die then, so he takes the girl back to fortress, he will have to explain her presence with his friends.

What transpires is obviously them falling in love, Maddox never has been in love before. Ashlyn losing her virginity, and most importantly/stupidly Ashlyn making the ULTIMATE sacrifice for her man.

SECONDARY STORY

While Ashlyn and Maddox are falling madly in love. We are told about the war with the Hunters and the other Lords who do not live in the castle and haven’t spoken to these Lords in 1000’s of years. Enter – Sabin - Doubt, Gideon - Lies, Amun - Secrets, Strider - Defeat, Kane - Disaster, and Cameo (The only girl Lord)- Misery.
Together they learn about the godly artifacts needed to help free their demons.
We also meet new character Anya – The minor Goddess of Anarchy.

Also the Titans have overthrown the Greeks and taken back the throne.
Now that Cronus is King again he has a task for the Lords. Starting with Aeron aka Wrath.
Cronus has told Aeron that he must kill an innocent family of 4 women. He doesn't want to do it,Cronus tells him if he does not he will be punished as Wrath will take over and eventually cave to the bloodlust.
The Lords decide to bring the women to the Budapest fortress until they can decide how they are going to stop Aeron from going mad while Wrath takes over and how to defy Cronus.
One of the women has a shitload of spunk! And also has an admirer! Reyes

MY HONEST OPINION

I did really like this story. I really did. I can TOTALLY understand why people are comparing it to the BDB and IAD and well pretty much every other paranormal romance out there. But this series holds its own!
I mean we all love to read about scary Alpha-bad boy-tortured heroes-who are fucking amazing in bed so that’s why they keep writing about them!

I do need to say that I have now read the whole series and the writing does get stronger and better as it goes on so please don’t give up!
At time I found this book could be a bit cheesy and mushy.
But it was a great introduction into the series.

Yes there was a lot of people to cover and a lot of mythology to try and remember but I thought it was good. (As mentioned before I have read the whole series now and when you need to remember something important ie who’s demon belongs to who or about the mythology it is explained again so that you know what you need to! – I write these reviews after I read each one and then came back and added things like this!
I couldn’t wait to start the next book!
It’s too hard to choose a favorite Lord yet… will keep u posted
and I really really really like Anya!

FAV QUOTES/CHUCKLES/CONVO'S


*****************************************
“You are mine, woman, and I am yours. Until you, my life was desolate. I existed, but I didn't truly live. Now I live, even in my death.”
*****************************************
“Sometimes what we want isn't what we need.”
*****************************************
“I tried to tell you. You said you didn't care, remember?"
A muscle ticked below his eye. "You should have told me anyway."
"While you had barbells within your reach? Please. I'm Disease, not Stupid.”
*****************************************
“What's this about?"
"Finally. Interest," was the only response.
"If this is one of your tricks..." Like the time Torin had ordered hundreds of blow-up dolls and placed them throughout the fortress, all because Paris had foolishly complained about the lack of female companionship in town. The plastic "ladies" had stared our from every corner, their wide eyes and let-me-suck-you mouths taunting everyone who passed them.
Things like that happened when Torin was bored.”
*****************************************
“Knock him out, Paris!'
'Sure. Want me to spew diamonds from my ass while i'm at it?”
*****************************************
“I don’t even know what to say.” Aeron.
“I do. Fuck.” Paris.
*****************************************
“Once I learned, I went online and ordered every romance novel I could find. They're fairy tales for grown-ups.”
*****************************************
“I'll take the cemetery," Kane said. He didn't sound excited. Rather, he sounded resigned. "The club might collapse if I go.”
*****************************************
“Pale hair fell in waves to his shoulders, framing a face mortal females considered a sensual feast. They didn't know the man was actually a devil in angel's skin. They should have, though. He practically glowed with irreverence, and there was an unholy gleam in his green eyes that proclaimed he would laugh in your face while cutting out your heat. Or laugh in your face while you cut out his heart.”
*****************************************
“Who is she, why is she still here and when can I see her naked? Paris asked with an eyebrow wiggle”
*****************************************
“He would have been handsome—in a serial-killer kind of way—if not for those tattoos.”
*****************************************
“Bomb', Reyes said, not bothering to look up.
'One of ours?' Maddox insisted...
'Hardly. I know better than to blow myself up,' Reyes sighed.”
*****************************************
“Back off, asshole. I haven't had a woman today, so I'm in no mood for this kind of bullshit. ”
*****************************************
“Aren’t all fairy tales based in fact? You yourself are supposed to be nothing more than a myth.
Pandora’s box is a story parents read to their children at night,” she countered. “That means life itself is a
fairy tale. Like the characters, we all live and love and search for a happily-ever-after.”
*****************************************
“I've traveled all over the world for the Institute, but I never dreamed I'd meet someone like you."
"Strong?"
A chuckle escaped her. "Yes."
"Handsome?"
"Of course."
"Sharp of wit and skilled with a sword?"
"Absolutely." An other chuckle. "But I mean a man… friend… guy. Oh, I don't know what to call you!"
He savored her amusement—and her earnest words. "Just call me yours. That is all I want to be."

