The Darkest Surrender

Strider just has to win. Whatever the competition—whether it be a friendly bet or a battle that sheds lives—Defeat, the demon he is plagued with, forces him to win, no matter the cost. Everything is a dangerous, vengeful, radiant, and sometimes even erotic game to Strider, which is why, naturally, he is enticed by the idea of the Harpy Games. As he gets to know Kaia and involved in the challenge she sets forth, his screwed-up personal demons will make winning harder than ever before, and they just may lead him to falling for an equally screwed-up girl. After all, she is a Harpy aka a descendant of Lucifer aka the master of all things demonic—no biggie. Yeah. He's got it bad.

The Darkest Surrender is testament to the fact that Gena show more Showalter is one of the leading ladies of paranormal fiction. EVERYTHING about this book is so well done—the plot, characters, romance, tone, transitional flow—all of it.

The gradual love is at once tender and entertaining; to me, it was the perfect romance because it's realistic, well interlaced with the actual story, and of course, sizzling hot. The way Strider and Kaia clash is so funny because it couldn't be more obvious how similar they are, and thus in his opinion, all the more wrong for each other. As for the relationship, it is deliciously, wonderfully bad. The thick sexual tension, amusing banter, and explosive chemistry and feuding portray their attraction flawlessly, which impressed me greatly. The fact that this book isn't just a romance definitely earns it brownie points.

Kaia's unabashed (and publicly declared) crush on Strider demonstrates the kind of girl she is: an unstoppable force, a fiery temper, passion incarnate. Strider, who's way more reserved and tormented—swoon!—wants to deny his lethal attraction for Kaia but can't seem to control himself around her—and that isn't his demon talking. His desire to dominate the one girl no one else can control, the one girl who scratches everyone else, but treats him to the tenderest of caresses, is both his sickness and cure. The way he slowly discovers how much he really needs her, and not just sexually, is heart-melting and exactly the kind of love us romance readers live to read about.

I love how Lords of the Underworld takes place in a world of various species; typically, paranormal romance series involve one type of being (vampires, zombies, etc.), but nope, here, we have Harpies, demons, Fae, Phoenixes, gods, and other creatures of Greek mythology, so in and of itself, this series is the motherlode of the supernatural. So fascinating and creative—props to Gena Showalter for developing such an elaborate, magical, livable world. How I'd love to just climb into one of her books and be one of the characters.

Not having read previous installments in the series, I was a bit confused by the Realm of Blood and Shadows and the worlds in which the book takes place, but the plot and characters are so original and intricate, that I feel The Darkest Surrender works fine as a standalone novel. That being said, the perfectly entwined storylines of the various other Lords—Promiscuity, Doubt, and Disaster, to name a few—leave room and anticipation for the next books; I'm definitely eager to keep with with and try the series from the beginning now.

I'll end on a note praising the snarky and hilarious tone, which is applicable for pretty much of Gena Showalter's novels. Her style is genius, in both the way she personalizes her characters, and the witty one-liners that deserve gold medals. Even if you don't like the story, you will fall in love with the way Showalter writes, which is why you should at least give this series a chance.

Pros: Amazing characters // Humorous, with plenty of wit and sass to go around // Complex, prolonged plot that completely absorbed me // Secondary characters' stories are just as intriguing, making me want to read the previous and next books in the series // Can be read as a standalone, although having a grasp of what the series is about may be helpful in understanding setting

Cons: Some scenes are unnecessarily drawn out // The constantly shifting stories get a little confusing at times

Verdict: This is the kind of book that will make you become obsessed with paranormal romance. From the entirely consuming fictional world constructed, to the lovable, flawed, and vibrant characters, to the unconventional romance with a sigh-worthy "ever after," The Darkest Surrender is a book that will preoccupy you in the most frustrating but fulfilling way. Definitely give these sexy and tragically dark Lords of the Underworld a try; Gena Showalter does not disappoint!

Rating: 8 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): An engaging read; highly recommended.

Source: Complimentary copy provided by Romance Novel News in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Carolyn!). show less

I don’t know how Gena does it, but these books just keep getting better and better as we go. I was not sure I would like Stider’s story, but I was happily surprised. Plus we get sneak peeks at what is going on with Paris and he is the Lord whose story I am dying to read! But, Strider’s story did need to come first and I loved both him and his heroine, Kaia.

