Book Review - The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

As you all know in my previous post I have shown you the love I have for Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. So here's my review of her first book The Darkest Night featuring Maddox the Keeper of Violence and Ashlyn Darrow who has an ability she cannot control.

The Synopsis :-

His powers - Inhuman...

His passion - Beyond immortal... 

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 than 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...
Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful...


My Review :-

Maddox - 

Possessed by the demon of Violence, Maddox has a short fuse on his temper, plus the gods cursed him with an additional curse which is to die painfully every night.

"Every night death came, slowly, painfully, and every morning Maddox awoke in bed, knowing he'd have to die again later. That was his greatest curse and his eternal punishment."

He goes out one night in search of his enemies and stumbles upon Ashlyn, who looking for a cure to her special ability and thinks the strange men who are famous in legends could help her. 

 He wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do with her. He knew what he should do—and what he couldn't. Both mattered little just then. Because, more than anything, he knew that he didn't want to share.


Ashlyn -

She has a special ability that's she's trying to get rid and the Lords are her only option. She didn't plan to be held captive in their castle and accused of being Bait, but oh well life is like that. The only thing that helps is having Maddox around, because he is the only one she trusts, and it doesn't take long to figure out they need one another. 

Pale hair fell in waves to his shoulders, framing a face mortal females considered a sensual feast. They didn't know the man was actually a devil in angel's skin. They should have, though. He practically glowed with irreverence, and there was an unholy gleam in his green eyes that proclaimed he would laugh in your face while cutting out your heat. Or laugh in your face while you cut out his heart.”


“I've traveled all over the world for the Institute, but I never dreamed I'd meet someone like you."
"Strong?"
A chuckle escaped her. "Yes."
"Handsome?"
"Of course."
"Sharp of wit and skilled with a sword?"
"Absolutely." An other chuckle. "But I mean a man… friend… guy. Oh, I don't know what to call you!"
He savored her amusement—and her earnest words. "Just call me yours. That is all I want to be."

The Story:-

Ashlyn has heard of the “Angels” that live in the castle on the top of the hill in Budapest (who are the Lords).

When she gets to the woods near the castle she is going half mad with all the voices talking to her when all of a sudden they just stop. Confused she looks around and finds a man. A man covered in blood. She doesn’t care he has made them stop somehow. She wants to stay with him and find out more. 

What transpires then is obviously them falling in love, Maddox never has been in love before. 

With Ashlyn, Violence was not truly violent. Instead, the spirit was made into something beautiful. Dark, yes. Always dark. But sensually so. Not evil, but needy. Not destructive, but possessive. Two days ago, he would not have thought such a thing was possible.

The story also revolves around secondary characters such as:-

Lucien – Death
Reyes – Pain
Aeron – Wrath
Torin – Disease
Paris - Promiscuity
Sabin - Doubt
Gideon - Lies
Amun - Secrets
Strider - Defeat
Kane - Disaster
Cameo - Misery

All of the Lords working together to find the godly artifacts so that they can trap the demons back in Pandora's Box. Each character will develops as the story unfolds itself. 

Overall, this is a good book, very very good read if you are into paranormal romance and books like Black Dagger Brotherhood by Jr Ward or Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon. 

Rating - 5 stars!!  

Gena Showalter - Lords of the Underworld

Okay, so apart Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter is one of my favorite author. Her books series include the Lords of the Underworld, White Rabbit Chronicles, Intertwined, Angels of the Dark, Alien Huntress and Atlantis. Although up to this point I have only read her Lords of the Underworld series, I do not doubt that her other series would be as good as the Lords of the Underworld.

So, lets talk about the Lords of the Underworld. The series are about a group of men that are cursed to carry demons that escaped from pandora's box. This may be a one liner synopsis for a series that has 15 books but you have got to read the series to know the story. Each book has one demon that needs crazy taming! Trust me when I say the demons are tamed and controlled when the men find their other halfs. Below are the list of the books as per it's reading order:- 

1.  The Darkest Fire (prequel novella to Lords of the Underworld)
2. The Darkest Night - Maddox (Keeper of Violence)
3. The Darkest Kiss - Lucien (Keeper of Death)
4. The Darkest Pleasure - Reyes (Keeper of Pain)
5. The Darkest Prison, novella ebook - Atlas (Titan God of Strength) 
6. The Darkest Whisper - Sabin (Keeper of Doubt)
7. The Darkest Angel - angel Lysander
8. The Darkest Facts: A Lords of the Underworld Companion, 
9. The Darkest Passion - Aeron (Keeper of Wrath)
10. The Darkest Lie - Gideon (Keeper of Lies)
11. The Darkest Secret - Amun (Keeper of Secrets)
12. The Darkest Surrender - Strider (Keeper of Defeat)
13. The Darkest Seduction - Paris (Keeper of Promiscuity)
14. The Darkest Craving - Kane (Keeper of Disaster)
15. The Darkest Touch - Torin (Keeper of Disease)

When I first discovered Gena Showalter, it was actually by mistake. I bought the first three books at a sale at a bookstore. It was quite a while before I actually read Maddox's book (The Darkest Night). It was pretty slow when I began reading but when she began uncovering their world and settings at Budapest, I totally fell in love!

