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Lords of the Underworld #14
The Darkest Warrior
A searing Lords of the Underworld tale by New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter, featuring a beastly prince and the wife he will wage war to keep.
He is ice...
Puck the Undefeated, host of the demon of Indifference, cannot experience emotion without punishment, so he allows himself to feel nothing. Until her. According to ancient prophecy, she is the key to avenging his past, saving his realm, and ruling as king. All he must do? Steal her from the man she loves—and marry her.
She is fire...
Gillian Shaw has suffered many tragedies in her too-short life, but nothing could have prepared the fragile human for her transition into immortality. To survive, she must wed a horned monster who both intrigues and frightens her...and become the warrior queen she was born to be.
Together they burn.
As a rising sense of possession and obsession overtake Puck, so does insatiable lust. The more he learns about his clever, resourceful wife, the more he craves her. And the more time Gillian spends with her protective husband, the more she aches for him. But the prophecy also predicts an unhappily ever after. Can Puck defeat fate itself to keep the woman who brought his deadened heart back to life? Or will they succumb to destiny, losing each other…and everything they’ve been fighting for?
He is ice...
Puck the Undefeated, host of the demon of Indifference, cannot experience emotion without punishment, so he allows himself to feel nothing. Until her. According to ancient prophecy, she is the key to avenging his past, saving his realm, and ruling as king. All he must do? Steal her from the man she loves—and marry her.
She is fire...
Gillian Shaw has suffered many tragedies in her too-short life, but nothing could have prepared the fragile human for her transition into immortality. To survive, she must wed a horned monster who both intrigues and frightens her...and become the warrior queen she was born to be.
Together they burn.
As a rising sense of possession and obsession overtake Puck, so does insatiable lust. The more he learns about his clever, resourceful wife, the more he craves her. And the more time Gillian spends with her protective husband, the more she aches for him. But the prophecy also predicts an unhappily ever after. Can Puck defeat fate itself to keep the woman who brought his deadened heart back to life? Or will they succumb to destiny, losing each other…and everything they’ve been fighting for?
480 pages, ebook
First published June 26, 2018
About the author
Gena Showalter
308 books26.8k followersGena 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 and menagerie of dogs and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 714 reviews
June 17, 2018
Let me start out by saying I like most fans of the Lord's of the underworld have waited for gillian and william to become a couple,but when gena came out and said that William would not be gillian's mate, but it would be puck the undefeated with the demon indifference their was a backlash of fans being pissed and they felt that they had waited all this time and gena had lead them on. Well !! Thats bullshit!!! I knew that gena is one hell of a storyteller and this would rock and it did!!! I'm not going to give away too much ,but puck is one of the best Lord's of the underworld and he is just what gillian needed!!! He's a warrior first,he has never know softness in his life so it has made him hard ,he can't experience emotion without terrible pain!! but those who love him have his loyalty and respect. And then theirs the prophecy that says gilly will be what saves his realm and people.Let's face it william would have continued to treat gilly like a fragile piece of glass and why their was a time I wanted them to be together, the last couple books have gone by i started to see that their relationship was more of a deep love and friendship. Like calls to like and both William and gilly have seen horrors in their lives and have been abused and scarred.With puck gillian feels true attraction and the thought of having a sexual relationship is finally possible!! I loved this book and the characters are fabulous too!! And the whole beast twist was Sexy as f##k!!! I now want a guy with horns,they're hot a hell and make good handles too!! Lol !!
This is not a review,I have already shared my review on my socials. This is just a open letter to all those fans of gena showalters Lord's of the underworld. I have read some comments the last few months from some fans that were pissed about two of the main characters William and gillian not getting their hea and they were saying bad shit about the book before they had read it. The reason I love This series and have read every book is gena showalter is a fabulous storyteller ,so when she said that puck the undefeated was going to be gilly's lord i wasn't suprised.I had seen in the last couple books that although gilly was maturing, and no matter how she tried she still had a problem with physical intimacy,even with william.I saw their relationship as more of a best friend and savior relationship because it was William who saved and avenged her. Please just give The Darkest Warrior a chance,and you will see that puck really is her Lord of the underworld. Can't say enough about this book!! Besides William the randy,pantie melter and around hot as f##k bad boy needs a woman who will bring him to his knees!!! The prick deserves to be happy,but I just want him to have to work for it!!
Thank you gena for not caving into what some of the fans wanted,you can see you put your heart and soul into gilly and pucks story and it's fabulous!!!
Forever fangirl Kat v.
This is not a review,I have already shared my review on my socials. This is just a open letter to all those fans of gena showalters Lord's of the underworld. I have read some comments the last few months from some fans that were pissed about two of the main characters William and gillian not getting their hea and they were saying bad shit about the book before they had read it. The reason I love This series and have read every book is gena showalter is a fabulous storyteller ,so when she said that puck the undefeated was going to be gilly's lord i wasn't suprised.I had seen in the last couple books that although gilly was maturing, and no matter how she tried she still had a problem with physical intimacy,even with william.I saw their relationship as more of a best friend and savior relationship because it was William who saved and avenged her. Please just give The Darkest Warrior a chance,and you will see that puck really is her Lord of the underworld. Can't say enough about this book!! Besides William the randy,pantie melter and around hot as f##k bad boy needs a woman who will bring him to his knees!!! The prick deserves to be happy,but I just want him to have to work for it!!
Thank you gena for not caving into what some of the fans wanted,you can see you put your heart and soul into gilly and pucks story and it's fabulous!!!
Forever fangirl Kat v.
Shelved as 'nope'
December 27, 2018
ETA 12/4/17: Why in the WORLD would you feature a sketch of the very character the heroine of this book no longer ends up with ??!!!!! Why Gena? This is absurd, tacky and shameless. A shameless
Please authors don't do this. 👇Do Better.
Now I'm back to being ticked off.
I have no words left for this kind of disgusting garbage.
**************************************
So this is Puck and Gilly's book? Yeah...nope. No. DONE. You just decided on this recently?? Gena this is extremely messy and lousy as hell thing to do.
So incredibly fucked up. 11 books and 10 fucking YEARS of waiting for payoff and this author shoots it down the drain on a whim. Absurd and infuriating.
And you want to sit there and tell your readers this isn't "what the readers needed"? The damn nerve. How dare you.
And to think I spent money on this series.
Goodbye LOTU. Goodbye Gena Showalter.
Shame on you for this.
#GillyDeservedBettter #GilliamDeservedBetter #GiveMeMyTime&MoneyBack
Shelved as 'never-in-this-lifetime'
October 20, 2017Nope. Done. Bye-bye. See you never.
#GillyDeservedBetter
#NoGoats
#GillyDeservedBetter
#NoGoats
December 5, 2018
Púkinn “Puck” Neale Brion Connacht IV:Demon of Indifference
Butterfly: Not sure where it is located. It seems that it moves all over Puck’s body. It started from his chest.
His curse: He cannot feel anything. No compassion, no envy, no anger, no love. If he feels anything, he becomes weak.
Gillian Shaw—also known as Gillian Bradshaw, Gilly Bradshaw and Jill Brads, depending on which ID she uses:expendable human until she became immortal human.
Supernatural ability: None unless you count the ability in breaking William's heart. And she will have a bit of magic later.
Opening a parenthesis.
First of all I really need to defend horny Puck.
I truly believe that horns are sexy.
Pan from Greek mythology is sexy.
Robin Goodfellow from A Midsummer Night's Dream is sexy
Puck from English mythology is sexy.
I have read tons of PNR and fantasy books which are filled with strange looking males that fall in love. This is the beauty of these books. Anyone different is NOT ugly or scary. On the contrary, he is unique and easily loved. If I compare PNR books with the rest of the fiction books, it is obvious that PNR are the most multicultural, nondiscriminatory, liberal, free-spirited (almost hippy) books.
So for me a male with horns is not a goat.
A male with horns is a sexy devil.
Moreover, the main reason that I love really long series is that they are familiar environment. I know the author, I know the characters. It is always nice to revisit and learn their news. It is nice that I feel that I grow up with them every year.
So, I can easily say that Lords of The Underworld is in top five PNR series. Number 2 to be more precise LOL.
I can understand that it is not easy to keep an audience interested after 14 books. And this is the most important point of my ranting. If the readers keep buying and devouring these books after all this time, then it is good stuff. And the author knows what she is doing.
End of the parenthesis.
If you have read The Darkest Torment, you will probably know the beginning of Puck and Gillian's story. Gillian is dying. William tries to find a cure and he tries anything – except the most obvious solution i.e. bonding with her. Puck steps in and offers her the choice to bond with him. Gilliam accepts because
a) she does not want to die (obviously...She is only 18. She has not lived yet.),
b) she does not want to kill William, because there is a possibility that if he bonds with her he will die too.
c) she does not want to make William sad, because most probably he will not bond with her in the end. And if she dies, he will feel guilty.
So, in the beginning of The Darkest Warrior, we learn that Puck has also a hidden agenda. He wants his rightful throne back that his brother has stolen from him. His brother Sin has tricked him. He gave him the demon of Indifference, he killed their father and now he rules the desert realm of Amaranthia, like a mad king. A prophesy said that Puck needs to steal William's woman and bring her and William back to Amaranthia in order to get his throne.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy in 4 steps...
1. Steal/bond with Gillian.
2. Reach an understanding with William.
3. Bring them back to Amaranthia.
4. Get his throne.
5. Divorce Gilliam.
Unfortunately William is not easily found and convinced and Puck will fall in love with Gillian. Thus, who cares about a stupid throne?
Let's meet the characters:
William... He behaves once more like a spoiled child. Someone stole his toy and he wants her back.
“Puck took you away, and I felt as if I’d lost...”
“What? Your favorite toy?”
“Everything.”
But he will start showing signs of some more mature thinking
“If you feel like you must be with him, go, be with him. Sow your wild oats. Get him out of your system.” Staring up at the heavens, he said in a quieter tone, “I deserve this, I really do.”
The thing is that William has lost Gillian the second he became unfaithful. And he was unfaithful multiple times without feeling sorry. Unfaithfulness is not easily forgiven in PNR. Male characters are supposed to be stay celibate the second the meet their destined mates – no matter how young the females are and no matter how long they have to wait. Even Paris and his demon of Promiscuity who would die without sex, almost died because he could not live without his Sienna.
Gillian...I did not particularly liked her in the previous books. She was tortured. She had a shitty childhood. I felt sorry for her. That’s it. But she was kind of blunt/dull/Zzzz. And the fact that everyone was waiting that she will grow up and finally she will have sex with William....yes I can finally admit that it was getting on my nerves.
Thus Gillian has to grow up somehow. She has to gain experiences. She has to change her scenery for a while, let's say for 500 years give or take a few. But nobody else is allowed to change or get older. Have you read Shadow's Seduction from Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole? If yes, do you remember what happened to Caspion the Tracker? Imagine something similar for Gillian.
Puck... You animal you!
Totally possessive:
“She’s mine. I would never harm my female.”
Totally territorial:
“I have never wanted to kill a man more than I want to kill you, Pucky.”
“The feeling is mutual, Randy.”