The idea of Strider and Kaia hooking up has been alluded to in previous books, but the fact that Paris has slept with Kaia was something Strider was having a hard time getting over. Kaia was not willing to go down without a fight though, and was always trying to wiggle her way into his heart.

At this point in the books, many of the Lords are out on other missions, including the show more honorary Lord, William, who is out for revenge on Gilly’s parents and Kane, keeper of disaster, who had an extremely interesting run in with the fates. I cannot believe what they revealed to him and am dying to know how his story will be affecting everyone’s lives from now on! As for Strider, he has agreed to help Paris track down Sienna. He is all set to go with Paris when he is persuaded to accompany Kaia to the harpy games as her consort. He has not fully agreed to the position, but does not want to see her hurt, so he agrees to go to help her however he can.

My absolute favorite part of any of the Lords of the Underworld books is the relationships that are formed and the humor that is a result of that. I can’t even count how many times I was laughing out loud at the sarcastic comments that were flying back and forth between the Lords, their significant others and basically anyone they encountered. I always love reading these books knowing that the story will be amazing, but they will always make me laugh along with the characters constantly.

As for the romance, poor Strider is having a really hard time dealing with the whole Paris/Kaia thing and tries to keep her at a distance because of this. Kaia on the other hand, knows that Strider is her consort and is pulling out all the stops trying to get him to fall for her. One of my favorite little ploys of hers happens when they are getting ready to go out for a night; here is a little peek at it from the book:

“Strider’s pupils did that expanding thing, almost always a prelude to touching. “You need to put on a pair of pants.” His voice was a croak. And he did not move toward her.

This was one of those times when “almost” sucked the big one. “Duh. As if I’d go out like this. I’ve got a pair…right…” She looked around. “There.” She stalked to the nightstand and lifted the “pants” in question. A scrap of red lace spandex that wouldn’t fall below her dress.

With a quick step, step, tug, she shimmied into the material and once again faced off with her consort.

His mouth hung open. “We were just sitting on the bed, together, and you were just drinking from me, your mouth on my skin, and you didn’t have any panties on?”

“You mean you didn’t look?” she said with a pout. No wonder he’d left her so easily.

“No. I wouldn’t let myself.”

“Why?”

“Damn it, Kaia,” he said, ignoring her. “You can’t just go around pantiless.”

“Which is why I just pulled on a pair. Were you not watching?”

His eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “You said pants. That you were putting on a pair of pants.”

“Yeah. Underpants.”

Seriously? Harpies are just awesome! I don’t know how Strider holds out so long, because Kaia is hilarious and knows how to fight dirty. When he does finally give into his feelings though, he does not let doubt creep in there or turn away from Kaia. He is an all or nothing kind of guy and I appreciated that once the two of them realized how important they were to each other there was no petty fighting or one leaving the other for no reason.

I also enjoyed learning more about the harpy games. I knew they were vicious, but geez, when they fight they are dirty, ruthless and there is a whole lot of blood and body parts flying around. It was a no holds barred match every time they challenged each other, but even in those situations the boys could find something to laugh about. Another favorite scene was Strider, Lysander and Sabin up in the bleachers watching their girls fight it out. I am not going to put that scene in here, but when you read the book, keep your eyes peeled for it because it is hysterical!

There were serious moments laced throughout the plot and understanding Kaia’s past was a big part of this. She may play the overconfident role well, but inside she is always second guessing herself and feels the need to prove herself constantly. She has good reason too; her mother was not exactly supportive of her throughout her life. Kaia has always felt she was doomed to live in her mother’s shadow and never live up to her expectations. I was happy Gena gave us a chance to see this side of Kaia and it only endeared her to me more.

