Gena Showalter has created a thrilling paranormal story that brings another world to discover in the Lords of the Underworld series. It will be different than the previous books but it will expand the Lord of the Underworld series never before. The Darkest Warrior will bring a different world that will entrance the paranormal readers.
The Darkest Warrior will start off where the last one left off. Reader will get to know a little more about Puck before marrying Gillian. Puck was well-known champion fighter before his brother betrayal him. He was the most handsome yet best skilled fighter. But things changes when your own brother betray you. It definitely brought trust issue but he always have determination regaining his place again. It will take some will power an strength but he can do which will involve Gillian.
Gillian has grown u to be the most wonderful and strong woman ever. But she does have a sweet spot for Willy which can be an downfall. Willy is his own person and even he cannot save her when she unexpectedly fall into horrible disease. There is a way to save her but only Puck can and he does. Gillian will find some challenges when she unites with Puck but everything is always a learning experience.
Their relationship may be hostile in the beginning but it will definitely heat up throughout their journey together. They will form the a stronger friendship that will bring true trust than they ever had before.
The Darkest Warrior will bring you exciting element in the paranormal world while enjoying the heart-warming romance too. Five Stars!

I adored this book. Adored it. Call me clueless (which I usually am), but I had no idea about the furor due to the fact that Gillian and William of the Dark didn’t end up together. Seriously? I’m going to address that, but I have to say one thing first. Get the fuck over it. I’ve read your stuff on GoodReads and you are so childish in your tantrums. It was never made clear that Gillian and William were going to end up together. He calls her Gilly Gumdrop for the love of God. Would you want your lover/mate/husband you call you such a childish name? Not to mention that she never, ever had romantic feels for the guy. Ever. Read back and look. Not once. He was her hero and her savior. That’s it. I wouldn’t have read this book if it was Gillian and William’s book. There is no way. I was seriously looking forward to it because it wasn’t Gillian and William. When I read the excerpt in the back of The Darkest Promise, I was thrilled. So for all you haters out there, pull up your big girl panties and pick up this book from where you threw it across the room. Dust it off and read it. You’ll love it. That’s a fact.

The biggest hurtle in this book, to me, was Gillian’s age. She is just turning eighteen. A traumatized eighteen at that. The girl has been seriously abused at the hands of her stepfather and stepbrothers. When she worked up the courage to tell her mom, she was told that she must have “misunderstood” the situation. Can you imagine? shudder Honestly, how the hell is an eighteen year old girl going to mate a centuries old immortal, be able to have sex and be this goddess that the blurb explains? I was like “say what?”. Must be some magic going on here. Well yes, magic was involved and it was amazing.

I’m going to try to make my summary short and sweet which may not be possible because this book had a lot going on. Since their royal births, Puck and his brother Sin have been working against a prophecy which said that one of them would find their ladylove then kill the other. Since they were children, both vowed that they would never fall in love and they would only be loyal to each other. That changed when Sin betrayed Puck and let him be infected by the demon of Indifference. It’s only after hundreds of years when Puck has a rare moment of clarity that he goes to the Oracles on Amaranthia where he learns how he can defeat Sin. Sin, who murdered their father, became king, then went psycho on the Connacht people. It was the Oracles that told him about Gillian. Mate her, they said. Get William the Dark to Amaranthia, they said. He will dethrone Sin, they said. All he has to do at the end is use these special magical scissors to break his bond with Gillian. That’s fine with him because he doesn’t know this Gillian. Then he meets her and instantly falls for her.

When Puck first lays eyes on Gillian, she’s dying. See, Keely the Red Queen gives Gillian a gift on her eighteen birthday. A potion which gives the gift of immortality. Unfortunately it’s killing her and only mating an immortal can save her. It’s a good thing Puck is there to save the day. And save the day he does. Gillian is instantly drawn to Puck and she doesn’t know why. She’s usually afraid of men and Puck doesn’t even look like he’s entirely a man. When he offers to mate with her for his own reasons, she instantly realizes that she’s not ready to die. She wants to be a champion. She wants to help victims like herself. She wants to help people come out strong but to do that she has to live. So she does.

There are so many great things about this book. This one of of my favorite gems from Puck when he realizes he doesn’t have to “woo” Gillian anymore:

Our relationship isn’t a democracy, but a Puckocracy. I saved your life, lass. From now on, I speak and you listen. I command, and you obey. Understand?

Of course that didn’t go over well with Gillian, but you get the picture.

