Review- The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter

Summary-

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes the long-awaited story of Torin, the most dangerous Lord of the Underworld yet…

Fierce immortal warrior. Host to the demon of Disease. Torin’s every touch causes sickness and death—and a worldwide plague. Carnal pleasure is utterly forbidden, and though he has always overcome temptation with an iron will, his control is about to shatter.

She is Keeley Cael. The Red Queen. When the powerful beauty with shocking vulnerabilities escapes from a centuries-long imprisonment, the desire that simmers between her and Torin is scorching. His touch could mean the end for her, but resisting her is the hardest battle he’s ever fought—and the only battle he fears he can’t win. 

Review-

I was a huge fan of the Lords of the Underworld series but things seem to be deteriorating for me since the past few books. I had high hopes for The Darkest Touch as Torin was one of my favorite Lords since the beginning of the series and I was waiting for his book since a long time. But sadly, The Darkest Touch did not meet my expectations. 

Torin is the keeper of Disease. His touch can kill. Literally. I had really enjoyed Torin in all the previous books but I could't get myself to like him in this one. I don't know where the witty guy with a sense of humor went but in his place was a guy who kept changing his mind. I couldn't understand his attraction to Keeley and things were not well managed about Mari's death.

Then we have Keeley. She is the Red Queen and the most feared and lethal being. I just did not like Keeley. I could see that she tried being like Anya but Anya had a certain charm and vulnerability about her. Keeley gave me no real reason to like her. I also didn't think she fit well with the other Lords and their better halves.

Also, this is the first time it has happened for me but I wasn't fully convinced of the chemistry between Torin and Keeley. The intimate scenes seemed kinda forced and it looked like Gena Showalter tried too hard. Overall, Torin and Keeley did not work for me.

What actually worked for me were the sub plots. Things between Lazarus and Cameo have gotten really interesting. I also loved seeing the progress between William and Gilly. Things with Galen are also moving ahead. I liked seeing all the other Lords as well but was just not satisfied with the main couple. The Darkest Touch was an okay read.

Review- The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter

Summary-

Bound by the spirit of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure...

Reyes is at the mercy of a demon who demands suffering - a creature who once forced him to lay waste to the world. He has learned to satisfy it with his own pain, and now any joy in life has become impossible. His curse is even more intolerable when mortal woman Danika Ford enters his life.

Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, the warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. Her dreams may be haunted by Reyes, but her only choice is to kill him before he kills her.

Lords of the Underworld Series:
The Darkest Night
The Darkest Kiss

Review-

The Darkest Pleasure is the third book in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. The series continues with all the Lords living in their Budapest Fortress trying to find all the artifacts to destroy Pandora's Box while protecting themselves and their demons from Hunters who are intent on killing them.

Reyes is the Keeper of Pain. He needs to hurt himself or others to sate his demon and feel any kind of pleasure whatsoever. He has had really bad experiences in the past with women because of his demon and so he always wants to keep love at bay. He fears he will taint Danika with his demon and so he tries to stay away from her.

Danika was introduced to us in the first book when Cronus had ordered Aeron to kill her and her family. Danika and her family were kidnapped by the Lords to find a solution to their situation. Since then they've escaped them and Danika is constantly on the run trying to stay away from the Lords for good. She hates how her world has been turned upside down because of Reyes and the other Lords.

We could see the sparks flying between Reyes and Danika since The Darkest Night and I was eager to know their story. Reyes was the first Lord who caught my eye with his tortured soul. He is super sweet and super sexy to Danika. Each of them has a lot of things going on in their lives but they can't help being drawn towards each other.

A lot of other things happen as well. We see Aeron dealing with his compulsion to kill Danika's family and Paris's story is just heart breaking. We get glimpses inside Sabin's head and all the Lords, the single ones and the ones with their better halves are seen as well. There were a lot of surprises, some I didn't see coming. The best thing about this series is that there are so many things happening yet it all flows so smoothly. I am addicted to the Lords and The Darkest Pleasure was a great addition to the series.

 X 5

                                                      Janhvi

Review- The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter

Summary-

Doomed to escort the souls of the innocent - and the wicked - to their final resting place...

Lucien walks alone, even among the other Lords of the Underworld. His curse allows him little time or inclination for pleasure. Then Anya arrives.