Totally intense when his demon leaves him alone:
He met her halfway, and slanted his lips over hers. Erotic flicks of his tongue coaxed more tingles to the surface and fanned the flames of desire. Hot, so wonderfully hot. The aches magnified as he thrust with more force, his divine taste and ever-increasing frenzied pace dragging a moan of surrender from deep inside her. A sound he utterly devoured, as if he’d never been so starved—or enjoyed a tastier meal.
His skill, expert. His ruthlessness, on full display.
Puck didn’t bother to learn her, or explore her nuances; he took, gave and demanded...everything, his tongue dominating hers with a promise of untold riches. She was helpless to resist.
The 14th instalment of the LOTU series will make you love this world again. It is fast paced, well written, angsty, passionate and it opens new doors for new adventures.
Butterfly: Not sure where it is located. It seems that it moves all over Puck’s body. It started from his chest.
His curse: He cannot feel anything. No compassion, no envy, no anger, no love. If he feels anything, he becomes weak.
Gillian Shaw—also known as Gillian Bradshaw, Gilly Bradshaw and Jill Brads, depending on which ID she uses:expendable human until she became immortal human.
Supernatural ability: None unless you count the ability in breaking William's heart. And she will have a bit of magic later.
Opening a parenthesis.
First of all I really need to defend horny Puck.
I truly believe that horns are sexy.
Pan from Greek mythology is sexy.
Robin Goodfellow from A Midsummer Night's Dream is sexy
Puck from English mythology is sexy.
I have read tons of PNR and fantasy books which are filled with strange looking males that fall in love. This is the beauty of these books. Anyone different is NOT ugly or scary. On the contrary, he is unique and easily loved. If I compare PNR books with the rest of the fiction books, it is obvious that PNR are the most multicultural, nondiscriminatory, liberal, free-spirited (almost hippy) books.
So for me a male with horns is not a goat.
A male with horns is a sexy devil.
Moreover, the main reason that I love really long series is that they are familiar environment. I know the author, I know the characters. It is always nice to revisit and learn their news. It is nice that I feel that I grow up with them every year.
So, I can easily say that Lords of The Underworld is in top five PNR series. Number 2 to be more precise LOL.
I can understand that it is not easy to keep an audience interested after 14 books. And this is the most important point of my ranting. If the readers keep buying and devouring these books after all this time, then it is good stuff. And the author knows what she is doing.
End of the parenthesis.
If you have read The Darkest Torment, you will probably know the beginning of Puck and Gillian's story. Gillian is dying. William tries to find a cure and he tries anything – except the most obvious solution i.e. bonding with her. Puck steps in and offers her the choice to bond with him. Gilliam accepts because
a) she does not want to die (obviously...She is only 18. She has not lived yet.),
b) she does not want to kill William, because there is a possibility that if he bonds with her he will die too.
c) she does not want to make William sad, because most probably he will not bond with her in the end. And if she dies, he will feel guilty.
So, in the beginning of The Darkest Warrior, we learn that Puck has also a hidden agenda. He wants his rightful throne back that his brother has stolen from him. His brother Sin has tricked him. He gave him the demon of Indifference, he killed their father and now he rules the desert realm of Amaranthia, like a mad king. A prophesy said that Puck needs to steal William's woman and bring her and William back to Amaranthia in order to get his throne.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy in 4 steps...
1. Steal/bond with Gillian.
2. Reach an understanding with William.
3. Bring them back to Amaranthia.
4. Get his throne.
5. Divorce Gilliam.
Unfortunately William is not easily found and convinced and Puck will fall in love with Gillian. Thus, who cares about a stupid throne?
Let's meet the characters:
William... He behaves once more like a spoiled child. Someone stole his toy and he wants her back.
“Puck took you away, and I felt as if I’d lost...”
“What? Your favorite toy?”
“Everything.”
But he will start showing signs of some more mature thinking
“If you feel like you must be with him, go, be with him. Sow your wild oats. Get him out of your system.” Staring up at the heavens, he said in a quieter tone, “I deserve this, I really do.”
The thing is that William has lost Gillian the second he became unfaithful. And he was unfaithful multiple times without feeling sorry. Unfaithfulness is not easily forgiven in PNR. Male characters are supposed to be stay celibate the second the meet their destined mates – no matter how young the females are and no matter how long they have to wait. Even Paris and his demon of Promiscuity who would die without sex, almost died because he could not live without his Sienna.
Gillian...I did not particularly liked her in the previous books. She was tortured. She had a shitty childhood. I felt sorry for her. That’s it. But she was kind of blunt/dull/Zzzz. And the fact that everyone was waiting that she will grow up and finally she will have sex with William....yes I can finally admit that it was getting on my nerves.
Thus Gillian has to grow up somehow. She has to gain experiences. She has to change her scenery for a while, let's say for 500 years give or take a few. But nobody else is allowed to change or get older. Have you read Shadow's Seduction from Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole? If yes, do you remember what happened to Caspion the Tracker? Imagine something similar for Gillian.
Puck... You animal you!
Totally possessive:
“She’s mine. I would never harm my female.”
Totally territorial:
“I have never wanted to kill a man more than I want to kill you, Pucky.”
“The feeling is mutual, Randy.”
Totally intense when his demon leaves him alone:
He met her halfway, and slanted his lips over hers. Erotic flicks of his tongue coaxed more tingles to the surface and fanned the flames of desire. Hot, so wonderfully hot. The aches magnified as he thrust with more force, his divine taste and ever-increasing frenzied pace dragging a moan of surrender from deep inside her. A sound he utterly devoured, as if he’d never been so starved—or enjoyed a tastier meal.
His skill, expert. His ruthlessness, on full display.
Puck didn’t bother to learn her, or explore her nuances; he took, gave and demanded...everything, his tongue dominating hers with a promise of untold riches. She was helpless to resist.
The 14th instalment of the LOTU series will make you love this world again. It is fast paced, well written, angsty, passionate and it opens new doors for new adventures.
Shelved as 'series-gone-to-hell'
November 26, 2017I JUST SAW THIS.
WHAT THE FUCK. SERIOUSLY. WHAT THE FUCK.
I'M DONE. I'M DEVASTATED. I THINK I MIGHT EVEN CRY. ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED COUPLES EVER FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET. I HAVE NO WORDS. OVER 8 YEARS I ROOTED/ANXIOUSLY WAITED FOR THEM. I WANTED THEM TOGETHER ABOVE ALL ELSE. AFTER ALL THE NEVER ENDING TEASING THAT WENT ON FOR YEARS. SO MANY, MANY YEARS!!!!!!!!
"LIKE SCARLETT WOULD SAY - TEAM GILLIAM." AND EVERYTHING THAT WENT THROUGH IN EVERY BOOK. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST COUPLE. *CRIES*
I WON'T BELIEVE THEY DIDN'T WORK OUT. NEVER.
FAREWELL LOTU, WISH WE'D NEVER MET. WHERE THEM WITCHES AT SO I CAN HAVE A FORGET-THIS-POTION?
I WON'T READ ANYTHING BY SHOWALTER EVER AGAIN. You think I'm a Dramaqueen? Yeah I am such a DRAMAQUEEN but Hell, I truly was such, SUCH a fangirl when it came to these two.
#GillyDeservedBetter #GillyDeservedSoMuchBetter #GilliamForever #Whywhywhyyyyy
WHAT THE FUCK. SERIOUSLY. WHAT THE FUCK.
I'M DONE. I'M DEVASTATED. I THINK I MIGHT EVEN CRY. ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED COUPLES EVER FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET. I HAVE NO WORDS. OVER 8 YEARS I ROOTED/ANXIOUSLY WAITED FOR THEM. I WANTED THEM TOGETHER ABOVE ALL ELSE. AFTER ALL THE NEVER ENDING TEASING THAT WENT ON FOR YEARS. SO MANY, MANY YEARS!!!!!!!!
"LIKE SCARLETT WOULD SAY - TEAM GILLIAM." AND EVERYTHING THAT WENT THROUGH IN EVERY BOOK. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST COUPLE. *CRIES*
I WON'T BELIEVE THEY DIDN'T WORK OUT. NEVER.
FAREWELL LOTU, WISH WE'D NEVER MET. WHERE THEM WITCHES AT SO I CAN HAVE A FORGET-THIS-POTION?
I WON'T READ ANYTHING BY SHOWALTER EVER AGAIN. You think I'm a Dramaqueen? Yeah I am such a DRAMAQUEEN but Hell, I truly was such, SUCH a fangirl when it came to these two.
#GillyDeservedBetter #GillyDeservedSoMuchBetter #GilliamForever #Whywhywhyyyyy
July 1, 2018
** 1.5-2 "NOPE " STARS **
I tried.
I swear I tried so hard to like it. I tried to support Gillian&Puck. I tried to keep my feelings about #Gilliam and my disappointment towards Gena aside.
But I'm sorry this is such a poorly-plotted story and the character development is almost nonexistent. There is absolutely no chemistry between the leads, the "romance" feels forced and artificial, William is all of a sudden degraded to an annoying sleezball, the conflict of the story is rather childish and the resolution even more so. Most importantly, Gillian was wasted as an original character. I was thrown off by the fact that Gillian turned into one of those cliche Anya-esque women Gena has been creating for the last 7-8 books in the LOTU series. And the book didn't focus on her abuse history AT ALL. The subject was swepped under the rug so easily as if the only effect sexual abuse has on a victim is losing interest in sex.
The main problem of the story though is the fact that aaaaaaall through the book, Gena is more focused on proving to the readers that Puck is Gillian's soulmate and not William, than actually building up an authentic connection between her two main characters.
I'm really sorry but NO ME GUSTA.
P.S: I don't want to see the word "hulking-out" EVER AGAIN. I wanted to punch my ipad everytime a character used it. Annoying af.
/////////////////////////////
UPDATE: lol apparently Gena has announced that a sketch of William will appear in the back of the book as a "gift" to readers AND OMG THAT IS JUST FUNNY BEYOND WORDS :D:D
Realizing that she has lost a huge amount of her fans, and in need of promoting a book she realized might not sell much, a certain someone has decided to do us a "favor" and include a sketch of a character that no longer will end up with the heroine of the book and thought this might win back her disappointed fans. Very tacky. YUCK.
Also she has been stating that "there will be a lot of William" in this book too, in almost EVERY post possible, so that her readers that have always wanted William with another heroine and clearly hate Gilly will buy this book too. After all, she still needs to get sales, right? She has to somehow keep both Team Gilliam and Team Gilly-needs-to-die "happy" to have them buy a book that neither of the groups want to read.
Get your sh*t together, Gena. If you keep on like this, honestly, you will be left with no fans at all.
/////////////////////////////////
Gena Showalter on FB: "And guys, whether you love or hate Puck -- whether you love or hate ME -- I never want you to feel as if you aren't being heard or respected. I give my sincerest apologies to anyone I've made feel disregarded and disrespected here."
It's a liiiiiiiiiiiiittle too late for that, but it's still appreciated.
Thank you, Gena, for at least acknowledging that you have, in fact, made some of your readers feel disrespected and mislead.
/////////////////////////////////
Apparently this one will be Puck and Gilly's story...color me disappointed.
I HATE IT WHEN AUTHORS TOY WITH THEIR READERS LIKE THIS!
We have been waiting for Gilliam for 12 books...TWELVE BOOKS. If you didn't plan on them of being end-game for each other, then why the hell would you keep dragging their storyline this long?
