[b:The Darkest Torment|25801632|The Darkest Torment (Lords of the Underworld, #12)|Gena Showalter|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445271993s/25801632.jpg|45655309] (Lords of the Underworld, #12) by [a:Gena Showalter|48192|Gena Showalter|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1447177534p2/48192.jpg] is a Paranormal Adult Romance.
I liked both Baden and Katarina, but there were a few things about their relationship that struck my 'No Way' chord. Baden is definitely a Kick Butt character when it comes to taking care of enemies. Katarina has some very interesting qualities too. It's just certain aspects of Katarina's personality and their relationship was a bit insulting to Baden's personality.
I enjoyed most of this story. I loved the humor. I loved that William, Gillian and Cameo all had great scenes that carried their stories forward. There is a lot to love about this one. I just wish she hadn't written Baden so 'weak' when it came to some of Katarina's actions.
It is well written and flows smoothly and quickly. No editing problems that I saw. I have to say a solid 4 stars. It just didn't hit my super wow factor to get 5 stars. ( )

Meh. This review pretty much covers my feelings about the book and series. I am curious about Cameo's story, and am dying for Legion's book, but I feel like Gena never fully recovered from her nose-dive into bible-thumping. It's gotten infinitely better, but not on par with her early work. Again, the review I linked to really covers it. ( )

The Darkest Torment
By Gena Showalter
Lords of the Underworld #12

Baden was one of the original Lords of the Underworld but he was beheaded and sent to another realm where he lived for thousands of years with only Pandora for company. Pandora made his life miserable but that was better than not feeling anything at all.

Now, Baden is back in the realm of the humans with the help of Hades who put some kind of weird serpent bands or wreaths on his arms to keep him sentient. There are a few drawbacks to this, however. He is now Hades’ servant and has to do whatever he demands. Hades is at war with his son, Lucifer, for the control of the Underworld. He sends Baden out on missions that will help him in that endeavor. The wreaths come with some kind of monster called Destruction who is trying to control Baden which makes Baden violent and uncontrollable at times. And Pandora also got herself a pair of armbands and is doing Hades’ bidding. Hades has turned it into a competition. They get points for successful missions and whoever receives the most points will get to continue living. Fun!

On one mission, Baden has to get a coin from a Russian Mobster named Aleksander Ciernik. The coin is rumored to grant the holder a wish from Hades or rather Hades has to do anything the holder asks. Baden and a couple of Lords of the Underworld friends confront the mobster in the middle of his wedding ceremony. Baden ends up taking Aleksander’s bride as incentive for Aleksander to give up the coin but Aleksander only thinks of Katarina as another one of his possessions. It’s going to take a lot more for him to give up the coin to Baden.

Katarina was forced into marrying Aleksander Ciernik. He took her three dogs who are like her family and he threatened to kill them unless she married him. I kept on thinking that Katarina was a better woman than I am because I would have never married anyone because of an animal…my human children…but not my dogs but to each their own and all that.

Now, Katarina is a prisoner of man who is clearly not human and she is thrown into a world of supernatural beings and danger but the biggest threat is to her heart as she starts to fall in love with her captor.

I love this series, not only for the romance factor but for the other characters and ongoing storylines. There is William who, in the beginning when I first read about him, I thought was just some powerful egotistical supernatural being but have since learned that he is Hades’ son and he is the father of the four Horsemen of the Apocolypse. In this book, he abducts Gilly, who is a human girl who William cares for and he hides her from everyone because she is dying and he is desperately searching for a way to heal her. Apparently, Gilly is not totally human and the doctors tell William that she is dying because she is trying to morph into her immortality but her body is not handling it well. Hades tells him that the only way to save her is to bond with her and marry her. William refuses because of his curse that says that his mate or wife will be his destruction or something like that.

While William is off doing whatever William does, someone named Pukinn or Puck comes to visit Gilly and tells her that he will bond with her to save her if she wants to but he will want to be a true husband and wife which will involve sex, something Gilly does not want since she was abused by her step-father and step-brothers.

Another storyline that was barely touched upon but is interesting none the less is the story of Cameo and Lazarus. She was stuck in another realm with him for a while but since her demon is Misery, she can barely remember Lazarus but what she does remember, she thinks she may have felt happiness which is something she hasn’t felt in thousands of years.

I am looking forward to finding out what happens next in this series.

