En la oscuridad: El fuego más oscuro / La maldición de la amazona / La prisión más oscura

Atlantis #4.5

by Gena Showalter, Laura Molina García (Translator)

El fuego más oscuro
Él era el guardián del infierno, más monstruo que hombre. Ella era la diosa de la opresión, más ángel que mujer. Juntos entraron en el fuego para luchar contra una poderosa horda de demonios… y descubrieron una pasión única.

La maldición de la amazona
Zane, el feroz vampiro guerrero, había sido reducido a la esclavitud por las amazonas. Nola, una de ellas, arrastraba una maldición que la hacía invisible. Estos dos enconados enemigos debían superar un pasado que los atormentaba para entregarse al amor que podría devolverles la libertad…

La prisión más oscura
En otro tiempo Atlas, dios titán de la fuerza, había sido esclavo de la diosa griega Nike. Ahora, sin embargo, se hallaba convertido en su señor. Pronto aquellos dos rivales declarados, cuyo destino era destruirse el uno al otro, iban a verse obligados a arriesgarlo todo para darle una oportunidad al amor.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Demons, Fantasy, Anthologies, Adult

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 27, 2010

About the author

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.

Reviews

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars – Paranormal Romance Anthology

This anthology features the LOTU short stories The Darkest Fire and The Darkest Prison, the Atlantis short story The Amazon's Curse, and LOTU bonus material.

The Darkest Fire is an okay LOTU prequel story, but I didn't really gain any further insights into the series and it's just a bit too short. 3 stars.

The Darkest Prison is a pretty good LOTU 'enemies to lovers' story that I enjoyed. 4 stars.

The Amazon's Curse was my favorite part of the anthology, which is a bit surprising since I mainly bought this for the LOTU stories and guide and hadn't previously read any of the Atlantis books. It's a very sweet romance of two people from warring tribes, one vampire and the other Amazon, who have been abused in the past finding trust and love in each other. It definitely piqued my interest in reading more of the Atlantis series. 4 ½ stars.

The Darkest Facts LOTU bonus material/companion guide includes a funny question/answer section with authors Gena Showalter and Kresley Cole, provides some fun character bios/details, and gives deeper insight into the LOTU series. 4 stars.

I can't wait for Gena to finally write Paris's and William's stories!

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into the Dark is basically an insider's guide to Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. It consists of three short novellas, interviews, questions with Gena, and the original first few chapters of The Darkest Night. I absolutely loved this book and all the different parts of it.

The Darkest Fire:
The Darkest Fire is the prequel to Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. In this novella, we meet Geryon, the gatekeeper of Hell, and Kadence, the Goddess of Oppression. They have known each other for years but have simply admired from afar. But, when Kadence goes to Lucifer for Geryon's soul to acquire the tempting gatekeeper's help, they are finally able to express their desire, passion, and love. They go into Hell together in order to kill the Demon Lords. However, the Lords kill Kadence, taking her away from the one man she's ever loved, and in his moment of grief, Geryon gives the Lords permission to leave Hell and roam the Earth. Her soul, though, is still free to roam the earth. In order to be together, Geryon kills himself so that his spirit may roam free with Kadence. From the bones of her dead body, dimOuniak, more famously known as Pandora's box, is created.

I was a little disappointed by this story. I mean, like all of Gena's other books, it was sexy and interesting, but I wish it could have been longer. I felt like Geryon and Kadence's romance was really rushed and they didn't really get the chance to get to know each other and fall in love. Despite that, though, I thought it was great.

The Amazon's Curse:
The Amazon's Curse is a short novella in Gena Showalter's Atlantis series which follows the fourth book, The Vampire's Bride. In this novella, we see how Nola and Zane are doing after the curses delivered to them after the cruel games of the gods in The Vampire's Bride. Nola, an Amazonian warrioress, is cursed with invisibility; no one can see, hear, or touch her. Zane, a vampire, was made a slave in the Amazons' camp. We come into the story when during the Amazonian mating season, during which they fight for rights to males they have kidnapped. Zane is won by one of the warrioresses and Nola does everything she can to try and free Zane. He thinks that he is hallucinating when he sees Nola, but they soon realize that the qualities that were taken from her by the gods return when she admits things about Zane. When the warrioress with rights to Zane returns and finds Nola there with him, she leaves to get more of the Amazons, giving Nola and Zane only minutes to get him free. Somehow they manage and he disappears into the forest with the promise of returning for his woman. Nola is beaten for not only setting a slave free but for setting free the slave of her sister. When Zane and other vampires return to the camp to rescue her, Zane finds her in her tent. He heals her with his blood, they make passionate love more than once, he drinks her blood, and then they agree to live in the vampire palace. By admitting that she loves Zane, Nola is able to cross the invisible barrier that had been keeping her trapped in the Amazonian camp and they live happily ever after.

I loved this story. Zane and Nola are too cute together, and I loved them in The Vampire's Bride so I was looking forward to reading their story. I hate that they weren't able to get a full-length novel, though. I wish that there could have been more to their story because I was very upset when it ended, and it left me wanting to know more about them. Despite that, though, I thought that this novella was fantastic. I loved the little cameos by Layel, the vampire king, and Delilah, his Amazonian wife. If in the future there are more books added to the Atlantis series, I hope to see more or Zane and Nola.

The Darkest Prison:
The Darkest Prison is a short novella that is part of Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. This novella tells the story of Atlas, the Titan god of Strength, and Nike, the Greek goddess of Strength and Victory. Many years before, Atlas had "seduced" Nike and convinced her to free him from Tartarus. That is, until she ran into one of the other guards that he had been schmoozing. As a result, she tattooed her name on his chest and threw him back in prison. We join the story many years later, after the Titans have already overthrown the Greeks and imprisoned them. Nike is now one of the prisoners while Atlas is now the warden and he has tattooed his name on her back. Despite their mutual hatred, they share a mutual passion and love towards each other. Atlas attempts to get permission from Cronus, the god king, to move Nike from the prison to his house under the pretense of making her suffer more, but Cronus does not give his permission. Despite that, Atlas takes Nike out for a day alone and they finally give in to their desire completely. Not many days later, Atlas frees Nike and sends her away the only way he knows how: with cruel words. As a result of defying the god king, Atlas is punished by getting Nike's name, a brand he had grown to love, cut out of his skin, fulfilling a vision Danika had painted in the beginning of the story; then he is thrown in prison. Once Nike realizes that he sent her away to keep her save and because he loved her, she devises a plan to rescue Atlas. Once they are free, they decide to go to earth and live among the humans. They also come to the realization that they would do well to make friends with the Lords of the Underworld, eternal enemies of Cronus.

I loved this story. It was very passionate and fast-paced. The passion between Atlas and Nike was sexy, steamy, and made me wish that I was Nike. To have that man's full attention, passion, and love aimed at me...Heaven. Characterwise, I loved Atlas. He was so adorable and he was pretty funny sometimes, too. It was a surprise to see Sienna, but I knew that Cronus was playing Paris before! It was interesting to see Reyes and Danika in the beginning to set the premise for Atlas' punishment. I actually squealed when Nike and Atlas said that they should befriend the Lords and I hope that they will show up in future Lords novels.

