Really not that good at all. The heroine is annoying, the hero is obnoxious and cromagnum, and the action was ridiculous. What really turned my off was the amount of violence and terrorism against women there is in this book. the reader is supposed to believe that intense horniness is supposed to over ride domestic violence. Cause that's what you call threatening women with their lives, kidnapping, and the threat of rape and torture if you don't do what your captors say. I was very turned off by this story. And I found the whole premise of the heroes personification of sins a little ridiculous. If you long for the old days of gothic stories were the unwiling virgin is ransacked for her goodies by a taciturn and violent man then you might like this. otherwise don't waste your money.

If you're a big fan of J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood and also Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, you'll be greatly disappointed with this series as it's definitely not of the same calibre.

Which is a shame, because the premise is a great one but the book's overall content was sorely lacking. The main 'couple' spend the majority of the book snuggling in bed, and no, there isn't any sex involved (which might have kept it interesting). In fact, I don't think they even share their first kiss until more than half way through the book.

So it's pretty much slow slow slow, then all of a sudden in the last few pages there's scene change after scene change as the ending is rushed and wrapped up as if she suddenly remembered she was supposed to be telling a story.

The author also has an annoying way of noting who said what by simply having a spoken sentence then just sticking the name of the character who said it after the sentence, i.e.

"I can't see the spirit anymore." Aeron. Confused.

"Hey, we didn't even have to chain him." Paris.

"This is a first." Torin. Still laughing.

WTF? I thought I was reading a novel, not a play. It smacks of lazy or just ridiculousness to me.

Also, during the love scenes we do witness, the characters are reduced to caveman-esque verbiage that only managed to pucker my brow and incite eye-rolls.

They are my personal pet peeves with this book however and I therefore really can't in good conscious recommend this book. It's not a keeper and I won't be bothering with the rest of the series until I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel for things to read.

Maddox is Violence. Thousands of years ago he was an immortal warrior in the service of Mt. Olympus's Greek Gods. Then he had the idea to encourage his fellow guards to join him in opening Pandora's box out of jealousy that a woman was given it to guard. With no other cell to hold the demons they were forced into the warriors bodies, Maddox being possessed by Violence. Overcome by the demon and not aware of his actions he killed Pandora with six strokes of his sword to her stomach. The Gods further cursed him to relive her pain each midnight by Having Pain inflict the same wounds to him before he dies and Death escorts him to Hell where his flesh burns all night until he resuscitates each morning.

Ashlyn has been bombarded by voices her whole live. She has the blessing and curse of being able to hear any words ever said at a location regardless of how many centuries have passed or the language spoken in. Sent by the institute she listens for to Budapest she hears of the Lords of the Underworld who live in the towering castle above the city. A modern girl she charges to them for help in learning to control her power- only to find herself taken prisoner.

A push me pull you battle of wills commences between the couple much to the confusion of the other Lords. They'll all have to decide what in life is really important to them. Acceptance is the key.An emotional powerhouse, I found myself weeping for Disease, Violence, Pain, Wrath and the love story shared with us. A great book based on a great idea!

In a remote fortress in Budapest, six immortal warriors are bound by an ancient curse none has been able to break. This curse was brought on upon them by the gods in consequence from unleashing the demons from Pandora's Box. Each warrior houses a demon. Maddox has Violence, Lucien is Death, Reyes is Pain, Torin is Disease, Paris is Promiscuity, and Aeron is Wrath. The Darkest Night is about Maddox, on top of housing his demon; the gods placed another curse on him for killing Pandora. Maddox dies every night at midnight the same way he killed Pandora- six stabs in the stomach with his sword. Reyes is the one who has to deliver the blows and Lucien takes Maddox to Hell.

Ashlyn Darrow hears voices; they swarm inside her head never giving her a moment's peace, until she is in Maddox's presence. She has lived a life with no love, parents, or touching. Ashlyn was abandoned at a Paranormal Institute by her parents who couldn't take her ability. Ashlyn has no idea who she works for and what they truly do, she is somewhat delusional. Her life changes drastically when Maddox takes her back to the fortress, there she is met with open hostility from the warriors.

Hunters are after the warriors thinking they are controlled by their demons with no trace of man. The hunters are looking for Pandora's Box to suck the demons out of the warriors. Danger follows at the warriors heels while Ashlyn and Maddox fall in love.

This is the first Gena Showalter book I have read and I loved it! What a story and so unlike Feehan's Carpathian novels or Moning's and Wolff's highlander series. It was a nice change; I cannot wait for The Darkest Kiss to come in the mail. Gena Showalter produced this trilogy pretty fast. What I wonder though is, since there are 6 warriors why are there only three books? Why not makes a book for each warrior? Maddox, Lucien, and Reyes have their own books, but what about Torin, Paris, and Aeron? There is an e-book by Gena Showalter called the Darkest Fire; I've heard it's a prequel to the trilogy, but that's all I know.

I highly recommend this book; it has the right amount of action, romance, and suspense.

In a remote fortress in Budapest, six immortal warriors are bound by an ancient curse none has been able to break. This curse was brought on upon them by the gods in consequence from unleashing the demons from Pandora's Box. Each warrior houses a demon. Maddox has Violence, Lucien is Death, Reyes is Pain, Torin is Disease, and Aeron is Wrath. The Darkest Night is about Maddox, on top of housing his demon; the gods placed another curse on him for killing Pandora. Maddox dies every night at midnight the same way he killed Pandora- six stabs in the stomach with his sword. Reyes is the one who has to deliver the blows and Lucien takes Maddox to Hell.

Ashlyn Darrow hears voices; they swarm inside her head never giving her a moment's peace, until she is in Maddox's presence. She has lived a life with no love, parents, or touching. Ashlyn was abandoned at a Paranormal Institute by her parents who couldn't take her ability. Ashlyn has no idea who she works for and what they truly do, she is somewhat delusional. Her life changes drastically when Maddox takes her back to the fortress, there she is met with open hostility from the warriors.