[Μaria Vrisanaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Θα τσικνίσουμε με φωτιά Μάντοξ»

«Θα το κάψουμε (απόψε κυρ Στέφανε 😂)»

Μια φορά και έναν καιρό, δύο ύπουλες συναναγνώστριες, Μαρ και Αθηνούλα ήταν τα ονόματά τους, συνωμότησαν να πάρουν εκδίκηση από την κακιά μάγισσα των αναγνωστών, τη Βρυσανάκη, που έβαζε τρία σε όλα τα αγαπημένα τους βιβλία. Έτσι αποφάσισαν να πιάσουν το αγαπημένο βιβλίο της κακιάς Βρυσανάκη και να του βάλουν ασσάκι.

Όμως… (Σατανικό γελάκι)

«Ρεεεεε
Τι βιβλιάρα είναι αυτή
Έπαθα παροξυσμό
Πάλι δεν θα πάρω εκδίκηση»

(Πιο σατανικό γελάκι)

«Καλά του Πάρη εννοείται θέλω να διαβάσω βιβλίο
Και ο Ρέγιες έχει αρχίσει να μου αρέσει
Αλλά ο Μάντοξ τοπ
Τοπ»

«Και ο Τόριν μου αρέσει
Καταλάβατε, όλοι μας αρέσουν 😂»

Η κακιά Βρυσανάκη συνέχισε να τρίβει τα χεράκια της, όσο μοχθηρά χαμογελούσε βλέποντας σχόλια και σχόλια και σχόλια στην ομαδική συνομιλία.

«Γίιιιχαααα»

«Go big or go home»

Τότε, το μεγάλο κάστρο Αθηνά, που, αν και της άρεσε πολύ η ιστορία έριχνε και ακόμα ρίχνει άκυρο στον αγαπημένο Πάρη ΜΟΥ, έπεσε αλλιώς.

(Τρίβω χεράκια)

«Και τώρα μαζευτείτε, θα απαγγείλω
Λοιπόν ερωτεύτηκα
Με την πρώτη ματιά
Δεν με νοιάζει κανένας ούτε άλλοςςςς
Ό,τι έχτιζαν όλοι σε 200 σελίδες το γκρέμισε ένας σε δύο παραγράφους
Γκίντεον, μόνο αυτό λέω
Δεν θέλω τίποτα
Και κανέναν
Μόνο αυτόννννννν
Παίρνει πέντε το βιβλίο»

Και ‘ζήσαν αυτές ερωτοχτυπημένες νυχτοφιλημένες, η Βρυσανάκη ανακουφισμένη και η συγγραφέας ακόμα πιο πετυχημένη με 2 πεντάρια παραπάνω.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Μία από τις καλύτερες συναναγνώσεις εβερρρρ
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[xrysa · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sometimes what we want isn't what we need.”

Let me tell you a story.
Thousands years ago the box that held the most disastrous demons was given by the gods to Pandora . She was a warrior and everyone felt envy that a female had the responsibility to reck the box . Anyone would kill for this position. Moving Pandora into a trap wasnt a smart move and warriors were bound to be possessed by these demons .

In this book we are introduced Maddox . He played a significant role in Pandora's death and now he is still paying the price by being tortured every night.

Maddox is possessed by Violence , not an easy demon to deal with.
He is a ruthless and a cryptic warrior .The demon has compelled him many times to kill and we can observe that he feels guilty.
His curse:


Ashlyn



Ashlyn is tortured many years now .


Her own torment has no end but she has heard stories about some men who might help her.These mens may be angels , demons , vampires , she has no idea but rumors dont deter her not to find them .

Not knowing what she will face she never thought that one of them would ease her pain . When she is near him she feels quite after all these years . However this doesnt only affect Ashlyn but also Maddox . When he is near her his demon is calmed , she can actually tame the beast.
Maddox is torn and frightened that he will eventually hurt her but that doesnt stop him from being overprotective .






