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

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The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)

by Gena Showalter (Goodreads Author)

4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 · rating details · 19,831 ratings · 700 reviews

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her--even defy the gods.Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are...more

ebook, 308 pages

Published July 1st 2008 by Harlequin Books (first published January 1st 2008)

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Jun 22, 2008 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008-reads

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 about the scope of the...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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Feb 04, 2012 Buggy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

Opening Line; "Reyes stood on the roof of the Budapest fortress, five stories up, his feet balanced precariously on the highest ledge."

THE DARKEST PLEASURE is book 3 in the fantastic and addictive Lords Of The Underworld Series and this time it's is all about Reyes, an immortal warrior cursed after opening Pandora's box and ever since bound to the demon of pain. We've been waiting since book 1 to see Reyes's unrequited love for Danika reach its foregone conclusion and Showalter doesn't disappoin...more Opening Line; "Reyes stood on the roof of the Budapest fortress, five stories up, his feet balanced precariously on the highest ledge."

THE DARKEST PLEASURE is book 3 in the fantastic and addictive Lords Of The Underworld Series and this time it's is all about Reyes, an immortal warrior cursed after opening Pandora's box and ever since bound to the demon of pain. We've been waiting since book 1 to see Reyes's unrequited love for Danika reach its foregone conclusion and Showalter doesn't disappoint.

As in past books this is an ensemble piece, involving the continuing stories of past immortals and their now mates, as well as those Demons yet to have their stories told. Rather than distracting I found all these characters only added to the story in a very `Brothers' living in the mansion kind of way. I love the bantering between the warriors who at the same time respect each others torturous curses. This dysfunctional family unit continues to change and grow, all the while maintaining their constant search for Pandora's Box and fighting off the ever threatening `Hunters.'

Reyes is kinda sexy but he's been cursed with the demon of pain. To avoid hurting others (and feel some pleasure himself) he must satisfy the demon by either releasing it during a fight or self inflicting pain. I.e. cutting or stabbing himself, although he has also been known to jump off the roof of a building just to feel his bones break and hear the demon purr.

Reyes was introduced to Danika Way back in The Darkest Night and he's never been able to forget her. She unfortunately was targeted by Cronus the new King of the Titans and along with her family sentenced to death. To make matters worse it was Reyes's best friend Aeron ordered with upholding the death sentence and the longer he's kept from this task the more bloodthirsty his own demon Wrath has become. In fact Aeron's become so crazed that he's been locked in the dungeon where he's trying to chew off his own hands to escape the shackles. Reyes can't bear to see his friend like this but he can't allow Aeron to kill Danika either and will fight him to the death if need be.

Meanwhile Danika remains on the run, now separated from her family she fears that they may all be dead and in an attempt to find and protect them strikes up a deal with the `Hunters' allowing herself to be used as `Bait' against the immortals. Once inside the castle walls however her resolve starts to fail. Something draws her to Reyes, this man who warms her skin and haunts her dreams. He has shown her nothing but safety and kindness and she has come to desire him, demon and all. Reyes in turn is pretty much useless, unable to concentrate on anything except getting Danika into his bed and keeping her safe from the bloodthirsty Aeron. Now if only he could figure out where Danika's loyalties lie and why Cronus wants her dead they could all live happily ever after.

This was a great read and anyone invested in the series won't be disappointed. Besides the love story there are some excellent sub-plots. (Paris's story is getting progressively heartbreaking *sigh*) My only regret here would be the surprisingly mundane love scenes. Given the subject materiel I guess I expected a little more, I mean pain=BDSM right? Unfortunately (or fortunately?) Reyes wants to keep things gentle and not exploit Danika's dark, kinky side. At times I also felt bogged down with too much Greek Mythology and history but all the same can't wait to read the next instalment. Cheers
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Feb 07, 2011 ♥ Sarah ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, fav-males, ilb, paranormal-romance

This was a book I was really looking forward to. Reyes and Danika's romance has been in the making since the first book in this series, so I was really interested to see how it would play out between them. I was not disappointed in the least.

Reyes is the Keeper of Pain, so he often needs to hurt himself or be hurt by others in order to sate the demon that possesses him. However, when he's brought his need for pain to the bedroom in the past, bad things have happened that he's come to regret and...more This was a book I was really looking forward to. Reyes and Danika's romance has been in the making since the first book in this series, so I was really interested to see how it would play out between them. I was not disappointed in the least.

