The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld, #7)

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The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld #7)

by Gena Showalter (Goodreads Author)

4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 · rating details · 11,251 ratings · 654 reviews

In this sexy new installment of Showalter's bestselling Lords of the Underworld series, the haunted Amun meets a woman who tempts him like no other...

Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when the immortal warrior is chained and isolated to protect those he loves, death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haid...more

ebook, 324 pages

Published March 29th 2011 by Harlequin Books

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Apr 03, 2011 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: LOTU fans

Shelves: series-lords-of-the-underworld, pnr-angeldemon-fae-magic-witch-misc, gena-showalter, favorite-romance-series, hh-warrior, im-a-cover-hottie-ho, enemies-to-lovers-opposites-attract, hh-deaf-mute-speech-disorder, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-celibate-virgin-virginesque, hero-brooding, 2011-reads, 4-to-5-stars, angsty-dark-heavy-lotsa-drama, assassin, captive-kidnapped-hostage-slave, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, hero-cold-cruelbrute-dark-dangerous, hero-alpha‎, hero-mix-of-alpha-beta, hero-or-heroine-exotic, hero-stalk-me-baby-possessive, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, heroine-kickass-spirited-strong, heroine-i-adore, heroine-naïve-virgin-like-a-virgin, hh-widow-or-widower, humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun, i-read-no-longer-own-sold-swapped, love-triangle-vying-courtships, psychic-special-abilities-powers, revenge-deception-secrets-lies, sizable-packages, star-crossed-lovers, steam-3-hot, steam-4-smokin, tattoos-piercings-body-art, cheating-hearts-fidelity-issues, greek-egyptian-misc-mythology, paranormal-romance, best-snarkasm-humor, action-adventure-treasure-hunting, archaeology-antiquities-scholar, hero-recluse-loner-lonewolf

4 ½ stars – Paranormal Romance

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, especially considering that I was somewhat disappointed with the last book, The Darkest Lie, and since Amun has always been a rather quiet (pun intended), serious, and less charismatic Lord. But color me pleasantly surprised by my enjoyment with this one.

Amun and Haidee have magnetic chemistry and explosive sexual tension, and their mutual longing and desperate need to belong was palpable, touching, and sad. The rom...more

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Apr 04, 2011 Elena R a.k.a. Lunies R rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr-fantasy, will-make-your-body-parts-quiver, favorites

http://samsawesomness.blogspot.com/20...

For those of you who didn't wanna finish this series because you weren't happy with the choices Showalter made.Then I'm gonna tell you now. Stop being a Ding-Dong, pick up the dang book and read it! I assure it's well worth reading and you will LOVE IT!

As we all know from the previous book "Darkest Lie" William and Aeron,took Amun into hell to rescue Legion.So this book continues on from there. When Amun-Keeper of the demon of secrets helps in this mission...more

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Mar 27, 2011 Laurie (Bitten by Paranormal Romance) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, requests, keepers, favorites, demon

Gena Showalter delivers a deep depth into emotions with The Darkest Secret; LOTU fans will not be disappointed. You may even find yourself hanging onto your book so tight that you’ll leave prints. I fell hard for both Amun and Haidee. Both enemy’s and yet they need each other in a way that is so deep that will leave your mouth hanging open saying I can’t believe Gena pulled this off and yet she didn’t drag the story out or leave you feeling that they were trusted together to fast and hard. Total...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Laura the Highland Hussy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4.5 stars

Spoiler-free review

I loved the latest installment of Gena Showalter's LotU, but I can honestly say I wasn't thrilled to start it. I'm a Haidee-hater. And you know, it's not because she killed Baden (although that didn't exactly put her on my Christmas card list), it's because I didn't like her, her personality. But once we cut through all the hard exterior and see her gooey center, I liked her. I really liked her.

Amun is one of the ones who you know will surprise you-it's always the qui...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: need-to-get-2011, author-gena-showalter, 5-stars, by-george-thats-awesome, damn-that-cover-is-smokin, in-my-harem, queen-of-the-harem, king-of-the-harem, series-lords-of-the-underworld, love-triangles-can-kiss-my-booty, come-here-baby-so-i-can-lick-you, secondary-love-plots-make-me-swoon, scars-and-tats-and-piercings-oh-my, thats-some-funny-shit, quotes-quotes-everywhere, bad-boy-take-me-away

