'The Darkest Night' by Gena Showalter is a paranormal romance novel in the 'Lords of the Underworld' series. The story follows the main characters, Ashlyn and Maddox, as they navigate a world filled with demons, curses, and forbidden love. Ashlyn, gifted with the ability to hear all conversations in a specific location, finds herself drawn to Maddox, a cursed immortal warrior haunted by his violent past. As their paths intertwine, they must confront their inner demons and fight against external forces threatening their newfound connection. The writing style of the book combines elements of mythology, romance, and suspense to create a gripping narrative that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers/content warnings for The Darkest Night include themes of violence, mental distress, and torture due to its dark undertones related to demonic possession.
Has Romance?
The Darkest Night features a prominent romance between Maddox and Ashlyn, with intense attraction and emotional depth.
From The Publisher:
His powers-inhuman
His passion-beyond immortal...
All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member-a man trapped in a hell of his own.
Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments...and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction-and a soul-shattering test of love....
Ratings (26)
Incredible (2) | |
Loved It (8) | |
Liked It (10) | |
It Was OK (2) | |
Did Not Like (4) |
Reader Stats (59):
Read It (27) | |
Want To Read (24) | |
Not Interested (8) |
2 comment(s)
I can totally see how this book would get such a wide range of reviews. Even though the story wasn't heavy on battles, I really enjoyed it. I had a slight touch of JR Ward's BDB, only in that there are "brothers" who live together, struggling with their curses and fight against Hunters, who are trying to kill them.
I loved the idea of these immortal warriors being cursed with the demons they released from Pandora's box. I'm always on the look out for something different and this fit the bill. Add a sprinklin' of romance, tortured warrior souls and a fight to survive and help out your fellow brothers and you've got a sexy read.
The brothers, jealous of Pandora, who was chosen to guard the box (or dimOunaik), released all the evil from her box in hopes of being the saviors. Instead people and cities were destroyed. As punishment, Zeus forced all the immortal warriors to suffer a curse for their actions. Each of them now holds within themselves the spirit of one of the evils released from Pandora's box, making them the Lords of the Underworld.
Maddox is the keeper of Violence; Torin is the keeper of Disease; Lucien is the keeper of Death; Reyes is the keeper of Pain; Aeron is the keeper of Wrath; Paris is the keeper of Promiscuity; Sabin is the keeper of Doubt; Gideon is the keeper of Lies; Kane is the keeper of Disaster; Strider is the keeper of Defeat; Cameo, the only woman, is the keeper of Misery. Again, I flash to JR Ward's BDB, because each of Showalter's books in this series seems to be leading toward each of the LOTU finding their mate.
Maddox is cursed two-fold for his crime of killing Pandora. Each night at midnight, Reyes must kill Maddox, exactly as he killed Pandora, and Lucien, as Death, transports his soul to Hell to burn in the fires until morning. One night he finds Ashlyn wandering around their grounds and, for reasons he cannot explain at the time, he takes her back to their castle. She is cursed as well, she can hear every conversation that has ever taken place, no matter how much time has passed - past, present, any language and the voices have plagued her whole life. Until now ...
If you're looking for something a little different, a quick read with a splash of romance and some alpha-male sexiness, but light on all else (at least in this book of the series) you'll enjoy this book.
Hopefully they only get better from here ...
Cringe sex scenes (old school romance).
What can you read after
The Darkest Night?
About the Author:
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series and more than thirty other books. She lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Visit her at GenaShowalter.com.
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