Review: ‘The Darkest King’ by Gena Showalter
The Darkest King
by Gena ShowalterSeries: Lords of the Underworld #15
Published by Harlequin HQN on February 25, 2020
SubGenres: Paranormal Romance
Format: AudioBook, Hardcover
Pages: 414
Narrator: Max Bellmore
Length: 12 Hours And 46 Minutes
Source: Purchased
Audience: 18+/Adult
Add to Goodreads
Purchase at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
A merciless prince feared by all…
Cursed by a vengeful witch, William of the Dark will die if he ever falls in love—murdered by the woman who steals his heart. His lone shot at redemption is a book filled with indecipherable code. Break the code, break the curse. Now, centuries later, he’s condemned to a string of one-night stands…until he finds the only woman in the worlds able to set him free.
A rare creature of myth and power…
One of the last living unicorn shifters, Sunday “Sunny” Lane works from the shadows as a cryptanalyst, on the run from assassins and poachers. Then the darkly seductive William abducts her, holding her captive in Hell. The closer they get, the more she hungers for his touch…and the stronger a mystical desire to kill him becomes…
Both forever doomed?
At war with his brother, Lucifer, and determined to become a king of the underworld at long last, William must resist the irreverent beauty who threatens his future. But every day Sunny tempts him more, his hunger for her unmatched. Will he risk his heart—and his life—or will the curse ensure his end?
The Darkest King is the final full-length novel in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series. This was the long and waited William story that fans of the series had been waiting for a long time. I was one of them, and as per my The Darkest Warrior review, I was glad that William and Gilly didn’t end up together. (Yes, I was one who didn’t like the idea of those two together because they came off as more brother and sister than a couple.)
I did worry about where Gena was going to take William and his story after the changes she made in Gilly’s book. I found his character annoying in that book and found he was still his annoying self again in this book. I couldn’t fault him completely because he was just trying to get answers. The second he was introduced in the series, I was curious about William’s origins, and we finally got some answers in this book. Hades had adopted him and was keeping secrets from William, which Willaim was determined to get out of him, especially why William shouldn’t be around Axel (A Sent One). Gena finally gave us the answers we craved with William, and I was shocked to find out about William’s background and why Hades took him under his wing.
I was surprised Gena would introduce a whole different FMC at the end of the series, especially someone like Sunny. I wish she would have been introduced earlier because I thoroughly enjoyed her eccentric self. She fit right in with some of the other FMCs with her humor and the way she handled Playboy William. She would put him in his place several times. I loved how Gena threw in a random type of shifter, a Unicorn since I had never read that before in Paranormal Romance. It was different, but did take some getting used to since she was William’s Fated Mate and he was a Prince of Hell, but opposite’s attract in this case.
I loved that the playboy was very protective of Sunny. He didn’t want her getting hurt and such, but Sunny could hold her own. One thing that Gena writes well is kickbutt heroines, and Sunny may be a Unicorn shifter, but she’s a scary one you don’t want to mess with. One other thing, especially since it’s William’s book, expect spicy times. I’m glad to know that William finally found his fated mate, and he received his HEA after all these books, even though he never thought he would be locked down with one female.
Unfortunately, this book won’t be a favorite in the series. I’m sad it won’t, but I was left with more questions toward the end of the book, and I’m hoping Gena continues some of the things that the Lords were looking for in her other series, the Rise of the Warlords—for instance, the Morning Star and if they will ever find and retrieve it. I’m going to miss this series and am sad that it’s ended, but I’m glad I reread the series from the beginning so I could visit some of my favorites, like Anya and Lucien, who will always be my favorite couple.
Audiobook Review: If you enjoy listening to your books, I recommend this series in audiobook. The narrator, Max Bellmore, is perfect for bringing the characters to life in your ears.
Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
Steam/Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Lords of the Underworld Series and I recommend reading in order.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. I recommend this series to readers who love Paranormal Romance, Greek Mythology, and the Fated Mates trope. Be prepared, though, to fall head over heels in love with the Lords/Lady of the series.
Genre/SubGenre(s): Romance | Paranormal Romance
Trope(s)/Element(s): Fated Mates | Alpha Hero | Reformed Player Hero | Kickbutt Heroine | Angels | Demons
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. It will help sponsor future giveaways but costs you nothing extra. You can read the full disclosure underneath the Privacy Policy.
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.)
- Happy Release Day + Giveaway: ‘Bracing The Storm’ by J.C. Reed - May 27, 2025
- ARC Review: ‘Restless Hawke’ by Gwyn McNamee - May 26, 2025
- ARC Review: ‘From Drummer to Gamer’ by Emberlynn Raine - May 25, 2025