The Darkest Touch (Lords if the Underworld, #11) by Gena Showalter
PNR
Paperback, 496 Pages
November 25, 2014
Harlequin HQN
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “Is this part of your motivational speaking? Or can we call this nagging?”
Torin, host of the demon Disease, is forbidden from any human contact. His touch only brings sickness and eventual death. When he “accidently” kills a young woman who chose to ignore his warnings, he finds himself targeted by The Red Queen.
The Red Queen has spent centuries locked away in a dungeon. Extremely powerful and more than a little crazy, she vows to kill Torin for taking away her only friend.
The chemistry between The Red Queen and Torin sparks an out of control blaze as they escape from their prison and fight their way towards freedom. Torin needs her to help him find his friends but his iron clad control slips the more time he spends with her. He must resist her if he wants her to live but nothing has ever prepared him for this woman.
Fans of this series have waited impatiently for Torin’s story. As the host of the demon Disease, Torin is prohibited from any sort of human contact…meaning…wait for it…
HE’S A VIRGIN, PEOPLES!
Hoo.
Rah.
The Darkest Touch is the eleventh book in this wickedly funny and dark paranormal romance series that borrows from Greek, Roman, and religious mythology and legend. Gods, goddesses, angels, demons, and a little of everything else all come together to form an engaging world and character base that continues to expand and evolve. Showalter’s trademark snark and humor entertains readers with it’s fast paced dialogue and scenes while she explores the ongoing arc and begins to tie up open story lines as we head towards the end of the series.
The story starts out slow and at times tedious; continuing in that fashion until about the halfway point. A majority of it is spent watching Keeley and Torin get to know one another, learn each other’s backstories, and engage in a strangely passive aggressive style of foreplay. The story opens with Torin, who is currently residing in a cell courtesy of Cronus due to breaking his self-imposed “no touchy” rule. When he once again causes someone to sicken and die, a voice that has invaded his dreams and every waking minute since being imprisoned starts screaming vengeance for his actions.
“You’ll experience agony in ways you’ve never dreamed possible. for I’ll do to you what I’ve done to so many others. I will skin you with a cheese grater and stuff your organs into a blender to make a smoothie. I will donkey punch your skull so hard your brain will ooze out of your eye sockets.”
Keeleycael aka The Red Queen is an extremely powerful woman whose origins trace back to the heavens. Rejected and exploited by everyone she has ever loved, her final humiliation was being chained and held captive by her ex fiance because he couldn’t accept she was far more powerful than he was. Lost, angry, hurt, and insane…Keeley had only one friend and now that friend is dead.
The Red Queen. No wonder the immortals in the skies had merely whispered about her. Insane? Cruel? Hell, yeah. They’d probably assumed saying her name aloud would have a Beetlejuice effect and actually summon her.
Heavily character driven, Showalter brings all her past LOTU characters into play along with some fun new ones. Keeley has to be my all time favorite heroine of this series. Bright, intelligent, funny, and totally in touch with her awesomeness, Keeley has a will made of steel only made stronger by the vulnerability she holds deep inside her. Betrayed by everyone she has ever had the misfortune to love, she still manages to maintain a very healthy self esteem. Like most of the supernatural heroines of this series, there is an innate selfishness to her character. However, her choices are based on the need to make up for past deeds and avenge the wrongs of others.
Her attraction to Torin is unbreakable and though she understands she could die from being with him, she feels that her powers should shield her and that ultimately, it’s her choice. She;s BIG on choices. Watching her chase and confuse Torin is hilarious as parts of him wants to be caught but other parts are waving their hands in the air, making huge TIME OUT signs.
“I’ll take that as a yes, please, and thank you.”
“Take that as a no.”
“A soft no? An absolmaybe?”
“A hard no. An absolutely not.”
Torin is as fierce as Keeley with a deliciously dominant side that becomes stronger and more protective the more time they spend together. He begins to care for her in a relatively short amount of time though he and his demon fight the attraction every step of the way.
“I’ll say this once and only once. Nothing is going to happen between us, princess.”
It was interesting how Torin’s demon doesn’t speak to him as with the other lords. This is a good thing in that it assures us that all decisions Torin makes are from him only. The romance is hot and heavy with some ingenious tactics invoked to allow Torin and Keeley to be together. If I have one qualm it was Torin’s actions at times concerning Keeley and his attraction. He blew hot and cold a lot, claiming to not want to hurt Keeley when in all actuality, that’s all he does.
“What’s so wrong with me that a man can’t value me?”
The second half of the book is where the action, suspense, intrigue, and laughter picks up considerably and we get back the LOTU craziness we all love. There are multiple storylines that ride parallel along side one another and intersect at key times; bringing advancement to the ongoing arc and clues to future couples. Past storylines come back to life, using Keeley to bridge them all together. I was pleased to see all the Lords and their unhinged eccentric mates but I am most interested in reading Cameo story’s now. I was a little disappointed in some of the reveals concerning the arc. Certain aspects were almost too easily explained and they made me question the legitimacy of the plot line and the Lords’ intelligence.
Regardless of my issues, In The Darkest Touch, Showalter once again proves to readers that her Lords are large, in charge, and ready to rumble with some help from their mates and a few frenemies. Fans of the series will delight in a hero who can’t touch being paired with the queen of touchy-feelys.
RATING: B
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This book was filled with hilarious quotes! I too liked the fact that Disease was quiet. I liked this one more than the previous book, but I’m still annoyed with parts. Holding out for William’s book!
I need William’s book. I’m tired of messing ard. lol
Great review Tori. I’ve totally lost touch with the LOTU series. I can’t even remember the last book I read…maybe #5. I’ll never catch up. I remember William though…he’s not a Lord, right? He’s gonna get a book, huh?
Yes, William will get his own book and no, he is not a lord.
Great review Tori! Somehow, this series has never tempted me to read it, but I do have bought some books, because I just can’t stop myself doing that. Perhaps, someday …
They are fun undemanding reads.
I didn’t like Keeley not one bit. Thus, not making me like the book that much. :/ I kept on reading it because of the LOTU and other side characters.
Anyway, I’m more interested about Cameo’s side of the story. Will her story be next? And her HEA would be…?
I was surprised how much I liked Keeley. I thought she’d be like Anya who I can’t stand.
I do believe Cameo is next and I think her HEA may be Lazarus.
I’m glad you enjoyed this one. I definitely feel like I need to get back into the series and I don’t know why I wasn’t more excited about this release since Torin is my absolute fave Lord! Lovely review
I’m still in the middle of the book. The character that I hated was Kaia I couldn’t stand her and I hoped for a character that would be powerful and badass to take her on but I’m beginning to think that Keeley is just like her. Torin deserves better.
Kaia was the only harpy I liked. lol
I read the book and generally liked it except for a couple of scenes where it seemed like they were just fillers and some characters were kinda annoying..there was also a part were I was confused..William said he was being chased by an angel (Axel) but in the last Angels of the Dark series William was the one chasing Axel for answers about his birth & real parents, I thought..
But I’m also excited for Cameo’s book as well now and William’s despite the inconsistent story line.