The Darkest Captive: A Lords of the Underworld Novella by Gena Showalter

 ABOUT THE BOOK 

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a new story in her Lords of the Underworld series… 

For centuries, Galen the Treacherous has been the most hated immortal in the Underworld. With good reason! This bad boy of bad boys has lied, stolen, cheated and killed with abandon. Possessed by the demons of Jealousy and False Hope, he has always lived for a single purpose: destroy everything.

Then he met her.

Former demon turned human femme fatale — Legion Honey -- sought to kill Galen, but ended up parting with her virginity instead. Afraid of their sizzling connection, she ran away…and ended up trapped in hell, tortured and abused in the worst of ways. Now she’s free, and a shell of herself, afraid of her own shadow. 

Galen's hunger for Legion has only grown. Now the warrior with nothing to lose must help her rekindle the fire that once burned inside her. But as desires blaze white-hot, will Legion run again? Or will the unlikely pair succumb to love at long last?

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

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 REVIEW 

Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter was one of the first paranormal romance series I started to follow. I found them as I discovered reading a continuing series was my favorite way to enjoy paranormal romance. It is a fantastic concept, immortal warriors inhabited by the demons they set free as a punishment. They have to learn to deal with the evil inside of them, without becoming evil themselves. And they are sexy and very alpha. Fast forward to Darkest Captive, actually a few books prior, and I am not sure these books are for me anymore.

The pairing of Galen and Legion as a couple works well. Both characters require redemption at the start of their relationship. I love a salvation story as I find anti-heroes most intriguing. It is disappointing the couple did not receive a full-length novel since they have been circling one another for several books now. Perhaps the bulk of their story has already been told.

With the corruption that appears in the world, there are many ways of exploring how demons can alter one's outlook. In the current installment, False Hope and Jealousy inhabit Galen. These inner struggles as the demons influence the host is tense, clever and entertaining.

Legion's arc, several books back, is excellent. She barters with Lucifer to obtain a gorgeous human body, hoping to win the love of one of the Lords. In the end, just after meeting Galen, she is sent back to hell. From this return trip derives her PTSD. The physical and most notably the sexual, abuse she undergoes is a common theme in these books. Frankly, it is starting to feel overused. Not only that, but Legion does all her healing off stage making the struggle feel less genuine. What I am left with is the feeling it solely serves as the hurdle to keep Legion from wooing with Galen. And it gives Galen the opportunity to prove his love by exacting violence on Legion's abusers.

I tend to listen to audio-books as much as possible. Therefore, my biggest complaint with the book/series may be due to the narrator's interpretation of the text, leading me to not fully commit to this criticism. Lately, I have felt a great deal of the character speech has been excessively juvenile. It has not been just one individual or one sex, and it seems to pop up several times over multiple installments. Actually, it has become cringe-worthy, so much so I considered stopping the book this go round. In the beginning, I did not have this issue, but the first few books I physically read. I may attempt the next book without the audio to make my final decision, but the series may have reached the back burner for me.

Broken Ground by Val McDermid

Broken Ground by Val McDermid is part five of the Karen Pirie series. I had no problems following the events or the relationships presented in Broken Groud. The author gives readers enough that the novel works fine as a stand-alone. DCI Karen Pirie of Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit is good at her job. With Karen deeply involved in three separate cases, I worried the plot would suffer from overload. Honestly, at times it did to a degree. However, the mysteries unfold in a way that kept me intrigued. I felt sympathy and remorse for the victims and was eager for the DCI to bring them justice.

Intelligent and strong-willed, Karen is a female protagonist I enjoy. Despite the loss of a loved one, Karen retains healthy relationships with those around her. She even gets the opportunity to explore a new one. Karen is proud of her job. She gives it her best and expects the same from her team. Confronted with the constant condemnation from her direct supervisor, eventually leads to a gratifying encounter between the two.

Overall, Broken Ground was an enjoyable crime mystery novel. As previously stated, I did get slightly bogged down by the multiple plots, but it was never so much I did not enjoy the novel. I would recommend this story to those looking for a decent mystery from abroad. I was granted an ARC copy of this book by Grove Atlantic, through NetGalley, for my honest opinion. I encourage all readers to reach their own conclusions.



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