The Darkest Surrender (Lords of the Underworld, #8)

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The Darkest Surrender (Lords of the Underworld #8)

by Gena Showalter (Goodreads Author)

4.41 of 5 stars 4.41 · rating details · 10,907 ratings · 700 reviews

Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain. For him, nothing stands in the way of victory. Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor's edge of surrender.
Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die. Strider is a distraction she can't afford be...more

ebook, 346 pages

Published September 27th 2011 by Harlequin Books

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Sep 23, 2011 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
**Read on 23rd of September 2011**

*Contains detailed sex scenes

The Darkest Surrender is yet another book in the brilliant Lords of the Underworld series! Honestly, I devoured it and never wanted it to end.
Strider and Torin have always been my faves of the Lords so I’ve been so eager for Strider’s book for such a long time. I was ecstatic to get my hands on a copy and I am happy to say it didn’t disappoint. The storyline was awesome---the Harpy games fun and exciting and I was swept away into th...more
**Read on 23rd of September 2011**

*Contains detailed sex scenes

The Darkest Surrender is yet another book in the brilliant Lords of the Underworld series! Honestly, I devoured it and never wanted it to end.
Strider and Torin have always been my faves of the Lords so I’ve been so eager for Strider’s book for such a long time. I was ecstatic to get my hands on a copy and I am happy to say it didn’t disappoint. The storyline was awesome---the Harpy games fun and exciting and I was swept away into the tale and story just as I am with every book in this series.

I have to admit when I first learned that Kaia was to be paired with Strider I wasn’t at all sure about it. I mean, I love all the Skyhawks, but pairing another of them off with another Lord? Wasn’t sure it would work....and yet it did, brilliantly!
As the keeper of Defeat, Strider cannot loose a challenge and everything is a battle for him. With his golden boy looks and attitude, he’s sexy, and witty and hilarious. I love his nature and his attitude---I have from the very beginning. To quote him....he’s just made of awesome! He is by far one of the more possessive and demanding of the lords and he doesn’t share—at all, but I found I liked that about him. He wasn’t sure he wanted Kaia, but when I realised he did, he wanted her completely. He wanted to be her one and only as she was his. Insert dreamy sigh here......

Kaia! Oh, that girl! I’ve thought highly of higher ever since Aeron’s book where she was so good to Olivia, and by the end of Amun’s I was pretty excited for the chance to see her win Strider’s heart. And she certainly did. It was a battle that her feisty nature and strength allowed her to conquer. Kaia never failed to put a smile on my face with her flirty and funny nature. I loved the way she met Strider strike for strike, quip for quip and how she didn’t let his nature beat her. She let him win.....but she didn’t. One of the things I liked about her was that she wasn’t perfect. She’d made mistakes and she had a lot of issues with herself. She was a proud individual, but she had a lot of insecurities and it was nice seeing her overcome with Strider’s help and love.

The relationship between Strider and Kaia was brilliant—I loved it. Both such strong individuals who don’t like loosing, and in the beginning I worried that maybe this would be a problem. I was ecstatic to learn that it wouldn’t be the case. With Strider’s demon, I always assumed he’d need a calm woman, one that didn’t challenge him all that much—boy was I wrong! The thing that made him and Kaia so alike was that she understood his need and desire to win and knew what channelling him would do. And yet she wasn’t afraid to do that from time to time. With her nature she was the ultimate challenge for him. A battle he fought to win and when he did....awww, it was so sweet. She wanted him from the beginning and wanted him, but he still had to fight---mostly himself and even some of her nature to win her heart completely. Sparks flew when they were together and their sex scenes were very, very hot.

I’m so intrigued by the glimpse of Kane and Paris in this book and I know their turns are coming. Paris is next and I’m so excited that Sienna has changed her tune about him—it gives me hope that they’re get there HEA. I’m interested in finding out what it means for Kane with Williams creation and all now that he’s in hell. Soooo exciting. And. This may seem a bit random, but with Zacharel being in the series, I wonder....what about him.....and Cameo? With his angel abilities, perhaps he can see above her voice into the heart of her. It’d certainly be an interesting combination.

I can’t wait for the next book, The Darkest Seduction. It such a long wait and I have to know what’s going to happen next....like....NOW!!
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Jan 15, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angels-guardians, bad-childhood, challenge-task-contest, contemporary, comedy, demons, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, fiction-vixen-reviews, first-reads-arcs-won-a-copy, read-2011, romance, series, harpy, phoenix, halfbreed

Yet another fun episode in the Lords of the Underworld series. I’ve noticed that word crops up almost every time I write a review for one of Showalter’s books—fun. The characters are always so funny, and even when they don’t get along, their dislike of each other always includes funny situations and verbal sparring.

I was a little uncertain of Kaia and Strider as a couple. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to have one of the protagonists have a sexual history with the other protagonist’s friend, but the...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Dawn Ang rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, contemporary-fiction, ebook, fiction, mythology, paranormal, romance

Finally got around to finishing this book--which really says a great deal about what I thought about it. Despite being extremely excited for Strider and Kaia's story I found this addition to the series to be anticlimactic.