Hunters are after the warriors thinking they are controlled by their demons with no trace of man. The hunters are looking for Pandora's Box to suck the demons out of the warriors. Danger follows at the warriors heels while Ashlyn and Maddox fall in love.

This is the first Gena Showalter book I have read and I loved it! What a story and so unlike Feehan's Carpathian novels or Moning's and Wolff's highlander series. It was a nice change; I cannot wait for The Darkest Kiss to come in the mail. Gena Showalter produced this trilogy pretty fast. What I wonder though is, since there are 6 warriors why are there only three books? Why not makes a book for each warrior? Maddox, Lucien, and Reyes have their own books, but what about Torin and Aeron? There is an e-book by Gena Showalter called the Darkest Fire; I've heard it's a prequel to the trilogy, but that's all I know.

I highly recommend this book; it has the right amount of action, romance, and suspense.

This book is not what I thought. It has very foul launguage and explicit scenes that i dont like to read. Be warned if your looking for a nice story that is clean, this book is not for you! I sent it back.

HOLY MOLY!!! This is a fantastic series. I read all 3 with in 5 days. This series keeps you nose in it til you done, then it makes you want to read the next. The story behind the series is well thought out. This is my first time reading Paranormal romance and I hope I can find ones just as good as these.

The premise of this book is fantastic--warriors for the Greek gods betray their masters and open Pandora's box to release the demons inside because they are angry that they were not chosen to protect it. As punishment, they become the living boxes, one for each demon that was released. We go from there to a bunch of fraternity boys living in a monstrous fortress in the hills above Budapest, each one getting on with a demon inside. There are five of them and each one's story will eventually be published, in all its painful detail, as this book set the pattern for the two that followed. Oh, wait! The sudden arrival of five more immortal warriors with internal demons in the middle of the book (who show up because they miss their buddies!) means there will be at least ten books.

This book focuses on Maddox, who in inhabited by the demon of Violence. He spends his days doing boy stuff (working out, watching porn, reading romance novels (???!!!!???), and his evenings being murdered by his friends & then spending the night being tortured in hell. OK, whatever. He meets this totally wimpy, dipstick who hears voices because of her paranormal abilities and takes her home for some unearthly reason. They spend the next couple of days getting to know each other, at which point they decide they're totally in love and have lots of hot, overly descriptive sex. The wimpy dipstick (from hereforth known as Wimpstick) has a wonderful time alternating between hot sex, throwing up, getting locked in a room with some other female captives, and ends the tension with trying to discover a way to free Maddox from his curse of dying every night. Wimpstick is helped in her attempts by a silly, immature and sexually adventurous supernatural female named Anya (yeah, I assumed Siri had jumped series and left Acheron, but I was wrong).

The writing in this book is just so dull! The story drags on for a long, long time until anything happens. The demon-inhabited immortal warriors spend lots of time bonding & fighting bad guys (at least there are no drum circles). Wimpstick is absolutely unbelievable as a mate for Maddox and I could discern no reason that the two of them were suddenly attracted (we also learn she couldn't read until a year before they met, which adds absolutely NOTHING to the story line other than when they share giggles over the fact that they both read romance novels. The ending is pat and very predictable. I cannot recommend this book to anyone and for some reason, continued on & read the next two in the series, hoping they would get better. They didn't.

I won't rehash the plot - as it's already been done.

I liked this book a lot. The chemistry between Ashlyn and Maddox was there right from the beginning. He was dark, tortured and super sexy. She had a bit of a dark past herself and they were a good match. Their story, while complete, could have had a little bit more to it. It seemed like most of this book was setting the stage for subsequent installments of the series.

My only problem with this book was trying to keep all the Lords straight. I had to go back a few times to see who was who - and when the second set come to town, forget it!

I look forward to reading the next 2 books.

This book could have been good if I didn't read the Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward first. The two series are turning out to be very very similar, and to me JR Ward did something that Gena Showalter cannot and that is make her readers fall in love with her characters.

I just could not sympathise with Maddox or Ashlyn. They annoyed me. And I couldn't follow their romance, it just seemed to happen without any real explanation and I didn't believe the chemistry between them.

Yes, I will read the next in the series to see how things develop. But I wasn't impressed with this novel.

When others were comparing this series to J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, I was a little scared because those books were cheesetastic and terrible. I decided to give this first one a try and liked it enough to read the other two in the series. Sure, a little cheesey, but in a good way. I'd recommended them for a fun/sexy read.

I read quite a few paranormal romance series and needed a new author. This series kept popping up as a recommended series based on my previous purchases at Amazon. The covers were cool and so I went to the author's home page to check her out - and liked what she had to say about writing the books. So I ordered all three books.

If you like to read paranormal romance that borders on a little "unrealistic" or say a little less urban fantasy and more pure paranormal fantasy -- then this series may be for you. I myself waited several months before finally buying this series because I knew that I probably wasn't going to go for the whole premise of a group of warriors having to live with demons inside of themselves because they opened pandora's box. And I didn't.

I never really felt invested in the romance between the two characters in The Darkest Night because I just had a hard time swallowing how the whole plot played out. Or maybe there just wasn't enough development of the characters and their romance -- because of the tons of other characters in the book. I'm not sure.

Now while I did finish this book and found some parts enjoyable - the reason why I wouldn't recommend the overall purchase of it as part of a series is because I simply could not get past chapter one in the second book in the series - The Darkest Kiss.

Bottom line is that if you are a JR Ward fan or of other author's with a similar urban fantasy/romance style. Then you may not go for this series.

This is a paranormal romance focusing on the immortal warriors of the gods who felt slighted when the gods chose Pandora to guard the box of evil instead of one of the other warriors. Thinking to prove Pandora an incompetent woman the warriors opened the box and let the demons loose on the world. The gods punished the warriors by making each of them bear one of the demons set loose from the box. I thought that it was an interesting (and feminist) prospective to the old Pandora's box story.

The first novel follows Maddox who bears the demon Violence. Maddox carries a second curse in addition to Violence. Since he slaughtered Pandora in his first demon rage the gods cursed him to die every night at midnight in the same way that he killed her.

