The Darkest Warrior (Lords of the Underworld, #14) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Feb 26, 2020 Shawna marked it as to-read

Shelves: pnr-paranormal-romance, pnr-kitchen-sink-other, author-gena-showalter, series-lords-of-the-underworld, iffy-meh-mixed-bad-reviews, iffy-uncertain, tbr-lost-interest, tbr-low-priority, wtf-series-declined-lost-steam, wtf-went-off-the-rails-nosedive

This is how I feel about Gena not having William and Gillian end up together.

...more

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May 16, 2018 Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-read-2018

3.5 Stars

OMG talk about highly anticipated reads. If you’ve been following the Lords of the Underworld series like me, for years, then you probably felt very anxious to finally get Gilly’s book. I confessed I was even a bit more anxious because the HEA wasn’t going to be William. I’ve literally been shipping those two for so long I didn’t know how to feel anything different. At the same time there was some relief about it because it’s so hard to get the perfect story when you are so excited for 3.5 Stars

OMG talk about highly anticipated reads. If you’ve been following the Lords of the Underworld series like me, for years, then you probably felt very anxious to finally get Gilly’s book. I confessed I was even a bit more anxious because the HEA wasn’t going to be William. I’ve literally been shipping those two for so long I didn’t know how to feel anything different. At the same time there was some relief about it because it’s so hard to get the perfect story when you are so excited for two people to get together. In the end, I feel like no matter the route Ms. Showalter took she would have some people upset about the result so I can totally appreciate the fact that she stuck to what she saw was a better ending for both Gilly and William even if that ending wasn’t together.

So let me tell you first what I thought about that decision. After reading this book, I completely see what she saw was better. At least in Gilly’s case. Puck stole the show. I literally didn’t think I could find him sexy, and then he was not only that but he was also fun and sweet. In so many ways, he really was the perfect match for Gilly and also the perfect partner. William, for all his protectiveness, wouldn’t have allowed Gilly the room to grow and Puck did that in ways he didn’t even anticipate. Was I happy with the HEA? It was everything I needed it to be. There’s so much chemistry between Gilly and Puck that you will be wondering how this wasn’t what you wanted from the very beginning.

Lets backtrack to Puck for a second. I really found him charming. I loved his humor, his single minded focus to do right for his kingdom, and the vulnerability that came from his more beastly form. He gave as good as he got, especially when he interacted with William and I loved those scenes! I think many will fall for him just like I did. And let’s not forget Puck has horns. It’s been too long since I’ve read a good horn job and this book delivered. 😉

One of my favorite things about this story is Gillian’s growth. There’s deep issues in her past that would prevent her from fully being with somebody and I was wondering how Ms. Showalter would navigate those and make me believe they would be ok. She was still so young when this book started. And then the solution came and it gave Gilly the ability to not only overcome those issues but thrive. She became a true warrior, mature and independent. I loved that!

I had a few minor hiccups that made this rating a little lower than I was expecting. First was the pacing. There were parts when I felt full steam ahead invested in the story and then others felt a bit flat and like I just wanted to move on to the next thing. And the second was William’s behavior. Ughhhh this pains me to say but I felt like he was portrayed in a way that was sure to grate on people’s nerves and I have to wonder if that was on purpose to make it more obvious that you would want Gilly to accept Puck and forget William because of his attitude. I know he’s never been mature but the level of bratty, childish, spoiled even behavior that we got from William made me think of a toddler and I didn’t think it was necessary to get to that in order to be in love with Puck.

THE DARKEST WARRIOR was witty and addictive! Another great installment in the Lords of the Underworld series and it continues to be one that I will read as long as the books keep coming. It never fails to give me plenty of sexy and fun times, packed full of good humor and a great storyline. If you haven’t read this yet, then you should totally rectify that.

Favorite quotes:

“May you rest in pieces.”

“Fun fact,” William had said. “I collect skulls. Pretty ones, ugly ones. Male, female. Young, old. Immortal, human. Those of my enemies and friends alike, and even a person I met in an elevator.”

Barbarian chick really made his horns pop.