Don't get me wrong; the romance story arc between Strider and Kaia was tons of fun as, one would expect, but the plot in this book does not connect well with the general plot of the series. In "The Darkest Surrender" Showalter sets aside the main antagonists thus far, the Hunt...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Shawna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: LOTU fans

Shelves: gena-showalter, pnr-angeldemon-fae-magic-witch-misc, series-lords-of-the-underworld, favorite-romance-series, hh-warrior, im-a-cover-hottie-ho, greek-egyptian-misc-mythology, paranormal-romance, 2011-reads, action-adventure-treasure-hunting, archaeology-antiquities-scholar, assassin, badasses-hunks-in-leather, best-faves-of-2011, best-snarkasm-humor, best-wittiest-banter-dialogue, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, favorite-romance-couple-hh-pairings, favorites, friends-to-lovers, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-alpha‎, hero-attractive-handsome-heartthrob, hero-bad-boy-playboy, hero-expert-skilled-voracious-lover, hero-i-wanna-marry, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-stalk-me-baby-possessive, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, hero-tattalizing, hero-walking-hardon, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, heroine-bad-reputation-fallen, heroine-badgirl-improper-scandalous, heroine-i-adore, heroine-kickass-spirited-strong, heroine-redhead, heroine-ridiculed-unpopular, hh-disfigured-injured-scarred-ill, humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun, i-read-library, steam-3-hot, tattoos-piercings-body-art, unrequited-love-crush, 4-to-5-stars, hero-flirt-charmer-ladies-man

4 ½-5 stars – Paranormal Romance

GAWD this cover is gorgeous!

And Strider? He’s a sexy, snarky, narcissistic, surprisingly sweet, possessive, protective, and all around badass, fun-loving warrior. His constant need for challenge to assuage his demon of Defeat and egotistical inner dialogue is freaking hilarious. He’s one of my favorite Lords and Kaia the Kick-Ass (my chosen nickname for her) Harpy is just perfect for him. Darkest Surrender is a great addition to the LOTU series.

“You are not Kaia t...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Lady Valee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr-romance

3.5 STARS

I did like it... It's just that thought I would like it so MUCH FREAKING MORE! I mean, I have been waiting to read a book about one of the Harpies since forever and I thought it would be much better than what it actually was. I still adore the plot and the characters so it's extremely hard to rate a book in this series with a lower rating than 4 stars, still I'm a bit disappointed...

I did like Strider, I know many just thought he was too egocentric and vane, but I think he was sweet and...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Bobs (Reader Unbound) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read-list

OHHH-MYYY-GAAWWWD!This is gonna be HOT!
And I have to wait until September?!?! Have you have no heart Ms. Showalter ?!
I am so excited about this book. I love the possessive nature that Kaia showed in the The Darkest Secret & the way she almost went harpy when she smelt the peach flavor on Strider. *sigh*
I have always been a sucker for the possessive characters and now I will have the exclusive chance to read about two people both with a possessive beheavior. I can tell I will love this !

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Nov 10, 2011 Megan Riverina Romantics/Meggerfly~TS rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: LOTU and PNR fans

Shelves: angels, e-book, e-m-p-goodness, paranormal-romance

Gena Showalter is one of my all time favorite authors. The worlds that creates are so real that one can't help but get swept away while reading about them. She never disappoints me. The Darkest surrender is just one more fantastic example of this!

To tell you the truth I had my reservations about this installment of the Lord's series. Strider wasn't exactly one of my favorite characters. He seemed way too egotistical to me and that didn't exactly float my boat you know what I mean? In this book t...more Gena Showalter is one of my all time favorite authors. The worlds that creates are so real that one can't help but get swept away while reading about them. She never disappoints me. The Darkest surrender is just one more fantastic example of this!

To tell you the truth I had my reservations about this installment of the Lord's series. Strider wasn't exactly one of my favorite characters. He seemed way too egotistical to me and that didn't exactly float my boat you know what I mean? In this book though, we see a totally different side of him. A side that quickly had me falling in love with him. This man is sweet, loyal and majorly sexy. Did I say majorly? I should have said SPECTACULARLY SEXY!

From the moment that we first met Kaia she has made me laugh. I love those harpy's and all their antics. She has been a constant source of amusement for me and that didn't change in this book. I LOVED the convo's between Kaia and Bianka. I love Kaia's spunk ans sauciness. I just loved HER and it was wonderful getting to know her better. She has kept her chin up despite what's happened to her in the past (BTW those Skyhawk girls have some crappy family dynamics). Kaia is one determined harpy and she has gained my respect and envy. Hellooo did I saw how MAGNIFICENT Strider is?

Strider and Kaia's relationship was full of unexpected romance and some fabulous acceptance. It was also jammed packed with some scintillating sexuality. They fit together perfectly and are one of the top 10 best couples in the PNR genre IMO. I was sooo upset when the book ended because I just couldn't get enough of them!

Paris makes a good showing in this book, along with William and Kane. We see how disgusted Paris is with his lifestyle and how determined he is to save Sienna (can you say first m/m - though minor - scene that I've ever read from Gena?). Gena expands on William's back-story in this book as well. We finally learned more about his history and lineage.

The Darkest Surrender is easily the best LOTU book yet! Gena Showalter is a superstar. She is pure genius and I WILL NEVER STOP READING HER!(less)

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Feb 08, 2012 Ren rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: If you're LOTU hardcore fans

Shelves: paranormal, demon, there-are-hot-men, immortal-warrior, cant-wait-the-new-release, alpha-hero, annoying-chara, assasin-killer, best-cover-at-series, buy-it-online-at-fb-and-book-site, crazy-character, expect-better-for-the-sequel, family-theme, i-m-not-sure-about-this, reviewed, 2-stars, drooling-cover, wanna-kick-the-hero, wanna-bitchslap-the-heroine, swap-or-give-it-to-others

Don't bother to ask me why I give such a low rating for this. Because I'm still mourning.