The other main character is a woman named Ashlyn who has heard voices for all of her life. She can hear all of the conversations that have taken place where she is from all through time. This makes her a valuable asset to the people who employ her skills seeking out the paranormal who would normally prefer to remain hidden. It is on a trip to Budapest that Ashlyn learns about the angels/demons on the hill with extraordinary powers. She intends to visit them in the hopes that one of them is able to quiet the voices that she hears constantly.

The warriors that house the demons have been living (so to speak) in Budapest for quite a long time and have become benefactors of a sort to the people. The castle on the hill houses not only Violence (Maddox) but also Death (Lucien), Wrath (Aeron), Pain (Reyes), Disease (Torin) and Promiscuity (Paris). When Ashlyn comes up on the house on the hill only Torin and Maddox are home and Torin will not touch another living creature for fear of the plague that he could spread. So Maddox goes to frighten her off while fighting off his own violent rage since the hour is so close to his death time. He sees she is being followed by four men (hunters) and slaughters them before pouncing on Ashlyn thinking that someone has sent Bait to lure him out of the safety of the castle to kill him. Ashlyn proves to be different from what he expected; she is not scared of him and even seems to cling to him. For whatever reason when Ashlyn is near Maddox the voices go away and she is so grateful that they abated that she won't leave his presence. Of course since he harbors the spirit of Violence this provides some rocky tangle-points but eventually both Maddox and the demon want her and form a truce of sorts to protect her.

While reading this book I was very much okay with the plot line -- it was an interesting plot after all. But in retrospect I just can't see how plausible it is for anyone to remain with Violence or with Violence wanting to protect someone. I also felt an enormous amount of pity for Torin (Disease) because I can't think of a way the author could give him a happily ever after. I also found it amusing that the voices of the past stopped because they were, what scared? of the demon of Violence. As far as I can tell from this first book there are 12 demons within warriors total and only three books. I'm a little sad that not all of them are going to be getting a human romance to counterbalance the inner demon. It was also not addressed how the warriors were going to live once their human counterparts got old and died. It was sort of a depressing realization.

I did order the next book and I'm hoping that at least answers some of those questions...

I liked the concept of this book, it's different from what I normally run across. Once I finished it I immediately went out to find the next book. This series is my new addiction....

Spellbinding. A must read. Keeps your interest from the first page. Also read the other books in the series. Gena Showalter has outdone herself again.

I have enjoyed this author in the past and for some reason am always drawn to paranormal romance so I was very excited about this seris. However I really didn't like this book at all. The characters had no depth or believability to me. I didn't really care about them at all. I did think it was an interesting slant with the whole demon thing but its the interaction between the people that means the most to me. I felt like it jumped around so much trying to lead into a sequel that it just kinda fell flat for me. OH well.

I was hooked and engaged by the premise, fast-paced writing, plot, characters, and their angst. I'd tried an earlier book by Gena S and it wasn't for me, but something told me I might like something else by her. And I'm glad I tried her again because I love this series so far. The covers are really cool too. Thanks, Gena!

This is an entertaining book with an intriguing premise slightly reminiscent of the BDB, which I have forsworn due to Lover Enshrined. But that's another review. If you're looking for a replacement series, as I am, the Lords of the Underworld look promising.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for a happy ending. I believe this one could have used a little more work, though.

I thought it just a little weird how Maddox became so attached and protective of Ashlyn when they just met. It was weird how the connection kind of just slammed together, and I thought that the only reason Ashlyn was attached to Maddox, at the beginning, was because he `quieted' the voices that continuously ran through her mind. But they grew closer a lot faster than I've read in a novel before, and it left me slightly uncomfortable.

Despite her gift/curse, I thought Ashlyn a very strong and self-reliant person. She did what she though was necessary, for Maddox. She didn't get it at first, and I could understand the horror of it all if I'd be in her shoes, but I'm glad it was finally explained to her. I can't imagine what someone would go through, knowing how she grew up, to watch them 'attack' at Maddox every night.

And Maddox ... wow! Even for a warrior, cursed with housing the demon of Violence, to him, everyday blended together until is just is what it is. Ashlyn broke him out of that shell right at the beginning, and it was a little weird watching how it all came together.

What I liked... how the book was more of an internal war - Maddox battling his demon, Violence, and not wanting it to affect Ashlyn. But the demon grew attached to Ashlyn just as fast as Maddox did, and now both would do anything to protect Ashlyn. Ashlyn soothes his demon just as much as Maddox being around calms the voices she constantly hears.

Earlier, when I became interested in the books, I looked up some of the reviews, and wondered why some where comparing this series to Ward's `Brotherhood' series or Kenyon's `Dark Hunter' series. After reading the first novel, I thought this unfair. Showalter created a world completely different, basing most of the entire series on Greek mythology. While some things are reminders of other series, ie: gods, powers, etc..., I thought Showalter did an excellent job in creating her own world for her characters. I look forward to all of the novels in the series.

Four and a half stars really!!

First let me address some of the kill-joy reviews here - I have not read J.R. Ward's books - which am sure are fabulous. That being said - comparing this book to others that are similar in style - is doing this series a tremendous disservice to the readers reading reviews on this book and others to come. As an example - how many times has the subject of "blood-mate - soul mate - mate" made popular by Feehan been expounded on - yet there are some authors that have successfully injected this similar theme and created a great paranormal series/story? I don't have to name all the series - I am sure you will know what I am talking about.

I applaud Ms. Showalter for her originality and bravado for creating this series. Paranormal stories/series are getting harder to write, invent and deliver - since a lot of authors are now delving into the romance/paranormal world and fresh ideas are getting scarce. Hence fans are getting more critical over the stories.

A lot of reviewers have done an excellent job at giving the synopsis and complexity of the storyline - so I will skip that part.

