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Lords of the Underworld #12
The Darkest Torment
Can Beauty tame her Beast?
Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he's back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he's unable to withstand the touch of another and he's quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride just not his own.
Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she's taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she's plunged into a war between two evilswith a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.
But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she'll have to teach him to love or lose him forever.
Includes Q&A featuring J. R. Ward, Jeaniene Frost, Nalini Singh and more!
"
Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he's back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he's unable to withstand the touch of another and he's quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride just not his own.
Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she's taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she's plunged into a war between two evilswith a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.
But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she'll have to teach him to love or lose him forever.
Includes Q&A featuring J. R. Ward, Jeaniene Frost, Nalini Singh and more!
"
512 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2016
About the author
Gena Showalter
238 books27.3k followersGena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.
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February 8, 2024
**Warning: This review will be quite ranty and looooong. Effie, brace yourself! Die-hard LOTU fans look away. And no I didn't rate this down because I wasn't happy that this character got his book before others. I don't have time for dat nonsense.**
What to say?
Pretty much wanted to hurl this to the wall.
And to think I was lowkey eager to start reading this when I got back from my vacation. pfft.
This used to be such an amazing series. The LOTU series was my very first PR series, it introduced me to everything fearsome, edgey, sexy, badass, naughty, hilarious Immortal warriors. So these guys will always be special to me. But I’ll be totally blunt: the only reason I read this is for the side plots for Cameo, William, Gilly and Galen/Legion. Everything else has lost all flavor and fun for me. What used to be fresh and funny is all camp and flat dialogue now. Which I find so depressing.
The biggest problem for me that has really disillusioned me and discolored everything is the writing. I’m sorry but I just can’t overlook it anymore. It's not at all what it used to be. It's become complete trash. And yes I stand by that. The lack of coherency, arbitrary throw-away jokes, cluttered prose and interchangeable characters is incredibly hard to miss and just astounding at this point. If you compare Books 1-3 to the last 3, it's like night and day. Everyone is literally talking the same and acting the same, even the freaking dogs talk the same! Come on. I don't know what happened but the writing is a frantic manic mess with plot holes, inconsistencies and hammy frenetic dialogue that 90% of the time is hard to follow. I’m not even exaggerating when I say I had to stop several times in the first few chapters because passages made no sense and kept confusing me. The internal choppy dialogue is annoying and sometimes there are no breaks. You have the characters blurting stuff out that make NO sense in the context given. It’s like everyone has ADD or just ramble out whatever pops into their head. I DON’T GET IT. And that frustrated me the most. The number of times I had to re-read this passage to try and make sense of it sums up my experience with reading this whole book:
The hell? Why in the hell would you provoke the obvious bad guy into torturing your brother?! WHY?
It's like all the characters are sharing some private joke or conversation that you the reader aren't in on and you feel like you missed something.
I mean don't even ask me about the
Like HUH?? I don't need Keeley's backwards Yoda talk to try and explain things. It only makes it worse. The number of times we are told who usurps the other in this weird power play I found so pointless. Why does there always have to be convoluted hard-to-follow loopholes?
As for the Inconsistencies:
-Legion the 'blonde bombshell' is a brunette now.
-Gilly who's been crushing hard on William for ages and curious about what sex would be like with him is suddenly cowering and disgusted over the idea of having sex with him--or anyone (although to be fair this is more true to her character given her history with sexual abuse but still...not what was presented in previous books).
-The big giant gaping plot hole of how the hell Baden ended up in a purgatory realm with Pandora still went unanswered in here (unless I blinked and missed it). The last time we saw Baden was in Aeron's book when Aeron died and went to heaven and talked to Baden. Now suddenly in Torin’s book he pops up out of nowhere in some random realm fighting to get out. How the hell did he get there? The happy content spirit Baden in Book 5 was just figment of our imagination? <_< This glaring discrepancy bothers me. A lot. It's hard to freaking miss.
-Baden has gone centuries without human touch while stuck in purgatory (definitely not heaven) so he’s super sensitive to touch and uses condoms during sex. In the throw away scene in the Insider’s Guide, a DAY after his return from hell Baden already has gone through a "buffet of women" to find some release. Uh....ok. How? In one freaking day??? What happened to him not standing human touch? Unless he’s Paris I don’t buy this. It was played down majorly when he discussed it with Katarina, it was implied (more than once) he was very selective when he came back with who he slept with and he hated it. So which is it Gena? Pick one and stick to it.
Baden & Katarina
Did absolutely nothing for me. Zip. Zilch. Are-we-there-yet?-nothing. The romance is so weak and underdeveloped that I wish it was better simply to distract from the other shit that pissed me off. Baden is still a big giant ? for me and the most one-dimensional warrior in this series. He’s just a giant lumbering testosterone ‘You Jane. Me Tarzan!’ robot. Nothing more. I said this before and I still stand by it, Gena totally jumped the gun giving him his story literally right after being brought back to life. He’s a virtual stranger to LOTU readers, we needed time to be introduced to him before his own book. She needed to set up the foundation to who he is now and how he’s coping now. None of that is given in his story which blows my mind. I don't understand why the author would bring a character back and not bother to flesh him out more. Everything is just barely touched on. Where were the flashbacks? memories? some genuine bonding moments where he reconnects with his beloved warrior brothers. We are only told everything, not shown any of it. Everything just seemed so throw away. The beast Destruction has more page time, backstory and POV then Baden. How weird is that?
As for Katerina, I did not like her. She’s flat, unfeeling, emotionally detached and so preachy that I’m wondering what exactly Baden found so enthralling about her? Was it her 'internationally successful' dog training credentials? These two had zero chemistry. All they do is argue and have sex. And sometimes the arguing and cussing out happens during sex. So cute no? She refuses to say she ‘needs’ Baden for anything at all because she’s that strong and independent. RME hard. Good grief. Why must everything be taken to such extremes? This girl spends more time and devotion training her dogs than spending time with the hero. I really don't care about 10 different techniques used to train stray dogs and using those skills on a man is utterly ridiculous to me. I’m sorry but wanting to "train" your guy like a dog that needs to be tamed is not. fucking. cute. EVER.
Nor is it romantic to me at all. That’s not the kind of Beauty and the Beast story that I want to read about. I didn’t like it and it made Katerina come off extremely patronizing and a total asshole. HE’S NOT A DOG. Cut that shit out. It’s so belittling and dehumanizing.
This is why I internally cringed when I found out the heroine was a dog trainer for this very reason. Look I love dogs just as much as the next person, love them! I have pets too and it would destroy me if they died. But let’s get fucking real here. This girl was willing to marry a sociopath because he threatened to kill her dogs. Not her, but her dogs. To use ransomed dogs as a catalyst for the entire freaking plot?!
I mean...come on.
William & Gilly
*takes a deep breath*
I’ve waited 9 FREAKING BOOKS for this girl to get more POV and her story to move along and this is what I get?
A fucking goat man?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?
Gena is trolling fans hard here.
'What is this Gilliam you speak of?
Never heard of em.
Payoff?
HA! What’s that?’
Put that on a T-shirt next time for your pre-order giveaways.
*ducks head for flying objects*
I don’t like being this upset about a book or a couple. It makes me feel silly dammit. So my reaction to this just pisses me off more. This is exactly why I never get hung up on possible pairings in long extended series until the author confirms it with a book. I should have followed my damn gut on this. Authors sometimes change their mind and change story direction. I get it. What I'm not ok with? Stringing fans along book after book in CANON and encouraging fans of the couple to ship them, promoting them (and even giving them a ship name) if there is no payoff in the end. It's manipulative and using your readers. And yes I'm even going out on a limb here to say she changed her mind. Do I have inside intel? No. I’m just telling it how I see it. Cause the narrative sure has changed, on and off the page. The number of times I’ve walked away from the possibility of this couple only to be given hope again then shut down again by this author is seriously ridiculous. My point is: If you aren’t sure or definite about a pairing? Don’t continue to tease them on the page through the ENTIRE SERIES. Period. Why is that so hard to do? Just give the PC answer: Keep reading. That's it. That’s all. Especially if you are a writer prone to making constant changes. Just saying.
I'm sure some enjoyed this direction and believe this is movement for this couple and others are just damn happy that 'little annoying' Gilly is away from William. More power to you! I'm not here to discourage anyone, certainly not Gilliam and Gilly fans. But for me personally, the writing is on the wall.
But couples aside, I've cared about this character and her development since her introduction in Book 3. Scared traumatized Gillly has more potential, depth and layers than half of these 'badass' immortal heroines combined. Yes. COMBINED.
So yeah I wanted something fabulous for her. Gena kept putting this character on hold and character limbo and not developing her more until 7 books later which is frustrating to say the least. I couldn't wait till she turned 18 so she could grow up more, live and not be afraid anymore. This girl has so much potential it's crazy. And William was the perfect darkness to her light. She is everything he is terrified of, everything he avoids. Everyone else makes it so easy for this playboy, I wanna see him brought down a peg or two and we did see a little of that here. And I just have to say this because I see this argument all the time over this character, to those screaming about William needing a "real woman" for his HEA and Gilly is too immature? What would be your alternative for him? You want another screeching Harpy who wants to peck his eyes out? Another Keeley or Katarina? How is that any different then the last 5 books? Because Gena's taste in adult "badass" women leaves a lot to be desired for me personally. So yeah..... no thank you. I'll totally pass on that. (And FYI in case anyone wants to attack me for this: I'm not here to shame anyone for what they like or dislike, these are just my opinions).
As of now, I'm done being teased and hanging on. I'm just sick to death of the back and forth. If Gilly is not his HEA, just come out and say it. The number of 'can't comment on William's heroine' has put me on edge enough it's a broken record at this point. All I'm saying is don't say one thing yet do another. My sense of trust in this author is completely busted after this. And if this 'twist' is really just a big hurdle (the size of a grand canyon) then I'll eat my words and you can call me Molly. Until then, I'm gonna sit here being extra salty and side eye everything about this series.
ETA: Gena did a Q&A on here 11/15/16 and her answer to a Gilly/William question pretty much confirms my suspicions.
https://www.goodreads.com/questions/9...
If you "still aren't sure" (are you kidding me?!) about a couple then don't use them to sell/promote a book and don't drag it out for this long. I'm sorry but this kind of endless baiting fans is utterly ridiculous and shitty. This is not ok.
Cameo
My poor Cameo. I really hope this girl gets a better story and finds her man Lazarus. We only get like 5 pages with her in here. My heart broke for her with how lonely and heart broken she is. Her memory has been wiped clean because of her demon Misery, every time she experiences a moment of happiness her memory is wiped clean. She doesn't remember her time with Lazarus while they were stuck in a realm together so she's now off determined to find him and get her happiness. You go girl! GET YOUR MAN.
Galen
Another character who I really wanted to know more about. He plays a pretty big side kick role in here. I just was hoping to see more interaction between him and Legion. Of course Gena saves it up till the very last page in the epilogue. He is very serious about wooing this girl and I can't help but love it. It will be bittersweet if I walk away before seeing how his story & redemption unfolds.
Overall: I'm giving this series one more final shot with Cameo's book. If I'm not happy with that then I'm walking. Lord knows early reviews didn't help me with this one. When it comes to rating a book, I take into account everything. I can hate the h/hr but enjoy the subplots and writing enough that I will give more stars for it. But here there was literally nothing that I enjoyed. I found myself constantly checking how many pages I had left and wanting it to just be over. That's no fun. I feel so jaded and let down with where this series is now verses where it started. I do encourage new readers to read the first 5 books because they are so much fun and amazing. As for me, I'm packing my bags and so ready to walk. You abuse my trust as a reader and I’m done.
What to say?
Pretty much wanted to hurl this to the wall.
And to think I was lowkey eager to start reading this when I got back from my vacation. pfft.
This used to be such an amazing series. The LOTU series was my very first PR series, it introduced me to everything fearsome, edgey, sexy, badass, naughty, hilarious Immortal warriors. So these guys will always be special to me. But I’ll be totally blunt: the only reason I read this is for the side plots for Cameo, William, Gilly and Galen/Legion. Everything else has lost all flavor and fun for me. What used to be fresh and funny is all camp and flat dialogue now. Which I find so depressing.
The biggest problem for me that has really disillusioned me and discolored everything is the writing. I’m sorry but I just can’t overlook it anymore. It's not at all what it used to be. It's become complete trash. And yes I stand by that. The lack of coherency, arbitrary throw-away jokes, cluttered prose and interchangeable characters is incredibly hard to miss and just astounding at this point. If you compare Books 1-3 to the last 3, it's like night and day. Everyone is literally talking the same and acting the same, even the freaking dogs talk the same! Come on. I don't know what happened but the writing is a frantic manic mess with plot holes, inconsistencies and hammy frenetic dialogue that 90% of the time is hard to follow. I’m not even exaggerating when I say I had to stop several times in the first few chapters because passages made no sense and kept confusing me. The internal choppy dialogue is annoying and sometimes there are no breaks. You have the characters blurting stuff out that make NO sense in the context given. It’s like everyone has ADD or just ramble out whatever pops into their head. I DON’T GET IT. And that frustrated me the most. The number of times I had to re-read this passage to try and make sense of it sums up my experience with reading this whole book:
Earlier in the year, Dominik had signed up to work for Alek of his own free will. So after she'd laughed in Alek's face and said, "Go ahead. Torture him," he'd upped the ante. Marry him, or witness the torture of her precious dogs.
The hell? Why in the hell would you provoke the obvious bad guy into torturing your brother?! WHY?
It's like all the characters are sharing some private joke or conversation that you the reader aren't in on and you feel like you missed something.
I mean don't even ask me about the
Like HUH?? I don't need Keeley's backwards Yoda talk to try and explain things. It only makes it worse. The number of times we are told who usurps the other in this weird power play I found so pointless. Why does there always have to be convoluted hard-to-follow loopholes?
As for the Inconsistencies:
-Legion the 'blonde bombshell' is a brunette now.
-Gilly who's been crushing hard on William for ages and curious about what sex would be like with him is suddenly cowering and disgusted over the idea of having sex with him--or anyone (although to be fair this is more true to her character given her history with sexual abuse but still...not what was presented in previous books).
-The big giant gaping plot hole of how the hell Baden ended up in a purgatory realm with Pandora still went unanswered in here (unless I blinked and missed it). The last time we saw Baden was in Aeron's book when Aeron died and went to heaven and talked to Baden. Now suddenly in Torin’s book he pops up out of nowhere in some random realm fighting to get out. How the hell did he get there? The happy content spirit Baden in Book 5 was just figment of our imagination? <_< This glaring discrepancy bothers me. A lot. It's hard to freaking miss.
-Baden has gone centuries without human touch while stuck in purgatory (definitely not heaven) so he’s super sensitive to touch and uses condoms during sex. In the throw away scene in the Insider’s Guide, a DAY after his return from hell Baden already has gone through a "buffet of women" to find some release. Uh....ok. How? In one freaking day??? What happened to him not standing human touch? Unless he’s Paris I don’t buy this. It was played down majorly when he discussed it with Katarina, it was implied (more than once) he was very selective when he came back with who he slept with and he hated it. So which is it Gena? Pick one and stick to it.
Baden & Katarina
Did absolutely nothing for me. Zip. Zilch. Are-we-there-yet?-nothing. The romance is so weak and underdeveloped that I wish it was better simply to distract from the other shit that pissed me off. Baden is still a big giant ? for me and the most one-dimensional warrior in this series. He’s just a giant lumbering testosterone ‘You Jane. Me Tarzan!’ robot. Nothing more. I said this before and I still stand by it, Gena totally jumped the gun giving him his story literally right after being brought back to life. He’s a virtual stranger to LOTU readers, we needed time to be introduced to him before his own book. She needed to set up the foundation to who he is now and how he’s coping now. None of that is given in his story which blows my mind. I don't understand why the author would bring a character back and not bother to flesh him out more. Everything is just barely touched on. Where were the flashbacks? memories? some genuine bonding moments where he reconnects with his beloved warrior brothers. We are only told everything, not shown any of it. Everything just seemed so throw away. The beast Destruction has more page time, backstory and POV then Baden. How weird is that?