Yeah, you hear me right, I never hate LOTU. I love LOTU with all my heart. Even I translated one of the book of this series, The Darkest Pleasure. And that's like a gift for me. But this book make me cry, in a bad way.

I despise Strider. I hate that his personality change so much. He seems funny and entertaining in the beginning. I love the scene at The Darkest Kiss, when he shoot Lucien at bed, after Lucien...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Sophia (♥ Dimitri Belikov) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-romance, immortals, love-it, warriors

I love every book of this series so this book proved exactly why I love them so much.The Darkest Surrender is the eighth book of The Lords Of The Underworld and I can say that I am in love with all the lords and wish they were real.I love every series of Gena showalter not only Lords of the Underworld but also Alien Huntress series,Atlantis series,Stand Alone series,all of her anthologies and of course Royal House of Shadows.

So,here are a few lines of the book:

(view spoiler)...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons, fantasy, mythology, pnr, e-book, favorites

The Darkest Surrender (as Kaia would say) is made of awesome. And dipped in awesome. And sprinkled with awesome.

Considering the fact that Gideon is my favorite of the Lords I honestly didn't think I'd find a book in this series that I enjoyed more than The Darkest Lie. I was wrong. Guess it makes sense, Strider is the keeper of Defeat after all.

Strider and Kaia make the best matched couple yet and I loved their story. Oh and I wanna be a Harpy when I grow up. They are some ruthless, scary bitch...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

I remember when I first heard Strider and Kaia were being paired together. It was a bad day for me. I pretty much freaked out. I was hoping for the Amun/Kaia and Strider/Haidee pairings. However, I learned with Amun and Haidee's book that I should have just trusted Gena in the first place. That lesson has been completely reinforced with this book. There is no way that Strider or Kaia could be with anyone other than each other. They are quite simply, perfect for each other. Looking back, I can't...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Panichaya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-posession, favorite-of-all-time, paranormal-romance

LAST UPDATE: 09/23/11

I didn't take it very well when I first found out that Strider will be paired with Kaia. Don't misunderstand me, I love Kaia a lot, she's one of my most favorite female characters in this series. But I just felt so much chemistry between Strider and Haidee in the Darkest Lie, so I was just hoping for that pairing...but...

Gena has done it again!!! I went to Jewels Osco today and found many copies of the Darkest Secret and I stood there skimming through it for at least 30 minu...more

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Oct 10, 2011 BamaGal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Showalter is a hit or miss author for me, but this one has been a consistently enjoyable read. I worried at first that she had wandered into Kresley Cole land with the ‘Harpies meeting for the game’ bit, but it was okay. She put her own stamp on the games idea, and it segued in and out to a couple of other storylines that kept to the major plot of the series, the war against Galen and the Hunters. Lots of witty, wry humor and some outrageous humor. Lots of sexual innuendo also.

The story moved we...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Karla(Book Addict) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

deleting reviews if you want to take a look at them you can do so on my blog, link on my profile

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Dec 30, 2011 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gena-showalter, lotu, paranormal-romance, who-needs-colored-contacts, demons-do-it-for-me, gods-be-damned, apocalypse-now, enemies-to-lovers, once-is-never-enough, frau-badass, badass-hero, man-ho, not-your-typical-paranormalian, lickable-tattoos, favorites

I was really excited about this edition to the Lord of the Underworlds series after having gotten a glimpse of Kaia and Strider in The Darkest Secret. Well, this book doesn't disappoint - it was awesome!

I loved Strider and Kaia together. Yes, Strider started out as a huge egotistical dick in this series, but he definitely redeems himself and ends up an egotistical sweetie madly in love with his "made of awesome" harpy.

Kaia and Strider really complement each other - she knows how to deal with hi...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, angels, tortured-heroes, paranormal, 4-and-a-half-stars, tormented-heroines, mythology, favorite-series, reviewed-on-blog, autobuy-authors, kickass-heroines, demons

Full review posted at: http://feministfairytalereviews.blogs...

I have read every installment of Showalter's series and, while I have enjoyed some books better than others, I have found this to be one of the most creative and improved paranormal romance series out there right now. Tortured heroes are one of my favorite reading tropes so the prospect of warriors cursed with demons is right up my alley. "The Darkest Surrender" is the eighth book in the series (not including the various side-novel...more Full review posted at: http://feministfairytalereviews.blogs...

I have read every installment of Showalter's series and, while I have enjoyed some books better than others, I have found this to be one of the most creative and improved paranormal romance series out there right now. Tortured heroes are one of my favorite reading tropes so the prospect of warriors cursed with demons is right up my alley. "The Darkest Surrender" is the eighth book in the series (not including the various side-novellas) and it is one of my favorites. I loved almost everything about this book from the sexy yet vulnerable hero, the fiery but not annoying heroine, and the fast-paced plot.