Will I read it? Yes. Because I'm still waiting for William's book, but man...I've lost all my enthusiasm.
I tried.
I swear I tried so hard to like it. I tried to support Gillian&Puck. I tried to keep my feelings about #Gilliam and my disappointment towards Gena aside.
But I'm sorry this is such a poorly-plotted story and the character development is almost nonexistent. There is absolutely no chemistry between the leads, the "romance" feels forced and artificial, William is all of a sudden degraded to an annoying sleezball, the conflict of the story is rather childish and the resolution even more so. Most importantly, Gillian was wasted as an original character. I was thrown off by the fact that Gillian turned into one of those cliche Anya-esque women Gena has been creating for the last 7-8 books in the LOTU series. And the book didn't focus on her abuse history AT ALL. The subject was swepped under the rug so easily as if the only effect sexual abuse has on a victim is losing interest in sex.
The main problem of the story though is the fact that aaaaaaall through the book, Gena is more focused on proving to the readers that Puck is Gillian's soulmate and not William, than actually building up an authentic connection between her two main characters.
I'm really sorry but NO ME GUSTA.
P.S: I don't want to see the word "hulking-out" EVER AGAIN. I wanted to punch my ipad everytime a character used it. Annoying af.
/////////////////////////////
UPDATE: lol apparently Gena has announced that a sketch of William will appear in the back of the book as a "gift" to readers AND OMG THAT IS JUST FUNNY BEYOND WORDS :D:D
Realizing that she has lost a huge amount of her fans, and in need of promoting a book she realized might not sell much, a certain someone has decided to do us a "favor" and include a sketch of a character that no longer will end up with the heroine of the book and thought this might win back her disappointed fans. Very tacky. YUCK.
Also she has been stating that "there will be a lot of William" in this book too, in almost EVERY post possible, so that her readers that have always wanted William with another heroine and clearly hate Gilly will buy this book too. After all, she still needs to get sales, right? She has to somehow keep both Team Gilliam and Team Gilly-needs-to-die "happy" to have them buy a book that neither of the groups want to read.
Get your sh*t together, Gena. If you keep on like this, honestly, you will be left with no fans at all.
/////////////////////////////////
Gena Showalter on FB: "And guys, whether you love or hate Puck -- whether you love or hate ME -- I never want you to feel as if you aren't being heard or respected. I give my sincerest apologies to anyone I've made feel disregarded and disrespected here."
It's a liiiiiiiiiiiiittle too late for that, but it's still appreciated.
Thank you, Gena, for at least acknowledging that you have, in fact, made some of your readers feel disrespected and mislead.
/////////////////////////////////
Apparently this one will be Puck and Gilly's story...color me disappointed.
I HATE IT WHEN AUTHORS TOY WITH THEIR READERS LIKE THIS!
We have been waiting for Gilliam for 12 books...TWELVE BOOKS. If you didn't plan on them of being end-game for each other, then why the hell would you keep dragging their storyline this long?
Will I read it? Yes. Because I'm still waiting for William's book, but man...I've lost all my enthusiasm.
June 22, 2018
4.5 STARS
Before I get into my review, let's address the pink elephant in the room, shall we? The pairing for Gillian in this book has been a polarizing one, to say the least. Many readers, myself included, were waiting for a Gillian and William book...finally...after so many books in this series that has been hinting at it. When I read the blurb for Darkest Warrior, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I mean, Gillian and Puck? What about all the relationship development that happened throughout the series that led us to believe it will be Gillian and William's HEA. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I decided to put my trust into Gena and reserve my ultimate judgement until I read the book. And after finishing? I'm one hundred percent #TeamPuck. Because when I thought about it, throughout the series that are hints of why William wasn't the perfect match for her and after seeing her with Puck, I totally get why he's a much better match for her.
Three things happened for me in this book:
1. I ended up loving Gillian even more
2. I'm completely re-hooked on this series
3. I fell head over hooves for Puck
I'll admit, I struggled with the first 15% of the story. There's a lot of inner monologue that happens and I found my interest waning in and out. Some of it may have been my own bias against anyone other than William taking up Gillian's attention. But then somewhere around the 20% mark, something happened. Something just clicked for me and I began to fall more and more for Puck. The lethal warrior set on a quest to take back his kingdom and the host of the demon of Indifference. Let me tell you, it's no small feat to pull off a connection like the one between Gilly and Puck with Indifference as your demon. But not only did that happen, but the chemistry between them was through the roof hot.
Gillian has always been the wounded bird of the group. With her tender age and scars from her childhood, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about her as a heroine, especially compared to the typical Showalter sassy heroines. I'm happy to report that the development that happened with Gilly in this story turned her into one heck of a badass. And it felt so right. I loved and I mean loved the direction that the author took with her and I couldn't get enough of it.
The chemistry between Gillian and Puck is instant and potent. As you read the development of their relationship, something clicks, and you just get it. You understand why Gilly couldn't have ended up with William and why Puck is such a better match for her. Was it disappointing? Maybe in the beginning. But by the time I was finished, I totally got it, and I was wholeheartedly behind it.
There's a lot of story that happens here. Plenty of loose ends that get tied up and plenty of development that leave you with even more questions. A lot of the things that happened in the previous books all led to the events in this one. There's plenty of Hades, Keely, and William developments that take place here that only serve to whet your appetite for more. And this reader couldn't get enough of it.
The Darkest Warrior was a deliciously addicting read full of action, plot twits, and a sizzling romance. I loved every page of it. Fourteen books into this series and I'm still hooked and can't wait for more. If you're wondering about what happens to William, there's a heck of a hook that we get in the development of his story by the end of this one. And I for one cannot wait to see how it all unfolds. As for this book, I'm completely satisfied with how everything resolved. While I wasn't 100% behind this pairing at first, I simply can't imagine Gillian with anyone other than Puck after I was done. So if you're anything like me and find yourself unsure how you feel, I say take a chance and you just may end up loving it as much as I did!
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
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He hadn’t known it at the time, but he’d waited for her, had craved her. Only her. A woman strong enough to feel when he could not. A woman unwilling to let him shut down his own emotions, who knew the rarity of joy, who would settle for nothing less.
Before I get into my review, let's address the pink elephant in the room, shall we? The pairing for Gillian in this book has been a polarizing one, to say the least. Many readers, myself included, were waiting for a Gillian and William book...finally...after so many books in this series that has been hinting at it. When I read the blurb for Darkest Warrior, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I mean, Gillian and Puck? What about all the relationship development that happened throughout the series that led us to believe it will be Gillian and William's HEA. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I decided to put my trust into Gena and reserve my ultimate judgement until I read the book. And after finishing? I'm one hundred percent #TeamPuck. Because when I thought about it, throughout the series that are hints of why William wasn't the perfect match for her and after seeing her with Puck, I totally get why he's a much better match for her.
Three things happened for me in this book:
1. I ended up loving Gillian even more
2. I'm completely re-hooked on this series
3. I fell head over hooves for Puck
I'll admit, I struggled with the first 15% of the story. There's a lot of inner monologue that happens and I found my interest waning in and out. Some of it may have been my own bias against anyone other than William taking up Gillian's attention. But then somewhere around the 20% mark, something happened. Something just clicked for me and I began to fall more and more for Puck. The lethal warrior set on a quest to take back his kingdom and the host of the demon of Indifference. Let me tell you, it's no small feat to pull off a connection like the one between Gilly and Puck with Indifference as your demon. But not only did that happen, but the chemistry between them was through the roof hot.
Gillian has always been the wounded bird of the group. With her tender age and scars from her childhood, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about her as a heroine, especially compared to the typical Showalter sassy heroines. I'm happy to report that the development that happened with Gilly in this story turned her into one heck of a badass. And it felt so right. I loved and I mean loved the direction that the author took with her and I couldn't get enough of it.
The chemistry between Gillian and Puck is instant and potent. As you read the development of their relationship, something clicks, and you just get it. You understand why Gilly couldn't have ended up with William and why Puck is such a better match for her. Was it disappointing? Maybe in the beginning. But by the time I was finished, I totally got it, and I was wholeheartedly behind it.
There's a lot of story that happens here. Plenty of loose ends that get tied up and plenty of development that leave you with even more questions. A lot of the things that happened in the previous books all led to the events in this one. There's plenty of Hades, Keely, and William developments that take place here that only serve to whet your appetite for more. And this reader couldn't get enough of it.
The Darkest Warrior was a deliciously addicting read full of action, plot twits, and a sizzling romance. I loved every page of it. Fourteen books into this series and I'm still hooked and can't wait for more. If you're wondering about what happens to William, there's a heck of a hook that we get in the development of his story by the end of this one. And I for one cannot wait to see how it all unfolds. As for this book, I'm completely satisfied with how everything resolved. While I wasn't 100% behind this pairing at first, I simply can't imagine Gillian with anyone other than Puck after I was done. So if you're anything like me and find yourself unsure how you feel, I say take a chance and you just may end up loving it as much as I did!
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
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July 27, 2018
Update 28/7/18
So book is out, do I want to read it?
NO, I would rather stick a fork in my eye, and so would a lot of others looking at the ratings, over and out!
Update:
Gena Showalter put on facebook
You were not the only one to feel betrayed and I truly hate that I caused people upset and hurt and disappointment! I want readers to know I heard their outcries and I am going to do my best to rebuild trust. I will find a way to make this up to you guys. It's a mission now! (And I am happy to say there will be an amazing sketch of William in the book. A gift to readers)
So I say:
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me
I like a lot of other people have been waiting for Gilly and William to get together for a while now.
The author made us believe this was happening for quite a while, till the last few books and things were looking off. Just really pissed off to be baited like this. The fact that she is setting Gilly up with a goat just pisses me off, yuck yuck yuck. I'll bet you anything she will try and find a way to alter Puck's appearance to try and bring us back into caring but seriously just piss off. There is absolutely never been any chemistry between the two characters. I bet she tries oh so hard to make us like him more-he was abused too or he saves a village of orphan children-swoon. She stated that she is going to have a lot of William in this book, only to appease those who want William with another girl so that they buy this book anyway even though they hate Gilly so that she can still get her sales. Well for all those who wanted William with another I hope you get a character that you can't stand. A Puck character, so you know how we feel and I hope the book flops. I'm so annoyed I cancelled my preorders for her next two Heartbreaker books, well she broke mine so I'm off to find a more trustworthy author.
So book is out, do I want to read it?
NO, I would rather stick a fork in my eye, and so would a lot of others looking at the ratings, over and out!
Update:
Gena Showalter put on facebook
You were not the only one to feel betrayed and I truly hate that I caused people upset and hurt and disappointment! I want readers to know I heard their outcries and I am going to do my best to rebuild trust. I will find a way to make this up to you guys. It's a mission now! (And I am happy to say there will be an amazing sketch of William in the book. A gift to readers)
So I say:
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me
I like a lot of other people have been waiting for Gilly and William to get together for a while now.