Twenty(ish) Questions with Kresley Cole:
Gena and Kresley are so entertaining together; I wish I could see them interact together in real life. However, I kind of wished that their interview could have been longer. It gave a lot of good information on the series and was funny at parts, too.

Classified Files: From the Private Records of Dean Stefano:
I thought it was really cool to see Stefano's "files." It's kind of funny to see what they have documented about the Lords and their plans to capture the Lords.

Behind the Scenes: Creating the Lords of the Underworld:
It was pretty cool to see the original plan for the LOTU series. It was weird to see that some of the Lords were going to have different names, especially since I could never picture them with different names.

Awakening Pandora:
The four chapters of "Awakening Pandora" were very interesting to read. It was cool to read the original first few chapters of The Darkest Night and to see how different they were. I loved the idea of having a heroine that was a thief for hire with a punky sidekick, and I really think that Gena should do a heroine like that. Hmmm...maybe Torin's HEA?

At Home with the Lords of the Underworld:
The interviews with William had to be one of my favorite parts of this whole book. He is so funny and I loved when he would taunt the Lords and the Lords would dish it right back. I thought it was pretty hilarious when Anya and Gwen came in on Lucien's and Sabin's interviews and were answering questions for them. One of the funniest interviews had to be Cameo's because Willie kept asking her if he wanted to go up to his room afterwards and then eventually he stopped asking because her depressing voice was getting to him. Another hilarious thing was that Willie got called on his feelings for Gilly and he kept on denying them.

Round Table: The Women of the Underworld Speak:
This was great to see. It was awesome to have the women speak for a chance and answer questions on their men. It was great that Gilly kept denying she had feelings for Willie. The best part, though, had to be when Gwen and Bianka were arguing over how much details of their sex life they could give.

Frequently Asked Questions:
These were awesome because I got to learn more about the Lords and how the series is going to progress.

Sneak Peak at The Darkest Passion:
I actually didn't read this part because I didn't want to ruin anything since I was starting The Darkest Passion next.

The Sacred Scrolls:
These were interesting to look at because it was cool to see the different demons that the Lords have to try to find.

[Annalisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEMON'S FIRE: Questo è il breve racconto di come i Signori degli Inferi si siano liberati nel mondo per la prima volta, la tragica storia d'amore di Geryon e Kadence, il guardiano degli Inferi e la Dea dell'Oppressione, e di come fu creato il Vaso di Pandora.

LA MALEDIZIONE DELL'AMAZZONE: Questo, invece, è il breve capitolo finale della serie Atlantide. Dopo essere tornati tutti dall'isola, Zane si ritrova prigioniero e schiavo delle Amazzoni e Nola legata al campo delle Amazzoni, senza poter essere vista ne udita da nessuno. Inizia la stagione degli accoppiamenti e Zane viene vinto da Amelia. Per salvarlo e liberare se stessa dalla maledizione, Nola deve ammettere i suoi sentimenti per Zane. Alla fine riusciranno a salvarsi a vicenda.

DEMON'S PRISON: È una storia di amore e odio quella di Nike, Dea greca della Forza e della Vittoria, e di Atlante, Titano dio della Forza. La loro storia risale al periodo in cui i Titani erano inprigionati nel Tartaro, Nike era una delle guardie e Atlante la sedusse per essere liberato. Lei ovviamente se ne innamora, ma ad un passo dal liberarlo scopre che lui aveva fatto lo stesso con altre dee. Allora lei lo rispedisce in cella e prima di rinchiuderlo Nike lo marchia sul petto con il suo nome. Poi i Titani scappano e spodestano gli Dei greci e i loro ruoli si invertono: Atlante diviene il carceriere e Nike la prigioniera. La prima cosa che il titano fa è ovviamente quella di vendicarsi del marchio che gli è stato apposto sul petto, perciò le tatua sulla schiena il suo nome: ATLAS. Però nonostante si sia vendicato non riesce a togliersela dalla testa. Lei è sua. E un bacio di Nike dato a Erebo davanti a lui, funge da catalizzatore: non resiste e se la porta via. Hanno vari attimi di passione insieme in cui scoprono di essere innamorati l'uno dell'altra. Purtroppo lei è ancora prigioniera nel Tartaro, Atlante prova a chiedere a Crono se può tenerla con sè - come "prigioniera" ovviamente - ma la sua richiesta è respinta. Allora lui la fa evadere e la lascia libera. Ma lui non può andare con lei e rimane ad affrontare le conseguenze del suo gesto: gli viene strappato il nome di Nike dal petto e rinchiuso in cella. Lei lo salva e scappano insieme.
Sono davvero una bella coppia ♡ e visto che alla fine hanno accennato al fatto di andare a trovare i Signori degli Inferi spero di ritrovarli presto.

[Mery · Rating 2 out of 5]

kalo di goodreads 2 bintang itu it was okay kan ya :P
eh tapi aku ngasih 2.5 bintang loh :D

sebenernya bagus... suka sama mitologi-mitologinya. Suka sama penggambaran settingnya. Tapi mungkin karena cerpen jadi ga puas... emang dasarnya aku lebih sering baca novel ketimbang cerpen. Jadi pas baca ini yah ga gitu terpuaskan, dan mungkin karena ini penggalan cerita yang menyertai seri aslinya jadi rada puyeng :D


Dari semua cerita, intinya yah pria dan wanita yang saling mencintai, rela mati demi yang dicinta.

Paling suka yang cerita pertama, tentang Geryon dan Kadence. Kenapa? Namanya unik. *ga deng* karena asal muasal kotak pandora :D

Yang ga disukanya.... entah deh menurutku sih apa yang dirasain tokoh-tokohnya bukan cinta, tapi nafsu yang berkepanjangan :P
Bacanya ampe ngikik-ngikik, tapi lebih ngikik lagi karena aku ngikikin yang ngasih ebook ini :P

Btw ngomongin cover, itu cowok maksudnya salah satu penguasa ya? astagaaaa... =_=
kasihan banget sih penguasa2 ini kalo memang penggambarannya begitu. Karena dalam bayanganku para penguasa ini cowok2 tinggi perkasa. Bukan cowok-tampan-hei-gw-jadi-cover-majalah-topless
penggambaran penguasa ini menurutku merusak imajinasi pembaca *aku maksudnya*, jadi inget Kellan Lutz di Immortals jadi Poseidon. OMG, tolong panah aku pake busur epirus >.<

Dan penasaran, kenapa tatonya mesti kupu-kupu? makin kasihan ama para penguasa +_+





eh btw, kau emang keren kawan... :D

[Ren Puspita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giveaway for the translated version (Rahasia Kegelapan) at my blog! :D
The link : Giveaway and Interview with Angelic ZaiZai
And its Indonesian only for this time


Once again, Gena Showalter not make me disappointed (2 thumbs up)
I've read the 3 short stories ((The Darkest Fire, The Darkest Prison sama Amazon's Curse) in e-book version, so i skip it and read just the guide inside

And...
Its soooo great and very funny.
My favorite part is "At Home With Lords of The Underworld"
Where William (Anya's BFF), interviewing The Lords.
I like his interview with Lucien and Gideon (laugh so hard until my stomach hurt ^^)

And then my other favorite is At Round Table Women in LOTU speaks. Its great and i like interview between Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter.
There are The Darkest Passion sneak peek.
Make me cant wait to read

Overall : Great Book for Gena Showalter's fans especially Lords of The Underworld ^^

[SheLove2Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reviewing for netGalley.com

This book is a nice collection of stories and extras from two of Gena Showalter's paranormal series.

