Every now and then, I decide to do a throwback review which means that I reread a book that I've read previously to see if I still love it or if I didn't love it in the first place, I try to give the book a second chance because I realize that sometimes my mood can affect how I feel about a book and it's really not fair to the author but I only do this for books I have not reviewed here.
The Darkest night is by one of my favorite authors, Gena Showalter. I am always intrigued by her stories. However, there are some that I love more than others. This book is the first book in The Lords of the Underworld Series and I will say that it isn't the book that hooked me, it just helped the hook set in a little more.
First, I will tell you about the setting which I wasn't sure about at the beginning of the story. It is set in Budapest which I did not know much about at the beginning. However, there are castles and a city that came alive with people who believed in superstitions and angels. So, the setting did blend well with the story. Honestly, I ended up loving the idea of Budapest as the place where things of myth lived. I became enamored. I will admit that I googled Budapest and now, I've fallen in love with a place that I hadn't really thought of before. I don't think I would have done that if it wasn't for Mrs. Showalter. So, if you're not sure about the setting, give it a try and I'm sure you will fall in love with it too.
Now, the characters of the story are many so I will start with the main characters, Ashlyn and Maddox. Ashlyn was the perfect combination of many things. She was both smart and naive. She was daring but afraid. She was broken but strong. I could really relate to her on so many levels. The most wonderful thing about her was her ability to love very deeply. It's something that you wish to see in everyone. Maddox was strong but gentle when everything in him should have pushed him toward violence. He is truly a tortured, sensitive soul who would do anything for those he loved. Together, Ashlyn and Maddox make you root for them. The other characters of the book are nothing short of awesome. You want to know more about them which is a good thing in a series. I could not ask for a better temptation than the Lords to finish every book in the series.
The story has it all. It has romance and fights. It has a family feud. It has demons and Greek Gods. This story was literally genius. It always kept my attention. I can not think of one page that was boring. Mrs. Showalter is a master story teller.
By now, I suppose you can see that my opinion of this story has not changed. If anything, The Darkest Night has gained more respect than I previously had. I adore this story and look forward to all of The Lords of the Underworld stories in the future. I'll end this by saying thank you to Gena Showalter for entertaining me again.
My rating: 5
My book cover rating: 5