As for Katerina, I did not like her. She’s flat, unfeeling, emotionally detached and so preachy that I’m wondering what exactly Baden found so enthralling about her? Was it her 'internationally successful' dog training credentials? These two had zero chemistry. All they do is argue and have sex. And sometimes the arguing and cussing out happens during sex. So cute no? She refuses to say she ‘needs’ Baden for anything at all because she’s that strong and independent. RME hard. Good grief. Why must everything be taken to such extremes? This girl spends more time and devotion training her dogs than spending time with the hero. I really don't care about 10 different techniques used to train stray dogs and using those skills on a man is utterly ridiculous to me. I’m sorry but wanting to "train" your guy like a dog that needs to be tamed is not. fucking. cute. EVER.
Nor is it romantic to me at all. That’s not the kind of Beauty and the Beast story that I want to read about. I didn’t like it and it made Katerina come off extremely patronizing and a total asshole. HE’S NOT A DOG. Cut that shit out. It’s so belittling and dehumanizing.
This is why I internally cringed when I found out the heroine was a dog trainer for this very reason. Look I love dogs just as much as the next person, love them! I have pets too and it would destroy me if they died. But let’s get fucking real here. This girl was willing to marry a sociopath because he threatened to kill her dogs. Not her, but her dogs. To use ransomed dogs as a catalyst for the entire freaking plot?!
I mean...come on.
William & Gilly
*takes a deep breath*
I’ve waited 9 FREAKING BOOKS for this girl to get more POV and her story to move along and this is what I get?
A fucking goat man?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?
Gena is trolling fans hard here.
'What is this Gilliam you speak of?
Never heard of em.
Payoff?
HA! What’s that?’
Put that on a T-shirt next time for your pre-order giveaways.
*ducks head for flying objects*
I don’t like being this upset about a book or a couple. It makes me feel silly dammit. So my reaction to this just pisses me off more. This is exactly why I never get hung up on possible pairings in long extended series until the author confirms it with a book. I should have followed my damn gut on this. Authors sometimes change their mind and change story direction. I get it. What I'm not ok with? Stringing fans along book after book in CANON and encouraging fans of the couple to ship them, promoting them (and even giving them a ship name) if there is no payoff in the end. It's manipulative and using your readers. And yes I'm even going out on a limb here to say she changed her mind. Do I have inside intel? No. I’m just telling it how I see it. Cause the narrative sure has changed, on and off the page. The number of times I’ve walked away from the possibility of this couple only to be given hope again then shut down again by this author is seriously ridiculous. My point is: If you aren’t sure or definite about a pairing? Don’t continue to tease them on the page through the ENTIRE SERIES. Period. Why is that so hard to do? Just give the PC answer: Keep reading. That's it. That’s all. Especially if you are a writer prone to making constant changes. Just saying.
I'm sure some enjoyed this direction and believe this is movement for this couple and others are just damn happy that 'little annoying' Gilly is away from William. More power to you! I'm not here to discourage anyone, certainly not Gilliam and Gilly fans. But for me personally, the writing is on the wall.
But couples aside, I've cared about this character and her development since her introduction in Book 3. Scared traumatized Gillly has more potential, depth and layers than half of these 'badass' immortal heroines combined. Yes. COMBINED.
So yeah I wanted something fabulous for her. Gena kept putting this character on hold and character limbo and not developing her more until 7 books later which is frustrating to say the least. I couldn't wait till she turned 18 so she could grow up more, live and not be afraid anymore. This girl has so much potential it's crazy. And William was the perfect darkness to her light. She is everything he is terrified of, everything he avoids. Everyone else makes it so easy for this playboy, I wanna see him brought down a peg or two and we did see a little of that here. And I just have to say this because I see this argument all the time over this character, to those screaming about William needing a "real woman" for his HEA and Gilly is too immature? What would be your alternative for him? You want another screeching Harpy who wants to peck his eyes out? Another Keeley or Katarina? How is that any different then the last 5 books? Because Gena's taste in adult "badass" women leaves a lot to be desired for me personally. So yeah..... no thank you. I'll totally pass on that. (And FYI in case anyone wants to attack me for this: I'm not here to shame anyone for what they like or dislike, these are just my opinions).
As of now, I'm done being teased and hanging on. I'm just sick to death of the back and forth. If Gilly is not his HEA, just come out and say it. The number of 'can't comment on William's heroine' has put me on edge enough it's a broken record at this point. All I'm saying is don't say one thing yet do another. My sense of trust in this author is completely busted after this. And if this 'twist' is really just a big hurdle (the size of a grand canyon) then I'll eat my words and you can call me Molly. Until then, I'm gonna sit here being extra salty and side eye everything about this series.
ETA: Gena did a Q&A on here 11/15/16 and her answer to a Gilly/William question pretty much confirms my suspicions.
https://www.goodreads.com/questions/9...
If you "still aren't sure" (are you kidding me?!) about a couple then don't use them to sell/promote a book and don't drag it out for this long. I'm sorry but this kind of endless baiting fans is utterly ridiculous and shitty. This is not ok.
Cameo
My poor Cameo. I really hope this girl gets a better story and finds her man Lazarus. We only get like 5 pages with her in here. My heart broke for her with how lonely and heart broken she is. Her memory has been wiped clean because of her demon Misery, every time she experiences a moment of happiness her memory is wiped clean. She doesn't remember her time with Lazarus while they were stuck in a realm together so she's now off determined to find him and get her happiness. You go girl! GET YOUR MAN.
Galen
Another character who I really wanted to know more about. He plays a pretty big side kick role in here. I just was hoping to see more interaction between him and Legion. Of course Gena saves it up till the very last page in the epilogue. He is very serious about wooing this girl and I can't help but love it. It will be bittersweet if I walk away before seeing how his story & redemption unfolds.
Overall: I'm giving this series one more final shot with Cameo's book. If I'm not happy with that then I'm walking. Lord knows early reviews didn't help me with this one. When it comes to rating a book, I take into account everything. I can hate the h/hr but enjoy the subplots and writing enough that I will give more stars for it. But here there was literally nothing that I enjoyed. I found myself constantly checking how many pages I had left and wanting it to just be over. That's no fun. I feel so jaded and let down with where this series is now verses where it started. I do encourage new readers to read the first 5 books because they are so much fun and amazing. As for me, I'm packing my bags and so ready to walk. You abuse my trust as a reader and I’m done.
July 17, 2019
Well, first of all, I wasn't expecting Baden's book, so of course I would be let down already. We knew almost nothing about it, besides the fact he was considered the 'good guy' among the Lords before the demon led to his untimely demise. In this book he appears completely different. Free from the demon, but host to a new kind of vicious monster, he is no longer the kind-hearted one. Sometimes you can still see flashes of that man, but now he's basically a beast set loose. To tell you the truth, now that I think about it, I'm positive it was all due to a move of the author trying to show us how the pure one suffered for thousands of years and how he came back a changed, tortured man. Bollocks, if you ask me! Sure, he suffered. But then, aren't the Lords supposed to suffer, each in their own way? Otherwise, they wouldn't be hosts to demons, therefore wouldn't be the Lords of the Underworld as we know them. What I'm trying to say is that, sure, the man had a short temper nowadays and he could be an asshole from time to time, but he was still ok. Not an unforgettable character, not bad either. Just meh!
Katarina, his lady love, was also very bland. Also, that thing about her training Baden as if he was one of her dogs wasn't cute or sexy at all.
Also, and this is another complaint of mine, is it just me or the action in the series is quickly fading away? I know we want romance, but the action part was much a part of the early books. I want adventures, intrigue, journeys in search of lost artifacts or important immortal beings. Don't let me down, Gena Showalter!
Katarina, his lady love, was also very bland. Also, that thing about her training Baden as if he was one of her dogs wasn't cute or sexy at all.
Also, and this is another complaint of mine, is it just me or the action in the series is quickly fading away? I know we want romance, but the action part was much a part of the early books. I want adventures, intrigue, journeys in search of lost artifacts or important immortal beings. Don't let me down, Gena Showalter!
December 24, 2019
2.5 Boring stars
Okay so I'm gonna do a small review here. I don't want to waste too much time on a book that took up enough of my time already. The Darkest Torment was an okay read at best. I didn't care for Baden. Didn't find him sexy. Felt no pull to him. He was just there. Katarina was crap. A human dog trainer. Wow so impressive..... Okay....... Don't get me wrong I love LOVE LOVE animals. I crochet blankets, beds, cat, and dog toys for our local animal shelter every year. Go up there and visit and love all over all the animals there a few times a month. I am a crazy cat/dog lady who loves my pets like they are my children. BUT Katarina was so stupidly overboard with the way she acted about her dogs that it was eye rolling. Her mom died, her dad died, her brother sold her to a evil drug lord in marriage and became a druggie, and none of that made her cry. But her dogs get killed and she goes into a black depression. Gives up the will to live. Really? Doesn't eat, sleep, talk, just depression coma. It was stupid. Top that off with a super slow boring plot line and I almost dnf my first Gena Showalter book. I only give the stars for Gilly, William and Cameo.
Okay so I'm gonna do a small review here. I don't want to waste too much time on a book that took up enough of my time already. The Darkest Torment was an okay read at best. I didn't care for Baden. Didn't find him sexy. Felt no pull to him. He was just there. Katarina was crap. A human dog trainer. Wow so impressive..... Okay....... Don't get me wrong I love LOVE LOVE animals. I crochet blankets, beds, cat, and dog toys for our local animal shelter every year. Go up there and visit and love all over all the animals there a few times a month. I am a crazy cat/dog lady who loves my pets like they are my children. BUT Katarina was so stupidly overboard with the way she acted about her dogs that it was eye rolling. Her mom died, her dad died, her brother sold her to a evil drug lord in marriage and became a druggie, and none of that made her cry. But her dogs get killed and she goes into a black depression. Gives up the will to live. Really? Doesn't eat, sleep, talk, just depression coma. It was stupid. Top that off with a super slow boring plot line and I almost dnf my first Gena Showalter book. I only give the stars for Gilly, William and Cameo.
June 12, 2016
** 3-3.5 STARS **
“You may be able to survive the world without me, but I can't survive the world without you. We can't. You keep us calm. You are our home.”
Firstly, uhm...I hate the cover. This is NOT how I've pictured Baden in my mind...AT ALL!!! Myyyyyyy Baden is this guy right freakin' here!
Secondly, this book was so...uhm...average. Baden was just meh, and Katarina was one of my least favourite heroines ever in this amazing series. The storyline started out okay, and went downhill from there. So sad. The sex scenes weren't even exciting either. I mean...HOW?!
What saved the hell outta this book for me were the little surprises about some other characters we've been waiting for, like Cameo, Galen and William! OMFG I'M SO PSYCHED FOR THEIR BOOKS! *fans herself*
OVERALL: Another disappointing installment to one of my all-time favourite paranormal series. Hope Cameo's story gets to be waaaaaay more awesome! :)
WHOSE BOOKS ARE WE WAITING FOR NEXT?
Cameo (and Lazarus), Galen (and Legion), William (and hopefully Gilly), Pandora?, Viola?, Pukinn?, Cameron?, Winter?
///////////////////////////
Message from Gena Showalter:
I'm not over-the-top excited about this book, no. But I will read it, because...HELLOOOOOOO...I'm pretty sure something important about the future books about Cameo or William or Galen will happen in it and NO WAY IN HELL can I miss that!
July 1, 2015
NO NO NO NO NO and NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! THIS IS SO NOT £UCKING HAPPENING!!!
I was so looking forward to Lazarus or William or Galen story, which ever works, I'm more than o.k., but Baden???? SERIOUSLY????
One year, one book . . . and a whole lot of:
I need comfort for my another-£ucking-year-waiting:
1 star, big disappointment!
I was so looking forward to Lazarus or William or Galen story, which ever works, I'm more than o.k., but Baden???? SERIOUSLY????
One year, one book . . . and a whole lot of:
I need comfort for my another-£ucking-year-waiting:
1 star, big disappointment!
April 14, 2016
So good. Absolutely loved it! Gena did it again. I've missed the Lords and that unique and amazing universe Gena created. Baden won't disappoint you, I promise! You will adore him and Katarina. I do believe everyone will find what they're looking for in The Darkest Torment. I know, I totally did.
"You may be able to survive the world without me, but I can't survive the world without you. We can't. You keep us calm. You are our home."And, don't fret, our favorite non-couple—Gillian and Willy aka Gilly? Gilliam? Willian?—will not let you down.
"I love you, Liam. When I had nothing and no one, you gave me friendship and joy, and I will be forever grateful to you."You are in for a wild ride. Be ready. Trust in the Showalter. Baduction is coming. I cannot wait to read the next book and see what Gena has in store for us! Also, Hades is mine.
He was a large man, similar in size to Baden, with inky hair and eyes so black they had no beginning or end. He wore a pin-striped suit and Italian loafers, the elegance at odds with the stars tattooed on each of his knuckles.PS. While reading this book, take several pairs of panties with you. You'll need them.
"One look at her and he'd been overcome with the urge to rut, long and hard and often—and oddly enough, to protect."PPS. And for those of you who were not happy with Gena's choice of hero for this book, I can honestly say, after reading it, Baden's story needed to be told. I know some of you really wanted Cameo's story or, even better, William's (I did too) but, I promise, you'll understand her choice after reading The Darkest Torment. For them to find their HEA, this story needed to happen. Be patient. It'll be worth it.
"You hardest times often lead to your greatest moments. So get hard." — William the Ever Randy
June 21, 2018
Baden: Formerly Demon of Distrust, Currently Demon of Destruction
Butterfly: on his chest
His curse: Well, he was dead for most books of the series. He was dead and without a demon even before the Lords started getting mating one by one. When he came back from the dead, he had no demon, i.e. we really do not know much about his suffering. We only learned that he really wanted to die before he died. Distrust also caused his hair to catch fire.
Katarina Joelle or Rina: Harmless human until
Supernatural ability: None until
I think this was the least anticipated book by the series’ fans. Including me.
It was hard to feel for Baden in the beginning of the book. It seems as if Baden is a nice tortured guy, but I did not know him. He was dead but lived in our hearts for more than 10 books and suddenly he is back. It took me a while to understand him and his motives but l liked him and his story.
So Baden used to be a Lord and the keeper of Distrust. The only dead Lord. Haidee, currently Amun’s mate, was used as Bait by Hunters in order to kill Baden.
Nowadays, he is back with an assignment by Hades. He needs to retrieve a coin from a dangerous man, Aleksader. When he visits him demanding the coin, Aleksader has just got married to Katarina. Baden instead of the coin, he takes Katarina with him.
Katarina is dog trainer for drug detection dogs and for domestic protection dogs. She was blackmailed to get married to Aleksader. Aleksander Ciernik, is from Slovakia, where his family business includes selling heroin and women. And apparently Pandora (who escaped from the Realm at the same time Baden did) aids Alek.
Katarina and Baden’s love story will be mainly naughty and funny. Katarina as a certified dog trainer will try to tame and train Baden and his demon.
And
I cannot really say much about the story without revealing the secrets of the book. I can say that in the end, I really enjoyed it – although it is my least favourite in the series.
Anyway, I love the direction of the series and what happens to the entire Lord of the Underwold’s family.
There is a cliffhanger in the end of the book about William and Gilly but I suppose we need to wait at least for two more years to see what will happen since Cameo's book will be next.
Butterfly: on his chest
His curse: Well, he was dead for most books of the series. He was dead and without a demon even before the Lords started getting mating one by one. When he came back from the dead, he had no demon, i.e. we really do not know much about his suffering. We only learned that he really wanted to die before he died. Distrust also caused his hair to catch fire.
Katarina Joelle or Rina: Harmless human until
Supernatural ability: None until
I think this was the least anticipated book by the series’ fans. Including me.
It was hard to feel for Baden in the beginning of the book. It seems as if Baden is a nice tortured guy, but I did not know him. He was dead but lived in our hearts for more than 10 books and suddenly he is back. It took me a while to understand him and his motives but l liked him and his story.
So Baden used to be a Lord and the keeper of Distrust. The only dead Lord. Haidee, currently Amun’s mate, was used as Bait by Hunters in order to kill Baden.
Nowadays, he is back with an assignment by Hades. He needs to retrieve a coin from a dangerous man, Aleksader. When he visits him demanding the coin, Aleksader has just got married to Katarina. Baden instead of the coin, he takes Katarina with him.
