Budapest - Present Day

The warriors had been created to protect the gods, but when Pandora was chosen to protect a box filled with evil, the warriors, in their envy, decided to show the gods how unfit Pandora was as the box’s guardian. The warriors unleashed hell unto the world, and in punishment, each of the warriors was bonded to a demon. For centuries, the immortal warriors have existed as part man, part demon, struggling to control the monster within. Six of these Lords of the Underworld have built a sanctuary in Budapest.

Ashlyn Darrow has always been able to hear any conversation that has ever happened in any place, just by being there and, as result, hears voices in her head all of the time. While she has used this “gift” to help her employers find supernatural creatures, she sees her ability as more of a curse. Ashlyn rarely has a moment without hearing the voices. In Budapest, she hears of the men who live in the castle on the hill, and wonders if these supernatural beings will be able to help her with her curse. She believes her prayers are answered when a man steps into her path and Ashlyn hears nothing but the wind in the trees. But after she ignores the man’s insistence that she return to the town, he drags her to the castle where she witnesses his death.

In addition to being bonded to the demon Violence, Maddox has a death curse. At midnight, Reyes (bonded with Pain) must kill Maddox, and then Lucien (bonded with Death) escorts him to hell, where he stays until dawn. Then Maddox returns to the castle so that this whole sequence of events can happen again. It is already too close to midnight when Maddox finds Ashlyn in the woods, and he is forced to take her to the castle. Maddox has always had a difficult time controlling Violence, but something about Ashlyn’s presence calms the beast and stirs desires in Maddox that he hasn’t felt in way too long. But, Ashlyn wasn’t the only one in the woods; Hunters (a group dedicated to killing the Lords) were following her, and either Ashlyn is Bait sent to lure the Lords to their demise, or the Hunters aren’t looking for just the warriors.

A well-known myth is given a completely different interpretation in THE DARKEST NIGHT, the first in an amazing new series by Gena Showalter. The Lords of the Underworld give new meaning to “tortured hero” as each of these immortal men is forced to live in hell thanks to one fatal decision. Maddox is barely able to control Violence, and each night he is forced to endure the same death he meted out to another. He believed that things couldn’t get worse, but he quickly learns that he shouldn’t have tempted fate, as everything these six Lords have worked for is in jeopardy. Their entire existence is about to change, and having a tempting, and possibly dangerous, woman enter the picture is a little too much to handle. Ashlyn’s “gift” has caused her to be an outcast, and the loneliness of her life drives her to seek help from the unusual men on the hill. Both main characters are strong, but not without their vulnerabilities, and while the attraction between them is instant, the relationship does not feel rushed.

A complex and riveting tale, THE DARKEST NIGHT grabs you right from the beginning and is almost impossible to put down. For the most part, this is Maddox and Ashlyn’s story; however, there is an underlying plot that involves all of the Lords, and will continue in the following books, so it’s probably best to read them in order. THE DARKEST NIGHT is an exciting story that you won’t want to miss.

Jennifer Bishop