Review: The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

Posted May 20, 2008 by Casee in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: The Darkest Night by Gena ShowalterReviewer: Casee
The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1) by Gena Showalter
Series: Lords of the Underworld #1
Also in this series: The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld #2), The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3), The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld #4), The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld #5), The Darkest Lie (Lords of the Underworld #6), The Darkest Torment (Lords of the Underworld, #12), The Darkest Promise (Lords of the Underworld, #13), The Darkest Warrior (Lords of the Underworld, #14)
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: May 3, 2008
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 379
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

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 than 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...

I’ve read a lot of buzz about this book and I wanted to love it. I really did. I liked it. I intend to read the other two books in the series, but I still didn’t love it.

Maddox made the biggest mistake of his immortal life when he was a part of the group of men that released the demons from Pandora’s Box. Now, he’s cursed by the gods to die each night the same way Pandora did…by Maddox’s own sword. Each night at precisely midnight, Maddox is stabbed six times. He then spends the hours until dawn literally in hell. That’s not the only thing he was cursed with. He was also cursed to take one of the demons released from Pandora’s Box into his own body. Maddox doesn’t even remember what it’s like not to have Violence within him.

Ashlyn Darrow has her own curse. Able to hear conversations that took place in times long past, Ashlyn has the very edge of sanity. From the whispers in town, Ashlyn believes that the mysterious men that live in the house on the hill can help her. Deciding she has nothing more to lose, Ashlyn tries to make her way to the house. It’s on the way that she runs into Maddox, the one person that silences the whispers in her head. When he tries to leave her, she won’t let him. Not wanting to lose the first slice of silence that she’s ever had, she begs Maddox not to leave her. Little does she know what she’s getting into.

Maddox is stymied by the feelings that Ashlyn brings out within him and within Violence. Though he’s not sure if Ashlyn is friend or enemy, he still is unable to let her go. He finally has someone that is willing to accept him as he is and he finds that a very heady feeling indeed. The fact that she is able to calm Violence is something that is beyond Maddox’s experience. What both Ashlyn and Maddox soon realize is that she has brought their enemies directly to his door.

I think that this is an interesting series, though this 1st book just didn’t quite pack the punch that I think is necessary when you start a series. The world building is good and I liked the story, yet I found myself not really caring about the characters themselves. It just wasn’t quite there.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Lords of the Underworld

three-half-stars


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5 responses to “Review: The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

  1. I have read several of Gena Showalter’s books and each time I want to love them, but they only end up being meh. I can’t figure out why I keep getting let down but if you figure it out let me know, lol.

  2. Chantal

    I’m reading this right now.
    I only read your last paragraph and it sounds like there is some good stuff about the book.

  3. lorraine

    I love this series, including this book. I liked how Ashlyn could only find peace in Maddox’s presence. And katie(babs) is right, lots of HAWT sex!

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