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| The Darkest Pleasure (Thorndike Press Large Print Romance Series) | 
 enlarge | Author: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Category: Book
List Price: $30.95
Buy New: $23.66
You Save: $7.29 (24%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  50 reviews
Sales Rank: 7338707
Format: Large Print
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Lrg
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 490
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.59999990463
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.59999990463 x 1.09999990463
ISBN: 1410409546
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781410409546
ASIN: 1410409546
Publication Date: November 19, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 9 to 13 days
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Product Description
Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.Danika is on the run. For months she's eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won't rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can't forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.…
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Measuring Pleasure in Pain; Reyes & Danika's Story June 23, 2008
20 out of 24 found this review helpful
The Darkest Pleasure was probably one of the most anticipated books of the summer after The Darkest Night and The Darkest Kiss rolled out with the beginnings of a pretty good new paranormal romance series. The Lords of the Underworld are back, still looking for the artifacts that can lead them to Pandora's box. The hunt for the artifacts takes a very steep decline in this novel as the romance between Danika and Reyes, Keeper of Pain, finally takes center stage. Built up over the course of the previous two books the attraction to one another might seem a little Romeo and Juliet.
Reyes is an immortal warrior possessed by the demon Pain, a demon which forces him to inflict painful injury upon himself to avoid inflicting it on others. Worse yet is the fact that he cannot feel any pleasure without it. He's been Pining for Danika since he first saw her in The Darkest Night, but can't risk getting involved with her without being forced to protect her from Aeron, Keeper of Wrath, his friend and fellow Lord. Commanded to kill Danika and her mother, sister and grandmother, Aeron has been driven to bloodlust yet continues to fight his demon even still. Aeron and Reyes know that if he commits these killings he will be lost to his demon forever. Meanwhile Lucien, leader of the Lords and Keeper of Death, wants Aeron brought home and demands an exchange, he'll tell Reyes where Danika is (and she is in danger from Hunters) if Reyes will tell him where he has trapped Aeron. Trapped for a time, Aeron has been discovered by a mysterious little demon known as Legion who has become his constant companion. When Reyes relents and saves Danika from the Hunters he is ready to protect her for as long as it takes to free Aeron from his mandate. But is Danika really in danger from the Hunters or has she begun to work for them? When the chips fall where will her loyalty and her heart lie?
Sorry, no spoilers! You'll have to read the book to find out. If you've been reading the rest of the series you definitely will want to know what happens. I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than the first and about the same as the second. I liked Danika and Reyes a lot more than previous couplings, but I found myself frustrated at how little of the sidestories there was in this one after being given so much in the last one. In the end I was a bit disappointed that only small sections gave us more story related to Paris and Sienna, Aeron and Legion, Torin and Cameo, as well as the other Lords. I really wanted to get more sidestory and there just wasn't enough this time. Truth be told Legion was pretty much my favorite part of the book and I felt like Cronus had a weird personality change from his previous scenes.
This book was definitely a pleasure and a pain (puns totally intended!), so if you are following the series snap it up quick. If you've not read The Darkest Night (#1) and The Darkest Kiss (#2) I don't think you could really enjoy the story behind this book because there are too many unknown factors you'd need to know from the other two for even the romance to make a lot of sense so check them out!
Lords of the Underworld book 3 June 25, 2008
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
This is a very good series and I am enjoying each and every one so far. This is the story of Reyes and Danika, he is possessed by the demon of pain and needs pain to feel pleasure. I really felt this would be a hard book to read or write because of the demon he has. However, I found the book an easy read and the search for the box of Pandora is heating up. All of the other characters are in this one too.
Reyes is possessed by the demon of Pain but since he met Danika all he can think about is her. He is determined to protect her from Aeron who has been ordered by the Titans to kill her and her family.
Danika can't believe how she can desire one of the horrible monsters who are out to kill her family. But as Reyes saves her life again and again she comes to know him and realize there is a soul in him besides the demon of Pain. Danika has fought monsters in her dreams her whole life. She has visited heaven and hell in those dreams and now she faces them is reality.
Lucian demands that Reyes tell him where he has imprisoned Aeron, and Reyes convinces him to keep Aeron chained to protect Danika. They both know that it is not a permenant solution. If Reyes could only find out why Cronos wants her dead.
The story is good the romance is hot and the reading is easy. What more can you ask for a good summer read.
Third in the Lords of the Underworld series - second book is my fav so far June 28, 2008
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
Long ago a band of immortal warriors stole and unleashed the evil within Pandora's box. In the melee, the box was lost. As their punishment for the deed, the gods forced each warrior to 'contain' one of the demons within themselves. So the Lords of the Underworld were born.
