This one is going to be a loooong review and also will contain mild spoilers (which I'll "warn" about :))
First - I loved this book! I feel like it's been a while since my last PNR series, but actually it's only been a little more than 2 months from finishing the Midnight Breed series. It seems that no matter how much I enjoy reading "regular" romance books I always find myself missing a dab of supernatural in my reading. I yearn for those manly man creatures with inhuman strength and special abilities (and disabilities ;)) that simply doesn't exist in our world.
Though I'm a HUGE fan for vampire related PNR this one is different. Vampires are mentioned in about a sentence (meaning they probably exist somewhere) but there is nothing on them and probably wouldn't be in the future. We have a group of 6 warriors, immortal warriors that each one share their existence with a demon inside of them. This demon makes it hard for them to manage a "normal life" so they choose to live together and stay off society. That's in a nutshell.. First - I loved this book! I feel like it's been a while since my last PNR series, but actually it's only been a little more than 2 months from finishing the Midnight Breed series. It seems that no matter how much I enjoy reading "regular" romance books I always find myself missing a dab of supernatural in my reading. I yearn for those manly man creatures with inhuman strength and special abilities (and disabilities ;)) that simply doesn't exist in our world.
This novel tells the story of Maddox who shares his existence with the demon of Violence. Not a very "happy little demon" as you might imagine.. and also the gods (the Greek ones in case you were wondering) "gifted" him with a curse for killing a woman he shouldn't have. His curse is he must be stabbed at midnight each night 6 times - until his death - and then delivered to hell for the rest of the night to be burned there. Just from those details you can see that Maddox isn't really a relationship material kinda guy.. But nevertheless by the end of this book he and Ashlyn find their happy ending.
Ashlyn always knew there are other creatures in this world - first because she has the unique ability to hear all conversation that has ever been made in a certain place and also because she works for an institute that research supernatural beings. She hears that on a hill near Budapest there are special beings, maybe even angels that she hopes might help her control her ability. She discovers first hand that the ones living up the hills are far from being angels but though she is being held there captive she learns that they are by no mean monsters.
Maddox captures and holds Ashlyn against her will because he things she is "Bait". In the past Hunters - people determine to kill the Lords of the Underworld (he and his friends) - used women to lure them and kill them. But right from the start there is something about Ashlyn that makes him re-think the possibility of her being there other than to help herself. Surprisingly from the very second Ashlyn encounters Maddox she stops hearing the voices of the past making her long for his presence (doesn't that remind you of Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton in the Southern Vampire Series?).
You can guess what happens with Ashlyn and Maddox. Don't need no guessing here :) But what is interesting is all the changes that happen to Maddox and his relationship with his demon.
We have the POV of Ashlyn and Maddox throughout the book but also other characters - the other Immortals and also a little bit by Danika - a woman who is captured (with 3 other members of her family) by the Immortals by the request of the Titans that as it seems threw out the Greek Gods. The warriors don't really know what to do with the women so they keep them captive for the meanwhile..
As you can see there is a lot going on in this book. A lot of "world" to be unraveled. But that's not the least of the things that happen. They also have Hunters on their back and also a "surprise from the past" - SPOILER
Which keeps them "on their toes" since there is no trust with whom they have to work with now.
Which keeps them "on their toes" since there is no trust with whom they have to work with now.
I loved this book and really looking forward to the next ones!! the only complaint I have for this book is there's just too many damn characters to follow! :D
Mind you, I've read "A song of Ice & Fire" and if you want to blame SOMEONE for creating too many characters - George R. R. Martin WOULD be the guy.. ;)
Since this is the first book in the series (the novella before gives only a feel of the story - actually this book happens maybe even a thousand years after it..) there are simply a lot of details about this world and the characters with their special characteristics. It took me half the book to really get "who's who" you know? but then there were more to come and I was a little lost there for a while
Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 384 pages, 6-9 December 2013 / On GoodReads
ABOUT THE MC
Maddox / Violence [BUDAPEST CONTINGENT]
Height: 6'4''
Hair: Black
Eyes: Violet (Note: eyes glow red when angry)
Butterfly tattoo: Upper left shoulder, wrapping around to his back
Other distinguishing marks: Demon’s skeletal face becomes visible through subject’s skin when subject is angered.
Preferred weapon: Fists
Eyes: Violet (Note: eyes glow red when angry)
Butterfly tattoo: Upper left shoulder, wrapping around to his back
Other distinguishing marks: Demon’s skeletal face becomes visible through subject’s skin when subject is angered.
Preferred weapon: Fists
Demon
culpability: The stabbing death of Pandora, and thereby the
disappearance of her box, can be traced directly to Violence. In modern
society Violence is deemed responsible for street-gang warfare, rape,
murder and terrorism.
Notable
background: Curse resulting from Pandora’s slaying caused the subject
to be killed each night and resurrected each day for centuries. Curse
has now been broken—methods unclear. Subject still erupts into fits of
violence and should be presumed volatile and highly dangerous.
Achilles heel: Recent emotional attachment to human female Ashlyn Darrow, former para-audiologist for the World Institute of Parapsychology who now resides at Budapest fortress. I cannot help but believe that if her mentor, the late Dr. Frederick McIntosh, hadn’t hidden from her the true purpose of her work at the Institute, Darrow would not have defected to the Lords’ camp. Note: Darrow is believed pregnant with subject’s child. Due date to be determined.
Objectives: Capture Ashlyn Darrow if possible, use her as bait for subject to rescue, capture subject and imprison him until such time as Pandora’s box is found. Note: Beware Darrow’s ability to stand in one place and hear every conversation that ever took place there. Utter silence will be needed for any recon or capture missions. The element of surprise is crucial.
