The Darkest Night
Lords of the Underworld, Book #1
By Gena Showalter
ISBN# 9780373772469
Author’s Website: http://members.genashowalter.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by hearing voices her entire life. Wherever she goes she hears conversations that have happened there for all eternity. It’s made having a normal life, let alone a normal relationship impossible. She’s now in Budapest and she’s heard (from the voices) that the men that live on the hill have special powers, some even think they’re angels. Ashlyn has now decided to go to the hill and ask for their help in controlling the voices so she can finally live a normal life!
When the Lords notice humans on their property, Maddox goes to investigate. He quickly kills the Hunters, but can’t bring himself to do the same to the female. He knows that she is probably Bait, but there is something about her that he just can’t resist. He tries to get her to leave, but she won’t. As midnight approaches he has no choice but to take her back to the fortress with him, before his nightly death strikes again.
I want to start this review out by saying that I absolutely hated the prequel to this series, The Darkest Fire. It was one of the worst stories I’ve ever read so I wasn’t going into this book with very high expectations. Luckily I found myself actually enjoying this novel!
I found the characters in this book quite engaging (and much sexier than the demon in The Darkest Fire-yuck!). The curse that was bestowed on Maddox (and in a lesser degree to Reyes and Lucien) was pretty brutal …. to be murdered every night and then to burn in hell all night until the following morning. That’s some pretty rough stuff there!
” Every night death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he’d have to die again later.”
I also found the other warriors both within the fortress and the ones they are reunited within this book to be quite interesting. I look forward to getting to know them all in the future books.
I found Ashlyn to be interesting as well. I couldn’t imagine having to listen to all the conversations that have ever happened wherever I went. I’m pretty sure it would have driven me to the loony bin long ago. I felt for her when I saw how the one person she had trusted, had really betrayed her all along. But it doesn’t change who Ashlyn is, and doesn’t stop her from making the ultimate sacrifice in the end. I was just heartbroken for Maddox that he had to watch it and was helpless to stop it.
This was a decent read, although I found it ran a bit long for me, in the end. But overall I did enjoy the book and now feel that I can continue the series and may even look forward to it!
