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

Gena Showalter

Start date: January 1, 2022

Finish date: January 31, 2022

Discussion: Challenges: What's the Rush

Why we're reading this: Part of our group series (re)read: Lords of the Underworld …more
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Challenges: What's the Rush

* 2025 Series Read: K.N. Banet's "Jacky Leon"
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last updated Sep 26, 2025 08:29PM

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* YEAR-LONG CHALLENGES
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last updated Aug 17, 2010 11:14PM

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What Members Thought

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.

More of my reviews at Mystifying Paranormal Reviews ...more

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Apr 08, 2010 Regina rated it it was ok

Shelves: paranormal-pnr, owned-kindle, 2010-reads, can-t-recommend, i-just-don-t-care

2.75 stars. I feel like I have read this story before. Not sure if I will continue the series.

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Mar 17, 2010 Larissa rated it really liked it

I don’t know why it took me so long to succumb to The Lords of The Underworld (LOTU) series, but it did. I love the Demonica series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood and the Midnight Breed series and Gena Showalter’s series has a similar structure and always attracted me in some level.

A while back i got the prequel, Darkest Fire, I liked it, but wasn’t that impressed. I started The Darkest Night back then too, but it didn’t really grab me so I gave it a break.

I got an ARC for one of the Series’ 2010 I don’t know why it took me so long to succumb to The Lords of The Underworld (LOTU) series, but it did. I love the Demonica series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood and the Midnight Breed series and Gena Showalter’s series has a similar structure and always attracted me in some level.

A while back i got the prequel, Darkest Fire, I liked it, but wasn’t that impressed. I started The Darkest Night back then too, but it didn’t really grab me so I gave it a break.

I got an ARC for one of the Series’ 2010 release, so i decided to read the rest of the books before digging into it. I just can’t read the 5th or 6th books of a series without reading the rest, does anyone else has that problem? LOL

Well, I am happy to say that this time around, The Darkest Night caught me good! I have been in a LOTU obsession these past couple days and I just can’t stop reading it. I’m on the third book right now and loving it =)

The LOTU series follows the PNR pattern of following a group of supernatural being and each book gives us the HEA (Happily Ever After) of each one of them.

The Lords of the Underworld were Immortal Greek Warriors that worked for the Gods of old, until one day Zeus left an important Box to be guarded by Pandora and the other Warriors felt cheated. They opened the box, releasing a horde of Demons onto the world and killed Pandora. As a punishment for their act, Zeus bonded each of them to a Demon and left them to fend for themselves for all eternity, banishing them from Mount Olympus.

Maddox is bonded to the demon of Violence and since he was the one to kill Pandora, he is cursed to die as she did every night and spend the whole night being tortured in hell and wake up the next day to start all over again.

Ashlyn has always been different, being able to hear whatever has been said at any given time, wherever she goes and has been raised in an institute and unknowingly been used for her ability by a group that has been hunting The Lords since ancient Greece, called Hunters.

I loved both Maddox and Ashlyn, they are such strong characters with such difficult pasts and different kinds of curses. Maddox is Violence, but Ashlyn calms him; whenever Ashlyn is close to Maddox the voices are quiet and he is her silence in midst torment.

"I love you, too. So much. I'm a violent man with violent emotions, but I do not want you ever to fear that I'll become violent with you. I can't hurt you. It would be worse than cutting out my own heart."

They are perfect for each other in every way and their love goes above and beyond any obstacles. The sacrifices they are willing to make for each other are humbling and were really beautiful to read about. They are also sexy as hell, with great chemistry and got me fanning myself whenever they got together!

The Lords of the Underworld is a very dark series where the line between Heroes and Villains has never been thinner, the LOTU are strong, cursed, damned and victims of the natures of the demons that inhabit them, but they are also honorable and fight their demons’ natures all the time.

I really enjoyed that duality and I am really looking forward to reading the stories of each lord. This is definitely a greats series to read if you are a PNR fan =) ...more

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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.
...more

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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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Jan 20, 2010 Rebecca rated it it was ok

Im giving this 2.5 stars. It was pretty bad. I didn't like how it all took place in a few days and how the main characters loved each other the moment they saw each other. Some of the dialogue was awful! Its really disappointing because I think the author had a great idea behind it all, if only she took the time to develop the story more. It all felt rushed and thrown together. ...more

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