Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Wicked Nights

(Angels of the Dark #1)

Gena Showalter (Goodreads Author)

4.07 · Rating details · 24,757 ratings · 1,552 reviews

From the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld comes a dark, seductive new series featuring angels poised on the brink of destruction....

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless-and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will ...more

Get A Copy

Or buy for $5.99

Mass Market Paperback, 411 pages

Published June 26th 2012 by HQN Books

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Wicked Nights, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Can't Wait Books of 2012

2,509 books — 15,649 voters

Most Anticipated Books of 2012! {PNR, UF & PNYA}

622 books — 1,779 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.07 ·

Rating details

· 24,757 ratings · 1,552 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark, #1)

Oct 27, 2011 Ren Puspita rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: If you're LOTU hardcore fans

Recommended to Ren Puspita by: I love Gena!

Shelves: favorite-cover, 4-stars, couple-on-cover, crazy-character, drooling-cover, god-goddes, author-autobuy, alpha-hero, cant-wait-the-new-release, immortal-warrior

4 stars

Wicked Nights, is the first book of Angels of The Dark, spin-off series from Lords of The Underworld.

Annabelle Miller accused as murderer, and insane. 4 years after the the death of her parents, now she become patient of asylum and endure humiliating things done to her while she actually innocent. Worse, demon track her everywhere, and she never know why. Since Annabelle just a mere human. All change after she met this cold-than-ice angel, Zacharel.

Zacharel is one of the warrior angels an ...more

flag 66 likes · Like · see review

Sep 24, 2012 xrysa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: angels, favorites, fantasy

Annabelle was tricked by a demon and everything change in her life.This demon accomplished not only to destroy her family but also her life.
Now she is enclosed in an institution and her sick doctor violates her instead of helping her.

Here you are completely at my mercy.You are mine to do as I please...
and I please plenty.

However, he is not her only problem .Creature from the underworld are coming for her and she must fight them in order to survive.

Zacharel is assigned to teach the rebelious ange ...more

flag 54 likes · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2013 Kristalia rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone ♥♥

Shelves: favorite-couple, dark, reviewed, be-my-heroes-please, made-me-smile-or-laugh, they-are-so-awesome-hot-and-stuff, favorites

Final rating: 5/5 stars

“It shall be my pleasure to remedy it. First, it is not your strength or your speed that draws me. It's your... everything. Your laugh, your wit, your emotions and the way they change. Your courage, your sweetness, your near obsessive delight in cookies. Second, you are indeed a prize. You've made me want what no one else ever had. A communion of bodies."

※ update: I did some editing of the review on 17/10/14.

One word: AMAZING! I felt skeptical about readi ...more

flag 29 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2012 Neyra ♦ rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: ALL LOTU & ANGEL PNR FANS :D

Shelves: best-of-2012, adult-pnr

Actual Rating: 4.5

What I really loved about Wicked Nights was the slow building of the romance. The change in Zacharel, his curiosity, Anabelle's determination, her tenacity. To be honest it's a slow read, more an introduction to the world of the Angels of the Dark, but I found I did not mind. I didn't want to jump into a story where I had no idea what was going on and everything needed to be explained at once so I could play catch up, making it even more confusing. Heartbreaking as it is he ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Aug 03, 2012 Kelly rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, are-you-f-cking-kidding-me

HOW has this book gotten so many 4 and 5 star reviews? The characters were flat and underdeveloped, the dialogue didn't flow, the sex scenes were lukewarm at best, the overuse of ellipses (...) throughout the book bugged the crap out of me, and the "and oh"s plaguing the book--all 16 of them--were highly annoying.

Like this:
"A long, white robe draped him, somehow displaying his incredible strength, and oh, oh, oh, but he had brought the chill of the Arctic with him."

All those "oh"s are unneces ...more

flag 26 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Kira rated it it was amazing

Shelves: alpha-male

Eating strawberries... I literally stopped my hand midway to my mouth and stared.

^Yup, this was my facial expression.

Oh.
My.
God.

I need some of that... like, now. ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

May 04, 2015 Maayan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: virgin-hero, safe-with-exception, my-favorite-books, forbidden-love, paranormal, safety-gang-safe, older-man-younger-woman

Loved this book! Loved this couple! Just... LOVED!:)

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Mar 20, 2012 Kate rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Maybe the worst book I have read this year. I'm no literary expert, I read fluff, smut, smuff, I read romance, scifi, fantasy, urban fantasy and I'll be the first to admit my tastes aren't very glamorous. I'm not that hard to please... So when I pick up a book like this and it is so resoundingly awful, I feel it is my duty to let everyone know. I wanted to put this book down when I was 70% of the way in, which is very very rare for me. I ended up finishing it just so I could write this scathing Maybe the worst book I have read this year. I'm no literary expert, I read fluff, smut, smuff, I read romance, scifi, fantasy, urban fantasy and I'll be the first to admit my tastes aren't very glamorous. I'm not that hard to please... So when I pick up a book like this and it is so resoundingly awful, I feel it is my duty to let everyone know. I wanted to put this book down when I was 70% of the way in, which is very very rare for me. I ended up finishing it just so I could write this scathing review.

In general, this author tries to be gritty, dirty and bad, she was trying to write this story about the ugly side of heaven... or soemthing in that vein. She's too cutesy, and fluffy, and it didn't work. It was like she was trying to be JR Ward or Ilona Andrews, but just paled in comparison.