One by one, the books began uncovering the underworld and each of their story was gripping than the ones before. What was interesting was the way the demons control each and everyone of the warriors and when the warriors had to battle their own demons for the love of their lives. With so many paranormal romance writers out there, this was something out of the ordinary and I'm pretty sure anyone who loves the paranormal romance, this is would definitely satisfy your need. It is action packed, romance packed and the writing is just exquisite. 

Now, all of the books that are listed above have been published of course and should be available at any bookstores around you. So please, go grab yourself a book and start reading this series because this is just plain amazing. 

Book Review - The Cradle Will Fall by Mary Higgins Clark

The Synopsis:-

This hospital-based horror tale features abduction and a research project that violates every principle of modern medicine. This is a reissue of a novel by a popular author often described as the 'Queen of Suspense'.

My Review:-

This is the first book from Mary Higgins Clark, and boy am I glad I read it. This is a hospital based murder mystery. Not what I expected at all. What we don't get to see in murder mystery books nowadays are the point of view of the murdered itself, interestingly, we get that here. That was one of the most interesting aspects of this book. In this story the author predicts what the outcome will be for the main character Katie DeMaio. It all began with a small incident, which leads her to meet a murder of a doctor that has never been caught for his actions. It was about a young widow prosecutor named Katie DeMaio and how she got in a small car accident, which had her end up in the hospital. The hospital was called West Lake Hospital. It had a doctor who was also a murderer, that was great for curing women that were pregnant.

Other than it's stroyline itself, the dialogues were a little awkward and the writing style itself was a little off. I would say that this is a classic styled mystery novel where you somehow know that the culprit will be caught. This book would definitely be read with an open mind.

Overall, I would rate this book 3 stars.

Would I recommend it to someone, only to people who really love murder mystery novels.  

Book Review - A Book of Horrors compiled by Stephen Jones

The synopsis :-

Many of us grew up on The Pan Book of Horror Stories and its later incarnations, Dark Voices and Dark Terrors (The Gollancz Book of Horror), which won the World Fantasy Award, the Horror Critics' Guild Award and the British Fantasy Award, but for a decade or more there has been no non-themed anthology of original horror fiction published in the mainstream. Now that horror has returned to the bookshelves, it is time for a regular anthology of brand-new fiction by the best and brightest in the field, both the Big Names and the most talented newcomers. A Book of Horrors is the foremost in the field: a collection of the very best chiller fiction, from some of the world's greatest writers.

My Review:-

As you would already know, this is an anthology of horror stories from various horror and fantasy writers such as Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell and Brian Hodge, just to name a few. The compilation of the writers were amazing, however the stories some were good and some not worth mentioning. So here are some of the stories that I personally enjoyed!

Charcloth, Firesteel, and Flint by Caitlin R. Kiernan 

Caitlin R. Kiernan, is an author whom I actually like and have read before. This tale was a wonderful read and definitely kept you wanting to read more.

The Coffin-Maker's Daughter by Angela Slatter 

This story blew my mind, I really enjoyed it. 

Roots and All by Brian Hodge 

Hodge brings us a fairly good story about country folktales and the balance of right and wrong, death and life. I liked it well enough and found Hodge's wording to be beautiful. He's a good short story writer. . 

The Music of Bengt Karlsson, Murderer by John Ajvide Lindqvist 

Lindqvist, the true master horror. This story does not disappoint. It comes equipped, surely, with many of the standards of the horror genre: death in the family, unknowingly moving into the house of a murderer, child-like wraiths, ghostly music. And yet it is executed beautifully and in such a way that you can't stop reading it. One of the most memorable stories in the anthology.

Getting It Wrong by Ramsey Campbell 

I can admire the way the story comes full circle, and how because the protagonist is so unlikeable you can imagine how in the end he will earn just suffering. Even still, the story lacks the essential spark of possibility that horror stories need in order to hold its audience in doubt.  

Alice Through the Plastic Sheet by Robert Shearman 

This story was just bizarre. I think the story could be a commentary on the absurdity of capitalist societies...but I really can't be sure. The ending added to the element of strangeness the whole story emanates. 


A Child's Problem by Reggie Oliver 

In wonderful contrast to "The Man in the Ditch", "A Child's Problem" is amazing. The writing puts in mind the era of the setting. And you can't help but love the clever, sassy protagonist. In fact the robustness of all the characters' personalities is astounding considering that this is only a short story. Oliver is a master of their craft and I would highly recommend this anthology just for this story.