I was originally completely against Amun and Haidee being together. I thought that Gena Showalter was going to pair up Amun and Kaia and then Strider and Haidee. It seemed like Stridey-man and Haidee had chemistry in The Darkest Lie, and it seemed that Amun had a thing for Kaia. Well, I've never been so glad to be proven wrong. When I found out the pairings, I was...well, let's just say upset. I have since realized that I just have to let Gena do her thing because, hey, she actually knows what s...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lords-of-the-underworld, pararnormal-romance

Before I started this book, I had some serious concerns about how Gena Showalter would pull this one off. I mean, the hero of the story essentially can't speak. And the leading lady is an old-arch enemy who killed a man that he loved like a brother. But there's a reason Gena Showalter is a best-selling author and I am a fan-girl. Not only did she pull it off, but she actually managed to give us great insight into our hero and made our heroine extremely sympathetic.

Amun shares his body with the d...more Before I started this book, I had some serious concerns about how Gena Showalter would pull this one off. I mean, the hero of the story essentially can't speak. And the leading lady is an old-arch enemy who killed a man that he loved like a brother. But there's a reason Gena Showalter is a best-selling author and I am a fan-girl. Not only did she pull it off, but she actually managed to give us great insight into our hero and made our heroine extremely sympathetic.

Amun shares his body with the demon Secrets. He can read minds and in extreme cases, steal memories. At the end of The Darkest Lie , his gift (curse?) opened the doorway for hundreds of crazed lower-demons to also take up residence in his head... and he has been driven to madness. Meanwhile, Strider (a fellow Lord, possessed by Defeat) has captured Haidee. She is a Hunter, who has dedicated her life to slaying Lords. In fact, centuries ago, she managed to kill one. But once she is in the fortress, Amun reaches out to her telepathically. It is quickly revealed that the two share some kind of bond that makes them warm and fuzzy, despite the fact that they should be enemies. In her presence, the torment from the demons quiets inside Amun. But the Angels who have allowed him to live while he regained his sanity, demand he return to Hell (with Haidee) to be rid of them for good.

I really enjoyed getting to know Amun. He's been around since the beginning, but like Kane, he was kind of like a piece of furniture. He was there in the background, utilized or referred to from time to time, but never given much of a personality. And Haidee is fleshed out wonderfully. I couldn't imagine how her character could be redeemed, but she was... with a fantastic backstory. Of course, we had our sexy-Showalter love scenes. They were good; though not quite as red-hot for me as in some of the previous installments.

This book also gives us some more inside into Strider. (Win!) I find I like him more and more with each passing book. At the end of The Darkest Lie, I really thought he would be paired with Haidee, but it was interesting to see how his lust for her is dealt with. It was resolved a little too neatly in the end. But I can get over it, now seeing who his love interest will be in The Darkest Surrender . I can't wait to see how it plays out. 4 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by Harlequin Books (less)

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Apr 22, 2011 Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Paranormal romance fans

Recommended to Annie the Destroyer *Leather Lust* by: Angela

Shelves: pnr, author-gena-showalter, my-hottie-harem, angels-and-demons, ebooks, gods, keep-a-spare-pair-of-knickers, read-in-2011, tortured-bad-boys, warriors

4.5 STARS!!!

A few of you may know that I was less than thrilled to read this book. When I heard about the pairings for this book and Strider’s , I may have gone on a rampage, expressing my displeasure and annoyance. I really hoped for Amun and Kaia to be together and that Strider and Haidee would get a book because of their amazing chemistry in The Darkest Lie. But instead, we got Haidee and Amun and this irked me a bit. This WAS my opinion, so please don’t ride me too hard because I really cou...more 4.5 STARS!!!

A few of you may know that I was less than thrilled to read this book. When I heard about the pairings for this book and Strider’s , I may have gone on a rampage, expressing my displeasure and annoyance. I really hoped for Amun and Kaia to be together and that Strider and Haidee would get a book because of their amazing chemistry in The Darkest Lie. But instead, we got Haidee and Amun and this irked me a bit. This WAS my opinion, so please don’t ride me too hard because I really couldn’t find myself accepting this early on.

If there ever was a time when Gena Showalter had to prove herself, then this was it. And I think she did! With some helpful encouragement from my girl, Ang I picked this up hoping to be proven wrong! To be honest, I wasn’t too keen on Amun because he was the silent type, always on the sidelines and the one who had the other Lord’s back. Now in the spotlight, I found that I really loved Amun and thought that despite his choice not to speak, he had a really great voice and I really enjoyed reading his POV. He needs more air time in this series!