The hero of "The Darkest Surrender" is Strider who is possessed by the demon Defeat. Strider's main curse is that he must win every challenge that is brought upon him or he will suffer from unbearable pain. This has forced Strider, who was always impulsively competitive, to find the balance between aggression and restraint in order to prevent his demon from accepting challenges right and left. This need to win has affected Strider's love life as well. His demon makes it difficult for him to be in a relationship without worrying about being the woman's best lover or whatever. But, these difficulties have definitely not lessened Strider's self-esteem. He is extremely proud and confident in his looks, his fighting skills, and his bedroom prowess.

Strider is probably the sexiest warrior that Showalter has focused on in this series. Please note, though, that this is before Paris, keeper of the demon Promiscuity, receives his book. His confidence could have come across as arrogance, but it works for the situation he is in. His pride is not overwhelming to the point of being annoying and allows him to be the perfect match for his heroine.

Kaia Skyhawk, the female protagonist, is half-Harpy, half-Phoenix and is an older sister of Gwen Skyhawk, wife of Strider's leader Sabin and twin of Bianka Skyhawk, wife of the warrior angel Lysander. Due to an unfortunate incident in her adolescence, Kaia earned the moniker The Disappointment among the Harpies and has been the target of bullying and retaliation since. Despite her traumatic past, Kaia is a vibrant heroine who has self-esteem issues, but rarely lets them affect her lifestyle. Her loyalty to her friends and family is unwavering and she spends much of her time improving her fighting skills in order to protect the ones she cares about.

Kaia is one of my favorite heroines that Showalter has written. It is very difficult for authors to write feisty heroines without having them delve into the TSTL camp or the annoyingly angry camp. Kaia is definitely none of those things. She knows what she wants and goes after it without getting too far above her head. She strives to prove her prowess to her family and her fellow Harpies, but ultimately figures out that she only needs to accept herself to be happy.

Strider and Kaia have a vivacious and challenging relationship. Strider's need to win could have clashed horribly with Kaia's competitive drive, but they build each other up through their altercations. Kaia needs a consort who can keep up with her physically and not feel threatened by her. Strider, on the other hand, needs a heroine who is not cowered by his strength and win at all costs attitude. These two characters are very similar, in interesting ways, and supply the other with exactly what they need. Their romance is sexy and vibrant and full of interest for readers.

I also enjoyed all the side characters in Showalter's world. While the main story of "The Darkest Surrender" is focused on Strider and Kaia, readers are still provided information about other key players. Specifically, in this book, Showalter concentrates on Kane, keeper of Disaster, and Paris, keeper of Promiscuity. Paris's book is the next one to be published so readers are shown quite a few scenes of his journey to find Sienna, his lost love. Kane is a warrior that has not been concentrated on yet so it was nice to find out what was going on in his mind and see some foreshadowing of his ultimate destiny.

In addition to the future heroes, there were many scenes with existing characters that I loved reading. Due to the plot, there was a lot of interaction with Kaia, her sisters, and other Harpies. This provided some fascinating background on the Harpies in the LOTU universe. It was especially nice to see scenes with Bianka/Lysander and Gwen/Sabin as well. I was also drawn to Kaia, Bianka, and Gwen's eldest sister Taliyah and her friend Neeka.

Finally, I enjoyed the overall plot of "The Darkest Surrender." Kaia and her sisters' journey to win the Harpy Games caused the pace to move along quickly from setting to setting and provide the reader with unlimited entertainment. There was always something to look forward to with this storyline and I thought it worked well in balance with Kaia and Strider's love story.

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Dec 20, 2011 Jessica `~Blahyze~` rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, lords-of-the-underworld-series, gena-showalter, 4-stars-but-still-fantastic

Kaia is a strong and determined woman, a harpy in fact and she has her eyes set on one man, the hard-ass Strider. Kaia is to take part in the Harpy games and to do so she must take a consort or a slave, but as she has no slaves she needs consort and as she believes in her heart that Strider is the one for her, he must go with her. Strider has other incentives for accompanying Kaia to the Harpy games, he is after an artefact that he needs Kaia to help him retrieve, a very dangerous task, one that...more Kaia is a strong and determined woman, a harpy in fact and she has her eyes set on one man, the hard-ass Strider. Kaia is to take part in the Harpy games and to do so she must take a consort or a slave, but as she has no slaves she needs consort and as she believes in her heart that Strider is the one for her, he must go with her. Strider has other incentives for accompanying Kaia to the Harpy games, he is after an artefact that he needs Kaia to help him retrieve, a very dangerous task, one that could see Kaia hunted, tortured and killed but none of that will happen with him on watch, Strider is determined of that. Seemed like it took forever for Strider to finally make his move on Kaia and admit his true feelings, wanted to hit up upside the head so many times to get him to wake up and man up already but I was glad when he finally did; I also like how he was protective of Kaia but was aware that she could hold her own and fight her own battles;

“You are not Kaia the Disappointment. Do you hear me? That’s what I was trying to tell you earlier. You are Kaia the Mighty. How many Harpies out there do you think could have brought down the most badass Lord of the Underworld? The same Lord who also happens to be the strongest, sexiest and smartest. And by the way, in case there’s any doubt, I’m describing me.”