The first story is actually a pre-prequel to Showalters Lords of the Underworld series. Titled "The Darkest Fire", its the story of WHY the gods created Pandora's Box and how it came to be in her possession. I found it interesting as it relates to the series as a whole but for story content, it was not something I would have read on my own. C+

The second story is bonus material from Showalters book
The Vampire's Bride. Since for me, that was a HUGE "DNF" I didn't read this.

Following the second story there is a section "written" by the Hunters describing all of the traits and weaknesses of the LOTU. This is a great little section I wish I had when there's a lull between books, because honestly sometimes you just forget about certain characters!


Next is a behind-the-scenes look at the writing of the books by Showalter. How she came up with the premise of the series and how she decides which book is next. Cute and funny but if you don't read it you won't miss anything.

"Awakening Pandora" follows and is actually the first three chapters of the LOTU series that Showalter eventually scrapped in favor of the current plot. I loved the prologue and wish she had included it in the eventual series first book, however the story wasn't my cuppa tea so I'm glad she went with another route for the series.

A section titled "At Home with the LOTU" is an interview between the Lords and Anya's friend William, and "Women of the Underworld Speak". I thought it was really cute and enjoyed this section tremendously.

Finally there's a sneak peek at The Darkest Passion

Overall, I'd give this excerpt/preview book a B+.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love, love, love the Lords of the Underworld books so I was excited to find out the origins of Pandora's box and an additional LofTU story. I was disappointed in The Darkest Fire. The story never grabbed me and the ending was a total let down. Maybe it's because I'm used to the characters triumphing against the odds but this ending just seemed like the characters giving up. The Amazon's Curse was better although I am not familiar with her Atlantis books. I liked getting a glimpse into vampire society and it was actually touching to see Zane's softer side and the mention of how he felt about children and family. I would definitely like to read more about the Amazonian warriors and may have to check out the Atlantis series. My favorite was probably The Darkest Prison. We got to see Sienna again and I am dying to read Paris and Sienna's story. It's like a tease that we get these short glimpses of what is to come but I just want that story in my hands! I enjoyed both Atlas and Nike and the chemistry between the two was hot. It gives you a hint of what is to come in the war between the Greeks and the Titans and it made a nice addition to the LofTU series.

[Angelic Zaizai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dibaca karena memang nerjemahin ini
huhuy keringetan juga sih, karena baru pertama nyoba genre paranormal romance, untungnya ini bukan novel utuh, tapi ada 3

cerita pendek dan ditambah bonus-bonus wawancara pengarangnya, ada asal muasal serial LOTU diciptakan, seru kok
paling top wawancara khayalan dengan para LOTU wkwkwk kocak deh

untuk cerita pendeknya, paling suka kisah Nike dan Atlas - seru aja tato-tatoan :))

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge fan of the prequel but I enjoyed Nike and Atlas' story and the glimpse into what is happening in Heaven after the Titan's victory.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

In attesa di poter proseguire la lettura di questa serie che stranamente mi ha preso, ecco tre piccoli racconti dove l'attrazione tra due personaggi che contraddistinguono nelle loro particolarità lo scenario disegnato dalla Showalter fa breccia nell'amore e nel lettore.

-Demon's Fire
Questo è il prequel di tutta la storia, che narra avvenimenti precedenti a Pandora stessa, dove il fuoco dell'inferno e i demoni fanno da scenario al tenero amore e toccante amore che nasce tra Kandance la dea della Sottomissione e il Minotauro Geryon, ex umano maledetto da Lucifero in cambio della sua anima. Nella semplicità di questo breve racconto che preannuncia gli eventi futuri solo in parte, Geryon, nella sua fragilità e Kandance nell'allusività della sua natura riescono a toccare e a conquistarmi, facendomi commuovere per il loro finale.
-La maledizione dell'amazzone
Questo racconto non sembra avere molta affinità con la storia dei Signori degli inferi tranne che per una marginale contestualizzazione degli eventi anche se poco marcati. Si sa, dove ci sono gli Dei ci sono anche tanti problemi e avversità. Ma trovare la figura di un vampiro e di Atlantide attraverso la penna della Showlater mi fa desiderare di proter leggere un giorno altre sue serie con queste figure. La storia non è male, particolare e d'effetto nella sua brevità che riesce a fare centro! Non so se esattamente fa parte o meno di un'altra serie o fa da specchietto in questa dei Signori ma non mi dispiacerebbe leggere il prima e il dipo. Zane ha moooolto fascino.

-Demon's Prison
Questo racconto al contrario del precedente ha moooolto a che fare conla ben nota saga. Ma solo inizialmente con l'introduzione di Danika e Reyes, per poi passare la palla e l'attenzione a Nike che di bellezza ha poco e ad Atlantide che di macho ha molto! Il loro, al contrario delle coppie precedenti di questo e degli altri libri, è un rapporto di amore ed odio, di reciproca passione e tempestosa discordia che li attrae e porta entrambi a disertire al proprio sovrano. Questo racconto sarebbe da collocare giustamente proprio in questa pausa letteraria dopo il racconto di Dubbio ed Arpia. Ed ora le cose sono ancor più zuccherose. La possibilità di ritrovare Nike ed Atlante con i Signori si fa più marcata, e poi avere uno scorcio di Sienna fa battere il cuore. Chissà come sta Paris. Ottimo mini racconto spassionato. Mi piace questa ilarità in questa giusta forte coppia.

-Il risveglio di Pandora
Ecco finalmente qualche accenno pragmatico su Pandora, il suo vaso fantomatico e il come e quando i mali sono stati imprigionati all'interno dei Signori rendendoli succubi per secoli delle loro pene. Sinceramente non riesco a collocare quanto avviene in questo racconto con quanto si conosce realmente di Maddox e del suo passato. Poi ho capito il perchè!
E'una sorta di storia parallela, di come aveva inizialmente ipotizzatola Showlater su questo personaggio e quasi quasi non so se preferire quello già noto a questo scenario. Maddox non è per niente il mio forte lo si sapeva ma con queste poche pagine mi sono data l'ennesima conferma.
Questi i quattro racconti raccolti all'interno di questo piccolo libro. Storie che nella loro immediatezza danno un'impatto maggiore e forzato sulle qualità di scrittrice e di romanzista della Showlater e che apprezzo notevolmente. Non vedo l'ora di proseguire la lettura dei libri prossimi, visto che sono noti i quattro Signori su cui verteranno gli altrettanti quattro libri.

[Nely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into the Dark is an anthology containing short stories (formerly e-books) that Gena Showalter has written mostly related to her Lords of the Underworld series. I would consider this more of a companion book as the stories are not precisely of any of the Lords.

The Darkest Fire - I would say is a prequel to the first story in the series - since it takes place long before the demons are living within the Lords. This the story of Geryon, guardian of the gates of hell and, Kadence, the Goddess of Oppression. Geryon is in charge of making sure that no soul tries to escape hell. While Kadence is somehow connected to the wall that keeps these souls in. When trouble strikes in the form of our pesky demons (i.e. Pain, Lies, Doubt, Violence, etc.) cracking the wall, it is up to Kadence and Geryon to travel into the depths of hell and put a stop to it. If they are not successful, not only will those same evil, foul demons escape, but Kadence, who is bonded to the wall will perish. ~ This story had a Beauty and the Beast feeling to it. Geryon was cursed by Lucifer and is a hideous beast, but Kadence's feelings for him are genuine and she sees him as a beautiful being. Their love story was very touching.