I really enjoyed this book - it was a "dark" paranormal and Showalter has created a plausible, mysterious and haunting setting with Lord of the Underworld series. What a remarkable and fabulous job she's done at depicting immortal warriors that have been condemned by the Greek gods of mythology to exist with the demons that were released from Pandora's box. Each warrior is forced to house within themselves the demons of Death, Doubt, Disease, Violence, Disaster, Pain, Wrath, Promiscuity, Misery, etc. Residing in a remote castle in Budapest, each stoically fight their inner demons for centuries as well as desperately trying to keep these miseries from the human population.

Maddox and Ashlyn make a wonderful pair. After centuries of loneliness and Violence plus having a second curse to add to -diying every night at midnight - its small wonder that Maddox falls in love with Ashlyn - her pureness, staunch belief in him and her kindness is his undoing! How cant he help falling in love with a human girl that shows her bravado at trying to "protect" him from his friends because she cares about jhim! Both characters were wonderful together - creating hot chemistry! The story was well told I was intrigued wanting to read and find out how Ashlyn would break Maddox from his curse midnight curse!

I can't wait to read about Torin - Keeper of Disease - and who is going to be brave enough to touch him! Or Kane - where Disaster follows his wake!!! Oh, lets not forget sexy Paris - with his Promiscuity problem!!

I for one am glad at any unanswered questions - as one reviewer quite eloquently puts it - that's what sequels are for!

This was my first Lord of the Underworld book and my favorite so far. Gena Showalter created a compelling world and a riveting character in Maddox, the host of the demon Violence. The book takes off running right from the start and doesn't stop and it's filled with, well, violence.

Maddox and Ashlyn are my favorite in the series and the sacrifice that Ashlyn makes for him is just, wow. She was willing to give him everything just so he could have an easier existence and that his friends could leave the house and travel.

A lot of people say Lords of the Underworld is a rip off of such and such but I don't think so. No book is completely original nor do I think it too much a leap of faith to imagine a group of men with preternatural powers living together without being classed a BDB ripoff.

*If your still not convinced on whether or not to pick this series up Gena Showalter has a website with several chapters to read from on each book. It's a great way to see if you will like them.*

Anytime an author can create a new family of characters and make you care about them in the first chapter you know you have a fun read ahead. This book qualifies and makes you want to read the rest of the series as soon as you turn the last page!

I am so excited. I now have something to look forward to, which after my "falling out of love with JR Ward and the BDB" ....I've needed.

Showalter is introducing a "new" world that is inhabited by immortal warriors who let loose some demons from Pandora's box, ticked off the gods, and ended up with demons "living" inside their bodies as punishment. These are a group of "tight knit" warrior/friends who each has his own demon to fight. Death, Pain, Wrath, Promiscuity, Violence, Doubt, Lies are just a few of the demons that have each taken up residence in a warriors body.

Maddox is the warrior who "houses" the demon Violence.

Maddox is a wonderful hero....strong, tortured, protective, and deeply in love with Ashlyn. Although this book is very different that the BDB by JR Ward, it has some of the same themes....burdoned warriors with intense feelings towards the women who are meant for them, and strong male bonds with their "brothers".

I was hooked on this book from the beginning. The only negative is that I can already see it now. There are enough warriors to write about to keep this series going on for a lifetime. I don't have great luck with authors who do that....they tend to loose steam....ex. Ward's BDB (sorry I can't move on past this)! This one is definitely worth the read and there are MANY warriors that I am interested in hearing more from. I hope that Showalter has a plan in mind for them, and not just one to "sell more books!" They each deserve stories as quality as Maddox and Ashlyn's.

A brotherhood of six Greek warriors, occupy a virtually impenetrable Budapest fortress. Each has been inflicted with a curse for messing with that darn Pandora's Box: Maddox the keeper of Violence, Lucien of Death, Reyes of Pain, Aeron of Wrath and Paris of Promiscuity. However, it is Maddox (and this is HIS book), who fares the worst by inciting Zeus over the death of Pandora. He's given a second curse. He must die every single day for punishment, not to mention, Zeus' amusement.

Actually, this was a very unique premise and something that sets this PNR apart from others with the typical vamp's, were's and demons. It plays well off the Greek Mythology of Pandora, who was supposedly the first woman on earth, ordered in creation by Zeus. When Pandora's Box was opened it spread evil all over the world---hate, anger, sickness, poverty, etc. So, it was quite interesting to see Showalter give a new interpretation to the age old myth, ascribing the evils to each of these men. It helps understand why Zeus was so ticked, too---to see his creation destroyed. Although, he sure was wicked, to give Pandora that Box, while giving her curiosity, at the same time. Sneaky! Back to Maddox. He really messed up and he's been a tad angry about it ever since, then to add the curse of violence on top of it all. Well, it left him the most dangerous of the clan.

The daily grind of the warriors appears fairly repetitive. They must each deal with their individual curses. They also search the perimeters of the property for any intruders and have no hesitation to kill anyone encroaching on their territory. They seldom have these issues, as locals give them lots of breathing room. The townsfolk share legends about them, some believing they are Demons, while others believe they are Angels. But, all are fairly sure they possess supernatural powers. Only the bravest will try to decide if they are good, or evil.

In steps Ashlyn! A very naive, virginal, young lady with lots of personal baggage and voices in her head. She's been involved with a team of paranormal researchers for quite some time and developed keen interest in the fortress inhabitants. She sets out on a personal quest few would dare, let alone a woman alone, to see if their supernatural powers may help her conquer her own demons---the voices. I couldn't help the little intrusive thought---try Haldol.

This is where the problems start for me, which is why I took stars off of what could have potentially been a solid 5 star read, with just a little more development. Ashlyn came across as a fairly wimpy character...not one who would have the bones to stand up to such a risky, potentially lethal adventure.

When she and Maddox have their first encounter, she isn't as horrified as one might expect. Equally, Maddox's first assessment of Ashlyn had me shaking my head wondering how a romance could develop between these main protagonists, as he came across as primitive and rather cavemanish. Then we suddenly start to witness Maddox's sensitive side---way too sensitive to appreciate, considering the circumstances. He became somewhat of a wimp, too, so they were matched in wimpiness, at least.

