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

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The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)

by Gena Showalter (Goodreads Author)

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 32,282 ratings · 1,647 reviews

His powers - Inhuman...

His passion - Beyond immortal...

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

Neither can resist...more

Mass Market Paperback, 379 pages

Published May 3rd 2008 by HQN (first published January 1st 2008)

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May 01, 2013 kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

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

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

In this book we are introduced Maddox . He played a significant role in Pandora's (view spoiler)...more

36 likes · like · see review

Oct 29, 2008 new_user rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Kenyon, Feehan fans

Shelves: paranormal-romance

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

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

Her heroes are supposed to be Greek immortals, exalted and admired guardians of the gods until their hubris lea...more *sigh* What can I say? The Darkest Night wasn't very dark. I wanted to like this book because it came so highly recommended from friends, but I've read Showalter's writing before and I was skeptical.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

62 likes · like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Kellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, lotu, hot-hot-alpha-s, demons, panty-melting-moments

THE BACK STORY

Long ago twelve immortals warriors made by Zeus, became jealous of Pandora she was chosen to guard a box. Inside that box housed some of the most dangerous demons ever known. The Immortals made a horrible mistake of killing Pandora and opening the box. As punishment for the evil they have unleashed each warrior was sentenced to carry one of those demons for all eternity. They are - Violence, Pain, Death, Disease, Disaster, Misery, Doubt, Promiscuity, Defeat, Lies, Secrets, and Wr...more

27 likes · like · see review

Jan 09, 2010 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranormal romance readers

Shelves: paranormal-romance, part-of-a-series, demon, greek-mythology, curse, owned-copy, favorite-or-autobuy-author, cleanup-challenge, psychic, brotherhood

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

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

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

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

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

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

59 likes · like · see review

Jun 16, 2010 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranormal Romance readers - Esp. Fans of BDB and IAD

Recommended to Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* by: Recommended by RNDo and Vale - Thanks!

Shelves: romance-paranormal, series, reviewed, owned-read

(4 Stars)

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

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

24 likes · like · see review

Oct 09, 2008 Best_beloved rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: omg-no, romance-paranormal

My Problem that I Know Will Not Actual Bother Everyone:

Okay, the main ‘hero’ is an immortal warrior who is partially controlled by demon of Violence. Yes, Violence, which the heroine, Ashlyn, is dating. He spends the first 50 pages (give or take) chanting kill, murder, slice, hurt, killkillkill to himself. He acknowledges that while he tries to fight the demon, he does fail - on a nearly nightly bases. Now, I’m aware that in this genre love conquers all and that relationships and people in roma...more

101 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2008 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008-reads

My first Gena Showalter book was "The Stone Prince" back in 2004. Since then, I'm pretty sure I've read every book she's had published with the exception of her young adult line. And I'm also pretty sure that I've highly enjoyed every one! Her books always contain elements of magic and although her different series may have become darker and more sensual over the last couple of years, I, for one, am certainly happy about that!

"The Darkest Night" is her new series that revolves around the myth of...more

12 likes · like · see review

Aug 07, 2011 Buggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: shelf-09, paranormal-rom, demonexy, tstl-heroine, tattooed-hero

Opening line: " Every night death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he'd have to die again later.

As a fan of paranormal romance and in particular JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood my searches for what to read next kept taking me to this series. That's not to say the two are comparable, because they aren't but if you like continuing story arcs with multiple character POV's, hot, sexy love scenes, the occasional bloody fight and tortured yet strong alpha male...more Opening line: " Every night death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he'd have to die again later.

As a fan of paranormal romance and in particular JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood my searches for what to read next kept taking me to this series. That's not to say the two are comparable, because they aren't but if you like continuing story arcs with multiple character POV's, hot, sexy love scenes, the occasional bloody fight and tortured yet strong alpha males who become kittens once they meet their prospective mates then you might like this too.