The Amazon's Curse - is the sequel to The Vampire's Bride. I never read The Vampire's Bride (TVB) so I had never heard of any of these characters before. From what I can tell, the story picks up right after TVB finishes and you find yourself in the humid jungle amongst an amazonian, female camp. There you encounter Zane - a vampire who is being held against his will as a slave. The females are fighting over who will be the one to obtain him as a mate. You also meet Nola, who has been cursed by the Gods and is invisible. She knows Zane (I'm assuming from TVB) and tries to help him, but she's completely invisible. That is until she begins to accept her feelings for him and therefore regaining her true self little by litte. ~ This was a very short story and one I got the feeling that there might be more to this story.

The Darkest Prison - (takes place in between The Darkest Pleasure and The Darkest Whisper) is the story of two Gods, Atlas the God of Strength and, Nike, the Goddess of Strength. They are fated to be enemies. Atlas was held in Tartarus during the ruling of the Greek Gods and while there he tried to seduce Nike (one of the prison's guards) in order to obtain freedom. His plan almost worked had it not been for Nike running into another female guard who also spoke of Atlas' attentions. As any woman scorned would, she not only made sure he did not escape, but she tattooed her name on his chest so he never forgot "who owned him" (love that). Now that the Titans have overthrown the Greeks, it is Nike who is being held prisoner and finds herself imprisoned by none other than Atlas. But he soon realizes that his feelings for Nike were more genuine then he originally expected. ~ This was by far my favorite story in the book. I loved the love/hate relationship between these star-crossed lovers.

Awakening Pandora - are the first three chapters of what would have eventually been the plot to the series, but eventually got scrapped for what we now know as the storyline for the Lords. I'm thankful really, because although it was interesting, I really like what Gena has done in this series.

After these first four stories, there are two interview type areas. One is titled At Home with the Lords of the Underworld. There William (Anya's hottie friend) is asking the Lords questions. I found myself laughing out loud throughout most of it. Not only are William's questions hysterical, but he is just an all around funny guy. It was great to hear the answers from the Lords as well as some cameo's from some of their significant others. The second section is titled Women of the Underworld Speak. Here we find the women all gathered with Gilly (Danika's friend) who is holding court over the women and it's just girl gossip and discussing what they like and don't like about the powerful men in the house. These two sections were hilarious and loads of fun and I think my favorite parts in the whole book. And finally, we get a sneak peak into the upcoming The Darkest Passion.

For fans of the series, this is definitely one you will want to acquire for your collection. Like I said, it is more of a companion book, but definitely needed to have your series complete. The stories were short but they were riddled with tidbits of information that you will find useful and will give you the "fix" you need until the next installment in the series releases.

This book was provided for review by Harlequin through NetGalley.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology of 3 of Gena Showalter's ebooks that she has compiled with some LotU extras. The first story is a LotU prequel. But not really. It is about the Guardian to the gates of Hell named Geryon, and the Goddess of Oppression Kadence. He is was a man who sold his soul to save his wife, who then left him for another man. Very tragic. Kadence is bonded to the wall of hell in order to keep all the demons in there...and you guessed it, the Lords' demons. In fact, Pain, Lies, Doubt and Violence are the ones who crack the wall. Kadence bargains with Lucifer to get Geryon's soul back so he can help her repair the wall. They descend into hell to fix it, but are repeatedly attacked by demons. Geryon fights what he can, but Kadence finally finds her goddess powers and controls all the demons there. Except for the Lords' demons. They are too strong, and they keep chipping away at the wall until it kills Kadence who as we know is bonded to said wall. Geryon and Kadence have loved each other from afar, and reveal their love in true Showalter fashion-lots of steamy sex...and they bond to each other hoping to sever Kadence's bond to the wall. Eventually they cannot repair the wall quickly enough and the demons get free, but Geryon kills himself to live free (as spirits) with Kadence. One thing I really REALLY loved about this story was that Geryon was once a man, but Lucifer turned him into an ogre...that their love was strong enough to overcome death was great, but that he kept his furry form was fantastic! Kadence never knew the man, she knew the beast. It was a great take on Beauty and the Beast- that Beauty fell in love with the beast, and not the handsome prince. So he stayed in beast form, and they both lived happily ever after. I liked that he retained his "beast" form. The LotU demons were bound into a box the gods made from Kadence' bones, and given to Pandora to guard. We all can figure out what happens from there.

The second short story was "The Amazon's Curse" and it picked up right after "The Vampire's Bride" ended. Remember Nola? The amazon warrior banished from the gods' contest of Survivor? She was turned invisible. Zane, the vampire she'd met at the competition was turned into a slave for the amazon camp. It was a VERY short story where every time Nola admitted to herself where she went wrong with Zane, she got a piece of herself back. First she was visible, then solid, but still bound to the camp, then she was freed once she told Zane she loved him. It was a sweet, lovely story. Once she freed Zane, she had to fight her amazon sisters, and then was beaten for letting him escape. Zane and the vampires came back, and drove the Amazons out of their camp, then healed Nola, and got their happy end. It may have more to it, since I'm sure the Amazons won't be content to let themselves remain beaten.

The third story was by far my favorite. It takes place in between "The Darkest Pleasure" and "The Darkest Whisper." The Greeks have just been overthrown by the Titans, and Atlas-Titan god of Strength is holding down Nike- the Greek goddess of strength, and he is tattooing his name on her back. As she branded him across the chest with hers. When he had been locked away in Tartarus, Atlas seduced Nike to help him escape...too bad during the escape, she ran into the other female guards he had seduced in attempts to escape. Jealous and angry, she tattooed NIKE across his chest. When it was his turn, and he saw his name across her smooth back, he didn't feel justice, he felt...possessive. "Mine" he thought. So he imprisons her, but can't get her out of his head. Eventually they realize the lust is still there, but neither of them want to want each other. Atlas realizes first that he loves Nike, and so he frees her. Kronus finds out and strips Nike's tattoo off his chest. That hated brand had become his last link to Nike, and Kronus cut it off of him! Well, Nike was never one to run, so she frees Atlas, tells him she loves him and they escape to Earth, and possibly want to meet up with our Lords of the Underworld. The crazy part was that Sienna was sitting in ghostly form next to Kronus...Paris' Sienna! I have it on good authority she will have some parts in the next 2 or 3 books. We'll just have to wait for May for the next installment "The Darkest Passion."

[Torzilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall book rating: B+


The Darkest Fire
Kadence, the Goddess of Oppression, is forced to monitor Hell's walls, ensuring that they never crumble. Geryon, a "monster," is stationed to guard Hell, protecting the living world from the vengeful spirits trapped inside. The two have worked side-by-side for years, never once uttering a word to the other. But, when demons start causing some trouble, will Kadence and Geryon be able to overcome the trial set before them, or, will they ultimately be defeated?