The author made us believe this was happening for quite a while, till the last few books and things were looking off. Just really pissed off to be baited like this. The fact that she is setting Gilly up with a goat just pisses me off, yuck yuck yuck. I'll bet you anything she will try and find a way to alter Puck's appearance to try and bring us back into caring but seriously just piss off. There is absolutely never been any chemistry between the two characters. I bet she tries oh so hard to make us like him more-he was abused too or he saves a village of orphan children-swoon. She stated that she is going to have a lot of William in this book, only to appease those who want William with another girl so that they buy this book anyway even though they hate Gilly so that she can still get her sales. Well for all those who wanted William with another I hope you get a character that you can't stand. A Puck character, so you know how we feel and I hope the book flops. I'm so annoyed I cancelled my preorders for her next two Heartbreaker books, well she broke mine so I'm off to find a more trustworthy author.
December 27, 2019
************Update I finished the book it never got better************************
This book sucks such hairy balls. I can't fucking take anymore. Dnfing this steaming pile at Chapter 27. Around 50% in and I'm ready to rip my fucking hair out. I was willing to give Puck and Gilly a try. I had no love loss with William and Gilly not being a couple (again don't come for me please) but this book is so stupidly absurd.
Am I suppose to like an abusive asswipe hero. One who knowing that his wife's soul is tied to his own and that all the pain he feels she feels...... breaks his finger in turn breaking hers, just to hurt her. Or maybe I am suppose to like a hero that than abandons the heroines in a shitty new land were women are treated like cattle. Used and abused like they are only good for sex, sewing, cleaning and cooking. Abandoned for wait for it........ over 500 years! Ohhhh I know..... I should like the hero who having his soul tied to his wife, able to feel her pain, after abandoned her in his shitty homeland feels that she is being hurt over and over, but doesn't go back to check on her. His fucking hands fell off. Fell the fuck off!!!! Meaning her hands were cut the fuck off and he didn't think hmmmm Maybe I should turn around and check on Gilly? No fuck that shit and fuck him too. Puck is a Prick.
Gilly isn't much better. I loved Gilly's shy damaged self in the past 13 books , but in this book she was turned into someone else. She turned into an Anya clone, oh and of course a super "kick ass" woman warrior. I am surprised my eyes didn't roll out of my head. Maybe I could have bought the change in Gilly if there would have been some character development, but nope. Gena Showalter just tells us readers that 500 years past and then bam Gilly badass. Gilly badass that for some reason lust after her cold, abusive, half goat, asshat of a husband that she has spend almost no time with and what little time they have spent together he was a dick. Yeah.... Sure.....
This book sucks. The writing is sloppy and underdeveloped. Just slapped together with generic witty banter that could be interchangeable with anyone of the other characters in an of the other books from this series.
The plot was weak. The problems the main characters are dealing with are weaker. It hurts to keep reading. I mean it really hurts. I kept trying to read through so I could just get it done. I am 14 books in and I don't want to give up but damn it's painful. I may go back and finish it later. OCD is a bitch, but I am done with this series. It's just burnt out and I can't do this to myself anymore.
April 7, 2018
This book was a revelation. In my mind, Gillian belonged to William, I genuinely didn't believe otherwise, I respected Gena's decision but my mind was made up, until I read Gillian's story and it all made sense.
If you feel the same way as me, if you feel like Gillian and William were meant to be, I feel your pain, I do. I understand how you must feel about this book too, maybe you don't want to read it, maybe you're done with the entire series and I respect that but, trust me when I say that if you give it a chance, The Darkest Warrior will change your mind, it will turn you upside down, it will make you cry and your heart will definitely break but then you will understand why Gena made the decision to find Gillian a new love interest. It does make sense.
I even surprised myself. I was reading and then all of a sudden it clicked in my mind, just like that. I had gotten it. It was a revelation because before I started reading this book I felt a certain way about Gillian and William, I was sure nothing could make me think differently but then it happened, it was natural, it just made perfect sense. I am so glad I took a chance and read this book.
No matter what you may feel, Gena is an incredibly talented writer and she knows her characters, she knows what's best for them, she knows their future and what life has in store for them. She wrote this book knowing a lot of readers were going to be angry, sad and feeling betrayed but she wrote it nonetheless because she knew she had to do the right thing for her characters even if it meant angering her readers and maybe losing some.
But, honestly, from the bottom of my heart, if you love Gillian and William, please give this book a chance. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said,
I loved this book. I loved it so much because it showed me that we, as readers, don't know everything, we don't get everything. Sometimes the author has something specific in mind for a character but she can't reveal anything so we feel betrayed at times, or angry but then the author just show us, it may take a little while, it may not be right away, but we eventually understand. The Darkest Warrior was it for me, I was confused and uncertain before diving in, my heart was with William and I didn't understand but then Gena showed me why Gillian and William didn't belong together, she made me understand simply by telling a story, a story I knew but never truly understood until now.
I don't want to reveal too much so I will leave it at that: you will love and admire Puck, promise. William plays a big role in this book, you will see a lot of him and since his story is next, Gena is already setting it in motion and I am more than ready for it. Gillian, you will love and adore, she becomes so much more than the young frightened girl we all know her to be. Hades is badder than ever and I have a feeling we won't have to wait too long for his story as well. Rathbone makes appearances to my greatest delight, as well as the other seven kings of the underworld, you will want to eat them all up. Hopefully we will see more of them in The Darkest King. We also get to meet new demon-possessed warriors, Cameron and Winter, and it left me wondering, how many more books can Gena write in this series?! Not that I'm complaining, give them all to me!
The Darkest Warrior will surprise you, it'll thrill you, it will also definitely make you bawl your eyes out. It's a bittersweet goodbye to a readers favorite couple, a loss you will be able to mourn while reading because Gena lets you have that. There's a quote that I love and I thought it was perfect to describe this book.
If you feel the same way as me, if you feel like Gillian and William were meant to be, I feel your pain, I do. I understand how you must feel about this book too, maybe you don't want to read it, maybe you're done with the entire series and I respect that but, trust me when I say that if you give it a chance, The Darkest Warrior will change your mind, it will turn you upside down, it will make you cry and your heart will definitely break but then you will understand why Gena made the decision to find Gillian a new love interest. It does make sense.
I even surprised myself. I was reading and then all of a sudden it clicked in my mind, just like that. I had gotten it. It was a revelation because before I started reading this book I felt a certain way about Gillian and William, I was sure nothing could make me think differently but then it happened, it was natural, it just made perfect sense. I am so glad I took a chance and read this book.
No matter what you may feel, Gena is an incredibly talented writer and she knows her characters, she knows what's best for them, she knows their future and what life has in store for them. She wrote this book knowing a lot of readers were going to be angry, sad and feeling betrayed but she wrote it nonetheless because she knew she had to do the right thing for her characters even if it meant angering her readers and maybe losing some.
But, honestly, from the bottom of my heart, if you love Gillian and William, please give this book a chance. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said,
"Take the first step. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."I swear you won't be disappointed, you will understand, it will make sense, even if you still feel a little sad afterward at least you'll know the reason and you'll be able to move on.
I loved this book. I loved it so much because it showed me that we, as readers, don't know everything, we don't get everything. Sometimes the author has something specific in mind for a character but she can't reveal anything so we feel betrayed at times, or angry but then the author just show us, it may take a little while, it may not be right away, but we eventually understand. The Darkest Warrior was it for me, I was confused and uncertain before diving in, my heart was with William and I didn't understand but then Gena showed me why Gillian and William didn't belong together, she made me understand simply by telling a story, a story I knew but never truly understood until now.
I don't want to reveal too much so I will leave it at that: you will love and admire Puck, promise. William plays a big role in this book, you will see a lot of him and since his story is next, Gena is already setting it in motion and I am more than ready for it. Gillian, you will love and adore, she becomes so much more than the young frightened girl we all know her to be. Hades is badder than ever and I have a feeling we won't have to wait too long for his story as well. Rathbone makes appearances to my greatest delight, as well as the other seven kings of the underworld, you will want to eat them all up. Hopefully we will see more of them in The Darkest King. We also get to meet new demon-possessed warriors, Cameron and Winter, and it left me wondering, how many more books can Gena write in this series?! Not that I'm complaining, give them all to me!
The Darkest Warrior will surprise you, it'll thrill you, it will also definitely make you bawl your eyes out. It's a bittersweet goodbye to a readers favorite couple, a loss you will be able to mourn while reading because Gena lets you have that. There's a quote that I love and I thought it was perfect to describe this book.
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."William and Gillian not ending up together is not the end, far from it, it's only the beginning of an epic story, for both of them.
October 31, 2017
First I would like to say that Gena was once my favorite author. I have read and loved all of her other books/series as well. It pains me to say this, but I cannot support an author who just point blank leads her fans on with false advertising of a couple then decided at the last minute, of years of build up, to go in a different direction. Since book 3 of this series we have been teased with William and Gilly. In the past 10 or so books she has built up there chemistry and made promises of them being together. She even made them a shipname called Gilliam. I am so distraught over this because I have waited and longed for their book for years. I feel as if she only kept building up their relationship as a mean for book sales. She knew that William and Gilly are the fans favorite and that their book is the one fans have been anxiously waiting for. While I understand that it is her story and her characters, she can do what she wants, I don’t understand why she lead us fans on for many years. I can recount every scene with William and Gilly and the chemistry between them. I don’t understand why people want her with the goat. I keep seeing post about how creepy Williams relationship is with Gilly. How do they not find in creepy or awful that Puck, known as the goat to me, only saved Gilly to use her against William. Or worse, in Baden book after she married him, it was implied that she would have to make him feel something in order to eat. It was also implied that this would be of a sexual favor/bargained for food. Here is part of the scene, “Those suggestions would be sexual, wouldn’t they? The look in his eye...” I would tell you the page but my kindle doesn’t say what page exactly. Yet, William would never expect anything like this from her. Instead he cherished her and provided for her. Also, for the people that saying it was like a father/daughter relationship between her and William did not read the books. It was stated how William would look at her with lust in his eyes, and it was stated she loved him. Their relationship has been built up to be that as lovers. I’m sorry but I lost respect for Gena as an author and a person. To use and deceive fans the way she did is not ok. If she didn’t want these characters together, then she should of put a stopped to all the build up many books ago. She shouldn’t of stated in interviews that William and Gilly would end up together either. It’s just disappointing to see an author break this code of trust between her and the readers. With that said, I will no longer be reading anymore of her books/series. As much as I love the Everlife series and so badly want to read the last book, I can’t support her anymore after this betrayal. For those of you who don’t agree, that’s fine you are entitled to your opinion. Just as I am entitled to mine and entitled to feel hurt and betrayed over this. It isn’t so much as the character being together, it’s the fact that she did lead us on for years and deceived us. That is what the fans are mad about. I don’t like to be deceived by an author so that she can keep getting my money. I don’t like the fact that I spent years anxiously waiting for this couple to have a book. I also don’t like the fact that I wasted all this time reading her books just to get glimpses and closer to William and Gilly’s book. With that said, I am once a loyal fan of hers turned heartbroken. Sorry for all the grammar mistakes, I’m writing this from a shattered screen and in a hurry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2019
Well, hell's fucking bells! This book was a royal clusterfuck.