The book doesnt only focus on their relationship . The lords are chased by Hunters who want desperately to find Pandora's box and place back the demons . There is a lot of action and a twist that left me speechless . I didnt see that coming.

He was a Hunter??


All in all , I loved the book a lot . The author has created a new world which is very appealling and interesting . I also loved Reyes's and Danica's side story and I cant wait to read their book.

“You are mine, woman, and I am yours. Until you, my life was desolate. I existed, but I didn't truly live. Now I live, even in my death.”

[Exina · Rating 4 out of 5]

July 12, 2013

"We’ll wait there and let the Hunters come to us.”
“That’s it? That is your plan?”
“Well, that and kill them.” The fragrance of roses became stronger as Lucien’s eyes glittered menacingly.
“It’s a good plan.”

The Darkest Night is a great opening book of the Lords of the Underworld series.

Smartly built alternative mythology, gradually measured tension and multiplying conflict.

Maddox is the least significant Lord for me, so the first book being his is really smart, because his personality doesn’t outshine the story and the characters of the other Lords. The Darkest Night successfully keys up the readers towards the rest of the characters and the series.



He is the Keeper of Violence, not a surprise that he has violent urges to destroy, kill, maim, punch the wall, etc. Furthermore he is suffering a horrible extra curse every day. His protective instincts revive toward Ashlyn, so he also can be tender and caring.

Mine, mine, mine. She was more important than breathing, more necessary than food or water or shelter. In a thousand lifetimes of war and violence and rage, she gave him kindness. Serenity. Compassion. Trust.

Ashlyn’s character is more intriguing to me, I liked her very much. Sweet and insanely brave. Her ability of hearing every bygone conversation in a place, and understand it in every language is exceptional.

The love story

With Ashlyn, Violence was not truly violent. Instead, the spirit was made into something beautiful. Dark, yes. Always dark. But sensually so. Not evil, but needy. Not destructive, but possessive. Two days ago, he would not have thought such a thing was possible.

The basis of the affection is that they mutually calm each other: Ashlyn tames Maddox’s demon, and Maddox dissipate the voices Ashlyn hears. A bit hasty, but sweet.



Secondary characters
The Lords’ characters are so tempting that they surely make you continue reading the series. The reunion with the other group of warriors centuries after they had departed hopefully generates some further conflicts. Both Lucien and Anya’s and Reyes and Danika’s story is nicely prepared.

“I don’t understand how he can be this fierce over one woman,” he faintly heard Lucien say.

ha ha... yet!

“No woman should have to barter her body to escape a prison,” she said, angry at herself. The image of Reyes swam before her eyes again, and she found herself adding, “But I’ll think about it.”

- Danika

My favorite quotes.

[✰ Liz ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Time was his enemy, midnight fast sneaking up on him, but he didn't wake her...”

The Darkest Night is the first book in the Lords of the Underworld Series. A paranormal delight, Gena Showalter has created a world with a brotherhood of men full of magic and intrigue. When Ashlyn Darrow comes to Budapest in search of answers, she lands in the arms of Maddox an angry alpha male who faces a dangerous curse every night. Although Ashlyn has always been burdened with voices inside her head, somehow when she is with Maddox the voices are silenced. Maddox doesn't know why he is drawn to Ashlyn but an instant connection is formed between them and they cannot get enough of each other.

“You are mine, woman, and I am yours. Until you, my life was desolate. I existed, but I didn't truly live. Now I live, even in my death.”

Told in multiple POV, The Darkest Night is an ensemble piece with a number of intriguing characters. Although Maddox and Ashlyn are the central characters in this story the Lords of the Underworld each have their own unique gifts and challenges. The tempo of the writing is fast-paced as the point of view change rapidly throughout the story. This was my first Gena Showalter book and I certainly look forward to reading more.

Overall, The Darkest Night would appeal to paranormal romance fans who enjoy an ensemble of characters.

For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Kitty (I solemnly swear that I am up to no good) · Rating 2 out of 5]

""I need to prepare you." He was about to see her underwear-another embarrassing topic. They were plain white cotton. Granny gear, she's once heard a man say. She never wore sexy clothing, even underclothing, while on the job. It wasn't practical. "I do own sexy underwear, I promise, but i'm not wearing it right now.""

