The Darkest Passion [Mass Market Paperback]

Aeron, the keeper of Wrath, scorns the idea of love. Why would he, of all people, ever need to be taken care of? Better yet, is there anyone he could allow close to him that Wrath wouldn't want to punish for their sins? The answer comes in the form of beautiful Olivia, a fallen angel who has sacrificed everything to be with a man who infatuates her.

Yet all is not right. Aeron resists Oliva's advances. He neither needs an angel, nor a woman. He has Legion--his surrogate daughter--the only being able to calm Wrath's bloodlust.... Or is she?

I haven't laughed this hard while reading a book in ages. Olivia is by far my favorite of all of Gena's female characters, with Anya and Gwen coming in a close second. This fallen angel was hilarious, awkward, cute, sexy, assertive, stubborn, and so sweet that I wish she was real so I could meet her to give her a hug. She was not a weak character, by any means. If anything, I would deem her admirable--a role model of some sorts. If more women were confident like Olivia, the world would be a better place.

Aeron, in comparison, is such a tortured and abused character in Gena's world. I admired his persona, especially in The Darkest Pleasure, for his ability to resist orders for as long as he did. Despite Wrath gnawing away at his sanity, Aeron held on until the very end. His stubborn streak in The Darkest Passion, and the mini-war with Wrath over accepting Olivia, had me in hysterics. The dialogue betwixt warriors and their demons definitely is one of my favorite aspects of this series.

Gena's writing has indeed improved since Maddox's tale, and her humor has far exceeded my expectations. One of the highlights of reading anything by Gena is her ability to make make me smile, despite what may or may not be going on in my life. She expertly weaves tale after tale, enticing me to forget everything else and become absorbed with the characters and the plot.

I feel as if with each book I read, the characters become more and more real, The Darkest Passion no exception to this. In fact, I would not be surprised if, at some point, Aeron and Olivia simply walked out of my computer screen while I was reading.

The twist at the end of this book made my jaw drop. I literally had to scroll back up and re-read the whole scene, due to the suspicion that I forgot how to read in general. Either that, or I thought I was losing my mind and imagining it all. Wow. Just wow.

Although I have read this online, I will not hesitate to purchase Gena's fifth installment. In fact, I already pre-ordered it! Unsure of whether or not to purchase this book or series? Well, you shouldn't be! If you're looking for a paranormal romance with a great plot, three dimensional characters, and sizzling bedroom scenes, then Aeron and Olivia's story is the one for you.

And as a side note, I am now officially depressed due to the fact that Strider's book doesn't come out until July 2011. I can't last a whole year...!

No plot summaries or spoilers. This is BOOK 5 or story # 8 in Ms. Showalter's "Lords of the Underworld Series," which begins with The Darkest Night (Hqn). Reading order can be difficult to pin down so I'll include that at the end of this review.

I recommend that this book be read in order, meaning AFTER both The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld)and the short story "The Darkest Angel" which is included in a couple of compilations, including Heart of Darkness: The Darkest Angel\Love Me to Death\Lady of the Nile OR Dark Beginnings: WITH The Darkest Fire AND The Darkest Prison AND The Darkest Angel (MIRA)

While most of the books and stories in this series can be read out of order, I found that this one was heavily dependent on a character or three that were introduced in the two stories that came just before it.

HIGH LEVEL ON THIS SERIES: Fantastic darker paranormal romance. This isn't the darkest series, but it has a darker atmosphere and includes elements of both heaven and hell. Mythology is compelling and includes references to both modern Christianity and ancient Greek gods.

This book itself was very good- as usual it was heart rending and nail biting. I found the conclusion to be more forced than earlier books, however. It just felt unfinished with a few plot elements that were not as roundly resolved as I would have liked to see.

That said, Aeron is one of my favorite Lords- very dark, very dangerous, especially after having been a primary source of tension in prior novels. His lady, Olivia, is not quite as compelling, but seems to grow as a character throughout. In addition, Legion, Aeron's errant adopted daughter from hell (literally) adds a dimension to this story that the others have all lacked and left the potential solution to this conflict up in the air until the end.

For those of you who are fans of this series- you will love this book as much as the others, but be prepared for tears and anguish along the way. I wasn't completely thrilled with the way everything turned out- I thought it could have been more completely and creatively resolved.

BIG NOTE: Some fascinating developments did come up during this story which point to some novels down the line. Ms. Showalter definitely knows what she is doing and is the total master of her world. Let's just hope our hearts survive.

The Darkest Fire (prequel to the Lords of the Underworld Series and should be read AFTER reading at least one of the books listed below) The Darkest Fire

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, Book 1)The Darkest Night (Hqn)
The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2)The Darkest Kiss (Hqn)
The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, Book 3)The Darkest Pleasure (Hqn)

The Darkest Prison (Hqn) - short story. Can be read at any point. Found in "Into the Dark" The Darkest Prison

The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld, Book 4(LINK LISTED ABOVE)
The Darkest Angel - short story. Should be read in order. (LINK LISTED ABOVE)

The Darkest Passion (Hqn) (Lords of the Underworld, Book 5) The Darkest Passion (Hqn)
The Darkest Lie (Hqn) - (Lords of the Underworld, Book 6)
The Darkest Secret (Amun's book) - expected release date March 2011
The Darkest Surrender (Strider's book) - expected release date July 2011

(Sorry- only 10 links in a review! I couldn't include them all.)

Let me preface this by saying that I love Gena and I love the Lords! I really do, that is definitely not an issue.
That said... I don't hate Olivia like some of the other reviewers, though she was annoying at times. Mostly I thought Aaron and Olivia were wonderful together. And though I didn't fully understand why they loved each other (because all we know is that she stalked him and he got tingles when he looked at her) it was still a good match in my mind. Gena made it work as always and throughout the book I was laughing and crying and genuinely enjoying the story.
However, that all changed when I read the last few pages. In my mind the book progressed from 'good'- to 'better'- to 'awesome'- to 'what the heck'? Don't get me wrong, I love a good twist ending but not one that leaves me feeling like the world as I know it has become a dark and twisted place where happiness will never live again. Yes... that's really how I felt at the end of The Darkest Passion. I've come to expect a few things from romance writers in general and from Gena specifically. Notably, the tragic climax, leading to the seemingly last resort sacrifice/salvation, and ultimately followed by the happy ending. In this book the first two are absolutely present, even if the whole concept is a bit overdone. But then going into the last chapter a whole new set of circumstances are introduced. Circumstances that later turn a would-be happy ending into a heartbreaking parting of friends and the knowledge that a dear loved one is suffering a worse fate then a lifetime of hell. I actually had to re-read the ending several times and then call a friend to make sure that my book wasn't missing a chapter. I couldn't understand how any author (let alone one of my favorites) would think that ending was acceptable in any way. It was so rushed and cruel, as if the book was getting too long so she just stopped trying. So very sad.
There are only a handful of authors I trust completely to give me the happy, yet interesting endings I crave. Gena used to be one. Now I'm afraid I'll have to read the last chapter of The Darkest Lie before I start the book just to make sure I won't be upset. But I do still intend to buy her next book and I'm sure I will enjoy most of it. I just hope I can enjoy all of it.

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