First, the circumstances that got Annabelle into that institute for the criminally insane were just dumb. On the day she turned 18, this girl supposedly killed her parents with a knife and chopped their bodies up (in daylight), then she called 911 and sat over her brother until they came. They got her because she had a knife in her hand that she had grabbed to protect herself, after her parents were murdered. First of all, the knife would have had no blood on the blade, and even if it were cleaned, a forensics lab would have been able to tell you that. Even though she had just turned 18, any good lawyer would have had her tried as a minor. Also, when you're in "jail" or in Annabell's case, an institute for the criminally insane, you do not have your hands cuffed behind your back on a regular basis, unless you're being transported somewhere. That sort of treatment is considered abusive because it can do permanent damage to your ligaments. In a criminally insane institution, you would have been cuffed in front with leather straps, and your hands would have been linked by a chain to your cuffed ankles. They also tend to have cameras everywhere, and I doubt that there would be so much abuse going on between the administrators and the patients.

Also, if you were randomly attached by demons no one else could see, don't you think people would wonder about the random cuts and scrapes you got, seemingly out of mid-air?

Economics and punishment in the Angel world also made no sense. Why the hell would an angel have to pay to live in a "cloud" or to live anywhere? And seriously, the author could not have come up with something less simple for them to live inside of, instead of a cloud? Why are bad angels punished with violence? That also made no sense. I think we all learned over the past few thousand years that flogging doesn't really solve anything... especially for fast-healing angels that have a very high pain tolerance.

I also don't believe for a second that if an angel is anything like a human, how one like Zacherel could have gone through thousands of years of his life without once having had sex (or at least a friggin' hard on). He was an adolescent once, one with mary-sue like abilities and he had a writhing mass of humans and otherworldly beings at his beck and call... Yeah, no.

Also, I did not once understand how he could have been attracted to Annabelle. Annabelle was a bitchy, angsty, whiny, adolescent child who was supposedly 22 years old. Apparently Zach's essentia latched onto her, and he didn't have a choice. Annabelle was such an awful person with no attractive or redeemable qualities. She was also incredibly dumb, anytime Zach told her he was leaving a room, she would get all angsty and wonder if that was him dumping her. Ahhh my goodness, I wanted to grab some bouncy balls and tape them to her anatomy, because I knew she didn't have the ability to grow a pair.

She would have been the most angsty and emo person to have ever lived, if it was not for Zacharel and his QQing over his dead brother. Did it annoy anyone else that he had this black spot growing on his chest, but didn't really care? At least he stood up for himself at times and sort of tried to shake the dumb out of Annabelle.

I also know I don't need to read any of the other books by this author because she introduced her other characters to the reader, and I hated them all. So that's a relief!

Okay, there were other things about this book that I didn't like, but I think I am done with this review. I am going to go read some paranormal romance that is actually good now, bye! ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Exina rated it liked it

Shelves: cover-love, adventures, something-is-missing, disappointment, pnr, expected-more, abuse, great-secondary-characters, abduction, m-f

What we want is not always what we need.

2.5 stars

Zacharel’s appearance in The Darkest Seduction really intrigued me to read his story. I pre-ordered his book in January, and after months of waiting, I was looking forward to knowing "ultracold" Zacharel's behaviour in romantic situations...
Wicked Nights is the first installment of the Angels of the Dark series, which is a Lords of the Underworld spin-off.

Zacharel was always enigmatic, and although in his book I get to know a lot of t ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

May 18, 2020 Azet rated it it was amazing

Shelves: alpha-hero-macho, adventure-mystery-suspense-thriller, golden-heroes-with-a-golden-heart, love-the-heroine, love-the-hero-love-interest, by-gena-showalter, paranormal-romance, favourites, jealous-smitten-possessive-hero, romance-genre

"Wicked Nights" is the first book in the "Angels of the Dark"-series and are also related to "Lords of the Underworld"-series.Gena Showalter presents another bunch of sexy tortured warrior Angels,irresistible romance and hard-core action and magic and a wonderful twist that i actually predicted!Annabelle Miller was a normal girl until a demon from hell killed her parents and then marked her as his own.Being a suspect of her parents murder she gets locked up in a mental institution.The ice-cold A "Wicked Nights" is the first book in the "Angels of the Dark"-series and are also related to "Lords of the Underworld"-series.Gena Showalter presents another bunch of sexy tortured warrior Angels,irresistible romance and hard-core action and magic and a wonderful twist that i actually predicted!Annabelle Miller was a normal girl until a demon from hell killed her parents and then marked her as his own.Being a suspect of her parents murder she gets locked up in a mental institution.The ice-cold Angel warrior Zachariel kills the demons located there and decides to save Annabelle after feeling a undeniable pull towards her.Together they have to slay the demon of Unforgiveness to finally free her from his poison.

Annabelle Miller is half-japanese and very strong and brave when it came to her circumstances.I mean fate had been everything but good towards her,and she refused to dwell on the past.If it were me i would be ballshit crazy if all that shit happened to me!I love how she opens up to Zachariel`s world,and how she falls for the golden hearted man he is.She comes to love him irrevocably and i love it that she knew that he also felt the same before he even knew it.
Zachariel is a Deity warrior and a very beautiful Angel who haven`t felt any emotion at all for centuries ever since he had to kill his twin-brother Hadraniel.He is also a virgin,which i found so romantic!It was fun watching in the past books how he was so confused about the love the Lords felt for their women and i so longed for him to get a woman of his own and fall head over heels!Annabelle quickly becomes his whole world,she teaches him to love and sacrifice and the goodness of humanity.I cried at the scene where he humbled himself in front of her down his knees,crying to her stomach and begging for forgiveness!Ahh how i wanted to hug him to pieces!