Let me start by stating, once again, the depths of my disappointment, frustration, anger and pain that Gillian and William did not end up together. I mean, why stringing us along for years with the promise of a couple that had the potential to be the best one yet, for nothing? Why making us feel all those wonderful emotions? The wonder of two damaged souls meeting for the first time and having to wait and work for their HEA? How all of a sudden William was able to find someone worth cherishing who calmed his restlessness? How he valued her and sought to protect her, even from himself? Even from herself? How he wanted every moment with her to mean something? I feel heartbroken. I kid you not, but there were times I was reading this book, especially the sex scenes, and I felt like crying my eyes out. Everything felt wrong, because it wasn't Gillian and William, but Gillian and Puck.
To my surprise, I actually liked Puck. He was a decent guy and the satyr-like appearance didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, since it wasn't his true form. It was a consequence of being a host to the demon. I wish he had ended up with someone else, so that I could properly enjoy his journey. But no. Everything was tainted with the shadow of betrayal. Gena Showalter's betrayal of us loyal readers and Gillian's betrayal of William.
Speaking of Gillian, what the hell happened to her? I loved her. She reminded me of Olivia and Ashlyn, my favourite heroines from this series, because of the curious blend of innocence and strength. In this book she became an annoying and frustrating mix of those hags known as Anya and Kaia. Also, she left her gentle and loving self behind to become a horny she-devil, wanting to kill people, hurting people or screw Puck senseless. What the hell? I would have thought she had been possessed by a demon as well. Maybe the demon of insanity.
Am I supposed to believe she would change in such a way that she would become another person, basically? Am I supposed to believe all she felt for William changed so drastically? I mean, one moment she was ready to swear eternal love and the next she was hurting him emotionally and physically. If you ask me, that little tidbit about time in Puck's realm passing differently and she being alone there and training to be a warrior was a complete shit move. Ok, she needed to grow up. She was young and scared. She both wanted and feared William at some level. Of course she needed to come up to terms with her awful past and decide what she really wanted for her future. In my modest opinion, that would have required an internal journey. She needed time, yes. She also needed to be alone. But that could have and would have been achieved without changing who she fundamentally was. That woman wasn't Gillian. She would have never behaved like that.
Also, am I really to believe all the pent-up tension and sexual attraction between her and William was born of a big brother/little girl type of relationship? She even said she had never really loved William, that she mistook caring and protection for love and that he was the father figure she never had. Once again, what the fuck? That is just wrong!
I'm pissed. Oh, so pissed! I wanted never to pick this series up again. I wish I could wipe it all up from my mind. However, I will probably read William's book. I want to see if he at least found a modicum of happiness.
November 14, 2017
A goat! A fucking goat is what Showalter stuck Gilly with after nearly a decade of stringing readers along with Gilly and William. Gilly was a breath of fresh air from all the slutty, shrieking, bimbos in this series. And Showalter pairs her with a goat!
So she decided to kill the series, which never lived up to its potential (no wonder LotU never went hardback) then she spits in the faces readers who made her rich and put her sorry name out there. These arrogant-ass authors. They are selling a product to consumers for profit. They should be wooing the readers to part with their money, not lecturing and pissing consumers off.
Sure, its her sorry make-believe story, but did Showalter buy all those books that swelled her pocket and her head? Did Showalter buy all those books that put her name on the bestseller lists? Hell Naw. It was the consumers she peddled her work to that bought all her cheesy-covered books.
Well, Showalter has lost me as a reader for all time. I'll never recommend her ass on any forum and I've tossed my entire LotU collection in the trash. I wouldn't pollute my local library or GoodWill with her steaming pile of crap. I am done wasting my time on an author that would deliberately betray her consumers then give us the finger.
So she decided to kill the series, which never lived up to its potential (no wonder LotU never went hardback) then she spits in the faces readers who made her rich and put her sorry name out there. These arrogant-ass authors. They are selling a product to consumers for profit. They should be wooing the readers to part with their money, not lecturing and pissing consumers off.
Sure, its her sorry make-believe story, but did Showalter buy all those books that swelled her pocket and her head? Did Showalter buy all those books that put her name on the bestseller lists? Hell Naw. It was the consumers she peddled her work to that bought all her cheesy-covered books.
Well, Showalter has lost me as a reader for all time. I'll never recommend her ass on any forum and I've tossed my entire LotU collection in the trash. I wouldn't pollute my local library or GoodWill with her steaming pile of crap. I am done wasting my time on an author that would deliberately betray her consumers then give us the finger.
November 14, 2017
OKAY. HOLD THE FUCK UP.
Now I've been reading the Lords of the Underworld for years. Y-E-A-R-S. And never, in my wildest dreams have I ever thought I'd be let down this much by someone I admired. PLEASE TELL ME I'M DREAMING. (or that this is some marketing stunt and Ms.Showalter is going to turn around and be like 'gotcha!')
I know I'm not the only one here who is disappointed in reading the synopsis of 'The Darkest Warrior'. Fans and myself alike have been anticipating for years on the Gilliam development. Now Showalter is up there with a huge fanbase comparable to other authors like JR Ward, Kresley Cole (to name a few) but please Ms. Showalter if you're reading this. I mean no disrespect to your creative agency or your ability to write. But I for one, and the majority of your fan base who truly love and enjoy your LOTU series will not recover from the blow if William and Gilly do not end up together. Here are the reasons why:
1. The buildup throughout the entire series of William and Gilly's romance. Denying us this is like, equivalent to cockblocking tens of thousands of people at once.
2. William's character was made for Gilly, and vice versa. William, the boyish, immature immortal with a mysterious and dark past is complimented and balanced by the fact that his love for Gilly adds not only depth but maturity to his character which we the readers, ABSOLUTELY LOVE. We love seeing how William acts with Gilly, you've been baiting us on their story for years now and this is quite possibly one of the biggest best-sellers you're going to have.
3. Pairing Gilly up with Puck, who was originally a side character that was only introduced recently makes NO SENSE. This is an insult to the readers who have been anticipating the GILLIAM story, how can you suddenly pick up a main player like Gilly and suddenly pair her off with a side character like Puck? It's almost as though you're trying to sweep her under a rug and drop her off for the rest of the series (YEAH DON'T).
I for one, will refuse to continue with LOTU if I don't see Gillian and William together. So although I respect your creative agency over all your works Ms.Showalter. I am BEGGING (yes, begging) desperately that you that you write William and Gillian's story instead of making one of the biggest mistakes in your writing career.
Now I've been reading the Lords of the Underworld for years. Y-E-A-R-S. And never, in my wildest dreams have I ever thought I'd be let down this much by someone I admired. PLEASE TELL ME I'M DREAMING. (or that this is some marketing stunt and Ms.Showalter is going to turn around and be like 'gotcha!')
I know I'm not the only one here who is disappointed in reading the synopsis of 'The Darkest Warrior'. Fans and myself alike have been anticipating for years on the Gilliam development. Now Showalter is up there with a huge fanbase comparable to other authors like JR Ward, Kresley Cole (to name a few) but please Ms. Showalter if you're reading this. I mean no disrespect to your creative agency or your ability to write. But I for one, and the majority of your fan base who truly love and enjoy your LOTU series will not recover from the blow if William and Gilly do not end up together. Here are the reasons why:
1. The buildup throughout the entire series of William and Gilly's romance. Denying us this is like, equivalent to cockblocking tens of thousands of people at once.
2. William's character was made for Gilly, and vice versa. William, the boyish, immature immortal with a mysterious and dark past is complimented and balanced by the fact that his love for Gilly adds not only depth but maturity to his character which we the readers, ABSOLUTELY LOVE. We love seeing how William acts with Gilly, you've been baiting us on their story for years now and this is quite possibly one of the biggest best-sellers you're going to have.
3. Pairing Gilly up with Puck, who was originally a side character that was only introduced recently makes NO SENSE. This is an insult to the readers who have been anticipating the GILLIAM story, how can you suddenly pick up a main player like Gilly and suddenly pair her off with a side character like Puck? It's almost as though you're trying to sweep her under a rug and drop her off for the rest of the series (YEAH DON'T).
I for one, will refuse to continue with LOTU if I don't see Gillian and William together. So although I respect your creative agency over all your works Ms.Showalter. I am BEGGING (yes, begging) desperately that you that you write William and Gillian's story instead of making one of the biggest mistakes in your writing career.
December 25, 2017
Update: So you think a sketch is going to make this situation any better huh? Because i don't know what i need...
This is dissapointment made a book. I hate everything about this. I hate the fact that Gilly and William aren't together, that i wasted 5 years of my life shipping them and now i'm so riddicously mad about it. I hate that Gilly is paired up with Puck (wtf?) i don't give one single dick about the fact that he may be interesting or shit. Furried cocks aren't my thing. Nope. I hate the fact that i'm going to have to read spoilers of this to know what happens because i won't be reading it. Same with William's book.
This whole situation was so poorly handled that is a shame. I only have one thing to say.
This is dissapointment made a book. I hate everything about this. I hate the fact that Gilly and William aren't together, that i wasted 5 years of my life shipping them and now i'm so riddicously mad about it. I hate that Gilly is paired up with Puck (wtf?) i don't give one single dick about the fact that he may be interesting or shit. Furried cocks aren't my thing. Nope. I hate the fact that i'm going to have to read spoilers of this to know what happens because i won't be reading it. Same with William's book.
This whole situation was so poorly handled that is a shame. I only have one thing to say.
Read
November 1, 2017*clicks on book link*
*reads summary*
For YEARS I have patiently waited for William and Gilly's book, so sure that all their scenes together and all the mentions about their feelings for each other would be leading somewhere.
So WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?
This random ass fucking character gets introduced in the last book, and suddenly he's a thing now? Forget 10+ books of backstory and character growth for William and Gilly, this RANDOM DUDE is apparently perfect for her.
Farewell Lords of the Underworld, you're dead to me.
*reads summary*
For YEARS I have patiently waited for William and Gilly's book, so sure that all their scenes together and all the mentions about their feelings for each other would be leading somewhere.
So WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?
This random ass fucking character gets introduced in the last book, and suddenly he's a thing now? Forget 10+ books of backstory and character growth for William and Gilly, this RANDOM DUDE is apparently perfect for her.
Farewell Lords of the Underworld, you're dead to me.
July 18, 2018
Update 11/07/2018
Well...i finally read it. I wanted to know how Gilly was going to be developed so i decided to give this a chance. Big mistake.
The whole "character development, big, badass warrior" propaganda for Gilly ended up with the poor girl being thrown away in a Narnia style realm where time goes faster, and she ends up aging a lot faster than Puck, so while the goat-man is up to no good, being a mean goat-man and doing goat-man things, Gilly passes 500 years no less becoming Xena the warior princess, leading a new All-women clan, and single handedly restoring a patriarchal society to make it fit her way. The character development is nonexistant, Gilly's personality makes an 180 degree turn from one page to another, making it really hard to feel any connection to her.
The "Great chemistry" thing was another blast. I hated Puck. Hated him. He was an arse for most of the book and then boom, he goes all goo goo ga ga for Gilly. I hate when author do this insta-love crap. I didn't buy their "love" because we never watched it develop. They just wanted one another instantly. Gilly is supposed to be an abused girl with a lot of issues but all her problems are pulled under the rug in those 500 years and when we see her again, she is this sexually starved woman who can't stop thinking about Puck the Goat even when he left her alone to cope for half a millenium. I felt like i was reading a completely different character.
William becomes an anoying caricature of what he used o be. I think the author made him this way so we could hate him and be happy that he didn't ended up with Gilly. Well Gena, well done, I do hate him now. I don't even care about his book antymore.