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This was nice. I was involved enough to care what happened, but not so wrapped up in it that I was annoyed when the characters made a foreseeable mistake or something. (They did a pretty good job not being idiots as well though). It was amusing to see the trope of a heroine taming her beastly hero, with the heroine actually being a professional beast tamer (dog trainer specializing in rehabilitating abused animals). =) It also had a nice balance between checking in with previous characters, and setting up future romances, and still prioritizing this couple. ( )

Where do I even begin writing about what I love about this book?

Baden....much of what we knew of him was through the memories and longings of the other Lords but damn, he might have been the Gentleman of Olympus but he's a bad ass through and through. You had to know when Torin and Keely brought him back using the wreaths they got from Hades that something was bound to happen. And did it ever. Who knew, two little wreaths would not only bring back Baden but another demon and the bonds it forms and who it forms with....well you could knock me over with a feather when bits and pieces became facts and bonds.

Katarina...the woman forced into marriage with Aleksander. Blackmail, such an ugly way to start a marriage wouldn't you think. Oh wait, how about right after you say your vows this gorgeous bad ass shows up on behalf of Hades, threatens your new (but highly despised) husband and kidnaps you in an effort to make hubby dearest give up a stolen good. Oh yea, I guess it could get worse before life gets better.

Baden brought back with him memories, not his but Hades, and a demon named Destruction. Both are blood thirsty and eager to win freedom from Hades by doing his errands to win points in hopes of gaining their freedom from being Hades assassin. Katarina is human and just supposed to be a means to an end. Until both Baden and the beast (as Destruction is lovingly referred to) find that Katarina calms them. She is the only one they can let close and not see as a threat that must be destroyed immediately. That is Baden's biggest fear, that one time he will lose control to Destruction and all his friends and their loved ones will be killed by him. His guilt over allowing himself to be beheaded eats at him. And let's not forget 4,000 years spent in the spirit realm where he could watch the rest of the Lords grieve for him, fight for survival, and find love...all while he fought with Pandora while trying to figure a way out of the realm.

Katarina quickly learns to use her skills as a dog trainer to "bring to heel" both Baden and the beast. Two lost pups are a gift from Baden and as she trains Baden and the beast, she is training the pups....and something special about those two you would never believe. Now while she may be attracted to Baden she resents his constant thinking of her as frail, weak, needing his protection. She's got gumption, have to give her that, while everyone else retreats while Baden gets close to pulling a "hulk" and letting Destruction have his way...she goes to him and calms both man and beast. Think them Lords are a little in awe of her.

Their love story is hot and sweet at the same time. Falling in love, that roller coaster that makes you happy and feel sick to your stomach at once, is not what either wanted or thought they deserved. The things they do and are willing to do to be together made me cry. And when we get a new species involved....oh wow! so did not expect that to happen. Not saying more just know that the fight at the end happens between two folks I wouldn't have imagined ever being in the same room much less fighting for control.

The two side stories we got glimpses into this book are OMG worthy!

Cameo, trying to remember a moment of happiness and yet breaking our hearts with her misery. She remembers Lazarus and a vague feeling of being happy with him. She needs to find him to make sure....and she misses him. So what's a girl to do but steal certain artifacts and once again get sucked into the Pairing Rod to try to find him. Will it work? Did it work? Can she find him and make it back?

Now Keelycael, the Red Queen and Torin's wife, she's a scream! Loved meeting her in the Darkest Touch. But her damn time out box where she puts things unimportant to her or just details so minute she forgets them....causes a lot of trouble in this book. Wanting to help her pal, William the Ever Randy, with his obsession with Gilly, who has recently turned 18, Keely gives her a spiked drink. Oh what was Keely thinking, trying to make Gilly immortal! And those little things that she forgets...BIG OOPS ALERT!!! But even worse, to save herself from certain death Gilly may be forced to bond herself to an immortal and hope she doesn't make him mortal. Hint: William is on a rampage and NOT because he got whom he desired more than anything but because Gilly may forever be out of his reach!

So can not wait for our next installment. Who's it going to be about? Will Cameo find Lazarus and is he the one to bring her happiness? Will William rage ever diminish? The war between Hades and Lucifer draws closer and closer, who will win and how is that going to effect the Lords and their mates? Can Pandora's box ever be found and what of the Morning Star.....to be continued.....
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