One of the best parts of this book was the change in Gillian. Her growth was amazing. I loved it and you will too. If you’re still too bent out of shape to give this book a try, you’re not worthy of Gena. She wrote a great book with two amazing characters. As I was reading this book, I started liking William less and less. Then he slowly started pulling his head out of his ass and I started liking him more. I can’t wait until he gets his. It’s going to be awesome. Gillian was never his equal. Think on that.

Puck + Gillian = Forever.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

I began reading the series in 2013. Back then I was a lass full of hope and dreams. After finishing this book half of my dreams and hopes are crushed. I know you don't always get what you want, but this time it wasn't just me who wanted something different. When I got The darkest torment I selected a random page to read and I got the scene where Gillian and Puck bonded. I was so disappointed that I never got to read the book. The only reason I will continue with the series is because I want to see the happy ending of two men. Galen must find Legion soon and have his happy ending.

It took me some time to actually read the book because I had to come to terms with the Gillian-Puck pairing. When I thought I did, I began reading it and for a while I was doing OK. Then William and Puck fought over Gillian and I realised that I would never be okay with this pair. I hope we won't see them again in the future books. I don't believe that William and Gillian are only friends.

What I hated about the "romance" between the two "lovebirds " is that the bond they shared grew stronger only because Gillian was in a realm where time was moving on way faster than the time in the realm we know. It wasn't even a good romance, just some forced stuff that didn't make sense to me. I stopped reading at 40% because I didn't feel like the book was going anywhere. It was just the bond growing stronger due to time and I couldn't buy that. I started reading again at 80% and even in their strongest moment they were lacking.

I love this series and I’ve read all the books, so I was so excited to finally get to read this.

So ......
background story .....

We have (14 books) and (4 novellas) and to be honest the series does need to be read in order (lots of original characters are in all the books)
Lords of the underworld ..... These were immortal guards sworn to protect a secret... Pandora’s Box.
But they were tricked into killing the keeper of the box and opening the lid ..... releasing evil demons (negative emotions and feelings) into the world. The gods were angry and made the guards into prisons to “house” the demons.
And to add further insult, the guards were “marked” with huge ragged butterflies on the bodies. The guards were then kicked out of Olympus and forced to live in the “mortal world”, for centuries they warred, and caused untold misery on the earth, until they got control of their “demons” .......
Each book deals with a warrior and his “demon” the eternal struggle they have to do “right” in the world......
Further in the series, we find out that too many demons were released, so others were used to “contain” the demons (Demi gods and prisoners of war)
The back story is to regain the pieces of the box, to put the box back together and to release the demons back into the box.....
simple !!!! Not by a long shot .....
we have double dealings, back stabbings (literally in some cases) and everyone wanting the box for its powers.

So ........
Puck is a relatively new character to the series.
He is a prince and a warrior.
He is a warrior unlike any other, no mercy, no surrender.
He is the “keeper” of indifference, he has been unable to feel any type of emotion without extreme pain, so he taught himself not to feel any emotion.
He doesn’t like war .... but you start it, he will definitely finish it.
He also doesn’t bed the same female twice, he doesn’t want the prophecy to come true.


Gillian is a human female, brought into the series relatively early on.
She was abused as a child by her family, and the lords stepped in and brought her to their home, she has been loved and cared for ever since.
Gilly has had a crush on William (someone who may or may not house a demon) 😉ever since he rescued her from her family, and she was determined to “marry him” when she grew up, that childish crush turned into love. And although William “loved” his Gilly, he was her protector, but somewhere along the line, his feelings changed (but William has a destiny all of his own)

We set the scene for Puck and Gilly a couple of books back (only snippets), Gilly becomes ill and will die unless “bonded” to an immortal. Why Puck ? Why not William ? (All is explained in the book)
So I was anxious to see when Gena would take us (the fans had really wanted William and Gilly to have a HEA)

Gilly hates Puck on sight, as far as she is concerned the sooner her “marriage” to this monster ends the better, she is determined to go ahead and still be with William.
Gilly knows all about “monsters” both human and demon, and she’s prepared to fight to get what she wants.

Puck on the other hand is surprised that he “feels” something for this female, he had to bond with her in order to get what he wants (his kingdom) but he intends to let her go, once he gets it.

So ..... we have two main characters they don’t really like each other (and we have a third on the outside, waiting to kill Puck and regain Gilly)
And that’s not even to say they get a HEA (the prophecy says that he gets an UHEA (unhappy ever after) !!!!

The book is very fast paced, meeting characters from previous books always makes me smile.
The twists and turns keep you guessing as to whom gets Gilly, and do we get closer to finding Pandora’s Box ? There are a few other plots along the way.