I am so intrigued by Koldo,Thane,Xerxes and Bjorn-i mean all these warriors are sexy as hell and their dark attitudes only makes them more irresistible!Paris,Strider,Kaia,Amun,Haidee,Lucien and Anya from the LOTU series also appeared which made me giddy as hell,just jumped up and down in my room!Paris makes my heart sing everytime he appears!Oh,and one thing i realized about this book was that the sex-scenes aren`t as detailed as in the authors other books,why is that?I loved this book either way,it was all i could expect from the Queen of paranormal romance genre Gena Showalter. ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

Nov 25, 2011 Annie rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, favorites, first-book-in-series, pnr, review-requests, books-i-go-rabid-over, angels-and-demons, booty-snatching, covers-to-covet, virgin-heroes

Posted on Under the Covers

From the amazing author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld comes a new world were angels toe the line between darkness and light. In WICKED NIGHTS, the first book of the ANGELS OF THE DARK series, Gena Showalter introduces a virgin angel named Zacharel. Burdened by the Deity to be the leader of a group of badass angels, Zacharel is forced to lead and receive punishment for any misdeeds they commit. In this group there is Thane, Bjorn, Xerxes and Koldo. All of w Posted on Under the Covers

From the amazing author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld comes a new world were angels toe the line between darkness and light. In WICKED NIGHTS, the first book of the ANGELS OF THE DARK series, Gena Showalter introduces a virgin angel named Zacharel. Burdened by the Deity to be the leader of a group of badass angels, Zacharel is forced to lead and receive punishment for any misdeeds they commit. In this group there is Thane, Bjorn, Xerxes and Koldo. All of which are tortured souls waiting to exact revenge on someone or something.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I have been a fan of Showalter for some time now and firmly believe that her writing has improved with each book. I noticed this in her last release, THE DARKEST SEDUCTION, but in WICKED NIGHTS, Showalter really shows her strength and growth as a writer. Her writing has become more descriptive, more tighter and the proof is in the pages. Gena has been working her butt off and you can totally see the improvements in each subsequent book.

Probably the biggest reason I loved this book is because I adored the hero and heroine. Zacharel is a virgin – need I say more? And Annabelle is a woman who has faced a tough life, but doesn’t allow her past hurts to haunt her. I adored her spunk and fiery spirit and added to Zacharel’s more serious side results in some hilarious dialogue. Here, case in point:

Annabelle alternately marveled at the change in him and at the luminosity of the full moon. Other humans gave him a wide berth, nearly flattening themselves against the building walls to widen the distance between them. Annabelle danced around him, grinning. “Can I just say what a bad boy you are right now?”
“Of course you can. You just did.”
“No, I mean – Oh, never mind, you spoiled it. “ Her lips dipped into a pout.

Zacharel is adorable!

While I thought the book lacked the thread that should have pulled the plot forward, I found that I really enjoyed the ending. Showalter pulls a little twist at the ending that I really enjoyed and it really stirred the pot up! For fans of the LOTU, there are a lot of cameos in this book. You’ll be happy to note that Paris and Lucien and some of the women and more make regular appearances. It was hilarious to read Annabelle’s reaction to Paris’ hotness.

Now I am jonesing for a taste of Koldo and Xerxes. Out of all the other angels, they stood out to me the most. If Showalter continues to write like this for her next books, there is no doubt that the Angels of the Dark series will be just as successful as the Lords of the Underworld. Watch out now, Lords ‘cause the Angels have arrived!

*Early Review Copy provided by author ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Oct 28, 2011 Melanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: aint-he-sweet, demons-do-it-for-me, favorites, hey-look-what-i-can-do, once-is-never-enough, paranormal-romance, tortured-abused, warrior-dudes, who-needs-colored-contacts, what-a-jerk

5+ stars!!! Zacharel = HOT HOT HOT (even when he's oh so cold...)

'Wicked Nights' heralds the first in Gena Showalter's new series 'Angels of the Dark', a spin-off of her wildly popular 'Lords of the Underworld' books, and (IMHO) she has definitely hit it out of the park with this one. I absolutely loved it!

Paranormal romance used to be my all-time favorite, numero uno, top choice when it came to reading... and it still is to some extent. However, it seems like the genre is just so overloaded wit 5+ stars!!! Zacharel = HOT HOT HOT (even when he's oh so cold...)

'Wicked Nights' heralds the first in Gena Showalter's new series 'Angels of the Dark', a spin-off of her wildly popular 'Lords of the Underworld' books, and (IMHO) she has definitely hit it out of the park with this one. I absolutely loved it!

