Review: The Darkest Surrender by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Surrender
(Lords of the Underworld #8)
by Gena Showalter
Publisher:HQN
Publication date: Sept. 27, 2011
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:

Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain. For him, nothing stands in the way of victory. Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.

Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die. Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he has an agenda of his own-steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named. But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter-the love neither had thought possible…

 

 

It’s been so long since I’ve read a LotU book. I remember devouring these books when I first came across them. That is, until I caught up with the series and then had to wait for the next book to come out. Which is when I lost track of the series. I love that each of the guys has a demon that possesses them. In this case, Strider is possessed by Defeat. He cannot lose a challenge, no matter how small and insignificant, without facing excruciating consequences. So, when the mischievous harpy, Kaia sets her sights on him, he immediately pushes her away. Kaia challenges him at every turn and not in the good way, more like in the infuriating way. However, when she’s called away for a huge battle of the harpies, Strider accompanies her to make sure she’s safe. With all the blood, deception, and betrayal, these two are able to find common ground, and soon realize that they make a great team.

Even though it’s been a while (YEARS!) since I’ve read a LotU book, I remember Kaia. She was always fluttering around, sassing everyone, and pushing Strider’s buttons. She had a huge thing for him, but he always tried to ignore her and wouldn’t give her the time of the day. So, she found herself challenging him to do things, thus invoking his demon, so that she could spend some time with him and hopefully get him to notice her. I will say, that in this book, Kaia grows up a lot. Due to an event that wound up getting her exiled as a child, she finds herself needing to rise up and prove herself among her people. Does she still do some foolhardy things? Yes. But, she also seems to have learned a lot along the way. You start to see that a lot of what she does, particularly when it comes to Strider, is for his benefit. In the end, I found myself really respecting her.

Strider was another great character. Because his demon is always looking at everything as a challenge. He knows Kaia is not a healthy match for him. Everything about her screams a challenge and not necessarily in a way that he knows he can win. However, he cannot deny the fact that he’s drawn to her. So, when she has to partake in a deadly match among other harpies, he decides to join her. After all, Kaia has claimed him as her consort and by doing so, he has the power to heal her and make her stronger. Even though he doesn’t see a future for them, he continues to be there for her and support her. I don’t really remember much about Strider from previous books, but I thought he was a great character as well.

All in all, I really enjoyed The Darkest Surrender. I was worried that I’d be a bit lost with not having read these books in a long time, but I found myself catching up rather quickly. It was great getting to see everyone again. I also liked that we got glimpses of some side stories that I’m sure will be popping up soon.

 

 

Previous reviews from the LOTU series
The Darkest Night
The Darkest Kiss
The Darkest Pleasure
The Darkest Whisper
The Darkest Passion

The Darkest Lie

 

 

 

5 Thoughts on “Review: The Darkest Surrender by Gena Showalter

  1. I love this series but I’m a bit behind right now. I should get caught up. I loved this book. The guys in this series are awesome.

  2. I lost track of this series too but I think I read this one and liked it.

    http://www.fwiwreviews.net/search?q=not+dead+yet#.XKUmUphKguU

  3. I have a few of her books that I need to read. Glad you enjoyed this one. Sounds good!

  4. You know a good author and good series when you still can dive in after some time and not be lost and still enjoy the book.

Jump in on the discussion: click on the notify button below to follow along

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Post Navigation