I personally didn’t want Gilly and William together......do I get my wish ? You’ll have to read the book and found out 😉


🦋

Before I get into my review, let’s address the pink elephant in the room, shall we? The pairing for Gillian in this book has been a polarizing one, to say the least. Many readers, myself included, were waiting for a Gillian and William book…finally…after so many books in this series that has been hinting at it. When I read the blurb for Darkest Warrior, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I mean, Gillian and Puck? What about all the relationship development that happened throughout the series that led us to believe it will be Gillian and William’s HEA. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but I decided to put my trust into Gena and reserve my ultimate judgement until I read the book. And after finishing? I’m one hundred percent #TeamPuck. Because when I thought about it, throughout the series that are hints of why William wasn’t the perfect match for her and after seeing her with Puck, I totally get why he’s a much better match for her.
Three things happened for me in this book:
1. I ended up loving Gillian even more
2. I’m completely re-hooked on this series
3. I fell head over hooves for Puck
Deep down, he had a secret, shameful desire to keep a woman all to himself, to learn every little detail about her past, all her hopes and dreams. He dreamed of spending weeks, months, years pampering her and her alone, branding himself in and on her. Being branded by her. He yearned to have a “mine.” Maybe one day he could.
I’ll admit, I struggled with the first 15% of the story. There’s a lot of inner monologue that happens and I found my interest waning in and out. Some of it may have been my own bias against anyone other than William taking up Gillian’s attention. But then somewhere around the 20% mark, something happened. Something just clicked for me and I began to fall more and more for Puck. The lethal warrior set on a quest to take back his kingdom and the host of the demon of Indifference. Let me tell you, it’s no small feat to pull off a connection like the one between Gilly and Puck with Indifference as your demon. But not only did that happen, but the chemistry between them was through the roof hot.

"He kissed her as if his survival depended on it, demanding total surrender. Surrender she happily ceded."

Gillian has always been the wounded bird of the group. With her tender age and scars from her childhood, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about her as a heroine, especially compared to the typical Showalter sassy heroines. I’m happy to report that the development that happened with Gilly in this story turned her into one heck of a badass. And it felt so right. I loved and I mean loved the direction that the author took with her and I couldn’t get enough of it.

The chemistry between Gillian and Puck is instant and potent. As you read the development of their relationship, something clicks, and you just get it. You understand why Gilly couldn’t have ended up with William and why Puck is such a better match for her. Was it disappointing? Maybe in the beginning. But by the time I was finished, I totally got it, and I was wholeheartedly behind it.

"He had an entire solar system in those irises, and she felt like she was the sun."

There’s a lot of story that happens here. Plenty of loose ends that get tied up and plenty of development that leave you with even more questions. A lot of the things that happened in the previous books all led to the events in this one. There’s plenty of Hades, Keely, and William developments that take place here that only serve to whet your appetite for more. And this reader couldn’t get enough of it.

The Darkest Warrior was a deliciously addicting read full of action, plot twits, and a sizzling romance. I loved every page of it. Fourteen books into this series and I’m still hooked and can’t wait for more. If you’re wondering about what happens to William, there’s a heck of a hook that we get in the development of his story by the end of this one. And I for one cannot wait to see how it all unfolds. As for this book, I’m completely satisfied with how everything resolved. While I wasn’t 100% behind this pairing at first, I simply can’t imagine Gillian with anyone other than Puck after I was done. So if you’re anything like me and find yourself unsure how you feel, I say take a chance and you just may end up loving it as much as I did!

Gena Showalter has seriously got it going on. She continues to amaze me with her ability to weave together amazing stories with such a huge and diverse cast of characters. When I saw she had published another book I jumped at the chance to get my greedy hands on it. Seriously, I am hooked on all things, Gena Showalter.

Now before I fully start this review let me start by saying that I have not read the full extent of the Lords of the Underworld series. I've read a few, but not all. I wanted to clarify since I have seen quite a few reviews that have some upset readers with who Gillian ends up with. SPOILERS: I was not dedicated to her being shipped with William so I wasn't upset when she ended up with Puck.

Now onto the story. Gilliam was given a potion to give her immortality by a friend and it almost killed her. Her best friend and man she loves William refuses to tie his life to hers to save her. Enter Puck who has been betrayed by his brother and cursed with the Demon Indifference. Puck receives news of the prophecy that he needs William and Gilliam to win back his kingdom. So, Puck gets Gilliam to marry and bond to him and saves her life.

I don't want to give the whole story away so I'll cut off my summary there.