Want to touch her skin. Would she burn him alive? What a way to go.
Want to kiss those plump red lips. Would she taste as sweet as sugar, as he suspected? Must know.
Did she have the power to make him come? Really must know. ...more

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Jul 06, 2018 Ruby Jo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Gena Showalter has done it again, writing a story that is fantastic and that made me want for it to never end.

The Darkest Warrior is the story of Puck and Gillian, a story that spans many centuries and many realms. And what a story it is! Puck is a very interesting choice for a hero. The host of Indifference, it was hard at first for me to see Puck as the perfect guy for Gillian. But the more I read the more I realized he wasn't unfeeling, he was feeling too much. Betrayed by his best friend, th Gena Showalter has done it again, writing a story that is fantastic and that made me want for it to never end.

The Darkest Warrior is the story of Puck and Gillian, a story that spans many centuries and many realms. And what a story it is! Puck is a very interesting choice for a hero. The host of Indifference, it was hard at first for me to see Puck as the perfect guy for Gillian. But the more I read the more I realized he wasn't unfeeling, he was feeling too much. Betrayed by his best friend, the brother who should have had his back no matter what, Puck is left alone in the world, at the mercy of the whims of his inner demon. And while at first it seems impossible for this immortal to finally find a happy ending, I realized early on in his scenes with Gillian that being possessed by this brutal demon was actually a blessing in disguise. Because it didn't just make him last centuries before meeting Gillian, it also made him the only guy who would set her on the path to become the warrior she later on became. I realize Puck had a really hard time during all those centuries, especially when his demon decided to punish him for feeling too much and he was left unable to protect himself, but it's the only way he truly managed to fulfill the prophecy intended for him, while ensuring his mate would grow to become the woman she needed to be for herself.

Gillian is a woman who went through a lot. Betrayed by the people who should have loved her and protected her, she was scared of her own shadow. Which was entirely understandable, given her story. Somewhere along the way she is forced to stop being a victim and become a survivor, one willing to help others avoid the horrors that she went through or to escape from them. Every immortal she knew before she met Puck, including the man she had a crush on, William, was determined to let her be the sheltered, hurt little girl who was scared of living. I loved seeing her fight for herself, at times going against everyone, including herself. She chose not just to survive, but to truly live, and I respected her for that.

The plot is really fast paced and full of drama, hot sexy times and intense moments. It's interesting how Showalter manages to inject insane amounts of hilarious bits into the most dramatic scenes. I caught myself chuckling more than a few times while reading this book. I really enjoyed the element of danger that came with having some of the most badass immortals all in one tiny space, all trying to help out Puck and Gillian on their quest, all trying to survive.

I also enjoyed the little scenes we got from Sin's point of view. Not only did we get a glimpse behind the curtain and I got to understand how far gone he was and why he was so far gone, but I also got to understand what drove him. And I found it really interesting when I realized exactly why he did what he did. I'm curious to see how his story will turn out, and how he will face everything that he has done.

The ending of The Darkest Warrior teased at some things that will come in the future book and I hope we get to see William get if not his happy ending, at least the promise of one in the near future.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I am definitely going to read the next one once it comes out. Before that happens though, I am going to binge-read this series from the beginning. ...more

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Jan 29, 2022 Steph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-웃, series-ongoing, sos-series-read-2022-lotu

I feel bad for Gena and all the nasty blowback over the whole "damn you, for making me want to see these two together, but not making it happen". But, surprisingly, I'm kinda okay with it. I didn't like William much in this installment, TBH. But, I did like the way Gena progressed Gillian's character allowing her time (😉) to heal and grow.

(✮✮✮½) ...more

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Oct 09, 2018 ☘KathyD☘ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-romance, genre-romance-series, genre-paranormal, book-kindle, audio-audible, pages-400-499, genre-erotica, genre-fantasy, character-shifters, event-readers-on-the-river

I started this book not sure how to feel. Part of me felt like a traitor to the Lords of the Underworld group since I am 100% OK with Gillian not being with William. I like William and can't wait for his story, but those two together would have wigged me out. On the other hand, Puck came out of left field so I wasn't sure about him in any way shape or form. The twist of Gillian's immortality and how all that works out took the story to a whole new level! It was a clever trick on Ms. Showalter's ...more

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