The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Jun 24, 2010 Mariya rated it did not like it

Shelves: pnr-romance, angels-demons

I really wanted to like this book, and I am upset that I wasted my entire day hoping that it could possibly get better, but no it didn't.

I had a lot of problems with this book, one being thatthe whole demon/monster thing inside of the hero. Is it me, or have you heard about this being used in a PNR already? I know I have. The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, in Rhage's book he has a monster inside of him. Also, Regina commented that Karen MArie Moning's The Dark Highlander has the same thing whi I really wanted to like this book, and I am upset that I wasted my entire day hoping that it could possibly get better, but no it didn't.

I had a lot of problems with this book, one being thatthe whole demon/monster thing inside of the hero. Is it me, or have you heard about this being used in a PNR already? I know I have. The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, in Rhage's book he has a monster inside of him. Also, Regina commented that Karen MArie Moning's The Dark Highlander has the same thing which I forgot. I am usually not too bothered with things being done already, but I this book I did because it just wasn't very interesting or kept my attention.

The hero and heroine. I didn't like them at all. I found the heroine, Aslyn annoying, I mean I have never been annoyed by a heroine in a PNR as much as I was annoyed by her. She drove me crazy. I mean she does to these warriors house and first meeting the hero, Maddox the voices in her head stop and its like no! I don't want to let go of her, I need to be near you and then even though she doesn't even know him she watching him die and gets all angry, this is a case of the heroine falling in love too quickly which I am not fond of in PNR. And then next thing you know when she meets with Maddox again she wants to leave, and you have got to be kidding me, a night ago she urged how much she needed to be near him and then oh, can I leave? And just things she has done made me think, is she stupid?

The hero, Maddox. Like other hero's in PNR. I was completely heads over heals in love, him, no. He wasn't seductive, attractive at all. It was kinda the same, he first called her woman, and then it;s like right away he is calling her beauty. All I am buying is that this couple is buying into their lust or something like that. I didn' find this couple appealing at all. Maddox was a bit too boring to me.

The other warriors. At the beginning, sure I loved them and wanted to know more about them, halfway into the story, meh! How is it I started out loving them to not loving them. I thought every single one of them were asses. I don't even care if they get they're happily ever after of not.

I am trying to think about it some, and find just one thing I liked abotu this book, but I can't do it. Looking back at BLack Dagger Brotherhood series, I thought that it was okay, I mean the first book and the second book I liked a lot better, it was just hard to understand the BDB world in book 1 and it went better in book2. Maybe I could understand the world better the Lords of the Underworld.

But out of these two series I choose Black Dagger Brotherhood and I am not really into BDB series, but I liked the characters a whole of a lot better! and the couples I could actually believe in and loved. It was just the world building I was having a bit trouble with it seems.

But as for Lords of the underworld I don't find myself continueing with this series. I thought maybe possibly, but warriors I can't really stand in the first book I don't think I would like reading about their happily ever after when I don't care if they even get one.

I'm more of an UF gal, and there is only one PNR I have read and been crazy about, so I am not really surprised I did not like it, but if you're a PNR you could possibly like it better than me.

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Aug 30, 2010 Evikes rated it liked it

First please let me say that there are 3 main ingredients I need in order to love a book – Alpha male (Jaime Fraser from Outlander and the BDB Boys come to mind) and strong heroine, well polished unpredictable storylines, and a HEA (happily ever after) at the end. These are the things I like. Next, I want to stress that I liked this book - it had almost all of those elements. I was not too impressed in the first quarter or so, but the last half was quite good. The characters are very similar to First please let me say that there are 3 main ingredients I need in order to love a book – Alpha male (Jaime Fraser from Outlander and the BDB Boys come to mind) and strong heroine, well polished unpredictable storylines, and a HEA (happily ever after) at the end. These are the things I like. Next, I want to stress that I liked this book - it had almost all of those elements. I was not too impressed in the first quarter or so, but the last half was quite good. The characters are very similar to the Black Dagger Brotherhood (who I LOVE) and frankly, it annoyed me that the Lords were so similar (the gorgeous one who needs sex all the time, the scarred one, the angry cryptic one, and the one with multi coloured hair).. and did I mention they live together in a castle/fortress away from humanity and battle a group of Hunters who smell like gunpowder and are always trying to kill them? I was about half way through the book when they actually started getting their own personalities and drew me in. The author really didn’t spend enough time on developing the characters and I wasn’t invested at all. The premise was really good and the author has a great imagination. I like how she tied in a lot of mythology and Pandora’s box, but she could have elaborated on that….
Some of the storylines also weren’t very polished, and just didn’t make sense. **spoiler** The Lords live with demons inside themselves who they can barely control and live in constant fear that they will take over. Maddox has the demon of Violence in him – Maddox realizes that Ashlyn ‘tamed’ his demon and that he no longer fought for control every minute (*cough* DBD?); not once does he mention this incredible fact to the other Lords.. even when they chain him up and tell him that they plan on using her as bait to catch the Hunters and she may not survive. The fact that his demon can be controlled because of her should be a HUGE development if you base it on the rest of the book, but he never mentions it. The author just isn’t consistent with plot lines.** end of spoiler** I would have also like to hear more of the story pertaining to WHY the human Hunters hate the Lords so much. It was mentioned enough throughout the story that a reader should wonder about it and it may have added credibility to the storyline, but it is not elaborated on.
The last thing I want to mention is that I just couldn’t get over the fact that Maddox and Ashlyn both forgot how to talk when they were horny. Neither one could speak in a complete sentence the entire time they were hot & bothered and only communicated using 1 or 2 word statements “More. Good. Hot.” It would have added some intensity to the love scenes, but when it was happening in EVERY scene, it was just annoying.
I did like Ashlyn (the heroine) and Danika (the other character who will be reintroduced later in the series). I will be reading the next book, since I believe it deserves a chance… maybe it suffers from ‘first book in a series – itis’. Most often, a decent series requires at least 2 or 3 books before I truly can make up my mind about it. Overall, I liked this book enough to read the next one – just hope the plot & character issues aren’t as apparent in the other books.
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Feb 12, 2010 GinBee rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010-read, all-pnr-uf, 1st-in-series, x-reviewed-old, paranormal-romance, read-fiction, owned-physical