Overall, the chemistry between these characters was lacking, seemingly contrived and pushed too fast. There was no WOW moment, for me, when reading about them. I didn't even find myself upset with one of the most gut-wrenching scenes toward the end of the book. I also would have liked to see more of a relationship between the men. Their stories came across as almost separate and did not play off each other well. Devotion to one another was lacking for the most part. A basically insensitive lot, with no enduring qualities. However, I'm still impressed with the creativeness of the series and do plan to read the next two, because it did provide a number of hours of good entertainment. I don't feel most that love PNR will be disappointed. But, I do hope the next book shows positive growth.

I've read two of her other books and was very disappointed. I avoided this book when it first came out. Then people started comparing it to J.R. Ward and I refused to buy it because I'm angry with her books (see my reviews for that particular rant). I finally decided to take the plunge when I saw comments comparing it to Nalini Singh. My advice - don't miss this one. It was really pretty exiciting and set up a new world in an interesting manner. The humor was spot on and the characters were interesting. Don't miss this one. It was good enough to make me buy the other two. I hope they hold up

Thankfully I didn't read anything negative about this book until after I finished the book. It might have ended at the bottom of my mounting to-be-read pile. When that happens, I usually lose interest.

I am not sure why I decided to read this book. Guess I was in the mood for something paranormal that wasn't vampires and demons sounded pretty good. For me, the book was very different and would have ended up with a five star/check rating if not for the middle part where it became awkward, which had me doubting the believability of certain parts.

Even so, I was reading a few other books at the time. After about fifty pages in, all other reading ceased so that I could focus on this one book. That says a lot right there. I look forward to book two in this series, which is THE DARKEST KISS.

If you enjoy dark paranormal romance - I do, then you should enjoy this series.

The plot itself blew me away with its originality. The overall story of the Lords of the Underworld and their curses is one of the best I've read yet. I was extremely satisfied with Maddox's story and can't wait to see how the rest of the series plays out. I highly recommend The Darkest Night for anyone looking for a breath of fresh air in the Paranormal Romance genre.

I had several really major problems with THE DARKEST NIGHT.

There is a pretty substantial facade of supernatural violence in THE DARKEST NIGHT - the Lords of the Underworld are cursed to see and do an awful lot of really grisly stuff - but the romance itself is very tame. I read dark, paranormal romance novels because I want a...dark, paranormal romance. Not peaceful, bland romance in a spooky setting. Maddox and Ashlyn spend their time together talking, cuddling, and getting along just fine. They worry about one another - that's about the extent of their conflict.

My second objection is very similar to the first. Maddox is fused with the spirit of Violence. We learn early on that Maddox's sexual history can be summed up as "wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am", on repeat. But when it comes to Ashlyn, Maddox is constantly musing to himself about how even though he's dying to have sex with his woman, he really just wants to talk to her for a while first. He does thoughtful things like tidy up and dust in order to make the boudoir just perfect; he sets the stage by decorating with colorful scarves; when Ashlyn says that she reads romance novels, Maddox admits that he does too - and wants to maybe read some aloud with her.

I signed up for a book about a wild, uncontrollable alpha male. Instead I got the caring yet spicy escapades of a tame, sensitive beta male. Ashlyn has almost no personality at all.

All of these little touches - that Maddox instantly shares Ashlyn's interests, that he prioritizes talking over sex, that he cleans up around the house, that he anticipates her desires and meets them - reek of a kind of fantasy that I find disturbing. I like men to be men, and I don't think true love equals slavish devotion. [...]

A new concept! I ordered both The Darkest Night and The Darkest Kiss at the same time and read the novels back to back. The second in the series was easily able to stand on its own without constant reference to the first in the series. I don't mind having my memory refreshed, but I dislike rehashing a great amount from previous books. Both were exciting, and my sympathies are definitely not with the human Hunters!

It has been mentioned that this book mimics J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, and I agree. I got the exact same impression by about 1/3 of the way. HOWEVER, this series does not even come close to matching the intensity and tension in Ward's BDB. Lords of the Underworld is a B-rate knock-off of the BDB. Character development isn't as solid, scene development isn't as good, and I just don't get the same vivid mental pictures with LOTU as I do with the BDB. BDB jumps off the page and comes across very real to me, while LOTU is just a flat, often-blurred picture.

Anyway, this book started out great! I was all excited about Maddox and his demon, Violence, and had high hopes for this book. About 1/3 of the way in, that all began to change. I became more and more frustrated with Ashlyn's character and how Showalter seemed to insert pieces of writing that just didn't fit. I mean, there's a scene where Ashlyn becomes very ill, pukes everywhere, nearly dies...and yet within 12 hours of resuscitation, she's ready for a little "playtime" with Maddox. Despite the fact that puke is everywhere in the bedroom and, I would imagine, all over her clothes, too.

Okay, if Ashlyn was an immortal, I could totally believe the quick recovery. But she is human, and humans just don't recover that miraculously from food poisoning and near-death. And I certainly don't feel all sexy when puke is all around and all over me. Eewww!

So, I didn't get the whole purpose of that scene. If Showalter wanted to develop a bond between Maddox and Ashlyn by Maddox caring for her, I think that could have been accomplished with a scene that was more based in reality and didn't involve so much puke and near-death.

At any rate, the rest of the book just kind of followed that same M.O. Everything seemed forced and too over-the-top and just not very well thought-out. And I just couldn't stand Ashlyn. Everything about her just didn't make sense. She was apparently a virgin, yet had no problems playing Miss Domination with Maddox. She was apparently abandoned as a child, but didn't act like an abandoned child as an adult - because being given away by your parents and essentially orphaned should be very traumatic and carry huge emotional baggage into adulthood. I didn't see any of that at all. And Ashlyn's thought processes were kind of childish, and she was too bossy and stubborn given that she was surrounded by male behemoth's who killed and had killed right in front of her and threatened to kill her. Sure, I'm pretty feisty, but I'd be a little more acquiescent if being held captive and threatened with death, no matter how attractive I found one of my captors. And I certainly wouldn't put myself in a situation that could kill me just to get to said sexy captor, which Ashlyn did by climbing from one balcony to another. ***rolling eyes over that whole scene - I don't even know where to begin to criticize the balcony-to-balcony scene***

I don't know, it just seemed like Ashlyn's character wasn't very well developed. It was almost like I was reading 3-4 different characters instead of one, and it was VERY frustrating. And too many scenes felt like "quick-fixes" in lieu of a better, more thought-out solution (aka: the balcony scene).