“I’ll leave with the coin...or I’ll leave with something you value.”
Katarina is dog trainer for drug detection dogs and for domestic protection dogs. She was blackmailed to get married to Aleksader. Aleksander Ciernik, is from Slovakia, where his family business includes selling heroin and women. And apparently Pandora (who escaped from the Realm at the same time Baden did) aids Alek.
Katarina and Baden’s love story will be mainly naughty and funny. Katarina as a certified dog trainer will try to tame and train Baden and his demon.
I think i’m going to train a beast so evil his name is Destruction?
I’ve lost my mind. That’s the only explanation.
And
If Baden were a dog, he would have barked at her, too. Maybe even nipped her. He would have been labeled aggressive, but as she knew, aggressive wasn’t synonymous with cruel.
I cannot really say much about the story without revealing the secrets of the book. I can say that in the end, I really enjoyed it – although it is my least favourite in the series.
Anyway, I love the direction of the series and what happens to the entire Lord of the Underwold’s family.
There is a cliffhanger in the end of the book about William and Gilly but I suppose we need to wait at least for two more years to see what will happen since Cameo's book will be next.
June 28, 2016
RATING: 3-3.5 "Glamour girl & Beast" Hearts!! :)
The Darkest Torment is admittedly not the best LotU addition, yet it is no less enjoyable. Baden is the highlight of this book. He is all alpha, gruff and I love every scene of his. We also get to see previous Lords and their respective mates make an appearance, and they are their usual hilarious selves. The family bond is superbly developed.
The reservations with this come from the plot, which felt stagnant. I felt as if there was no directionality in regards to the war between Lucifer and Hades, rather much of the plot focused on the relationship between Baden and Katarina. This brings me to my second reservation; the heroine. Rina started great, I loved her personality and even her job as a dog trainer, which is so different from the usual kick-ass heroines we're accustomed to in this series. However, she does a complete 180 and turns into this annoying person, constantly getting angry at every little demand Baden made (and I'm like WTF?? Woman, you realize he's an ALPHA MALE on steroids, right??). I also didn't much care for the constant back and forth in the romance. It eventually got on my nerves. That being said however, the romance is off the charts hot—the chemistry and sexual tension between Rina and Baden bringing a blush to my cheeks time and again.
I also loved the POVs from William and Cameo; there are some unexpected developments that happen regarding them, and I'm dying for their books! Overall, The Darkest Torment is an enjoyable enough read and will please LotU fans no doubt!
Posted: June 4, 2016
Shelved as 'series-gone-to-hell'
November 20, 2016That's it!!! I can't take anymore. I'm putting this series on hold till the day William's book is released. I've been fucking rooting for Team Gilliam since the beginning and I'm going to be soooo pissed if they don't happen. I don't think anyone gives a rats ass about that but I'm just going to complain here anyway. William is my ultimate favorite character and when he met Gilly, it was all like ''He couldn't take his eyes off her, her body and face are perfection to him and nobody is there for him like she is blah blah blah'' and I, the idiot, ate that shit right up.
Now it looks like she's changing her mind. There have been so many books and what, Gilly's aged like 1, 2 years? And it's like the older she gets, Gena's writing her more immature. Now we are supposed to see them just as friends and her as a child. No way, no fucking way. I can't do that!! I'm going to burn my fucking LOTU books if he ends up with someone else!!! Oh let's not forget
Okay well, maybe not. But I won't read anymore of this that's for sure. This is one of my favorite PNR series, well at least it used to be. It hasn't been after all the cocks and fucks were banned from the vocabulary.. I'm so angry and disappointed. Now, I know not everyone's wanting William and Gilly to happen. I respect that, and I hope those who don't agree with me on this and think me an asshole or whatever, please keep it to yourself and leave me be. I wanna mope and bitch in peace, thank you very much.
Now you thinking: Shut up, Tinja and control your emotions.
Nope, doesn't work.
And I don't care if they are only fictional characters, damn it!!
I'm just going to wait here for them to happen...
Now it looks like she's changing her mind. There have been so many books and what, Gilly's aged like 1, 2 years? And it's like the older she gets, Gena's writing her more immature. Now we are supposed to see them just as friends and her as a child. No way, no fucking way. I can't do that!! I'm going to burn my fucking LOTU books if he ends up with someone else!!! Oh let's not forget
Okay well, maybe not. But I won't read anymore of this that's for sure. This is one of my favorite PNR series, well at least it used to be. It hasn't been after all the cocks and fucks were banned from the vocabulary.. I'm so angry and disappointed. Now, I know not everyone's wanting William and Gilly to happen. I respect that, and I hope those who don't agree with me on this and think me an asshole or whatever, please keep it to yourself and leave me be. I wanna mope and bitch in peace, thank you very much.
Now you thinking: Shut up, Tinja and control your emotions.
Nope, doesn't work.
And I don't care if they are only fictional characters, damn it!!
I'm just going to wait here for them to happen...
June 21, 2016
3.5 ★'s
To be honest, I just wasn't crazy about reading this book and it really has nothing to do with Baden and Katarina. It's just the series has gotten to be sooo long and the character's books that we really want to read just keep getting pushed back. Understandable but still.
It wasn't until my GR's friend, Lynsey, told me about all the crazy stuff going on with William and Gilly that I HAD to read it to see what in the hell was going on!
And as shocking as that all was and with every intention to just skim the Baden and Katarina scenes, I actually started getting into it. Not so much "them" but the war that is going on between Hades and his son, Lucifer. Now ...that was interesting!
But back to Baden and Katarina...we've known who Baden was from the very beginning but we've never really known him. He's been held prisoner in another realm after being beheaded and losing his demon. Through the "powers" of the serpentine wreaths, he becomes a weapon for Hades and that's when he meets Katarina.
It's a very much love/hate relationship between the two of them. Baden is very demanding and Katarina doesn't like that at all but because he looks like "Jamie Fraser" her lust levels are pretty much off the charts.
Then there's some crazy stuff that happens with Katarina and some dogs she rescues. It's hard to believe that she's so accepting especially because she is human! And that scene between her and Hades....really? *SMDH* I love how everyone was just kind of okay with it afterwards!
Of course, the epilogue wrapped everything up nicely. I just never really felt the love between these two...lust? Yes, but that's about it.
Now, let's talk about Willy and Gilly...OMG, what in the hell is going on? I think I get the reasons for what happened but let's just say that Willy lost his ever lovin' mind and all hell broke loose. There is no way that I'm not reading the next book!
There's also some interesting additions to this book...there's a glossary and there's a who's who done by Hades that's pretty informative and I really liked his sarcastic humor. Also, we get an additional scene with the guys that mainly focuses on Maddox that is pretty funny.
So overall, Baden and Katarina = okay story, Willy and Gilly = OMG and all the other little tidbits = bonus. If you intend to continue on with this series, you really need to read this one.
(Prior to review...)
Goat -man?? I'm jumping in....
(Prior to reading...)
i cannot believe the kindle price for this book is $11.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To be honest, I just wasn't crazy about reading this book and it really has nothing to do with Baden and Katarina. It's just the series has gotten to be sooo long and the character's books that we really want to read just keep getting pushed back. Understandable but still.
It wasn't until my GR's friend, Lynsey, told me about all the crazy stuff going on with William and Gilly that I HAD to read it to see what in the hell was going on!
And as shocking as that all was and with every intention to just skim the Baden and Katarina scenes, I actually started getting into it. Not so much "them" but the war that is going on between Hades and his son, Lucifer. Now ...that was interesting!
But back to Baden and Katarina...we've known who Baden was from the very beginning but we've never really known him. He's been held prisoner in another realm after being beheaded and losing his demon. Through the "powers" of the serpentine wreaths, he becomes a weapon for Hades and that's when he meets Katarina.
It's a very much love/hate relationship between the two of them. Baden is very demanding and Katarina doesn't like that at all but because he looks like "Jamie Fraser" her lust levels are pretty much off the charts.
Then there's some crazy stuff that happens with Katarina and some dogs she rescues. It's hard to believe that she's so accepting especially because she is human! And that scene between her and Hades....really? *SMDH* I love how everyone was just kind of okay with it afterwards!
Of course, the epilogue wrapped everything up nicely. I just never really felt the love between these two...lust? Yes, but that's about it.
Now, let's talk about Willy and Gilly...OMG, what in the hell is going on? I think I get the reasons for what happened but let's just say that Willy lost his ever lovin' mind and all hell broke loose. There is no way that I'm not reading the next book!
There's also some interesting additions to this book...there's a glossary and there's a who's who done by Hades that's pretty informative and I really liked his sarcastic humor. Also, we get an additional scene with the guys that mainly focuses on Maddox that is pretty funny.
So overall, Baden and Katarina = okay story, Willy and Gilly = OMG and all the other little tidbits = bonus. If you intend to continue on with this series, you really need to read this one.
(Prior to review...)
Goat -man?? I'm jumping in....
(Prior to reading...)
i cannot believe the kindle price for this book is $11.99!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 30, 2018
Well the gang's all back for the 12th lords of the underworld!!! This is baden and katarina's book ,but it is not the only storyline in this book it also is a set up for the next book that will be cameo's story and we also see what could finally be William and Gillian's story! Katharina is a worthy mate for baden she's strong and doesn't take shit from baden and his beast and she soon has them both eating out of her hand! Bad boy hades is still one of the scariest underworld rulers and he's pulling out all stops and using who ever in his epic battle with Lucifer!!! Which one will come out on top is still up in the air,but with the men and women of the underworld at hades side and some other worldly gods and a some hell hounds at his side,my moneys on hades!!! Gena showalters lords of the underworld is one of my fave series. I love her characters and her sense of humor and storylines are awesome!!
October 31, 2016
The Darkest Torment, the 12th book in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld paranormal Series is the story of Baden, the Lord of Destruction and Katarina Joelle, a dog trainer.
Baden kidnaps Katarina in the bid to win his freedom from the god of the underworld.
This book just did not do it for me. I struggled to finish it.
The storyline was all over the place.
Katarina is so uninteresting and Baden....well, he and she did not endear themselves to me.
Even meeting up with characters from the previous books excited me.
This is definitely one of those "I did not like" books in this series.
Baden kidnaps Katarina in the bid to win his freedom from the god of the underworld.
This book just did not do it for me. I struggled to finish it.
The storyline was all over the place.
Katarina is so uninteresting and Baden....well, he and she did not endear themselves to me.
Even meeting up with characters from the previous books excited me.
This is definitely one of those "I did not like" books in this series.
March 7, 2021
"The Darkest Torment" is the 12:th book in the "Lords of the Underworld"-series and it is another keeper that blew me away.This instalment was a whole emotional roller-coaster that follows the one male character i have always been intrigued by.The one Lord all other warriors had mourned for centuries,the former keeper of Distrust, Baden.He used to be the nicest peacemaker among them but in the former book his soul got resurrected from death by Hades,and in turn he becomes Hades slave.Instead of a demon inside Baden this time there is a beast called Destruction who craves everyones blood and makes Baden almost lose control of his humanity.When Baden kidnaps his victims bride Katarina Joelle he experiences the first wonder of peace and passion,never expecting this fragile girl to tame his darkness and the beast inside him.
Katarina Joelle is someone i would LOVE to be friends with in real life.She is a dog trainer who pours her love for them and in return they love her back.Instantly sensing that Baden is tormented by a beast she slowly tames him and i love how she does it.She is a woman who uses her free time to rehabilitate the aggressive, abused fighters the rest of the world had deemed too dangerous.In that way she never backed away from a fight against Baden even when he took her captive and tried to dominate her to his will.She has a great heart capable of consuming love,and i love how she teaches Baden the meaning of love.It was a beautiful and sensual journey!
Baden is the Lord who was dead in the whole series,but through the other Lords memories i excitedly wanted to get to know him more.In this book he is not the peacemaker he was before his death.He has become haunted,dark,brutal and bloodthirsty-the beast inside of him commanding him to kill everyone in sight.He is a fierce,stubborn and loyal warrior to the core and a passionate and beautiful lover when it comes to his Katarina.He was very dominating and allowed his determination to possess Katarina to drive her away. To keep her safe and also to care for her on his own terms.She couldn`t allow him to handle their relationship in unequal terms and made him suffer for it and i LOVED IT!He had captured her as his war prize but in turn her unwillingness to back down and her show of strength in the face of a dangerous situations made him fall in love with her.I loved Baden and Katarina as a couple,their banter and fighting made me both swoon and laugh.Oh don`t let me talk about the sex scenes which made the headboards pund against the walls,THAT WAS SO SMOLDERING SEXY!WHEWWW AGAIN!
Now Cameo is off to find her man Lazarus,good luck girl!So excited for their story in the next book.Gillian and Puck keeper of Indifference together are so making me giddy with excitement since their chemistry is off the charts and they are now even married!KYAAA!And ohhh poor William,his heartbreak made my heart get broken.But i hope he realizes that his refusal to bond with her himself will show him one thing or two.Now i am so dying for Puck and Gilly`s book!!!!Galen is planning to woo Legion,and oh how he makes my heart melt!That`s so sweet of him (after all the evilness he has done in the past against the Lords).I wonder if Pandora will have her story with one of the Kings,cuz i sensed a connection there without even knowing which one of the warrior kings it is with.So much to look forward to and so much to love and long for!Gena Showalter has changed my world with these amazing series,Baden and Katarina are another characters that stole pieces of my heart!Now to the next one!
Katarina Joelle is someone i would LOVE to be friends with in real life.She is a dog trainer who pours her love for them and in return they love her back.Instantly sensing that Baden is tormented by a beast she slowly tames him and i love how she does it.She is a woman who uses her free time to rehabilitate the aggressive, abused fighters the rest of the world had deemed too dangerous.In that way she never backed away from a fight against Baden even when he took her captive and tried to dominate her to his will.She has a great heart capable of consuming love,and i love how she teaches Baden the meaning of love.It was a beautiful and sensual journey!
Baden is the Lord who was dead in the whole series,but through the other Lords memories i excitedly wanted to get to know him more.In this book he is not the peacemaker he was before his death.He has become haunted,dark,brutal and bloodthirsty-the beast inside of him commanding him to kill everyone in sight.He is a fierce,stubborn and loyal warrior to the core and a passionate and beautiful lover when it comes to his Katarina.He was very dominating and allowed his determination to possess Katarina to drive her away. To keep her safe and also to care for her on his own terms.She couldn`t allow him to handle their relationship in unequal terms and made him suffer for it and i LOVED IT!He had captured her as his war prize but in turn her unwillingness to back down and her show of strength in the face of a dangerous situations made him fall in love with her.I loved Baden and Katarina as a couple,their banter and fighting made me both swoon and laugh.Oh don`t let me talk about the sex scenes which made the headboards pund against the walls,THAT WAS SO SMOLDERING SEXY!WHEWWW AGAIN!
Now Cameo is off to find her man Lazarus,good luck girl!So excited for their story in the next book.Gillian and Puck keeper of Indifference together are so making me giddy with excitement since their chemistry is off the charts and they are now even married!KYAAA!And ohhh poor William,his heartbreak made my heart get broken.But i hope he realizes that his refusal to bond with her himself will show him one thing or two.Now i am so dying for Puck and Gilly`s book!!!!Galen is planning to woo Legion,and oh how he makes my heart melt!That`s so sweet of him (after all the evilness he has done in the past against the Lords).I wonder if Pandora will have her story with one of the Kings,cuz i sensed a connection there without even knowing which one of the warrior kings it is with.So much to look forward to and so much to love and long for!Gena Showalter has changed my world with these amazing series,Baden and Katarina are another characters that stole pieces of my heart!Now to the next one!
April 13, 2019
AFTER READING:
SPOILERS AHEAD, BE WARNED!
In my opinion, this book was not very good. The only highlights worth mentioning are scenes with Fox and Taliyah. The so-called twist with Gillian was uninteresting and desperate. William was shallow and full of masochism throughout the entire book. Pukinn and Pandora were mysterious and that made them semi-interesting. "Story of Baden & Katarina" was an old, boring and recycled storyline with the lamest antagonist ever - Aleksander. I did not like this book at all. I am thrilled that Cameo and Lazarus are next and I hope that after them we are getting a book with Galen and my girl Legion. After that, I am jumping off this train-through-shitstorm called "Lords of Underworld series".