Overall this is just another amazing addition to this series. The Lords of the Underworld will always have a soft spot in my heart. They don’t always fight fair, they find humor in everything and they love with all their hearts. They are fantastic and complex characters that Gena has done a brilliant job of bringing to life. If you have not found this series, then now is the time! Especially since Paris’s story is next, YAY! show less

Gena Showalter The Darkest Surrender
Book #8
SLAP! That’s what I wanted to do to Strider throughout the first half of the book. He was such an asshole to Kaia and kept pushing her away and acting like he was doing her a favor by helping her. Then all of the sudden, he wanted her. It was like BOOM. He just shows up and decides that it’s time for them to get it on. Bipolar much?? Besides that. I liked this book.
I loved Kaia, like I do all the Skyhawk sisters. She’s spunky with a smart mouth. One of my favorite parts in the book was when Strider tells her that they are going somewhere but doesn’t tell her where they are going. She’s dressed in a red barely there dress. The V of the neckline cuts to her navel and the hemline barely show more covers her butt. When they get to the destination and it is a bar she says, “You should have told me. I would have worn my slutty outfit.”
I’m glad Kaia had lots of confidence because she had a lot of people judging her from something she did centuries ago. They all called her Kaia the Disappointment. Her mother even abandoned her to side with her enemy, Juliette. I don’t know how the Skyhawk sisters with the exception of Taliyah turned out so loving with a mom like that. Juliette had a reason to be mad at Kaia for letting her consort loose but Juliette had him chained in the first place which suggested he wasn’t a willing consort. The other Harpies were mad because when he as freed, he killed half of them but they were more angry with Kaia than the consort who we later learned his name was Lazarus. That was strange thinking on the part of the Harpies. She and her family were uninvited to the games for the next hundred and some odd years after that.
When they were invited to the games again or more like summoned, they get there to learn that Juliette is running things. She has found Lazarus again and by the chains on his wrists, he doesn’t look willing to be there. They find out their mother has disowned her children and has formed her own team. And the biggy is the prize for first place is the Paring Rod, the fourth artifact needed to find Pandora’s Box which makes Strider more interested in the outcome of the games.
SPOILER ALERT
One of the things that bothered me was that Harpies are never to tell anyone about their weaknesses or they could be put to death yet her mother tells them that she set up the ambush in the cave for Kaia. Maybe she didn’t tell the Hunters any Harpy secrets but clearly someone told the Hunters who shot at them on the way to the portal to Rhea’s Garden in the Heavens about avocado pits and salt being potentially deadly to Harpies. We never found who actually told them but it was probably Juliette so why didn’t Juliette get called out on it? Also, why not kill Juliette to free Lazarus rather than kill Lazarus? I liked him.
Side Stories
Finally, Kane has a part in the story. He is summoned by the Moirai better known as the Fates. I felt like I was hearing that ‘Who’s on first’ skit while listening to the Fates talk to one another. They ask him why he started the apocalypse. They pop back to earth where William was in Nowhere, Nebraska killing Gilly’s parents. William explains to Kane that the only way he would start the apocalypse is if Kane sleeps with the only female of the four horsemen. They get bombed and captured by Hunters or a Hunter’s wife who is a doctor or drop-out doctor. I wasn’t real clear on her reason for wanting William and Kane but someone takes Kane to Hell. William tries to rescue him but gets captured too.
Paris is running around Titania looking for Sienna. Cronus has her hidden somewhere.
Paris’ book is next so we’ll finally see what is going on there.
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This is my second time reading this book and I like it better than I did before.
Kaia Skyhawk believes Strider, keeper of Defeat, is her consort. She’s a Harpy, he’s a demon-possessed warrior, so you’d think they’d be perfect for one another. Kaia thinks so, too, but Strider is determined to keep her back even though he’s crazy with desire for her. Too bad she made a mistake a while back and he can’t get over it.
Their romance starts slow and the first sex scene isn’t until page 280-something. That’s very refreshing. Unlike some of the previous books in the LOTU series, sex doesn’t consume the storyline.
I’m not a fan of the Skyhawk sisters. They’re too bitchy, slutty, and they’re women-haters. The Harpy race is show more supposed to be a strong feminist race but I don’t agree. They forgive their consorts (husbands/men) for about anything and they always place the blame on another woman. For example, Kaia attacked Haidee for simply talking to Strider. She didn’t attack Strider at all for what she wrongly perceived as flirtation on his part and Strider didn’t get mad over it. He turns out to be a crappy friend to Haidee while Amun turns out to be a crappy boyfriend to Haidee for not defending her. Also, the main antagonist of the book, Juliette, and most of the Harpy race blamed Kaia for the death of their people hundreds of years ago. Juliette’s consort, Lazarus, murdered all the women and 14 year old Kaia was blamed. This un-feminist attitude really annoyed me and reconfirmed my dislike of the Skyhawks.
I’m honestly surprised by my 4 star review. I like the book as a self-contained story and I liked the Harpy Games plot, but I don’t see how the Games had anything to do with the overall storyline other than a way to find the Paring Rod, a godly artifact the Lords are desperate to own. Yes, Paris’s story is set up and we see that Kane and William are in trouble, but we didn’t get to see enough of them for their side storylines to really matter.
The link to my original review can be found here: http://amberdaultonauthor.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-darkest-surrender-by-gena.....
4 Stars