On a more positive note, I am now reading the second book in the trilogy, The Darkets Kiss, and it is much better so far. The characters seem to be better-developed and intriguing, and the second book has been a real joy to read so far. So, if you didn't like Book One, either, don't give up on this series just yet. Book Two is showing hope, and I'm already looking forward to reading Reyes story in Book Three.

Okay, so this book wasn't quite up my alley as it didn't entice me to read more in the series. I think it just wasn't my taste.

Blood, guts, gore --- if these things appealed to me, I'd be playing some video game that's targeted to the male demographic. It was kind of a turn-off. But hey, it's not for everyone.

I think the plot line is well-developed, no typographical errors, & easy to follow. It had the basics for a good story.

Issue is, the story didn't appeal that much to me. The love interest of the protagonist must have an endless supply of mattresses because he gets murdered on it every single night? Ewwwww......

Just gruesome. Gruesome, gross, & gnarly. It doesn't make up for how good the relationship that's in the book. I just keep thinking of his entrails flowing out over the mattress. Then the next morning, they replace it only to start over again.

Gross.

This is one of those books that makes you want to skip work to stay home and read. It's fast paced, funny, and sexy. Not to mention I spent the whole time trying to figure out how everything was going to work out for everyone. The sub characters are great and I couldn't wait to continue the series.

THIS PARTICULAR SERIES WAS RECOMMENDED BY MY BEST FRIEND..AND IT TOOK ME AWHILE TO GET IT.
LET ME JUST SAY I TOTALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK.. MADDOX AND ASHLYN MADE A CUTE COUPLE.. THEY WERE ONE ANOTHERS CALM..MADDOX WITH HIS VIOLENT DEMON AND ASHLYN WITH THE VOICES IN HER HEAD.
I LOOK FORWARD TO PURCHASING THE NEXT 2 BOOKS..
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GENA!

Gena you continue to amaze me. This story was great and i do like the character's. Even the guy's to be featured in future books. I kinda can relate to Ashlyn(minus hearing the voices thing lol). I can't wait to read the next two. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book!

I personally don't think either this book or Darkest Kiss are in any way similar to J.R. Ward's books. I like both books in this series, but I do like Ward's better. The only comparison remotely the same is all the men are living together and have "other worldly" features. However, they don't even have the same "mission" or goal as the Brotherhood in J.R. Ward's books, where the Brotherhood protects humans and hunts/kills the ones hurting humans.

I think this book is a pretty good start to a new series though and look forward to reading others in the series. The male characters are definitely interesting and because of the background given on Maddox I wasn't sure where this could go or end up.

Great cover that's about the only good thing I can say. The idea is interesting but.. There was lots of whining and immaturity going on from both hero and heroine. I just didn't feel sorry for Maddox. He was supposed to be this violent, tormented warrior of the gods and ended up being a whimpering puppy. Ashlyn was annoying to say the least. It was as if Showalter read a J.R. Ward and Sherrilyn Kenyon book for research and threw this unconvincing knock off together. I wanted it to be good..

I picked this up because I followed Karen Moning's (MacKelter, Fever Series) advice on what she was reading with the Smoke Thief and that was great. I love Moning's books, and felt that someone who writes so well must have good taste, so I gave this a shot when she mentioned it on her website.

First, I don't agree this is anything like Ward's series. Ward's brothers are much more contemporary. Showalter's heroes are very old school and seem archaic in comparison. Though they've lived a long time, technology is not something they appear to embrace or exploit. There are no homoerotic undertones in Showalter's books...Ward's books are saturated with it. They almost seem like cavemen in some parts of this book.

I agree with the person who states that there was a lot of internal dialogue that was repeated over and over again. But, all in all, I was pleasantly surprised and will read the second book in the series. And I also thought twice about getting it, because I thought "how many times can they do the same story?" It does have a different spin than all the other paranormal/mythological/vampire, etc.

This is my first book from this author and I loved it! Well I decided to take a chance on this one I saw it at Magic Mart and well the cover just looked so yummy lol! I know that makes me such a bad person (ya know drooling over a hot guy on a romance cover) anyway on with the review. Okay here is a short summary, Our hero who is possessed by the demon of Violence is cursed to die each night by being stabbed by his friends. Our heroine needs help so she seeks out the mysterious men at their mansion. Well a great romance story ensues and yeah we get to meet future heros for future books yeah! I love a series that has different people each getting their own story. I especially want to read about Disease's story, I mean I feel so bad for the guy he cannot touch anyone at all for fear of a plague spreading, now I have to see how the author is going to make that into a romance! But if this book is any indication then it should be great! Five stars for really good debut about these intresting characters and for the steam level well I would go for a high 7. If you are looking for a differnt paranormal aspect of the romance genre then I highly recommend picking this one up.

Do you like hunky guys who are also deeply troubled and just need that one special woman to redeem them? If so The Darkest Night should be on your list of books to read this year. This is the first book in the Lords of the Underworld series. The first three are scheduled to come out starting in May 2008 and then June and July. So, once you get hooked there will be more. Second in the series is The Darkest Kiss and then The Darkest Pleasure. Once you read the first book you will be searching the stores for the rest.