Reyes is the Keeper of Pain, so he often needs to hurt himself or be hurt by others in order to sate the demon that possesses him. However, when he's brought his need for pain to the bedroom in the past, bad things have happened that he's come to regret and feel extremely guilty for. For this reason, he fears love and tries to keep his feelings at bay at all times. When he first meets Danika though, she starts breaking down these walls he's built up and he doesn't quite know how to repair them and stay away from her.

When Danika was introduced in the first book, her and her family (sister, mother, and grandmother) were kidnapped by the Lords and held prisoner for reasons she didn't understand at the time. Since then, she and her family have escaped, but she has been constantly on the run, trying to stay off the Lords' radar for good. But this life has become empty and torturous for her. She wants to be with her family again and hates all of the Lords, including Reyes, for being responsible for what her life has become.

I loved this story. I have to say that Reyes is my favorite Lord so far. He has the tortured, yet sexy-as-hell, thing going on. He's super sexy, sweet to Danika, and very protective of her. Of course, in real life I don't approve of one cutting themselves, but this is a fictional, and I found him and his demon quite irresistible.

Just in the last few books, this series has improved immensely. The first book was kind of "meh", but the past two books have a larger picture going on -- which I love -- and there is a lot of action, character/relationship development, and delicious love scenes going on. There's a lot to stay entertained and I'm really enjoying the series.

Also, I'm loving that she's slowly introducing us to the other characters so that we can grow to love them more as the series progresses. We get to hear from Paris, Aeron, and Sabin's point of view a good deal in this one, and I enjoyed that. I feel just terrible for Paris though, because we're already getting a glimpse into his world, but to this day he doesn't have a book out! It looks like he won't be finding love until 2012! Poor Paris. :( Although, I can understand the difficulties being that he's the Keeper of Promiscuity. His character and Torin's (Keeper of Disease), I'm sure will be the hardest to write. Also Gideon (Keeper of Lies), will I'm sure be hard to write a story for -- given he can't ever tell the truth!

Overall, I loved the story. It has everything you could want in a paranormal romance: a sexy man, an un-annoying woman, action, a bigger picture, and let's not forget smokin' hot sex. I'm really looking forward to the next book about Sabin as well. Getting his POV a lot in this book made me want to know what kind of woman he'll end up with!(less)

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Mar 19, 2009 Kathrynn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

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 as Bait for the Hunters'...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Christel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition 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 of her family.

This...more

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Apr 18, 2010 Tracy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, tortured-disfigured-hero, reviewed-2009, ebook-library

4 ½ stars

Darkest Pleasure quickly just became my favorite book of the Lords of the Underworld series thus far. While I liked the first two books and planned to finish the series sometime this year, after reading this book I will definitely read the next two books this month.

Why am I now dying to finish the series?

First, I felt like I got to know some of the other warriors much better. There was also more interplay between one another. With the Budapest group, you really see the bond that they s...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: paranormal romance fans

Shelves: curse, paranormal-romance, part-of-a-series, owned-copy, favorite-or-autobuy-author, psychic, greek-mythology, tortured-hero, sigh-worthy-hero, enemies-to-lovers, brotherhood

Although this series had a shaky start, I am really loving it. Heck, I'm a sucker for Greek mythology, so that helps. Throw in a tortured hero, and the battle's practically won. But, really, these are good stories, and I could tell that Gena Showalter is finding her groove. This series is much darker than her Atlantis series, and quite violent. But then, it's about Immortal, demon-possessed warriors. Comes with the territory. These books are also very steamy. Not too steamy, though.

Reyes was ve...more Although this series had a shaky start, I am really loving it. Heck, I'm a sucker for Greek mythology, so that helps. Throw in a tortured hero, and the battle's practically won. But, really, these are good stories, and I could tell that Gena Showalter is finding her groove. This series is much darker than her Atlantis series, and quite violent. But then, it's about Immortal, demon-possessed warriors. Comes with the territory. These books are also very steamy. Not too steamy, though.