And then there’s Haidee the Hunter...I never hated her for killing Baden, so she never had that hurdle with me. And I found that I also liked her a lot. She was flirty and tough and I thought Amun and her had great chemistry...which pains me to say, because I didn’t initially want them together.

The sex scenes were great. I don’t say this often about Showalter’s work because I honestly can’t remember their scenes after I finish reading them, but I really enjoyed the time Haidee and Amun had together!

I LOVED Strider in this book! He picked up the pace and was such a great presence! I cannot wait for this book!! Stridey, William and Paris never fail to make me laugh. That prank call to Maddox was hilarious!

And I have a new favourite heroine!! KAIA IS THE SHIT! She is damn hilarious and can kick some major ass! I love her personality and this just makes me so much more excited to know that her book is next! Bring it, Showalter! I’m ready for some Harpy action!

Favourite Quote:
“I”ll pay,” William piped up, “After you describe everything about that kiss you two shared. Did you cop a feel? You did, didn’t you, you little hussy. I bet you moaned a lot, too.”
(less)

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Jun 12, 2011 Lady Valee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr-romance

I LOVED it! I just had an amazing time reading this one. I would have added it to my favs shelf if it hadn't been for the ending, you know? one of those rushed finished-in-the-last-20-pages kind of ending. If it had been a bit longer and the solution for all the problems hadn't appear from out of nowhere, I would have enjoyed it even more. It's sad because the book had the potential to be one of the best books in the series.

What I liked the most was the connection the hero and the heroine establ...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Jodie Riverina Romantics rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, on-blog, paranormal, on-amazon

4.5 Stars

Amun, Amun, Amun!! You sweet sexy demon, you.

I don't think there has been a hero in this series that I wouldn't offer to have babies with, Amun being among them. He was the typical sexy, masculine, sex god (even though he's a demon) that I have come to expect from Gena Showalter.

I wasn't originally a fan of Haidee, I don't think may people were for the obvious fact that she had killed one of the previous demons - but I never doubted Gena's ability to make the story as outstanding as th...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Larissa Ione rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was one of my favorites in the series, right up there with Reyes's book. This one really showcases Gena's talent...very few authors could pull off a non-speaking hero, and she did it awesomely! Haidee turned out to be my favorite heroine, and I loved how she didn't fight her feelings for long. It was refreshing to have a hero and heroine fall for each other smoothly, while battling external forces. Definitely loved this one!

14 likes · like · see review

May 05, 2011 ♥ Sam ♥ ~S2~Im made of awesomness rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, paranormal-romance, march-2011, romance, blog-reviews-for-my-wenchy, dark-and-seductive, next-in-the-series, part-of-a-series

LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD – Every review of this book that I have read has focused on how people wasn’t sure how they would perceive, Haidee’s character – I on the other hand was more concerned about my lack of fondness for a mute Amun.

MY AMUN - ALL TORTURED AND SEXY

AMUN - AFTER HIS BATH IN HELL

I can’t tell you when I read the last book in this series, but I was happy when it all came flooding back to me when we kicked off right were good ol’ Gideon had left us. Amun is fresh out of hell and is...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Review, including quotes, posted at http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...

The Darkest Secret is book seven in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. This series revolves around a group of immortal warriors who have been punished for opening Pandora’s Box by having to each house a demon inside him or herself. We’re talking big, sexy, yummy immortal warriors. Warriors that have learned to (somewhat) control their demons and are now really awesome ‘people’ who are fiercely loyal to one...more Review, including quotes, posted at http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...

The Darkest Secret is book seven in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. This series revolves around a group of immortal warriors who have been punished for opening Pandora’s Box by having to each house a demon inside him or herself. We’re talking big, sexy, yummy immortal warriors. Warriors that have learned to (somewhat) control their demons and are now really awesome ‘people’ who are fiercely loyal to one another and those they love. Seriously, not much to not love about these guys and these books. They are Paranormal Romance at its finest.

The Darkest Secret is Amun’s story, the Keeper of Secrets. Amun is not one to speak because when he tries, every secret his demon has ever fished out of someone’s head comes rushing out. He’d rather stay silent than risk hurting the feelings of those around him. He can also hear people’s thoughts, something he’s had to get used to over the years. He’s the Lord who is the most ‘stable’, doing anything and everything he can to help out his friends. He’s also the character we’ve known the least about from previous books because he’s so quiet, calm and seemingly ‘together’.

