 |
Typically when I read an anthology, I find stories that are winners, that are losers, and stories that are merely 'meh', but in this short three story anthology I found all the stories winners. Two of the stories were from the Lords of the Underworld world and the other was from the Atlantis world. The first is a prequel explaining how the demons came to escape into the world and the origin of Pandora's Box. It was a tender 'Beauty and the Beast' romance. Geryon, is thought by himself and others as the monster guarding the gates to hell. He had once been human and married, but he'd never been accepted even by his wife who he sold his soul to save. Every day the bright point of his existence is to view the beautiful goddess of oppression, Kadence, come to check the soundness of the walls that contain hell. She secretly finds him attractive. It is not until she discovers that the walls are slowly being breached that she speaks to him for the first time and makes a bargain with Lucifer to gain Geryon's help and have his soul set free. They both know for their own reasons that they cannot be together because they love each other and believe themselves unlovable. Then death itself separates them. Can they still find a way? The middle story was the Atlantean story centered around an Amazon warrior who was cursed to be like a ghost for not fulfilling the god's desire for her to kill others in the god's version of the Olympic games and the vampire she rejected in an earlier meeting during the games. I have not read the series and this short must fall somewhere in the middle as it referenced other characters and events, but I still found it interesting. Nola, the Amazon, has been sexually exploited much of her young life at her own mother's bidding so does not see herself as worthy nor does she trust or like men which is why she rejects the overtures of Zane, the vampire in the first place. Zane has his own inner struggles because he was once voluntarily the demon queen's sex slave to save the woman he loved though she rejected him afterward. He does not like to be touched either, but he saw something of a kindred spirit in Nola and reached out to her only to be rejected. He is now a captured Amazon slave once more in the very camp where Nola must figure out how to free him and make amends because she realizes belatedly that he is the only male she can love. How can a wraith-like Nola rescue a chained and weakened Zane? The final story was a spin off Lords of the Underworld tale beginning with Reyes and Danika viewing a painting she has just done of a Titan god being tortured in the King's chamber. The story then jumps into the explanation of the painting. Atlas, god of strength, is the prison warden for Tartarus where all the Greek gods have been imprisoned after their overthrow by the Titans. At one time, Nike, the goddess of strength and victory, had been Atlas' jailor and now their roles are reversed. He played her and several female guards to set him free when he'd been the prisoner and it almost succeeded when he fooled love-sotted Nike into letting him out, but in the nick of time, she realized the mistake when she ran into another woman he had tricked. Nike retaliated by having her name tattooed to his chest before tossing him back in prison. Now it is his turn. Atlas has dreamed of revenge and acts on it by having his name tattooed into her back. **See Good Reads for full Review**Read full review
This is an anthology with 3 stories. Bought it for the Showalter story which goes along with a series I was reading. The other stories were good. Thought it odd that the 3 stories only took up half the book. The rest was definition of terms and description of characters for another series one of the authors has started. Nice to see that stuff for a few pages but not for half the book.
Absolutely love Gena Showalter as an author and own atleast 24 of her books. I have not been disappointed by any of them. This one in particular contains three seperate stories (The Darkest Fire--The Amazon's Curse--The Darkest Prison.) The Darkest Fire is a prequel story to the Lords of the Underworld series of which all the stories are amazing. The characters are Geryon, the guardian of hell, more monster than man and Kadence, the goddess of Oppression, more angel than woman. Their story is about love beyond appearance. The Amazon's Curse ties up lose ends from the book The Vampire's Bride which is book 4 in the Atlantis series. You will finally learn what happened to Zane, the vampire warrior, and Nola, the Amazon soldier, who were transported from the games in The Vampire's Bride. The Darkest Prison is a story that ties into the Lords of the Underworld series. The story of Atlas, the Titan god of strength, and Nike, a Greek goddess, whose stories flip flop from one being master over the other and the love that transpires. Gena Showalter has a distinct way of writing that will draw you into the characters making you feel whatever is transpiring for the characters at that moment. I laugh, cry and say Hell Yeah often when reading her books. The sexual encounters are engaging without being filth. A true bonding takes place when her characters consumate a relationship. Read a book by Gena Showalter and you will not be disappointed.Read full review
2 intense romantic stories. second half of book is all interviews and commentary for authors followers
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Books
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