There were no shortages of similarly cute moments throughout this read. I really liked the Phoenix angle with Kaia, that’s pretty damn cool and how she managed to save herself with her fire. One of the great things about Kaia is that she is a kick-ass female lead in her own right and isn’t one of those damsels in distress which I don’t really like reading about in books.
I would give this three and a half stars. I just found it dragged a little bit, though that could just be my dirty mind at play wanted to see some Strider/Kaia action though I was expecting a bit more from Strider as a character. This read did leave me eager to read about Paris however, can’t wait to get a hold of his book, I think it’s going to be a real steamer.
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Oct 18, 2011 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, best-of-2011

How Gena Showalter works such magic between the pages, I have no idea, but I hope that she never stops! The Lords of the Underworld series just keeps getting better and better with each installment and The Darkest Surrender is easily one of the best books in the series so far!

The Lords are on the hunt for the last two artifacts that can open Pandora’s Box and destroy them if held in the wrong hangs. Strider, the keeper of the demon Defeat, gave one artifact up for what he thought was safe-keepin...more How Gena Showalter works such magic between the pages, I have no idea, but I hope that she never stops! The Lords of the Underworld series just keeps getting better and better with each installment and The Darkest Surrender is easily one of the best books in the series so far!

The Lords are on the hunt for the last two artifacts that can open Pandora’s Box and destroy them if held in the wrong hangs. Strider, the keeper of the demon Defeat, gave one artifact up for what he thought was safe-keeping, only to be betrayed. Now he is on a mission to make it up to his friends and Win by finding the remaining pieces, but a stubborn harpy keeps getting in his way.
Kaia knows that Strider is her consort, her one and only soul mate, but trying to convince Strider of that is proving to be a difficult job. After being rejected by him several times already, Kaia is on the verge of giving up when she is summoned with her sisters to participate in the Harpy Games. A consort’s blood is the only way to heal quickly from these dangerous games; can Kaia get Strider to agree to be her consort at least temporarily?
When Strider finds out that first prize is one of the artifacts that they have been searching for he agrees to participate in the Harpy Games with Kaia, but he won’t risk her loosing it and the rod. Planning to take matters into his own hands, Strider bides his time. But when it comes down to it, will he risk everything, even love, to Win?

Gena Showalter tears you from this world and into hers within the first few pages of The Darkest Surrender, giving readers a succulent tale full of action, tension and sizzling romance with a witty and humorous repartee.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED Kaia and Strider together; these two are hands down one of my favorite couples. Kaia was such an easy heroine to get behind; smart, strong, spunky and determined. Though she projects an air of confidence, inside Kaia is really quite insecure, believing that she is a disappointment to everyone she cares about. I enjoyed the witty banter between her, Strider and Kaia’s family and the Harpy’s shenanigans was down-right hilarious.
Strider, well he was just sexy as all get out! Even though I don’t usually go for the blond heroes, I knew several books ago from his attitude that I would love Strider and I’ve been itching for Gena to hurry up and get to him. LoL His character was scintillating and sarcastic, and I died (in a good way) over his ‘ego checks’ as well as his references to Stridey Monster, OMG! *fans self* Strider is Kaia’s consort which he doesn’t fully understand at first. He’s attracted to the feisty little Harpy, no doubt, but believes Kaia will continuously challenge him and his demon causing him to lose and end up in unbearable pain which just isn’t going to happen. Despite that however, Strider risks himself to help Kaia out, shows her her worth while protecting his friends as the same time. He is strong, loyal and pure alpha male. *growl* Him and Kaia are a perfect fit and I couldn’t be happier with the way Gena wrote them together, absolute perfection!

William, Kane and Paris show up, adding excitement to the numerous subplots and expanding the LOTU world. Gena gives readers several peeks into Kane’s head (who carries the demon of Disaster) and I am very much intrigued. Paris has had a difficult time these past few novels and my heart wrenches for his current circumstances but Gena is setting it up nicely for his book next (The Darkest Seduction 02/21/2012). Which will also carry over a suspenseful cliffhanger with Kane and William stranded in Hell and the end of the world hanging in the balance; talk about your nail-biter!

Another amazingly awesome addition to the Lords of the Underworld series and an awe-inspiring bookish delight to Gena Showalter’s long list of fantastic reads! (less)

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Oct 30, 2011 Laura the Highland Hussy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...

4.5 flames
Strider, one of my favorite Lords, finally found his match. Kaia, Harpy extraordinaire, has known for a while now that Strider was her Consort. Too bad he doesn’t want anything to do with her.
Strider’s book was awesome, almost as awesome as Strider himself, oh ego-check ;) You’ll catch Strider doing those ego-checks throughout just to remind himself that oh wait, it’s not ego if it’s true. He was a fun hero to have. The only thing that drove me n...more http://www.demonloversbooksandmore.co...

4.5 flames
Strider, one of my favorite Lords, finally found his match. Kaia, Harpy extraordinaire, has known for a while now that Strider was her Consort. Too bad he doesn’t want anything to do with her.
Strider’s book was awesome, almost as awesome as Strider himself, oh ego-check ;) You’ll catch Strider doing those ego-checks throughout just to remind himself that oh wait, it’s not ego if it’s true. He was a fun hero to have. The only thing that drove me nuts was the Harpy Games. While cool to see, I didn’t like the amount of time it took from the romance. The plot was super cool though, and so was the sabotage.

Someone is out to get Kaia, and while they think they know who it is, we also have that person letting Hunters know where Kaia and Strider, Gwen and Sabin, and Bianka and Lysander are. That’s fighting dirty. Seeing Kaia’s backstory and finding out that she is known amongst Harpies as Kaia the Disappointment was pretty heartwrenching. She screwed up at 14 and the only Harpies who know her awesomeness are her sisters. It was so frustrating because I wanted to reach through the book and strangle a few characters.

