The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, #3)

by Gena Showalter

book data

731 ratings, 4.21 average rating, 75 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		45%
4		32%
3		18%
2		2%
1		0%

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published

July 1st 2008 by HQN Books

binding

Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages

url

http://www.lordsoftheunderworld.net/

characters

Reyes, Danika Ford

setting

Budapest, Hungary

isbn

0373773102 (isbn13: 9780373773107)

description

He can bear any pain but the thought of losing her...

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasur...more

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06/21/08

Julie (jjmachshev) rated it:

bookshelves: 2008-reads

Read in June, 2008

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

I stayed up til 2:00am to finish this book.

I very much enjoyed "The Darkest Pleasure" and found the expansion of the storyline pretty fascinating. It's easy to see after reading this one that Showalter and Harlequin have big plans for this series. We finally meet the shadowy leader of the Hunters, and his identity is quite the surprise. We also find another of the artifacts needed on the quest to find Pandora's missing box. We learn a little more history and a little ...more I stayed up til 2:00am to finish this book.

I very much enjoyed "The Darkest Pleasure" and found the expansion of the storyline pretty fascinating. It's easy to see after reading this one that Showalter and Harlequin have big plans for this series. We finally meet the shadowy leader of the Hunters, and his identity is quite the surprise. We also find another of the artifacts needed on the quest to find Pandora's missing box. We learn a little more history and a little more about the scope of the battles to come. But mostly we learn about Reyes and Danika.

Reyes' past was very difficult. Learning about the history behind his efforts to leash Pain was, well...rather painful (no pun intended). The lengths he was willing to go to in order to spare humans-just wow. All he wants is a respite from Pain, a little peace where he doesn't have to leash his demon. He finds that in Danika, but fears that having Danika will expose her to the taint of his demon, and he's very unwilling to do that. So he can't keep her and he can't let her go either.

Danika always wanted to be normal, but she never was. She can't seem to come to grips with that and I disliked her intensely for almost half the book. But I can say that she redeems herself beautifully and I think these two are a perfect pair.

Neither trusts the other and each of them apparently betrays their loved ones at some point in this book. I really didn't like that. However, haven't we all betrayed someone we love in some way in our lives? I guess that's just part of being fallible and it's nice to know that sometimes our heroes and heroines are fallible too. In all, I think the progression of their relationship was just as it needed to be. Without all the missteps, misunderstandings, and mistakes they would never have gotten to such a strong ending. And the ending of this book is worth missing a few hours of sleep!

Now for my rant. I'm ticked that I have to wait 16 months, yes folks that's November of freaking 2009 for book 4. Books 5 & 6 are scheduled to follow in Feb and May 2010 respectively. Come on already...a year is understandable, but almost a year and a half? Why publish the current releases now? Why not delay their release a couple of months each? I'm actually a tad (!?@#) pissed at Harlequin for this and would be interested to hear their marketing strategy. It would have to be a really good one to risk alienating fans with such a long wait when there are plenty of competitive paranormal series out there without such a long gap between books.
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8 comments

05/22/08

Kathrynn rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, own, reviewed, romance-paranormal, series-lotu_showalter, theme-curse, theme-heroine_tstl, theme-hero_hard_to_like

Read in March, 2009

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

The only way I can describe what I didn't like about this book is with spoilers, so be wary...

The premise was my least liked plot--ever. Death "warrant" (sort of) was placed on Danika and her family by the gods in book #2 of this series. She morphed from sweet and innocent to believing--with a few courses in self-defense--she could kick the demons butt (Aeron) that was after her. The constant love/hate that went on between the h/h was annoying. Danika's agreement to act ...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

6 comments

04/30/08

Christel rated it:

bookshelves: gena-showalter

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: Gena Showalter fan

Okay, How do I review this one when not many people have it yet??? HMMMMM

Okay, this story has been played somewhat in the other books. It just delves deeper in this book. Reyes is the demon of Pain. He has got to hurt all the time to satisfy his demons needs. Danika has had nightmares since childhood, horrid nightmares. After she has them she paints what she has seen in her dreams.
Aeron, Keeper of Doubt, has been ordered by Cronus, King of the Titans to destroy Danika and all o...more

Like this review? yes (4 people liked it)

7 comments

07/03/08

Shannon rated it:

bookshelves: 2008, paranormal, romance

Read in July, 2008

The third book in the (first) trilogy, The Darkest Pleasure catches up to Reyes and Danika's story. You don't really get to know Reyes in the previous books so I wasn't terribly interested in him and thought this one would be dull, but actually he's a great character and I really liked him.

