The Darkest Night

Lords of the Underworld, Book 1

By: Gena Showalter

Narrated by: Max Bellmore

Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

His powers - inhuman; His passion - beyond immortal. All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member - a man trapped in a hell of his own. Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments...and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction - and a soul-shattering test of love.

Don't miss the other books in the Lords of the Underworld series.

©2008 Gena Showalter (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

Paranormal Genius

This was my first Audible download and I LOVED it! Gena Showalter is a genius and Max Bellmore is a FANTASTIC narrator. I recommend the whole series (this is my favorite from it!) and can't wait for book 5 to come out! I've since downloaded many other books and must say that the narration of this series is the best i've heard thus far!

Loved it

I've read this book well before I knew of the existence of audible. Dear lords of the underworld... Well worth it! I laughed, I cried, and I got hot and bothered. Hearing Gena's words spoken to you takes it to a whole new level!

It Gets Better, Stick With It

The first quarter of the book was painful to read The narrator was so monotone and Maddox's inner dialogue made me want to gouge my ears out.The whole caveman persona got old fast. It was a lot of "I big man, make mad, must beat up" which almost made me put the book down. Also, his first meeting with Ashlyn was just cringey and was one of the worst setups I have ever read.

The second quarter of the book was a little convoluted, and there were a lot of unnecessary dialogue between characters that didn't seem to matter. I am going to assume this was an attempt at world building.

I also found the protagonist Danika who was supposed to be enthralling and angelic, but in actuality was whiny, insufferable, and added nothing significant to the story. There were convoluted hints throughout the book that she and her family are important for reasons yet to be revealed. She didn't add anything to the story besides setting her up as Reyes's love interest. I would have liked to see Ashlyn come more into her abilities instead of playing the heroine waiting to be rescued.

I will say that the other lords of the underworld were breaths of fresh air that added depth and made the story interesting and one of the few reasons I kept reading. They didn't seem like short tempered beef heads and made the story intriguing.

As the story progressed, the story got better, but the last tenth of the book was almost in fast-forward and the end to the antagonist was really unsatisfying. But the last two chapters really pulled at my heart strings, and worth the struggle you as the reader have to endure to get there.

So if you can endure the first half of the book and maybe forgive (skip) the unnecessary dialogue, this series seems promising and has a unique storyline.

Yaaasss

I read and loved the series, and with busy life swaped to audio books. I'm super picky on voice actors and so thankful Max has the perfect fit. He help bring Gene's hotter than hell Lords to life. (ladies be ware, this is delicious)

FANTASTIC!!!!

I am not one to normally read fantasy type romance. Bought this on a whim! All I can say is WOW!!! I AM HOOKED!! The first 15 min I was sucked into the story and the characters while I couldn't just get enough. The devotion and love story and friendships brought me to tears actually. I can't wait for the remaining books to be released!

I totally love these books!

OMG!!! I forgot how awesome these "Lords" truly are....

"We'll give you Tylenol"... the sweetest, saddest, and most gut wrenching phrase I have ever listen to in an audio book... Tears... I tell you... tears (drip, drip, drop).

When Ash gave her life for Maddox... OMG! Best scene ever...

Now I know why I keep re-listening to these books... On to book 2! Listen to the prequel before the this book, really does add a level of (I know what's going on).... in the beginning...

Bellmore is one great narrator... especially during the gut wrenching moments...

Well worth a credit...buy or sale...

Found my second favorite series!

What did you love best about The Darkest Night?

Great story, I absolutely love how each character has their own person hell they have to deal with.

Who was your favorite character and why?

For now, Lucian, I am very curious about him...

What about Max Bellmore’s performance did you like?

I thought he was wonderful! For those of you who have complained about how slow he speaks, you CAN speed up the narrator. I sped him to 1.5 and it was PERFECT. I love that he has a different voice for every single male character. I love Robert Petkoff but Max is now my other fav!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I absolutely did.

Any additional comments?

Also, people that complain about a book being a "waste" of a credit, you CAN redeem it if you disliked a book.

Started strong, ended weak

So here's my thing: if I'm going to read a gushy romance, then ok, that's cool. But if I pick up a book that looks like the cover of this one does, I'm not looking for sappy romance. I'm looking for hot sex/ sexual tension that eventually leads people to realize they really care for each other. This was kind of the case, but I'm sorry, maybe I'm too much like a guy in that way, but I can't STAND when characters who have known each other for less than a week (regardless of how intense the connection) start dropping the L-bomb like it's going out of style. I dunno, it's almost too much for me and makes the story instantly cheesy and off-putting. No wonder my boyfriend adores me. I'd rather they bump uglies real good so we know how much they care about each other than hear professions of eternal affection. So if you aren't bothered by that, you will probably love this book. It just happens that I don't.

Great book to start a series

Very gripping story full of adventure and suspense. A wonderful way to start the series.

Awsome book

Gena Showalters The Darkest Night is one of the most enthralling books I have read in a very long time. The cast of characters are beyond intriguing. The action keeps you on the edge of your seat.