The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, Book 3)
by Gena Showalter
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Book Summary Information
Author: Gena ShowalterEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-07-01
ISBN: 0373773102
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: HQN Books
Book Reviews of The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, Book 3)
Book Review: Me you and that sweet little demon too
Summary: 5 Stars
The series continues and this The Darkest Pleasure is genuinely my favourite book so far in The Lords of the Underworld series, it's more interesting, intense, moving and it proves that the series isn't losing steam. There's potential for real longevity here, the author has mentioned she wants to write a book for each of the Lords...
Reyes is the Keeper of Pain, thousands of years ago when the Lords couldn't control their demons and there was mayhem and death he inflicted pain to hundreds of people until he chose self confinement in an attempt to temper the compulsions of his whining demon. He learnt that by cutting himself he didn't need to hurt others...and so he went through existence not really living, any relationship he tried to form ended with the women becoming addicted to his demon and craving pain. It's a time of turmoil for the Lords, the gods don't know what to do with them, Hunters seek to destroy them and both want the artefacts they need to find Pandora's Box and finally be free of the threat it processes. But for Reyes his very hope of finding peace is threatened, his friend Aeron is processed by bloodlust and must by order of the gods destroy the women who he feels is his. His thoughts are consumed with Danika but knows to have her would place her in more danger, betray his friends and possibly corrupt her but when she is kidnapped by Hunters he has to make sure the women that has plagued him for so long is safe...
Danika is merely a struggling artist but a few months ago when on holiday with her family mourning her grandfathers death everything changed, she, her sister, her mother and her grandmother were kidnapped by towering and fearsome warriors...they escaped captivity and split, Danika has been on the run ever since, learning to fight and trying to keep one Lord named Reyes from her dreams as surely as she tries to keep Aeron from her nightmares. She has no idea why they're after her but other mysteries also plague her...she's always dreamed of heaven and hell but they're getting more confusing and why does she always feel so cold? When she is kidnapped by Hunters she will be faced with a choice...help these men who seem to want to make the world good and pure or the warrior processed by a demon who she feels an unwanted connection with...
Reyes and Danika's plight has been present from the very fist book but as Reyes says he has only been near her a couple of times talked to her even less, all the emotional developments are therefore left for this book. Their story is rife with complications - death threats, power hungry gods, demon hordes, vindictive Hunters, unsympathetic friends, corruptible demon compulsions - and misunderstandings - kidnappings, betrayals, false alliances, desire - some of which has been there from the first others planted in the volume.
Reyes has been presented as a very hard, quite mean character in the past books so getting into his mind was interesting and he's become my favourite Lord so far, as for Danika considering that for the majority of the book she is incredibly indecisive I really liked her whereas I would have been irritated with a more poorly constructed character.
Although this is very much about two people who have felt connected from the first moment and are on a journey to find out what they really mean to each other, the messages that have been present from the beginning of this series are still there about atonement, finding peace from love and bringing two halves of a soul together.
The leader of the Hunters is finally revealed as well as Danika's importance but here is a warning don't look at the index in the back or both revelations are painfully - ha ha - obvious. We also learn a bit more of the gods and their plans, Cronus is a bit baffling but entertaining. As for the other Lords a couple more seeds are sown for Torin and Cameo and Aeron and Legion (this one is going to be very interesting) and we get more of Paris's story, it feels as if he's already had a book from the tantalising bits we've had of him. I find myself gushing, this is because 'The Darkest Pleasure' is obsessively good and that goes for the series as a whole, there's a wait for Sabin's story, 'The Darkest Whisper' which comes out September 2009 and I believe the next is ebtitled 'The Darkest Passion' and is Aeron's book. Although Showalter has shown a predilection for introducing the heroines well in advance, we're left in the dark as to Doubt's story, it would have been nice to get a few titbits but then again I proberly would have been more obsessed.
Although there are a few holes in the mythological aspects that had me distracted with stupid questions, in particular the heavenly scenes and I also thought that Reyes story was an opportunity for Showalter do write something a bit more risky, I mean this is a man who needs pain for pleasure but we only really have one scene that confronts the issue in a way that isn't Danika saying "um...should I...you know...". But these are trivial things all in all I loved it and you don't want to miss it if you like complicated emotional stories, bloody action, thrilling adventure and decent twists.
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