Also, i'm tired of the constant lame jokes, the sassy commentary and the pop culture refferences. I mean, i can understand and tolerate them in characters like Anya and william, but when every other character is making them too (even the Goat prince who is supposed to live in an apparted realm with no connection to internet) it gets old.
I'm not going to stay around for the rest of the series. All the principal characters got their book already, and honestly i coudn't care less about William's story. Insta-love for a bad boy/womanizer like him? yeah, i don't think so.
Update 19/11/2017: There's a reason i liked the idea of William and Gilly so much. They complemented each other in a way no other couple in this series did. It wasn't only they slow burn that made things so much more interesing and gave depth to their characters, but their respective traits that made all so much better. Yes, she was immature and physically weak, in comparison to him. But that are both things that could have been treated in their book. Gilly had a heartbreaking backstory that could have made of that book an amazing, deep, emotional read. Relationship often aren't like math, in where two negatives make a positive. You need to have opposites to complement each other. That's why i haven enjoyed the last four books. All heroines lately had follow an specific mold. Arrogant, sarcastic, bitchy, inmature girls, who have a lot of physical power but nothing of emotional depth. With equaly emptied-head male counterparts.
A lot of people in facebook seem to want another of that kind of heroine for William. They claim he need a "strong woman" who can keep with him toe to toe. And i say that's bullshit. Because what william needs is a women who can show him love and softness, to equate his own darkness and cruelty. Another Keeley, another Anya, another Katarina...that kind of woman could make a steamy book but not much more. There's a lot of different types of strength, not alwasy has to be the bitchy one. You can be tender, sweet and still be hella strong...in a world like this...in a world like LOTU, being soft is a synonimous of being brave. IMO. And Gilly being human doesn't meant she wasn't capable of stand against him. William himself said she was the only one capable of bear his dark moods and it has been stated many times through the series she never did what he wanted. Yes, she loved him. And yes, maybe that love hadn't develop yet because they never had the chance to go further...but their relationship never was brother/sister like.
This book had the chance to be the one that rediemed the series for me. It could have been and emotional, heartwrenching, deep book, full of true love, acceptance, and redemption. Instead we got a mercenary goat who we barely know and whom i personally don't GAF about.
Many people say i should give this book, and Gena, a chance. But you know what? I already gave Gena a chance, multiple chances actually, and she screw them all. I won't be reading this book, because i couldn't stand reading about one of my favorite characters of all times, being reduced to a means for an end. Much less if she is ending up with a fucking Goat.
Cali out
.
.
.
Can't comprehend why some people were so butt-hurted about Gilly being much younger than William but then when she was paired up with a satyr suddenly nobody remembers that she is still young, just turned eighteen, still traumatized, and Puck is probably as old as William, or at least quite old too.
And he his half goat, but hey, as long as she is away from Willy...
Well...i finally read it. I wanted to know how Gilly was going to be developed so i decided to give this a chance. Big mistake.
The whole "character development, big, badass warrior" propaganda for Gilly ended up with the poor girl being thrown away in a Narnia style realm where time goes faster, and she ends up aging a lot faster than Puck, so while the goat-man is up to no good, being a mean goat-man and doing goat-man things, Gilly passes 500 years no less becoming Xena the warior princess, leading a new All-women clan, and single handedly restoring a patriarchal society to make it fit her way. The character development is nonexistant, Gilly's personality makes an 180 degree turn from one page to another, making it really hard to feel any connection to her.
The "Great chemistry" thing was another blast. I hated Puck. Hated him. He was an arse for most of the book and then boom, he goes all goo goo ga ga for Gilly. I hate when author do this insta-love crap. I didn't buy their "love" because we never watched it develop. They just wanted one another instantly. Gilly is supposed to be an abused girl with a lot of issues but all her problems are pulled under the rug in those 500 years and when we see her again, she is this sexually starved woman who can't stop thinking about Puck the Goat even when he left her alone to cope for half a millenium. I felt like i was reading a completely different character.
William becomes an anoying caricature of what he used o be. I think the author made him this way so we could hate him and be happy that he didn't ended up with Gilly. Well Gena, well done, I do hate him now. I don't even care about his book antymore.
Also, i'm tired of the constant lame jokes, the sassy commentary and the pop culture refferences. I mean, i can understand and tolerate them in characters like Anya and william, but when every other character is making them too (even the Goat prince who is supposed to live in an apparted realm with no connection to internet) it gets old.
I'm not going to stay around for the rest of the series. All the principal characters got their book already, and honestly i coudn't care less about William's story. Insta-love for a bad boy/womanizer like him? yeah, i don't think so.
Update 19/11/2017: There's a reason i liked the idea of William and Gilly so much. They complemented each other in a way no other couple in this series did. It wasn't only they slow burn that made things so much more interesing and gave depth to their characters, but their respective traits that made all so much better. Yes, she was immature and physically weak, in comparison to him. But that are both things that could have been treated in their book. Gilly had a heartbreaking backstory that could have made of that book an amazing, deep, emotional read. Relationship often aren't like math, in where two negatives make a positive. You need to have opposites to complement each other. That's why i haven enjoyed the last four books. All heroines lately had follow an specific mold. Arrogant, sarcastic, bitchy, inmature girls, who have a lot of physical power but nothing of emotional depth. With equaly emptied-head male counterparts.
A lot of people in facebook seem to want another of that kind of heroine for William. They claim he need a "strong woman" who can keep with him toe to toe. And i say that's bullshit. Because what william needs is a women who can show him love and softness, to equate his own darkness and cruelty. Another Keeley, another Anya, another Katarina...that kind of woman could make a steamy book but not much more. There's a lot of different types of strength, not alwasy has to be the bitchy one. You can be tender, sweet and still be hella strong...in a world like this...in a world like LOTU, being soft is a synonimous of being brave. IMO. And Gilly being human doesn't meant she wasn't capable of stand against him. William himself said she was the only one capable of bear his dark moods and it has been stated many times through the series she never did what he wanted. Yes, she loved him. And yes, maybe that love hadn't develop yet because they never had the chance to go further...but their relationship never was brother/sister like.
This book had the chance to be the one that rediemed the series for me. It could have been and emotional, heartwrenching, deep book, full of true love, acceptance, and redemption. Instead we got a mercenary goat who we barely know and whom i personally don't GAF about.
Many people say i should give this book, and Gena, a chance. But you know what? I already gave Gena a chance, multiple chances actually, and she screw them all. I won't be reading this book, because i couldn't stand reading about one of my favorite characters of all times, being reduced to a means for an end. Much less if she is ending up with a fucking Goat.
Cali out
.
.
.
Can't comprehend why some people were so butt-hurted about Gilly being much younger than William but then when she was paired up with a satyr suddenly nobody remembers that she is still young, just turned eighteen, still traumatized, and Puck is probably as old as William, or at least quite old too.
And he his half goat, but hey, as long as she is away from Willy...
March 14, 2021
"The Darkest Warrior" is the 14:th instalment in the paranormal "Lords of the Underworld"-series and is a epic,gut-wrenching,action-filled and sexy adventure that takes the whole plot to another level.From the start to finish i couldn`t take my eyes away from the pages.It was like watching a movie in the cinema,every scene was so cinematic and real that my mind got stuck in this world even after i finished the book.Gena Showalter`s powerful stroke and imagination of this world really impressed me.
In "The Darkest Torment" Gillian was dying because of the sickness Morte ad vitam and the only cure was to bond with someone so she could become immortal.The ice-cold warrior Puck the Undefeated takes his place beside her and bonds with her-ensuring they are married for eternity.In this book Gillian strives to to live the life she has always dreamed of while Puck fights to get revenge on his brother and regain his Kingdom-but all the while Gillian`s beauty of sweetness and strength melts his ice-cold heart.
Gillian Shaw had always been the unsure tortured teenager in the former books who had found warm friendship with William and the Lords and their women.But after Puck takes her to his realm Amaranthia after their bonding she lives there for over 500 years (its like couple of weeks in the mortal world) and turns into a brave,fierce and loyal leader to the people and becomes a warrior known as Dune Raider and wins many battles over the decades.She becomes a woman who lives by her own rules.Her way of loving Puck was sweet,intense and shattering.Gillian was woman strong enough to feel when he could not. A woman unwilling to let him shut down his own emotions, who knew the rarity of joy and who would settle for nothing less.
Puck the Undefeated and keeper of the demon of Indifference is also a satyr and a Connacht prince yearning for vengeance against the brother who betrayed him.But on first sight he gets enslaved by Gillian-the one woman destined to help him save his realm by a prophecy.Already from the first time he appeared in the series he intrigued me and getting to know him in this book was awesome.He was such a dark,intimidating,rugged,passionate alpha-male and a hero who comes to live and breath his love for Gillian.He craved and longed for her attention,touch,passion,devotion and love.And oh what a possessive,obsessed,crazy and jealous husband he was when it came to his wife Gillian-despite the demon inside him punishing him for his emotions.
I loved reading the snippets of Keeley and Torin,they are so cute and fun as a couple!Hades is fun and vicious as always,but i love the way he protects his son William,letting nothing hinder him.Rathbone is another badboy Underworld King and shifter that intrigues me.Galen will get his story next with Legion which i have longed for since forever-i am loving the Anti-hero Galen more and more despite his past evilness!William the ever Randy learns a lesson and more in this book,and i just love him more than ever.Now its time for him to try to break the curse with his true fated soulmate...again i wonder who it will be!She is going to lead him on a merry chase for sure!
I loved Puck and Gillian with all my heart,their hate to love relationship scored with all the obstacles and adventures they endured for their happy ever after.Every scene with them are filled with feral passion and need.The sex-scenes was steamy on a whole another level,never thought eating a fruit could be so sexy!Both see each other as equal warriors,lovers and partners.What a Epic and unforgettable keeper this was...my my how amazed i am!
In "The Darkest Torment" Gillian was dying because of the sickness Morte ad vitam and the only cure was to bond with someone so she could become immortal.The ice-cold warrior Puck the Undefeated takes his place beside her and bonds with her-ensuring they are married for eternity.In this book Gillian strives to to live the life she has always dreamed of while Puck fights to get revenge on his brother and regain his Kingdom-but all the while Gillian`s beauty of sweetness and strength melts his ice-cold heart.
Gillian Shaw had always been the unsure tortured teenager in the former books who had found warm friendship with William and the Lords and their women.But after Puck takes her to his realm Amaranthia after their bonding she lives there for over 500 years (its like couple of weeks in the mortal world) and turns into a brave,fierce and loyal leader to the people and becomes a warrior known as Dune Raider and wins many battles over the decades.She becomes a woman who lives by her own rules.Her way of loving Puck was sweet,intense and shattering.Gillian was woman strong enough to feel when he could not. A woman unwilling to let him shut down his own emotions, who knew the rarity of joy and who would settle for nothing less.
Puck the Undefeated and keeper of the demon of Indifference is also a satyr and a Connacht prince yearning for vengeance against the brother who betrayed him.But on first sight he gets enslaved by Gillian-the one woman destined to help him save his realm by a prophecy.Already from the first time he appeared in the series he intrigued me and getting to know him in this book was awesome.He was such a dark,intimidating,rugged,passionate alpha-male and a hero who comes to live and breath his love for Gillian.He craved and longed for her attention,touch,passion,devotion and love.And oh what a possessive,obsessed,crazy and jealous husband he was when it came to his wife Gillian-despite the demon inside him punishing him for his emotions.