But the romance was fun, because Strider began to realize that Kaia challenged his demon in a good way, without using it against him like previous girlfriends had. He also finally sucked it up and decided to see if he would in fact be better than Paris in bed with her. That may not make sense, unless you realize that he has the demon of Defeat inside, and any time he loses, he suffers in extreme pain for days. And Paris has the demon of Promiscuity, so Strider has to be better than Paris, or he can’t be with Kaia. Little does he understand that he will be better just because Kaia loves him, not due to his skills.

But when they came together it made it all the sweeter (and hotter!) due to the wait. And I liked how they worked together as a team, even before they realized that they loved each other. The twist at the end with Kaia’s mom was unexpected. But I can’t wait for the Angels of Darkness spin-off series now, Zachaerel especially! Rawr!

There were two side-stories going on with William and Paris. Paris is still on the hunt for Sienna, and William finally took out his rage on Gilly’s parents. Both of those plots have me intrigued for their books, and I’m such a Showalter fan-girl now, it’s ridiculous. She has a way of pairing couples together who really don’t seem to fit well together, but they end up complimenting each other. Fantastic series, and a fantastic author.
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Nov 07, 2012 The Window Seat added it · review of another edition

First off, I liked this one. I liked the story and I liked the characters. But when it gets past the surface, something about this one bothers me.

In this installment you have Strider, the Keeper of Defeat, and Kaia, the Harpy sister of Gwen from The Darkest Whisper. Kaia is falling fast for Strider, but he has a lot of baggage and is very reluctant to commit. The fact that his demon always needs to win makes him vulnerable to any challenge. Women, in the past, have picked up on this need to win...more

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Mar 05, 2012 ♥ Little Butterfly ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lotu, 2012, demons

I love Strider, he is probably my favourite Lord. Sadly , his book wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. The whole Harpy Games didn't make sense to me. It just bored me.
Kaia was pretty annoying in the beginning, too naive, but she turned out a good match for Strider, who was cocky and fun as always (ego-check!!), though tamer than usual.
A huge WTF moment was, when Kaia and Strider finally hooked up while her sisters were in a life or death fight during the tournament.
I liked the sideline Kane...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Jade rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, myth, paranormal-romance

I only liked the subplots.

The romance was a huge letdown. It was the book I looked the most forward to, since I was crazy about Strider, but it fell totally flat. I felt like Strider was totally different from the Strider from the previous books. He was super cheesy and to my great surprise not as funny as usual. He’s the one I’m used to look to to crack me up, but this time he had me rolling my eyes and cringing at his cheesiness. My big stumbling block was the humor. If the type of humor in t...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Saly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: single-titles, read-in-2012

MAJOR SPOILERS, BE WARNED

Strider the keeper of Defeat has come across as kind of a dick, which he can’t help because of his demon he has to come on top always even if that means fighting with his friends. He has lusted after the Harpy Kaia but has been unkind to her, because he knows she has been with Paris and he doesn’t want to compete plus her Harpy nature will cause everything to be a challenge.

He sums up his feelings in these words

“Of course, the thought caused guilt to eat at him. Kaia was...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Beverly Diehl rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The cover sucked me in, with the butterfly-ish tattoo, as an impulse buy. Besides I've been meaning to read some of Ms. Showalter's books for a long time.

This is number eight of an ongoing series of thirteen, and that's one of the hardest challenges as an author. Draw in the reader who simply picked up THIS book, first, while not boring those who've been following all along.

She didn't quite manage it for me. Despite a very convoluted first third or so of the book, I was very confused. Too many c...more

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May 09, 2012 Rae rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I want to make it clear that this review is NOT saying that this series is bad...it truly is a good series. (Even though Gena Showalter has a cookie-cutter recipe that ALL of the books in this series follows...)

However, I realized another reason I suspect that Gena Showalter may be a man (other than a LOT of sexual innuendos/fantasies that seems to cater to a male audience rather than a female audience) ...that Rhea, the Queen of the Titans is the leader of the bad guys while Kronos, her husband...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr-uf

Eight addition to the series featuring Strider, Lord of Defeat and Kaia the Harpy.

This couple's relationship was a rocky road of humor and battling that was a delight to follow. Strider will feel pain if he loses anything his demon perceives as a competition and Kaia feels the need to challenge and prove herself constantly. She wants Strider and he is running as fast as he can to get away from her and his reaction to her until he finds that he is the only one who can have her back in a big Harpy...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, non-erotic, paranormal, science-fiction-fantasy, suspense-mystery

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

A LASR BEST BOOK!

The annual Harpy Games were overrun with more than troublesome harpies. Demons, Greek gods, and angels add to a thrilling adventure that kept me glued to my seat.

Strider's witty personality is only one of many reasons I anticipated the release of his story. His sense of humor amused me in previous books so I knew he would provide some serious comic relief as a hero. Even when he was staring into the eyes of his enemi...more Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

A LASR BEST BOOK!

The annual Harpy Games were overrun with more than troublesome harpies. Demons, Greek gods, and angels add to a thrilling adventure that kept me glued to my seat.