But he’s found himself someone who can hear his thoughts! Someone he can communicate with! How can she hear him? Who knows really, but she can and that’s what’s important. Amun has found himself a woman he feels passionate about and who is helping him deal with the demon minions who entered him when he went to Hell in the last book. Yeah…these Lords are always up to something. Going to the U.S. to hunt some Hunters, going to Hell to help save a minion who has befriended one of them. You know, the usual kind of stuff we all do every day. (Not really) The only little glitch with the perfect woman Amun has finally found…she’s a Hunter. Annnnd she’s the one responsible for killing one of the Lords centuries ago. Well damn.

Haidee has spent her whole life hating the Lords and the Demons who possess them. After all, they are responsible for the death of her family so it’s only natural that she do whatever she can to get her revenge. I liked how Haidee wasn’t written as automatically being cool with everything that was going on. I liked that she had a bit of fire in her. And I really liked where her character ends up.

Amun and Haidee together…wonderful. Then again, Gena is excellent when it comes to her couplings. Her heroes and heroines are always unique and fun to watch. Witnessing their relationships bloom is sweet and the pairing in this book is no exception. Of course, you get your initial “Mine” moments – I always like those. Then you get to the real nitty gritty of the characters and you find out why they are so well matched.

Now, the lovin’ in this series is always steaming. Really, there are some h-o-t scenes. But I don’t think I’ve even blushed the way I did when I read Amun and Haidee’s initial um…exploration. Authors always describe ‘things’. That’s a given. But I don’t think I’ve ever come across an author actually use a single word to describe what was going on. Honestly, I’m blushing just writing this and I’m not sure how else to put it. So I’m going to quote the book. You can use your imagination to fill in the blanks. And yes, what you think is most likely what is happening.

Liiick

That’s it. I read that and I didn’t know whether to hide my eyes or *squee*. Seriously, that one word made that scene one of the ones I will remember for a long while. I mean really. *blush*

We saw a lot of Strider in this book, which makes sense because his book is next. We also saw him with his future HEA. There are a few characters in this series that guarantee to put a smile on my face and make me giggle out loud the second they appear on the page. William for one, Anya is the other. And then there is Strider. I LOVE him! Love Love Love him. I really can’t wait for his book and I am very pleased with who his HEA will be. They are, once again yay Gena, a wonderful match!

Gena continues to amaze me with this series. The books all follow the same overall story arc, but each book is so different one from the other. The characters are wonderful to read, easy to love and fun to cheer for. She’s created an incredibly unique world that sucks me in each time I pick up a new title. I enjoyed this installment and am really looking forward to September 27th when The Darkest Surrender hits stores.(less)

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Apr 02, 2011 Hbeebti rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I knew that Amun's book would be great. I was not disappointed! It was fabulous! The setup for Strider's book was great. Cant wait to read his later in the year.

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Apr 16, 2011 jD rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read

I love the consistency of the LotU series. Ms. Showalter never disappoints. I especially enjoy her pacing and the way she builds the love story. In this installment, Amun won my heart as did his lover, Haidee. The idea of having a Lord fall for a Hunter was not too far fetched as we already learned from Paris's obsession. In this story, however, Haidee was much more complicated. She was like an onion, layer after layer of the unexpected. I had often wondered what Amun was like as a person. He is...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: z-read-in-2011, paranormal

This is officialy my favourite Lord of the Underwold book.

I looove Amun & Haidee.

Amun, the keeper of Secrets is on a fast track to madness after the events at the end of The Darkest Lie. His salvation comes from an unlikely source, Heidee, a Hunter who hates LotU passionately. He is so incredibly sweet & generous & selfless (I know, I know he's a big bad demon). Even when he had every reason to hate Heidee (view spoiler), he s...more

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Apr 13, 2011 SATIN SUE rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Descriptions:

Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when new demons possess him, the immortal warrior must be chained and isolated to protect those he loves. Death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty…

Haidee is an infamous demon assassin, raised to despise Amun’s kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame?...more

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May 19, 2011 ♥ Sarah ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, ilb, paranormal-romance

More of my reviews at I'm Loving ♥ Books.

When we left off in the last book, The Darkest Lie, Amun absorbed many demons when they ventured into hell to rescue Legion; and now he's going mad because of it. The Lords have no choice but to lock him up in his room in order to keep the darkness from spreading to others. An army of angels have come to guard over him and are threatening to kill him to keep everyone safe if they can't find a way to expel the demons (excluding Secrets) from him. In the me...more More of my reviews at I'm Loving ♥ Books.