I liked Puck and Gilliam, both separately and as a couple. After Puck has to leave for a couple Earth days and 500 years in his time I loved how Gilliam grew to be such a strong and sassy force of nature. She finally got the strength to do what she wanted and ultimately choose who she wanted. While I may get some crap for this, I totally agreed with Gilliam's decision not to choose William over Puck. I wouldn't have wanted anyone who had sex with literally anything that walked while "waiting for me." I couldn't have done it and I think that for her character it made sense. Puck never looked at or sought after anyone else after they met and I don't think that was just due to Indifference. Plus, Gilliam didn't put up with Puck's crap.

I really enjoyed this story. I'm excited to see what happens next. I loved the action parts of the story a lot. It wasn't just a romance story. I always love a well-balanced story that has character development, amazing characters, a unique-ish storyline, and enjoyable inner and outer dialogue. The Darkest Warrior has all of that. A definite must-read in my opinion. Also, I enjoy how you can read all of these as a stand-alone. While some character plots would be confusing, it doesn't set the stories back in any way. I think it simply makes me want to read the rest of the books.

3,5 Stars

OMG talk about highly anticipated reads. If you’ve been following the Lords of the Underworld series like me, for years, then you probably felt very anxious to finally get Gilly’s book. I confessed I was even a bit more anxious because the HEA wasn’t going to be William. I’ve literally been shipping those two for so long I didn’t know how to feel anything different. At the same time there was some relief about it because it’s so hard to get the perfect story when you are so excited for two people to get together. In the end, I feel like no matter the route Ms. Showalter took she would have some people upset about the result so I can totally appreciate the fact that she stuck to what she saw was a better ending for both Gilly and William even if that ending wasn’t together.

So let me tell you first what I thought about that decision. After reading this book, I completely see what she saw was better. At least in Gilly’s case. Puck stole the show. I literally didn’t think I could find him sexy, and then he was not only that but he was also fun and sweet. In so many ways, he really was the perfect match for Gilly and also the perfect partner. William, for all his protectiveness, wouldn’t have allowed Gilly the room to grow and Puck did that in ways he didn’t even anticipate. Was I happy with the HEA? It was everything I needed it to be. There’s so much chemistry between Gilly and Puck that you will be wondering how this wasn’t what you wanted from the very beginning.

Lets backtrack to Puck for a second. I really found him charming. I loved his humor, his single minded focus to do right for his kingdom, and the vulnerability that came from his more beastly form. He gave as good as he got, especially when he interacted with William and I loved those scenes! I think many will fall for him just like I did. And let’s not forget Puck has horns. It’s been too long since I’ve read a good horn job and this book delivered. 😉

One of my favorite things about this story is Gillian’s growth. There’s deep issues in her past that would prevent her from fully being with somebody and I was wondering how Ms. Showalter would navigate those and make me believe they would be ok. She was still so young when this book started. And then the solution came and it gave Gilly the ability to not only overcome those issues but thrive. She became a true warrior, mature and independent. I loved that!

I had a few minor hiccups that made this rating a little lower than I was expecting. First was the pacing. There were parts when I felt full steam ahead invested in the story and then others felt a bit flat and like I just wanted to move on to the next thing. And the second was William’s behavior. Ughhhh this pains me to say but I felt like he was portrayed in a way that was sure to grate on people’s nerves and I have to wonder if that was on purpose to make it more obvious that you would want Gilly to accept Puck and forget William because of his attitude. I know he’s never been mature but the level of bratty, childish, spoiled even behavior that we got from William made me think of a toddler and I didn’t think it was necessary to get to that in order to be in love with Puck.

THE DARKEST WARRIOR was witty and addictive! Another great installment in the Lords of the Underworld series and it continues to be one that I will read as long as the books keep coming. It never fails to give me plenty of sexy and fun times, packed full of good humor and a great storyline. If you haven’t read this yet, then you should totally rectify that.

Favorite quotes:

“May you rest in pieces.”

“Fun fact,” William had said. “I collect skulls. Pretty ones, ugly ones. Male, female. Young, old. Immortal, human. Those of my enemies and friends alike, and even a person I met in an elevator.”

Barbarian chick really made his horns pop.

Want to touch her skin. Would she burn him alive? What a way to go.
Want to kiss those plump red lips. Would she taste as sweet as sugar, as he suspected? Must know.
Did she have the power to make him come? Really must know.

Gena Showalter has done it again, writing a story that is fantastic and that made me want for it to never end.