WTFUCK??!
Get a grip sister...I mean seriously when in the throws of passion who cares what pants you are wearing just take them off. Have a little confidence for goodness sake. But ladies, this car crash seduction only gets better worse:

"His gaze locked on the cotton panties. She fought the urge to cover them, wishing again that he could see her in something sexy. "I know men like to role-play," she told him, nervously trying to fill the silence. How many times had she heard them brag about it to her friends? "At home I have a cop outfit, a harem girl costume and a playboy bunny teddy." Not that she had ever gotten to use out of them. But she loved owning them, just in case."


AAAAAAAHHHHH Why is she such a virgin, push over, fanny, annoying blaaaaaaah???
Now I can see that some people may read these quotes out of context and think I am overreacting but you have no idea how sick I am of these sorts of books...the formula is infuriating, all you need is:

The malcontent, virgin in her mid-twenties; She is unerringly beautiful and charming, intelligent, probably with a brilliant degree but somehow she has never met a man who she wanted to bed in the quarter of a century she has existed. OH and the funny, ironic thing is that no doubt she believes she is a strong willed, feminist and you can bet she is full of feist...however when it really comes down to the nity gritty all our MC wants is a man to domineer her like the good little wifey she is. BOKE.

The alpha male; He may seem tough, angry, chauvinistic and rude but in reality the only reason he acts like such a sexist pig is because of some deep and unsettling pain from his past. He has lived his life whoring and fighting like the best of them and never expected or wanted to fall in love until he meets her, then everything changes and he becomes deeply possessive and creepy.

The plot line; is irrelevant, a device to keep the romance interesting.


The worst, worst thing about this book is how well it started. I actually really though this book was interesting at the start...I loved the story of Pandora's box and the curse. It was original and dark, with so much potential but then it all just spiraled out of control as the romance took over like a stalky, horrible parasite.

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must preface this by saying that I only made it to page 200, so i probably shouldn't be reviewing this book. However, the fact that I couldn't really be bothered to make it past page 200 makes this worthy of explaining why.

I picked up this book, first because I got a rec for it and second because the cover art is so darned striking. And I was really stoked by someone doing something a little different within the paranormal genre. I admit, I am always on the look out for paranormal that don't involve vamps.

The idea of these Greek warriors being responsible for the Demons released in Pandora's Box and being punished for it in such a neat way, seemed so fresh and new and interesting.

The problem I had with this book is that the author didn't make even this cool premise seem fresh and new and interesting. So much of the book was set up with a lot of exposition and a trying-too-hard feel to get me interested in the camaraderie/interactions between all these men that live together. I wasn't interested, on the contrary, I was intensely bored. The writing was fraught with romance novel cliches. I finally gave up after one female character had raised her chin for the umpteenth time in two chapters.

Too bad. I wanted to like this but I just don't.

[Teodora · Rating 1 out of 5]

[Μαρία Αλεξοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Με υπερκάλυψε η κριτική της Μαρίας γιατί μετέφερε όλο το HOT HOT HOT κλίμα της συνανάγνωσης. Μας έδωσε στεγνά και εμένα και την Αθηνούλα.

Το ξέρω ότι θα σοκάρω όλη την βιβλιοφιλική κοινότητα με τα 4 αστέρια αλλά θα δώσω όλο τον έναστρο ουρανό στον αινιγματικό Λούσιεν και την sassy sassy Άνια. Ζημιά που πάθαμε με αυτή τη σειρά βιβλίων. Η εκδίκησή ΜΟΥ φαίνεται ακόμη πιο μακρινή υπόθεση....

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 Cursed Stars!
I think I've found a new PNR series that I might love. I'm excited!

This was Ashlyn and Maddox's story. But it was stocked full with all the other warriors. A perfect set up for more to come.

Ashlyn hears voices. Lots of voices. Every where she goes if people have been there she hears their conversation. She wants the voices to stop. She's on the hunt for the men with special abilities that she's heard about to see if maybe they can help her quiet the noise.
Maddox is a warrior and is cursed with the demon spirit violence. He's also cursed with death and being sent to hell every night at midnight.
When Ashlyn is in the fortress looking for the mens home her and Maddox come face to face. Maddox doesn't have much time because midnight is closing in. He's not sure if Ashlyn is bait for the hunters or not. Was she sent to the fortress to lure him and his brothers by the hunters? Should he kill her? Should he just leave her in the woods to freeze?
Ashlyn is confused because the voices have stopped. She never wants to leave Maddox because of this. When Maddox decides to leave her there and try to make it home before death comes to him Ashlyn has no choice but to chase after him. She gets hurt. Maddox can't leave her. He breaks all the rules by carrying her back to his home. Maddox immediately makes the men swear to not harm her and to not touch her while he is in hell.
The men can't understand what's gotten into Maddox to make him bring a woman into their home. Their home filled with all these demon spirits. Wrath, violence, death, pain, disease and promiscuity.
Ashlyn doesn't care about any of these men she only wants to be close to Maddox. She will do anything to stay close to him. She will goes as far as to try to protect Maddox from death and pain.
While the men try and figure out if Ashlyn has been sent as bait other problems start popping up. The Gods summons Wrath. This leads to woman getting kidnapped. Hunters are getting close. Lost warriors showing back up. Bombs going off. The list is endless.
I loved that Ashlyn felt the need to protect Maddox. I also loved that violence seemed to calm inside Maddox when she was around. Maddox never being around a human woman for very long for fear of killing them was a nice surprise. He made me laugh several times.
The ending choked me up and then had me yelling YAY!!!