AFTER BLURB RELEASE & COVER REVEAL:
So I was wrong. Fox is not Baden's heroine. :_(
Nonetheless, I am gonna give Katerine Joelle a chance.
21st May in 2016 can't come fast enough!
P.S. Serpentine wreaths look awesome.
BEFORE RELEASE:
Am I the only one who thinks that Fox is Baden's heroine?
She holds his demon and it is shown that, sometimes, a demon likes/remembers his keeper. Remember when Sienna's Wrath remembered Aeron & his hell a.k.a. Legion?
After this book, I have a feeling that the order will be: Cameo & Lazarus, Galen & Legion and then maybe Pandora & someone. I really think that Pandora is/was Keeper of Curiosity. Why else would she open The Box in the first place?
With the three of them, Pandora's Box arc (13 Warriors + traitor (Galen) + keeper (Pandora)) would be over. What would follow are William & Gilly, Cronus & Rhea (possibly novella), Hades & Taliyah, Pukinn & Winter and MAYBE/HOPEFULLY Cameron & Viola. Can you imagine Keeper of Obsession & Keeper of Narcissism getting together? It would be chaos!
One more thing. I think that Alexander (past human lover of Cameo) will show up alive and kicking in the Cameo's & Lazarus's book. Probably keeping a demon of his own.
All of the above is pure speculation.
P.S. I am really sad that Gena is writing contemporary romance while she has such a compelling world in Lords of the Underworld/Angels of the Dark series :_(
SPOILERS AHEAD, BE WARNED!
In my opinion, this book was not very good. The only highlights worth mentioning are scenes with Fox and Taliyah. The so-called twist with Gillian was uninteresting and desperate. William was shallow and full of masochism throughout the entire book. Pukinn and Pandora were mysterious and that made them semi-interesting. "Story of Baden & Katarina" was an old, boring and recycled storyline with the lamest antagonist ever - Aleksander. I did not like this book at all. I am thrilled that Cameo and Lazarus are next and I hope that after them we are getting a book with Galen and my girl Legion. After that, I am jumping off this train-through-shitstorm called "Lords of Underworld series".
AFTER BLURB RELEASE & COVER REVEAL:
So I was wrong. Fox is not Baden's heroine. :_(
Nonetheless, I am gonna give Katerine Joelle a chance.
21st May in 2016 can't come fast enough!
P.S. Serpentine wreaths look awesome.
BEFORE RELEASE:
Am I the only one who thinks that Fox is Baden's heroine?
She holds his demon and it is shown that, sometimes, a demon likes/remembers his keeper. Remember when Sienna's Wrath remembered Aeron & his hell a.k.a. Legion?
After this book, I have a feeling that the order will be: Cameo & Lazarus, Galen & Legion and then maybe Pandora & someone. I really think that Pandora is/was Keeper of Curiosity. Why else would she open The Box in the first place?
With the three of them, Pandora's Box arc (13 Warriors + traitor (Galen) + keeper (Pandora)) would be over. What would follow are William & Gilly, Cronus & Rhea (possibly novella), Hades & Taliyah, Pukinn & Winter and MAYBE/HOPEFULLY Cameron & Viola. Can you imagine Keeper of Obsession & Keeper of Narcissism getting together? It would be chaos!
One more thing. I think that Alexander (past human lover of Cameo) will show up alive and kicking in the Cameo's & Lazarus's book. Probably keeping a demon of his own.
All of the above is pure speculation.
P.S. I am really sad that Gena is writing contemporary romance while she has such a compelling world in Lords of the Underworld/Angels of the Dark series :_(
November 21, 2016
Okay. So I'm warning y'all right now... this may be one of my longest reviews yet! Why? Oh, because this book had so many interesting pieces that I couldn't even competently piece together anything resembling a concise review, so... Here goes!!
Katarina: I liked the girl well enough until around the 74% mark and then she pissed me off. There were many moments throughout the story in which she showed immaturity but this one time took the fcking cake! Now, her introduction to the story was interesting. I loved that scene. She was a dog lover and rescuer (bonus points!) and married a wicked man (Alek) to ensure her pets' safety. Baden's hot ass busted up the wedding and took her as collateral because Alek had the coin Baden needed for Hades.
Confused yet??? hahahahahaha
Baden: former warrior for Zeus, he and his friends opened Pandora's box, unleashed the demons, became hosts to said demons, and were banished. As the host to Distrust, Baden slowly lost his damn mind and allowed himself to be killed in order to escape. Trapped in a spirit realm with Pandora, Hades releases them and binds them to him as slaves. He gave them "Hades bands", which infused them with new demons. Baden's was Destruction and he literally wanted to destroy everything. Kill kill kill was the mantra. Having been stuck as a spirit for centuries, Baden had a strong aversion to touch. Katarina eventually helped him to overcome it and they were finally able to do the "sex".
See, I loved Baden. No I LURVED Baden. He was so fcking badass. He was honorable, protective, considerate, Alpha, adorable, possessive and oh so fcking sexy! And I liked Katarina just fine until the aforementioned 74% mark and then I just wanted to slap her face off. Thankfully, Baden was still very much the focus of this book and calmed me down.
William/Gillian/Puck: There were a couple of side stories mixed in and this triangle was one of them. I didn't read the previous books in this series (unfortunately :( but a problem I will soon rectify), but that didn't prevent me from seeing the intense connection between William and Gillian. She was on her death bed after ingesting an immortal elixir (cuz she was human. Duh!) and William was trying to do everything in his power and beyond to heal her. I wonder if their story will be tackled in the next book.
I did like how everything played out with Baden and Katarina. I'm glad they were able to look to the future together. Honestly, the two of them were extremely hot together and I loved it. But I'd be lying if I said that I was happy with the way this book ended. It was pretty abrupt. More care seemed to go into the bonus material at the end than this story's ending.
Things I liked:
* how incredibly detailed this story was. It was very easy to imagine each scene and character.
* how well-developed each character was. It was obvious that the author didn't skimp on creating these beings, their world, their pasts, their lives, their thoughts and feelings, their actions, their everything.
* how easily I could see this as a fantastic movie!
What I didn't like:
*Katarina's judgmental attitude. I can't stand when I read a book and the h gets with the H, knowing he's a killer (or demon/immortal etc.), in the middle of some sort of war/battle/fight, and then tells him that if he wants her, then he can't kill anyone. WTF??? Or when said h gets upset because the H doesn't view her as strong (in comparison to him). But you're not as strong as him. Are you delusional? He's fcking immortal. Meaning either he can't die or it would be extremely difficult to kill him. He's freaking huge (6'8") and you're not. He has a history of defeating people. You do not. He's killed many. You = no one. He was part of the protective detail for Zeus. You rescued dogs. Where the fck is the comparison??? Okay, rant over. For now.
*the ending.
So, I'm going off to add the rest of this series to my TBR because I'm fascinated by all of these characters, this story, this series, this author.
Katarina: I liked the girl well enough until around the 74% mark and then she pissed me off. There were many moments throughout the story in which she showed immaturity but this one time took the fcking cake! Now, her introduction to the story was interesting. I loved that scene. She was a dog lover and rescuer (bonus points!) and married a wicked man (Alek) to ensure her pets' safety. Baden's hot ass busted up the wedding and took her as collateral because Alek had the coin Baden needed for Hades.
Confused yet??? hahahahahaha
Baden: former warrior for Zeus, he and his friends opened Pandora's box, unleashed the demons, became hosts to said demons, and were banished. As the host to Distrust, Baden slowly lost his damn mind and allowed himself to be killed in order to escape. Trapped in a spirit realm with Pandora, Hades releases them and binds them to him as slaves. He gave them "Hades bands", which infused them with new demons. Baden's was Destruction and he literally wanted to destroy everything. Kill kill kill was the mantra. Having been stuck as a spirit for centuries, Baden had a strong aversion to touch. Katarina eventually helped him to overcome it and they were finally able to do the "sex".
See, I loved Baden. No I LURVED Baden. He was so fcking badass. He was honorable, protective, considerate, Alpha, adorable, possessive and oh so fcking sexy! And I liked Katarina just fine until the aforementioned 74% mark and then I just wanted to slap her face off. Thankfully, Baden was still very much the focus of this book and calmed me down.
William/Gillian/Puck: There were a couple of side stories mixed in and this triangle was one of them. I didn't read the previous books in this series (unfortunately :( but a problem I will soon rectify), but that didn't prevent me from seeing the intense connection between William and Gillian. She was on her death bed after ingesting an immortal elixir (cuz she was human. Duh!) and William was trying to do everything in his power and beyond to heal her. I wonder if their story will be tackled in the next book.
I did like how everything played out with Baden and Katarina. I'm glad they were able to look to the future together. Honestly, the two of them were extremely hot together and I loved it. But I'd be lying if I said that I was happy with the way this book ended. It was pretty abrupt. More care seemed to go into the bonus material at the end than this story's ending.
Things I liked:
* how incredibly detailed this story was. It was very easy to imagine each scene and character.
* how well-developed each character was. It was obvious that the author didn't skimp on creating these beings, their world, their pasts, their lives, their thoughts and feelings, their actions, their everything.
* how easily I could see this as a fantastic movie!
What I didn't like:
*Katarina's judgmental attitude. I can't stand when I read a book and the h gets with the H, knowing he's a killer (or demon/immortal etc.), in the middle of some sort of war/battle/fight, and then tells him that if he wants her, then he can't kill anyone. WTF??? Or when said h gets upset because the H doesn't view her as strong (in comparison to him). But you're not as strong as him. Are you delusional? He's fcking immortal. Meaning either he can't die or it would be extremely difficult to kill him. He's freaking huge (6'8") and you're not. He has a history of defeating people. You do not. He's killed many. You = no one. He was part of the protective detail for Zeus. You rescued dogs. Where the fck is the comparison??? Okay, rant over. For now.
*the ending.
So, I'm going off to add the rest of this series to my TBR because I'm fascinated by all of these characters, this story, this series, this author.
September 3, 2016
Finally I finished this! I can't believe I'm giving this book the lowest rating since I first started the series, but based in the time it took me to finish this, I could not give more stars.
I think the stories are being repetitive and they're offering nothing new to me. Is Gena becoming more lazy with every book she writes? I'm not feeling the appeal anymore. I used to love these demons and their mates and stories. Now they seem too boring. Paris's story was the last that I liked. From Kane to Baden, the books are so unremarkable.
Hands down KATARINA was the worst MC in the whole series. I found her stupid and so plain. And her thing with the dogs? Not cool at all. I am an animal lover, I love them, but this was way exaggerated. Dogs are dogs. They're not children.
All it took the couple to change their status from enemies to lovers , was just one second. I don't like the stories where this happens. I want the slow burn and everything in between. I want romance! It didn't happen in here. I could relate to Baden, but I don't thinks there was strong chemistry between him and Rina. She didn't deserve him one bit. She accepted everything so easily, all the unnatural world and then she changed her mind only 50000 times. So aggravating!
The only characters that made this story bearable to me were Gilly, William and Galen. I want to read their stories, but I'm so scared Gena will not do right by them. I love Galen. He may become my favourite after Aeron and Paris... I really hope so! And I'm so scared that the story between Gilly and Willy developed the way it did. I'm afraid there's no thing between them anymore. I liked Puck :)
I don't know if I'll read the next book. I never liked Cameo. We'll see. I need very convincing reviews and ratings!
The only thing that I remember from the previous books is that at some point, Paris screwed Strider. I would have like so much a MM in this series...
I think the stories are being repetitive and they're offering nothing new to me. Is Gena becoming more lazy with every book she writes? I'm not feeling the appeal anymore. I used to love these demons and their mates and stories. Now they seem too boring. Paris's story was the last that I liked. From Kane to Baden, the books are so unremarkable.
Hands down KATARINA was the worst MC in the whole series. I found her stupid and so plain. And her thing with the dogs? Not cool at all. I am an animal lover, I love them, but this was way exaggerated. Dogs are dogs. They're not children.
All it took the couple to change their status from enemies to lovers , was just one second. I don't like the stories where this happens. I want the slow burn and everything in between. I want romance! It didn't happen in here. I could relate to Baden, but I don't thinks there was strong chemistry between him and Rina. She didn't deserve him one bit. She accepted everything so easily, all the unnatural world and then she changed her mind only 50000 times. So aggravating!
The only characters that made this story bearable to me were Gilly, William and Galen. I want to read their stories, but I'm so scared Gena will not do right by them. I love Galen. He may become my favourite after Aeron and Paris... I really hope so! And I'm so scared that the story between Gilly and Willy developed the way it did. I'm afraid there's no thing between them anymore. I liked Puck :)
I don't know if I'll read the next book. I never liked Cameo. We'll see. I need very convincing reviews and ratings!
The only thing that I remember from the previous books is that at some point, Paris screwed Strider. I would have like so much a MM in this series...
December 1, 2016
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter
Book Twelve of the Lords of the Underworld series
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Publication Date: May 31, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he's back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he's unable to withstand the touch of another…and he's quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.
Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she's taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she's plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.
But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she'll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.
What I Liked:
I haven't read most of this series - in fact, I've only read this book and The Darkest Touch - but I've enjoyed what I read so far. Even only having read two of the twelve books, I can say that this series is incredibly easy to love. After reading The Darkest Touch, I found myself deeply invested in the stories of the myriad characters - and there are so many. While I was a little disappointed that book twelve was not going to be Lazarus and Cameo's story, I was pleased to find out that it would be Baden's story, and we would meet his perfect mate.
Baden was beheaded long ago, but brought back by Hades, and he is now bound to Hades. Hades has tasks that Baden must complete, and one task involves retrieving a coin from a half-immortal, half-mortal man masquerading as a mortal. But obtaining the coin from the man is not easy, and Baden finds himself with the man's freshly-married wife, Katarina. Katarina never wanted to marry Aleksander Ciernik, but he forced her, by holding her dogs hostage (she's a dog trainer, and a very devoted one). She just finishes saying her vows when men show up - and they claim to be immortal. Katarina didn't want to be with Aleksander, but she certainly didn't want to be held captive by the infuriatingly sexy immortal, Baden. But she quickly finds out that he is more a protector than captor, and he will never hurt her. Passion simmers between them, but so does a tug-of-war for control. When it comes down to choosing, will Katarina stay with Baden, an ice-cold warrior who has gotten past all of her defenses?
I don't remember too much about Baden from The Darkest Touch, but that didn't matter because I adored him from the start of this book. He is riddled with crippling guilt; he's back among his friends, but Destruction lies within him, and he is constantly at war with himself. He has to fight Destruction within himself so as not to attack any of his friends. And years ago, when he was beheaded, he did it to protect his friends (but they don't know this). Baden was one the Gentleman of the Lords, before he was beheaded. He is empty and scowling and almost cold now, but as the story begins to pick up, we see that he is just as noble and protective as he ever was. Baden has a good heart, and he is a loyal almost to a fault. While he is definitely a broken and tortured hero, he is such a likable one.
Katarina was a little more difficult to like. I liked her, I didn't like her, I liked her... in the end, I think I liked her overall. But there were times when I was so frustrated with her, because she was such a fool. She is portrayed as a tough, alpha female, and I think this works with Baden, but I didn't always like her (foolish and irrational) decisions. She threw a tantrum every now and then, but I tried to remind myself to put myself in her shoes. Yes, I am more inclined to adore Baden from the start, because I'd been exposed to his character before. But still, Katarina was on and off for me. I did like her spunk and her drive, her devotion to her dogs, and eventually, her devotion to Baden. Katarina falls for Baden pretty quickly, and while they do fight (mostly because of her), Katarina always has his best interests at heart.
At first I was weirded out by the fact that Katarina was married (even if she had just gotten married, minutes before she meets Baden and he whisks her away). But technically, she wasn't, since she signed no papers (an argument that Showalter never brought up). She is referred to as that man's wife throughout the story, but clearly, there is no love there. I wanted to kill Aleksander on many occasions - and trust me, he got what he deserved. The whole already-married thing didn't really bother me, surprisingly, especially with how that gets resolved. I only wish it had gotten resolved quicker.