The Darkest Warrior is the story of Puck and Gillian, a story that spans many centuries and many realms. And what a story it is! Puck is a very interesting choice for a hero. The host of Indifference, it was hard at first for me to see Puck as the perfect guy for Gillian. But the more I read the more I realized he wasn't unfeeling, he was feeling too much. Betrayed by his best friend, the brother who should have had his back no matter what, Puck is left alone in the world, at the mercy of the whims of his inner demon. And while at first it seems impossible for this immortal to finally find a happy ending, I realized early on in his scenes with Gillian that being possessed by this brutal demon was actually a blessing in disguise. Because it didn't just make him last centuries before meeting Gillian, it also made him the only guy who would set her on the path to become the warrior she later on became. I realize Puck had a really hard time during all those centuries, especially when his demon decided to punish him for feeling too much and he was left unable to protect himself, but it's the only way he truly managed to fulfill the prophecy intended for him, while ensuring his mate would grow to become the woman she needed to be for herself.

Gillian is a woman who went through a lot. Betrayed by the people who should have loved her and protected her, she was scared of her own shadow. Which was entirely understandable, given her story. Somewhere along the way she is forced to stop being a victim and become a survivor, one willing to help others avoid the horrors that she went through or to escape from them. Every immortal she knew before she met Puck, including the man she had a crush on, William, was determined to let her be the sheltered, hurt little girl who was scared of living. I loved seeing her fight for herself, at times going against everyone, including herself. She chose not just to survive, but to truly live, and I respected her for that.

The plot is really fast paced and full of drama, hot sexy times and intense moments. It's interesting how Showalter manages to inject insane amounts of hilarious bits into the most dramatic scenes. I caught myself chuckling more than a few times while reading this book. I really enjoyed the element of danger that came with having some of the most badass immortals all in one tiny space, all trying to help out Puck and Gillian on their quest, all trying to survive.

I also enjoyed the little scenes we got from Sin's point of view. Not only did we get a glimpse behind the curtain and I got to understand how far gone he was and why he was so far gone, but I also got to understand what drove him. And I found it really interesting when I realized exactly why he did what he did. I'm curious to see how his story will turn out, and how he will face everything that he has done.

The ending of The Darkest Warrior teased at some things that will come in the future book and I hope we get to see William get if not his happy ending, at least the promise of one in the near future.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I am definitely going to read the next one once it comes out. Before that happens though, I am going to binge-read this series from the beginning.

The Darkest Warrior is the story of Puck, who harbors the demon of indifference, and Gillian, a former human girl who was in love with William. Now, I have not read every book in this series, so I have not been as privy to the build up of the Gillian/William love story. This is important because this book ends that idea! For me, it didn't matter because I wasn't that invested in them as a couple (and what little I have gotten on William in previous stories, I was not really a fan of!).

Puck's brother has turned into a monster and is destroying their homeland. Puck knows he must fulfill the prophecy and kill Sin (his brother). In order to do that, he needs a wife (enter Gillian) and help from William. I loved Puck. He was so devoted to his brother (before indifference) and that bond was amazing. He put everything before Sin and then Sin betrayed him. Prior to indifference, Puck had imagined having one woman to love forever. It was kind of sweet! Once plagued by indifference, he not only had to suppress ANY emotions, he grew horns and hooves. He became unable to rid himself of the horns and hooves. He still had access to magic though.

Gillian had a miserable life. She was sexually abused by her stepfather (and others) until she ran away. She is about to turn 18 and wants to be with William. She loves him and is pretty sure he loves her. But, William has put Gillian firmly in the 'friend zone' and continued to sleep with other girls. Then, days before her 18th birthday, she gets sick and is on her death bed. Enter Puck, to save the day (and her life). This leads to serious changes in her life in many ways. I liked getting to see her come into her own. She needed to feel empowered and free. I actually wanted to see her away from William. I think she was much stronger and braver than she thought she was and used William as kind of a shield. I also think it was critical that she had all that time away from both Puck and William. She learned who she was and really grew up. She was only 18 at the start of the book-while she had had lots of horrible life events, she was still a young girl and not ready for the real world yet. I thought the way Showalter handled the plot to give Gillian some time to grow up was interesting and worked perfectly for the story.

As I said, having not invested in the entire series, I didn't have super strong feelings about Gillian and William being together. Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of William anyway, so I actually enjoyed that this book took them on different paths. I loved Puck and thought he was a very well written character. Showalter has a way of taking demons and making them relatable.

Okay so yes I was originally a little disappointed about the pairing as were a lot of readers, however I still wanted to give this story a chance and put my faith in the author's writing that I have come to love.