In this first book you get to meet some of the troubled guys. Many thousands of years ago the gods entrusted the mighty warrior Pandora to protect a very dangerous box. Pandora guarded it with her life, but in the end she lost her life to a guy named Maddox. He is the hero of this story. Maddox and a bunch of his friends were furious that they were not chosen to protect the box, so one day they got the box and let the evil out, when they decided to put it back in the box the box had mysteriously disappeared. Since the box was gone the gods decided to punish the group of misfits by instilling in them the evil that was in the box. Maddox was given the evil of Violence. Death, promiscuity, wrath and disease were also evils that sought bodies. Because of Maddox's role in killing Pandora he was also given one more punishment. The gods make him die each night and spend hours in hell. Each morning he awakes alive again with the knowledge that he will die again the next night. It's not an easy death either. His friends Death and Pain have to come each night kill him and take him to hell. It looks like Maddox has been through way more than a lifetime of hell. On top of dying each day and dealing with the evil demon of violence he also has to protect himself and his warrior brothers from a group of humans bent on killing them. What more can a warrior take?

Ashlyn Darrow is a very special woman. She hears voices. No she's not nuts, but hears the voices of anyone who has spoken in a specific location. She can even hear voices from way back in time. Having this ability has brought heartbreak to her life. Her parents left her at an institute when she was very young and have never come back to visit her. She was basically given away like an object. Ashlyn finely found a friend in one of the doctors. He is like a father to her, but also her boss. From the beginning we don't know if the organization she works for is involved in the story or if it's just a coincidence that she shows up near Maddox's home. When Ashlyn finds out about a special group of paranormal men she heads directly to their base. She wants to find out if they can help her. She wants the voices to stop. When Ashlyn clings to Maddox a miracle happens. The voices disappear and she is finely content, but forces are working against her. Maddox doesn't want her around, the lords don't know if she has brought more evil to their home and her boss is looking for her. Will Ashlyn be able to bring around Maddox? Will she help him break the curse that makes him die each night? How will a troubled girl and a violent man live together in harmony?

The Darkest Night is a not to be missed. I'm looking forward to reading the whole series as I've met quite a few other characters who I feel need their own story. If you enjoy deep dark characters who just need that special light in their lives to make everything better this is going to be a series you will be drawn into. The characters are distressed and it will take a lot of understanding and compassion from the heroines to redeem them. Both Maddox and Ashlyn will steal your heart and you will be rooting for them to find a common bond throughout the whole book. I give this first book two thumbs up and I'm on to the next one. Lords of the Underworld will be the hottest new paranormal series of 2008 and it all begins with The Darkest Night. Gena does it again with lots of hot new hunks and a deeply entrenched storyline.

© Night Owl Romance 2008

I had never read this author but had this book recommended. I was glad I bought it. I'm eager to read the rest of these books. It was similar to J.R. Ward's series but not enough where it took away from the book itself. I love tortured heroes so this one is right up my alley. I love how desperate in love they are and the things they will sacrifice for each other. *sigh* Each character is well described and it makes you eager for each of their own stories. The next book is Lucien and Anya's story and you get a good preview of what Anya is like and it should be a funny read.

The Darkest Night kicks off the Lords of the Underworld series about six immortal warriors bound for centuries by an unbreakable curse. Maddox, the hero of this story who has been infected with the demon called Violence is cursed to die a slow painful death every night, only to awaken in the morning always knowing that he will die again that night...

Maddox lives a lonely existance until the day that he meets the beautiful Ashlyn, a woman who knows first hand what it's like to live tormented by a curse...

I'll keep this short. There is a lot of whining going on in this book. Yes, the male characters all have terrible demons inside them. I just got sick of hearing how hard it was for them to deal with life. I kept thinking, get to the point! The story was drawn out farther than really needed. It's not terrible and the premise is interesting but the slow unrolling of the plotline just annoyed me.

This book was great, I could not get enough of it. Now I really can't wait for the other Lords' stories! Plus I love her use of sarcasm to lighten the mood of the story and the little places here and there that make you laugh out loud. And the scenes that make you sit on the edge of your seat and then you can't put the book down. I also love the fact that the story makes you love all of the Lords in just the one book so that you have ties with them for the upcoming stories...

Picked this book up on a whim, and MAN, am I glad I did it! I've read Showalter before with mixed results as far as how I've liked her work, but you can really see her evolution in her writing style. This series has AWESOME potential, it's well thought out, and the characters make me care about them (I am a very character-driven reader, moreso than a plot-driven reader). Both the H&H are tortured by their own internal struggles and trying to live with their *gifts/curses/demons* while maintaining their sanity. In each other they find the port in the storm that neither thought was possible. After a lifetime of torture, is it any wonder they fell for each other so fast? (and Showalter's lead up to the sexual..ahem..climax..was well done--not gratuitous erotica, but well written and touching). Can't wait for the rest of the guys stories!!

As for the poor reviews on here, not really sure what they're going on about. The Tylenol thing? Danika is American, brought her Tylenol from America (it was in her purse, remember? Aeron had to fly her to get it?), so that's what it's called, not whatever they use in Hungary. And she even said, "oh, I guess they don't have 911 here"... Personally, I didn't get hung up on the names (Maddox, Reyes, Lucien, Cameo, Gideon, etc), because frankly, if she only used Greek names, I'd have a hard time pronouncing them in my head. This is fiction..relax, go with the flow and enjoy!
To be honest, I didn't even read the reviews posted before I bought this book, but after reading it and then reading the reviews, all I can say is that anyone who compared the book to a J.R. Ward book, sorry, don't know what you're thinkin'. The Brotherhood of the Dagger is all about external conflict, the Lords of the Underworld guys are all about internal conflict-dealing with their own demons. The gods are very minor characters (at least in this first book), the Scribe Virgin is a pretty major factor in the Ward series. And their descriptions? IMHO, I'm just glad she isn't selling them all as drop dead gorgeous hunks (other than to their love interests). I get tired of all the perfect and beautiful men AND women in books..like I said before it is fiction, but it's nice to see the women with (as Maddox says) "round thighs and a bottom that would overflow his hands" get the guy!

5 stars from me..can't wait to read the next book, and wow I can't wait for the books about some of the other warriors (Gideon, Sabin, Cameo!)

I thought this was a great new book. I was skeptical at first (paranormal romance?!) but it I decided to buy it anyway. I'm glad I did!!