The romance between Baden and Katarina is a push-and-pull one, a constant tug-of-war. Baden is a domineering alpha who throws around commands like nobody's business. Katarina has been an independent woman for a long time, and she doesn't appreciate the commands. But the passion (and lust) between the pair is so strong, and eventually, so are their feelings. I like how both the chemistry and the feelings grow as the story goes on. Things get pretty heated between the two, but it is also very clear that both of them care so much about each other.
You could read this book as a standalone (like I did with The Darkest Touch, and this one), but I love how each book builds on the series. Showalter does a greet job of cluing in a new reader, but she also does a really good job of moving the series plot forward with each book. There is a battle between Hades and Lucifer, and all of the Lords of the Underworld are involved.
I also like how there are multiple stories happening in this book. No, it's not confusing at all. This book is written in third-person POV, featuring Baden's POV, Katarina's, Gillian's, even Cameo's. This is why I was rooting for Lazarus/Cameo's story to be next - because of the side-plot in The Darkest Touch involving Lazarus and Cameo. Thankfully, their book is next.
Overall, I have to hand it to Showalter. She really knows how to diversify the personalities and characteristics of each of her Lords and their mates, and cook up some intense and fiery passion in a story. I definitely want to binge-read books one through ten!
What I Did Not Like:
I already mentioned my on-and-off like/irritation for Katarina. She's not the b***hiest heroine I've encountered (in fact, not at all), but I think she could have cut Baden a break a little more often. And I think she was a little too fixated on the dogs (don't hate me, animal lovers!). I personally think she should have fought for Baden twice as hard as she fought for the dogs. Katarina got on my nerves on more than one occasion, but she wasn't enough for me to discourage someone from reading this book.
Would I Recommend It:
If you have enjoyed Showalter's adult romance books in the past, definitely keep going. I can't speak for books one through ten, but the newest two in this series are so good. The Darkest Touch is probably my favorite of the two, but this book did not disappoint. And if you're new to the series, I highly recommend this book! Or The Darkest Touch. This is good paranormal romance!
Rating:
4 stars. I have a feeling that Showalter won't disappoint me, moving backwards in the series or moving forward! I am hopelessly excited for The Darkest Promise. Please please please be amazing!
The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter
Book Twelve of the Lords of the Underworld series
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Publication Date: May 31, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley
***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***
Summary (from Goodreads):
Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he's back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he's unable to withstand the touch of another…and he's quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.
Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she's taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she's plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them…and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.
But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she'll have to teach him to love…or lose him forever.
What I Liked:
I haven't read most of this series - in fact, I've only read this book and The Darkest Touch - but I've enjoyed what I read so far. Even only having read two of the twelve books, I can say that this series is incredibly easy to love. After reading The Darkest Touch, I found myself deeply invested in the stories of the myriad characters - and there are so many. While I was a little disappointed that book twelve was not going to be Lazarus and Cameo's story, I was pleased to find out that it would be Baden's story, and we would meet his perfect mate.
Baden was beheaded long ago, but brought back by Hades, and he is now bound to Hades. Hades has tasks that Baden must complete, and one task involves retrieving a coin from a half-immortal, half-mortal man masquerading as a mortal. But obtaining the coin from the man is not easy, and Baden finds himself with the man's freshly-married wife, Katarina. Katarina never wanted to marry Aleksander Ciernik, but he forced her, by holding her dogs hostage (she's a dog trainer, and a very devoted one). She just finishes saying her vows when men show up - and they claim to be immortal. Katarina didn't want to be with Aleksander, but she certainly didn't want to be held captive by the infuriatingly sexy immortal, Baden. But she quickly finds out that he is more a protector than captor, and he will never hurt her. Passion simmers between them, but so does a tug-of-war for control. When it comes down to choosing, will Katarina stay with Baden, an ice-cold warrior who has gotten past all of her defenses?
I don't remember too much about Baden from The Darkest Touch, but that didn't matter because I adored him from the start of this book. He is riddled with crippling guilt; he's back among his friends, but Destruction lies within him, and he is constantly at war with himself. He has to fight Destruction within himself so as not to attack any of his friends. And years ago, when he was beheaded, he did it to protect his friends (but they don't know this). Baden was one the Gentleman of the Lords, before he was beheaded. He is empty and scowling and almost cold now, but as the story begins to pick up, we see that he is just as noble and protective as he ever was. Baden has a good heart, and he is a loyal almost to a fault. While he is definitely a broken and tortured hero, he is such a likable one.
Katarina was a little more difficult to like. I liked her, I didn't like her, I liked her... in the end, I think I liked her overall. But there were times when I was so frustrated with her, because she was such a fool. She is portrayed as a tough, alpha female, and I think this works with Baden, but I didn't always like her (foolish and irrational) decisions. She threw a tantrum every now and then, but I tried to remind myself to put myself in her shoes. Yes, I am more inclined to adore Baden from the start, because I'd been exposed to his character before. But still, Katarina was on and off for me. I did like her spunk and her drive, her devotion to her dogs, and eventually, her devotion to Baden. Katarina falls for Baden pretty quickly, and while they do fight (mostly because of her), Katarina always has his best interests at heart.
At first I was weirded out by the fact that Katarina was married (even if she had just gotten married, minutes before she meets Baden and he whisks her away). But technically, she wasn't, since she signed no papers (an argument that Showalter never brought up). She is referred to as that man's wife throughout the story, but clearly, there is no love there. I wanted to kill Aleksander on many occasions - and trust me, he got what he deserved. The whole already-married thing didn't really bother me, surprisingly, especially with how that gets resolved. I only wish it had gotten resolved quicker.
The romance between Baden and Katarina is a push-and-pull one, a constant tug-of-war. Baden is a domineering alpha who throws around commands like nobody's business. Katarina has been an independent woman for a long time, and she doesn't appreciate the commands. But the passion (and lust) between the pair is so strong, and eventually, so are their feelings. I like how both the chemistry and the feelings grow as the story goes on. Things get pretty heated between the two, but it is also very clear that both of them care so much about each other.
You could read this book as a standalone (like I did with The Darkest Touch, and this one), but I love how each book builds on the series. Showalter does a greet job of cluing in a new reader, but she also does a really good job of moving the series plot forward with each book. There is a battle between Hades and Lucifer, and all of the Lords of the Underworld are involved.
I also like how there are multiple stories happening in this book. No, it's not confusing at all. This book is written in third-person POV, featuring Baden's POV, Katarina's, Gillian's, even Cameo's. This is why I was rooting for Lazarus/Cameo's story to be next - because of the side-plot in The Darkest Touch involving Lazarus and Cameo. Thankfully, their book is next.
Overall, I have to hand it to Showalter. She really knows how to diversify the personalities and characteristics of each of her Lords and their mates, and cook up some intense and fiery passion in a story. I definitely want to binge-read books one through ten!
What I Did Not Like:
I already mentioned my on-and-off like/irritation for Katarina. She's not the b***hiest heroine I've encountered (in fact, not at all), but I think she could have cut Baden a break a little more often. And I think she was a little too fixated on the dogs (don't hate me, animal lovers!). I personally think she should have fought for Baden twice as hard as she fought for the dogs. Katarina got on my nerves on more than one occasion, but she wasn't enough for me to discourage someone from reading this book.
Would I Recommend It:
If you have enjoyed Showalter's adult romance books in the past, definitely keep going. I can't speak for books one through ten, but the newest two in this series are so good. The Darkest Touch is probably my favorite of the two, but this book did not disappoint. And if you're new to the series, I highly recommend this book! Or The Darkest Touch. This is good paranormal romance!
Rating:
4 stars. I have a feeling that Showalter won't disappoint me, moving backwards in the series or moving forward! I am hopelessly excited for The Darkest Promise. Please please please be amazing!
March 25, 2017
“The more evil you do, the more evil you are.”
Once again Gena Showalter has proven why I love her books and this series!! When I found out the next LOTU book was going to be Baden’s book, to say I was disappointed would be an understatement as all I’ve been wishing for is Cameo and Lazarus’ book. But once I started reading this book, I could totally see why Baden’s story just had to be told.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Baden was such a damaged hero, who couldn’t stand the touch of others, as it only brought him pain. He and Pandora is bound to Hades, and it seems an evil beast has taken possession of Baden. A beast who only craves violence and death. And Baden is slowly losing himself to these dark urges. Then things go terribly wrong on a mission for Hades, and he has to kidnap his target’s bride in order to get what he needs.
Katarina Joelle is a famed dog trainer, known for her ability to work with the most damaged and broken dogs. And because of her love for her dogs, she is forced to marry a monster to protect them. But then right after the ceremony she’s taken as a hostage by the gorgeous and ruthless Baden, and suddenly her life got more complicated. How is she supposed to get back to her monster of a husband to ensure the safety of her dogs, if Baden won’t let her go? Can she trust him with the reason for her marriage when he believes her to be a gold digger, and he seems to be the enemy?
And when things go horribly wrong for Katarina, and Bane realises his mistake, can he get Katarina to forgive him? And will Katarina be able to use her magic with damaged creatures to save the broken Baden before he goes too far into the darkness?
“Because I need you more than I’ve ever needed anything. Even a second life.”
I just loved Baden and Katarina. Both were so damaged in their own way. Once Baden realised how wrong he was about Katarina, he went out of his way to care for her, to protect her, and I loved that about him. Katarina did everything she could to save Baden from the darkness that was trying to pull him under. And I just loved how Baden and his beast slowly fell under Katarina’s gentle spell!
“For the first time in forever, I have hope for the future. At least, I think I have hope. It’s been so long since I felt the emotion, I can’t be sure.” He rubbed his chest. “Whatever it is, you are at the center.”
The romance was sweet and sexy and so very romantic!! I just loved these two together.
So many things happened in this book. Lucifer is at war with Hades, and the lords needs to find the Morning Star, a supernatural being still trapped inside Pandora’s box, who is capable of granting any wish, before Lucifer does.
Pandora is a real bitch, but I like her. Of course she sees all the lords as her enemy, but I think there is a lot more to her than her revenge, and I can’t wait to find out more about her.
Things with Cameo aren’t going very well. Her demon Misery erases every single moment of joy and love that Cameo experiences, so she’s finding it hard to remember Lazarus and her time with him in the Rod. Which just broke my heart. Cameo and Lazarus is a favorite of mine and I can’t express how eager I am to read their book.
Things with William and Gillian took an unexpected turn. I’ve been waiting for William to stop his manwhoring ways, to finally tell Gillian how he feels about her, but because of his curse, that the woman he bonds with will be the one to kill him, he refuses to man up. But then Gillian gets sick, and things changes between them. I have no idea how things are going to work out for William and Gillian. And I can’t wait to find out!
Then there’s Galen, who is the keeper of the demons Jealousy and False Hope and who was the leader of the Hunters, a group of humans determine to end “evil” immortals like the Lords. And Legion or Honey as she's known now, who Aeron loves like a daughter, a demon who was turned into a human, and who was terribly abused in hell. And Galen and Legion has a history, one that might just be able to heal Legion who is still suffering after her rescue. These two really intrigued me in the previous book, and I was a little disappointed that there weren’t anything about them in this book. But Galen seems intent on pursuing Legion, and I’m really looking forward to read more about them.
This series just continues in strength, and I cannot wait to read the next book, and to see what will happen next. This is one of the best PNR series’ I have read, and I highly recommend it to all PNR fans.
November 30, 2018
Meh.
I didn't care much for this romance, its characters and plot.
I was only interested in William’s and Gillie's story. Very interested and exited about them actually, like always. I really can’t wait for their book, I hope it lives to the hype, because this one was a disappointment.
I didn't care much for this romance, its characters and plot.
I was only interested in William’s and Gillie's story. Very interested and exited about them actually, like always. I really can’t wait for their book, I hope it lives to the hype, because this one was a disappointment.
August 27, 2016
DNF @ 75%
I'm standing on the bus, trying to read this book on my way to work but it will just not happen.
I don't know what's going on with Gena. I don't knlw if she's tried of writing these books or if she's given up on this series but the last 3 books have been a nightmare. A very boring nightmare.
I'm not saying this because I didn't care about Baden, no. I'm saying this because the plot has been stretched out to the extreme and it doesn't make sense anymore. What are those books adding to the plotline?
Baden and whatsherface were insufferable; they have no chemistry and no real reason to be together other than.... well, no real reason.
I'll write a full review when I get home.
October 24, 2020
The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter
Lords of the Underworld, book 12. Paranormal romance. Best read as part of the series.
Baden formerly the Demon of Distrust.
Katarina, the alpha of the Hellhounds
I used to feel their torment. Now I hear the brutality, the pain, and betrayals. Age? Audio? Or are these books getting more graphic, bloodier and often degrading? Maybe both. I am no longer enamored by this series but I’ve already bought the next one.
I alternated between a hardback and an audio version. I preferred the hard copy here. I was often confused in the audio on the character separations.
Lords of the Underworld, book 12. Paranormal romance. Best read as part of the series.
Baden formerly the Demon of Distrust.
Katarina, the alpha of the Hellhounds
I used to feel their torment. Now I hear the brutality, the pain, and betrayals. Age? Audio? Or are these books getting more graphic, bloodier and often degrading? Maybe both. I am no longer enamored by this series but I’ve already bought the next one.
I alternated between a hardback and an audio version. I preferred the hard copy here. I was often confused in the audio on the character separations.
April 20, 2017
1 star - Paranormal/UF Romance
This was so disappointing, and to say I’m unhappy with the direction GS took with Gillian’s character would be an understatement. I just want William's book, but I'm not sure if I can continue on with the series anymore to get it, especially considering the frustrating tailspin this took for fans like me who want
This was so disappointing, and to say I’m unhappy with the direction GS took with Gillian’s character would be an understatement. I just want William's book, but I'm not sure if I can continue on with the series anymore to get it, especially considering the frustrating tailspin this took for fans like me who want
Want to read
July 11, 2015Baden?? I'm all for his book but about poor CAMEO?? She's be miserable for so long... What about William & Gilly? Been waiting years for their story! Galen & Legion? I thought those couples would have books before him. If it keeps going 1 LotU per year... I assume Baden getting with Pandora right?
November 3, 2015
So....we are having to wait longer and longer for new LOTU books. The last book was released in November 2014, for crying out loud. It's now a year and a half between books....Not only this, but we're waiting this eternity for Baden's story? BADEN?? Who cares about him, and when in the hell are we going to get William's book?! I would even be thrilled with Galen or Cameo's book, but BADEN?! Ugh, so disappointed Gena. Bad choice, bad choice.
HERE COMES A BIT OF A RANT!
Overall, Gena seems to have tired of this series, as she is now focusing on way too many other series (White Rabbit, Everlife, Heartbreakers, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, and many more). Gena seems to becoming the queen of starting a random series and letting them drop off out of nowhere without a conclusion (Alien Huntress, Intertwined, etc.) I hate it when authors and publishers allow this to happen. I understand that inspiration for new books come along, but write down the idea and save it for later. Respect your fans and focus on the current series.
OKAY I'M DONE!
![]()
HERE COMES A BIT OF A RANT!
Overall, Gena seems to have tired of this series, as she is now focusing on way too many other series (White Rabbit, Everlife, Heartbreakers, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, and many more). Gena seems to becoming the queen of starting a random series and letting them drop off out of nowhere without a conclusion (Alien Huntress, Intertwined, etc.) I hate it when authors and publishers allow this to happen. I understand that inspiration for new books come along, but write down the idea and save it for later. Respect your fans and focus on the current series.
OKAY I'M DONE!
May 31, 2016
ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
I know many people are probably screaming and wondering why the latest installment to the Lords of the Underworld happens to focus on Baden. I happen to be in the few minority of people who was excited that it was Baden and I knew I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Darkest Torment.
Gena Showalter once again proves to loyal PNR fans on why we need to read her books. Ms. Showalter not only gave readers a story to get lost in but she delivered a story that exceeded my expectation. She held me hostage as I was immersed into a whole new world where my main focus was on Baden and Katrina. The outside world did not exist as Ms. Showalter beautifully tormented our imaginations with this intense burning passion brewing between them. Two lives clashed and collided and in the end readers are left stunned and begging for more. So if you are looking for a story where action, suspense, darkness, grittiness, and passion are intricately weaved into a story then this book is for you. As always, Ms. Showalter’s wicked prose and raw storyline will keep readers of this series entertained and begging for the next installment, The Darkest Promise.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...