I am so glad I did, because I absolutely loved Puck and I thought he was great for Gillian. I thought the storyline was creative and I loved the interactions between the characters.

This world has definitely been a favorite of mine for quite some time and definitely one of my top paranormal series and I definitely can't wait to read more and to see what Gena brings us next because it always seems a surprise.

The Darkest Warrior
Gena Showalter

The Darkest Warrior #14 in Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series is a bit of a shocker, but refreshing. The love story of Puck the Satyr-like keeper of the demon Indifference and Gillian Shaw the girl William the Dark, adopted son of Hades rescued and who most fans thought would end up with, so readers get a love triangle too. The author’s putting Puck and Gillian together is understandably upsetting for some fans but give them a chance because they ROCK as a couple and watching Gillian mature from a frightened former abused tragic figure to a fierce, take-no-prisoners warrior woman is fantastic and there is no Lord more honorable than Puck plus their story is amazing so give them a chance to grow on you. The storyline closely follows the previous installment in the series but long time fans can skip around a bit without losing too much information, but newbies need to start from book one. It’s unexpected and un-put-downable and if readers will give them a chance they’ll see they really are the perfect match. Besides author bashing is not cool
SUMMARY:
Puck the keeper of the demon Indifference needs a wife, to fulfill a prophecy to regain the throne of Amaranthia and overthrow his brother who centuries ago betrayed him and forced him to a hellish eternity. Not any bride will do, he must have the woman/girl belonging to William the Dark but she must come to him willingly. He’ll need to learn to taper his surprisingly intense desire for her or she’ll bolt before the prophecy is fulfilled. Gillian Shaw was ready to celebrate her eighteenth birthday by seducing the immortal man who saved her from her abusive stepfather and stepbrothers, the man she loves with all her heart but still finds intimacy torturous. Instead she finds herself tossed down the rabbit hole with a half man half beast immortal demon-keeper who claims her for his wife. Strangely enough she’s not afraid of him, but there’s definitely others out there that she should fear.
I have noticed a disturbing amount of author bashing with this novel and that is so not cool. Authors put their heart and soul into their work and keeping fans on their toes with a bit of unpredictability is actually a good thing and if you truly didn't like the novel there are ways to say that without being hateful.

This was going to be a tough one for me. Everyone has read for YEARS how Gillian was in love with William. Prince of Hell no less, but beautiful and deadly. Gillian grew up with the biggest crush on our dark hero. But fate is fickle and another heroes creeps in to win her heart. Puck the Undefeated is trapped by the Oracle's fate to love and die by Gillian's side. But fighting fate, his future, and his family is a tough task even for an undefeated warlord.

Gillian is nearing 18 and has decided to put her foot down with William; lover her or leave her, it's about time she took hold of what she wanted. When a trick goes awry to turn her immortal, Gilly nears death and it seems there's nothing left to save her. Puck has spent eternity denying his brother Sin's betrayal. Fate has told that one of them would fall in love and destroy the other. But a new fate has arisen when the Oracles tell him that the small human Gilly can be bound to him and help him save his brother and his people from turmoil. An unbreakable bound is formed between them that leave Gilly stranded in Puck's world for hundreds of years. As she grows and trains to become her own warrior-ess, Puck attempts to resist the temptation of falling in love with is own wife.

I was leery of Puck, but ooooh lordy did he WIN ME OVER! I though maybe, JUST maybe William would finally see the light and stop being an idiot immortal. But no, I have officially switched teams! Puck, while alpha-male and domineering is downright sexy and sweet at the same time. He may be gruff and silent but he obviously cares for his little Gilly and I loved their interactions. Watching Gillian finally grow up was an experience. I loved her Shawazons and the women she built and supported alongside her in Puck's home realm. In true Showalter fashion this book is filled with amazing paranormal action and lore. I can't imagine the brains it takes to build such wonderfully curated worlds! Though the book could've been a tough sell for the Gilly/William fans, i think she did and amazing job pushing an alternative to Gilly's future. Can't wait for more!

✦Review & Excerpt: THE DARKEST WARRIOR (Lords of the Underworld) by Gena Showalter https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-aMP
Publication Date: June 26, 2018
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 5 Stars #TopFav2018

I loved this book! If you’re on the fence about reading this one because you wanted William and Gillian to end up together I’d recommend reading it. I think Gillian ended up with the right person and I can’t wait to see who William will end up with now. THE DARKEST WARRIOR is the fourteenth book in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series and features Puck, the keeper of indifference and Gillian. The storyline was unique and gave Gillian a chance to grow and become stronger. She became one of my favorite female characters in this series. William and Puck fight against and with each other in this book, I loved their antics and I still adore William, but Gillian and Puck were made for each other. I just loved their story. I recommend reading the series in order to fully enjoy the series storyline. I highly recommend this series for paranormal romance lovers. Gena Showalter always delivers a great love story.