Strider's witty personality is only one of many reasons I anticipated the release of his story. His sense of humor amused me in previous books so I knew he would provide some serious comic relief as a hero. Even when he was staring into the eyes of his enemies, his personality never lost its quirkiness. As the keeper of the demon Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge no matter how trivial or seemingly unobtainable. Which is why Kaia, harpy sister to Bianka and Gwen, purposefully challenges him every chance she gets. It's obvious that he needs someone to keep him on his toes. Kaia is certainly the most entertaining choice for a mate. Kaia as a heroine touched my heart and made me fall in love with her right along with Strider.

For all of her cockiness, Kaia is actually extremely vulnerable. Who knew? It was interesting to see a seemingly strong female role have a softer side. She was labeled a disappointment by her harpy kin due to a mistake she made when she was younger. It's one of the reasons why Strider's approval is so important to her. Kaia is determined to earn his respect. With two such strong willed individuals I knew sparks would fly. The dialogue was really clever so the conversations between these two were never dull.

The relationship between Strider and Kaia is one that will stick in my mind for a while. So much so I can see myself reading this story a few more times. They are both known for their wit and sense of humor so it is only fitting that their banter is the best I have ever had the privilege of reading. While they intentionally push each others buttons they do not accept anyone else challenging their mate.

The harpy games added an extra level of excitement to this story. It was the perfect time for some favorite characters from previous books to make an appearance. Readers are also treated to a show of why the harpies are so feared by all including the lords and other demons. Ms. Showalter does an incredible job of painting the harpies as fearless, cunning warriors. It's not often you see such strong females portrayed in stories and it's one of the reasons I was immediately drawn to the harpies.

With a wide array of loveable and entertaining characters, this series has always been one of my favorites. This story has made it in the list of most likely to re-read. If you like an epic novel that includes Greek mythology, demons, angels, mythical creatures, a great love story, alpha males, strong females, and much more you won't want to missThe Darkest Surrender.

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Feb 08, 2012 Paperback Dolls rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, reviewed-2012, reviewed-by-believer, 4-stars

Previously posted at Paperback Dolls.com

I’m hooked on Gena Showalter’s Lords of The Underworld series. The series describes the adventures of the immortal Lords of the Underworld, a group of warriors created by Zeus. Overcome by jealousy when Pandora is chosen to guard the box that imprisons all the worlds demons, the Lords kill Pandora and inadvertently set free all the demons upon the Earth. As punishment each Lord is sentenced to carry a demon within their body for all eternity. Now the Lords...more Previously posted at Paperback Dolls.com

I’m hooked on Gena Showalter’s Lords of The Underworld series. The series describes the adventures of the immortal Lords of the Underworld, a group of warriors created by Zeus. Overcome by jealousy when Pandora is chosen to guard the box that imprisons all the worlds demons, the Lords kill Pandora and inadvertently set free all the demons upon the Earth. As punishment each Lord is sentenced to carry a demon within their body for all eternity. Now the Lords dedicate themselves to finding the mystical tools that will release them from their sentence.

The Darkest Surrender is the story of Strider, Keeper of Defeat. As Keeper of Defeat, Strider experiences debilitating pain whenever he is defeated. His demon seeks a challenge in even the most mundane of tasks. Incredibly handsome and overwhelmingly obnoxious, Strider will go to any length to keep from losing, especially when it comes to love.

Kaia Skyhawk is a beautiful harpy hopelessly in love with Strider. A mistake during the Harpy Games at the age of 14, has left Kaia ostracized by the harpy community and haunted by the ensuing tragedy. Countless decades have passed since that day and Kaia has sought to redeem herself in the eyes of her family but most especially her mother. When the Harpy Games are announced and Kaia receives a special invitation she is certain she can win and regain her status. But as the details of the event unfold, Kaia and Strider find themselves pitted against each other in the battle for the prize. Will Strider risk losing his heart to Kaia even if it means losing the only chance the Lords have to win their freedom?

The Lords of the Underworld series is a PNR set in modern day Budapest. The characters although hundreds or thousands of years old live in castles filled with video games, hip-hop music and state of the art surveillance equipment. Like a Black Ops outfit on steroids, the story is told in contemporary slang full of swagger and posturing – a never ending frat party. Showalter’s dialogue is fun! But behind all the bravado is a story of two people who are afraid of getting hurt and disappointed by love. It is painful to read the missteps and misunderstandings as Kaia and Strider awkwardly navigate the game of love. Showalter makes you believe that even immortals with centuries under their belts can still be made to feel insecure and sensitive when it comes to barring their hearts.

The Harpy Games add an exciting background to the love story. The challenges are bloody and gruesome and the villains are dastardly.

Showalter is the best friend who knows where all your skeletons are hidden and wants to help you find some more to put into the closet with them. This series is a fun over the top read that is full of action and and super smexy scenes. Give yourself a present – bring The Darkest Surrender home tonight along with a bottle of margaritas and get ready for some fun!(less)

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Jan 11, 2012 Ary89 - Romance e non solo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Eccoci qui finalmente con una nuova storia sui nostri Signori degli Inferi preferiti.

Questa volta tocca all'esuberante ed trepido Strider, custode del demode Sconfitta, infatti non può perdere una scommessa senza provare un dolore gigantesco.

Alla fine del romanzo precedente, Demon's Secret, lo avevamo visto in compagnia di Paris e William andare in vacanza tutti insieme e alla fine si era unita anche Kaia, un'arpia e sorella di Gwen, compagna di Sabin.
Consapevole del demone che Strider conserva...more Eccoci qui finalmente con una nuova storia sui nostri Signori degli Inferi preferiti.