Paranormal romance used to be my all-time favorite, numero uno, top choice when it came to reading... and it still is to some extent. However, it seems like the genre is just so overloaded with mediocre and crap books these days, it's hard to find and latch onto something exciting and new. That's why I've been branching out of my comfort zone and have thankfully discovered some ah-may-zing reads in other romance sub-genres (*cough Kristen Ashley cough*). Oh, I've still got my favorite go-to, auto-buy paranormal romance authors and Gena Showalter is among them, but sometimes their books even fall a bit short off the mark (*ahem* 'The Darkest Seduction'). So when I found out GS was coming out with a LOTU spin-off I was both super excited and a tad wary. Turns out, there was no need to be wary. 'Wicked Nights' was fresh, exciting, sexy, action-packed and one of the best books Gena Showalter has written to date.

We first met aloof, sexy badass Angel Zacharel in 'The Darkest Secret' and it was a panty-melting experience. His arrogance and continued cold-indifference have landed him in trouble with the Deity and he now finds himself leading an army of badass Angel misfits. (ROWR! - There are a LOT of tortured bad-boys to love here!!) These guys have been f*ck-ups for a while and this is their last chance - if Zacharel and his demon-fighting crew of Angelic warriors don't manage to redeem themselves within a year then they are Fallen. Trouble is, there is little to no respect between Zacharel and his new army, and they are struggling (and pretty much failing) to work together. When they are called in to defeat a horde of demons attacking an institution for the criminally insane, Zacharel meets a beautiful inmate, Annabelle, who manages to crack his ice-cold facade. She is the intended target of the demons and while he can't understand why he's drawn to her, he decides to free her anyway... And when Zacharel begins to feel for the first time in eons, trust and respect begins to grow between him and his warriors.

There were a lot of twists and turns in 'Wicked Nights', and the last 100 pages were especially gripping. I'll admit that I believed I knew where the book was heading fairly early on - and it does indeed turn out somewhat like I expected... but it also doesn't. Showalter manages to pack in a few unexpected surprises and follows through with a thrilling climax. When all was said and done, I was left completely satisfied and antsy for more! I can't wait for Koldo's story - bring on more 'Angels of the Dark'!

...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

May 04, 2015 ~Nichole~ Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-safe-with-exceptions, 1-perfect-alpha-never-wavers, 1-series-to-finish, 1st-in-series, z-july-2015

I was stuck for a while teetering on 4 stars probably because I'm in such a book funk. I have been needing romance.. swooning romance where you feel the love they have and because of all the side stories and all the battles I didn't get that till the end of this story. But when it came it was beyond satisfying and I had tears streaming which catapulted this straight to 5 stars. I adored Zacharel and Annabelle was so feisty and funny at times. I will definitely be checking out the other angels st ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

May 08, 2013 Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, mythology, paranomal-general, urban-fantasy, pn-angels, pn-demons, 4-stars, first-in-series, read-in-2013, sexy-alpha-male

Re-read: 12.10.2016
Ah, how I love angels: I still adored it. It's a cute, charming and awesome story. I like the characters; I find no wrongs in them and I like the story. I don't love it, but I like it. Well enough to at least re-read it, obviously :) Though, it's not the best angel book out there, it's still worth (re-)reading.

“You,” the female on the bed said, her timbre shaded with irritation. “New guy. Angel Boy. Colonel Curls, or whatever you want to be called. I'm done asking,

...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Mar 16, 2017 Kaila rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal, trigger-warning-abuse-or-rape, made-me-laugh, angels-and-demons, slow-burn, 2017, swoon-worthy-love-interest, heart-warming-stories, pure-addiction, angsty

4.25/5 stars

“You are mine,” he rasped. “Only ever mine. I accept all that you are, and we can be together.”

I cant believe that this is my first Gena Showalter book! Everyone takes about her Lords of the Underworld series and here I am only just starting her spin-off series. I totally understand why everyone is addicted to these books, Wicked Nights was amazing! It was sweet, funny and had angels in it!! Angels are by far my favourite paranormal being to read about, but I just haven't fou ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2011 Alexis *Reality Bites* rated it really liked it

Recommended to Alexis *Reality Bites* by: PNR Lovers

Shelves: adult-romance, funfearless-andfemale, alpha_male, moderately_steamy, betrayal, discovery, eye_4_an_eye, sexy-series_read2012, self_discovery, unexpected-twist

Spoiler Free Review
4 STARS out of 5
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Series: Book #1 in Angels of the Dark series

Zacharel is cold blooded, he feels no emotion. HOWEVER one human girl will warm his blood and bring a passion that will burn him to his soul. In Wicked Nights

The Deity has claimed Zacharel too dangerous. His cold hearted mentality will leave him wingless if he does not change his ways. Now with a gang of angel misfits Zacharel must learn to melt the ice in his chest while ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Oct 27, 2011 Katie(babs) rated it it was amazing

It’s pretty much a given I will read anything by Gena Showalter. I’m beyond addicted to her Lords of the Underworld series, and when I heard she had written a spin off series, called Angels of the Dark, I was more than happy a start to what looks to be a great new series.

A few angels have popped up in her Lords of the Underworld series, specifically, Lysander. If you read The Darkest Angel from the Heart of Darkness anthology, then you have a good idea what Zacharel, the angel hero of Wicked Ni It’s pretty much a given I will read anything by Gena Showalter. I’m beyond addicted to her Lords of the Underworld series, and when I heard she had written a spin off series, called Angels of the Dark, I was more than happy a start to what looks to be a great new series.