The story follows Ashlyn (who can hear any conversation anyone has ever had in a specific place) and Maddox, an immortal warrior who houses the deamon Violence. Ashlyn and Maddox find each other and can't seem to live without the other.

The story also shows some insight on other characters who house Death, Pain, Wrath, Disease and sets the story up for the 2nd and 3rd book.

I noticed a lot of reviewers compared this to Ward's books but really and truely a paranormal is a paranormal is a paranormal. I mean how many ways can you write this sort of book, you either have a group of or you don't. You either have a curse or you don't, you either have hunters or you don't. Really if you like paranormal I think you'll like this series. But as another reviewer stated quit comparing it to Ward. If you're ticking off similarities in your head as you read you aren't going to enjoy the story which I think is wonderful. Maddox and Ashlyn are great characters and their story is rife with tension and suspense so open this book and read it without comparison to other series and just enjoy a good paranormal.

High in the mountains of Budapest there is a hidden fortress that houses immortal men who also happen to be demons - demons who strive to make a life for themselves while remaining inconspicuous and unknown to mortals and enemies alike. Maddox is such a man but so much more - he is a Lord of the Underworld and his curse is Violence. Thousands of years ago, Maddox was a prized warrior for the gods and because of this, he became angry at the female warrior Pandora because she was given the task of guarding the dimOuniak instead of him. Jealousy ate at Maddox until he was unable to stop himself from destroying Pandora and opening her box of mayhem. In this one act of violence, Maddox was doomed to eternally suffer the same fate that he awarded Pandora - death.

Institutionalized since she was five, Ashlyn Darrow has spent her entire life hearing voices in her head. If someone talked in the same spot as which Ashlyn stood, she is able to hear their conversations in her head and it is making her crazy. She is never allowed a minutes peace and has been treated as if she is a freak of nature her entire life. Hearing about a hidden fortress in the mountains of Budapest is like a dream come true because if what the locals are saying is true, then Ashlyn might be able to get help with her curse. With this in mind, she sets out in the dead of winter to climb the mountain where the sanctuary is said to be hidden.

The Darkest Knight is paranormal romance at its best. It is dark, gritty, and it is emotional. Maddox is the epitome of a tortured soul - and he was remorseful for his past deeds. Unable to fathom why he wanted Ashlyn, this immortal was very much aware of how precious she was and I found his treatment and protection of her extremely romantic. The character of Ashlyn surprised me. With my first impression I found a very strong heroine. Just how strong I would find out as I further read The Darkest Night. Ashlyn was willing to stay by Maddox's side every night just for the chance to love him. And love him she did.

The Darkest Night had me instantly hooked on this brand new series. I found myself on the edge of my seat and could not put The Darkest Night down. I had to know what was going to happen and more than once I had to gasp for breath when nuances of the plot started to unfold. If The Darkest Night is any indication of Gena Showalter's writing ability then I need to go back and buy everything she has ever written. I am just that impressed and can't recommend The Darkest Night enough. In fact, raise your right hand and repeat after me, "Joyfully Recommended!"

Talia
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Once I picked this book up I COULD NOT put it down!!

Totally yummy, I honestly believe this will be the series to launch Showalter into the stratosphere, much like Kenyon's Dark Hunters did for her. ( And speaking of- if you're anxious to get a fix while waiting for either Kenyon's or Ward's next releases- THIS IS THE SERIES FOR YOU!)

Here's the send up:

The Lords of the Underworld are immortal. Long ago they were guardians of the Greek Pantheon but one day Zeus decided to entrust a dangerous box to someone other than them. Rather than have his strong armed warriors guard the infamous box that contained the most dangerous demons the world has ever seen, he gave them to Pandora to hold. The boys took affront and decided to prove Zeus made the wrong decision. Yeah, it ended up badly for them. With Pandora dead and the evil released, Zeus took his wrath out on the guardians and cast a demon into each of them, thus creating The Lords of the Underworld.

The Darkest Night is Maddox's story- Maddox is the Keeper of Violence.

Naturally life has been torture for Maddox living with Violence for thousands of years, but worse, because he was the one who slew Pandora, each night at the stroke of midnight he must relive her death in his own body with 6 stabs of the Keeper of Pain's sword (Reyes). After that the Keeper of Death (Lucien) takes him to hell where he lives through the fires of torment until morning.

In the beginning of the tale, Maddox is sent out to investigate some activity around the warriors secluded keep located on a mountain in Budapest. It's close to the midnight hour, but he's the only one around to do the job. While out there, he discovers the Hunters have returned- the humans who hundreds of years ago made it their mission to destroy the Lords. He quickly takes care of them, but he also comes upon a lovely lady who, unbeknownst to both of them, is the one who inadvertently led the hunters straight to their doorstep. (He thinks she's bait, she had no idea they were following her.)

Much of the book is taken up with the preceding misunderstanding, but the heat these two generate make up for it. She is, after all, his savior- as he is hers. You see Ashlyn, the mysterious lady, has a gift and only with him does the torment this gift causes her ease.

It truly is a fun read. If you haven't started this series and you love romance mixed with the paranormal like me, run out and get it! You won't be disappointed!

Wonderful new series for me. Loved it. Found it very entertaining and this author has a terrific sense of humor. I thought it was well written with a lot of original ideas. For me, this book was no more like the BDB than Feehan's Carpathian's is to Kenyon's Hunter's. The romance was good--hot, character conflict was good and I see there is room for many more in this series. Hope they stay just as entertaining. Thank you for the great read.

Yes, it is dangerously similar to Ward's Black-Dagger series, and if you attempt to compare the two, Showalter will fall dramatically short. I'm not sure if any paranormal/romance/brotherhood series could compare to the so,well, put together Ward series. But if you try to ignore the similarities, the book wasn't all that bad. It was actually very enjoyable. I liked the Greek gods angle, and I thought a bunch of sweaty, sex crazed guys that like to beat up each other and excerise kind'of sexy. Of course I would never admit that outloud. I would recommend this novel and I look forward to the next one.