The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, Book 1)

by Gena Showalter

Book Overview

Every night for thousands of years, he has been murdered and sent to the fires of hell... Cursed by the gods, bound to a rage-filled spirit he can barely control, Maddox has all but forgotten his... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373772467
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: HQN
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.6" x 1.0" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

I thought it was a very interesting premise.....

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.

The Darkest Night- A Joyfully Recommended Title

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

Going on my keeper shelf!

I love a dark, brooding, tortured hero and this book fit the bill with Maddox, but also with all of his friends, who will hopefully be heroes in their own books. This is the first in a new series and the series looks to be very promising. I'm dying to get my hands on the next two, which have already been scheduled for release. "The Darkest Night" is Maddox and Ashlyn's story. Maddox is a Lord of the Underworld. He's cursed to share his body with the demon Violence, keeping it trapped and unable wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world. He's also cursed to die a brutal death every night and roast in the pits of hell until the morning's light brings rebirth. Maddox is on the brink of succumbing to the demon, losing his humanity, when Ashlyn walks into his life, looking for help to fight a curse of her own. The two are instantly attracted and Maddox agrees to take her back to his fortress, but is then faced with the challenge of protecting her from the other Lords, who believe she is an enemy. I loved Maddox and Ashlyn, along with all the other Lords. It was just a well-told story and I couldn't put it down. Just when I was beginning to think there were no new ideas left in PNR, Showalter came up with this! The only things I didn't love about this book was how quickly the hero and heroine fell in love. It was sort of instantaneous, but that doesn't bother me as much in PNR as it does in a historical. Obviously, the boundaries of reality are different in PNR. Also there were a lot of characters being introduced and at points it was hard to keep some of them straight, but that's typical for a first in a series book. Neither of these complaints was enough to turn me off of the book or motivate me to give it a lower star rating. All in all, I loved this book! I have a feeling this series is going to be addictive!

Showalter has started out with a bang.

As a normal reader of all that is Gena Showalter, I was anticipating a good read - Boy I was wrong! This one absolutely blew me away. The story of Maddox and Ashlyn just struck a chord with me, it had me laughing, crying and pleading silently for a happy ever after. The typical hero/heroine sacrifice has to be in my top five of all time. Okay enough with that my review follows: 1.) Believable falling in love time? (1= Unbelievable, 5= Believable) 3.5, only because it was very short time period (less than a week). I am a firm believer when you read paranormal fiction that the standard weeks and months need not apply for the falling part but the period should coincide with the emotional healthiness of the characters. 2) Believable World/Universe? (1= Unbelievable, 5= Believable) 5, Gena did an excellent job of creating her world and not overwhelming you with the unnecessary descriptive paragraphs that some authors love. The history was peppered throughout with the remembering of the characters. 3) Was the HERO unbelievably SCORCHING? (1= Yuck, 5= Get the Fire Department) 5, Duh! I had my Ashlyn move over you are not worthy moment. 4) Happy Ever After (1= There was a romance? 5= A box of Kleenex ending (with an epilogue) 4.5, not a 5 because this is the first in the series and there was no epilogue. I love and need one of those. 5) Reading time (1=Train reading, 5=Stayed up all night) 5, boy was the next day at work hard! I would recommed picking this one up.

Great New Paranormal Romance Series!

"Get ready for the next really great paranormal romance series, Lords Of The Underworld by mega talented, Gena Showalter which debuts May 2008 with THE DARKEST NIGHT. By day, immortal warrior Maddox lives among his fellow Lords Of The Underworld in their Budapest castle as they try to stay away from the human world, for their demon companions urge them to do all manner of evil. However by night, Maddox is doomed to die a painful, terrible death and spend his time in hell's inferno. Centuries ago Maddox and his immortal brothers released the horde of demons from Pandora's box and as punishment, the gods cursed the warriors to each host a demon inside themselves. Maddox is the Keeper of Violence! When strangers are detected trying to invade their compound, the Lords believe they are Hunters, who want to destroy them, so Maddox is sent to kill them, for there is no greater warrior. Ashlyn Darrow is with a team from the World Institute of Parapsychology, who is in Budapest to investigate paranormal beings. Ashlyn was born with an ability to stand in one location and hear every conversation that has ever taken place there, which has been a nightmare for her. She'd do anything to stop the voices! When Maddox finds Ashlyn in the woods, even though he thinks she's Bait sent by the Hunters to entrap him, he is instantly drawn to her. For Ashlyn, being around Maddox is a miracle since the voices she constantly hears have suddenly ceased, as if they are as afraid of him as she should be! Maddox cannot help himself and takes her home with him, where the two will find themselves edging closer to a soul-searing test of love. Will this cursed couple be able to overcome great odds to be together? And what about the other cursed Lords: Lucien, Keeper of Death; Reyes, Keeper of Pain and all the others? Readers can look forward to their immediate sequels, THE DARKEST KISS (6/08) and THE DARKEST PLEASURE (7/08). The truly remarkable Gena Showalter has given paranormal romance fans everything they could want in her amazing new Lords Of The Underworld series: an angsty, complex, highly imaginative plot; dark, immortal warriors they will instantly fall in love with along with their destined mates; and all-consuming passion that will have readers begging for more!" - Patricia Rouse, Rouse's Readers' Groups