Danika's on the run because Aeron, Keeper of Wrath, must kill her and her family on order of the Gods and has been driven mad by this unfulfilled bloodlust. After being assaulted by two Hunters she...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

10 comments

01/03/09

L8blmr rated it:

Read in January, 2009

This third book in the series didn't grab me as much as the first two did. Don't get me wrong - Reyes is one hot demon-inhabited Lord of the Underworld, but things just seemed to move slowly and, for whatever reason, I wasn't really fond of the heroine, Danika. The last third of the book went a long way toward redeeming things, but I missed the humor that was more prevalent in the other books and was disappointed with the fact that Reyes didn't get more relief from his demon in the end. Still...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

1 comment

12/19/08

Kim rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, paranormal

Read in January, 2009

recommended to Kim by: continuation of series
recommends it for: Fans of Lara Adrian; paranormal romance

"WOW! I am so glad I continued with this series because this one is THE BEST one."

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

2 comments

02/16/08

Diana rated it:

bookshelves: mythological, owned, paranormal, romance

Read in June, 2008

Danika Ford has been on the run since escaping from the Lords of the Underworld, who kidnapped her along with her family. Aeron, keeper of Wrath, has been instructed to kill them, and is going mad with bloodlust. Fearful for her safety, Reyes, keeper of Pain, has tracked Danika down and rescued her. Now he must keep her safe from Hunters, Aeron, and even the king of the gods himself, while discovering what is so special about Danika.

This is the third in a tightly released trilogy (th...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

1 comment

03/12/09

Felicia rated it:

bookshelves: vaginal-urban-fantasy

Read in March, 2009

God, what to say. Guilty pleasure to the MAX? Naughty bits, interesting concept, a little too much dominating possessive male action, but...whatever. :) Tiring of the "hot immortal guys living together who start being picked off by understanding females one at a time for crazy # of sequels" books.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

5 comments

01/17/09

Nymphsin rated it:

Read in December, 2008

recommended to Nymphsin by: Kathy. Thanks Kathy. You rock!!! *Big hugs*
recommends it for: People who love fiction and anything by Showalter.

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

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02/05/09

Rhianna rated it:

Read in June, 2008

The Darkest Pleasure was probably one of the most anticipated books of the summer after The Darkest Night and The Darkest Kiss rolled out with the beginnings of a pretty good new paranormal romance series. The Lords of the Underworld are back, still looking for the artifacts that can lead them to Pandora's box. The hunt for the artifacts takes a very steep decline in this novel as the romance between Danika and Reyes, Keeper of Pain, finally takes center stage. Built up over the course of the pr...more The Darkest Pleasure was probably one of the most anticipated books of the summer after The Darkest Night and The Darkest Kiss rolled out with the beginnings of a pretty good new paranormal romance series. The Lords of the Underworld are back, still looking for the artifacts that can lead them to Pandora's box. The hunt for the artifacts takes a very steep decline in this novel as the romance between Danika and Reyes, Keeper of Pain, finally takes center stage. Built up over the course of the previous two books the attraction to one another might seem a little Romeo and Juliet.

Reyes is an immortal warrior possessed by the demon Pain, a demon which forces him to inflict painful injury upon himself to avoid inflicting it on others. Worse yet is the fact that he cannot feel any pleasure without it. He's been Pining for Danika since he first saw her in The Darkest Night, but can't risk getting involved with her without being forced to protect her from Aeron, Keeper of Wrath, his friend and fellow Lord. Commanded to kill Danika and her mother, sister and grandmother, Aeron has been driven to bloodlust yet continues to fight his demon even still. Aeron and Reyes know that if he commits these killings he will be lost to his demon forever. Meanwhile Lucien, leader of the Lords and Keeper of Death, wants Aeron brought home and demands an exchange, he'll tell Reyes where Danika is (and she is in danger from Hunters) if Reyes will tell him where he has trapped Aeron. Trapped for a time, Aeron has been discovered by a mysterious little demon known as Legion who has become his constant companion. When Reyes relents and saves Danika from the Hunters he is ready to protect her for as long as it takes to free Aeron from his mandate. But is Danika really in danger from the Hunters or has she begun to work for them? When the chips fall where will her loyalty and her heart lie?

Sorry, no spoilers! You'll have to read the book to find out. If you've been reading the rest of the series you definitely will want to know what happens. I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than the first and about the same as the second. I liked Danika and Reyes a lot more than previous couplings, but I found myself frustrated at how little of the sidestories there was in this one after being given so much in the last one. In the end I was a bit disappointed that only small sections gave us more story related to Paris and Sienna, Aeron and Legion, Torin and Cameo, as well as the other Lords. I really wanted to get more sidestory and there just wasn't enough this time. Truth be told Legion was pretty much my favorite part of the book and I felt like Cronus had a weird personality change from his previous scenes.