Why not a 5 star?
I'm sad to say that I skimmed some. There was a lot of Ashlyn's thoughts that seemed to drag on and on. The sex between them was also skim worthy. So yes I skimmed some. lol But it's not going to stop me from moving forward with the rest of the series. I need to know what's going to happen. Of course I also want the other warriors story too. I hope I can make myself read in order and not skip. lmao

I can't wait to get to Anya's and Lucien's story next. Death and a Goddess. Oh yea! It's going to be so good!

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: 3 stars
Characters: 3.5 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
Sexiness: 4.5 stars
Ending: 3.5 stars

Overall: 3.6 stars

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book out of the series and I am so excited for Paris's book February 28 th!!!

[Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4 Stars)

Ooohhh!!! Yummily sexy cover! That was my first reaction. ^_^ Seriously. Love the covers in this series.

The Darkest Night, the first book of the Lords of the Underworld series, is my first Gena Showalter book. I really liked it but wasn’t completely captured by it. I haven’t been hooked yet like I am with J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. I’m putting it out there – I just LOOOVVEEE those Brothers!!! Okay? Bias, outted. Though, to be fair, I wasn’t completely addicted to the BDB until book 2 of that series.

In reading the first LOTU book, I couldn’t help but feel some of the descriptions of the Lords were too much like the Brothers, ie. a scarred one, an irresistibly handsome one, one with mismatched eyes, one with purple eyes, a long-haired one, one with multi-toned hair etc. And well, some of their “flaws” were also similar to the Brothers. Though as I kept reading, I did eventually see these characters as characters all their own, and I am intrigued to keep reading the series and to get to know the Lords better.

The Premise: Interesting. The Lords of the Underworld were once warriors for the Greek Gods. When Pandora, a woman, was given the task of guarding the box that caged the most dangerous of demons (too difficult to contain in hell), these warriors were compelled by their pride and arrogance to open the box and unleash the demons. The point was to prove that they could then capture the demons again, and thus, beat their chests as the truly worthy warriors. Pretty stupid of them, I say! Especially when “Pandora’s Box” went missing.

These immortal warriors were then cursed to be the “keepers” of a demon each within their bodies, to suffer for eternity for the folly of their pride. So, tortured heroes galore to be expected in this series! This is the draw for me. I’m a sucker for tortured heroes. *grins*

The Hero: Maddox, the Keeper of Violence. He bears more than the curse of trying to keep the demon of Violence in-check; he is also cursed to suffer a painful death every night. Why? Read the book. ^_^ I really felt for him and he was pretty sexy.

The Heroine: Ashlyn Darrow, a human who bears her own burdens, which is what leads her to the fortress of the Lords. She’s tough and caring. I liked her.

The Romance: Bit too syrupy, at times (P.S. though at other times, quite caveman-like). In fact, one declaration had me feeling like it was a lukewarm "rip-off" of Zsadist’s infamous sigh-and-swoon-worthy declaration. I don't know why. However, despite this, I was caught up in this couple’s sudden inexplicable draw to each other and I did feel that they “completed” each other.

Steam-Factor: Pretty hot and good build-up, but not as steamy as Ward’s BDB series or Kresley Cole’s IAD series.

That being said, I was drawn to keep reading and really did enjoy this book. I just don’t feel quite as connected to the Lords (yet?) as I am to the Brothers or the IAD series characters. There is definitely potential and I look forward to reading the other books in the series. I am intrigued to read Torin’s, Keeper of Disease’s story, as the thought that he can never touch anyone just breaks my heart, and the fact that he tries to deal with it by finding humour in things, just endeared him to me – When is his book??? I am also interested in Lucien’s, Reyes’ and Paris’ stories. Paris reminded me of Rhage from the BDB - Loved his comic relief.