The premise for Gena Showalter's world is quite elaborate. Centuries ago a group of immortal warriors released the demons from Pandora's Box. (Yes the Pandora's Box) As punishment the Greek gods cursed the warriors, forcing each to act as host to one of the demons, sort of like a duo personality. Maddox, this books hero is the keeper of violence and because he was unable to control his demon in the beginning and killed Pandora. (Yes the Pandora) Maddox was additionally cursed to die each night at the hands of his fellow warriors, burning in the pits of hell until morning (which can`t be fun) The Lords of the underworld now live in a secluded castle in Budapest, each struggling to coexist with their own personal demon. The other warriors possess things like disease, wrath, death, pain, doubt, promiscuity, lies, and disaster, all of whom getting their own book as the series progresses.

Our heroine here is Ashlyn Darrow. She works for the World institute of Parapsychology and has come to Budapest with her team to investigate the warriors. Poor Ashlyn has a curse of her, born with the ability to hear any conversation that has ever taken place in the location where she is standing. These voices in her head have ruined her life and she'd do anything for a moment's silence. Maddox finds Ashlyn in the woods outside the castle and even though he thinks she's `bait' sent by the `hunters' (bad guys) he is instantly drawn to her. For Ashlyn it's a miracle, because even though she finds this violent and bloody (he's just killed some hunters) man terrifying the voices have stopped. Now she can't bear to be separated from him and Maddox can't help himself either (they never can) carrying her back to the castle and into his chambers. Of course he's going to have to explain himself to the other men, if he can leave Ashlyn's side long enough and what happens at midnight when his friends have to kill him? That's sure to put a damper on the ole love life.

The premise for this series is original and exciting and I will definitely be continuing on. Despite the fact at times I was overwhelmed by Greek Mythology and couldn't keep track of who was who and cursed with which demon. I also had trouble with Ashlyn and found her to be written too young and virginal to ever handle a man like Maddox (maybe I was just jealous though?) (less)

14 likes · like · see review

Mar 28, 2009 Christel rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Auntee, Kathrynn and the rest of the bunch

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

11 likes · like · see review

Dec 11, 2008 L8blmr rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Auntee, Daisiemae, Marion, & others wit similar tastes

*4.5 stars* Wow. When I started this book, I wouldn't have believed that, by the last 25 pages I would have been glued to the pages, shedding tears, surprised, and happily contemplating that there are 2 more books in this series! The Lords of the Underworld are warriors from the days of gods and goddesses who got a little frisky back in the day and ... well, suffice it to say that Pandora and her fabled box are involved. As punishment, these men have to live an eternity, each possessed by a demo...more

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 13, 2011 Merve Özcan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: demon, godish, immortal, mythology, romance, paranormal, translated-to-turkish

ayyyyyyyyyyyyy çok güzeldi yanlız kitabın yarısının aynı odada geçmesi beni biraz sıktı. mitoloji iblisler her şey var vampirleride ararsak çıkar cadılarla berabeer. anyanın hikayeyi merak ediyorum açıkçası bu sefer özet yok içimden gelmiyor belki daha sonra :D

5 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2012 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of the genre, series, author, etc

Recommended to Anzu by: Aly (Mircea) Basarab

Shelves: buddy-or-group-read, evil-horned-ones, is-it-just-me-goddammit, d-oh, reviewed-2011, wtf-am-i-doing, lust-at-first-sight, cheesetacular, romance-paranormal

The Darkest Night is a fun introduction to a new series (for me at least) that goes around demons, crazy people, violence, hot drooly (yes, I mean it as drool-y - it should be a word, it’s awesome) sex and extreme redecorating. But we all love crazy people don’t we? And violence. And sex. And hotties. Beats the hell out of watching Animal Planet.

Even though the book was a great read I found many problems regarding it. It stars with the typical PNR problem: the ease with which they hooked up. I’...more

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 12, 2012 Jodie Riverina Romantics rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: awesome, on-blog, paranormal, hard-copy, on-amazon

I started reading this series at book 0.5 The Darkest Fire and that could have been one of my biggest mistakes ever. I really didn't enjoy the Darkest Fire and if it wasn't for me already having purchased The Darkest Night, I probably wouldn't have continued with the series. But thankfully I did, because this series is wickedly funny.

Ashlyn is in search of peace from the voices of the past that constantly haunt her and whilst trying to find help in Budapest comes into contact with Maddox who is...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 14, 2010 Miss Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Kenjii

Recommended to Miss Kim by: about 30 GR friends!

