Into the Dark by Gena Showalter
April 27, 2010
Paranormal Romance (Anthology)
Paperback, 400 pages
HQN Books; Reprint edition
Reviewed by Karra


The Darkest Fire
A Lords of the Underworld prequel

Geryon believes he’s more of a monster than a man, and since trading his soul to save the life of a lost love long ago, he’s also traded his human appearance for one that’s meant to scare and intimidate all who see him.  He’s been bound to the entrance of hell as the only guardian, and possessing a poisoned clawed hand, horns and fur, he’s the epitome of everyone’s worst nightmare.

Kadence, the goddess of Oppression is a dream to behold in Geryon’s eyes, and though he silently lusts after the beauty, he’s too self conscious to attempt anything more than a grunt of acknowledgement.  Kadence reluctantly agreed to become one of hell’s keepers, a guardian to watch over all that happens in the horrid realm, and therefore ties her essence to the realm itself, able to reinforce the walls with her own life force.  But as with every positive, there is a negative, and just as Kadence is able to use her life to protect the mortals from the demons in hell, the demons can hurt her by ruining the walls that are tied to her very existence.

When this happens, she strikes a deal with Lucifer, allowing him time on earth to wreak havoc on the mortals in exchange for Geryon’s soul and Geryon’s help in defeating the demons who are slowly causing her death.  But while attempting to rid the world of these demons, Geryon and Kadence stumble into love and face their own personal demons.  And since Lucifer, is well, Lucifer, and can’t be content with a simple deal, all hell breaks loose (literally) when he decides to shake things up a bit, causing Geryon to make the most difficult decision of his most extraordinary life.


The Darkest Fire is a short romance that quickly introduces two characters that become the catalysts in the release of the demons we all come to know and love (or hate), showing them as actual demons and not tortured creatures living inside of immortal men.  The story reveals how evil the demons can be when they crave their freedom, leaving tragedy and casualties in their wake, and though it’s not absolutely fabulous, the story is a good start to Gena’s very popular Lords of the Underworld series.
Rating: 3/5


The Amazon’s Curse
A tale of Atlantis

Zane is a little messed up when it comes to women.  Willingly enslaved by a demon queen for more years than he’d like to remember, and all for the sake of freeing his only love from the demoness’s clutches, he’s stumbled from the experience more than a little pissed off and a lot jaded.  Not only had he been forced to be the queen’s sex slave, but the woman he loved, who he basically sold his soul for, decided to leave him anyway, making his entire “rescue” effort pointless.  So anyone could understand why this fierce vampire warrior is more than a little upset when he’s captured by the Amazons and made a sex slave once again.

Nola, a slightly timid Amazon soldier, had met Zane during a crazy “Survivor-ish” stunt a God had pulled on a group of the Atlantis residents, and though she was pissed at the whole predicament, she couldn’t deny the instant attraction she had to Zane.  He seemed withdrawn and a little scary, but also equally pulled towards her, and it only took her turning completely invisible in a fluke of a curse to make Nola realize that she loved the quiet vampire.

To overcome their harried pasts and current tortures, it’ll take various trials and heart wrenching realizations to lead one another to the love they both deserve.


The Amazon’s Curse is actually a story I looked forward to reading, as Gena had left her readers hanging at the end of The Vampire’s Bride, wondering what Nola and Zane’s fate would be.  Though this story is relatively short, it doesn’t detract from the imagery or character building, and with most of Gena’s stories, you get so wrapped up in the characters and the world that it doesn’t seem to matter that these two characters didn’t get a whole book devoted to them.  The story is action packed and straight to the point, giving the characters the immediate chance to reconcile their differences and rescue one another.
Rating: 4/5


The Darkest Prison
A Lords of the Underworld Tale

Atlas is the Titan god of Strength and his counterpart, the equally matched Nike, Greek goddess of Strength, is his ultimate foe.  Once imprisoned in the mighty Tartarus prison, Atlas had formed a brilliant (if he did think so himself) plan of escape that included seducing the mighty goddess and guard in matters of the bed and heart in order to gain her aide in his freedom.  Where he thought he was clever in seducing several other female guards to ensure their aide as well, the guards did not, and so Nike did what she believed was just and branded her name into his chest, just to, you know, show him who was boss.

When the tides turn in the Titans favor and they are freed, Atlas turns the tables on Nike.  For years he’d dreamed of exacting revenge on her for his marred skin, so when it’s time for her to be thrown into prison instead, he has her pinned down and brands his name into her back.  As he waits for the rush of satisfaction at having hurt her as she’d done to him, it never comes, instead leaving him feeling oddly bereft.

Nike reluctantly puts up with Atlas’s cruel punishment and torture because she knows she can’t escape it.  She was tricked into thinking someone had actually cared for her when Atlas seduced her, and since she’s always looked manlier than most men, the attentions Atlas showered upon her surprised and delighted her.  Now she’s locked into a war of nerves and passions with the man she loves to hate and hates to love as he tries to make her imprisonment a hellish experience.  But while she’s busy trying to endure his unusual attentions, Atlas is busy fighting the all encompassing feelings that are growing for the woman who’s his equal in every way.

Another tale from the world of Gena’s Lords of the Underworld, The Darkest Prison focuses more on the actual gods and goddesses instead of the actual demons that are one of the main focal points in the popular series.  Gena doesn’t disappoint with her strong characters in this story, proving that the length of the tale doesn’t matter as long as she includes her signature vivid world building and unforgettable hero and heroine, combining both to form a short and steamy romp through the Underworld’s underbelly.  She also elaborates on a few characters that were previously mentioned in the Underworld series, leaving readers chomping at the bit in hopes that those certain characters become more prominent in books to come.
Rating: 4/5


The Bonus Guide:
Twenty(ish) Questions with Kresley Cole
Classified Files: From the Private Records of Dean Stefano
Behind the Scenes: Creating the Lords of the Underworld
At home with the Lords of the Underworld
Round table: the women of the underworld speak
Frequently asked questions
Sneak peek of The Darkest Passion
The Sacred Scrolls
Glossary of Characters and Terms

Though I’d chosen to review this anthology from what Mandi had available, I had previously purchased and read The Darkest Fire and The Amazon’s Curse on my eReader sometime last summer after finishing some of Gena’s other books.  This anthology appealed to me because I’m a huge Gena Showalter fan (I adore her Lords of the Underworld) and since I hadn’t read The Darkest Prison yet, I thought I’d snatch this baby up for some re-reads and new discoveries.

The entire anthology is chock full of fan girl delights and is a great companion to have if you’re the ultimate Gena Showalter fan.  The short stories vary in degrees of likeability, creating a nice collection of Gena’s talents as a writer, and as if that’s not enough, the anthology also includes several extras, including funny interview questions with author Kresley Cole, some insight into how Gena’s created her stellar characters, as well as interviews and snippets from the characters themselves.

Overall, I enjoyed this roundabout collection, but wouldn’t have picked this anthology up if I was just a casual reader, looking to try something new.  If you’re a big fan of Gena Showalter’s unique writing and mad world building skills, though, then this is a must for you.


Overall Rating: 3.5/5


Recent Reviews:
Bibliophilic Book Blog – 4/5
Goodreads

~*Karra*~