Review: ‘Wicked Nights’ by Gena Showalter
Wicked Nights
by Gena ShowalterSeries: Angels of the Dark #1
Published by HQN Books on June 26th 2012
SubGenres: Paranormal Romance
Format: AudioBook, Paperback
Pages: 411
Source: Purchased
Audience: 18+/Rated R
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From the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld comes a dark, seductive new series featuring angels poised on the brink of destruction....
Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless-and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions, at any cost...until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.
Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation-or her ultimate damnation?
Wicked Nights is the first book in Gena Showalter’s Angel of the Dark series, which is a spin-off to the Lords of the Underworld series. The MMC, Zacharel, made an appearance in Paris’s book, and I was excited for Gena to write about the Angels that she introduced in the LOTU series.
Storyline: The FMC, Annabelle Miller, whom we’re introduced to, is a human who has been accused of killing her parents at the age of 18. She didn’t do it, though, and she’s now forced to live in the walls of Moffat County Institution, where she is being treated. Unfortunately, the doctor who is supposed to be treating her is abusing her mentally and physically, and no one cares that it’s happening. She’s been trying to tell the doctor and everyone else that she didn’t kill her parents, but no one will listen to her, especially when she sees things that she shouldn’t be able to see as a human.
Zacharel and his band of Angels are sent to the Moffat County Institution to find out why demons are attracted to the place and kill them, as long as they aren’t humans who are demon-possessed (which they can not die). Zacharel comes upon Annabelle, and for the moment he meets her, he knows he’s in trouble. Zacharel is not meant to save Annabelle, but of course, everything in his world is about to change because of Annabelle and her past. It’s up to Zacharel to find out why Demons are tracking Annabelle and also find out what happened to Annabelle and why she can see the demons.
My Thoughts: This was a great start to a new series, especially a spin-off to one of my favorite series from Gena Showalter, the Lords of the Underworld. I loved how she decided to write a series based on the angels because here’s one reader who was interested in finding out more about the angels since their appearance in the LOTU, especially when it came to Zacharel, who played an intricate part in Paris, ‘s and Sienna’s book.
I fell in love with the stubborn, grumpy, tough, and sexy angel Zacharel in The Darkest Seduction, but I fell harder in Wicked Nights. Did I describe him enough with all the adjectives? He has every right to be grumpy when he’s trying to be a good leader for a bunch of angels who want to test him, but those same angels are very loyal to him. I loved getting his POV and seeing how he reacted to Annabelle. He was trying to fall for the human, but it was inevitable, and I loved the scenes of these two together.
I loved Annabelle’s character too because here’s a young woman who has been dealt horrible cards, being blamed for murdering her parents, even though she didn’t do it. She was a strong character, enduring a lot but always sticking up and taking care of herself. I loved how she handled Zacharel when he gave her such a difficult time at first. She put the angel in his place, and he wasn’t used to it.
I wasn’t expecting the twist that Gena did when she finally revealed the antagonist of the story. It was unexpected and shocking, and here’s one of many reasons why I adore Gena. She can throw you off where she’s going with the story.
Gena writes emotional storylines with amazing world-building, and she also throws in funny and lighthearted moments between the characters that have you laughing out loud and smiling. This is why she will always be a favorite PNR author, and I will always find myself thinking about her books and wanting to reread them.
It’s another five-star read from Gena, and I can’t wait to reread the next two books in the Angels of the Dark series, especially since Koldo and Thane were introduced in Wicked Nights. If you haven’t read any of Gena Showalter’s books, what are you waiting for?
Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Steam/Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Angels of the Dark Series. If you are thinking about reading this book but haven’t read the LOTU Series, I recommend you read that series first. You will thank me later. =)
Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. I recommend this book to ALL Paranormal Romance Readers out there and, of course, die-hard Gena Showalter Fans. If you’ve read Kresley Cole’s IAD Series, you’ll love the LOTU and Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter.
Genre/SubGenre(s): Romance | Paranormal Romance
Trope(s)/Element(s): Fated Mates | Angels vs. Demons | Forbidden Love | Slow Burn | Virgin Hero | Heroine in Danger | Kickbutt Heroine | Alpha Hero
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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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