Review: ‘The Darkest Craving’ by Gena Showalter
The Darkest Craving
by Gena ShowalterSeries: Lords of The Underworld #10
Published by Harlequin HQN on July 30, 2013
SubGenres: Paranormal Romance
Format: AudioBook, Paperback
Pages: 472
Source: Purchased
Audience: 18+/Adult
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New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter is back with a breathtaking Lords of the Underworld tale about a warrior trapped by darkness and the woman determined to save him
Having endured weeks of torture in the bowels of hell, Kane wants nothing to do with his beautiful rescuer, Josephina Aisling. The half-Fae female threatens to awaken the demon of Disaster inside him—a beast he’s determined to kill, no matter the price.
Josephina is hunted by a brutal enemy—her royal family—and Kane is her only source of protection. He’s also the only male to ever set her aflame, and even he succumbs to the heat. But as they navigate the treacherous world of the Fae, they are forced to make a choice: live apart…or die together.
The Darkest Craving is the tenth installment in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series, and I’m glad I reread it because I couldn’t remember Kane’s book that much due to reading it over ten years ago. Kane didn’t have much of an appearance until the last LOTU book (The Darkest Seduction) because the other Lords did not want him (or his demon) causing a disaster. Poor Kane, wherever he went, he managed to have the roof collapse on him, things come straight toward him, or, of course other people get caught in the crossfire as well.
I always assumed Kane would never get a break. He had to have one of the worst demons in him. He was even afraid to love someone due to his demon wanting to hurt them. The demon never wanted Kane happy.
Gena, though, did a bang-up job of getting the perfect heroine for Kane. She put Kane through so many obstacles in The Darkest Craving. I genuinely think Josephina may have taken second place as my favorite heroine in the series now. It’s hard to decide who’s my favorite, but Anya will always remain number one. Josephina did something that proved she deserved to be the second favorite. I bow to her for her courage in this book, and in Kane’s eyes, she was completely insane about it. I had to go with my girl Josephina, though she had her reasons for what she did, and I supported her. Love will make you do some crazy things, and Josephina proved how much she loved Kane in the end.
I learned a lot about Kane in this book and how he has a sweet side, but he shows it differently. He has his possessive and mean side though, which would drive any woman crazy, but Josephina knew how to deal with it. Josephina was a very stubborn but strong female character. What she had to deal with in this book, I applaud her. She proved to herself and everyone around her that she is stronger than everyone thinks.
Kane is one sexy, tortured MMC who is put through the wringer due to trying to prevent an apocalypse from happening while dealing with a very controlling demon inside him. (I cried for him every time his demon acted up) You will find out that Josephina is hated by her family, and they will do anything to humiliate her, which will make you want to go through the book and put them in their place. (At least, that is what I wanted to do, especially when it came to the King and her sister.)
You’ll not only get Kane and Josephina’s story, but you’ll also get sneak peeks at what has come for Torin and Cameo since they have POVS in this book, too. I can’t wait to reread Torin’s book and read Cameo’s book for the first time.
*Two of my favorite scenes in this book were the bathroom scene with Kane undressing in front of Josephina (her reaction was by far the best part) and when Josephina meets all the Lords in person. She’s a BIG fan of them. =) *
I give this book five stars and highly recommend you have tissues for when you read the ending of this book. It’s a tearjerker.
Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Steam/Spice: 🌶️.5
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Lords of the Underworld series, and I recommend reading the books in order.
Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading Paranormal Romance, Greek Mythology, and the Fated Mates trope.
Genre/SubGenre(s): Romance | Paranormal Romance
Trope(s)/Element(s): Fated Mates | Alpha Hero | Demon Possessed Hero | Half-Human/Half-Fae Heroine | Kickbutt Heroine | Tortured Hero | Virgin Heroine
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About Gena Showalter
Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of nearly 100 novels. Most stories fall under the genre of romance, be they paranormal, fantasy, contemporary, or young adult. She’s also co-authored a (delightfully quirky) cozy mystery series as well as a nonfiction guide about how to write a book in a year.
Gena is a dedicated mother, grandmother, and fur-mom. A woman under construction, whose life took a few unexpected turns the past few years. But she’s learned a lot and firmly believes her best days are ahead of her, not behind her. Chances are good she’s writing her next novel and already in love with the hero.
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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