*Review copy provided by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.

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Kindle http://amzn.to/2BQXRz8 | Amazon HBK http://amzn.to/2zrkCr4

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✿LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD SERIES BY GENA SHOWALTER✿
Amazon Series Link http://amzn.to/2yzQLQF
✦THE DARKEST FIRE (this is a bonus story and you don't have to read it to understand the series or the characters) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2yElhGz
✦THE DARKEST NIGHT - Maddox (Violence) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2iX58HF
✦THE DARKEST KISS - Lucien (Death) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2gVyKSC
✦THE DARKEST PLEASURE - Reyes (Pain) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2yzrlCC
✦THE DARKEST PRISON (Novella) - Atlas and Nike (another bonus story) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2xccs5b
✦THE DARKEST WHISPER - Sabin (Doubt) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2xW3MUY
✦THE DARKEST ANGEL - Lysander and Bianka ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2gXVBNz
✦INTO THE DARK - a compendium of The Darkest Fire and The Darkest Prison printed inside, plus the original The Darkest Facts ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2zseQFt
✦THE DARKEST PASSION - Aeron (Wrath) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2yyIGLW
✦THE DARKEST LIE - Gideon (Lies) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2xcwA7l
✦THE DARKEST SECRET - Amun (Secrets) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2gWHcRr
✦THE DARKEST SURRENDER - Strider (Defeat) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2gWhCw4
✦THE DARKEST SEDUCTION - Paris (Promiscuity) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2gWstpW
✦THE DARKEST CRAVING - Kane (Disaster) ➢ Kindle http://amzn.to/2xcNl2a
✦THE DARKEST TOUCH - Torin (Disease) ➢ Review 5 Stars http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-1Fm | Kindle http://amzn.to/2zqzWnO
✦THE DARKEST TORMENT - Baden (Distrust) ➢ Review 5 Stars http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-759 | Kindle http://amzn.to/2lH2Mxp
✦THE DARKEST PROMISE - Cameo (Misery) ➢ Review 5 Stars http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-90y | Kindle http://amzn.to/2rymHCb
✦THE DARKEST WARRIOR - Puck & Gillian ➢ Review 5 Stars https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-aMP | Kindle http://amzn.to/2BQXRz8
✦THE DARKEST CAPTIVE (1001 Dark Nights Novella) - Galen & Legion (Releasing 12/04/18) ➢ Kindle $2.99 http://amzn.to/2CZOY5E

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✿NEW SERIES ANNOUNCEMENT & PRE-ORDER✿
✦SHADOW AND ICE (Gods of War) by Gena Showalter (Releasing 10/23/18)
Kindle $6.99 http://amzn.to/2oJw52g
Amazon Paperback $7.99 http://amzn.to/2oI1Ska

The Darkest Warrior by Gena Showalter is book 14 in the Lords of the Underworld series. This is the story of Pukinn 'Puck' Neale Brion Connacht IV and Gillian Shaw. I have not yet read the books in this series, so for me this was a standalone book . Although this book makes me want to find every book in the series and start reading it.
Puck was a hardcore warrior out to protect his brother Sin and letting nothing come between them. Puck was also a one night only man to the women not wanting to encourage or start a marriage rumor. But the his brother betrayed him that set him off on a path to over take his brother. Then when Gillian enter into his life things started to change.
This was just a very exciting hot read! Loved it!

"The Darkest Warrior" begins with a battlefield betrayal of Puck by his brother Sin. After a prophecy where one brother would fall in love and then kill the other, both have avoided romantic love out of loyalty to the other. Everything changes when Sin tricks Puck into opening a box containing the demon Indifference who possesses him and punishes him for feeling any emotions. Since then, they have become enemies and Sin has been terrorizing Amaranthia. Another prophecy comes to light where Puck must wed William's woman in order to defeat Sin and retake the crown.

On her 18th birthday, Keeley gives Gillian a potion that would turn her immortal. However, Gilly is not yet strong enough and weakens, dying rather than becoming immortal. The only way to save her is to Bond with an immortal who is stronger. Fearing his curse, William is unwilling to do so. Puck, however, knows this is his chance. He will bond with Gilly and then convince William to help him defeat Sin when he will sever the bond to give her back to William.