At present, some of these possessed immortals live a sheltered life high on a hill in Budapest. They struggle daily with their demons eventually succumbing to the demons desires. As well as warding off attacks by the radical humans called Hunters who want to see them and their demons dead.
The immortal warrior Reyes possesses the demon of Pain. He can only feel pleasure in one of two ways 1)unleashing his demon during fights or 2)self inflicting pain -cutting himself. That is until he meets his *angel*.
Danika Ford is the unfortunate woman whom the gods have targeted for death (along with her family). Aeron (Wrath) has been assigned the task of murdering them. The more he resists, the more the bloodlust grows within him.
Meanwhile the other warriors continue to look for the pieces of the puzzle to find Pandora's box. Only Reyes cannot concentrate on anything other than keeping Danika safe and away from his warrior friend. Soon he must choose between his two loves -his woman or his friend.
A good book but I liked the second one in the series The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, Book 2) much more. I think I expected something else here -perhaps some mild BDSM? (he is Pain after all). And the adventure was somewhat lacking unlike the previous installment. There is a lot of foreshadowing (more like teasing for the next book! ;)) too . In particular, Showalter showcases Paris and Aeron. Those parts were my favorites (made it a 4 star rather than a 3 star book) and make me anticipate the sequels.
On the other hand as far as the romance goes -Reyes and Danika are a engaging couple but nothing that is earth shattering. Good sexual tension but somewhat mundane love scenes. Perhaps my expectations were too high *shrugs* I don't know.
I mostly liked it and recommend it to those who have liked the previous books. And I will be definitely looking forward to the next in the series. Showalter has an interesting take on the mythological in the paranormal genre.
Having a blast with this series! July 11, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Ahh, the story we've been anticipating since The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld Book 1). (Ok, second most anticipated for me- I can't wait to read Torin's book!)
Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series centers around a group of immortals who are possessed with the demons who were once imprisoned in Pandora's Box.
In TDP, the story focuses on Reyes, The Keeper of Pain. Since the time that the former guards of the Gods killed Pandora and unleashed the demons of destruction each member has carried around their own personal demon. Neither can exist without the other. Reyes has lived with the urge to receive pain since the time the demon entered him. He can only receive pleasure through pain. As we've seen the first two novels- Reyes is constantly cutting himself to stay sane- the urge is that strong.
It goes way beyond that in this story. Not only does he cut himself, he commits violent acts of suicide on a regular basis- just to ease his torment. (Of course he's immortal so he never really dies, but you get the idea.)
He's learned that he cannot take a woman as well, because the urges the demon inside him inflicts on them leads them to inflict pain on those around them after he's gone from their lives.
Imagine his dilemma when he meets Danika- a woman he's been drawn to from the first time he lays eyes on her- no, even before that, because her scent had been luring him from the time she entered the Lords of the Underworlds' castle.
Of course he can't have her. To Reyes she is an angel he refuses to corrupt. And too, Aaron, one of his Underworld brothers and the Keeper of Wrath, has been ordered to kill Danika by Cronos, the newly made King of the Gods. Aaron has been driven insane by his desires and is no longer fighting the urge to kill, despite the fact he senses Danika and her family are innocents, and Reyes is torn between defending Danika or ending his friend's life.
No one knows exactly why Cronos wants them dead, least of all Danika- but by the end of the tale everything has come to light and Danika finds she is more than she ever dreamed she could be. In more ways than one.
I'm just having a blast with this series! Not overly complicated, they are like crack candy to me- irresistible, quickly consumed, and just as addicting!
I liked The Darkest Pleasure better than the last one (The Darkest Kiss), mostly because I liked the heroine so much more. (Danika's smart, vulnerable, and courageous- and though frightened she's determined to never be ill-prepared again.)
Be warned, what Reyes endures to receive his pleasure is almost icky- one scene in particular. But, thankfully, none of that really entered their bedroom- and he has some of the most romantic lines in the series thus far!
 good set-up, poor delivery June 30, 2008
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
I was really looking forward to reading this 3rd installment. I was a bit disappointed. For one thing a lot of these characters, especially the men, act the exact same way. I feel like I'm reading about different women but with the same guys. Each man has a different demon but she seems to write them having the same personality. There really is nothing to differentiate them except their names and their demons. I do like these books but I'm tired of the same descriptions for these male characters. If you read this book alone it would probably be pretty darned good but if you've read the others you may get a feeling of deja vu.
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