Sad, Dark Thing by Michael Marshall Smith 

Another well spun tale, "Sad, Dark Thing" is short and bittersweet. Very poignant, very elegant, a grand horror story.

Near Zennor by Elizabeth Hand 

I really liked the premise of the story. The set-up was wonderful and the possibilities for the story looked quite promising. I was very disappointed in the ending and I left with the feeling that there were several loose strings left to dangle. The writing was decent and the mood quite effective for a ghost story.

Last Words by Richard Christian Matheson 

Pretty decent, "Last Words" is more of a philosophical manifesto written my a serial killer with daddy issues than a horror story. It was still pretty good, and I feel that it was a nice way to end the anthology.

Well, I truly hope you enjoy reading this book. There's a couple of stories I didn't mention in this review, please skip those!

Overall three stars!

Book Review - Wild Orchids by Jude Deveraux

The Synopsis :-

Since his wife's death, world-famous author Ford Newcombe has lived a solitary life, void of creativity or love. Then Jackie Maxwell tears down the walls of his isolated world with her sassy wit and fierce intelligence. Ford's heart is touched by his vivacious assistant and his imagination sparked by her knowledge of a strange story that drives them to a small North Carolina town brimming with secrets. There, they will trace the mystery of a woman said to have loved the devil himself...and discover not only the truth about a crime from the past -- but a passion that holds the promise of a new life together. 

My Review:-

This is the first book of Jude Deveraux that I have read. To be very honest, the writing style bothered me a little and for some reason I feel that this book was all over the place. I'm an avid reader of paranormal romance. This book did not come across as paranormal or supernatural in the first instance. As I was reading it, then it became clear, however it did take a great deal of patience for me to get through the book. 

This is the story of Ford and Jackie. Ford has a bad reputation for firing everyone who works for him tries to talk Jackie into working for him which she in not about to do. Until her wedding day when things go South and she shows up at his doorstep in her wedding dress asking if the job is still open. Jackie is especially interested in the part where they move to Cole Creek (home of her youth) the very next day.

Overall, I would say that this is an easy read but without a genre to it. Of course it had romance but not the normal type of romance one would expect. There are some annoying little things in the book, but those things can be overlooked when you start to get to the part where you know something is wrong with the town that you have grown up in. 

I would give it three stars. 

genre : paranormal/supernatural/mystery/romance

Mercy by Jodi Picoult

The synopsis of the book:-

Police chief of a small Massachusetts town, Cameron McDonald makes the toughest arrest of his life when his own cousin Jamie comes to him and confesses outright that he has killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy.

Now, a heated murder trial plunges the town into upheaval, and drives a wedge into a contented marriage: Cameron, aiding the prosecution in their case against Jamie, is suddenly at odds with his devoted wife, Allie -- seduced by the idea of a man so in love with his wife that he'd grant all her wishes, even her wish to end her life. And when an inexplicable attraction leads to a shocking betrayal, Allie faces the hardest questions of the heart: when does love cross the line of moral obligation? And what does it mean to truly love another?

My Review:-

This is actually the first book that I read from the writing of Jodi Picoult. To be very honest, I expected much more from her knowing she wrote books like "My Sister's Keeper" which was heart wrenching and gripping.

This book just didn't do it for me. The characters were all over the place and god, Cameron was the worst of the lot. Maybe it was the author's intention that the main character is to be portrayed that way but this was just plain horrible. He has a wife that is loving and working very hard to make their marriage work, he complicates it by having an affair with Mia, his wife's helper at the shop who mysteriously shows up one day at his wife's shop. 

As the characters start building the story, I found that it was hard for me to accept that Jamie (the one who killed his wife, Maggie) could ever be related to Cameron. Jamie is a loving husband who couldn't bare looking at his wife suffer, so he killed her at her request. Yes, he killed her, but for me he just ended her suffering. He loved her, cherished her and absolutely adored her. To then compare him with Cameron who was totally opposite. He never appreciated his wife and cheated on her with someone she helped and he dared calling it love. 

Everything that Cameron does for his wife, Allie, is a part of him remembering Mia. He's making love to his wife but in his head, it's Mia. It is kind of disturbing to know that he appreciates Mia more that his wife, Allie. Then one day, his mom walks in him and Mia having sex, and he is the one who gets mad at his mom. One of the worst scenes to have been written. I mean, that scene could have been written better. 

As for Allie, she was focusing on finding out why Jamie killed Maggie. She was more interested in her husband's relative more than Cameron ever was. The idea of a man loving his wife unconditionally and granting all her wishes was foreign to Allie, probably something she was longing for. The only thing Cameron did for Jamie was to get him an attorney. After that he was more focused on Mia. 