Reyes was very tortured. I mean, what a curse! To have to hurt oneself to feel pleasure, or to maintain one's sanity. In a way, it was almost sickening for me, to see him carving himself with knives and hurting himself, relishing being horribly wounded by others. There was a bit of an ick factor there for me. Having said that, I was okay reading this story. I think that this was an iffy story, but the execution was well-done. I'm so not into that painful/pleasurable sex storyline, but I kept reading. I was glad that Ms. Showalter managed to keep most of that out of the sex scenes. Otherwise, oh, I would have been way out of comfort zones.

I loved how tender Reyes was with Danika, even when I didn't think she deserved his devotion. I tried really hard not to judge Danika, knowing that she was just being a human who was in a rough situation. But, I thought I would hate her forever when she started working with the Hunters. I was crying, "No. That's so wrong." In my mind, it was. The Lords didn't hurt her at all. They let her family go and protected her. Yes, Aeron was off his rocker, but it was clear that they were going to do their best to protect her and her family. So, I was on the edge of hating poor Danika. It was a see-saw with me. I was glad that Reyes was aware that she was considering betraying him. With his eyes open, I felt better about his willingness to show her such loving, selfless devotion. A girl can only be so lucky. In the end, I was okay with Danika, although I much prefer Anya and Ashlyn. Reyes loves her so much, I can't hate the girl, after all. And, I ended up liking the reveal when it came to what Danika truly was.

This series is building nicely. I am eager to read about the other Lords' stories. My heart goes out to poor Paris. I hope he is able to get a happy ending. It was great seeing Lucien and Anya, and Maddox and Ashlyn in their gushy lovey-dovey-ness. I loved all the smart alecky comments and sarcastic quips from the gang, as well. Anya makes me laugh, her and William. Lucien is sigh-worthy. I just love him. Gideon cracks me up with his lies! Sabin made me want to slap him in some scenes, and feel very sad for him in others. I hope she writes a story for poor Cameo. Maybe there will be a man who can love her despite the misery she inspires in those who hear her voice and see her face. The Hunters got on my ever-living nerves. Initially, I didn't like them as the main villains at all. But it turned out to be a solid source of intrigue, especially with the developments with a former Lord. I liked that Ms. Showalter took the Greek mythology and took it in a novel direction by focusing on the Titans.

Honestly, this would have been five stars, were it not for my intermittent dislike of Danika. Otherwise, it was an enthralling read that I found hard to put down. After this one, I'll take a break and read something else, so I don't run out of these books. But, I'm excited to continue this series. (less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Merve Özcan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demon, godish, paranormal, immortal, romance, mythology, fantasy

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

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Dec 11, 2012 Kellie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hot-hot-alpha-s, lotu, paranormal

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

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Jul 07, 2008 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, paranormal, romance

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 kills one b...more

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Jan 20, 2009 L8blmr rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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, I...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Paranormal Romance Fans

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

There really is someone out there for everyone. Even an immortal warrior, who can only find pleasure in bone-wrenching pain. Reyes is one of the Lords of the Underworld. Each immortal carries within him a demon which escaped from hell. Reyes carries Pain, and longs to hurt himself and others. He cuts himself, breaks his own bones, whatever it takes to cause pain and soothe the beast inside of him.

We knew Danika was the woman for him back in The Darkest Night. But he resisted his feelings for her...more There really is someone out there for everyone. Even an immortal warrior, who can only find pleasure in bone-wrenching pain. Reyes is one of the Lords of the Underworld. Each immortal carries within him a demon which escaped from hell. Reyes carries Pain, and longs to hurt himself and others. He cuts himself, breaks his own bones, whatever it takes to cause pain and soothe the beast inside of him.

We knew Danika was the woman for him back in The Darkest Night. But he resisted his feelings for her because he was afraid his demon would taint her. Well, that and the fact that his best bud Aeron is fighting a Titan-induced compulsion to kill her. But three books later, Reyes is finally giving in to his desires. Danika's life has been turned upside down since she came under the Lords' radar. She's been on the run, hiding from Lords and Hunters alike. She's been forced to harden herself, to live in poverty. And in the end, it's not enough. Hunters catch up with her and that leads Reyes back into her life, because he must save her.

The couple is thrown together, as Reyes vows to protect Danika and she works to find the rest of her missing family. And even though they're both fighting it, their attraction is undeniable. Now, I know there are a lot of people out there who find pleasure in some degree of pain. And skirting that line can be a turn-on. It just isn't for me. And that put a big damper on the book, because, obviously, Reyes IS Pain. There is one particularly disturbing scene in the bathroom with Reyes and a knife... Suffice it to say, it icked me out.

