The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, Book 3)

This book was enjoyable but it did not have the intense romance that Lucien and Anya did in the 2nd book or Maddox and Ashyln in the 1st book. I felt like there was something missing. I don't feel like Reyes has much of a personality. His character needs to be developed more. Lucien and Maddox are great characters but i can't really understand Reyes. His personality was so flat. The saving grace with this book is Paris and Aeron. If it wasn't for their short storyline, i would have given this installment only 3 stars.

Who doesn't love a story with a bunch of sexy men? I wasn't disappointed with this one. Reyes and Danika went perfectly together. Poor Paris! I hope when his story comes about it will be able to live up to all the hipe Showalter has led us along with. Although, I have a feeling that we'll have to wait awhile since her next book is another Atlantis one.

great book ! there is a series you've got to read them in order for best enjoyment!! they are a group of immortal warriors with demons inside of them they have to live with forever so the "perfect" girl has to be perfect for the man and the demon! just a wonderful series. can't wait for the next one!!!!!

I have been enjoying the storyline, even though some of the characters do seem familiar. The only complaint I have is that Ms. Showalter has a problem writing endings. She consistently tries to tie everything up neatly with a bow. And much of the time, she only tells a quick summary of action concerning the fate of secondary characters. I would rather not know or have the character's story expanded upon in the next novel than a superficial, three sentence "clean up".

Reyes possessed by the demon of Pain at last claims as his mate Danika, the woman targeted for death by fellow lord Aeron (Wrath) in The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, Book 1). Thankfully, Danika is no longer the terror striken victim. The leading lady and object of Reyes' obssession, has leveraged her stubborness into a suvival tool and has learned how to protect herself since we've seen her last. And she'll need everything she's learned since she is even more 'special' than even Reyes realizes and everyone is after her: demons, Hunters and gods. At the core of her strength is her loyalty to her family above all else, so she should be a formidable ally as her family grows to include first the other mates, then Reyes and finally the rest of the Lords.

There was a lot that I liked about this book as Showalter continues to develop the rest of her large cast of possessed Lords of the Underworld and the gods and villains that are working to end the Lords' existence The humongous cast is quite a challenge but I like that Showalter is only bringing a few to the foreground to flesh out in each book because once there is a bit of story behind them it is much easier to keep track of who is who. This time we see more of Aeron (Wrath) driven almost insane with his need to fulfill his mission to wipe out Danika's bloodline, Aeron's new mysterious demon `playmate' Legion, Sabin (Doubt, and next up in Darkest Whisper) and most prominently Paris (promiscuity). I did not like Paris at all in the first two books. He was always `on the make' to sate his demon and there was a shallowness to him that I found offputting. But the events in The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2), which gave him a taste of what 'might have been', provided a believable catalyst for a change in Paris. That along with the choice he's forced to make here and the high personal cost of his decision, and Paris has become a character that I actually want to see more of.

I also liked that Showalter has actually done a good job with those who oppose the Lords and has avoided the cartoonish over the top evil that plagues many PNR series. Even though as the background cannon fodder some of the Hunters are a bit repetitious, they are orchestrated by Galen the demon of false Hope, who gives the mortal Hunters a bit more heft as a group to make them more of a true threat to the Lords. Then add in the Titans throwing in random obstacles to hinder the Lords and it looks like the race to beat the Hunters to the box will hold a few more surprises along the way.

The only problem I had with Darkest Pleasure was that it was difficult to read at times. Since Reyes needs to keep his demon satisfied with inhumanly large doses of pain -- having accepted burder of bearing the pain himself instead of inflicting it on innocents -- Reyes does a great deal of damage to himself. One scene in particular which served to hammer home to the Danika the extremes necessary to met Reyes "needs' sexually was truly ewww. That said, it could have been much worse because, although in his past relationships Reyes has sought pain from his partners, with Danika he strives to keep her free from the taint that his demon imparts.

On the whole though I think that this is really shaping up to be an interesting series. Even with the darkness that these possessed warriors carry, Showalter has managed to make them noble and to inspire a great deal of sympathy for them. You can truly believe that each seeks the peace, and happiness that love brings and, as the unmated lords watch their mated brethren enjoying their new mates, the longing is tangible. And with plenty of possessed warriors yet to come, I look forward to watching more HEAs from Sabin, Paris, Torin, Kane and the rest.