A few angels have popped up in her Lords of the Underworld series, specifically, Lysander. If you read The Darkest Angel from the Heart of Darkness anthology, then you have a good idea what Zacharel, the angel hero of Wicked Nights is like. Zacharel has the same mind set as Lysander. He’s cold, calculating, has a massive ego and refuses to feel any real emotion. He’s in charge of an army of angels who have angered the Deity, a type of spirit or god they all follow. These angels are all rejects, and Zacharel is in charge of keeping them in line while they battle the demons of the underworld that cause havoc on Earth. Zacharel’s angel warriors are a bloodthirsty group and they don’t care if there are human casualties. Zacharel does care because his Deity takes it out on his hide, literally, if any angels kill innocent humans while taking down demons.

During the latest battle on Earth, Zacharel ends up at a mental institutional for the criminally insane. For some reason the demons want to get inside. When Zacharel enters the building, he comes in contact with a drugged woman tied down to a gurney. He thinks nothing of her until he notices the demons want to hurt her. She’s Annabelle, who was found guilty of murdering her parents when she was eighteen. Annabelle sees demons everywhere. They stalk her because she has been claimed by a powerful demon. She has no idea how or why this has happened. Zacharel decides to take her up to heaven and keep her safe in his cloud until he can figure out why Annabelle has been marked. Soon enough Annabelle breaks through his defenses and he starts developing feelings for her. He doesn’t know why he enjoys being with Annabelle and helps her train in defending herself, including the way his body responds to her. He’s confused and worried that if his feelings continue to grow for Annabelle, his Deity may punish him. But Zacharel can’t stop wanting Annabelle, and while she teaches him about love and trust, he in turn teaches her to fight back. Together they join forces and soon their lessons become passionate and all consuming where Zacharel will move heaven and earth to claim his Anna forever.

Wicked Nights is wicked awesome. Gena continually gets better with every book she writes. Annabelle is fierce, strong, no weeping hides in the corner, TSTL heroine. She fights back with everything inside of her. Her strength is what attracts Zacharel to her. Watching him fall for Anna is beyond delicious. Zacharel has never felt passion ever in the thousands of years he’s lived. Annabelle reaches deep inside of him and makes his heart beat, as well as bleed for her. Also Zacharel is a virgin (loves me some virgin heroes) and those scenes where he and Annabelle engage in heavy make our sessions and foreplay are full of sexy erotic fun.

I also love the idea of Zacharel’s home being a cloud that will grant you anything you want. This was shown in The Darkest Angel and Annabelle makes good use of Zacharel’s cloud. Can I have my own cloud with a side of Zacharel, please?

Wicked Nights is a total winning read for me and cements my belief that Gena Showalter is one of the best authors out there writing addicting paranormal romance. Do yourself a favor and read Wicked Nights ASAP. It’s one book you’ll not only read once and sigh over, but end up re-reading many times over. ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Apr 17, 2019 Deborah Obida rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, paranormal, urban-fantasy, romance

This book was okay, not as good as the Lords of the Underworld but its okay. I adore Zacharel and Annabelle's story so much. Their story is so original. The fight scenes were well depicted.

The writing was amazing, I don't like the way the Angels were portrayed, am quite religious so it was blasphemous.

...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2012 Carla-Book Monster Reviews rated it it was amazing

Gena Showalter is one of my favorite all time authors. I own every book she's ever written and pre-order her books as soon as they are available. I was super excited to get an ARC of Wicked Nights and could not wait to read it, although I hesitated reading it for a few days because I did not want it to end so quickly.

Wicked Night's is the first book in Gena's new ANGELS OF THE DARK series, which is a spin-off of the LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series.

We've met Zacharel, the hero of this book, in pre Gena Showalter is one of my favorite all time authors. I own every book she's ever written and pre-order her books as soon as they are available. I was super excited to get an ARC of Wicked Nights and could not wait to read it, although I hesitated reading it for a few days because I did not want it to end so quickly.

Wicked Night's is the first book in Gena's new ANGELS OF THE DARK series, which is a spin-off of the LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series.

We've met Zacharel, the hero of this book, in previous LOTU books and we know him to be a cold-hearted and ruthless Angel. Zacharel is in danger of losing his wings and falling. As punishment, his Deity has tasked him with leading a group of misfit outcast angels who are also in danger of falling due their lack of sympathy and care towards humanity. They are now tasked with protecting humanity against demon attacks. If a one of the Angels kills a human during the battle, Zacharel is severely punished for it. If Zacharel can't get his army to listen and follow his lead, they are all in danger of falling together. Only problem is, Zacharel thinks the same way as his Angels and cares not for humans. That is…..until he finds Annabelle Miller tied to a gurney in the mental asylum he and his Angels are tasked with protecting from the swarm of demons attacking it.

Annabelle, the heroine of the book has endured many horrors. She’s spent the last four years of her life locked up in an asylum for the criminally insane because she was blamed for the heinous act of violence on her family. Only Annabelle knows that demons are the ones that attacked her family on her 18th birthday, and that's because she's the only one that can see demons. She has spent the last 4 years of her life abandoned by her remaining family and friends because they believe she committed the crime. She has endured horrible abuse at the hands of the doctors and staff at the hospital and from the constant attacks on her by the demons, but her spirit and will to live never die. She fights with all that she has left and that's what make Annabelle a kick-ass heroine. She does not wine or cry. She always fights and never gives up hope.