Ashlyn Darrow is tormented by the voices she hears, wherever she goes she hears every conversation which has ever taken place there. She travels the world helping the Institute to find out about paranormal creatures, but she knows little beyond her own work. Having being given to the Institute by her parents at only five years old, she has never really know any different until she ascends the hill towards to strange and mysterious fortress where the locals says angels or demons live. Ashlyn hope Ashlyn Darrow is tormented by the voices she hears, wherever she goes she hears every conversation which has ever taken place there. She travels the world helping the Institute to find out about paranormal creatures, but she knows little beyond her own work. Having being given to the Institute by her parents at only five years old, she has never really know any different until she ascends the hill towards to strange and mysterious fortress where the locals says angels or demons live. Ashlyn hopes they may have “gifts” like hers and be able to help her. Her first encounter with the Lords happens when she sees Maddox kill four Hunters and come towards her. Terrified as she is still she realises the silence around him.

Ashlyn is a sweet and innocent character despite being tormented as she is by the voices. As soon as she meets Maddox she is attracted to him and even more to the silence she has when around him. So relaxing yet she is desperate to leave at first, not for long of course being and romance!

Maddox is the keeper of violence, twice cursed since he killed Pandora after being possessed by the demon of violence, he is condemned to die at midnight everyday and spend the next few hours reportedly burning in hell. His curse also curses Lucien (death) and Reyes (pain) to kill him each day. Cursed by the Greek gods they see no way out, that is until Ashlyn and the take over by the titan gods. A huge sacrifice would be needed, can it be done? Should it be done? I can’t tell you with out a huge spoiler!

Ashlyn and Maddox seem a very odd couple at first but end up loving each other and needing each other. A romance with a few steamy encounters and lots of problems.

The fortress in Budapest is a prison for the Lords of the Underworld. The Lords are each cursed to have a demon inside them after opening the box containing them and angering the Gods, they objected to Pandora being given the job of guarding the box. Maddox as the keeper of violence errupts and kills Pandors, condemning him to his curse. The Lords hold the demons of violence, pain, death, disease, promiscuity etc, each bringing with it different issues and problems.

Maddox and the other Lords assume Ashlyn is bait at first, she does not tell them her story for quite a long time, even Maddox after he has started to possessively defend her in a way the rest of the Lords simply can not comprehend. He sees her as beautiful and at first just wants her body, but ends up feeling something much deeper despite still being suspicious of her for quite a long time.

The rest of the Lords are introduced to us and their various demons explored to varying degrees as required for Maddox’s story. Enough so we know which demon they carry and a little about them to help us understand their actions, as well as have plenty of anticipation for future books featuring them.

As the Darkest Kiss is the first book in the Lords of the Underworld series there is inevitably quite a lot of world building and background detail, but I enjoyed that and made me interested to know what the stories of the rest of the Lords are. I enjoyed the book a lot and will definitely reading the rest of the series.
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Feb 12, 2010 Jesse rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Another hit in my book from Showalter. The first books I've read of hers where the Extraordinary Girl Series and I LOVED them so I had to check out some of her other work. I was very pleased with the first book in teh Lords of the Underworld series and can not wait to see what happens in the rest of the series. There is a sense of danger, passion and plenty of action to keep you invested in this novel. Really enjoyed it! ...more

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May 10, 2010 The Romance Reviews (Carole) rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal-romance

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Feb 20, 2010 Dani rated it it was amazing

Love love this book... so excited for this series...I can't decide which one I love the most so far... favorites so far are maddox,Paris,gideon, aeron, torin,sabin and kane... so yes pretty much love them all... I can't wait for the next book... thus book was everything I expected page turner,hot sexy man and a great love story. Maddox melted my heart... who ever would have thought violence could be so love able.... ...more

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Mar 05, 2010 Lydia rated it really liked it

Shelves: pnr, 1st-in-series

Not a bad start to the series. It kind of reminded me of Rhage's story in the BDB series but with its unique elements to his back story. I like the characters in this book and that there was some action too. The sex was pretty damn HAWT... Overall, I really like the story and I will definatly continue on to the next book. ...more

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