First in the Lords of the Underworld Series, Maddox and his "brothers" are being punished by the Greek Gods. Each man contains a demon within them from Pandora's box. Maddox being the one who served the fatal blow to Pandora herself, has to contain Violence, the worst and most unpredictable of them all. Until he discovers a female, Ashlyn, outside their fortress, running to them for help. Maddox thinks she was sent as Bait to distract him from the Hunters following her.

Ashlyn came to Budapest to search for the "angels" that lived there to help her rid the voices in her head. The second she sees Maddox coming at her she freezes, her body freezes at the sight of a gorgeous, dangerous man threatening to kill her, and her mind freezes because she hears nothing... silence, to Ashlyn the silence is beautiful... as well as the man's violet eyes.

Maddox and Ashlyn are like oil and water, and when Maddox saves Ashlyn from dying... Ashlyn cannot think of anything else but the gorgeous man that took care of her, and what she wants to do to him... forever.

Definitely risque' and heart-felt... I truly enjoyed it. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. I'ts got Passion from the fist moment you start reading it, it's got a good twist to the story with all the different goods and demons. It is very easy to follow and I love, love the love story and how a demon was able to be tamed. I can't wait for all the rest of the Demons love story to be written. I also like the way she makes the warrior demons be seen as angels. ( )

This is about Ashlyn who hears voices. She not only hears voices in the present tense but she can hear voices from the past. All she has to do is stand in a spot and she can hear what has been said there, in any language it was spoken in. Plus she understands the language. She searches out these mysterious warriors who supposedly have magical powers in the hope that they might be able to help her learn to either control or get rid of these voices.

During her trek up a steep mountain side she comes face to face with one of the warriors, Maddox. He believes at first that she is "bait" from the Hunters who try to kill these warriors. Each warrior has a demon inside them as punishment for opening pandoras box. Maddox has the demon of Violence. It is a horrendous curse which has him killed in the same way as the warrior who guarded Pandora's box. He is stabbed, then dies EVERY night.

The plot of this book was extremely good. It was part thriller part paranormal romance. Ms. Showalter lets you see each warriors torment and what he goes through with his particular demon punishment. We learned a lot about these warriors. We also learned a lot about Ashlyn. Her strength and love for Maddox is amazing and inspiring.

I loved the story and cannot wait to read the next in this series. Ms. Showalter happens to be one of my favorite authors! She never fails to impress me with her writing style. ( )

I absolutely adored this book as well as the rest of the books in the series that are now available. It took me 5 days to read all three books. The Darkest Night, The Darkest Kiss and the Darkest Pleasure. If you enjoy the Lord of the Underworld Series you can also look for The Darkest Fire on ebooks. Also just released to eboks on 8/1/09 is the Darkest Passion. The next book in the Series The Darkest Whisper is due to be released 8/25/09. I can't wait until its release. ( )

Summary: All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member—a man trapped in a hell of his own. Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments…and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction—and a soul-shattering test of love….

First let me say, just so that it is not mistaken or lost in translation somewhere else in this review, this book is HOT. It is so hot I had to take breaks and fan myself while reading, not really, but you get the idea. I love the characters in this book, and the story premise, I was surprised when I started reading since I had never read a book, romance or otherwise, that was based on the Pandora's Box legend. I enjoy the witty banter between the "Lords" as well as the interludes that explain each of the demons and a bit more about the guys. I am curious about Cameo...being the only women in the bunch...if her demon (sorrow) affects her any differently than it does the men. I can't wait to see her book...and I hope that Torin is in it. This story line is fresh and new and sure to be a crowd pleaser all the way through the series. I am wanting Amun (secrets) and Aeron's (Wrath) stories already...jeez...on to the next book.

For information or for purchasing visit Gena Showalter's webpage.

Also just as a blurb...you can get great deals on Gena Showalter's books through eharlequin.com

Also posted: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/2... ( )