The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter
Paranormal Romance
May 25, 2010
Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
HQN Books

Reviewed by Karra

Favorite quote:  “For news like I’ve got, you need to make time for me.  ‘Cause here we go.  You’re about to lose your head.  Literally.  I wanted to break it to you gently, but you were too much of an ass.”

Dark, angry, tattooed Aeron is one of several immortals who make up the Lords of the Underworld.  They are men (and one woman) who were created to serve and protect the Gods, but must now suffer life on earth, housing actual demons inside their bodies as punishment for a jealous crime that happened so long ago.  As one of the Lords, Aeron is inhabited by the demon Wrath, which tends to drive him insane with the need to punish.  His demon thrives on seeking the sins of others, then toying with Aeron until he snaps and enacts vengeance upon those lesser mortals.  Over the many years that Aeron’s shared his body with the demon, he’s learned to partially leash the fiend so that he only does the judge, jury, executioner bit when it’s absolutely necessary.  Sometimes, though, his emotions get the best of him and listening to Wrath’s taunts is the only way to ease the torment that rages inside.

Olivia was a joy-bringer angel, a holy creation meant to give happiness to the inhabitants of the world, and she loved her purpose.  She relished in encouraging smiles and delight from the mortals around her.  That’s why it was a shock when her wings changed color one morning, displaying the gold down that signified a warrior angel, and with this elevated position within the heavens came her first assignment: to kill Aeron because he broke one of the holy codes when he freed another demon from the depths of hell.  In Olivia’s eyes, there are many problems with this turn of events, the biggest being that she’s nearly fallen in love with the tortured immortal, so when given the option of slaying him or falling from grace as a type of “time out,” she chooses to fall, losing her wings and inhibitions in the process.

After falling from the heavens into hell, fighting to break free from the demons who tortured her, and clawing her way to the surface, Olivia seeks Aeron in search of his protection and understanding in the events that have unfolded.  He doesn’t trust her at first, believing her to be on the side of the evil Hunters who seek to eradicate the world of the Lords’ perceived threat, but when Olivia proves her honesty and declares her feelings for Aeron, he can’t help but be swept away in the passions she exudes and the purity of her soul.

While Aeron would love to live happily with the fallen angel, a being who somehow quiets and soothes the anger of Wrath, there’s still the matter of his little freed demon friend, Legion, who, unknowingly to Aeron, is also in love with him.  She will fight, literally, for the man she claims as her own, and as most legends show, angels and demons do not play well together.

Though Aeron’s lived through eternity trapped inside a personal hell with his very own demon, it’ll be nothing compared to the hurdles he has to face next, because an angel and demon fighting over him is petty when there’s still a bounty on his head…and an executioner just waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Let me start out by saying that any book that can bring tears to my eyes while running on the treadmill at the gym is definitely a book that I’d recommend.  (And they were good tears, I promise.)  Gena Showalter hits another homerun with The Darkest Passion, making it my new favorite book in the wildly popular Lords of the Underworld series, as well as bumping Reyes off the pedestal for the Lord that deserves the most compassion.

In previous books, Aeron was dark, moody and angry.  He was used as a pawn in a plot against innocents, causing him to go berserk with his need to enact his wrath, nearly driving him insane with that urge to kill.  Gena’s readers saw Aeron at his absolute worst, and after everything was said and done, he walked away from the experience with an even guiltier conscience and a personal debt to his fellow Lord, Paris.

In The Darkest Passion, we get to see what truly drives Aeron to be the man he’s become.  One of the many things I love about Gena Showalter’s writing is that she is so thorough in her depictions of the characters’ thoughts and feelings, leaving the reader to believe that he or she has just stepped inside that character’s life and is experiencing everything first hand.  Aeron’s story is no different.  It is Gena’s unique writing style that makes Aeron a more three dimensional character, more likeable in his own tale, and one that many will sympathize with because he’s not just some casual jerk being piloted by the demon that inhabits his mind.  Instead, he’s always trying to compromise with the demon by choosing only the cruelest sinners for the slaughter; a deed which brings him massive amounts of guilt no matter how he views the circumstances.

As with most of the Lords, Aeron’s a character I just wanted to reach out and hug, so seeing that Gena paired him up with an angel made my heart swell.  Olivia represents the goodness that Aeron needs so badly, and with her, he can have a little piece of heaven to call his own.  They are a good fit together, character wise, with each facet of their personalities complimenting the other.  When Legion, the weird little demon woman whom Aeron rescues in a previous book, takes on a more “grown up” role within Aeron’s tale, it’s interesting to see the way her presence affects not only Aeron, but every character throughout the series.  Though I wanted to hate Legion when she was first introduced earlier on, I’m now curious to see where Gena takes her in future books.

Aeron’s story is definitely a page turner from start to finish, as well as an edge-of-your- seat nail biter to boot.  The plot leaves you constantly wondering how the mess that’s become Aeron’s life (and the bounty against it) will ever be resolved, with the bright side being that it has to have a happy ending so somehow everything will turn out in Aeron’s favor.  It’s just getting to that point that is one hell of a ride.

Rating: 5/5

~*Karra*~

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