Shelves: paranormal, 2008, she-is-tstl

3.5 out of 5

The Lords of the Underworld are ancient Greek Warriors that were involved in opening Pandora’s Box centuries ago. This caused a load of awful demons to posses each of the Lords. This is Maddox’s story. He is possessed the by the demon, Violence.

Ashlyn struck me as TSTL right off the bat. She is wandering through the forest in the damn winter at night. Alone. What the hell? She has a terrible secret that she think the ‘angels’ will be able to help her with. The townspeople all believe...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2008 Tina rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-paranormal

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

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

16 likes · like · see review

Dec 30, 2012 Aly (Mircea) Basarab rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, action, 2013-sexy-showalter-challenge, 2013-immortal-challenge-utc-blog

5*+
I love you Gena Showalter :D

This guy reminds me of Maddox a little

This story makes me cry every time I read it! I love the romance and the sizzling chemistry and attraction between Maddox(I know it's wrong to think so, but Violence is SO HOT) and Ashlyn.
This is a great introduction to a new world and (almost) all the characters.

This books is lovely and it's one pf the few that I have in normal book with paper pages and in e-book format :D

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 23, 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

I didn't think I was gonna like the book,so I read a friends review, & decided, "I'll give it a try" & now I'm totally hooked,if the book can make my insides tingle, than it's definitely good, & I'm going with my instincts & finishing the series,mmmmmm....yes That sounds like a very good idea!

I love the relationship status between Maddock & Ashlyn, but I'm liking the person that made everything continue "Anya" oh yeah! she seems to be, the Bad Ass that I look forward to when...more

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2010 Ren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, based-on-mythology, demon, there-are-hot-men, god-goddes, greek-myth, almost-weep-when-read-this, reviewed, drooling-cover, 4-stars, e-books, tortured-hero

Oooo... kay
Cause i have read this book before join goodreads, so i re-read it for write the review (and cause i join May Challenge Reading in " Officially Addicted to Lords of The Underworld" group, lol)

Maddox is Keeper of Violence. One of many demons that has released from Pandora Box long years ago. He with his 5 other friends (Lucien, Reyes, Aeron, Paris & Torin), live in Fortress at Budapest, Hungaria. Live in peace, although he must struggle with his demon and his curse. Until he meet w...more Oooo... kay
Cause i have read this book before join goodreads, so i re-read it for write the review (and cause i join May Challenge Reading in " Officially Addicted to Lords of The Underworld" group, lol)

Maddox is Keeper of Violence. One of many demons that has released from Pandora Box long years ago. He with his 5 other friends (Lucien, Reyes, Aeron, Paris & Torin), live in Fortress at Budapest, Hungaria. Live in peace, although he must struggle with his demon and his curse. Until he meet with this mortal, Ashlyn Darrow

Ashlyn Darrow is special, she has ability to hear people conversation in the past. But she dont like her abilities, and go to Budapest with hope she can avoid it. And then she meet Maddox, and become attrached to him . Maddox think she is a Bait (women that lure the Lords and give them to Hunter, their eternal foe), but he cant help his feeling to Ashlyn too.

Unfortunately, the enemy come closer, and then Maddox and his friends reunited again with their friend from Greece (Sabin,Gideon, Strider, Amun, Kane & Cameo), that have part for thousand years ago and the war between Hunter and Lords begin. Its worse that Maddox still have to face his curse, and Ashlyn has a way to remove his curse, but she must pay it with high price..

This is the first book i read from Gena Showalter. More better than The Darkest Fire, the prequel in this series. Like how Gena paired Maddox with Ashlyn. Maddox is full of violence then he has gentle side,he treat Ashlyn well. Ashlyn is look weak for the start, but she become though afterward.