This book was definitely a pleasure and a pain (puns totally intended!), so if you are following the series snap it up quick. If you've not read The Darkest Night (#1) and The Darkest Kiss (#2) I don't think you could really enjoy the story behind this book because there are too many unknown factors you'd need to know from the other two for even the romance to make a lot of sense so check them out! (less)

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06/27/08

Heather rated it:

bookshelves: paranormal-romance

Read in June, 2008

recommended to Heather by: Everyone
recommends it for: All my friends!

This is the 3rd book in the LOTU series. It features Danika and Reyes (Demon of Pain). I really enjoyed this book and it had some interesting developments! The "bad guy" is finally revealed and its pretty surprising. It also sets us up for some additional characters which I am sure to enjoy.

Although this was not my favorite book in the series so far, I still really enjoyed it and I will look forward to the next book in the series. (maybe it will be Paris!)

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

2 comments

03/08/09

K rated it:

Read in March, 2009

recommended to K by: found on goodreads site

This is the final book in the Lords of the Underworld Trilogy. And it tells the tale of Danika and Reeves, whose curse is the demon of pain. As with the other books in this series, I liked the story and seeing how the other characters, and their relationships, turned out. I especially liked how the author created a strong, independent heroine; and continued to follow Reeves's struggle with his loyalty to his friends versus his loyalty to Danika. I liked this story better than the second book,...more

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11/20/08

The Black Pearl rated it:

bookshelves: paranormal-romance

Read in December, 2008

Not as good as the second book in the series but not a bad read either. I actually like the Lords of the Underworld much better than the Black Dagger Brotherhood and Dark Hunters...they seem more "real" to me...their characterization more believeable. And this book reveals more of their "human" side...the love they have for one another, their playfulness, their pain. Good times.

About the actual book: Reyes...sadly enough I just couldn't get into him. Sure he wa...more

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3 comments

11/19/08

Nikki rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, author-gena-showalter, paranormal-romance

Read in March, 2009

At one point, I had a hard time enjoyng the story, and could not get into it. I'm glad I kept reading the book, so far it's the best of the series.

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

4 comments

05/22/09

Sharon rated it:

bookshelves: erotica-paranormal

Read in May, 2009

This is my favorite in the series so far. I think that's because the girl in the story is tough and I like her a lot. Plus the premise of the pain demon is fascinating if you aren't grossed out by the idea that he needs to cut himself. It seemed darker and edgier than the others, which I liked. It also showed more depth of the other characters and makes me look forward to the other books even more. And the sex? Yummy. So great characters, great sex, I like the series a lot! And it's grow...more

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10/06/08

Anita rated it:

bookshelves: contemporary-urban-fantasy, five-star-favorites, paranormal-romance

Read in October, 2008

recommends it for: PNR fans who like HEA endings

I really like this series. The characters are flawed but very likeable, and the story is creative. The character development is great, as are the warmth and humor conveyed by the auther. It's a happily-ever-after true love sort of series. If you enjoy that type of romance, you might enjoy this series too.

This is book 3 of the Lords series, and it focuses on the redemption of Reyes (pain). He's been in love with Danika since book one, but his friend Aeron (wrath) has been commanded ...more

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09/24/08

Martina rated it:

Read in September, 2008

This is the third book of Gena Showalter's "Lords of the Underworld" series.

I REALLY LIKE this author! I've read at least nine of her other novels (this would be the tenth) and what keeps drawing me back to her is 1)her fun, flirty, & clever writing style and 2)the blend of the mythological into a contemporary paranormal romance. She's written about Atlantis, shapeshifters, magic, genies, gods & goddesses.

The Lords of the Underworld series are about Pandora's ...more

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07/17/08

Tammie rated it:

Read in August, 2008

recommends it for: Paranormal Romance Lovers

Thousands of years ago, Pandora was asked by the gods to guard a box full of demons. These demons were all things that were bad in the world like wrath, pain, disease, and death. Several of the gods’ guard thinking that they should have been the ones to guard this box killed Pandora and the box was opened releasing all the demons. The gods to punish these guards had a demon possess each one. Now, man and demon cannot be separated. These former guards now are called the Lords of the Underw...more Thousands of years ago, Pandora was asked by the gods to guard a box full of demons. These demons were all things that were bad in the world like wrath, pain, disease, and death. Several of the gods’ guard thinking that they should have been the ones to guard this box killed Pandora and the box was opened releasing all the demons. The gods to punish these guards had a demon possess each one. Now, man and demon cannot be separated. These former guards now are called the Lords of the Underworld and are immortal warriors. They search for the clues to find Pandora ’s Box in order to insure their survival.

Reyes is possessed by the demon pain. He must cut himself frequently in order to keep his demon happy. Occasionally, that doesn’t work and he will through himself off the roof of the keep where he lives. This will break bones and cause internal damage, which really makes his demon happy. A while ago, the Lords kidnapped 4 women who the demon of wrath wanted to kill. They did it to protect them and to try to figure out why wrath was told by the gods to kill them. Reyes was attracted to one of the younger women, Danika Ford.