I know many people are probably screaming and wondering why the latest installment to the Lords of the Underworld happens to focus on Baden. I happen to be in the few minority of people who was excited that it was Baden and I knew I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Darkest Torment.
Gena Showalter once again proves to loyal PNR fans on why we need to read her books. Ms. Showalter not only gave readers a story to get lost in but she delivered a story that exceeded my expectation. She held me hostage as I was immersed into a whole new world where my main focus was on Baden and Katrina. The outside world did not exist as Ms. Showalter beautifully tormented our imaginations with this intense burning passion brewing between them. Two lives clashed and collided and in the end readers are left stunned and begging for more. So if you are looking for a story where action, suspense, darkness, grittiness, and passion are intricately weaved into a story then this book is for you. As always, Ms. Showalter’s wicked prose and raw storyline will keep readers of this series entertained and begging for the next installment, The Darkest Promise.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...
June 7, 2016
4.5 stars
Gena Showalter shows exactly why she is one of the premier authors of Paranormal Romance with THE DARKEST TORMENT. This is book twelve in the Lords of the Underworld series and this book might also come as a surprise to readers when they learn that this is actually Baden's book.
Baden is a character that we don't know too much about. I know plenty of readers were hoping that this would be Cameo's or even William's book but Showalter takes a different route with the series in this one. The heroine of the story, Katarina Joelle, is even a dog trainer who gets taken by Baden from her own wedding to act as leverage against her powerful husband.
The two main leads couldn't be more different. While Baden is dark and temperamental, Katarina has the spunk and tenacity that a lot of Showalter heroines have. The unlikely pairing, and the even more unpredictable storyline, creates for a riveting read that is sure to entice readers. There are so many amazing moments that it's hard to choose one.
True to Showalter's writing style, there's plenty of laugh out loud moments and action. In fact, I found myself giggling throughout this book so much that I had to start reading this book in private. The rest of the randy Lords are present and but for me, William nearly stole the show. He has so many hilarious moments that stand out in my mind. I am literally on the edge of my seat as I await his book.
But perhaps the best thing about this book, better than the humor and the action, is Showalter's writing. Everything is working in perfect unison from the pacing to the descriptions and the twists and turns. I'm surprised that Showalter can pack so much excitement into a single book!
If you haven't started the Lords of the Underworld series yet, then you are in for a treat! Be prepared for some laughs, some heartbreak and a hot Lord or two!
Read my alternate review atFresh Fiction
Gena Showalter shows exactly why she is one of the premier authors of Paranormal Romance with THE DARKEST TORMENT. This is book twelve in the Lords of the Underworld series and this book might also come as a surprise to readers when they learn that this is actually Baden's book.
Baden is a character that we don't know too much about. I know plenty of readers were hoping that this would be Cameo's or even William's book but Showalter takes a different route with the series in this one. The heroine of the story, Katarina Joelle, is even a dog trainer who gets taken by Baden from her own wedding to act as leverage against her powerful husband.
The two main leads couldn't be more different. While Baden is dark and temperamental, Katarina has the spunk and tenacity that a lot of Showalter heroines have. The unlikely pairing, and the even more unpredictable storyline, creates for a riveting read that is sure to entice readers. There are so many amazing moments that it's hard to choose one.
True to Showalter's writing style, there's plenty of laugh out loud moments and action. In fact, I found myself giggling throughout this book so much that I had to start reading this book in private. The rest of the randy Lords are present and but for me, William nearly stole the show. He has so many hilarious moments that stand out in my mind. I am literally on the edge of my seat as I await his book.
But perhaps the best thing about this book, better than the humor and the action, is Showalter's writing. Everything is working in perfect unison from the pacing to the descriptions and the twists and turns. I'm surprised that Showalter can pack so much excitement into a single book!
If you haven't started the Lords of the Underworld series yet, then you are in for a treat! Be prepared for some laughs, some heartbreak and a hot Lord or two!
Read my alternate review atFresh Fiction
September 7, 2016
-The word of the day is familiar. From characters to plot, from crazy heroines to tortured heroes, everything in this book is familiar. It was easy to read, but that’s because I felt as if I’d read it before. I took my time reading this because I’d seen mixed reviews on it, and now I know why.
-The main characters, Baden and Katarina, don’t necessarily click as a couple. Individually, both are drawn with the broadest of strokes and neither really stood out from the pack of heroes and heroines I’ve already known and liked. Furthermore, it seemed to jump from “I hate you/I don’t need you” to “mine!” in a heartbeat and I wasn’t buying their “love.” It felt generic and inauthentic, and for a paranormal romance, the authenticity of the romance is crucial, especially since everything else is so fantastical.
-The storyline itself is a hot mess. It’s gone from straightforward PNR to underworld soap opera in twelve books. Now, I like soaps, but even this is getting a bit unwieldy for me. I’ll admit it’s been a while since I read the previous book, but they are blending together. All the heroes are the same tortured angst, all the heroines are the same crazypants type, much like Anya. Even the quips, while humorous, sound familiar to all that’s gone on before.
The Bottom Line [2 stars]
This was only ok and only because I’m a longtime fan who just wants to know what’s going to happen to the last faves of mine who haven’t gotten their HEAs. I wouldn’t say I’m done but I am concerned about the direction of the overarching storyline because it’s gone off the rails at this point.
For more reviews, visit
June 3, 2016
This is going to be a loooong review because there are A LOT of things that happened in this book I feel the need to comment on. I really loved this book, even though like many others I, too, was unhappy with the MC choice of Baden- a relative unknown- over favorites Cameo or William. I still think that it was a redeemable book and so much happened that it makes me even more excited to see what is in stock for the Lords in the future!! Here are the high-lights: Overall an AWESOME book; I loved Katarina and how she “trained” Baden; Katarina and Baden were HOT together; surprise Hellhound appearance; BIGGG news on the Gilliam front; Cameo breaks my heart and I can’t wait for her book to come next; Hades is just a big softy (kind of); competition between Pandora and Baden was equally frustrating, pointless and hilarious.
Katarina and Baden
Baden is so grumpy! Yes, ok, you’ve been in a weird kind of immortal purgatory for several centuries and are now trying to adjust to life again… well, get on with it already! Purgatory seriously changed the Baden we've gotten to know about from his friends- the so called Gentleman of Olympus is no more! Ok, I am being a little harsh, but no one likes a grouch! Baden still carries a lot of guilt, feeling like he “took the easy way out” and abandoning his friends by allowing himself to be killed. However, from the beginning Baden was very high-handed and commanding with Katarina, and not in a good way, either! He commanded her to do everything he ordered and was constantly calling her weak, saying she needed protection… well, she showed him! He mellowed out towards the end, though, thanks to some good ol' fashioned conditioning on Katarina’s end!
I liked Katarina! She showed a singular devotion to her animals and loved them so much- there were her life, motivation and solace. It was ! Katarina gets a surprise when her newest rescues turn out to be slightly more than advertised, but I thought this was a great twist! What I liked most about her was that she didn’t let Baden get away with anything for long; good for her! I found it absolutely hilarious that she applied the same training principles to Baden as she does while training her dogs- it was so great to see him slowly come to heel (*snickers* see what I did there, lol) from his time in purgatory and learn how to trust, live and love again. I like Gena’s decision to make her Slovakian/Black; such an interesting and unique combination of traits! Katarina would throw in lots of Slovak words and phrases, which Baden was somehow inexplicably able to understand... weird, how does he know this random language?! Though Gena does translate and explain much of it, there were other words/phrases that, while understandable in context, were left up to the reader’s imagination. I love languages and it was fun to sit there with my google translate app and figure out some of the stuff she was spouting off!
However, Katarina's fight at the end with . I don’t get it?
Katarina and Baden were HOOTTTTTT together!!! Their chemistry wasn’t as immediately combustible as, say, Anya and Lucien (whose bar scene and kiss is still one of THE hottest moments in this series!), but their attraction to each other was mutual and developed in a very believable way. I like how Gena didn’t have them at each other from the get go, because that would’ve been a little too Stockholm-y for my liking, which is no way to begin a relationship!
On Gilly and William:
Things happened. I don't want to talk about it...Ok, yes I do!!! OH. MY. GOD!!! WHAT?!? WHAAAAAATTTT?!?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Major spoilers ahead- you've been warned, do not open the spoiler if you haven't yet read The Darkest Torment: Besides, hasn’t Gilly ever read Shakespeare... NEVER trust a goat-like creature named Puck!!! >:/
Pandora:
Girl, I was willing to give you a chance… but you are just NOT nice at all!! She became better towards the end, but I didn’t like her to begin with, and still don’t really. Gena kind of set her up to have her own path/plot line as the series continues, so we’ll have to see where it goes. She comes across as butch with her muscles, cigar smoking and pissy attitude- it really just feels like she’s trying too hard to prove that she is one of the guys. Gena does leave her storyline open to see more from her in the future, so we’ll see what happens on the Pandora front!
Destruction:
Without giving away too much about him- no, he’s not another demon- I will say that I ended up liking him in the end! It was a little touch and go there in the beginning- when all he did was want to kill EVERYONE, but once Katarina got her claws into him, he mellowed out. I liked that we got a scene where he and Katarina had a heart-to-heart. I think it was necessary and she was able to help him just like she helped Baden- beauty tames yet another “beast,” lol! But… what happened to him?!? Since Destruction is essentially !? I read this book pretty fast, so I may have missed something, but I don’t know if this was addressed.
A Few Words on Character Choice:
I know a lot of people are unhappy because Gena decided to go with a relatively unknown character in Baden versus fan favorites like Cameo and William, or even Galen… well, get over it people! I wasn’t initially happy either, but I still really enjoyed this book! I did feel like we could have gotten Cameo’s story next instead of Baden’s- there really wasn’t much we saw from her in this book that couldn’t have been placed at the end of The Darkest Touch or even in the first chapter of her own book. Basically, . So yeah, we could have gotten her story instead, but that wasn’t how it played out. I didn’t- and won’t- let the author’s choice of characters ruin my enjoyment of the book/series and am definitely still looking forward to The Darkest Promise.
Serpentine wreaths… I don’t know what I thought they would actually be, but it wasn’t !! Biiiiiggg surprise there!! Minor squabble: while their function was intriguing, I didn’t care for the resolution of how Baden and Pandora got rid of them- it seemed a little anticlimactic. Ok, so now they’re It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me and frankly the whole competition between Baden and Pandora was completely pointless in the end. It provided some conflict, that’s it, which I also could’ve done without.
Surprise Hellhound appearance! I’m ok with this. Gena says in the Insider’s Guide that she will be introducing new species to the series- maybe, possibly Harbingers which sound scary as all get out and should make for some exciting reading!! I like the addition of Hellhounds, which makes sense since Katarina is a world renowned dog trainer. It reminded me a little of Cara in Larissa Ione's Eternal Rider (her Demonica/Lords of Deliverance are other excellent series that bear checking out if you like the LotU and PNR in general)!
I LOVED that Gena threw in a shout-out to Kresley Cole's "Immortals After Dark" series in there!! At one point Keeley, Kaia and Katarina are up to shenanigans and are thinking up nicknames for their group when Keeley proposes: "Girls most likely to attend an Immortals After Dark convention. Dibs on Lothaire!" :D I ADORE Cole’s series and this isn't the first time we see a reference to the IAD world in one of Showalter’s works (i.e. Torin's fascination and cyber-stalking of a certain proto-Valkyrie in one of the books). I WISH they would do a cross-over, but I believe it’s already been explained that since they’re published by different companies it would be impossible- boo! :-/ (P.S. this is another series and author I’d recommend if you are looking for comparable PNR reads!)
I liked that Gena did something a little bit different in that every chapter began with a quote from some of our favorite LotU characters- she also posted these on social medias prior to the release of this book as teasers. They were all so funny, but one of the best has got to be Olivia’s: “The definition of marriage? When a woman adopts an overgrown man-child who cannot be handled by his parents any longer.” I feel like this is pretty accurate, lmfao!! XD
OH! Random, but... Showalter just casually dropped that Taliyah still has her “V-Card,” as she puts it, and that Hades is after it?! What’s going on here… It seemed to me that Taliyah was making good use of her borrowed fortress in the Realm of Blood and Shadows in exactly this way when they were interrupted by Keeley in The Darkest Touch. Hades himself admits in The Darkest Torment that he and Taliyah have history together- she makes him laugh, I’ve liked the little we’ve seen of these two and I would be ok if they get together. I’m wondering when we’ll see more of her and Neeka- Taliyah’s sisters have all gotten their HEAs, now it’s her turn!
Definitely DO NOT skip the LotU: Insider's Guide at the end of the book, but also don't read it first because, *sassy British accent a la River Song* spoilers!! There are a lot of little Easter eggs in there about upcoming LotU stories and delicious little tidbits about all the Lords that you won't want to miss! Here are a few examples (all quotes are from the Insider’s Guide):
** Oh, Oh- get this: "What's next for the Lords, we can't really say. But with Cameo, William and Galen on the block, prepare for a little cray-cray." Soooooooo, since we already know Cameo's book is next, does this mean what I think it means... that we'll FINALLY GET WILLIAM'S BOOK AFTER CAMEO'S?!?!? Please, please, PLEAAAASE Gena, say this is so!!! We've been tortured enough with the waiting and now what happened here, in The Darkest Torment... we (and Gilliam!) deserve this particular HEA most of all!!! :D
** About Scarlet and Gideon’s baby… “She is pregnant with a game changer (not that she knows it).” WHAT?! What do you mean, “game changer!?” Does this mean that we will possibly have a future series featuring the Lord’s children?! Oh, yes please!!!
** Minor spoiler about Fox’s origins that doesn’t give anything away about the plot of The Darkest Torment, but I’ll ‘spoiler’ it anyway- .
Loved this book, it is one of my favorites on the series. It ends in a minor cliff-hanger, mostly because of Cameo and the Gilly situation, which is leaving me craving more!!! I don't think I can wait an entire year for the next one... pretty please, Gena, have a surprise early release!!!!! :D
Katarina and Baden
Baden is so grumpy! Yes, ok, you’ve been in a weird kind of immortal purgatory for several centuries and are now trying to adjust to life again… well, get on with it already! Purgatory seriously changed the Baden we've gotten to know about from his friends- the so called Gentleman of Olympus is no more! Ok, I am being a little harsh, but no one likes a grouch! Baden still carries a lot of guilt, feeling like he “took the easy way out” and abandoning his friends by allowing himself to be killed. However, from the beginning Baden was very high-handed and commanding with Katarina, and not in a good way, either! He commanded her to do everything he ordered and was constantly calling her weak, saying she needed protection… well, she showed him! He mellowed out towards the end, though, thanks to some good ol' fashioned conditioning on Katarina’s end!
I liked Katarina! She showed a singular devotion to her animals and loved them so much- there were her life, motivation and solace. It was ! Katarina gets a surprise when her newest rescues turn out to be slightly more than advertised, but I thought this was a great twist! What I liked most about her was that she didn’t let Baden get away with anything for long; good for her! I found it absolutely hilarious that she applied the same training principles to Baden as she does while training her dogs- it was so great to see him slowly come to heel (*snickers* see what I did there, lol) from his time in purgatory and learn how to trust, live and love again. I like Gena’s decision to make her Slovakian/Black; such an interesting and unique combination of traits! Katarina would throw in lots of Slovak words and phrases, which Baden was somehow inexplicably able to understand... weird, how does he know this random language?! Though Gena does translate and explain much of it, there were other words/phrases that, while understandable in context, were left up to the reader’s imagination. I love languages and it was fun to sit there with my google translate app and figure out some of the stuff she was spouting off!
However, Katarina's fight at the end with . I don’t get it?
Katarina and Baden were HOOTTTTTT together!!! Their chemistry wasn’t as immediately combustible as, say, Anya and Lucien (whose bar scene and kiss is still one of THE hottest moments in this series!), but their attraction to each other was mutual and developed in a very believable way. I like how Gena didn’t have them at each other from the get go, because that would’ve been a little too Stockholm-y for my liking, which is no way to begin a relationship!