The good side that i like from this series is Gena can make 12 lords that have a unique demon and personalities, cant wait for she to tell their story ^^. The mythology is fresh too, we know that Pandora has open the Pandora Box but in LOTU, Gena make Pandora is guarding the box, and the Lords opened it. Really2 interesting ^^.
Really like about the last part in Darkest Night (and i tell you i cry about it).
What is this part that i've say? Just read it, lol...
(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Dec 09, 2008 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Paranormal romance fans

Shelves: paranormal-scifi-horror

I'm gonna avoid comparisons to all the other popular dark paranormal romance book series that revolve around groups/families/packs/clans/covens of cursed/tortured/hunted supernatural men. Yes, this is that type of series. There are unavoidable similarities. But there are also lots of differences that make this series unique and refreshing.

The mythology in this book is really cool. It's based on the Greek myth of Pandora's box. When the box was opened, the demons came out and possessed a group of...more I'm gonna avoid comparisons to all the other popular dark paranormal romance book series that revolve around groups/families/packs/clans/covens of cursed/tortured/hunted supernatural men. Yes, this is that type of series. There are unavoidable similarities. But there are also lots of differences that make this series unique and refreshing.

The mythology in this book is really cool. It's based on the Greek myth of Pandora's box. When the box was opened, the demons came out and possessed a group of immortal warriors. Each warrior was cursed with his own demon. Maddox happens to be cursed with the spirit of Violence. He also carries an even more terrible curse.

Ashlyn hears voices from the past and present. She works for an agency that studies paranormal beings, and they send her to Budapest for research. While she's there, she decides to seek help from the group of strange beings in the secluded fortress. She meets Maddox first and realizes that he has a strange effect on her "gift". Together they discover some interesting secrets and fight some bad guys. Along the way, they fall in love.

A lot of paranormal romance series are drifting further from romance territory and closer to urban fantasy territory. That is not the case with this book. The Darkest Night is definitely a true paranormal romance. It's dark and action packed and there are several side threads involving the other warriors, but there's no question that the relationship between Maddox and Ashlyn takes center stage. I've really missed that!

The supporting characters in this book are every bit as interesting as the two protagonists, but they never hijack the story. I'm tired of first books that act as advertisements for the rest of the series, but this book isn't like that at all. Gena Showalter somehow managed to make me interested in the rest of the series without taking away from Maddox and Ashlyn's HEA at all.

Maddox is a great hero. He's been through some awful things, but he's not a martyr. There's none of this "boo hoo, I'm so unworthy" stuff that we see in so many other books with tortured heroes. He's obviously a loving, gentle, and kind person. He just happens to be possessed with the spirit of Violence. It's very clear that he and his demon are two separate entities, and most of the time he has a pretty good handle on that. He remains accountable for his actions and never whines about being at the mercy of his beast. I love that about him.

I only have two very minor complaints about this book: First, I would've liked to see a little deeper into the characters of Maddox and Ashlyn. There were times when I felt like a bit of an outsider. They're not flat or one-dimensional at all, just a little underdeveloped for my taste. I'd have liked more background and more insights into what made them tick. Second, the mythological and historical explanations at the beginning of the book are somewhat confusing and I felt like I had missed something. But, like I said, those are very minor complaints.

The Darkest Night was a very satisfying read and I strongly recommend it to paranormal romance fans. - 12/2/08(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 20, 2008 Eastofoz rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: JR Ward BDB & Kresley Cole IAD fans

Shelves: paranormal

There’s something about this book that keeps you turning the pages but it’s not a great book which is weird. I liked the premise and the story keeps moving but I didn’t like the syrupiness and some of the strange comparisons/descriptions Showalter uses. For example she talks about the “smell of moonlight”—how does moonlight smell????? That was the one that struck me the most but there were other odd things like that, it’s almost as if she’s trying too hard to draw the reader in and overcompensat...more

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May 21, 2008 Candy Lyons rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved, loved, love this book. Great urban fantasy that weaves a tale that's beyond your normal vamps and wolves today. Based on the Pandora myth/legend, Showalter gives us fresh world-building and a tantilizing story that kept me turning the pages. She's a great storyteller who uses wonderful fresh images and descriptions to describe those moments you've read a thousand times in romance. This book was a spot of sunshine on a rainy day. Lovely!