And yet, despite this, it was a good book. Even with the pain thing, the book was rich in sexual tension, which Showalter plays like a violin. The great world building continues. I felt so much anguish for Paris... sympathy for all the lonely Lords, each with such burdens to bear. These books are sexy romances, but they're also more. In short order, Showalter has helped us grow emotionally invested in this immortal family. And the ongoing story arc is entertaining, exciting, and always surprising. 4 stars.

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Nov 19, 2011 Aly (Mircea) Basarab rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, 2013-sexy-showalter-challenge

APR: Beauty and the Beast

Pictures with:
Reyes:

Danika:

A fantastic story. I love the series and GS' writing style :) I might even try a YA by her *gasp*

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Feb 01, 2010 kari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

I enjoy this series about the immortal warriors harboring demons, the world they live in and how each one is meeting his soul mate, but this installment gave me an awful lot more ewwww than awwww. There are some parts that were almost stomach turning.
Danika, who was kidnapped along with her sister, mother and grandmother in the first book, is the heroine of this book and we find out why she's important to the Lords world.
Reyes, who contains the demon of pain, is drawn to her as she is to him. R...more

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Jan 12, 2009 Miss Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Lara Adrian; paranormal romance

Recommended to Miss Kim by: continuation of series

Shelves: paranormal, 2009

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

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May 13, 2012 Yulia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: s-lords-of-the-underworld, 2012, favorites, rc-a-z_male_2012, rc, review, qp

I Love this book!
I Love Reyes and Danika!!!
I Love them so much, that I want to draw them.
description

He was her enemy, he and his friends stole her family, they wanted to kill them. therefore, they have to split up and hide from them. But she can not forget him, can not stop thinking about him her pulls up to him and it scares her.

He is possessed by a demon of pain. he can not afford to get carried away by her, to get closer. otherwise his demon will break her. Her - his angel, so innocent, sweet and at the...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Ann has a dirty mouth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

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

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Jun 25, 2011 Catherine Forbes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: romance fans

Shelves: gena-showalter, favourites, demons, para-romance

He only feels pleasure through pain; through the slicing his own skin, the breaking of his own bones. He craves for his own blood to be shed. He is Reyes, Keeper of Pain, and he desires a woman who thinks him an enemy and a monster at first. Danika Ford is his angel, yet he believes he will corrupt her with his demon, so they have no future, as he does not want to taint her good heart. They are too different; dark and light. And surely she would be disgusted by his need for pain. But will they,...more He only feels pleasure through pain; through the slicing his own skin, the breaking of his own bones. He craves for his own blood to be shed. He is Reyes, Keeper of Pain, and he desires a woman who thinks him an enemy and a monster at first. Danika Ford is his angel, yet he believes he will corrupt her with his demon, so they have no future, as he does not want to taint her good heart. They are too different; dark and light. And surely she would be disgusted by his need for pain. But will they, some way, overcome all and get to be together?

Gena Showalter has reached perfection in this third instalment!

I wasn’t overly excited about reading Reyes’ story. Since the first book, when Reyes and Danika were introduced, we knew they were meant to be together, but it wasn’t something I was desperate for. I was then surprised to find how good this book actually was.

Reyes truly has to battle with himself almost constantly. I felt for him. I really did. He would push himself away from Danika, more than once, because of the possibility of tainting her and making her drunk on his demon. He thought he should be alone forever. It was difficult for him, having to inflict pain upon himself with Danika around. He wanted to shield her from the ugliness when she wanted to be a part of it.

I liked Danika, even though she decided to work for the hunters. Her life was messed up, but she only wanted what was best for her family. She had to make a lot of hard decisions and she stayed strong. I didn’t want her to die; I very much didn’t want it, so when I feel that way about a character I know I like them!

A lot of things happened in this book, so I wasn’t bored at any time. There were a lot of shocks and jaw dropping moments. I loved it. I finished one chapter, which left at a cliff-hanger, so I instantly went onto the next. Also, we see short conversations between man and demon for the first time, which I enjoyed.