When we left off in the last book, The Darkest Lie, Amun absorbed many demons when they ventured into hell to rescue Legion; and now he's going mad because of it. The Lords have no choice but to lock him up in his room in order to keep the darkness from spreading to others. An army of angels have come to guard over him and are threatening to kill him to keep everyone safe if they can't find a way to expel the demons (excluding Secrets) from him. In the meantime, Haidee, the hunter who long ago killed one of their friends, Baden (keeper of Distrust at the time), is being held prisoner by Strider. When both of their "prisons" become neighbors, they discover a surprising and powerful connection between them that is both undeniable and mind-boggling.

First going into this book I was extremely excited to learn more about Amun. He has been such a huge mystery throughout the series because of his inability to communicate through talking (due to the risk of letting out secrets his demon has discovered). So I was very much looking forward to getting to know the sexy and quiet demon. However, when it comes to Haidee, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to like her at all. In fact, I'll admit I was pretty set on hating her throughout the whole book. It actually kind of reminds me of the situation with Chase from Dreams of a Dark Warrior, in that I just could not see how this was going to work out with me liking this person.

But despite my initial hesitations, I actually ended up really like Haidee and understanding what happened all those years ago to make her do what she did. Obviously, I won't divulge what that is, you'll just have to read for yourself to find out. ;) But, I think Gena did a great job bringing Haidee's character into the light and enabling us to love a character who I'm sure most readers were set on hating from page one.

Now my one problem with this book is that it was lacking in the action department. Whereas the past several books have been moving towards a larger direction as a series, this one was kind of stagnant in that area. The entire book was really just about the romance; and almost all of the overlaying series plots were removed from this book. I'm not sure why that's the case and it was a bit of a disappointment not to learn more about the bigger picture at all. But, at the same time, Gena did a really good job of keeping me interested in the romance and still loving every page!

On the positive side, I loved the vacation between Strider, William, and Paris. That was just fun all around and I'm always laughing when William is on the page. Gotta love him! An interesting little thing happened for Paris on said vacation as well, and I'm really excited to see if we learn more about that in the next book (seeing as Paris' book is after Strider's). I also am loving the blooming relationship between Strider and Kaia.

Overall, another great book in the series. It's not my favorite in the series and I think that the action and bigger picture stories could have been drawn on a bit more. But despite those things, the romance between Amun and Haidee was both smoking hot and endearing at times. I'm looking forward to reading about Strider's story next. After all the emotional turmoil he went through in this book, he deserves his HEA next for sure!(less)

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Apr 17, 2011 Francesca the Fierce ~Eyelet Ecstasy~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series-lords-of-the-underworld, angels-demons, genre-paranormal-romance, books-read-2011, read-audio-books

4.5 Stars

I will start by admitting I was not at all interested in reading this book. I went into it thinking "Ok, get through Amun so we're ready for Strider". I did not have issues with the fact that Haidee had killed Baden, I knew there had to be a reason for it. I also didn't have issues with the fact that in a previous book we saw a bit of chemistry between Haidee and Strider. I just didn't really care much one way or another. That sounds bad, huh? I just never though much about Amun, he nev...more

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May 12, 2011 Catherine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, contemporary, fiction-vixen-reviews, first-reads-arcs-won-a-copy, bad-childhood, cheating-sleeps-with-someone-else, demons, excellent, ghosts, magic-mystical-ability, read-2011, romance, series, kindle

4.5 Stars

I wasn’t sure what to think going into this book. I haven’t enjoyed the last couple books in the series quite as much as I had wanted to. They were good, but the secondary storylines took up way too much space and made me feel like the main relationship was getting shortchanged. I was thrilled to see that the main storyline got way more focus in this book!

I’ve heard some buzz going around recently about people being irritated that Haidee hooked up with Amun when Strider was interested i...more

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Apr 05, 2011 ♠ Sharon is an emotional book junkie ♠ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Another enjoyable addition to the Lords of the Underworld series. I was rather surprised at how much I grew to like Amun and Haidee. They were really sweet together and what a journey they had getting there. {I want an angel backpack!} I thought that Haidee's story was really interesting and I liked the whole play on fire and ice. There definitely were some smexy times and IMO it really reminded me of the times with Payne and Manny in Lover Unleashed !

The only problem I had was that same ol' p...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Isalys rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, paranormal-romance

Amun, Keeper of Secrets, is suffering as a result of his sojourn to Hell with Aeron and William. He is being battered, day in and day out, by the voices of evil that have taken residence in his head. They are beyond his control and are threatening not only his life & sanity, but of those around him. He is a prisoner in his own home; chained to his bed for fear of the damage he will do to others. Is death the only way to save him?

