Monday, December 19, 2016

The Darkest Torment (Lords of the Underworld, #12) by Gena Showalter ~ Review & Giveaway

Source:  Received book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with her most explosive Lords of the Underworld tale to date, about a fierce warrior on the brink of sanity who will stop at nothing to claim the exquisite human with the power to soothe the beast inside him…

Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he's back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he's unable to withstand the touch of another…and he's quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.

Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she's taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she's plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.

But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she'll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.


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I've read the first four books in this series but not the rest.  I easily picked up this one and could follow it.  It is a complex world with several subplots going on at a series level but I was able to follow.  

The Lords of the Underworld guarded Zeus.  When a women, Pandora, was given the task to guard a box above them, they became angry and stole the box.  Zeus was less than pleased and forced the Lords to each carry one of the demons from the box in their body to torment them.  Each story in the series is focused on one of the Lords but the overall series has the focus of how to be free of their demons.

This was Baden's story.  He actually lost his demon when he was beheaded.  The demon now torments another but Baden has returned from his death and purgatory with a new problem and mission.  He's now bound to the King of the Underworld and forced to do his bidding.  Inhabited by a beast that desires the death of everyone around him, Baden struggles to control himself.  He feels the need to be away from the rest of the Lords because he feels he failed them and because he's too dangerous.  But his missions lead him to Katarina and even greater problems.

What I loved about Katarina was her love of dogs.  She agreed to a horrible marriage to save her dogs.  And she has such a connection to them.  I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.  She was a little overbearing with Baden considering she was a human.  I guess that gives her spunk but she was annoying at times.  I did cheer for them as a couple.  Clearly they needed each other and it was just interesting watching how things would finally fall out.

I enjoyed this story.  The writing was well done and the story was vivid and full.  The world is interesting and dynamic where many stories can come to life.  I love the mythology that saturates this series.  I enjoy the strong friendships among the Lords.  I enjoy the women that bring those strong Lords to their knees.  It's a rich and intriguing series that I'm sure I'll return to.



                                


It's a rich and intriguing series that I'm sure I'll return to.




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Gena Showalter’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Wednesday, November 30thReading Reality
Wednesday, November 30thReader Girls
Friday, December 2ndUrban Girl Reader
Friday, December 2ndDrey’s Library – excerpt
Monday, December 5thRead Love Blog
Tuesday, December 6thBooks a la Mode – excerpt
Wednesday, December 7thFrom the TBR Pile
Wednesday, December 7thHarlie’s Books
Friday, December 9thBooks that Hook
Monday, December 12thLampshade Reader – Gena’s Top 10 Favorite Quotes from The Darkest Torment
Monday, December 12thBooks Without Any Picture
Wednesday, December 14thMom in Love with Fiction
Friday, December 16thThe Romance Dish – excerpt
Friday, December 16thA Night’s Dream of Books
Monday, December 19thStuck in Books
Wednesday, December 21stSnowdrop Dreams of Books – excerpt
Friday, December 23rdStranded in Chaos
Monday, December 26th100 Pages a Day – excerpt
Wednesday, December 28thWritten Love Reviews
Wednesday, December 28thLovely Reads


4 comments:

  1. First I have to say that this is one of my favorite series.I can't wait to read this book. Amazing looking cover.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (døt) com

    ReplyDelete
  2. First I have to say that this is one of my favorite series.I can't wait to read this book. Amazing looking cover.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (døt) com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have been meaning to start this series for the longest time! I read one of the spin offs and really enjoyed it so I have got to go back one day. Glad you enjoyed this one and great review!

    ReplyDelete