However, once he meets and then bonds with Gillian, he finds it harder to imagine going back than he ever would have expected. During the time he leaves Gillian in Amaranthia and goes to find and make a bargain with William, Gillian spends 500 years remaking the kingdom and growing/strengthening herself. She is different than she was before that time- she has evolved into a person she admires and loves, something she couldn't have said before her time in Amaranthia. During those 500 years, she has also been unable to forget the goodbye kiss Puck gave her. Drawn together by lust and a common mission, they must forge ahead to save Amaranthia.

While I have read only a few of the previous books in this series, I have heard of the controversies in terms of the pairing presented from more loyal fans of the books. I can't comment on this too much, except to say that I agree with the revelations Gillian has about William and her personal growth/maturity that leads to the romantic changes in this book. The way Showalter presents it here flows well and makes a lot of sense to me- however, I was not at all emotionally invested in Gilliam from previous books. The attraction between Puck and Gillian heats up the pages, but nothing happens for a long while into the story- and after they get to know each other better.

Overall, it's an adventure story with some romance attached, and I enjoyed it throughout, all the way to the great ending. There aren't so many steamy scenes, but the sexual tension really built up throughout the book. I really liked the slow build and the action/adventure that keeps the plot moving quickly.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This story wasn’t for me, a too complexed storyline. I like to relax when I read, I found I was always having to go back and forth to keep my story straight. It was a good story on the whole, Puck is an ingenious character, and Gilly his perfect mate.

Even though Gillian means to be fierce, Puck just finds it adorable, “you better mean those words. The prince of Fiáin lied to me a few months ago, and he’s just now learning to walk again.” His wee little wife had immobilized a warrior who’d trained for battle for eons? Puck almost laughed." There are times Puck means business, “I’m going to tend to her wounds. Anyone tries to stop me, they die.” Puck is a possessive one, "Puck was on his feet and punting William in the stomach. His grip on her never slipped. “Only ever mine. Never yours.” I liked this book, I loved Peck.

After what seemed like years of build up, readers of the Lords of the Underworld series were in for quite a shock when they came to find out that fan favorites Gillian and William were in fact not meant to be in The Darkest Torment. I got to be honest I was a bit disappointed at first and did not like Puck one bit from what I knew of him in The Darkest Torment ( and let's be honest I wasn't sure how the sex thing would work with a half man half goat) But boy did that change with The Darkest Warrior.

The Darkest Warrior start's  out from Puck's point of view and a little bit before Gillian and him bonded in The Darkest Torment. Gena does note that some thing's may have changed just so there could be more clarity in the storytelling.

After Puck is horribly betrayed by his brother he becomes the keeper of indifference. It was foretold by Oracles that the only way to beat his brother and take the crown was to take William the Dark's woman to force William to do battle with Puck's brother.

Gillian find's herself in a bit of a situation after being given a drink to turn her into an immortal. Gillian isn't strong enough to turn into an immortal herself and will die if nobody bond's themselves to her. It's not that easy though. By bonding herself with someone they will be tied together for life. If one get's injured the other will experience the same injury. If one dies the other dies as well.

Puck see's this as his chance to strike. After all he doesn't care and he has the only thing will be able to separate them after he achieves his goal. What Puck doesn't expect out of the bonding is to be able to feel without being punished by indifference; However after centuries of not feeling, emotions prove to be to intense to him, especially ones that he feels for Gillian.

Leaving Gillian in the care of the closest thing he has to friends, Cameron and Winter  in his home realm of Amaranthia, Puck set's off to go fetch William and bring him back. Time travels differently between both realms, what is a week or two in the human realm turns out to be centuries in Amaranthia.

When Puck left, Gillian was a sweet, innocent, and damaged eighteen year old girl. When Puck comes back he expects to still see the same girl. Boy is he in for a surprise! Instead what awaits him is this Warrior Queen fighting for what's right and making sure that what happened to her never happen's to any other woman or child ever again.

This rag-tag team embark's on a journey to get Puck's crown back, but it's not without its challenges and trials and tribulations.

This book takes us reader's on a great adventure. I loved the interaction between William and Puck, and what turned from a potential romantic connection developed into a wonderful friendship between William and Gillian. The banter between William and Puck was absolutely hilarious and completely unique to a Gena Showalter book. I was unsure of how Gena would handle Gillian's unease about intimacy but I thought she handled it perfectly with the underlying theme that time heal's all wounds.

Gena gave fan's of the LOTU another hit of her crazy, funny, addictive, steamy (did I mention funny?!) universe! I highly recommend you go out and buy it!