Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes the long-awaited story of Torin, the most dangerous Lord of the Underworld yet…
Fierce immortal warrior. Host to the demon of Disease. Torin’s every touch causes sickness and death—and a worldwide plague. Carnal pleasure is utterly forbidden, and though he has always overcome temptation with an iron will, his control is about to shatter.
She is Keeley Cael. The Red Queen. When the powerful beauty with shocking vulnerabilities escapes from a centuries-long imprisonment, the desire that simmers between her and Torin is scorching. His touch could mean the end for her, but resisting her is the hardest battle he’s ever fought—and the only battle he fears he can’t win.
Review:
**This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review**
It was slightly above an average read for me. This was the first book I’ve ever read by Gena Showalter and it’s the eleventh book in a series. I wasn’t aware of that when I given the book. With that being said, you can still read it as a standalone, but there is a bit of a backstory (with the secondary characters, as well as the main ones) that you will miss. It won’t take away from the story being told, but having the background knowledge probably would have made the story a bit better.
Our main characters, Torin and Keeley, are honest a big lustful ball of foreplay. Torin is a fierce immortal warrior, who was cursed to host the demon called Disease. Bascially anyone he touches gets infected with sickness and death. That made for a very interesting premise for me, especially knowing that this was a paranormal romance. Keeley is the Red Queen, she’s a powerful beauty warrior herself, that quite frankly, annoyed me to no end.
Torin and Keeley were on a mission to find a cure for Torin’s predicament, as well as reunite with his friends. While the plot isn’t original, it was very interesting. BUT the only thing that really kept me from enjoy the progression to the fullest was the first 100+ pages of fighting being used as foreplay between Torin and Keeley. It was cute intially, but it grew older and older as the story progressed. It just didn’t feel like it needed to last that long. I was more interested in a lot of secondary characters, while this foreplay was happening. So it was a bit distracting. The bickering back and forth was another overused form of foreplay that, while dialogue is always key for me to really enjoy a book. I just felt like more could have been done with the chemistry between these two. I didn’t feel it. Not at the beginning.
The world in the book is very vast. Very intricated. And sometimes very overwhelming, but there are appearance of characters that I’m familiar with in general, like Hades and Lucifer. I enjoyed learning about the world from this particular read, but it’s also another one of those times where reading previous books would have come in handy.
So, in order for me to really get the most out of this read, I had to pay close attention to the characters. Torin’s character was probably my favorite, but even he got on my nerves at times. He tended to be quite wishy-washy when it came to Keeley, and to some extent I understood. But around 70-80% through the book, I felt like it had gotten old.
The resolution of the plot was okay. Wasn’t anything that surprised me, but it wasn’t anything that I disliked. I do feel like it could have been solved in a shorter amount of pages (all of that fighting and bickering foreplay took up a lot of plot progression space).
I rated this story the way that I did BECAUSE I feel like there’s potential for more. Plus I am intrigued and I would really like to go back and read more of the series to get to know more of the characters. Also, I loved the world, I just feel like I didn’t get the most of it because I read book eleven before books one through ten.
For what it was, the book was good. But I have read similar books that I have done it slightly better. I do recommend the read, if for the fantastic world alone.
Rating: ★★★ 1/2
Press Blurbs
Praise for the novels of New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter
“Showalter’s signature blend of sizzling attraction, breathtaking worlds, and lethal stakes rocks me every time! ”
—Sylvia Day, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“With compelling stories and memorable characters, Gena Showalter never fails to dazzle.”
—Jeaniene Frost, New York Times bestselling author
“For fans of expertly written, gritty paranormal romance that is laced with hope, Showalter has just the book for you.”
—RT Book Reviews on Burning Dawn
“The Lords of the Underworld series…keeps getting more satisfying. Sometimes with a long-running series, characters or storylines can run their course, but not with Showalter’s talent. The chemistry has never been hotter and both the characters and the world they live in are beautifully detailed.”