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 01, 2011 Diah Didi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, 3-and-half-stars, series, romance, fantasy, paranormal, own, love-the-cover, virgin-hero, my-very-first-of

Horeeeee ... my very first of Gena Showalter! Didn't think I'd ever read her book. Entah sedang dikuasai Iblis apa ketika memutuskan untuk baca dan beli buku ini. Lords of Buying-Books? :))
Jadi awalnya saya nggak terlalu nangkep apa permasalahannya. Ternyata baru ketauan kalo mereka (para Lords aka Penguasa) ini ngebuka kotak Pandora tempat penyimpan iblis2x. Gara2x itu, mereka dikutuk jadi wadah iblis2x. Setiap kesatria dapet jatah satu iblis, dan kalo si iblis dalam diri mereka udah menguasai,...more

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May 15, 2008 Stacie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a very good book. It is the story of a warrior punished by the gods to carry the demon of Violence. Ashlyn is a woman who hears voices from the past. She is going crazy and goes to the warriors' stronghold to get help. This book has a different twist to it and I enjoyed reading it.

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 20, 2012 JenJenBoBin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

"5 Stars"

Love this ... it was totally smokin' I am in love with Maddox what can I say??? Can't wait to hit the next in the series.... already bought it! :)

Lots of good reviews for this book already. I will just add I found it to be a lighter read than say "Black Dagger Brotherhood" which is full of constant angst this one has that but it moves through things more quickly while still being very engaging. So that was different but in a good way just like BDB's angst is good in it's own way! :)

I h...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Texy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who love sexy tortured worriors, fans of J.R.Ward, Kenyon and Ione

Shelves: pnr, demons, mythology, m-f

4.5

The story is very good. Little mix of BDB and Dark Hunter with a touch of Demonica; it worked perfectly.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

I loved Ashlyn! She is stubborn, brave, forgiving, kind, playful...real sweetie. She gave Maddox the reason to live and eased his nights of pain. At the end she sacrificed herself to stop him from constant dying.
Maddox is...hmm...violent. Everything gets him angry and wakes his craving to kill. He is an alpha male, very protective and possessive. Has constant mood swings an...more 4.5

The story is very good. Little mix of BDB and Dark Hunter with a touch of Demonica; it worked perfectly.

MAIN CHARACTERS:

I loved Ashlyn! She is stubborn, brave, forgiving, kind, playful...real sweetie. She gave Maddox the reason to live and eased his nights of pain. At the end she sacrificed herself to stop him from constant dying.
Maddox is...hmm...violent. Everything gets him angry and wakes his craving to kill. He is an alpha male, very protective and possessive. Has constant mood swings and no wish to live. The only one that calms him is Ashlyn (before her he had to be beaten in submission).
They had some weird connection from the first moment they'd met. There was that famous MINE that I love. They also wanted to rip each others cloths off and %@#$. Through first half of the book the only reasons for them liking each other were: Ashlyn-she needed him to keep the voices away but already liked him a little bit, Maddox-he was horny and wanted to devour her. Than when she got ill, his feelings suddenly changed. He wanted to talk with her, spend time with her and his demon wanted to claim her but also protect her. He's okay but not my favorite Lord.

OTHER CHARACTERS:

Lords are too good to be true. Their interaction, fighting, teasing is awesome. Torin is currently my favorite. He's a prankster, funny and sarcastic and doesn't deserve the demon that possesses him. Lucian is the head of the family. He's calm and rational. Aeron has a demon similar to Maddox but I still don't know what to think about him. Reyes is interesting character, very serious and requires pain to live. I wonder how that is going to affect Danika. Paris is one horny guy. He's addicted to porn and ladies. Kane, Gideon and Cameo are hilarious without even trying to be. Their demons are funny but at the same time sad. Amun is silent and keeps himself at distance. Sabin is a leader like Lucian and I don't have any impression about Strider except that he's very competitive.

This book was sexy, funny, intense, scary and worth reading. Now, moving onto the next one.
(less)

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Dec 08, 2011 ♥Laddie♥ marked it as dnf

Shelves: mf-killed-my-joy, mf-wtf, mf-paranormal, mf-ruthless-hero

** 12/08/11: Edits added to reflect an attempted re-read

I feel like I should explain why this was the ultimate DNF for me. It had so many great reviews and I loved the blurb. I checked the bookstore every week to see if they'd restocked it. Finally, one day they had it and I put the book on reserve.