Danika has dreamed of demons most of her life; she just didn’t think they were real. Now that she’s seen them, she’s keeping as much distance between her and them as she can. She also has been taking defense lessons and learning how to protect herself. On the run and working in a cheap grill serving food, Danika is approached by two men wanting something from her. In a panic, she fights back, loosing her job and killing one of the men.

These men are with a group called Hunters. They hunt the Lords of the Underworld to contain them. They want to find Pandora ’s Box to contain the demons but the demons once separated from the warrior, kills the warrior. They will do anything they can to find the Lords, even killing innocent by standers or kidnapping and using women as bait. Danika is kidnapped by them and is sent to Reyes as bait. The problem is, Danika while scared of Reyes is also attracted to him.

This is the third book in Ms Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. This book can be read without reading the previous two books but many of the characters and situations in the previous books influence this one.

The characters are very well developed and you really get to know them. Reyes looks at Danika as an angel and would like to keep pain far from her. He tries staying away from her to seriously hurting himself prior to seeing her. He will do anything for Danika and doesn’t want her tainted. Danika though sees what Reyes craves and needs and wants to give it to him. She isn’t the soft, gentle woman Reyes sees but can be tough when she has to. Can she convince Reyes of this or will he keep her on a pedestal making them both miserable?

The storyline is very similar to the previous books. The Hunters are after the Lords and the Lords are killing the Hunters as fast as they can without getting the towns people involved. Both groups are searching for a relic that will lead them to Pandora’s Box but neither has a clue as to what exactly they are looking for. Reyes and Danika are meant for each other yet they have barriers to staying together. Other Lords are dealing with other problems like a pregnant mate and a dead mate.

Though this book has many of the same characteristics as the previous books, it still has enough differences to make it interesting. With two of four relics found, it’s a race to see who finds and controls the next one.

Terri - Night Owl Romance Reviewer
5/5 Hearts
© Night Owl Romance 2007-2008

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07/05/08

Gina rated it:

bookshelves: erotic, fantasy, own, paranormal-supernatural, romantic-suspense

Read in August, 2008

Book #3 - the best so far!

Oh, how I loved this one! The story of Danika and Reyes is a whirlwind of emotions and self-doubts (although Sabin’s demon doesn’t help here either). Inner battles waging war, battles with those who want them dead and/or captured, enemies trying to get the four artifacts and Pandora’s Box before the warriors do - incredible fights, incredible thoughts, incredible suspense and mystery, incredibly erotic love scenes all added up to a perfect ending!
...more Book #3 - the best so far!

Oh, how I loved this one! The story of Danika and Reyes is a whirlwind of emotions and self-doubts (although Sabin’s demon doesn’t help here either). Inner battles waging war, battles with those who want them dead and/or captured, enemies trying to get the four artifacts and Pandora’s Box before the warriors do - incredible fights, incredible thoughts, incredible suspense and mystery, incredibly erotic love scenes all added up to a perfect ending!

Danika - now there is a heroine I truly adore in a novel. Running, hiding and fighting for her life, she and her mother, sister and grandmother are seperated, hiding from the one warrior who was sent by the gods to kill them - Aeron, who ‘houses’ the demon or Wrath. (He is currently chained, by Reyes, at the very bottom of the fortress’s dungeon - and I can’t wait for his book!) Captured by hunters, she is told a story that she is meant to believe, and she sort of does. Rescued by the warriors, she’s back under Reyes’s ‘protection’, and yet most believe that she is either bait or a plant - especially Sabin. Fighting her inner battles, wanting to run, wanting to stay, wanting to find and protect her family, she is supposed to be spying on the warriors and relating information back to the hunters. Only, she can’t do it - she can’t betray Reyes, for his touch alone brings warmth.

Reyes is completely enthralled with Danika. Housing the demon of Pain, he learned to control the demon somewhat, and now only hurts himself to control the demon’s urges. He is forced to chain Aeron in the dungeon to keep Danika and her family alive - and it eats him up inside. Meanwhile, he wants Danika in every way - and is determined to get her. However, there’s a catch. He’s tried the relationship thing before, but by allowing the women to give him pain at the same time as pleasure had always turned bad - the women turning around and hurting everyone in their path. Reyes refuses to allow that to happen to Danika - until she finally proves that she can do what he needs without damaging herself in turn. But then, there is a turn of events as well, for his demon seems to ‘take a hike’ when they make love.

An incredible love story, they both beat the odds and the head God, Cronus, the king of Titans. And very creatively, I might add. I soooo can’t wait for the next novel!(less)

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