My Opinion:
I usually try to avoid short stories, simply because they're too brief for me. I'm always left craving for more, bemoaning how cruel the authors and publishers are for releasing such a short snippet of an idea that I feel has potential. Usually, I'm also never convinced that the two characters are in love in these types of situations, unless their relationship was developed in prior books.

With that said, I was slightly skeptical in regards to this blossoming relationship. I neither doubted the physical attraction, nor the feelings of liking the other, but in regards to love? Still too brief for me to fully believe.

While I wished that this story was slightly longer--I'm a sucker for these stories--I was not left disgruntled. The outcome was something so creative and unique that I have to applaud Gena for being so frighteningly clever. Never once in those 90 pages did I suspect that that was how the story would end.


The Amazon's Curse
Nola is an Amazon warrior, abused when she was younger. Zane, an equally abused vampire, was a demon whore. Both were forced to partake in a cruel game devised by the gods. Both despised any persons' touch.

Nola scorned this vampire...until being punished and sentenced to a life of invisibility. She could see and hear all, but she, in turn, could not be seen, touched, or heard.

Zane is once again forced into slavery, this time, as a sex slave to the Amazons. He scorns their touches, threatens death to all those attempting to touch him. Ironic that the only one he wishes he could touch is the one cursed to be invisible to all. Or is she?

My Opinion:
Like I said, this was a wonderful wrap-up to Gena's Atlantis series. Short and sweet, and much needed to tie off the loose ends that left me wondering what would eventually happen after The Vampire's Bride.

It was strange, re-entering Atlantis after being neglected of it for so long. For those of you unable to recall the past events in the previous book, Gena makes sure to do a quick recap in Nola's point of view. Being able to witness what went on in this Amazon's head--especially because she was so smitten now--was nice for a change.

I was ecstatic upon the discovery that Delilah and Layel made an appearance in this story too! The little twist thrown in there also left me feeling warm and fuzzy. They deserve it.


The Darkest Prison
Nike, Greek goddess of strength and victory, and Atlas, Titan god of strength, were always rivals. When the Titans were locked away in Tartarus, Nike enjoyed taunting the god, proving that she was far superior.

Upon the defeat of the Greeks, Atlas was sure he would have revenge. What better way to extract that revenge than to brand Nike the way she branded him ages ago? However, upon glimpsing his name on her back, Atlas is starting to have second thoughts about revenge.

My Opinion:
The Darkest Prison was my favorite short story out of the three that were provided in this book. Despite introducing new characters for readers, the love that blossomed betwixt Nike and Atlas was neither rushed nor unbelievable. I was left feeling satisfied and, once again, begging for more.

These two immortals live up to their arrogant reputations, while also revealing a more vulnerable side. I believe that the combination of the two--especially the alpha male and female clashing heads--is what made their tale a successful one. It will be interesting to see what Gena will do in her future Lords of the Underworld books--especially considering the outcome of this tale.

Into the Dark is well worth reading. I will be buying a copy of this when it comes out on April 27th.

[Stephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

There are two Lords of the Underworld and one Atlantis short story from Gena Showalter in Into the Dark.

In The Darkest Fire, Geryon is the guardian of the gates of hell. It is his job to keep the souls in hell. Kadence is the goddess of Oppression and plays warden to to Lucifer and Hades. When the demon lords start to attack and weaken the wall, Geryon and Kadence must go inside the gates of hell and stop them before they brake through the wall and are released into the world. Geryon has always admired Kadence at a distance. He has the appearance of a beast and thinks he is unworthy of her. Kadence however can see past the fur, claws and horns to the strong male that wants to protect her and is willing to go into hell for her. I thought this was a sweet story even though the ending was a bit sad. Any woman could fall for a tall, dark handsome man but it takes something extra in order to see past the face of a beast and feel nothing but love him. In this story you also get to find out how Pandora's box was made which I thought was interesting.

The Amazon's Curse is a story about Atlantis. Nola, an Amazon, was cursed by the gods not be seen, heard or touched by any one. Zane, a vampire, is to be sent to the Amazon camp as punishment to be used as a sex slave during their mating season. It is not until Nola starts to admit her true feeling toward Zane is she finally able to break the curse. I didn't feel there was much to this story. I felt like I was missing out on a lot of back history. Maybe it is because I have yet to read Gena's Atlantis series but I just didn't feel any connection to the characters. The story wasn't not bad it just wasn't my favorite of the three. Into the Dark is very Lords of the Underworld oriented and I felt this story was just thrown in just so it could make it to print.

We get a brief appearance by Reyes and Danika in The Darkest Prison. The goddess Nike was once tricked by Atlas so he could escape from Tartarus. He manipulated her emotions and as part of his punishment she branded her name into his chest. Once the titans took control of Mt. Olympus, it was time for Atlas to get his revenge. After he tattooed his name into her back, he had Nike thrown into prison. He thought that would be the end of it but his real feelings for Nike could not be ignored. Nike trys to refuse Atlas but she has never stopped loving him. It is always nice to read a story where the female lead isn't a perfect female. Nike isn't the most attractive woman but to Atlas, she is everything. The story was short and sweet and I hope in the future the LOTU can count both Nike and Atlas as allies. A moment that got me thinking was when Atlas went to Cronus and saw that Sienna was at his side. My poor Paris is in for a world of pain.

There were also plenty of extras to satisfy a Lords of the Underworld fan including and interview with Gena conducted by Kresley Cole, a look into the files of the Hunters and a round table interview with the women of the Underworld. My favorite section of the book was the interviews that William held with the Lords. It had me laughing and thinking 'that is so sweet'.

Favorite quote 1: William is interviewing Aeron.
"William: Zodiac Sign?
Aeron: Sign? I'm not holding a sign. My hands are empty
William: Are you embarrassed by your cluelessness? Because I'm embarrassed for you"

Favorite quote 2:
"Sabin: You say tomato, I say shut the hell up"

I really enjoyed reading Into The Dark. This would be good to have for all the true fans of the LOTU series because it helps to also clear up a few questions about the warriors and has detailed descriptions of all the Warriors plus much more. I learned a lot of interesting bits about the world of the Lords of the Underworld and I was very entertained. This is NOT another full length Lords of the Underworld book but a collection of short stories and a bonus guide. The guide alone along all the extras is worth buying this book. You also get a sneak peek into The Darkest Passion (release date May 25th) which is Aeron's book and The Darkest Lie (release date June 29th) which is Gideon's book.

~Stephanie G

[Hayden Casey · Rating 1 out of 5]

GOODREADS EXCLUSIVE REVIEW!
1.025 stars

Into the Dark is basically the ultimate Gena Showalter fan-driven book, the one that contains a few online-or-ebook-only stories put into print and some cheesy character interviews for filling space.
Let's run through the contents, shall we?

1) The Darkest Fire
-a.k.a. Smut #1
-This is one of the online-only stories Showalter thought would be good in print with a few others. It's got a run-of-the-mill I-want-to-get-laid-by-you-but-you-think-I'm-a-fucking-freak plot (never been seen before *snickers*) and is completely, 100% bullshit.
(I'm a good salesman!)

2) The Amazon's Curse
-a.k.a. Smut #2
-Take everything you know about The Darkest Fire but BAM! Add an Amazon girl in there.