On Gilly and William:
Things happened. I don't want to talk about it...Ok, yes I do!!! OH. MY. GOD!!! WHAT?!? WHAAAAAATTTT?!?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Major spoilers ahead- you've been warned, do not open the spoiler if you haven't yet read The Darkest Torment: Besides, hasn’t Gilly ever read Shakespeare... NEVER trust a goat-like creature named Puck!!! >:/
Pandora:
Girl, I was willing to give you a chance… but you are just NOT nice at all!! She became better towards the end, but I didn’t like her to begin with, and still don’t really. Gena kind of set her up to have her own path/plot line as the series continues, so we’ll have to see where it goes. She comes across as butch with her muscles, cigar smoking and pissy attitude- it really just feels like she’s trying too hard to prove that she is one of the guys. Gena does leave her storyline open to see more from her in the future, so we’ll see what happens on the Pandora front!
Destruction:
Without giving away too much about him- no, he’s not another demon- I will say that I ended up liking him in the end! It was a little touch and go there in the beginning- when all he did was want to kill EVERYONE, but once Katarina got her claws into him, he mellowed out. I liked that we got a scene where he and Katarina had a heart-to-heart. I think it was necessary and she was able to help him just like she helped Baden- beauty tames yet another “beast,” lol! But… what happened to him?!? Since Destruction is essentially !? I read this book pretty fast, so I may have missed something, but I don’t know if this was addressed.
A Few Words on Character Choice:
I know a lot of people are unhappy because Gena decided to go with a relatively unknown character in Baden versus fan favorites like Cameo and William, or even Galen… well, get over it people! I wasn’t initially happy either, but I still really enjoyed this book! I did feel like we could have gotten Cameo’s story next instead of Baden’s- there really wasn’t much we saw from her in this book that couldn’t have been placed at the end of The Darkest Touch or even in the first chapter of her own book. Basically, . So yeah, we could have gotten her story instead, but that wasn’t how it played out. I didn’t- and won’t- let the author’s choice of characters ruin my enjoyment of the book/series and am definitely still looking forward to The Darkest Promise.
Serpentine wreaths… I don’t know what I thought they would actually be, but it wasn’t !! Biiiiiggg surprise there!! Minor squabble: while their function was intriguing, I didn’t care for the resolution of how Baden and Pandora got rid of them- it seemed a little anticlimactic. Ok, so now they’re It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me and frankly the whole competition between Baden and Pandora was completely pointless in the end. It provided some conflict, that’s it, which I also could’ve done without.
Surprise Hellhound appearance! I’m ok with this. Gena says in the Insider’s Guide that she will be introducing new species to the series- maybe, possibly Harbingers which sound scary as all get out and should make for some exciting reading!! I like the addition of Hellhounds, which makes sense since Katarina is a world renowned dog trainer. It reminded me a little of Cara in Larissa Ione's Eternal Rider (her Demonica/Lords of Deliverance are other excellent series that bear checking out if you like the LotU and PNR in general)!
I LOVED that Gena threw in a shout-out to Kresley Cole's "Immortals After Dark" series in there!! At one point Keeley, Kaia and Katarina are up to shenanigans and are thinking up nicknames for their group when Keeley proposes: "Girls most likely to attend an Immortals After Dark convention. Dibs on Lothaire!" :D I ADORE Cole’s series and this isn't the first time we see a reference to the IAD world in one of Showalter’s works (i.e. Torin's fascination and cyber-stalking of a certain proto-Valkyrie in one of the books). I WISH they would do a cross-over, but I believe it’s already been explained that since they’re published by different companies it would be impossible- boo! :-/ (P.S. this is another series and author I’d recommend if you are looking for comparable PNR reads!)
I liked that Gena did something a little bit different in that every chapter began with a quote from some of our favorite LotU characters- she also posted these on social medias prior to the release of this book as teasers. They were all so funny, but one of the best has got to be Olivia’s: “The definition of marriage? When a woman adopts an overgrown man-child who cannot be handled by his parents any longer.” I feel like this is pretty accurate, lmfao!! XD
OH! Random, but... Showalter just casually dropped that Taliyah still has her “V-Card,” as she puts it, and that Hades is after it?! What’s going on here… It seemed to me that Taliyah was making good use of her borrowed fortress in the Realm of Blood and Shadows in exactly this way when they were interrupted by Keeley in The Darkest Touch. Hades himself admits in The Darkest Torment that he and Taliyah have history together- she makes him laugh, I’ve liked the little we’ve seen of these two and I would be ok if they get together. I’m wondering when we’ll see more of her and Neeka- Taliyah’s sisters have all gotten their HEAs, now it’s her turn!
Definitely DO NOT skip the LotU: Insider's Guide at the end of the book, but also don't read it first because, *sassy British accent a la River Song* spoilers!! There are a lot of little Easter eggs in there about upcoming LotU stories and delicious little tidbits about all the Lords that you won't want to miss! Here are a few examples (all quotes are from the Insider’s Guide):
** Oh, Oh- get this: "What's next for the Lords, we can't really say. But with Cameo, William and Galen on the block, prepare for a little cray-cray." Soooooooo, since we already know Cameo's book is next, does this mean what I think it means... that we'll FINALLY GET WILLIAM'S BOOK AFTER CAMEO'S?!?!? Please, please, PLEAAAASE Gena, say this is so!!! We've been tortured enough with the waiting and now what happened here, in The Darkest Torment... we (and Gilliam!) deserve this particular HEA most of all!!! :D
** About Scarlet and Gideon’s baby… “She is pregnant with a game changer (not that she knows it).” WHAT?! What do you mean, “game changer!?” Does this mean that we will possibly have a future series featuring the Lord’s children?! Oh, yes please!!!
** Minor spoiler about Fox’s origins that doesn’t give anything away about the plot of The Darkest Torment, but I’ll ‘spoiler’ it anyway- .
Loved this book, it is one of my favorites on the series. It ends in a minor cliff-hanger, mostly because of Cameo and the Gilly situation, which is leaving me craving more!!! I don't think I can wait an entire year for the next one... pretty please, Gena, have a surprise early release!!!!! :D
October 31, 2016
Skip this book
Nope. I'm not even kidding. Even if you love this series, no, especially if you ever so much as liked this series, skip this book. It was awful. It was terrible. It was a trainwreck. Baden was boring. His story was boring. His life is boring. His six-pack is boring. But together with that dog-brained wanker Katarina? This book was plain torture. I had to skim most of it because my eyeballs nearly exploded in protest against some of the exchanges.
It's true, the series has been trainwrecking for a number of years. Ever since Gena found Jesus - and really, I don't begrudge her the inner peace or strength or whatever she gets from it - her books have declined in quality. Kane's book was an awful, nonsensical mess. Torin's book was pretty bad too. But then Showalter started not giving a shit about this series anymore (or maybe she did that before, who knows). She started writing that contemporary NA series that nobody wants to read. Her LotU books have no plot anymore! Like seriously, Baden's book, which nobody wanted and I don't believe for one second that Gena cared even a little bit about it, was a NA novel! This is not paranormal romance. The plot didn't advance, the characters all sound the same, the dialogues are MADDENING.
I can only guess what happened in Showalter's mind, but I just don't think she's invested in this series anymore. She changed her mind multiple times with characters - yes I'm looking at you Gilliam - and now apparently regrets pairing Paris with Sienna. Which frankly, I don't care about. She admits in the interview at the end of this book that at the beginning of the series she had literally no idea where she was headed. It shows. It has showed for a few books but now it really shows. Showalter has no idea what she's doing and I don't think she cares anymore. I want to read about Cameo, Galen and Legion and Gillian and William, but I don't think Showalter wants to write about them. I'll wait before I read the next book, because this was a zero-stars read for me.
If you're still tempted: don't. This book doesn't add to the story. There was one page for Cameo and maybe ten for Gillian, but you could just read the spoilers somewhere and move on.
***before reading***
So I only just looked this series up not hoping for much and seeing the title I thought Oh it must be William and Gilly I mean wasn't all his waiting for her growing up and her waiting for him torment?
But unfortunately the title is for realz and I will have to wade through the darkest torment of reading about a hero I don't know and don't care about ...
who am I kidding? I'll read it anyway -.-
Nope. I'm not even kidding. Even if you love this series, no, especially if you ever so much as liked this series, skip this book. It was awful. It was terrible. It was a trainwreck. Baden was boring. His story was boring. His life is boring. His six-pack is boring. But together with that dog-brained wanker Katarina? This book was plain torture. I had to skim most of it because my eyeballs nearly exploded in protest against some of the exchanges.
It's true, the series has been trainwrecking for a number of years. Ever since Gena found Jesus - and really, I don't begrudge her the inner peace or strength or whatever she gets from it - her books have declined in quality. Kane's book was an awful, nonsensical mess. Torin's book was pretty bad too. But then Showalter started not giving a shit about this series anymore (or maybe she did that before, who knows). She started writing that contemporary NA series that nobody wants to read. Her LotU books have no plot anymore! Like seriously, Baden's book, which nobody wanted and I don't believe for one second that Gena cared even a little bit about it, was a NA novel! This is not paranormal romance. The plot didn't advance, the characters all sound the same, the dialogues are MADDENING.
I can only guess what happened in Showalter's mind, but I just don't think she's invested in this series anymore. She changed her mind multiple times with characters - yes I'm looking at you Gilliam - and now apparently regrets pairing Paris with Sienna. Which frankly, I don't care about. She admits in the interview at the end of this book that at the beginning of the series she had literally no idea where she was headed. It shows. It has showed for a few books but now it really shows. Showalter has no idea what she's doing and I don't think she cares anymore. I want to read about Cameo, Galen and Legion and Gillian and William, but I don't think Showalter wants to write about them. I'll wait before I read the next book, because this was a zero-stars read for me.
If you're still tempted: don't. This book doesn't add to the story. There was one page for Cameo and maybe ten for Gillian, but you could just read the spoilers somewhere and move on.
***before reading***
So I only just looked this series up not hoping for much and seeing the title I thought Oh it must be William and Gilly I mean wasn't all his waiting for her growing up and her waiting for him torment?
But unfortunately the title is for realz and I will have to wade through the darkest torment of reading about a hero I don't know and don't care about ...
who am I kidding? I'll read it anyway -.-
June 5, 2016
THE DARKEST TORMENT или Хоспадипрости, я дочитала эту ересь
Часть 1. Трагическая.
— Билл?
— Да, Гарри?
— Что это было, Билл?
— Это был Неуловимый Джо, Гарри.
— А почему его зовут Неуловимым Джо, Билл?
— Потому что его никто ещё не поймал, Гарри.
— А почему его никто ещё не поймал, Билл?
— Потому что он нафиг никому не нужен, Гарри. (с) древний анекдот
Придется начать с предыстории, ибо в целях растягивания серии и рубки дополнительного бабла Джена решила впихнуть между ожидаемыми книгами историю персонажа, который десять книг назад слегка повлиял на сюжет, а потом про него вообще благополучно забыли. Но автор хочет кушать, поэтому встречайте - Баден. Бывший хранитель демона Недоверия. Измученный демоном и паранойей позволил Хайди (тогда Ловчихе) себя обезглавить. Повелители от огорчения тогда даже на две группировки разделились, но потом снова сошлись и вполне себе жили дальше, не особо парясь о покойном друге. В общем, помер Ефим - да и хрен с ним. Как оказалось, Баден остался существовать в виде духа в каком-то аналоге рая, только пустом и очень скучном. Единственным развлечением были стычки с Пандорой, которая после гибели попала туда же. В этой же книге Джена заради нагнетания драматизЬму придумала, что якобы в том раю бедные духи шибко мучились, какая-то гадость за ними гонялась, и вообще они там курс на выживание проходили. Видимо, автор уже сама не помнит, что писала в той же книге Аэрона. Либо надеется, что этого не помнят читатели. Потом внезапно в книге Торина Баден с Пандорой оказываются уже в плену Люцифера, который похитил их... а хрен знает зачем. Наверное, хомячок сбежал, рыбки сдохли, а завести какую-никакую живность хотелось.
В результате невнятной операции Бадена с Пандорой таки вызволили из плена. Аид нацепил на них браслетики, и теперь бывших узников капитализма стало возможно поШШупать. В смысле, материализовались они. Баден стал жить в крепости с остальными повелителями, Пандора свалила, ибо до сих пор не простила шовинистических придурков, сперевших у нее ларец и бездарно его профукавших.
Итак. Баден теперь страдает приступами гнева и запущенной шизофренией в виде голоса в голове. Голос заявляет, мол, он Разрушение и теперь живет в Бадене. И вот чем же помочь человеку с таким анамнезом? Сводить к психиатру? Записать к дерматологу? Дать галоперидол/глистогонное/кирпичом по башке? Фиг. Уильям ведет Бадена в бордель - правильно, куда ж еще вести психа, который не выносит ничьих прикосновений? И да, вы не ошиблись, это один в один содранная сцена из книги Кейна. Секса не случилось, бабенка оказалась ассасином, присланным лично Люцифером с цельюзатрахать измотать Бадена и убить его еще раз. Больше забот у владыки зла нет, ага.
Внезапно выясняется, что браслетики не просто китайская бижутерия из магазина "все по 50р", а мега-девайс, с помощью которого Аид контролирует Бадена и Пандору. В том числе вызывает их к себе в любой момент (и ну разумеется, один раз Бадена выдернули голым из душа, это ж предсказуемо как вся моя жизнь). Аиду, видимо тоже скучно, поэтому он устраивает Бадену и Пандоре Форт Байярд. Каждой команде дается задание (замочить кого-то, надыбатьподсказку у старца Фура какой-нибудь артефакт), кто первый выполнит - тому очко. Кто меньше наберет - царствие ему небесное. Убивать соперника нельзя, но если очень хочется - то можно. Товарищам деваться некуда, они исправно шастают на побегушках и портят друг другу организмы вплоть до вышибания глаз и переломов шеи.
Одним из заданий оказывается нахождение некоей монеты, которая вот прям позарез нужна. Монета оказывается у Александра, наркобарона, а по совместительству сына падшей ангелицы и смертного. Ангелица в свое время сбегла из Аидова гарема и прихватила сувенир на память. Почему владелец не выследил ее раньше и спохватился только сейчас? Ну может, думал, оно само как-то рассосется.
Часть 2. Бредовая.
Вот, говорила я тебе много раз,
Кого ж ты выбрала, дурная, Это ж просто АТАС.
Какой-то страшный, несуразный, говорит ерунду.
И если это выбор твой, на свадьбу я не иду.
Не пойду - ДУ - ДУ,
Ты ж просто дура! (с) попсовое
Упомянутый Александр (будто ему и без того проблем не хватало) как раз ведет под венец Катарину Джоэл - вроде как умницу, местами красавицу и заслуженного собаковода республики. Настолько заслуженного, что дамочка чешет в ЗАГС с конченным моральным уродом, патамушта он похитил ее собачек, а вот если она за него выйдет, он ей их прям сразу вернет! Нет, преданность животным - это замечательно, но в той ситуации последний идиот догадался бы, что собак давно уже потравили. Но наша героиня не такая. Она долго выкобенивается перед алтарем, но клятву таки произносит. И вот в этот знаменательный момент в церковь вламывается Баден с Торином и Уиллом. И начинается сцена из "Убить Билла". В живых остается жених и брат невесты, заботливо подсаженный женихом на героин. Сашка играет в партизана, однако остается на свободе. Баден забирает Катьку, мол, это непременно сподвигнет новоиспеченного мужа прибежать ее выменивать с монеткой в зубах. Что мешало тупо его запытать, раз уж все равно всех остальных вырезали - загадка тысячелетия.
Итак, Катька у Бадена. Истерит, понтуется, пытается отравить похитителя и сбежать по отвесной стене на высоте надцатого этажа, не будучи Человеком-пауком. Воина это восхищает, что лишний раз подтверждает: с головой у него все очень плохо. Дальше стандартное люблю-падла-ненавижу, секс в одежде (привет, книга Торина! Баден даже перчатки надел, чтоб уж точно все поняли, откуда копипаста), Катька продолжает гнуть пальцы, какая она вся гордая независимая женщина, воин прогибается все больше. А как иначе, дамочка ж решила заняться его дрессурой. Нет, вы правильно прочитали. Да, именно так и надо вести себя с а) похитителем-убийцей и б) любимым мужчиной. Вас непременно оценят. Дрессура заключается в правиле "наш девиз непобедим, возбудим и не дадим!". Катька постоянно обламывает воина с сексом, вплоть до того, что вызывает мальчика-массажиста и заставляет Бадена наблюдать за процессом. А потом сама устраивает повелителю сеансы эротического массажа без продолжения. Лох послушно терпит и гнется уже так, что хребет трещит.