As Keeper of Secrets, he still knows enough that he cannot verb...more Amun, Keeper of Secrets, is suffering as a result of his sojourn to Hell with Aeron and William. He is being battered, day in and day out, by the voices of evil that have taken residence in his head. They are beyond his control and are threatening not only his life & sanity, but of those around him. He is a prisoner in his own home; chained to his bed for fear of the damage he will do to others. Is death the only way to save him?

As Keeper of Secrets, he still knows enough that he cannot verbalize his pain for fear of releasing the vile secrets trapped inside of him. Instead, he calls for help in his mind knowing that no one will be able to hear him. However, someone does hear him. Someone completely unexpected.

Haidee has been captured by Strider, Keeper of Defeat {side note: I am now in love with Strider, but I digress}. She's been taken to the fortress where ALL her enemies reside. As she tries to come up with a plan to get herself out of their clutches, she hears a tortured voice call for help - but why is she hearing that voice in her head?

It takes Haidee some time to figure out that this man that she's compelled to help is in fact one of her enemies. However, despite her hatred of his kind, she cannot help but feel protective of him and wants nothing more than to help ease his pain. And so begins their journey.

Unlike some of the lords in the previous books, Amun did not fight his feelings for Haidee. Their attraction was immediate and fierce {Gena is a master of this!}. It wasn't just passion between these two though, there were some really great tender moments where they realized their original perceptions of the other was quite wrong. Ancient memories reveal that their lives were more connected than either realized.

I was not originally a fan of Haidee because of the way her character was painted in the previous book. Then again, she was introduced to us by Strider who is not in the Haidee Fan Club. This book gave us a lot of insight into her character and by the end, I really admired her strength, love and utter devotion to Amun. Oh Amun, the strong, silent type. As the most mysterious of all the lords, it was so refreshing getting to know him better. All the lords at their core are benevolent, but Amun is one of the most noble.

The only area where I felt the book fell short of perfection was the finale. I don't want to give anything away, but I was left with a few questions about Haidee's ability, so to speak.

What I do love about these books, and this one in particular, is Gena's ability to weave in elements of the other lords without taking away from the main attraction. I loved the bits she gave us about Strider and William {who I hope also gets his own book and HEA}.

Bottom line, Gena is hands-down one of my very favorite paranormal romance writers. She gives us incredible smex (not just scenes, but the sexual tension between our h/h), belly laughs, emotional vulnerability, badass heroines and top-notch warriors that are the stuff fantasies are made of.

PS: This is just me talking here, but seriously you guys, I cannot friggin' wait for Strider's story. Him and Kaia are going to be combustible. It's going to be epic, EPIC I tell you! {Gah, I ♥ Stider}

FINAL RATING: 4.5 out of 5
HEAT LEVEL: 5-Scorching(less)

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Mar 31, 2011 Aly (Mircea) Basarab rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, favorites, 2013-sexy-showalter-challenge

I love Amun's story! He was such a silent character in the other that I didn't think I'll like him... God was I wrong! He was an absolute sweetheart and the glimpses of Strider(such an egotistical asshole ROTFL) and William(he is just WOW, I hope Gena writes his book soon) in the book made it more then funny.

I wanted to hate Haidee since she killed Baden but after all she went through, the life(s) she had, her spunk and how hard and fast she's fallen for Amun I am ready to make her one of my fav...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Kaleigha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am torn on this one. Parts I liked, parts I didn't, and that leaves me a bit clueless as to how many stars to give.

What makes it difficult for me is that I liked Amun. And Haidee, which I did not expect. I liked them alone, and I liked them as couple. Great. But their story just sort of...happened. Not that I like a world of conflict before the main characters get together, but it just seemed so...easy, I guess. Once their story got rolling, I found myself caught up in it and enjoying it, but...more I am torn on this one. Parts I liked, parts I didn't, and that leaves me a bit clueless as to how many stars to give.

What makes it difficult for me is that I liked Amun. And Haidee, which I did not expect. I liked them alone, and I liked them as couple. Great. But their story just sort of...happened. Not that I like a world of conflict before the main characters get together, but it just seemed so...easy, I guess. Once their story got rolling, I found myself caught up in it and enjoying it, but then it just ended. Finished. I guess what I am trying to say is that I kept waiting for it. IT. The drama. The problem. The action. And it never came. It ended the same way it started, which is to say with a whimper instead of a bang. There was nothing to really draw me in to their story, even though I liked both characters. I felt no burning need to rush over and finish the book, and had no trouble putting it down and walking away. It wasn't bad, but nothing stood out for me at all, which is a shame.