Maddox is an immortal warrior who, along with his five warrior buddies got pissed when they were passed over in favor of Pandora to guard the sacred box of demons. So, they steal the box and release t...more

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Jan 11, 2011 ♥ Sarah ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: demons, ilb, paranormal-romance, to-buy

So I've had this series on the back burner for a long while. I seem to be the last person in the world to read this so I figured it was about time I jumped on the bandwagon. I read The Darkest Fire prequel in the Into the Dark anthology first, and then moved onto this one. I liked this a lot better than the prequel (of course, it's not a short story though), but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

The main reason I didn't give this four stars was because I thought it lacked a more soli...more So I've had this series on the back burner for a long while. I seem to be the last person in the world to read this so I figured it was about time I jumped on the bandwagon. I read The Darkest Fire prequel in the Into the Dark anthology first, and then moved onto this one. I liked this a lot better than the prequel (of course, it's not a short story though), but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

The main reason I didn't give this four stars was because I thought it lacked a more solid storyline. Most of the story was just about Maddox and Ashlyn, which is fine, but it was lacking a "bigger picture" kind of feel. The series' I tend to like the most are the ones where there is an overall story going on in the background of all the love stories. I just think it adds a certain layer to the world that I'm reading about.

In addition, I thought that a little action could have gone a long way in this story as well. There really wasn't much action at all and while I'm a sucker for the romance and the sex (which was great btw), I also like to have a bit of action going on in between. Since there wasn't too much of a background story going on, there wasn't really a place for too much action to happen.

However, I will say that near the end of the book (probably the last 50 pages or so), there seemed to be a bigger picture forming. We get to hear from the daughter of a god named Anya who I believe will play a bigger role in the future books. I like her personality a lot so far so I hope we get to hear more from her. Also some other things happen later in the book that seem to be driving at an overall storyline for the series. This is good, but I thought that it could have happened earlier in the story so that more could have played out in this book.

Now, onto the things I did like. I really liked Ashlyn as a heroine. I thought she was a kick ass heroine. She wasn't whiny, scared all the time, or bitchy. I truly liked her character. I also liked Maddox, but I think that he could have showed a little more emotion sometimes. I get he has his demon (Violence) to deal with, but sometimes he would just say these really short sentences (fragments, if you will) that were absolutely void of emotion even when he was telling her he loved her. It's hard to explain. But I did still like him and I liked how their story came full circle in the end.

Overall I liked the story, but it wasn't my favorite first in a series for sure. I will give it the benefit of the doubt though in that this one was really setting up the series, characters, and world, so that might be why it was a little slower. I really like the concept though and I think there's a lot of room for really interesting stories and different types of heroines to come into play. I look forward to the rest of the series and learning what kind of heroine ends up with each of them.(less)

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Sep 28, 2011 ~♡♥Ang ♥♡~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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Feb 22, 2010 Zeek rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites-all-time, favorites-pnr, pnr, angels-gods-demons, own

Once I picked this book up I COULD NOT put it down!!

Totally yummy, I honestly believe this will be the series to launch Showalter into the stratosphere, much like Kenyon's Dark Hunters did for her. ( And speaking of- if you're anxious to get a fix while waiting for either Kenyon's or Ward's next releases- THIS IS THE SERIES FOR YOU!)

Here's the send up:

The Lords of the Underworld are immortal. Long ago they were guardians of the Greek Pantheon but one day Zeus decided to entrust a dangerous box t...more Once I picked this book up I COULD NOT put it down!!

Totally yummy, I honestly believe this will be the series to launch Showalter into the stratosphere, much like Kenyon's Dark Hunters did for her. ( And speaking of- if you're anxious to get a fix while waiting for either Kenyon's or Ward's next releases- THIS IS THE SERIES FOR YOU!)