Anya is the goddess of anarchy and chaos, and she delights in wreaking havoc on Lucien's ordered life. But her playfulness hides a dark secret. She may be drawn to the Keeper of Death, but she isn't going to let him get too close.

When Lucien is ordered by the gods to kill Anya, their flirtation becomes a battle - one that can only end when Lucien takes her soul...

Lords of the Underworld Series:
The Darkest Night

Review-

The Darkest Kiss is the second book in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. It continues on from where The Darkest Night left off. Where The Darkest Night seemed a little slow, The Darkest Kiss is filled with adventure. The plots, sub-plots and characters are further developed which made the story an all the more richer experience.

Lucien is the Keeper of Death. He came off as the strong and silent type in The Darkest Night. I was intrigued to know more about his past and scars since then. As the story unraveled I found my self caring more and more for Lucien. He has had a tortured life and so he never wants to fall in love. He seems all calm and collected but inside he has his insecurities.

Anya, is the Goddess of Anarchy and Chaos. She is a total spitfire. She was a fun heroine. Anya can't help being attracted to Lucien. She is the one who makes all the moves on him. Every time Anya called Lucien Lucy or Flowers or some such equally horrid and ridiculous nick name it made me laugh out loud. Being the daughter of Goddess of Lawlessness she had a sad and interesting past with a curse which I loved getting to know about.

Lucien and Anya were complete opposites but they had really hot chemistry. The sexual tension was flying off the pages. Anya helped Lucien get over his insecurities and Lucien saw beneath Anya's carefree exterior. As the story progressed you could see how perfect they were for each other.

We get to meet William in this book and all the other Lords make an appearance too. The Lords are searching for artifacts which will help them destroy Pandora's Box and contain their demons within themselves forever. Each of the subplot gave us a little tidbit about some of the other Lords which makes you crave for their book.

Gena Showalter is a brilliant writer whom I can't praise enough. Her writing is beautiful. The Lords of the Underworld series is an interesting and unique concept which keeps you engaged. She makes you love the characters with all their flaws. You'll always have a good time while reading the Lords.

 X 5

                                                     Janhvi

Review- The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

Summary-

Every night for thousands of years, he has been murdered and sent to the fires of hell...

Cursed by the gods, bound to a rage-filled spirit he can barely control, Maddox has all but forgotten his humanity - until Ashlyn Darrow comes to his prison in Budapest seeking help. Maddox finds his anger is soothed by her presence. But he can't help question why a beautiful innocent has come looking for the Lords of the Underworld.

Ashlyn is tortured by voices from the past - and her knowledge might be enough to free Maddox from his death-curse. When an extreme sacrifice is demanded, will Maddox's superhuman strength be enough to save them both ?


Review-

The Darkest Night is the first book in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. The Lords of the Underworld are Immortal Warriors who were banished from the heavens for opening Pandora's Box. Now each Lord has to carry a demon within himself to contain it and save the world from being devastated. The Lords have since fought through the torment of carrying the demons for thousands of years living on earth.

The Darkest Night is the story of Maddox, Keeper of Violence who is cursed by the Gods to die every night and spend it in hell. His life is filled with nights of torture and pain until he meets Ashlyn Darrow. Ashlyn is the only one who can somehow get through to Maddox and calm his demon. With her Maddox finds peace.

Maddox and Ashlyn are such completely different characters with her being so sweet and innocent and him being the Keeper of Violence that you wonder how they'll ever get along. But it was amazing to see how each of them balanced each other out in situations. Their chemistry was scorching. It was great to see a Lord being brought down to his knees by a mere mortal. Maddox is protective of Ashlyn and their dialogues always keep you entertained.

We get to meet all the other Lords from the Budapest Contingency and the Greek Contingency as well in this book. Due to meeting so many new characters the book may seem a little slow in some parts but you will definitely not regret reading this series, as it just keeps on getting better. All the Lords have their unique personalities and the banter between them is fantastic.

The Darkest Night has it all- romance, drama, action, humor. Gena Showalter has an easy style of writing which keeps you flipping through the pages. There were many moments which had me grinning and blushing while reading the book. If you're tired of the same Vampire-Werewolf romances this is a definite must read series. The Greek mythology keeps you occupied and simply, the book is fun. Go read it people because if you still haven't picked this up you're missing out!


                            X 5

                 Janhvi