Maddox...




COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun. If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so.

[Athena ღ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πως λέμε έρωτας με τη πρώτη ματιά;
E εδώ είναι έρωτας με τη πρώτη σελίδα.
Λατρεύω τα βιβλία φανταστικού με δράση, χιούμορ και ρομάντζο και το συγκεκριμένο έχει αναμφισβήτητα όλο το πακέτο.



Αρχικά διαβάζοντας το με ενθουσίασε η κεντρική ιστορία. Αθάνατοι πολεμιστές δεμένοι με αρχαίες κατάρες δοσμένες από τους Θεούς.



Στην άγρια νύχτα εκτυλίσσεται η ιστορία του δυναμικού Μάντοξ και της γλυκύτατης Άσλιν. Παράλληλα γνωρίζουμε και τους υπόλοιπους χαρακτήρες, γεγονός που μας κάνει να θέλουμε να τους μάθουμε ακόμα περισσότερο.
Αγαπημένος ο Γκίντεον, που αν και δε μαθαίνουμε πολλά γι' αυτόν, δύο παράγραφοι μου ήταν αρκετοί για να τον ερωτευτώ και ανυπομονώ να διαβάσω και τη δική του ιστορία.



Συνεχίζουμε με τις αγαπημένες μου Μαρίες 💜

[~Calliope~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Eleni Ouzouni (Life is Art) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sometimes what we want isn't what we need.”

Στο παρελθόν, μου είχαν προτείνει πολλοί να ξεκινήσω κάποια από τις σειρές της Gena Showalter. Ποτέ όμως δεν έτυχε να πιάσω κάποια στα χέρια μου. Πριν λίγες μέρες καθώς χάζευα στις διακοπές μου σε διάφορα μικρά βιβλιοπωλεία το μάτι μου έπεσε κατευθείαν στο όμορφο εξώφυλλο του πρώτου βιβλίου της σειράς "Άρχοντες του Κάτω Κόσμου" μαζί με την πολύ προσιτή τιμή δεν μπόρεσα να αντισταθώ και να μην το αγοράσω.

Η Άγρια νύχτα είναι το πρώτο μέρος μιας μακράς σειράς που επικεντρώνεται σε δύο κεντρικούς ήρωες. Τον Maddox που κατέχει μέσα του τον δαίμονα της βίας. Ζει σε ένα κάστρο στην Βουδαπέστη μαζί μια μεγάλη ομάδα πολεμιστών ενώ σπάνια αφήνει τα τοίχοι του αφού χάνει συχνά τον έλεγχο του εαυτό του δημιουργώντας τ��ράστιες καταστροφές ανθρώπινες και υλικές. Αυτό μέχρι την ημέρα που πιάνει μια νεαρή κοπέλα να προσπαθεί να μπει κρυφά στο κάστρο του. Την Ashlyn η οποία μπορεί να ακούσει φωνές και συνομιλίες ανθρώπων που βρίσκονταν σε κάθε μέρος που αυτήν στέκεται. Δεν μπορεί να αντέξει αυτήν την συνεχή φλυαρία που υπάρχει μέσα στο κεφάλι της, έτσι όταν μέσα από το ερευνητικό Ινστιτούτο όπου εργάζεται ταξιδεύει στην Βουδαπέστη θα ακούσει τους ντόπιους να μιλάνε για κάποια ξεχωριστά πλάσματα άλλοι τους θεωρούν Αγγέλους και άλλοι δαίμονες τότε σκοπός της θα γίνει η αν��ζήτηση τους με την ελπίδα να την βοηθήσουν.

Η πρώτη γνωριμία της Ashlyn και του Maddox ήταν μια πολύ όμορφα γραμμένη σκηνή. Ο τρόπος που αυτός καταφέρνει να κατασιγάσει τις φωνές και αυτήν να ηρεμήσει το θηρίο μέσα του ήταν καταπληκτικός.

Είναι δύσκολο να μην πέσει την αγάπη με τον Maddox. Αν και η περιγραφή του αρχικά είναι σχεδόν βάρβαρη, ο τρόπος που ανοίχτηκε στην Ashlyn και η πίστη του στους φίλους του(και ας ήθελε στο μισό βιβλίο να τους σκοτώσει :P) ήταν μαγική. Αλλά αυτήν που λάτρεψα πραγματικά ήταν Ashlyn. Μια πραγματική ηρωίδα! Χωρίς να κλαίγεται όλοι την ώρα, να γίνεται πρόστυχη ή μικροπρεπής. Ήταν δυναμική και ευαίσθητη ταυτόχρονα. Και ο τρόπος που "σώσει" τον Maddox στο τέλος ήταν τόσο βαθιά ανιδιοτελής!

