Review: ‘The Darkest Lie’ by Gena Showalter
The Darkest Lie
by Gena ShowalterSeries: Lords of the Underworld #6
Published by Mira on July 2nd 2010
SubGenres: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback
Pages: 442
Source: Purchased
Audience: 18+/Rated R
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Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie—until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding — or bedding — her. But he wants to . . . almost as much as he wants her.
But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free, and a future with her could mean ultimate ruin. Especially as Gideon’s enemies draw closer . . . and the truth threatens to destroy all he’s come to love . . .
(Originally Reviewed back on Mrs. Papillion aka “The Book Worm”)
The Darkest Lie is the sixth book in Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld Series. This wasn’t the first time I’ve read this book. It’s actually my second time, and it’s still a 5-star read for me, especially since it’s Gideon’s and Scarlett’s book.
Gideon is the Lord possessed by the demon of Lies, which means he has to lie whenever he speaks. For instance, if he finds Scarlett beautiful, he has to tell her she’s ugly all because of the demon inside him. It can be annoying to read Gideon’s dialogue at first, but you’ll get used to it. Gena introduced his character books before, so readers were prepared. He’s actually one of my favorite Lords because he tends to make things entertaining and humorous with his dialogue.
If you read the previous book, you would have met Scarlett, who’s the FMC in this book, and she’s possessed with Nightmares. She dropped a surprise for Gideon at the end of the last book, saying they were married and other things that he can’t seem to remember, but she insists it’s the truth. He’s determined to find out if she’s telling the truth, but in the meantime, Scarlett will make his life difficult because she doesn’t trust him either after he left her years ago.
I loved the banter between the Demon of Lies and Demon of Nightmares and how these two MCs had a connection, but one was confused by it, and the other was trying to prove they knew each other already. Gena is one author who definitely throws in the twists, turns, and secrets, and most of them I was not expecting, especially when it was revealed the truth of who Scarlett was related to, amongst other things. I felt for Scarlett’s character and was rooting for her at the end to have her revenge on everything that was determined at the end of the book. Let’s just say there is some family drama, and it may involve certain Gods/Goddesses that have been playing havoc with the Lords for a while.
Other storylines are evolving in this book because Gena is setting up other Lords to get their HEAs while also going after Galen and the hunters and retrieving what they are looking for. Amun and Strider’s POVs are revealed more in this book and I can’t wait to reread their books. One big storyline, other than Gideon and Scarlett’s, is how some of the Lords go to Hell to save Legion, after what happened to her in Aeron’s book. I’m not a fan of Legion in this book because she puts the Lords at risk and she’s being an obvious brat, but I know she’ll redeem herself later in the series.
I don’t want to give anything, which is why I’m being vague, but this is a must-read for LOTU fans. One reason why I love Gena’s book is how she is able to continue world-building throughout the books, which is why these books need to be read in order. I’m so glad I found this series by Gena back in 2009, and I will forever recommend her books to PNR readers out there.
Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Steam/Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the LOTU series and I recommend reading in order.
Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. This series is always one I will recommend to PNR readers who love the Fated Mates trope.
Genre/SubGenre: Romance | Paranormal Romance
Trope(s)/Element(s): Fated Mates | Tortured Hero | Tortured Heroine | Kickbutt Heroine | Demon Possessed Lords
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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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