This book just didn't do it for me. Jamie and Maggie's story could have been more than Cameron, Allie and Mia's. The author could have made Cameron learn from Jamie and Maggie and focused on the relationship between Allie and Cameron instead of complicating it with Mia. Heart wrenching it was not!!

I'd give this book two stars mainly because the story between Jamie and Maggie was gripping. Otherwise, this was a long and dry read... Disappointed!! Wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for an emotional read, this book would just end up making the reader angry. 

  

Book Review - Dark Lycan by Christine Feehan

Among others, Christine Feehan is also one of my favorite authors. I remember the first book I read, it was Dark Demon, the story of Natalya and Vikirnoff. I fell in love with her writing the minute I finished that book. That was the first time I was sucked into the Carpathian World and the way of their lives. The idea of lifemate, one will not survive without the other captured my heart. Then I decided I had to read and own the whole series. I started reading the series from the beginning, and when I came back to Dark Demon, the story line made more sense and made me fall in love with her writing and books even more. 

Ultimately, I would love to review all of her books, but for now, the most recent book I read from the Dark Carpathian Series will have to do. Dark Lycan is book 23 from the Dark Carpathian Series and is the story of Tatijana and Fenris Dalka. One thing you need to know about this series is that the male cannot survive without the women, they are a race that survive with blood however, if they do not find their lifemates, the potential of the males becoming vampires are high. Some of the males prefer walking in the sun meaning burning themselves to death than become a vampire, well if all the males chose to do that then I do not think we would have a long running series like these.

So essentially, the way they find the lifemates are kind of the same, inclusing mating rituals and so on, the only thing that differs and distinguishes each and every book is the way the males court the females and ofcourse the main storyline that the author have been building from the beginning. You can read the books as stand alones, but reading the whole series would actually make better sense and helps with the understanding of the main story. Many of the characters from other books often make cameos in the books, so if you're planning to read this book or any book from this series, I suggest you start from the beginning, starting Dark Prince.

So, lets start with Dark Lycan...

The synopsis of the book:-

Tatijana of the Dragonseekers spent centuries encased in ice with her sister, trapped in limbo between life and death, never speaking to a soul other than those who tormented her. Now, she has been freed from her frozen prison by an unknown descendent. Awakened in human form, Tatijana yearns to explore the modern world in which she now lives—a world with more mysteries than she is prepared for.

Fenris Dalka has returned to the Carpathian Mountains after a long absence to be with his brother. He is scarred by centuries of battle, and every hard-won victory. But the real reason for his return home could prove deadly if discovered by the wrong man—or woman. Upon his arrival, he is compelled by a beautiful and enigmatic stranger who carries the scent of fresh earth, of forest, of the night itself.

In time Tatijana and Fenris will discover all that unites them—their secrets and pasts, their predators, and the hot flush of passion that stirs their souls. Yet just as surely, seduced into the silvery darkness of a full-moon night, they’ll also discover everything ancient and evil that exists to destroy them.  

My review:-

Fenris Dalka is the main/leading character or the protagonist of this book. He isn't like any other Carpathians, he is part carpathian and part lycan (wolf) known as "Sange Rau". For the first time in this series, we are introduced to Sange Rau, as all of the previous books only included mages, vampires and carpathians.

Fen is a deadly mix of Carpathian and lycan. None of the carpathians have come across this, as the cross between humans and carpathians were also an issue in the previous books. So when Fen came along, the carpathians had hope of saving their dying race.

He then teams up with the carpathians (cameo from various characters from the previous books, including gregory and mikhail) after much persuasion from his new found lifemate Tatijana. Together, they make a strong team and support one another despite Fen's protectiveness towards his lifemate, they try to defeat the enemies.

In my opinion, Fenris Dalka is strong both physical and with his values. He is protective of his brothers (one of whom's book is a much awaited!) and his lifemate. He is loyal and there were situations where he had to put his life on the line many times for his new found people, the carpathians. Of course they accept him, one of the many reasons would be he is the lifemate of their oldest lineage, dragonseekers.

Tatijana is the protagonist and the heroine of this book. If you have read the previous book, you would know that she was held captive in a cave most of her life with her sister. She can shape shift into a dragon by the way, how awesome is that?!

She found Fen when she was recovering from the trauma she faced in the caves as a captive. One would think she would be the needy and had to be protected type of heroines, but nope! She is one tough dragon, did I mention that she can shape shift into a dragon? A fire breathing dragon to be precise. She works hand in hand with Fen and her fellow carpathians for the survival of their race.

Together Fen and Tatijana create magic and love! It was an amazing journey reading this book. To see the world through the eyes of the tortured and bruised, is truly a wonderful thing. The way Feehan captured their world was fantastic.

Feehan truly is the Queen of Paranormal Romance.

I'd give this book 4 stars!

A must read!

Happy reading peeps!