Achilles heel: Recent emotional attachment to human female Ashlyn Darrow, former para-audiologist for the World Institute of Parapsychology who now resides at Budapest fortress. I cannot help but believe that if her mentor, the late Dr. Frederick McIntosh, hadn’t hidden from her the true purpose of her work at the Institute, Darrow would not have defected to the Lords’ camp. Note: Darrow is believed pregnant with subject’s child. Due date to be determined.
Objectives: Capture Ashlyn Darrow if possible, use her as bait for subject to rescue, capture subject and imprison him until such time as Pandora’s box is found. Note: Beware Darrow’s ability to stand in one place and hear every conversation that ever took place there. Utter silence will be needed for any recon or capture missions. The element of surprise is crucial.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
Lords of the Underworld is a Paranormal Romance series by Gena Showalter
which follows 12 warriors who carry inside them a demon. The warriors
are "good" or rather, they aren't bad, but the demon they carry inside
of them does it's best to try and do evil through them. In the past,
when the warriors were just given the demons they couldn't control them
but now most of them just want to live their lives in the peace they can
have.
In each book one of the warriors finds his HEA. Every woman has a special ability or have some special connection to the world around them.
There is a global plot continuing as each book progressed. First there are the gods. This series uses both the Greek Gods as well as the Titans but there are more supernatural being out there (like Angels who appear in the spin-off series). Second there are "The Hunters" who try to destroy the warriors, blaming them for the troubles of the world (in their eyes committed through the demons that live inside them).
The world building of this series is amazing. There is a lot to learn about the powers that keeps the world at his balance. As the series progressed we learn more and more about them and the spin off series "Angles of the Dark" gives another angle of what happens in the heavens.
NOTE - I stopped reading this series in the 11th installment. Up until this book this series was one of my favorites, but since that book was HORRIBLE I decided not to continue on. Later on there was a HUGE issue with the author with a rather strange decision in changing a promised and much anticipated coupling.
In each book one of the warriors finds his HEA. Every woman has a special ability or have some special connection to the world around them.
There is a global plot continuing as each book progressed. First there are the gods. This series uses both the Greek Gods as well as the Titans but there are more supernatural being out there (like Angels who appear in the spin-off series). Second there are "The Hunters" who try to destroy the warriors, blaming them for the troubles of the world (in their eyes committed through the demons that live inside them).
The world building of this series is amazing. There is a lot to learn about the powers that keeps the world at his balance. As the series progressed we learn more and more about them and the spin off series "Angles of the Dark" gives another angle of what happens in the heavens.
NOTE - I stopped reading this series in the 11th installment. Up until this book this series was one of my favorites, but since that book was HORRIBLE I decided not to continue on. Later on there was a HUGE issue with the author with a rather strange decision in changing a promised and much anticipated coupling.
Books:
0.5 The Darkest Fire [Geryon & Kadence] (published 1 April 2008) ★★★★
1. The Darkest Night [Maddox & Ashlyn] (published 3 May 2008) ★★★★★
2. The Darkest Kiss [Lucien & Anya] (published 1 June 2008) ★★★★★
3. The Darkest Pleasure [Reyes & Danika] (published 1 July 2008) ★★★★★
3.5 The Darkest Prison [Atlas & Nike](published 14 July 2009) ★★★★★
4. The Darkest Whisper [Sabin & Gwen] (published 1 September 2009) ★★★★½
4.5 The Darkest Angel (in Heart of Darkness) [Lysander & Bianca] (published 22 December 2009) ★★★★★
--- The Darkest Facts (published 1 May 2010) ★★★★★
5. The Darkest Passion [Aeron & Olivia] (published 21 May 2010) ★★★★
6. The Darkest Lie [Gideon & Scarlet] (published 2 July 2010) ★★★★★
7. The Darkest Secret [Amun & Haidee] (published 29 March 2011) ★★★★★
8. The Darkest Surrender [Strider & Kaia] (published 27 September 2011) ★★★
9. The Darkest Seduction [Paris & Seinna] (published 28 February 2012) ★★★★★
10. The Darkest Craving [Kane & Josephina] (published 30 July 2013) ★★★★★
11. The Darkest Touch [Torin & Keeley Cael "The Red Queen"] (published 25 November 2014) ½★ (DNF 55%)
0.5 The Darkest Fire [Geryon & Kadence] (published 1 April 2008) ★★★★
1. The Darkest Night [Maddox & Ashlyn] (published 3 May 2008) ★★★★★
2. The Darkest Kiss [Lucien & Anya] (published 1 June 2008) ★★★★★
3. The Darkest Pleasure [Reyes & Danika] (published 1 July 2008) ★★★★★
3.5 The Darkest Prison [Atlas & Nike](published 14 July 2009) ★★★★★
4. The Darkest Whisper [Sabin & Gwen] (published 1 September 2009) ★★★★½
4.5 The Darkest Angel (in Heart of Darkness) [Lysander & Bianca] (published 22 December 2009) ★★★★★
--- The Darkest Facts (published 1 May 2010) ★★★★★
5. The Darkest Passion [Aeron & Olivia] (published 21 May 2010) ★★★★
6. The Darkest Lie [Gideon & Scarlet] (published 2 July 2010) ★★★★★
7. The Darkest Secret [Amun & Haidee] (published 29 March 2011) ★★★★★
8. The Darkest Surrender [Strider & Kaia] (published 27 September 2011) ★★★
9. The Darkest Seduction [Paris & Seinna] (published 28 February 2012) ★★★★★
10. The Darkest Craving [Kane & Josephina] (published 30 July 2013) ★★★★★
11. The Darkest Touch [Torin & Keeley Cael "The Red Queen"] (published 25 November 2014) ½★ (DNF 55%)
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