Cat Johnson Braves Doll Lil’s Word Association Challenge!

Book: The Darkest Surrender
Author: Gena Showalter
Series: Lords of the Underworld #8
Release: September 27, 2011
Reviewer: Believer
Source: Personal Library
Purchase: – Barnes & Noble

Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain. For him, nothing stands in the way of victory. Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.
Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die. Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he has an agenda of his own—steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named. But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter—the love neither had thought possible.…

I’m hooked on Gena Showalter’s Lords of The Underworld series. The series describes the adventures of the immortal Lords of the Underworld, a group of warriors created by Zeus. Overcome by jealousy when Pandora is chosen to guard the box that imprisons all the worlds demons, the Lords kill Pandora and inadvertently set free all the demons upon the Earth.  As punishment each Lord is sentenced to carry a demon within their body for all eternity.  Now the Lords dedicate themselves to finding the mystical tools that will release them from their sentence.

The Darkest Surrender is the story of Strider, Keeper of Defeat.  As Keeper of Defeat, Strider experiences debilitating pain whenever he is defeated.  His demon seeks a challenge in even the most mundane of tasks.  Incredibly handsome and overwhelmingly obnoxious, Strider will go to any length to keep from losing, especially when it comes to love.

Kaia Skyhawk is a beautiful harpy hopelessly in love with Strider. A mistake during the Harpy Games at the age of 14, has left Kaia ostracized by the harpy community and haunted by the ensuing tragedy.  Countless decades have passed since that day and Kaia has sought to redeem herself in the eyes of her family but most especially her mother.  When the Harpy Games are announced and Kaia receives a special invitation she is certain she can win and regain her status.  But as the details of the event unfold, Kaia and Strider find themselves pitted against each other in the battle for the prize.  Will Strider risk losing his heart to Kaia even if it means losing the only chance the Lords have to win their freedom?

The Lords of the Underworld series is a PNR set in modern day Budapest.  The characters although hundreds or thousands of years old live in castles filled with video games, hip-hop music and state of the art surveillance equipment. Like a Black Ops outfit on steroids, the story is told in contemporary slang full of swagger and posturing – a never ending frat party. Showalter’s dialogue is fun! But behind all the bravado is a story of two people who are afraid of getting hurt and disappointed by love. It is painful to read the missteps and misunderstandings as Kaia and Strider awkwardly navigate the game of love.  Showalter makes you believe that even immortals with centuries under their belts can still be made to feel insecure and sensitive when it comes to barring their hearts.

The Harpy Games add an exciting background to the love story.  The challenges are bloody and gruesome and the villains are dastardly.

Showalter is the best friend who knows where all your skeletons are hidden and wants to help you find some more to put into the closet with them.  This series is a fun over the top read that is full of action and and super smexy scenes. Give yourself a present – bring The Darkest Surrender home tonight along with a bottle of margaritas and get ready for some fun!

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved to read story books. She devoured them because they were full of magical possibilities with every turn of the page. Then the little girl grew up and school work occupied more and more of her time. Eventually the little girl graduated from school, trading in poets & prose for business management & autobiographies. Magic was left behind in her quest for the top and the world became a place filled with “paradigm shifts”, ROI & financial reports. Before she knew it, the girl was a woman who felt out of touch with the world’s magic until she met Birth and her sister Death. While Birth filled her with wonder & happiness; Death filled her with sadness & loss. And so one day she set aside the management books and instead picked up a paperback story filled with vampires, shifters & telepaths. Lo and behold, her passion for these stories blossomed and the woman became a believer in the magic of reading, again. My name is Believer9200 and I believe in the magic of stories because they give me hope.

Doll Believer

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