3) The Darkest Prison
-a.k.a. Smut #3
-This short story reminds me of what would happen if I got thrown in the darkest prison: lots and lots of sex (because, hey. I'm just that sexy). Plug in everything from #1 and #2, remove the Amazon girl, change names, and BAM! There ya go.

4) LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD Bonus Guide

4a) Twenty(ish) Questions with Kresley Cole
-One of Showalter's OMG-I'm-gonna-faint-because-this-person-is-soooo-cool authors decided to put an interview in here. Meh. The only thing not filled with sex (OR IS IT?)

4b) Classified Records from the Private Files of Dean Stefano
-a.k.a. 35 pages of character summaries that are pointless if you decided to read the books. Way to entice the freaking reader with a COOL title. Pfft. Lame.

5) Behind the Scenes: Creating the LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD

5a) Awakening Pandora
-three chapter baby-novel filled with plenty of Kenyon-comparable smut for your pleasure . . . in more than one way.

6) At Home with the Lords of the Underworld
-50-ish pages of male characters interviewing each other. Because, you know, every author's goal in life is to write a book of your characters interviewing each other.

7) Round Table: the Women of the Underworld Speak
-plenty of estrogen-fueled banter from the women of the novels. Pretend they're all actually circled around a round table and talking The View-style.

8) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
-actually, no. Scratch what I said in section six. An author's goal is to write a book of frequently asked questions. I couldn't think of anything more exciting of putting together a few questions I'm asked about twice a year and pretending like I get asked them twice a day. That's every writer's wet dream.

9) Excerpt from THE DARKEST PASSION
-because, you know, 370 pages of pure bullshit isn't enough these days

10) The Sacred Scrolls
-this one is actually kind of cool. It's the missing demons from Pandora's Box. Kind of creative (hence the .025 stars added to the 1 star of epic bullshittiness).

11) LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD Glossary of Characters and Terms
--because no one knows who your characters are, even with the explaining you do in the text. Because no one is expected to remember who your characters are.
Because, you know, I'm going to be sitting there one day reading book #17,592 in her series and thinking, "Oh my golly, I just happened to conveniently forget who Zeus is! Good thing I have my handy-dandy copy of Into the Dark so I can go check!"



Whew. Finally. This 394-page travesty is now over --
Oh, wait! It's not! --
Oh, yeah, it is; they're just Harlequin ads for other Showalter titles.
False alarm.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una raccolta di prequel, più o meno interessanti, e la prima stesura di quello che sarà il primo volume della fortunatissima serie "Lords of the Underworld", serie che vorrei iniziare prima o poi, visti i presupposti.
Un bel mix di mitologia, paranormal e romance... of course!
3 stelle e 1/2

[Cherise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little background on the premise of the Lords of the Underworld:
Thousands of years ago a group of warriors disobeyed their laws and their Gods/Goddesses when they killed another warrior, Pandora, and opened the box she was charged to protect. When they opened the box they unleashed demons and those demons needed a new host, they chose the warriors. Since that time the warriors have been paying for their mistakes. Once reckless, careless and even cruel they have learned to some control over their demons and are now more good than bad.

A little background on the Atlantis series:
Atlantis exists and is where the Gods have put their creations that they have deemed mistakes to live. Merpeople, Vampires, Nymphs, Dragons, etc. roam Atlantis.

Table of Contents:

The Darkest Fire (A Lords of the Underworld Story) – this is the story that comes before all the other Lords stories. It shows the why and the creation of Pandora’s box.

The Amazons Curse (An Atlantis Story) – This is Nola the Amazon and Zane the Vampires love story.

The Darkest Prison (A Lords of the Underworld Story) – This contains new characters, Nike and Atlas.

Twenty Questions with Author Kresley Cole interviewing Gena.
Classified Files – a look at Hunter, Dean Stefano’s, files on the Lords.
Behind The Scenes – Gena talks about creating the Lords.
Awakening Pandora – A short story showing Maddox being released from Pandora’s Box and unto the world.
At Home with the Lords – William interviews the Lords in his usual sarcastic and humorous manner.
Round Table – The women of the Lords series have their chance to speak.
Frequently Asked Questions – Answered by Gena
Sneak Peek at the book The Darkest Passion
The Sacred Scrolls – a look at the Demons that were contained in Pandora’s box.
Glossary – Terms and characters frequently used in the series.

When I got this book I thought I was getting the three main stories, and that was it. I was a little surprised to find how jam packed this book is with information. My one complaint is the insertion of the Atlantis series story seems out of place when the rest of the book is solely dedicated to the Lords series. I am not a fan of anthologies that mix up two series. I happen to be a fan of both series, so this anthology didn’t irk me, but some people may not read both. They are separate series, keep them separate.

Given the short length of the 3 main stories they really could have been awful. Fortunately Gena Showalter is a master at her craft and each story fulfilled my expectations; I loved them.
The interviews all managed to be silly, fun and informative. This book is a must have for any fan of the series. Gena Showalter is on my must have list, I can’t wait to read her books!

Cherise Everhard, July 2010

[Lynsey A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an awesome treat to read three great stories about two of my favorite series by Gena Showalter. The interviews by William were hilarious and I loved everyone of them. As I was reading the chat with the ladies I realized I hadn't read Bianka and Lysanders story so I had to stop and read that one. (My OCD on reading books in order kicked in on me again). Unfortunately, this leads to me unable to start The Darkest Passion tonight. Alas, it must wait until the next weekend. I won't get it finished tonight and therefore would get nothing done at work tomorrow. Sorry, I digress...

The first story was just ok for me. Sorry, but it was hard for me to get past a romance hero who isn't at least halfway decent. If that makes me shallow, so be it. However, having said that it was a beautiful love story.

After finishing The Vampire's Bride and realizing that Zane and Nola's story was not finished I was so disappointed! I loved their tale in that book and was so bummed I would have to wait to read their HEA. Well, I finally did and I was not disappointed. I loved it from page one. My only problem with it was that it was too short. I wanted more. Both were individuals who survived a horrible past and when Zane thought to himself: ****spoiler****


"In that moment, his entire existence made sense. He'd been born to be this woman's mate. He'd given himself to a demon to better understand this precious woman's pain. He'd been chosen for the gods' cruel game to ensure this woman's survival.

He loved her. Would always love her."

*sigh* I loved it! Truly made me heart melt. I even said "Awww" outloud. :-)

At first I wasn't sure what to think of the Darkest Prison. However, I ended up enjoying the story. Atlas truly sacrificed for Nike and Nike was a fierce warrior wanting to protect and save her man.

However, as mentioned, the best part was the interviews William did with the Lords (and sometimes their ladies). I found myself laughing continously through those interviews. I think I fell a little in love with William. Oh, who amd I kidding? He definitely holds a special place in my heart next to my boyfriend. LOL

All in all this was a fun read. I recommend it to any Lords of the Underworld fans.

[Kathrynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book consisted of 3 short (SHORT!) stories and from pages 298 - 394 was a pretend question and answer session with some of the Lords of the Underworld characters. My eyes were rolling as I had to type that, too.

1. The Darkest Fire (pages 9-88)
Odd short story with a goddess who was cast down to hell to help maintain a wall to keep demons inside of hell and the guardian of "hell's doorway." For hundreds of years, Geryon (guardian) and Kadence (goddess) saw each other, but never spoke or made direct eye contact. Geryon was locked in his spot by Lucifer and could not move except to defend the "gate" (wall).