And... Oh my God. Legion! I love this little she-demon! Legion made me laugh and ‘awwww’ out loud. Really a wonderful addition I didn’t see coming. So many new folk are living in the fortress now since the start of this series and it will only grow. I am a sucker for big happy families. I’m glad William is staying, even though he nearly killed Lucien in the last book. Forgive and forget, right?

The hunters are really showing how stupid and bad they are. Where, at the start, they had reason to hate the warriors, they seem to be brainwashed now, thinking that all evil stems for them. They are annoying and I want them all to die. Harsh? Hardly. They are a cult, led by the very thing they hate. Not the brightest apples in the basket.

I can’t wait to read the next book! All of my little irratations with the two previous books vanished when reading this one.

© Catherine Forbes 2011
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Aug 15, 2011 Wicked ♥ (Wickedly Bookish Reviews) aka Bat-Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, ebooks-i-own, favorites, mythology-inspired, paranormal-romance, smut, summer-reads, supernatural, urban-fantasy, demons, harlequin

Reviewed for Wickedly Bookish
http://wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/

Danika is on the run from the Lords. Bloodlust crazed Aeron, keeper of Wrath, has been tasked by the gods to slay her and her family. While split up from her grandmother, mom, and sister, Danika gets into trouble and is kidnapped by hunters. Reyes, who has come to desire her, and the other Lords rescue her and take her back to their fortress in Budapest. Reyes is the keeper of Pain, yet he desires to bring Danika her pleasure....

Re...more Reviewed for Wickedly Bookish
http://wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/

Danika is on the run from the Lords. Bloodlust crazed Aeron, keeper of Wrath, has been tasked by the gods to slay her and her family. While split up from her grandmother, mom, and sister, Danika gets into trouble and is kidnapped by hunters. Reyes, who has come to desire her, and the other Lords rescue her and take her back to their fortress in Budapest. Reyes is the keeper of Pain, yet he desires to bring Danika her pleasure....

Reyes and Danika's story is, so far, my favorite in the series. You get to see that Reyes is actually a real sweetie and as a heroine, Danika is the best so far. If you are not familiar with the series, the main premise is that each Lord is possessed by one of the demons that was trapped inside of Pandora's box. Kind of a neat little idea there. I'm enjoying seeing how each Lord overcomes his own demon in order to be with the women he loves. One thing I really like about the LOTU series is that the Lords never have to change who they are at their core, the women they are paired off with always offset them perfectly and each partner in the couple makes the other a better person. Too many women and young girls are under the impression that they can find a sexy bad boy, and fix all his problems, by molding him into what they want. I think we need more fiction like this that enforces accepting and loving our partners for who they are, faults and all.

Reyes and Danika showcase this well in that, once Danika falls for him, she doesn't try to change Reyes' pleasure from pain self, she embraces it. I enjoyed the pull of attraction here that Danika struggles with. Who doesn't love a story about resisting your sexy enemy?

We also get a good look at what's happening with Paris in the background. His side story has been an interesting one, and i can't wait to see where it goes once I get to his book! Sabin makes some cameos here in preparation for the next book The Darkest Whisper, in which he is the star.

The core plot is pushed a bit farther, revealing one of the Artifacts of the gods, making for a very nervous Cronus, and the Lords are directed to Egypt! The next book should be lots of fun!
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Jan 26, 2011 Peep (Pop! Pop!) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: character-id-punch, read-in-2011, seriously-didn-t-like, what-the-heck, adult-cravings

While I didn't like the second book, I hated this one. Yeah. I hated it.

Let's clear a few things up, ok? Biting in a book that doesn't involve vampires is just gross. Really gross. Danika annoyed me. Her tough girl spiel just annoyed me to no end. Seriously. When someone does something, it is disgusting to reply with, "You think this is funny?" Well, what about this?" and then proceed to bite them hard enough to draw blood... on the neckt. Gross! Ewww.

So yeah, Danika annoyed me! Her bravado was...more While I didn't like the second book, I hated this one. Yeah. I hated it.

Let's clear a few things up, ok? Biting in a book that doesn't involve vampires is just gross. Really gross. Danika annoyed me. Her tough girl spiel just annoyed me to no end. Seriously. When someone does something, it is disgusting to reply with, "You think this is funny?" Well, what about this?" and then proceed to bite them hard enough to draw blood... on the neckt. Gross! Ewww.