Now, here is where things get really tricky. I have always been a big fan of Strider, Paris and William (even though Torin remains my favorite). But I left this one not thinking too much of Strider at all. Now, I love a bit of humor in a book, but the whole sub plot involving William, Strider and Paris just didn't work. At first, I kept thinking of the Three Stooges on a road trip, and then it hit me...Emo warriors. I like my warriors a bit on the dark side, but here I started calling them Silly (William), Sullen (Paris) and Shallow (Strider). Now, I left this one still having the Paris and William love, but my feelings for Strider took a bit of a nose dive. He came across as vain, shallow, flaky and more than a bit dense. Not good at all. I kept expecting them to act more like warriors and less like high school cheerleaders on spring break, but alas it never happened. I think this, more than anything, made my enjoyment in The Darkest Secret less than it should have been. And I think I would have gotten violent if I had read the words Stridey-Poo again...

I do hope Strider can be redeemed in his book, up next, because as it stands now I am not that anxious for a whole book about Stridey-poo. (less)

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Apr 10, 2011 Lynsey A rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, showalter-lords-of-the-underworld, part-of-a-series, paranormal-romance, favorite-series, favorite-author

Another great Lords story. It was quite a surprise to learn that Haidee was the heroine of a Lord because of her past. However, as always, Gena did a great job of making us like Haidee by understanding her past with her great writing.

Amun has never been the one Lord I really wanted to read about. However, after reading his book I find I really love his character. The ending when he (view spoiler) was quite entertaining...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars
I feel like I've been waiting for ages for the next lords book and I was so excited to get my hands on this one. Amun was always much more mysterious to me since he rarely spoke and was always in the back ground so I wasn't sure what to expect. Then to add to the confusion the story opens up with Strider being extremely attracted to Haidee so I had to flip the book back over to make sure this was supposed to be Amun's story. In the end I wasn't satisfied with the explanation for his att...more 3.5 stars
I feel like I've been waiting for ages for the next lords book and I was so excited to get my hands on this one. Amun was always much more mysterious to me since he rarely spoke and was always in the back ground so I wasn't sure what to expect. Then to add to the confusion the story opens up with Strider being extremely attracted to Haidee so I had to flip the book back over to make sure this was supposed to be Amun's story. In the end I wasn't satisfied with the explanation for his attraction to her. Still the relationship between a lord and Haidee, the women responsible for killing their best friend, Baden, made for an interesting story line.

It was great seeing more into who Amun is and that while strong he wasn't as overtly alpha male as some of the other lords. I loved Haidee and the back story of how she is still alive after having her head chopped off was deftly done. The chemistry between the two of them was smoking and their scenes together were steamy but it wasn't really their romance that made this book for me. Despite Haidee being a hunter and the killer of one of his best friends and Amun being a lord she's grown up swearing to kill they came together relatively easily. What truly grabbed me was all the little tidbits we get about the other lords. Like I mentioned above I was confused by how intense his feelings were towards Haidee even though she wasn't his one. Once we do see who he is going to be paired up with then the excitement kicked in. The pairing seems perfect and leaves you eager to read their story. We also see a little more of William and Gilly's relationship and I may have just forgotten about all the revelations of who William was but there were a few shockers in here about his background. And of course as usual Showalter tortures us with just a glimpse into Paris and Sienna's story. I swear sometimes I just want to shake the book and yell at it to reveal what is going to happen between Paris and Sienna. Overall this was another nice addition to the lords world and it just leaves you eagerly waiting for the next book.(less)

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Apr 08, 2011 Lady Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gena-showalter, epub, love-love-love, gods, demons

This latest installment of the Lords of the Underworld series tells us the story Amun, the Keeper of Secrets, and his destiny, Haidee.

We pick up where Gid's story left off. Amun, fresh back from Hell & full of demons is barely surviving - he's tried to kill himself & his friends don't know what else to do. Little do they know, Strider's new capture, the Hunter Haidee will find him next door to her room & mistake him for her boyfriend, Micah - who looks a lot like Amun. Haidee is the...more This latest installment of the Lords of the Underworld series tells us the story Amun, the Keeper of Secrets, and his destiny, Haidee.

We pick up where Gid's story left off. Amun, fresh back from Hell & full of demons is barely surviving - he's tried to kill himself & his friends don't know what else to do. Little do they know, Strider's new capture, the Hunter Haidee will find him next door to her room & mistake him for her boyfriend, Micah - who looks a lot like Amun. Haidee is the ice to Amun's fire - they connect from the first touch. But how far will their instant attraction take them? Can Haidee save the man she can't help falling in love with?