Zacharel and Annabelle together are the perfect combination for the two balance each other. Zacharel has never felt much emotion and has never felt desire. Annabelle has an amazing survival instinct and her will to never give up despite the odds, impresses Zacharel. Zacahrel makes Annabelle feel safe and protected which is what she needs most right now. Being that Annabelle faced some sexual abuse in the asylum, their getting together sexually was slow in process but, the chemistry between the two throughout the book was electrifying.

I am also intrigued by all of the other Angels in Zacharel's army. I am looking forward to Koldo's book which is scheduled to be released in February 2013. And I can't wait to learn more about these tortured Angles.

If you're a fan of the LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series you will be happy to know that Paris and a few of the other Lords make an appearance to help Zacharel, along with some of their mates.

Wicked Nights is a dark paranormal romance with all of the awesomeness that Gena puts into every book. It has strong alpha heroes, kick-ass heroines, smokin' hot romance, secondary characters that will leave you clamoring for the release of their books and a crazy twist of an ending that leaves you with your mouth hanging open.

Gena amazes me in how she has written so many books and they never get dull or boring. EVERY book is better than the last and she blows me away with every book she writes. She never disappoints me and I can't wait for the next installment of the ANGELS OF THE DARK.

I give WICKED NIGHTS 5 out of 5 stars!!
...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Oct 31, 2011 Μαρία Γεωργοπούλου rated it really liked it

Δεύτερη ανάγνωση και κατεβάζω ένα αστεράκι. Μου άρεσε πολύ, αλλά θεωρώ ότι έτσι θα αδικήσω μερικά άλλα από τη σειρά που μου άρεσαν λίγο πιο πολύ!
(Η παρακάτω κριτική είναι από την πρώτη φορά που το διάβασα αλλά δε θα την αλλάξω)

***********************************

I have to say that Gena Showalter knows how to keep my interest! ! This is the first story from the Angels of the Dark series and I’m sure that this series will be one of my favorites. If you expect something like the Lords of the Underw Δεύτερη ανάγνωση και κατεβάζω ένα αστεράκι. Μου άρεσε πολύ, αλλά θεωρώ ότι έτσι θα αδικήσω μερικά άλλα από τη σειρά που μου άρεσαν λίγο πιο πολύ!
(Η παρακάτω κριτική είναι από την πρώτη φορά που το διάβασα αλλά δε θα την αλλάξω)

***********************************

I have to say that Gena Showalter knows how to keep my interest! ! This is the first story from the Angels of the Dark series and I’m sure that this series will be one of my favorites. If you expect something like the Lords of the Underworld, think again! I love LOTU but this book was something else. More dark and with more complicated characters this book was better from what I was expecting.

We knew Zacharel from the LOTU series but here we learn his story. He is an angel but very different from what we know about angels. He is a step before the Fall because he doesn’t care about humans and his Deity, in order to give him a last chance, make him leader of a group of other angels like him. It’s easy to realize that in this series will be too many tormented heroes! So, Zacharel at first is a cold-hearted bastard who wants only to kill demons and he doesn’t care if he’ll kill some humans in the process. Also, he is extremely arrogant and very fierce as a leader. But then, Annabelle comes to his life and Zacharel after thousands of years comes to know what love is. He isn’t cold because he is a bad person. He is distant because he lost a long time ago the only person he loved, his brother. I don’t want to say more because it will be a spoiler! The truth is the I really liked Zacharel. He is hard man to live with but he’s strong, brave and honest. He is determined to do the right thing and, although he doesn’t admit it, he wants the best for all the angels in his army. Also, I loved the way he learns to love Annabelle and how willing he is to learn about human relationships.

I liked very much Annabelle but I have to admit that she was a very unlucky person in her life so far. It’s not easy to be accused of murdering her parents and after four years in an asylum to learn that angels and demons exist and they are fighting for her soul. But it’s amazing how soon she recovered from the shock! She is a very strong person. She suffered a lot and she recovered fast. She is smart and witty and I loved that she is so different from Zacharel because this way they complete each other!

I liked the story! It was just as dark as I want a paranormal romance to be and the secondary characters are so interesting that now I want so much the next book! Koldo, Thane, Xerxes and Bjorn are some of the characters that I want to learn more about and I can’t wait for the next book! ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jan 26, 2012 Nicis rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

Amo al tipo de la portada. Punto.

________________________________________________

Sencillamente nunca he encontrado un libro de esta autora que no me guste, y este no fue la excepción, aunque sí se sintió algo flojo como la mayoría de los libros que comienzan una serie, no porque sean lentos, sino porque hay demasiado personajes que absorver y escenas que no acabas de comprender hasta que no llega el siguiente libro y hacen que se diluya levemente el sentido de la historia principal algunas veces ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Oct 27, 2011 MISS VAIN rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, alpha-licious-heroes, paranormal-romance, angels

His gaze drilled into her very soul. "What are you thinking about, Annabelle?" Huskily asked, a caress to each of her senses.

Like him, she couldn't lie. Not this time, the truth already proven by the softening of her lips. "Kissing you."

His gaze immediately dropped to her lips, his pupils gobbling up his irises. "Why?"

Because you think I'm a prize. Because, when you look at me, I feel cherished rather than leered at. "I believe you'll be familiar with my answer----because."

Wicked Nights is the ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

May 23, 2012 Crystal ➳ Reading Between the Wines Book Club rated it really liked it

Shelves: request-author, best-of-2012, rating-4-star, genre-paranormal-romance

Gena Showalter is sure to sweep readers away with these sexy, bad boy angels in her new Angels of the Dark series, a spin-off of the hit paranormal romance series, Lords of the Underworld.