Here's the send up:

The Lords of the Underworld are immortal. Long ago they were guardians of the Greek Pantheon but one day Zeus decided to entrust a dangerous box to someone other than them. Rather than have his strong armed warriors guard the infamous box that contained the most dangerous demons the world has ever seen, he gave them to Pandora to hold. The boys took affront and decided to prove Zeus made the wrong decision. Yeah, it ended up badly for them. With Pandora dead and the evil released, Zeus took his wrath out on the guardians and cast a demon into each of them, thus creating The Lords of the Underworld.

The Darkest Night is Maddox's story- Maddox is the Keeper of Violence.

Naturally life has been torture for Maddox living with Violence for thousands of years, but worse, because he was the one who slew Pandora, each night at the stroke of midnight he must relive her death in his own body with 6 stabs of the Keeper of Pain's sword (Reyes). After that the Keeper of Death (Lucien) takes him to hell where he lives through the fires of torment until morning.

In the beginning of the tale, Maddox is sent out to investigate some activity around the warriors secluded keep located on a mountain in Budapest. It's close to the midnight hour, but he's the only one around to do the job. While out there, he discovers the Hunters have returned- the humans who hundreds of years ago made it their mission to destroy the Lords. He quickly takes care of them, but he also comes upon a lovely lady who, unbeknownst to both of them, is the one who inadvertently led the hunters straight to their doorstep. (He thinks she's bait, she had no idea they were following her.)

Much of the book is taken up with the preceding misunderstanding, but the heat these two generate make up for it. She is, after all, his savior- as he is hers. You see Ashlyn, the mysterious lady, has a gift and only with him does the torment this gift causes her ease.

It truly is a fun read. If you haven't started this series and you love romance mixed with the paranormal like me, go ahead and give a try!(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 03, 2008 Gina rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

Good!

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a happy ending. I believe this one could have used a little more work, though.

I thought it just a little weird how Maddox became so attached and protective of Ashlyn when they just met. It was weird how the connection kind of just slammed together, and I thought that the only reason Ashlyn was attached to Maddox, at the beginning, was because he ‘quieted’ the voices that continuously ran through her mind. But they grew closer a lot faster than I’ve read in a...more Good!

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a happy ending. I believe this one could have used a little more work, though.

I thought it just a little weird how Maddox became so attached and protective of Ashlyn when they just met. It was weird how the connection kind of just slammed together, and I thought that the only reason Ashlyn was attached to Maddox, at the beginning, was because he ‘quieted’ the voices that continuously ran through her mind. But they grew closer a lot faster than I’ve read in a novel before, and it left me slightly uncomfortable.

Despite her gift/curse, I thought Ashlyn a very strong and self-reliant person. She did what she though was necessary, for Maddox. She didn’t get it at first, and I could understand the horror of it all if I’d be in her shoes, but I’m glad it was finally explained to her. I can’t imagine what someone would go through, knowing how she grew up, to watch them ’attack’ at Maddox every night.

And Maddox … wow! Even for a warrior, cursed with housing the demon of Violence, to him, everyday blended together until is just is what it is. Ashlyn broke him out of that shell right at the beginning, and it was a little weird watching how it all came together.

What I liked… how the book was more of an internal war - Maddox battling his demon, Violence, and not wanting it to affect Ashlyn. But the demon grew attached to Ashlyn just as fast as Maddox did, and now both would do anything to protect Ashlyn. Ashlyn soothes his demon just as much as Maddox being around calms the voices she constantly hears.

Earlier, when I became interested in the books, I looked up some of the reviews, and wondered why some where comparing this series to Ward’s ‘Brotherhood’ series or Kenyon’s ‘Dark Hunter’ series. After reading the first novel, I thought this unfair. Showalter created a world completely different, basing most of the entire series on Greek mythology. While some things are reminders of other series, ie: gods, powers, etc…, I thought Showalter did an excellent job in creating her own world for her characters. I look forward to all of the novels in the series.(less)

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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 Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, #2)

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

The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld, #4)

The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld, #5)

The Darkest Lie (Lords of the Underworld, #6)

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Quotes from The Darkest Night

“You are mine, woman, and I am yours. Until you, my life was desolate. I existed, but I didn't truly live. Now I live, even in my death.” — 318 people liked it

“Sometimes what we want isn't what we need.” — 277 people liked it

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The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)

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