So yeah, Danika annoyed me! Her bravado was just ridiculous and I found her urge to maim and kill everyone creepy and annoying. I see why she did it but boy, I wanted to shake her! They are warriors and you are human. How's about the time she palmed his nose? Um, doesn't that kill people? Ugh, and every time she went into her "zone", I growled in irritation. I wanted to scream, "Girl, get over yourself!". Actually, I did yell it. She was tough and I admire her for being confident about it. But really, it would be her against a warrior. Let's see: A few months of self defense versus a few thousand years of fighting and a demon residing in the warriors body. Really, there is no competition. But you know, I always complain about these girls in books lacking self confidence and she certainly had it.

And really? Bait?

I felt bad for Reyes. I couldn't decide if him or the dude with the demon Disaster had the worst demon. Anywho, I felt bad that he had to experience pain to feel better. At times it was a little creepy, (very creepy), but there was enough written in that you still felt bad for him. And I'm sorry, I know that we are supposed to feel bad for him, but I know I am not the only person that thought it was gross when he "took matters into his own hands."

I also felt bad for Aeron. I really like Legion. It reminded me of the Simi.

And I did hate what happened to Paris, but to be honest for a while there he annoyed me. Really annoyed me. I got over it after a while though.

And while I was happy to see him back, I thought it was weird that Anya was so quick to have William back. I think I'll take a break and revisit this series later.

It wasn't all bad though. I liked how the author always reminds of what someones power is. With that many characters, it's easy to get them mixed up, so it's nice to have a refresher every now and then.

One of my favorite parts in the book (and why do I have the feeling I typed this already??) is when they are reminiscing about a fallen warrior:

"He was a good friend," Reyes said. "He would have hated to see us like this."

"He would have looked at us with disappointment in those yellow eyes of his. We would have ignored him because he'd want us to kiss and make up, and then he would have stabbed us to get our attention."

"Being ignored wasn't something he could tolerate."

"No."

(less)

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Dec 19, 2010 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i have to say I am finally enjoying this ssereis. I was a little detached from the book because there was so much infrmation about the past and character development. Usually that is a good thing but I felt like in the past books the storyline didn't kick in till page 200. This book interweaved past and present and at the same time moved the central story along with more gusto. I like the story although I must confss I think the Lords are a bit dated in in their dating practices but I will forgi...more

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Feb 22, 2010 Zeek rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

Ahh, the story we've been anticipating since The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld Book 1). (Ok, second most anticipated for me- I can't wait to read Torin's book!)

Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series centers around a group of immortals who are possessed with the demons who were once imprisoned in Pandora's Box.

In TDP, the story focuses on Reyes, The Keeper of Pain. Since the time that the former guards of the Gods killed Pandora and unleashed the demons of destruction each member has...more Ahh, the story we've been anticipating since The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld Book 1). (Ok, second most anticipated for me- I can't wait to read Torin's book!)

Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series centers around a group of immortals who are possessed with the demons who were once imprisoned in Pandora's Box.

In TDP, the story focuses on Reyes, The Keeper of Pain. Since the time that the former guards of the Gods killed Pandora and unleashed the demons of destruction each member has carried around their own personal demon. Neither can exist without the other. Reyes has lived with the urge to receive pain since the time the demon entered him. He can only receive pleasure through pain. As we've seen the first two novels- Reyes is constantly cutting himself to stay sane- the urge is that strong.

It goes way beyond that in this story. Not only does he cut himself, he commits violent acts of suicide on a regular basis- just to ease his torment. (Of course he's immortal so he never really dies, but you get the idea.)

He's learned that he cannot take a woman as well, because the urges the demon inside him inflicts on them leads them to inflict pain on those around them after he's gone from their lives.

Imagine his dilemma when he meets Danika- a woman he's been drawn to from the first time he lays eyes on her- no, even before that, because her scent had been luring him from the time she entered the Lords of the Underworlds' castle.

Of course he can't have her. To Reyes she is an angel he refuses to corrupt. And too, Aaron, one of his Underworld brothers and the Keeper of Wrath, has been ordered to kill Danika by Cronos, the newly made King of the Gods. Aaron has been driven insane by his desires and is no longer fighting the urge to kill, despite the fact he senses Danika and her family are innocents, and Reyes is torn between defending Danika or ending his friend's life.

No one knows exactly why Cronos wants them dead, least of all Danika- but by the end of the tale everything has come to light and Danika finds she is more than she ever dreamed she could be. In more ways than one.

