The Darkest Promise:A Dark, Demonic, Paranormal Romance
By Gena Showalter
Lords of the Underworld
Publisher: HQN
Release Date: March 27, 2018 (Mass Market Paperback)
Reviewed by PJ
Lazarus the Cruel and Unusual rules his kingdom with a single unwavering focus: to build his army and annihilate his enemies. Nothing distracts him—until Cameo. He is relentless in his quest to make her smile…and seduce her into his bed.
As dark forces conspire against them, threatening to destroy the fragile bond they've forged, the once-calm Lazarus grows crazed. Every heart-stopping kiss and wicked touch causes Cameo to teeter on the brink of happiness. But if she falls, she risks forgetting him forever…
This was my first Gena Showalter book and I wasn't far into it before I realized why this series is so popular. The world building is incredible, with descriptions that bring the realms and characters to vivid life. And while the problems the characters face - being inhabited by a demon that causes devastating misery, for example - may seem fantastical, the basic, underlying struggle of good vs evil is real and relatable.
I very quickly became invested in the primary couple, Lazarus and Cameo, and the obstacles they faced. Showalter really pulled on my emotions with these two and made me care deeply about their happiness. Was I happy about some of the things they did? No. I'm pretty squeamish and there's a lot of blood and guts violence in this book so if you have an aversion to that this may not be the book for you. However, if you can get past that, you're in for a fast-paced adventure with plenty of intrigue, danger, sly humor, heart-tugging emotion, and sizzle.
The secondary cast, two-legged, four-legged, winged, and more, is extensive and at times a bit overwhelming as are the backstories. While I ended up being sucked into their world and enjoying it, the reading was a bit labored as I struggled to absorb everything and keep it all straight. Still, I had a hard time putting the book down but I think my enjoyment would have been even greater had I started this series with the first book and allowed my base of knowledge about these characters and the various realms to increase with each story. I'm intrigued enough after reading The Darkest Promise to do just that.
Do you read Paranormal Romance?
Have you read any of Gena Showalter's books?
Do you enjoy immersing yourself into fantasy worlds through fiction? Any favorite books or movies of this genre that you would recommend?
This was my first Gena Showalter book and I wasn't far into it before I realized why this series is so popular. The world building is incredible, with descriptions that bring the realms and characters to vivid life. And while the problems the characters face - being inhabited by a demon that causes devastating misery, for example - may seem fantastical, the basic, underlying struggle of good vs evil is real and relatable.
I very quickly became invested in the primary couple, Lazarus and Cameo, and the obstacles they faced. Showalter really pulled on my emotions with these two and made me care deeply about their happiness. Was I happy about some of the things they did? No. I'm pretty squeamish and there's a lot of blood and guts violence in this book so if you have an aversion to that this may not be the book for you. However, if you can get past that, you're in for a fast-paced adventure with plenty of intrigue, danger, sly humor, heart-tugging emotion, and sizzle.
The secondary cast, two-legged, four-legged, winged, and more, is extensive and at times a bit overwhelming as are the backstories. While I ended up being sucked into their world and enjoying it, the reading was a bit labored as I struggled to absorb everything and keep it all straight. Still, I had a hard time putting the book down but I think my enjoyment would have been even greater had I started this series with the first book and allowed my base of knowledge about these characters and the various realms to increase with each story. I'm intrigued enough after reading The Darkest Promise to do just that.
Do you read Paranormal Romance?
Have you read any of Gena Showalter's books?
Do you enjoy immersing yourself into fantasy worlds through fiction? Any favorite books or movies of this genre that you would recommend?
I have Gena Showalter books in my tbr but have not read them yet. I really enjoy urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The world building is a big part of why I enjoy these books. Some of the authors that I have really loved would be Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires, CL Wilson's The Fading Lands Series, Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series, Anne Bishop, Kim Harrison, etc. There is a lot out there to explore.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of Gena Showalter's books. Paranormal is not my thing. I did try a few and after reading one, I wanted to throw my kindle. I can't even remember the book.
ReplyDeleteI've not read her books either, but this sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI have read a few paranormal books sampling the different types of worlds out there. I have enjoyed most of them . It is a bit hard at times to get the world building straight, especially if I come in in the middle of a series. I have gone to anthologies to give me a sample of the various authors and worlds. The Drake Sisters series and a few other books by Christine Feehan were very enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe I have read any Gena Showalter books. There might be a couple of my TBR Mountain.
I hope you get a chance to read the rest of this series! Thanks for being a part of the tour!
ReplyDelete