I loved reading the snippets of Keeley and Torin,they are so cute and fun as a couple!Hades is fun and vicious as always,but i love the way he protects his son William,letting nothing hinder him.Rathbone is another badboy Underworld King and shifter that intrigues me.Galen will get his story next with Legion which i have longed for since forever-i am loving the Anti-hero Galen more and more despite his past evilness!William the ever Randy learns a lesson and more in this book,and i just love him more than ever.Now its time for him to try to break the curse with his true fated soulmate...again i wonder who it will be!She is going to lead him on a merry chase for sure!
I loved Puck and Gillian with all my heart,their hate to love relationship scored with all the obstacles and adventures they endured for their happy ever after.Every scene with them are filled with feral passion and need.The sex-scenes was steamy on a whole another level,never thought eating a fruit could be so sexy!Both see each other as equal warriors,lovers and partners.What a Epic and unforgettable keeper this was...my my how amazed i am!
January 9, 2018
How An Author Kills Her Career Vol 1
I’m done with you. Hope you enjoy killing this series and your career. Nine years of a build up and you decide to do this to your fans? What kind of an author are you? Yeah. No. I won’t be picking up another of your books for the rest of my life which is really sad. I remember being a teen and buying one of your books off the shelves and falling in Love.
In my heart, and the hearts of MANY, it’ll always be Gilliam.
Gilliam, you hear me?
Do whatever you want with your characters but I’m done with this series and you unless a miracle happens and you somehow twist this ending so that Gilly ends up with who she belongs to. WILLIAM.
I can’t believe how hurt I am by this and I know I’m not the only one. This is honestly disgusting.
And as for your fake little message on Facebook about earning our trust back? Yeah, you know what. I’m gonna just shut my mouth before I dissolve into profanity and tell you what I really think about you as a person after this.
I’m out.
I’m done with you. Hope you enjoy killing this series and your career. Nine years of a build up and you decide to do this to your fans? What kind of an author are you? Yeah. No. I won’t be picking up another of your books for the rest of my life which is really sad. I remember being a teen and buying one of your books off the shelves and falling in Love.
In my heart, and the hearts of MANY, it’ll always be Gilliam.
Gilliam, you hear me?
Do whatever you want with your characters but I’m done with this series and you unless a miracle happens and you somehow twist this ending so that Gilly ends up with who she belongs to. WILLIAM.
I can’t believe how hurt I am by this and I know I’m not the only one. This is honestly disgusting.
And as for your fake little message on Facebook about earning our trust back? Yeah, you know what. I’m gonna just shut my mouth before I dissolve into profanity and tell you what I really think about you as a person after this.
I’m out.
January 31, 2023
2.75 Stars
February 1, 2018
What just happened?
I can't even-- I'm about to actually cry right now. I'm done with this series- seriously. All the teasers we got about William and Gilly and in the end? She's gonna end up with a god damn goat. I have a teeny tiny amount of hope that Gena will turn this around and have Gilly end up with William, but I really doubt that. I don't even wanna read Williams story anymore. The way he was with Gilly... I feel like it would be wrong to read about his feelings for another woman.
We're the Starks and Gena Showalter is Walder Frey.
Enough said.
Feb 1, 2017
I re-read the synopsis, hoping it changed. Nope. Goat boy is still there.
I can't even-- I'm about to actually cry right now. I'm done with this series- seriously. All the teasers we got about William and Gilly and in the end? She's gonna end up with a god damn goat. I have a teeny tiny amount of hope that Gena will turn this around and have Gilly end up with William, but I really doubt that. I don't even wanna read Williams story anymore. The way he was with Gilly... I feel like it would be wrong to read about his feelings for another woman.
We're the Starks and Gena Showalter is Walder Frey.
Enough said.
Feb 1, 2017
I re-read the synopsis, hoping it changed. Nope. Goat boy is still there.
June 29, 2018
2nd Update:
welp. I read it. Not only does Gilly fuck a goat man, Gena takes the only non redundant female character left in this series and ruins it. Gena has a pattern in these books. She takes her female leads, and male leads, and makes them identical. Each and every one of them share the same sarcastic, idiotic humor, massive ego, and stunning good looks. They’re made into “badasses” with ZERO character development. She literally takes Gilly, who could have had an amazing development, shoves her in the same mold, and she comes out the same. This is not the character she introduced. It’s just the same redundant bull shit that’s been spouted the past few books. Book after book, amazingly attractive leads with sudden badass skills and rhetorical humor. Fuck.
These books are literally just pay checks. Go read the white rabbit chronicles. Females are the same. Jesus. I used to love this series. The past few books are literally the same character just with different names and plot recycled. I’ll read Williams only because I’ve literally been following these books for 7 years. Please Gena, please don’t make Williams girl the exact same as the previous heroins. Let’s get some uniqueness please. And dear god, lessen up on the enormous egos and identical witty humor. Just please. For the sake of humanity.
UPDATE: so it's about Gilly and Puck... literally no fucking words ....
If this isn't about William and Gilly, I'm done. Fed up with the constant baiting, and if it's dragged on for one more book, or they don't end up together, I'm going to be pissed. It's been 11 books of this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2017
Pre-order CANCELLED!
HOW TO DEVALUE AUTHENTICITY AS AN AUTHOR:
1. Capitalize on readers interest and anticipation of a story for Gillian and William
2. Capitalize on the IMPLIED story of “Gillian and William” by acknowledging and CONFIRMING that the story will happen in the future
3. Capitalize on the IMPLIED story by integrating the acknowledged and CONFIRMED story throughout multiple books; there by influencing and confirming readers decision to continue reading the series
Capitalize on False Advertising??? Bad Form!!
HOW TO DEVALUE AUTHENTICITY AS AN AUTHOR:
1. Capitalize on readers interest and anticipation of a story for Gillian and William
2. Capitalize on the IMPLIED story of “Gillian and William” by acknowledging and CONFIRMING that the story will happen in the future
3. Capitalize on the IMPLIED story by integrating the acknowledged and CONFIRMED story throughout multiple books; there by influencing and confirming readers decision to continue reading the series
Capitalize on False Advertising??? Bad Form!!
April 13, 2019
AFTER READING:
SPOILERS AHEAD, BE WARNED!
I loved the pairing. I loved the book.
Gilly and Puck's character development surprised me more than Gena's decision to pair them up. I loved how the story evolves and how it all came to an end. In the previous books, Gilly was not that much of an interesting character for me but she grows a lot in this book - and for me it is believable. Puck is tormented by the demon of Indifference and by his broken relationship with his brother Sin. Sin, on the other hand, is the Keeper of Paranoia. I would not say that Sin was a villain, he was more of an anti-hero tortured-by-his-demon type of character.
Keeley was the main instigator of the whole story that happened in this book. I love her. Hades & William played a pivotal role in this book and all I want to say is - I am not entertained. I am just not fond of the mental characteristics that those two characters convey on "paper". That is all I am gonna say 'bout that...
Cameron, Keeper of Obsession and Winter, Keeper of Selfishness were prominent secondary characters in this book which I loved. Gena is obviously starting her novella run in the 1001 Dark Nights series which got me all hyped up that Winter and Cameron are at least going to get a novella treatment.
Axel, Bjorn, Xerxes, and Thane also made an appearance. It is stated that they are now Elite Ones. I hope that Axel, Bjorn & Xerxes get their books in the novella form because Gena will not continue writing books in her Angels of the Dark series.
Baden & Pandora were featured. I love Pandora. Rathbone and the other Kings of the Underworld were featured too, none of which I cared for.
Next book is William. Can't say that I am excited about that...
AFTER THE PAIRING ANNOUNCEMENT:
OH. MY. GOD. GILLY & PUCK!!!
I am so happy that Gena did something as unexpected as this.
Now, with Gilly out of the way, I think that "Willy" is going to be paired up with Siobhan. She is after all Goddess of Many Futures and he was always bothered with how his future is going to play out. With this scenario, Hades and Taliyah are definitely happening too. But who, except Gena, knows?
BEFORE RELEASE:
I am hoping for Galen, Keeper of Jealousy & False Hope & Legion, minion of Strife.
SPOILERS AHEAD, BE WARNED!
I loved the pairing. I loved the book.
Gilly and Puck's character development surprised me more than Gena's decision to pair them up. I loved how the story evolves and how it all came to an end. In the previous books, Gilly was not that much of an interesting character for me but she grows a lot in this book - and for me it is believable. Puck is tormented by the demon of Indifference and by his broken relationship with his brother Sin. Sin, on the other hand, is the Keeper of Paranoia. I would not say that Sin was a villain, he was more of an anti-hero tortured-by-his-demon type of character.
Keeley was the main instigator of the whole story that happened in this book. I love her. Hades & William played a pivotal role in this book and all I want to say is - I am not entertained. I am just not fond of the mental characteristics that those two characters convey on "paper". That is all I am gonna say 'bout that...
Cameron, Keeper of Obsession and Winter, Keeper of Selfishness were prominent secondary characters in this book which I loved. Gena is obviously starting her novella run in the 1001 Dark Nights series which got me all hyped up that Winter and Cameron are at least going to get a novella treatment.
Axel, Bjorn, Xerxes, and Thane also made an appearance. It is stated that they are now Elite Ones. I hope that Axel, Bjorn & Xerxes get their books in the novella form because Gena will not continue writing books in her Angels of the Dark series.
Baden & Pandora were featured. I love Pandora. Rathbone and the other Kings of the Underworld were featured too, none of which I cared for.
Next book is William. Can't say that I am excited about that...
AFTER THE PAIRING ANNOUNCEMENT:
OH. MY. GOD. GILLY & PUCK!!!
I am so happy that Gena did something as unexpected as this.
Now, with Gilly out of the way, I think that "Willy" is going to be paired up with Siobhan. She is after all Goddess of Many Futures and he was always bothered with how his future is going to play out. With this scenario, Hades and Taliyah are definitely happening too. But who, except Gena, knows?
BEFORE RELEASE:
I am hoping for Galen, Keeper of Jealousy & False Hope & Legion, minion of Strife.
November 23, 2017
For the first time in my life, I understand why readers sometimes quote a book that is not published yet. I'm doing it now because I am SO angry about this plot! How could Gena Showalter do that to her fans, and to fans of this series? I told myself since the last book that if William and Gilly were not to be together, I will NEVER read another book in this series. So Gena decided to do it. Well, not a problem, an author can do as she wants. I hope she's ready to lose a ton of fans, included me. Bye bye lords of the Underworld.
Shelved as 'author-to-avoid'
November 17, 2017
William and Gillian's interaction- the snippets from the past... #Gilliam- the greatest love story LoTU universe will never have.
Excerpt from Gena Showalter’s Darkest Touch
Keeley tore her gaze from Torin. Deal with him later.
Always later. The story of her life.
“So...why the huge crowd?” asked a voice Keeley couldn’t place.
William set his drink aside and stood. No longer the picture of relaxed depravity, he morphed into a bona fide pillager—ready to spring and attack...to devour.