Disclaimer – I bought this book for my own enjoyment. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion. show less

I bought this for a dollar at the flea market. Total steal. I started two nights ago and I devoured it.Harpy Games seems like somebody needs to bake some bread and camoflage themselves to win the female's heart. Muhahahaha I'm so clever. Moving on, I was excited to read this couple's book for a long time. They are so compatible together. Once again, I don't care for superfluous action containing side characters, but I'll make an allowance. The characters involved have yet to have their own book. Write wisely, Showalter. I'm coming for you

The Darkest Surrender, Book #8 of the Lords of the Underworld series

Author: Gena Showalter

Synopsis: Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain. For him, nothing stands in the way of victory. Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor's edge of surrender.Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die. Strider is a distraction she can't afford because he has an agenda of his own-steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named. But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter-the love neither had thought possible...

Our Review [by LITERAL ADDICTION’s Pack Alpha – Michelle show more L Olson]:

There have been 7 books before The Darkest Surrender that kept my interest, made me cringe to put them down, and made me clamor for the next installment. The Darkest Surrender took those things to an infinite level. I can safely say that this has been my personal favorite of the series and Gena just keeps getting more brilliant with each book she writes.

Strider gave us what we loved from him in each of the previous books – an ego-maniacal smartass who makes it impossible NOT to love him. :-) Like the ending of the previous book though, you start out the book just wanting to slap him because he’s fighting the inevitable – his undeniable attraction to Kaia.

Kaia is the type of heroine I love…Strong, independent, fighting personal demons, but not afraid to admit her need for her man.

I absolutely loved the cross-over again of the Immortals After Dark characters from Kresley Cole’s series and Gena’s Lords of the Underworld. If there were any immortals that were perfect for the Lords, it’d be those girls. J I am waiting for the day when we see if Nix gets her pick of a Lord; though we’re running short on them, since Gena has been finding their perfect matches book after book. LOL.

This book had it all! Endless action, incredibly witty moments that had me embarrassingly snorting my laughter out loud and disturbing the people around me, unbelievably tender moments that were made even the more amazing because of the people they were happening to/between , intrigue, suspense, oh…did I mention the sizzling romance.

The Darkest Surrender was a great set up for the rest of the series as well. We learn more about Paris and his inner struggles that I can only hope are resolved in The Darkest Seduction, and we get the set up for Kane’s story as well. It just made me want the next 2 books even more.

LITERAL ADDICTION Paranormal Book Club gives The Darkest Surrender 5 Skulls.

We definitely recommend it for ALL Gena Showalter fans, Paranormal Romance addicts, and even Urban Fantasy readers because there is plenty of darkness and action between a multitude of different supernatural creatures in-between the romance to keep those readers happy as well.

Love Gena Showalter and Lords of the Underworld! Keep up the incredible work; I can’t wait to read Paris and Kane’s stories! :-) show less

I liked this entry in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series quite a lot. I liked the two smart-ass protagonists, and the roller derby vibe of the plot. I liked the female solidarity on show with "Team Kaia", and the importance of the mother-daughter relationship, and the sister relationships. I liked the humorous reluctance of the male protagonist & especially the way he respected the female protagonist's fighting skills, and that he didn't coddle her or freak out when she was injured. Win! Win! (That's an inside joke.)