I'm just having a blast with this series! Not overly complicated, they are like crack candy to me- irresistible, quickly consumed, and just as addicting!

I liked The Darkest Pleasure better than the last one (The Darkest Kiss), mostly because I liked the heroine so much more. (Danika's smart, vulnerable, and courageous- and though frightened she's determined to never be ill-prepared again.)

Be warned, what Reyes endures to receive his pleasure is almost icky- one scene in particular. But, thankfully, none of that really entered their bedroom- and he has some of the most romantic lines in the series thus far!(less)

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Jun 27, 2008 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, romance, paranormal, mythological

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 (three in three...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Dina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book. Beyond the love story, which, in my opinion, lacked a bit of chemistry, I was intrigued by the events and the Greek mythology.

This series is building nicely. Danika's story came off as a surprise, I didn't find it coming, but I loved it!

I am eager to read more about the other Lords' stories.
My heart goes out to poor Paris. I hope he is able to get a happy ending. It was great seeing Lucien and Anya, Maddox and Ashlyn in their lovey-dovey-ness. I loved all the smart alecky...more

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Mar 12, 2009 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vaginal-urban-fantasy

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.

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Feb 12, 2011 ALM188 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book much better than Lucien's. I think the unfolding of the story is intriguing and there are a lot more players and hidden motives that have come to the surface. I also couldn't help loving Reyes. He was so tortured, but nothing overcame his love for Danika. Although, I don't like the name Danika, I still liked her character. I didn't see the second artifact idea coming and definitely didn't see the revelation with the Hunters coming. Props to Gena Showalter for engaging the reade...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Ren rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, based-on-mythology, demon, god-goddes, immortal-warrior, there-are-hot-men, greek-myth, drooling-cover, had-translated, make-me-nosebleed, work, steamy, reviewed, 5-stars

My baby Reyes and Danika...(actually, I translate this. The one and only my translation work :) )

Thanks for the helluva ride you two give me, I enjoy both your story, Reyes and Danika. Angry, crying, blushing (ha!), thinking..

What experience I've ever had :)

I think maybe Danika curse me, because while I work on this book, I'm lusting over Reyes, lol. But still..

And poor Paris, sometimes we can't get something what we want and sometimes we must pay a high price just because we want something for...more

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Jun 11, 2010 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, preternatural-creatures, keepers

What an awesome book! I love Reyes! He's definitely my favorite so far. I was looking forward to Reyes and Danika's story so much and it didnt disappoint at all. The sweet romance is so much more when the hero and heroine are fightig there affections for each other. The scenes where they finally get together are hot!!!! Especially when Reyes let's go of his control, purrr....how delicious!
My favorite line of the whole book, "First things first, turd ferguson, I am a goddess." How funny is that?...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Buqet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aslında 3,5 yıldız.
Reyes'dan bomba gibi bir kitap bekliyordum - bir kitap için bunu diyeceğimi hiç tahmin etmezdim ama - daha çok bondaj olmalıydı. Sonuçta adam Acı iblisine sahip değil mi?
Genel olarak güzeldi , son şaşırtmayı sevdim Danika - vay be - kim tahmin ederdi bunu!

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Dec 30, 2011 Jilly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lords-of-the-underworld

So admittedly while liking the previous books well enough they haven't been my favorites. Reyes, definitely tops them. I went into Pain's book thinking this would be about him finding enjoyment with Danika while enduring pain and while to some extent that is true it isn't entirely true. Showalter managed to make it so Reyes can experience joy without always having to have pain involved which was Reyes's wish. I did enjoy that. I also enjoyed that while Reyes is the keeper of pain he doesn't seem...more

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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 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 Pleasure

“Legion hissed like a startled cat, the noise scraping at Reyes’s skin. “Me no boy. You think me a boy?”
Everyone stopped, stared. Even Aeron.
Reyes was the first to find his voice. “You’re a…girl?”
A nod. “Me pretty.”
“Yes, you are.” Reyes exchanged a glance with Lucien. “Beautiful.” — 97 people liked it

“Yep, that's me. I know. I know. You're humbled I'm here, feel like throwing rose petals at my feet, blah, blah, blah. No need, though. Just try and think of me as a normal guy
-William” — 90 people liked it

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The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)

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