Keeley had never, ever, witnessed such a response from him.
A delicate-looking girl stepped through the Lords and ladies, her glossy dark hair and flawless olive skin a lovely combination. She had sensual eyes of the deepest, richest brown, and they were framed by lashes so long and thick they created a spiky fan around her lids. But as gorgeous as she was, she was young
and human. Far too young and far too human for a male of William’s fierce appetites.
This had to be the infamous Gilly.
Her birthday approached, Keeley remembered. Poor darling. Did she have any idea William was set to pounce? Just waiting for time on the clock to run out?
The girl waved at Keeley, an aura of sweetness and light enveloping her. “I’m Gillian. Everyone here calls me Gilly, even though I’ve begged them not to. You must be the Red Queen I’ve heard so much about.”
“You may call me Dr. Keeley.” We are going to be fast friends, and I am going to teach you how to torment William of the Dark for years to come.
“Do I not deserve a greeting, poppet?” William purred.
Gilly—Gillian—turned with a grace rivaling a ballet dancer and placed her hands on her hips. “Are you the person who burned all of my party decorations to ash?”
“I am.” And he didn’t sound sorry about it.
“Then no. You don’t deserve a greeting.”
====================================
Excerpt from Gena Showalter’s Darkest Touch
Though William couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from Gillian. It was almost embarrassing.
The womanizer—former?—stroked his finger over his fork as if he were imagining stroking something else.
Okay. It was definitely embarrassing. There was such intense heat in his eyes that even looking at him made her feel scorched by the sun.
===========================
Excerpt from Gena Showalter’s Darkest Torment
“That’s right,” William said. “You’re not. In fact, my life makes yours look like a picnic hosted by naked forest nymphs.”
“Now you’re exaggerating.”
“Under-exaggerating, perhaps. In a matter of days, Gillian will celebrate her eighteenth birthday.”
“So?” Baden wanted the guy to say the words aloud—to admit to a vulnerability of his own. Tit for tat. “She’ll be an adult. Old enough to handle you.” He couldn’t help but add, “Or any other man she wants.”
“Me,” William snapped. He’d never been able to mask the intensity of his emotions for the girl. “Old enough to handle me. Only me. But I can’t have her.”
When the guy said no more, Baden prodded him. “Because you’re cursed?”
A pause. A stiff nod. “The woman who wins me will kill me.”
LoTU don't deserve Gilly and the significance of what she represents.
If there's a deserving couple in LoTU series that can give a soulful example of LOVE it SHOULD BE Gilliam- they could have prove about relationships that's beyond sexual, a healing between two wounded individuals that thought they are beyond repair. Of love that is unconditional they'd rather sacrifice their selves to protect one another.
I hope you are happy with your choice, Gena Showalter. I hope you will never utter the word "REGRET" about breaking the couple that could have give you the "greatest love story ever written" under your belt.
So long LoTU and any of your works, Gena Showalter. You'll forever be a part of my broken heart and trust issues. What a way to leave a mark and lasting impression, eh?
#GilliamDeservedBetter
#GillyDeservedBetter (less)
Excerpt from Gena Showalter’s Darkest Touch
Keeley tore her gaze from Torin. Deal with him later.
Always later. The story of her life.
“So...why the huge crowd?” asked a voice Keeley couldn’t place.
William set his drink aside and stood. No longer the picture of relaxed depravity, he morphed into a bona fide pillager—ready to spring and attack...to devour.
Keeley had never, ever, witnessed such a response from him.
A delicate-looking girl stepped through the Lords and ladies, her glossy dark hair and flawless olive skin a lovely combination. She had sensual eyes of the deepest, richest brown, and they were framed by lashes so long and thick they created a spiky fan around her lids. But as gorgeous as she was, she was young
and human. Far too young and far too human for a male of William’s fierce appetites.
This had to be the infamous Gilly.
Her birthday approached, Keeley remembered. Poor darling. Did she have any idea William was set to pounce? Just waiting for time on the clock to run out?
The girl waved at Keeley, an aura of sweetness and light enveloping her. “I’m Gillian. Everyone here calls me Gilly, even though I’ve begged them not to. You must be the Red Queen I’ve heard so much about.”
“You may call me Dr. Keeley.” We are going to be fast friends, and I am going to teach you how to torment William of the Dark for years to come.
“Do I not deserve a greeting, poppet?” William purred.
Gilly—Gillian—turned with a grace rivaling a ballet dancer and placed her hands on her hips. “Are you the person who burned all of my party decorations to ash?”
“I am.” And he didn’t sound sorry about it.
“Then no. You don’t deserve a greeting.”
====================================
Excerpt from Gena Showalter’s Darkest Touch
Though William couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from Gillian. It was almost embarrassing.
The womanizer—former?—stroked his finger over his fork as if he were imagining stroking something else.
Okay. It was definitely embarrassing. There was such intense heat in his eyes that even looking at him made her feel scorched by the sun.
===========================
Excerpt from Gena Showalter’s Darkest Torment
“That’s right,” William said. “You’re not. In fact, my life makes yours look like a picnic hosted by naked forest nymphs.”
“Now you’re exaggerating.”
“Under-exaggerating, perhaps. In a matter of days, Gillian will celebrate her eighteenth birthday.”
“So?” Baden wanted the guy to say the words aloud—to admit to a vulnerability of his own. Tit for tat. “She’ll be an adult. Old enough to handle you.” He couldn’t help but add, “Or any other man she wants.”
“Me,” William snapped. He’d never been able to mask the intensity of his emotions for the girl. “Old enough to handle me. Only me. But I can’t have her.”
When the guy said no more, Baden prodded him. “Because you’re cursed?”
A pause. A stiff nod. “The woman who wins me will kill me.”
LoTU don't deserve Gilly and the significance of what she represents.
If there's a deserving couple in LoTU series that can give a soulful example of LOVE it SHOULD BE Gilliam- they could have prove about relationships that's beyond sexual, a healing between two wounded individuals that thought they are beyond repair. Of love that is unconditional they'd rather sacrifice their selves to protect one another.
I hope you are happy with your choice, Gena Showalter. I hope you will never utter the word "REGRET" about breaking the couple that could have give you the "greatest love story ever written" under your belt.
So long LoTU and any of your works, Gena Showalter. You'll forever be a part of my broken heart and trust issues. What a way to leave a mark and lasting impression, eh?
#GilliamDeservedBetter
#GillyDeservedBetter (less)
Shelved as 'never-in-my-life'
November 1, 2017 Gilliam Deserved Better
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2018
I can not believe after all my time and money invested in this series and this is how Ms Showalter treats her readers. What a colossal waste of time and build up. Thanks, but no thanks. She was one of my auto-buy authors, no more. I might consider reading her other series, but she won’t get anymore of my money - ever. This is what happens when you abuse your reader’s trust.
7.11.18 Updated Review: I broke down and read the book (free from my library). I wanted to see if there was even the slightest chance that she was able to pull off Puck, but no. Yuck 🤢. Like another reviewer, I also kept thinking of Mr. Tumnus (Narnia).
7.11.18 Updated Review: I broke down and read the book (free from my library). I wanted to see if there was even the slightest chance that she was able to pull off Puck, but no. Yuck 🤢. Like another reviewer, I also kept thinking of Mr. Tumnus (Narnia).
January 11, 2020
Oooohhh my goodness I don't know how to start. I don't even know how to express my disgust/rage/disappointment/nausea over this mess. I'll try my hardest.
Okay. So. We get teased for 11 books - 11 FREAKING BOOKS - about Gilly and William. Their relationship was teased beautifully. It was the one unique and best slow building relationship in this series. For God's sake, I've stuck with it for 11 books! I can't even stick with my 1 hour episode of tv without getting bored and jumping ship. All of this patience and emotional investment amounts to nothing because Gena (you backstabbing shady ass....) randomly decides that Gilly should end up with....a goat man who has been in, what, one book? NO ONE CARES ABOUT HIM!! This is the most shady move I have ever seen a writer make.
And to the people saying that it was obvious that Gilly and William weren't going to end up together...huh?? With quotes like this from a mere two books ago, it's very easy to see why we feel led on:
"When William isn’t on a violent rampage about his daughter’s death, he’s watching Gilly with such intense hunger everyone else wants to pluck out his eyes, then their own."
When Gilly enters a room this is William's reaction. "No longer the picture of relaxed depravity, he morphed into a bona fide pillager—ready to spring and attack...to devour. Keeley had never, ever, witnessed such a response from him."
"William couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from Gillian. It was almost embarrassing. The womanizer—former?—stroked his finger over his fork as if he were imagining stroking something else....There was such intense heat in his eyes that even looking at him made her feel scorched by the sun."
WTF. Complete effin tease. I guess Gena recently posted on her FB about how sorry she is to have disappointed her readers and how she intends to regain trust. I'm sorry, there's no regaining trust after that. Gena's writing and character building has declined in the past several books to the point that I was only buying her books to keep up with William and Gilly. No more. If I could, I'd return every book I'd purchased from her and spend the money on a worthy author. Buh bye Gena.
P.S. - She can take the sketch of William in this book and shove it up her condescending behind. Yes Gena, a sketch of what should have been the hero of the story, will definitely make us feel better. Shouldn't she be promoting Puck anyway?? Still trying to drag us along pfft.
Okay. So. We get teased for 11 books - 11 FREAKING BOOKS - about Gilly and William. Their relationship was teased beautifully. It was the one unique and best slow building relationship in this series. For God's sake, I've stuck with it for 11 books! I can't even stick with my 1 hour episode of tv without getting bored and jumping ship. All of this patience and emotional investment amounts to nothing because Gena (you backstabbing shady ass....) randomly decides that Gilly should end up with....a goat man who has been in, what, one book? NO ONE CARES ABOUT HIM!! This is the most shady move I have ever seen a writer make.
And to the people saying that it was obvious that Gilly and William weren't going to end up together...huh?? With quotes like this from a mere two books ago, it's very easy to see why we feel led on:
"When William isn’t on a violent rampage about his daughter’s death, he’s watching Gilly with such intense hunger everyone else wants to pluck out his eyes, then their own."
When Gilly enters a room this is William's reaction. "No longer the picture of relaxed depravity, he morphed into a bona fide pillager—ready to spring and attack...to devour. Keeley had never, ever, witnessed such a response from him."
"William couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away from Gillian. It was almost embarrassing. The womanizer—former?—stroked his finger over his fork as if he were imagining stroking something else....There was such intense heat in his eyes that even looking at him made her feel scorched by the sun."
WTF. Complete effin tease. I guess Gena recently posted on her FB about how sorry she is to have disappointed her readers and how she intends to regain trust. I'm sorry, there's no regaining trust after that. Gena's writing and character building has declined in the past several books to the point that I was only buying her books to keep up with William and Gilly. No more. If I could, I'd return every book I'd purchased from her and spend the money on a worthy author. Buh bye Gena.
P.S. - She can take the sketch of William in this book and shove it up her condescending behind. Yes Gena, a sketch of what should have been the hero of the story, will definitely make us feel better. Shouldn't she be promoting Puck anyway?? Still trying to drag us along pfft.
Want to read
October 21, 2017Seriously considering taking this off my to-read list after the HEA fake-out. That's some Charlane Harrison shit right there...
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