Some demons were digging their way out of the wall and Kadence went to Lucifer to ask if he would release Geryon to help her make repairs on the wall.

This story was okay, but so many scenes had me rolling my eyes.

Blank pages after this story until the next story started...

2. The Amazon's Curse (pages 93-140)
Very short and trashy. All about sex and mating--with Amazon women. I stopped reading this. The Amazon women had male captures and they were fighting over who could mate with who. Mostly they fought over a male vampire and when the pages started to turn to how they could keep the vampire's penis erect, I decided this was not for me. Trashy.

Blank pages after this story until the next story started...

3. The Darkest Prison (pages 145-206)
A Lords of the Underworld book and it was all about sex, too. I started it, but geeze. This didn't work for me. I'm not interested in reading about 2 characters screwing like rabbits.

This entire book was a flop for This Reader. Normally, I enjoy this author's sense of humor in her characters, but not trashy stories all about sex.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just wanted to start by saying that I Love Gena Showalter! Whether she is writing a paranormal or a contemporary romance book, her stories are wonderful and well written. These stories were no exception.

The three novellas in this book were initially released as e-books. The stories themselves were good – you got a little more insight into the Lord of the Underworld world and you get a taste of Gena’s Altantis world too. But my most favourite part of the book was the “Lords of the Underworld’s Bonus Guide”.

The interview where Kresley Cole asks Gena 20ish questions is FUNNY! It reminded me what a wonderful sense of humour Gena Showalter has! I enjoyed the “Files from the private records of Dean Stefano” too. There was a file for each Lord noting which demon they house, where their tattoo is located, their background, and so on. These file were very useful in getting my brain ready for “The Darkest Passion”, which is coming out May 25th. The book also contains a couple other little interviews: the first is William interviewing the Lords and the second is Gilly questioning the Lords’ ladies. Both are quite cute.

Will I pick this book up again to read the novellas? Most likely not. But I’m sure I’ll pick it up again before a new Lord of the Underwold book is released to remind myself of who’s who and why and what. For that, this book/guide was excellent. Now I really can’t wait for Aeron’s story, and Gideon’s story, and Anum’s story, and Strider’s story, and Paris’ story...*sigh, Paris*

3/5 stars

[Exina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read The Darkest Fire and The Darkest Prison.

The Darkest Fire is a prequel to the Lords of the Underworld series, the love story of
My review. - 4 stars

The Darkest Prison tells the story of Atlas, the Titan god of Strength, and Nike, the Greek goddess of Strength and Victory.
My review. - 5 stars

[Adriana · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's weird, because I actually liked the characters but I could not get myself to care about their stories. Everything felt really superficial.
And the short stories are only about half the book with the rest of the pages being bonus material from the Lords of the Underworld series that I've never read. It was an uphill battle for this book when it comes to me and it lost.

[Christy Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fanbook. If you are a big fan of Showalter you will enjoy it, if not the most you'll be able to do with the book is RP from the character profiles.

[Ronda Tutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved all the stories in this book, especially Nike and Atlas story "The Darkest Prision. I look forward to reading more about them when they find the Lords of the Underworld.

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 stars

[Lenna Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviews are for the Lords of the Underworld novellas

Darkest Fire

-If you've read the Lords books and wonder about the box that held the Lord and the women who life was lost protecting the world, and her bones that made up said box. Well this is her story, it has love, happiness, self doubt on both sides but it has a HEA in a spiritual sense of forever.
A goddess bonded to the wall in Hell has been feeling their efforts on destroying he wall that holds them there. Each time they scratch at it she feels the pain, now with cracks it's killing her. But her guardian a warrior of Hell Greyson will protect her at all cost. He was a human being when the land was frozen with ice and sold his soul for a women. But will this women Kadence destroy his heart one last time?

The Darest Prison
-The love story of the Greek Goddes of Strength Nike and the Titan God of Strength Atlas. He was her solace for a very long time until the Titans won the God wars and imprisoned the Greeks. Atlas got his former master as his very own slave. Brandings, collar and the cell, he wanted payback for what she did to him but he did pay her back before she became the prisoner by using her and 3 or 4 other female guards to get his freedom by their emotions. Well that backfired on him big time, he lost a vital part of his life to the only women to make his blood boil...

-Q&A to the Lords interviewed but the always the beloved jerk William and his not to selfs are pretty hilarious.

- A small very short story about Pandora and the Demons she kissed into the warriors. Mostly from her POV and Fromm Maddox and his vengeance on her.

-“Classified” files on the Lords from the Hunters second in command.
And so much more .....

[Amy Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Gena Showalter book and I wasn't disappointed! This book is 3 novellas that fit into her Atlantis and Lord's of the Underworld series,along with a bunch of random interviews and funnies at the back of the book.
I completely loved the first novella,I didn't want it to end and desperately want more about those characters!! The soulless satyr-like gatekeeper of hell falls in love with the beautiful goddess of oppression and together they fight to save her life before time runs out, falling into a beautiful love story on the way. I cried.
Story two I wasn't as crazy about,Amazon warrior women hold a vampire hostage and the outcast among them loves him and tries to free him. Good,juicy,but... nothing like the first story.
Story three is about Atlas and Nike,god and godess of strength. They are enemies and despise each other..well..maybe not,I mean,they find each other infuriatingly attractive. They must flee from the prison fortress. I didn't get into this one emotionally for awhile because I really hate the 'Haters into Lovers theme' I mean.. how can hate ever become trustworthy love, couldn't they suddenly hate each other again? So,it had a lot of frustrated desire going on and some good steamyness at the end,but I couldn't connect.
The bonus sections were funny and interesting for the most part.
Excited to read more from this author!

[Shaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro tiene 3 relatos nuevos que en un principio tendrían que aportar algo a la saga, pero en mi opnión no aportan nada, es más hay uno que no se que tiene que ver con la historia de los Señores del Inframundo. Aún así debo decir que me gustaron y me entretuvieron mucho.

El primer relato, nos relata como se creó la caja de Pandora y si que me parece que esta bien porque nos explica lo que paso, pero no mucho más. El personaje de Kadence es un personaje que debería de ser fuerte pero no es así.

El segundo relato es que no se que pinta en la historia, ua que nos habla de vampiros y de amazonas y de una historia de amor entre una amazona y un vampiro, no es que no me guste la historia, pero no entiendo que pinta en esta saga.

El tercer libro, nos relata la historia de Atlas y Nike los dioses de la fuerza, uno es un titán y la otra una diosa griega y su historia. A mi gusto ver como va evolucionando esa historia, pero aún así no creo que las cosas que se hicieron mutuamente se puedan perdonar tan fácilmente.

Si queréis saber con más detalle lo que pienso de estos relatos, os dejó el link a mi blog: https://whiteandblackwings.blogspot.c...

[♥ I’d Rather Be Reading ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter: (3.5 stars)
(Lords of the Underworld, #0.5 Prequel)
Read January 8, 2010
I thought this was pretty good. I picked up this anthology primarily for this story. Of course, I will read the rest, but I wanted to start this series, and I thought this would be a good place.