Катька наглухо повернутая на собаках, у нее неоднократно мелькает мысль, что песики намного лучше тупых людей. Соответственно, с окружающими она общается, прокручивая в башке мануал по дрессировке. И да, читателям тоже предстоит почерпнуть эти все замечательные сведения и проникнуться. По ходу дела к ней прибивается два щенка, которые оказываются адскими гончими, коих некогда почти истребил Аид. Собакены из любви кусают нашу дуру, и она становится в некотором роде оборотнем - в опасности отращивает когти и клыки и испытывает нездоровое желание перегрызть всем глотки. Это та самая, которая неоднократно выносила Бадену мозг, что он сволота кровожадная.
Потом нарисовывается стая гончих, и выясняется, что если Катька помрет, то помрут все, поэтому собакены теперь за нее толпой. Тут является Александр (реально, у мужика отвратительная интуиция), его рвут на британский флаг и ошметки, он успевает булькнуть, что у него гранитный камушек в груди, в смысле монетка в сердце. Женушка артефакт выдергивает, и Сашка бесславно сдыхает, подтверждая простую истину, что жениться на клинических дурах опасно для здоровья.
Аид вызывает Бадена с Катькой к себе. Она предъявляет ему монетку и тем самым нечаянно вызывает на бой. Но не успела я порадоваться, как туда же пригнала вся собачья стая и прокачала Катьку по самое немогу. И наша чистоплюйка с удовольствием кинулась грызть беднягу Аида. Обездвиженного Бадена так бомбануло, что браслетики всосались в его плоть, и он освободился от гнета тирании. С изрядно пожеванного владыки стребовали неприкосновенность себе и собачкам, царство для Пандоры, шоб ей было где посуду бить, бессмертие Катьке, землю крестьянам и фабрики рабочим. Аид на все согласился, лишь бы эти упоротые ушли уже.
И вновь продолжается бой, и сердцу тревожно в груди, и предстоит великий махач между Аидом и Люцифером, а пока оба страдают фигней и вербуют союзников в свободное от работы время.
Часть 3. Эпизодическая.
У Аидушки три сына:
Люци умный был детина,
Уильям-сын и так и сяк,
Баден вовсе был дурак. (с) почти П.П.Ершов
Куда ж мы без раздувания имеющейся мифологии? Оказывается, в аду всего 9 царств. Основная борьба зажелезный трон идет между Аидом и Люцифером, который внезапно его сын. Еще есть Уильям, который Аидов приемный сын. А теперь еще есть Баден, который из-за браслетиков тоже прошел процесс усыновления. Оказывается, браслетики есть некая суть Аида, его воспоминания. Кто их долго носит - становится дитяткой владыки ада. Вот такая прелесть. Такшо теперь у Аида трое сыновей и доча Пандора, и он может смело претендовать на льготы в собесе и становиться в очередь на получение жилья.
Что касается второстепенных линий. Их так много, что полкниги Бадена - вовсе не про Бадена. А про повелителей, их баб, детей и прочих жильцов. Народу много, но Джена постаралась упомянуть всех. К имеющимся подселился Гален, который был заклятым врагом, но теперь его почему-то надо простить, а почему - автор сама еще не определилась. Мужик продолжает сохнуть по Легион, и нас явно ждет их книжка.
Камео всю книгу проболталась как говно в проруби. Демон блокирует хорошие воспоминания, поэтому от друзей она в курсе, что шаталась где-то с Лазарусом, но в упор не помнит, кто это и чем дело кончилось. Но уверена, что вот без него жить не может. Поэтому снова собирает все артефакты и отправляется в то измерение, откуда ее еле выцарапали. Слабоумие и отвага.
Кили, жОну Торина, которую я и так не выносила в прошлой книге, тут сделали какой-то упоротой маразматичкой. Она постоянно все забывает - причем непременно самое важное, а в итоге отравляет Джилли, чтоб Уильям ее спас и наконец на ней оженился. Ага, вот только у Лиама противоядия не находится. Какая незадача. Аид отказывается делать ее бессмертной, ибо Джилли не выдержит процесса. Единственный вариант ее спасти - если Уилл на ней женится и привяжет к себе. Но тут опять облом: а) есть риск, что в процессе он сам станет смертным; б) мужик помнит о проклятии, что примет он смерть отконя своего жены своей, поэтому брачеваться не спешит. От безысходности Джилли выходит за Пака (он же Ирландец, один из трех бессмертных, что с Сиенной в замке сидели в плену у Крона). Он одержим Безразличием, и ему пофиг. Джилли выживает, но теперь вынуждена тусоваться с очень странным мужем, который вообще не спешит ее баловать и в попу ей дуть. Жрать попросила - он кроликов притащил, а дальше сама, освежевывай, готовь, ешь. Пожалуй, он пока единственный, кто мне нравится. Остальные мужики ну совсем обабились.
Вот как-то так. В книге очень много воды, половину можно спокойно выкинуть, героиня в очередной раз такая, что понимаешь: одержимость демоном - не самое страшное, что произошло с Баденом. Герой из воина становится озабоченной тряпкой с вечным стояком и вечным восхвалением несуществующих достоинств своей женушки. Аминь, господа.
Да, героиня собаковод, потому что у Джены новое хобби - она помогает собачьим питомникам. А еще Катарина мулатка, у нее папа негр был. Короч, толерантность наше все. ��стается молиться, чтоб автор не прониклась тяжким трудом ассенизаторов, а то глядишь, еще чьи будни опишет.
Часть 1. Трагическая.
— Билл?
— Да, Гарри?
— Что это было, Билл?
— Это был Неуловимый Джо, Гарри.
— А почему его зовут Неуловимым Джо, Билл?
— Потому что его никто ещё не поймал, Гарри.
— А почему его никто ещё не поймал, Билл?
— Потому что он нафиг никому не нужен, Гарри. (с) древний анекдот
Придется начать с предыстории, ибо в целях растягивания серии и рубки дополнительного бабла Джена решила впихнуть между ожидаемыми книгами историю персонажа, который десять книг назад слегка повлиял на сюжет, а потом про него вообще благополучно забыли. Но автор хочет кушать, поэтому встречайте - Баден. Бывший хранитель демона Недоверия. Измученный демоном и паранойей позволил Хайди (тогда Ловчихе) себя обезглавить. Повелители от огорчения тогда даже на две группировки разделились, но потом снова сошлись и вполне себе жили дальше, не особо парясь о покойном друге. В общем, помер Ефим - да и хрен с ним. Как оказалось, Баден остался существовать в виде духа в каком-то аналоге рая, только пустом и очень скучном. Единственным развлечением были стычки с Пандорой, которая после гибели попала туда же. В этой же книге Джена заради нагнетания драматизЬму придумала, что якобы в том раю бедные духи шибко мучились, какая-то гадость за ними гонялась, и вообще они там курс на выживание проходили. Видимо, автор уже сама не помнит, что писала в той же книге Аэрона. Либо надеется, что этого не помнят читатели. Потом внезапно в книге Торина Баден с Пандорой оказываются уже в плену Люцифера, который похитил их... а хрен знает зачем. Наверное, хомячок сбежал, рыбки сдохли, а завести какую-никакую живность хотелось.
В результате невнятной операции Бадена с Пандорой таки вызволили из плена. Аид нацепил на них браслетики, и теперь бывших узников капитализма стало возможно поШШупать. В смысле, материализовались они. Баден стал жить в крепости с остальными повелителями, Пандора свалила, ибо до сих пор не простила шовинистических придурков, сперевших у нее ларец и бездарно его профукавших.
Итак. Баден теперь страдает приступами гнева и запущенной шизофренией в виде голоса в голове. Голос заявляет, мол, он Разрушение и теперь живет в Бадене. И вот чем же помочь человеку с таким анамнезом? Сводить к психиатру? Записать к дерматологу? Дать галоперидол/глистогонное/кирпичом по башке? Фиг. Уильям ведет Бадена в бордель - правильно, куда ж еще вести психа, который не выносит ничьих прикосновений? И да, вы не ошиблись, это один в один содранная сцена из книги Кейна. Секса не случилось, бабенка оказалась ассасином, присланным лично Люцифером с целью
Внезапно выясняется, что браслетики не просто китайская бижутерия из магазина "все по 50р", а мега-девайс, с помощью которого Аид контролирует Бадена и Пандору. В том числе вызывает их к себе в любой момент (и ну разумеется, один раз Бадена выдернули голым из душа, это ж предсказуемо как вся моя жизнь). Аиду, видимо тоже скучно, поэтому он устраивает Бадену и Пандоре Форт Байярд. Каждой команде дается задание (замочить кого-то, надыбать
Одним из заданий оказывается нахождение некоей монеты, которая вот прям позарез нужна. Монета оказывается у Александра, наркобарона, а по совместительству сына падшей ангелицы и смертного. Ангелица в свое время сбегла из Аидова гарема и прихватила сувенир на память. Почему владелец не выследил ее раньше и спохватился только сейчас? Ну может, думал, оно само как-то рассосется.
Часть 2. Бредовая.
Вот, говорила я тебе много раз,
Кого ж ты выбрала, дурная, Это ж просто АТАС.
Какой-то страшный, несуразный, говорит ерунду.
И если это выбор твой, на свадьбу я не иду.
Не пойду - ДУ - ДУ,
Ты ж просто дура! (с) попсовое
Упомянутый Александр (будто ему и без того проблем не хватало) как раз ведет под венец Катарину Джоэл - вроде как умницу, местами красавицу и заслуженного собаковода республики. Настолько заслуженного, что дамочка чешет в ЗАГС с конченным моральным уродом, патамушта он похитил ее собачек, а вот если она за него выйдет, он ей их прям сразу вернет! Нет, преданность животным - это замечательно, но в той ситуации последний идиот догадался бы, что собак давно уже потравили. Но наша героиня не такая. Она долго выкобенивается перед алтарем, но клятву таки произносит. И вот в этот знаменательный момент в церковь вламывается Баден с Торином и Уиллом. И начинается сцена из "Убить Билла". В живых остается жених и брат невесты, заботливо подсаженный женихом на героин. Сашка играет в партизана, однако остается на свободе. Баден забирает Катьку, мол, это непременно сподвигнет новоиспеченного мужа прибежать ее выменивать с монеткой в зубах. Что мешало тупо его запытать, раз уж все равно всех остальных вырезали - загадка тысячелетия.
Итак, Катька у Бадена. Истерит, понтуется, пытается отравить похитителя и сбежать по отвесной стене на высоте надцатого этажа, не будучи Человеком-пауком. Воина это восхищает, что лишний раз подтверждает: с головой у него все очень плохо. Дальше стандартное люблю-падла-ненавижу, секс в одежде (привет, книга Торина! Баден даже перчатки надел, чтоб уж точно все поняли, откуда копипаста), Катька продолжает гнуть пальцы, какая она вся гордая независимая женщина, воин прогибается все больше. А как иначе, дамочка ж решила заняться его дрессурой. Нет, вы правильно прочитали. Да, именно так и надо вести себя с а) похитителем-убийцей и б) любимым мужчиной. Вас непременно оценят. Дрессура заключается в правиле "наш девиз непобедим, возбудим и не дадим!". Катька постоянно обламывает воина с сексом, вплоть до того, что вызывает мальчика-массажиста и заставляет Бадена наблюдать за процессом. А потом сама устраивает повелителю сеансы эротического массажа без продолжения. Лох послушно терпит и гнется уже так, что хребет трещит.
Катька наглухо повернутая на собаках, у нее неоднократно мелькает мысль, что песики намного лучше тупых людей. Соответственно, с окружающими она общается, прокручивая в башке мануал по дрессировке. И да, читателям тоже предстоит почерпнуть эти все замечательные сведения и проникнуться. По ходу дела к ней прибивается два щенка, которые оказываются адскими гончими, коих некогда почти истребил Аид. Собакены из любви кусают нашу дуру, и она становится в некотором роде оборотнем - в опасности отращивает когти и клыки и испытывает нездоровое желание перегрызть всем глотки. Это та самая, которая неоднократно выносила Бадену мозг, что он сволота кровожадная.
Потом нарисовывается стая гончих, и выясняется, что если Катька помрет, то помрут все, поэтому собакены теперь за нее толпой. Тут является Александр (реально, у мужика отвратительная интуиция), его рвут на британский флаг и ошметки, он успевает булькнуть, что у него гранитный камушек в груди, в смысле монетка в сердце. Женушка артефакт выдергивает, и Сашка бесславно сдыхает, подтверждая простую истину, что жениться на клинических дурах опасно для здоровья.
Аид вызывает Бадена с Катькой к себе. Она предъявляет ему монетку и тем самым нечаянно вызывает на бой. Но не успела я порадоваться, как туда же пригнала вся собачья стая и прокачала Катьку по самое немогу. И наша чистоплюйка с удовольствием кинулась грызть беднягу Аида. Обездвиженного Бадена так бомбануло, что браслетики всосались в его плоть, и он освободился от гнета тирании. С изрядно пожеванного владыки стребовали неприкосновенность себе и собачкам, царство для Пандоры, шоб ей было где посуду бить, бессмертие Катьке, землю крестьянам и фабрики рабочим. Аид на все согласился, лишь бы эти упоротые ушли уже.
И вновь продолжается бой, и сердцу тревожно в груди, и предстоит великий махач между Аидом и Люцифером, а пока оба страдают фигней и вербуют союзников в свободное от работы время.
Часть 3. Эпизодическая.
У Аидушки три сына:
Люци умный был детина,
Уильям-сын и так и сяк,
Баден вовсе был дурак. (с) почти П.П.Ершов
Куда ж мы без раздувания имеющейся мифологии? Оказывается, в аду всего 9 царств. Основная борьба за
Что касается второстепенных линий. Их так много, что полкниги Бадена - вовсе не про Бадена. А про повелителей, их баб, детей и прочих жильцов. Народу много, но Джена постаралась упомянуть всех. К имеющимся подселился Гален, который был заклятым врагом, но теперь его почему-то надо простить, а почему - автор сама еще не определилась. Мужик продолжает сохнуть по Легион, и нас явно ждет их книжка.
Камео всю книгу проболталась как говно в проруби. Демон блокирует хорошие воспоминания, поэтому от друзей она в курсе, что шаталась где-то с Лазарусом, но в упор не помнит, кто это и чем дело кончилось. Но уверена, что вот без него жить не может. Поэтому снова собирает все артефакты и отправляется в то измерение, откуда ее еле выцарапали. Слабоумие и отвага.
Кили, жОну Торина, которую я и так не выносила в прошлой книге, тут сделали какой-то упоротой маразматичкой. Она постоянно все забывает - причем непременно самое важное, а в итоге отравляет Джилли, чтоб Уильям ее спас и наконец на ней оженился. Ага, вот только у Лиама противоядия не находится. Какая незадача. Аид отказывается делать ее бессмертной, ибо Джилли не выдержит процесса. Единственный вариант ее спасти - если Уилл на ней женится и привяжет к себе. Но тут опять облом: а) есть риск, что в процессе он сам станет смертным; б) мужик помнит о проклятии, что примет он смерть от
Вот как-то так. В книге очень много воды, половину можно спокойно выкинуть, героиня в очередной раз такая, что понимаешь: одержимость демоном - не самое страшное, что произошло с Баденом. Герой из воина становится озабоченной тряпкой с вечным стояком и вечным восхвалением несуществующих достоинств своей женушки. Аминь, господа.
Да, героиня собаковод, потому что у Джены новое хобби - она помогает собачьим питомникам. А еще Катарина мулатка, у нее папа негр был. Короч, толерантность наше все. ��стается молиться, чтоб автор не прониклась тяжким трудом ассенизаторов, а то глядишь, еще чьи будни опишет.
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