The coldly emotionless angel warrior, Zacharel, is on the brink of losing his wings unless he can learn the value of human lives. As punishment, his Deity casts upon him the duty to lead a ragtag group of angels who toe the line of goodness. There is a war coming and Zacharel must prepare his warriors but if h Gena Showalter is sure to sweep readers away with these sexy, bad boy angels in her new Angels of the Dark series, a spin-off of the hit paranormal romance series, Lords of the Underworld.

The coldly emotionless angel warrior, Zacharel, is on the brink of losing his wings unless he can learn the value of human lives. As punishment, his Deity casts upon him the duty to lead a ragtag group of angels who toe the line of goodness. There is a war coming and Zacharel must prepare his warriors but if he can’t get them in line he is the one who suffers the consequence of their actions. Every time they misstep, Zacharel receives punishment in their place. Each have dark, tortured pasts that have led them on this road to redemption and Zacharel is determined to see them all through it, when he runs across a human woman in the midst of demons though the ice surrounding him slowly starts to melt. But will she lead him to heaven or hell?
Annabelle Miller watched a monster murder her parents four years ago but no one would believe her. Accused of their murders she was sentenced to an institution for the criminally insane. But the monsters followed… Constantly attacked while being abused and drugged by the institution’s workers, Annabelle no longer knows what’s real or imagined. When an angel pops into her cell during a demon attack she does know one thing though, this is the one being that can save her. But Zacharel has demons of his own to face; does he have the strength to fight hers as well?

Always a fan of anything from Gena Showalter, Wicked Nights did not disappoint! Angels of the Dark had a whole new feeling to it then what we usually find in Gena’s Lords of the Underworld series, a lot darker and more descriptive. You’ll recognize the main character and leader of the rebel warrior angel army, Zacharel from the past few books if you’re a fan of the Lords of the Underworld series. But if you have yet to pick up a LOTU book (I’ll be nice and not hit you over the head with my Stridey) have no worries because Angels of the Dark can more then stand on its on feet as a separate series.

I loved delving into Zacharel’s character. From the LOTU books he seemed incapable of emotion, cold just like the snow that falls from his wings. But in Wicked Nights we learn that this emotionless state stems from the death of his brother and the snow on his wings is punishment for letting a human die in the crosshairs of a battle. Annabelle balances Zacharel’s serious side out superbly and their dialogue together adds some wicked humor to this dark and gritty story line, especially how Zacharel has the tendency to take everything Annabelle says literally. Annabelle was a captivating heroine as well, feisty and strong despite being a mere human. She has many demons to fight, quite literally, and isn’t afraid to face them head on.

Gena’s writing flows from the pages with intriguing characters and in-depth world building that makes the story fall into place and defines the series as a whole. Heart-stopping twists are woven into this Angels vs. Demons adventure that will keep you turning the pages for more.

LOTU fans will not be disappointed as several cameos are weaved into the story. However I did find in Wicked Nights that, though the passion was there, it was slow to develop and lacked the intense sexual spark that I’ve come to expect from Gena’s works.
All in all, another amazing read from author Gena Showalter and I can’t wait to get my hands on more of these sexy angels. I think I’ve found a new addiction! If you're a fan of paranormal romance then you simply must pick up Wicked Nights today!

"First, I never pout. I ponder, and probably quite sexily." ~Zacharel ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Nov 27, 2011 Megan Riverina Romantics rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobook-audible, paranormal-romance, paperback, kindle, demons, angels, signed

4.5 Stars 3/5 Hotness Rating

Wicked Nights is the first book in Gena Showalter's new Angels of the Dark series. This series is a spin-off of the Lords of the Underworld series and follows a group of warrior angels who are about to be kicked out of the heavens. Zacharel, whom we've met in the LOTU series, has been reassigned as the leader of this powerful army.

In The Darkest Seduction, Zacharel heads the cast of secondary characters. In that book we learned more about him including the fact that h ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jun 02, 2012 Jen Davis rated it it was amazing

4.5 Stars
I have no doubt that Lords of the Underworld fans are going to love this one. It's got all the things that make a great Gena Showalter book: hot sexual tension, humor, great world-building, a strong heroine, and an alpha hero undone by his first feelings of love. --Oh, and did I mention the hero is a virgin? Mmm.

We first met Zacharel in The Darkest Secret, an angel sent to deal with Amun when he came back from Hell, dripping with demons. He's gorgeous and powerful, but seemingly void of 4.5 Stars
I have no doubt that Lords of the Underworld fans are going to love this one. It's got all the things that make a great Gena Showalter book: hot sexual tension, humor, great world-building, a strong heroine, and an alpha hero undone by his first feelings of love. --Oh, and did I mention the hero is a virgin? Mmm.

We first met Zacharel in The Darkest Secret, an angel sent to deal with Amun when he came back from Hell, dripping with demons. He's gorgeous and powerful, but seemingly void of emotions. The only person he has ever cared about was his twin brother, Hadreniel. The brother who begged for death after being tortured by demons. The brother he killed to end his suffering.

Zacharel's lack of feelings and general disinterest in humanity have him in trouble with his Deity. Too many times, Zacharel has considered a human to be collateral damage in his fight against demons. As punishment, he must lead a band of problematic angels on the cusp of losing their wings. He is responsible for their actions and together, they will either all be redeemed or they will all fall.