Η ιστορία μας έχει πολλά ανοιχτά μέτωπα. Οι άρχοντες του κάτω κόσμου πρέπει να αντιμετωπίσουν τους Κυνηγούς μια φατρία ανθρώπων που έχει δημιουργηθεί εδώ και χιλιάδες χρόνια από την ημέρα που οι Άρχοντες συνδέθηκαν με τους δαίμονες και έφεραν το θάνατο στην γη. Τώρα βρίσκονται ξανά στην Βουδαπέστη πιο έτοιμοι από ποτέ. Επίσης πρέπει να ασχοληθούν με την νέα ηγεσία τους Τιτάνες που έριξαν από το θρόνο τους Έλληνες Θεούς.

Ένα όμορφο μπλέξιμο ελληνικών μύθων, καταιγιστικής αγωνίας και ερωτισμού όλα μαζί! Το λάτρεψα πραγματικά! Μ'αρέσει που σε κάθε βιβλίο θα διαβάζουμε και μια διαφορετική ιστορία αλλά θα ακολουθούμε το ίδιο story που ανοίχτηκε στο "The Darkest Night". Αν είστε φαν των paranormal romance σίγουρα πρέπει να του ρίξετε μια ματιά.

P.S Ανυπομονώ για τις ιστορίες των Torin και Lucien!

“You are mine, woman, and I am yours. Until you, my life was desolate. I existed, but I didn't truly live. Now I live, even in my death.”

[Azet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone should have forced me to start "Lords of the Underworld" series earlier.Because this book was such a mindblowing and epic adventure that i will never forget.WOW!!

Gena Showalter have seduced me with her badass characters,smoldering romance and fascinating fantasy world.Already from the first page i was invested like never before and i badly fell for the demon warrior Maddox of Violence,the cursed warrior who have to die every night,and then wake up the next morning.His tortured and brutal soul made me sympathize with him and only want his happiness,and not only him but also his cursed warrior friends Lucien,Reyes,Paris,Torin and Aeron-By the way..I WANT THEIR BOOKS NOW!Especially Reyes and Danika..ohhh these two were smoldering!!!!And Paris made my mouth water!!!

Ashlyn Darrow was a brave,fiery and very intelligent heroine who hears voices all the time.She visits the warriors fortress in Budapest thinking they could cure it.But never expected that she would get stuck there behind the possession of the only man who can take away the voices,the very irresistible and dangerous Maddox.Their romance was OH SO PERFECT THAT I WANTED TO DIE WITH THE SWEETNESS OF IT!I also got to mention what a sexy badass of a hero Maddox is,i mean ohhhh the way he loved and cherished Ashlyn made me swoon down my bed!I want a man like that!
Maddox and Ashlyn together-ARE EVERYTHING!They could never stay away,never keep away,never live away from each other.With everything of their beings,they craved each other.I thought their chemistry so smoldering hot that i burned in it.I loved these two so much!!!!Maddox deep shattering love,passion and possession for Ashlyn took my breath away.I repeat,took my breath away,ahhh i loved it!!!!

***

"I'm going to stay for as long as I feel like staying, but I need your promise that you won't lock me up again. When your friends come for you to - " she gulped " - kill you, I want to be with you. I swear I won't attack them, even though I'll want to, but I need to hold your hand. I can't stand the thought of you dying alone."

In that moment, Maddox fell completely, absolutely, irrevocably in love with her.

-Ashlyn and Maddox

[Vaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Μαγέψαν την ψυχή μου οι σειρήνες".
Κι όταν λεω σειρήνες εννοώ Μαράκι και Αθηνά.
Δεν συνηθίζω να κάνω reread βιβλία, αλλά αυτή η σειρά είναι από τις αγαπημένες μου.
Μaddox και Ashlyn λοιπόν το πρώτο ζευγάρι μας και μαζί τους γνωρίζουμε και τους υπόλοιπους άρχοντες.
Η Gena Showalter έχει φτιάξει έναν κόσμο με αθάνατους πολεμιστές - ο Μaddox δεν είναι ο μόνος - και στοιχεία της ελληνικής μυθολογίας, Θεοί, Τιτάνες και η ιστοριά τους σε τραβάει.