Geryon is the Guardian of Hell and Kadence is the goddess who oversees the condition of the wall between Hell and Earth. So every day for all eternity she is outside the wall, inspecting it. All the while Geryon has watched her and become fascinated by her. Now, the wall is cracking and they must both go into Hell to find those responsible and kill them, as well as repair the wall -- Kadence's life might just depend on it.

Overall, I liked this, however it was short. What made their relationship a bit more realistic was that they sort of knew each other for centuries, although they just started talking. I'm guessing that the Demon Lords who escaped are the Lords of the Underworld, although the ending of this was a bit confusing. I'm also hoping that they take human form because ugly skeletal beings are not really what gets me all hot and bothered. :) We shall see... (P.S. [2/16/2011 Update] Yes, they do. Oh boy do they! lol)


The Amazon's Curse by Gena Showalter:
(Atlantis, #5)
I haven't read this yet so my rating does not include this story. I plan to read this series and refuse to read them out of order so I will come back to this and adjust my rating accordingly at that time. :)


The Darkest Prison by Gena Showalter: (4 stars)
(Lords of the Underworld, #3.5)
Read February 7, 2010
This novella is about Atlas (Titan god of Strength) and Nike (Greek goddess of Strength). At this time Nike is in prison with the other Greeks, while Atlas is the warden. However, not long ago (before the Titans took over the heavens), their roles were reversed. So this story entails the love/hate relationship they have with each other and the struggles that means for both of them -- being that Nike is in prison...for eternity.

I loved this story! Despite it being so short, I found myself really loving both Atlas and Nike. Their relationship was interesting, Atlas was smokin' hot, and I really enjoyed reading about them. I'm kind of hoping that they pop up in future LOTU books so that I can hear more about them!

P.S. Also, although quite small, it was nice to get another glimpse at Reyes' sexy self in this one. We don't get much from his character, but still. I ♥ that man so whatever we get is nice! :)


Lords of the Underworld Bonus Guide by Gena Showalter: (4 stars)
(Lords of the Underworld, Bonus Material)
Read February 16, 2001
I'm not a big fan of bonus material in general. Even with my favorite series' I will not go out of my way to read it, even though I'm very OCD about reading everything else in the series. I don't know, it's just that if it's not in the books or novella's themselves, it seems like the info doesn't really exist in the world that's been created. At least not to me.

But, aside from the fact that I'm not a big bonus materials kind of girl, I enjoyed this. My favorite section was William's interviews with the Lords. That was hilarious. I also enjoyed the interview between Kresley and Gena as well as the interview between Gilly and the Ladies of the Underworld. The rest I kind of skimmed through mostly. But if you read anything from this section, I highly recommend the William/Lords interviews. So. Funny. Gotta love William. :)

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Darkest Fire (Lords of Underworld)
Setting: gates of hell

Theme: love, the one who can accept you

Characters:
Kadence, goddess of Oppression: daughter of the goddess of Happiness, and her ‘need’ to oppress, to rule ruined her mother… she has learned to control the power, but it still whispers to her. She has had sex with 3 men/gods, but she cannot contain her power, and they become obedient to her and no longer themselves. After 3, she had given up on them. The other gods are unhappy with her, and when she is volunteered to protect the gates to hell, to keep the wall strong and the demons in, she is okay with it.

Geryon, Guardian of the Damned: as an ancient man, married in an arranged marriage, but his spouse never respected or loved him in spite of his trying, and when she became ill, he sold his soul to Lucifer for her health. Lucifer made him half man half beast, and she continued to turn away from him, even though he saved her life. Then Lucifer asked him to guard the gate to hell. He stands there, day after day, his claw may emit a poison that kills..

Summary: And Geryon lives for the sight of Kadence, who comes daily to check the condition of the wall. They do not speak, but both have a growing fascination and attraction for the other. When the wall begins to crack because the demons Destruction, Wrath, Doubt etc are pummeling it, Kadence goes to Lucifer and trades Lucifer a year in the earthly realm to release Geryon… and then she asks Geryon to join her in hell to kill the demon lords. He agrees, and tries to talk her out of going, to just let him go in and kill them… but she insists. He goes to protect her. And they touch, and they talk, and her power does not overcome him… and she asks him to make love to her – finding the courage to ask with the hope that by binding to him she can be stronger to hold the wall, and because she feels such passion and desire for him. He is amazed such a beautiful creature would be attracted to him.
Unfortunately, her powers do not work against the demon lords, and she is killed (in spite of Geryon covering her with his body to offer as much protection as possible). And her spirit rises from the body and speaks to Geryon, and she asks if she may stay with him (instead of mindlessly wandering the earth)… and does one better, and kills himself with the poison of his claw… and their spirits intertwine, to be together forever.

And the demons get out… but the gods make a box of Kadence’s bones, trap the demon lords in the box, and give it to Pandora to watch over.



The Amazon's Curse (Atlantis)

Setting: amozonian island; Atlantean outpost;

Theme: both with sexually abusive pasts; both sexually isolated – until they meet; listening to ones internal voice;

Characters:
Amazon: males: “capture, breed, and abandon.”

Nola: Amazon; mother and father prostituted her out when a child for family income; ultimately she killed her mother, and joined the Amazons; a fierce warrior; punished by the gods when denied her feelings for Zane, piercing him with 2 spears in the shoulder – she is invisible to all, and cannot leave the Amazonian island – she can only watch;

Zane: Atlantean vampire; one of 8 captive supernatural males, and the only one angry at being fought over for breeding rights; he willingly became a sex slave to queen such and such in promise for the release of his love – but the queen abused him, did not free his love, died, and then his love was disgusted with him and married another; he cannot stand to touch or be touched – he drinks blood from a cup, not the vein; until he meets Nola – and sees a corresponding sadness in her eyes – and he finds he wants to hold her, to make love to her; he would rather die than have his offspring taken from him, and then killed when they could not train the blood drinking need from her; over last 2 months in captivity, he has felt Nola’s fleeting presence, but thinks he may be becoming delusional;

Layel and Delilah: Zane’s king, and his wife; and his wife is Nola’s sister – though they did not get along; they have been searching for both Nola and Zane these last months, unsuccessfully;

Summary:
Story told from Nola’s point of view… she is watching the battles of the women for the right to have the men’s sperm until impregnated, frustrated she cannot protect Zane – and she reflects on what happened 2 months earlier, and how she reacted in fear instead of reveling in her feelings for Zane; as she acknowledges/verbalizes her feelings, she becomes more solid – first to Zane, then to the other Amazons, and then so she can leave the island.

Nothing Zane’s ‘master’ does will stimulate an erection… and Nola finally gets to the point she can be seen. She helps him escape, but cannot move through the island barrier – sending him off to freedom… and faces the punishment of the Amazons – battle without her having weapons to Zane’s ‘master’, then a whipping to take the skin off her back; Zane reluctantly leaves her, too weak to defend her… makes his way to the Atlantean outpost – takes blood to heal – talks with Layel and Delilah – and they mount a rescue of Nola…

Nola hears screams and battling, but is in too much pain and too weak to check it out… and then Zane is there; he feeds her blood, healing her – and after words that assure each other, they make love… and then Zane insures that Layel and Delilah will take her in (or he will stay with her) – and of course they do… Delilah is happy to have a true sister… ahhh


Then rest are interviews - William interviewing the Lords, Gillian interviewing the wives; Hunter Stripe's point of view; author's initial story of releasing the demons...