A demon killing mission leads Zacharel to the institute for the criminally insane where Annabelle is being held. She was accused of killing her parents years ago. But it was really a demon attack --and she has been plagued by monsters ever since. No one else can see or hear them, though, and that only makes her look crazier.

When Zacharel and Annabelle meet, he is instantly drawn to her. She is a fascinating contradiction. Strong yet vulnerable. Naive and jaded. In many ways, her spirit reminds him of the brother he lost so long ago. He ends up rescuing her from captivity and decides to help her figure out why she is a demon target and, later, to track down the monster that ruined her life.

There were so many things I liked about this book. I loved watching Zacharel's transformation. The way he discovers emotion and desire. I liked that it wasn't an easy path and that he makes mistakes. I loved, loved, loved the secondary characters in his band of angel warriors. Koldo's story is next, but I already have a favorite and I will be waiting with baited breath for Xerxes' book.

The events of Amun's book and The Darkest Seduction are referenced here and we do get appearances from a handful of the Lords and their mates. That was great for me, but I'm not sure how it would play for a new reader.

The sex is hot, but I felt like we had to wait a long time for it. I think I would have liked a little more payoff on Zacharel losing his virginity. My only other complaint was that I figured out the villain reveal very, very early on in the story. Maybe I've read too many Showalter books because I saw it coming a mile away. But I liked how it all worked out in the end. It was very sexy and satisfying. Definitely worth reading!

Rating: B+

*ARC provided by Little Bird Publicity for review ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2012 Blacky *Romance Addict* rated it really liked it

Shelves: review, sub-genre-edit, read-paranormal, favorites, my-fav-covers, 4-stars-for-enjoyment, favorite-paranormal, read-2012

This is my first book from Gena Showalter, and I reeeealy liked it :) Actually I think this is my first PNR involving angels (as main characters), and I find I like that too :)

Aaaanyway, "up there" there are armies of angels who protect humans and fight against demons on Earth. Zacharel is in charge of an army of angels that nobody wants XD They don't follow rules, break them all the time, have no discipline, and are a second away from being expelled from "up there". This is their last chance to ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Dec 23, 2012 Melissa ***BITCH, I'M READING!*** rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2013

I didn't really like this book as much as I did the LOTU series, it has kind of a different vibe.
I don't think there's any "bad language" in the whole book,there was no sexual tension between Zacharel and Annabelle and barley any sexual encounters..I hear there is even less(only one) in the next book!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

I read something about Mrs.Showalter making a lifestyle change.getting saved, finding Jesus..or something like that, but people are not reading paranormal romance for religious lessons..and from t ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Jun 28, 2012 Pavlina Read more sleep less blog rated it really liked it

Shelves: pavlina, want-to-read-soon, hot-male, favorite-boys, angels

I enjoyed this book more than I thought . Not only Zacharel and Annabelle are likable characters also they are so incredibly believable. The author pulls all the right emotions, at just the right time. As you near the end, you never expect the final blows in ways that are so unexpected.I cant wait to see what happened in the second book!!!!

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Feb 16, 2017 Melissasfandomworld rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookshelves-home-english

Exciting story-line: check
sexy,dark,brooding angels: check
bad-ass female character: check
an amazingly well developed romance: check!
---
I WANT MORE!

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Jul 11, 2018 Lover of Romance rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-paranormal-romance

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

Wicked Nights is a story I found on the shelf of my local library, and even though I am WAY behind on her other connection series "Lords of the Underwold" I just knew that this is a book I would enjoy, and yeah I had some good times with this one. Its a bit different from anything I have read, however, it has the same delicious story telling feels that only Showalter creates in her stories and yes we get some fun times with some of our favo ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Wicked Nights (Angel of the Dark #1) by Gena Showalter - Starting November 9th 2014	12	18	Nov 15, 2014 06:10AM
Gena Showalter Fans: Wicked Nights (AOTD #1)	33	157	Aug 20, 2014 06:56PM
Have you read this book? What did you think?	34	196	Jul 23, 2014 08:27AM
Awesome book	2	25	Jul 11, 2014 05:04AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Romance > Paranormal Romance

699 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

617 users

Romance

534 users

Paranormal > Angels

506 users

Fantasy

293 users

Paranormal > Demons

254 users

Adult

160 users

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

119 users

Fantasy > Supernatural

73 users

Fantasy > Mythology

52 users

See top shelves…

About Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter

25,051 followers

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family an ...more

Other books in the series

Angels of the Dark (3 books)

Books by Gena Showalter

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

The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, #2)

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

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

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

More…

A Starter Kit of Reads for Romance Newbies

Want to dip your toes into the romance genre but don't know where to start? We've got you covered! And who better to match you with the perfect...

Trivia About Wicked Nights (An...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Wicked Nights

“You know, you’re pretty when you smile,” she said, patting the side of his cheek.
“Fierce, woman. I am fierce.”
“If you say so.” — 100 likes

“Look, Winged Wonder. Get me out of here, then we'll hammer out the details about where I'm staying. Okay?"

"Winged Wonder," he said, nodding. "I find that I do not mind that one. It fits."

"Captain Modesty fits better," she muttered.

"I disagree. Winged Wonder is clearly the better choice for a man such as me."

-Annabelle and Zacharel” — 75 likes

More quotes…