[SamJ ★Needs a HEA★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★Book Basics★

Genre : - Paranormal Romance
Series : - 1st in the series
Love triangle? - No
Cheating? - No
HEA? - Yes
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating - 5


★Review★

This is a new to me series, and as such, for me (even though this series has been out years) it was a refreshing take on the paranormal genre.

I loved both main characters, and the entire world this is based in.

At times, it felt a bit too much, like page time was taken away from the main couple , in favour of world/secondary character building, but then this is the first book in a series, and as such is sort of necessary.

But, hugely enjoyable, great start to a series, loved the main characters and the rest of the "brothers" and cannot wait to carry the series on.

[Seda · Rating 3 out of 5]

İkinci okuma

İlk okuduğumda çok farklı şeyler beklemiştim kitaptan. Tekrar okumaya başlarken, hem beklentimi azalttım hem de pnr ya da fantastik beklentisinden çok, çerez kitap kategorisinde düşünerek başladım. Bu yüzden 2. kez okuduğumda 1 puan yükseltiyorum ve seriye devam ediyorum.

Ama Maddox ve duygularıyla ilgili yazdığım her şeye hâlâ katılıyorum.

*************************************************************
İlk okuma

Hayal kırıklığım buradan Budapeşte’ye yol olur. Kitabı uzun zamandır okumak istiyordum, aramadığım sahaf kalmadı. Resmen ülkenin diğer ucundan buldum aldım. Ama sonu kocaman bir hayal kırıklığı oldu.

Yorum yaparken ve puan verirken ‘Zevkler tartışılmaz’ın arkasına sığınıyorum. 😃 Kitabı sevmeyi çok istedim ama okudukça nefret ettim. Bir kere konu yoktu kitapta, başından sonuna okuduğum tek şey Maddox’ın nasıl tahrik olduğu ve Ashlyn’i yatağa atma isteğiydi. Her türlü fantastik ve anormal düşünceye açığım ama saniyede hayatının kadınını bulması, ayakkabısını çıkarırken bile tahrik olması, dün tanıştığı kadın için dünyayı yakıp yıkmak istemesi vs. bana çok saçma geldi.

İmkansız aşka da inanırım, ilk görüşte aşık olmaya da. Ama bunun, bana iyi anlatılması, hissettirilmesi lazım. Burada içlerinde kaynayan tutkunun altı bomboştu. Bazı çıtır çerez kitaplar vardır, çok fazla duygu barındırmaz ya da açıklama yapılmaz. Sadece karakterlerin cinsel çekimlerini okuruz. İşte bu kitap onlardan daha beterdi benim için. Son 100 sayfaya kadar dünya yansa tek derdi yatağa girmek olan bir Maddox vardı. Birbirlerinin gözlerine baktıkça kıyafetlerini çıkarmak isteyen bir çift yetmezmiş gibi, bir de Reyes ve Danika çıktı. “Aman tanrım ne kadar tehlikeli bir adam. Keşke beni soysa?!” “Bana yaklaşmayı, dokunmayı aklından geçirme. Keşke o büyük elleriyle beni okşasa?!” Danika’nın iç sesini okurken çelişkilerinden yoruldum yeminle.

Bir de bu kadar tutkunun?! ve gerilimin olduğu yerde keşke icraat da olsaydı. ‘İstiyorum, yapacağım, az kaldı, biraz sonra’ diye diye kitap bitti. Cidden boğuldum okurken. ‘Yeter artık ne yapacaksanız yapın da ben rahatlayayım’ diyecektim.

Bir ara ben mi yanlış açıdan bakıyorum dedim ama sonra daha da üstüme gelmeye başladı konu. Ben herkesin bomboş, erotik roman dediği Karanlığın 50 Tonu’nda ağlamış insanım, bu kitapta da tutku ve tahrik olmak dışında bir duygu olsaydı kesin yakalardım diye düşünüyorum.

Kitabı beğenenlerden özür diliyorum ama hayatımda bu kadar zorlanarak bitirdiğim kitap sayısı azdır gerçekten. Sadece kitabı yarım bırakmama takıntım yüzünden son sayfayı gördüm. Seriye asla devam etmeyeceğim zira kitap okuma alışkanlığım tehlikeye girebilir.

Bütün bunlara rağmen 1 vermiyorum, çünkü konunun altında yatan mitolojik hikaye güzel işlenseymiş, sadece cinselliğe odaklanmasaymış, çok güzel bir kurgu çıkarmış. Pandora’nın kutusu, iblisler, tanrılar, ölümsüz savaşçılar aşık olacağım bir kitap konusu olabilirmiş. Ama olamamış malesef.