The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)
Review
One of the premier authors of paranormal romance. –New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole
Showalter at her finest. –New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning on The Darkest Night
Product Description
Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her?even defy the gods.
Danika is on the run. For months she’s eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won’t rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can’t forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.?
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2.0 out of 5 stars
Cheesy with a plot shot through with holes
Having read lots of reviews about this series, I eagerly bought all 3. Someone, maybe more than one someone, said the plot was far-fetched and ridiculous, in so many words.
Long ago a band of immortal warriors stole and unleashed the evil within Pandora’s box. In the melee, the box was lost. As their punishment for the deed, the gods forced each warrior to ‘contain’ one of the demons within themselves. So the Lords of the Underworld were born.
At present, some of these possessed immortals live a sheltered life high on a hill in Budapest. They struggle daily with their demons eventually succumbing to the demons desires. As well as warding off attacks by the radical humans called Hunters who want to see them and their demons dead.
The immortal warrior Reyes possesses the demon of Pain. He can only feel pleasure in one of two ways 1)unleashing his demon during fights or 2)self inflicting pain -cutting himself. That is until he meets his *angel*.
Danika Ford is the unfortunate woman whom the gods have targeted for death (along with her family). Aeron (Wrath) has been assigned the task of murdering them. The more he resists, the more the bloodlust grows within him.
Meanwhile the other warriors continue to look for the pieces of the puzzle to find Pandora’s box. Only Reyes cannot concentrate on anything other than keeping Danika safe and away from his warrior friend. Soon he must choose between his two loves -his woman or his friend.
A good book but I liked the second one in the series The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2) much more. I think I expected something else here -perhaps some mild BDSM? (he is Pain after all). And the adventure was somewhat lacking unlike the previous installment. There is a lot of foreshadowing (more like teasing for the next book! ;)) too . In particular, Showalter showcases Paris and Aeron. Those parts were my favorites (made it a 4 star rather than a 3 star book) and make me anticipate the sequels.
On the other hand as far as the romance goes -Reyes and Danika are a engaging couple but nothing that is earth shattering. Good sexual tension but somewhat mundane love scenes. Perhaps my expectations were too high *shrugs* I don’t know.
I mostly liked it and recommend it to those who have liked the previous books. And I will be definitely looking forward to the next in the series. Showalter has an interesting take on the mythological in the paranormal genre.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Darkest Pleasure
It was enjoyable. The third one in the series. I would recommend it to everyone that likes dark fantasy.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reyes I’d like to own your sweet butt..
Oh my lords,this was soo awesome this is my fourth book in the series, I couldn’t put it done litterly. (I think I’m in love now with Reyes). I thought Maddox was hot.
The Darkest Pleasure was probably one of the most anticipated books of the summer after The Darkest Night and The Darkest Kiss rolled out with the beginnings of a pretty good new paranormal romance series. The Lords of the Underworld are back, still looking for the artifacts that can lead them to Pandora’s box. The hunt for the artifacts takes a very steep decline in this novel as the romance between Danika and Reyes, Keeper of Pain, finally takes center stage. Built up over the course of the previous two books the attraction to one another might seem a little Romeo and Juliet.
Reyes is an immortal warrior possessed by the demon Pain, a demon which forces him to inflict painful injury upon himself to avoid inflicting it on others. Worse yet is the fact that he cannot feel any pleasure without it. He’s been Pining for Danika since he first saw her in The Darkest Night, but can’t risk getting involved with her without being forced to protect her from Aeron, Keeper of Wrath, his friend and fellow Lord. Commanded to kill Danika and her mother, sister and grandmother, Aeron has been driven to bloodlust yet continues to fight his demon even still. Aeron and Reyes know that if he commits these killings he will be lost to his demon forever. Meanwhile Lucien, leader of the Lords and Keeper of Death, wants Aeron brought home and demands an exchange, he’ll tell Reyes where Danika is (and she is in danger from Hunters) if Reyes will tell him where he has trapped Aeron. Trapped for a time, Aeron has been discovered by a mysterious little demon known as Legion who has become his constant companion. When Reyes relents and saves Danika from the Hunters he is ready to protect her for as long as it takes to free Aeron from his mandate. But is Danika really in danger from the Hunters or has she begun to work for them? When the chips fall where will her loyalty and her heart lie?
Sorry, no spoilers! You’ll have to read the book to find out. If you’ve been reading the rest of the series you definitely will want to know what happens. I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than the first and about the same as the second. I liked Danika and Reyes a lot more than previous couplings, but I found myself frustrated at how little of the sidestories there was in this one after being given so much in the last one. In the end I was a bit disappointed that only small sections gave us more story related to Paris and Sienna, Aeron and Legion, Torin and Cameo, as well as the other Lords. I really wanted to get more sidestory and there just wasn’t enough this time. Truth be told Legion was pretty much my favorite part of the book and I felt like Cronus had a weird personality change from his previous scenes.
This book was definitely a pleasure and a pain (puns totally intended!), so if you are following the series snap it up quick. If you’ve not read The Darkest Night (#1) and The Darkest Kiss (#2) I don’t think you could really enjoy the story behind this book because there are too many unknown factors you’d need to know from the other two for even the romance to make a lot of sense so check them out!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really enjoyed these books!
I really liked these books. I suggest you read them in order or you will be somewhat lost. I liked the overall idea of warriors, gods and demons.
This is a very good series and I am enjoying each and every one so far. This is the story of Reyes and Danika, he is possessed by the demon of pain and needs pain to feel pleasure. I really felt this would be a hard book to read or write because of the demon he has. However, I found the book an easy read and the search for the box of Pandora is heating up. All of the other characters are in this one too.
Reyes is possessed by the demon of Pain but since he met Danika all he can think about is her. He is determined to protect her from Aeron who has been ordered by the Titans to kill her and her family.
Danika can’t believe how she can desire one of the horrible monsters who are out to kill her family. But as Reyes saves her life again and again she comes to know him and realize there is a soul in him besides the demon of Pain. Danika has fought monsters in her dreams her whole life. She has visited heaven and hell in those dreams and now she faces them is reality.
Lucian demands that Reyes tell him where he has imprisoned Aeron, and Reyes convinces him to keep Aeron chained to protect Danika. They both know that it is not a permenant solution. If Reyes could only find out why Cronos wants her dead.
The story is good the romance is hot and the reading is easy. What more can you ask for a good summer read.
4.0 out of 5 stars
“It is always by way of pain one arrives at pleasure” - Marquis De Sade
Ever since that fateful day when a group of elite Greek warriors decided to open Pandora’s Box, Reyes has lived with an immense guilt, cursed to never feel any relief except…
3.0 out of 5 stars
Slow at first, but got much better
I read these books, not for the romance, but for the underlying plot. I love the involvement of gods and immortals, demons and angels.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Best So Far
To me this book at last began to live up to the promise of the first one. It was hot, action packed, and romantic.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Trilology
This was the last book of the Dark Lords. I had never read any of this authors books. I bought all three at the same time and I didn’t get bored going from one to the next.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Darkest Pleasure
I have enjoyed the 3 books in the series, but has anyone else noticed a striking similarity with J. R. Ward’s Vampire Brotherhood series.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another good book…
In the third installment of Gena Showalter’s Lord of the Underworld series, we see Reyes who is the keeper of the demon, Pain, struggle with his demon and himself as he struggles…