Questa volta tocca all'esuberante ed trepido Strider, custode del demode Sconfitta, infatti non può perdere una scommessa senza provare un dolore gigantesco.

Alla fine del romanzo precedente, Demon's Secret, lo avevamo visto in compagnia di Paris e William andare in vacanza tutti insieme e alla fine si era unita anche Kaia, un'arpia e sorella di Gwen, compagna di Sabin.
Consapevole del demone che Strider conserva nel suo corpo, Kaia decide di far vincere il guerriero senza pensare al proprio orgoglio e al normale istinto che ha la giovane ragazza durante una lotta.

Uno strano legame infatti sembra legare questi due guerrieri da quel momento in poi...

Come mai Kaia l'aveva fatto vincere così senza voler niente in cambio? Cosa le passa per la testa?

E questo legame di affetto/istinto protettivo verrà messo alla prova ancora più maggiormente quando Strider verrà a scoprire che Kaia e le altre arpie dovranno partecipare ad una gara tra le altre guerriere appartenenti alla loro razza, dovranno infatti partecipare ai sanguinari Giochi delle Arpie.

Per Kaia, questo è un momento di rivincita, un momento per riportare in buona vista e buona luce il suo nome che molti anni prima, proprio ai Giochi delle Arpie, era stata danneggiata per un comportamento scorretto da parte della ragazza.
Infatti all'epoca aveva deciso di rubare il consorte di un'altra arpia e così facendo lo aveva liberato scatenando la furia di Lazarus contro tutti uccidendo tantissime arpie e consorti presenti ai giochi.

I Giochi delle Arpie sono gare in cui ogni regola possibile o immaginabile non esistono e sopravvivono solo le più forti... Le sorelle di Kaia hanno accanto a loro il proprio consorte che potrà aiutarle a riprendere le forze grazie al loro sangue... Ma accanto a lei chi ci sarà?

Un romanzo coinvolgente, seducente e appassionante come i precendenti... Una nota dolente mi viene da dire solo in riferimento ai Giochi delle Arpie. Assomiglia troppo come dinamica alla gara che abbiamo letto nel romanzo DARK PLEASURES di Kresley Cole. Troppo simile alla gara creata dalla strega Riona.

Bello anche il fatto che Gena Showalter abbia come sempre scritto il romanzo concentrandosi su questi due personaggi, però abbiamo comunque una panoramica dei personaggi secondari: Paris alla continua ricerca di Sienna, William che cerca un modo di liberarsi delle attenzioni di Gilly per non ferirla, un grande segreto legato a Kane, custode del demone Disastro.

http://romance-e-non-solo.blogspot.co...(less)

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Jan 04, 2012 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, paranormal-romance

After surprisingly enjoying the Alien Huntress series, I decided to try her Lords of the Underworld series, since it's so loved by plenty of paranormal romance fans. It's also hated by most of my bookfriends, and the sample of the first book really didn't do anything for me. But I was intrigued by the review of this book, the 8th installment in the series.

I realize I probably missed a lot of little things thanks to jumping in like this, but the mythos of the series doesn't really do it for me (...more After surprisingly enjoying the Alien Huntress series, I decided to try her Lords of the Underworld series, since it's so loved by plenty of paranormal romance fans. It's also hated by most of my bookfriends, and the sample of the first book really didn't do anything for me. But I was intrigued by the review of this book, the 8th installment in the series.

I realize I probably missed a lot of little things thanks to jumping in like this, but the mythos of the series doesn't really do it for me (studied a lot of antiquity courses, and am not convinced I can handle inconsequent reimagining of all those myths), so I didn't think I'd like this enough to read the entire series. I was right on that front, but I really did like this.

When push comes to shove, I think I have a thing for violent women. Not in RL life of course, or in books in a contemporary or historical setting. But in speculative fiction or romance? I'm totally for the violent and crazy. Ilona Andrews, Shelly Laurenston... When a girl lives in a violent world, I like her to dish it out as good as she gets it. I like it even more when these violent and crazy bitches have fellow bitches as friends. It's the big reason the last two of Showalters Alien Huntress series are my favorites of that series, and why I was willing to try this series. The Awesome Twosome was so very, very awesome.

Kira delivered. She was a bit mad, foulmouthed, and totally ready to dish out some pain when the situation called for it. And she wasn't afraid to go after her man, which I always love. And her interactions with the other harpies, friends or foes, were hilarious. I really liked her chemistry and interactions with Strider as well. Strider himself was a bit stupid, but that suited him, and I adored how HUGE his ego was. He totally realizes when he's being arrogant, calls himself out on his ego, and then restates his opinion even more egotistical. Awesomesauce.

Liked the harpy games plot, but as suspected, didn't care about the overarching plot. And those other Lords of the Underworld I saw didn't seem interesting at all. And the writing was never really shiny.

So not the most engaging book. But it had fierce bitches, and I smiled the entire time I was reading it.(less)

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Gena Showalter Fans: The Darkest Surrender (LOTU #8)	19	59	Feb 01, 2013 11:54am
Great Addition to the LOTU (Something I noticed I have not seen mentioned)	13	146	Jan 06, 2013 09:49pm
bit random but fun!	3	30	Oct 22, 2012 01:20pm
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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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"Gods, I love the taste of awesome.” — 124 people liked it

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