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Jun 19, 2011

new_user rated it:

*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 god More...

53 comments like (37 people liked it)

Jan 09, 2010

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" rated it:

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 f More...

38 comments like (47 people liked it)

Dec 07, 2011

Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it:

(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 More...

30 comments like (16 people liked it)

Oct 09, 2008

Best_beloved rated it:

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 an More...

28 comments like (76 people liked it)

Apr 30, 2008

Julie (jjmachshev) rated it:

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 seri More...

13 comments like (11 people liked it)

Aug 07, 2011

Buggy rated it:

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 More...

5 comments like (9 people liked it)

Mar 28, 2009

Christel rated it:

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

1 comment like (8 people liked it)

Dec 11, 2008

L8blmr rated it:

*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 d More...

3 comments like (8 people liked it)

Jun 14, 2010

Miss Kim rated it:

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. More...

9 comments like (9 people liked it)

Jul 09, 2008

Tina rated it:

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 paranorm More...

4 comments like (10 people liked it)

Mar 23, 2011

Elena R a.k.a. Lunies R rated it:

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 forwar More...

15 comments like (7 people liked it)

Jan 23, 2012

Anzu rated it:

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 h More...

32 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 02, 2011

Jodie rated it:

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 Ma More...

6 comments like (4 people liked it)

Nov 06, 2010

Ren rated it:

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 c More...

22 comments like (6 people liked it)

Dec 09, 2008

Jen rated it:

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 possesse More...

2 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jun 20, 2008

Eastofoz rated it:

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 overcompen More...

6 comments like (4 people liked it)

May 21, 2008

Candy rated it:

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!

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 01, 2011

Diah rated it:

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 meng More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 15, 2008

Stacie rated it:

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.

3 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jun 28, 2011

Texy rated it:

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 More...

21 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 08, 2011

Laddie added it

** 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 ste More...

3 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 17, 2011

♥ Sarah ♥ rated it:

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...

16 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 28, 2011

~♡♥Ang ♥♡~ rated it:

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

24 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 04, 2011

Zeek rated it:

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 More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 03, 2008

Gina rated it:

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 fa More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Jun 11, 2008

Shannon rated it:

Centuries ago, the Greek gods gave the keeping of a special box into the hands of one of their immortal warriors: Pandora. In jealous, insulted rage, a group of other immortal warriors plotted together to open the box and teach the gods a lesson. Instead, the demons that escaped from the box bound to each of them, and they are forced to live for eternity with a demon that often overrides their control. Hunted by humans who seek to destroy them, the cursed warriors split, half remaining to fight More...

6 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 22, 2008

Jocelyn rated it:

This book is a non-stop page-turner that would be great for a summer beach read, if the cover didn't make you want to read it only in private. Yes, clearly, the cover is HOT, but it's pretty embarassing, and I'm afraid that I got so engrossed in the plot that I couldn't put it down and I ended up reading it on public transportation - that should give you an idea of how good it is. I read it in public, on purpose, twice.

I can't give you any critique of the writing style on this book More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 29, 2011

Kay rated it:

This was such a boring read, it is kind of ridiculous.

The Darkest Night is supposed to be a PNR book a-la-J.R. Ward - while there are many similarities, Showalter ultimately does not deliver. The book is filled with tortured fallen angels, forced to host a demon within them. But apart from being tortured, they are utterly indistinguishable. This is the case for the entire book - we are introduced to so many characters and none of them seemed to have a personality!

The More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 03, 2009

Stacey rated it:

I didn't love the book at first but it kept getting better as it went along. There were A LOT of characters introduced and described and I found it hard keeping track or picturing them. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it, especially the second half of the book.
There was true love, romance, action, sacrifice, suspence and some hot scenes to top it off.
I'm looking forward to the next story with Anya as I liked her brief appearance at the end of this book.
Not as good as JR Ward, More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Nov 24, 2011

Dija rated it:

What I expected:

1. A too-sexy-to-be-true hero.
2. A too-feminine-to-be-anything-but-Barbie heroine.
3. Lust at first sight that magically transforms into true love barely 50 pages into the book.

What I got:

1. Lots of laugh-out-loud moments.
2. Swoon-worthy heroes.
3. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Yes, the girl's a virgin. Yes, the guy's an immortal who has existed since before time yet still hasn't ever fallen in love. But no, th More...

22 comments like (4 people liked it)