—RT Book Reviews on The Darkest Craving
“Showalter does her magic with an intricately developed world, complex and intensive character arcs and dark, compelling paranormal themes. She releases that literary punch to the gut with excruciatingly detailed scenes that haunt the senses long after reading the pages.”
—USA TODAY on Wicked Nights
“Gena Showalter knows how to keep readers glued to the pages and smiling the whole time.”
— Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author
“Another sizzling page-turner… Gena Showalter delivers an utterly spell-binding story! ”
—Kresley Cole, #1 New York Times bestselling author, on Playing with Fire
Excerpt
She appeared in front of him, displaying more tanned skin than she concealed, her hair falling around her face in lush, golden waves. Her eyes glittered with remnants of her anger. Her lips were slightly swollen and pinker than usual.
“Temper much?” she quipped.
His relief was palpable. She hadn’t forgotten him! But the relief was quickly replaced by concern. “Are you all right? Did someone hit you?”
She blinked with confusion. “No. Why?” “Your lips are swollen.”
She rubbed them, color heating her cheeks. “Someone didn’t hit me, but someone sure did hit on me.”
Hit on her. As in kissed her.
Already on edge, Torin. Utterly. Erupted.
He forgot everything he’d planned to do and say and got in Keeley’s face, snarling, “Who was it?”
Her eyes widened. “Hades. Why?”
“You dare ask why? You belong to me! We agreed. You do not kiss other men, Keeley. Ever. Have you for- gotten my rules?”
Her jaw dropped, and she gasped out a few unintelligible words as if she couldn’t quite figure out what to say to him.
He stood in place, breathing too quickly, too heavily, his throat and lungs burning. He reached for her, but as so many times before, fisted his hands and dropped them just before contact. This is crazy. I’m crazy. I have to leave.
“Are you…thinking about touching me?” she asked, her eyes widening again.
No, she had to leave. He could not be in public right now. “Go shopping. Buy yourself something pretty. My treat.” He basically tossed his credit card at her. He should be calm by the time she finished. “Come back in an hour. Maybe two. Actually, we’ll reconvene tomorrow.”
“You are,” she said. “You’re thinking… Even craving me. You don’t like the thought of another man’s hands on me, and you want to replace the memory with your hands.”
That. Yes. Hades would die, and Torin…Torin would touch this woman and never stop.
He gnashed his molars. “Last chance, Keeley. I sug- gest you take it and leave.” Soon. His control was almost completely shredded.
“No way. You’re the big bad warrior, yet I’ve had to come on to you time and time again. I’ve had to battle within myself—worth the price or not worth it. Well, it’s your turn.”
“There is no damn way you just suggested I haven’t done the same. I’ve battled.”
“When have you ever caved without prompting from me? You’ve resisted me so easily, always walking away. Sure, you’ve snarled while you’ve done the walking, but still you left me behind. So, tell me. When did you ever—”
“So easily?” he roared. Had she just said so easily? She had no clue about the intensity of his need—but he would teach her better.
Torin cupped her by the nape, yanked her close and smashed his mouth against hers. The kiss was a brutal assault meant to silence her, to dominate and possess. He held her still, making her take it, take everything. But the moment she softened against him, welcomed him inside her mouth, the darkness churning inside him switched gears. From the need to punish and master to the need to seduce and please.
This was Keeley. His princess. She deserved his best. He gentled the pressure, rolling his tongue inside her mouth, learning her all over again, tasting her. Summer berries and melted honey. So sweet. And mine. All mine. He framed her cheeks, angled her head and rolled his tongue just a little deeper. This time, she met him with a roll of her own.
That was his undoing.
About Gena Showalter
Gena Showalter is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author whose books have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazines, as well as Entertainment Weekly.
Her novel Red Handed has been optioned by Sony Television. Critics have called her books “sizzling page-turners” and “utterly spellbinding stories,” while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise.” Her mix of humor, danger and wickedly hot sex provides wildly sensual page-turners sure to enthrall.
Christina Marie 