I honestly think that this was the most romantic book of the series, so, of course, being the hopeless romantic that I am - I loved it. I was honestly unsure of just how Gena would pull off the relationship between Amun & Haidee since we all thought she would end up with Strider, but I should have had faith! Gena would not lead us astray. She more than pulled it off, she told the story the only way it could be told & I was completely convinced of that by the time I finished this book. I loved watching them learn to trust each other, regardless of centuries of hating what the other represented. They were truly the perfect yin to the other yang.

Strider though...*sigh* Oh, Strider. Did anyone see Kaia's obsession coming? I didn't know she even liked him, much less loved him so I guess it was a surprise to him too - but OUCH. He was a bit rough on her. Looking forward to seeing how he'll make up for it in the next one.

Also - I love William. Seriously. I loved learning more about him (Four Horseman, what?!) & seeing him attempt to stave off his love for Gilly - I can't wait until he falls HARD for her. & that freakin' BOOK! Agh, I want to read it.

Their text convos cracked me up!!!!!!!!! Wouldn't you love to vacay with Paris, Strider, & William?

While The Darkest Passion remains my favorite book of the series, I would definitely rank this right up there - romantic, suspenseful, & eye-opening, I can't wait to continue the adventures in The Darkest Surrender!(less)

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Nov 01, 2011 Ren rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: LOTU hardcore fans!

Shelves: angel, ass-kick-heroine, based-on-mythology, cant-wait-the-new-release, demon, god-goddes, greek-myth, immortal-warrior, paranormal, there-are-hot-men, reviewed, own-paperback, 4-and-half-stars, own-and-read

Duh!

I should never doubt Gena! Again she show her class with this book! Even I'm disappointed with Lord of The Vampires, even this book have a slow beginning. Even STRIDER ANNOY ME A LOT!! I end up love Amun's story, and that's the reason why Lords of The Underworlds is one of series I will always love and adore.

For anyone who doubt and want Amun with Kaia, believe me, they're not supposed for each other. Haidee is his perfect mate, and I can't imagine if Amun and Kaia really, really paired. May...more

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Apr 13, 2011 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, romance, paranormal-romance, paranormal, immortals, favorites, enemies-at-first, soulmates-or-love-at-first-sight, spitfire-heroines, to-reread, hero-in-pursuit, heroine-saves-hero, sick-injured-or-dying-heroine-or-he, angels-demons, have-in-nyc, duplicate-owned

Wow... I wasn't thrilled at first, learning that this would be Amun's story: I mean, he's cute and all, but he wasn't really a main character in the previous books. And Haidee? well, I thought she'd end up with Strider. I was wrong. Amun was amazing! So sexy and sweet and determined to be with Haidee. And the ending? tears in my eyes!! They were the sweetest couple! Probably the only one in the series who right away admits they want to be together, which I loved!
I was also glad to see who Strid...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angels, author-goddess-gena-showalter, demons, hero-i-wanna-hug, mythology-gods-and-goddesses, paranormal-romance, pdf-kindle

This book was great I didn't, at first, like Haidee and Amun together as a couple, mainly cos I didn't like Haidee but the more I learnt about her the more I liked her. They were great together and I loved seeing more about Amun as before this book you never really know much about him.

I also liked the bits with Paris, William amd Strider, and I really can't wait for Strider and Kaia's book.

And the prank phone call to Maddox, hilarious!!

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Apr 27, 2011 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gena-showalter, bought-in-2011, i-own, read-in-2011

I didn't think I would enjoy this but I really did. Amun was not one of my favorite Lords. I loved the mini vaca the boys had. Something about drunk dialing Violence just made my day. I can't wait to read about Strider he is my top favorite!

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About Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels. Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been transl...more

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Books by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)

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)

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Quotes from The Darkest Secret

“Hate. Huh. He'd never hated himself. If anything, he'd always liked himself a little too much. Once, a human female had even accused him of picturing his own face while he climaxed. He hadn't denied it, either, and next time he'd slept with her, he'd made sure to scream, "Strider" at the pivotal moment."
--Strider, keeper of the demon of Defeat--” — 104 people liked it

“For a moment, Strider almost forgot how pissed he was with Amun and Haidee as he savored the fact that he'd just cock-blocked the keeper of Death. Almost.” — 77 people liked it

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The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld #7)

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