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| The Darkest Night (Thorndike Press Large Print Romance Series) | 
 enlarge | Author: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Category: Book
Buy New: $30.95
New (14) Used (3) from $30.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  92 reviews
Sales Rank: 2396453
Format: Large Print
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Lrg
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 529
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.5 x 1.1
ISBN: 1410409155
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9781410409157
ASIN: 1410409155
Publication Date: August 20, 2008
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Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member—a man trapped in a hell of his own.Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments…and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction—and a soul-shattering test of love….
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| Customer Reviews: Read 87 more reviews...
 The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter December 4, 2008
I'm gonna avoid comparisons to all the other popular dark paranormal romance book series that revolve around groups/families/packs/clans/covens of cursed/tortured/hunted supernatural men. Yes, this is that type of series. There are unavoidable similarities. But there are also lots of differences that make this series unique and refreshing.
The mythology in this book is really cool. It's based on the Greek myth of Pandora's box. When the box was opened, the demons came out and possessed a group of immortal warriors. Each warrior was cursed with his own demon. Maddox happens to be cursed with the spirit of Violence. He also carries an even more terrible curse.
Ashlyn hears voices from the past and present. She works for an agency that studies paranormal beings, and they send her to Budapest for research. While she's there, she decides to seek help from the group of strange beings in the secluded fortress. She meets Maddox first and realizes that he has a strange effect on her "gift". Together they discover some interesting secrets and fight some bad guys. Along the way, they fall in love.
A lot of paranormal romance series are drifting further from romance territory and closer to urban fantasy territory. That is not the case with this book. The Darkest Night is definitely a true paranormal romance. It's dark and action packed and there are several side threads involving the other warriors, but there's no question that the relationship between Maddox and Ashlyn takes center stage. I've really missed that!
The supporting characters in this book are every bit as interesting as the two protagonists, but they never hijack the story. I'm tired of first books that act as advertisements for the rest of the series, but this book isn't like that at all. Gena Showalter somehow managed to make me interested in the rest of the series without taking away from Maddox and Ashlyn's HEA at all.
Maddox is a great hero. He's been through some awful things, but he's not a martyr. There's none of this "boo hoo, I'm so unworthy" stuff that we see in so many other books with tortured heroes. He's obviously a loving, gentle, and kind person. He just happens to be possessed with the spirit of Violence. It's very clear that he and his demon are two separate entities, and most of the time he has a pretty good handle on that. He remains accountable for his actions and never whines about being at the mercy of his beast. I love that about him.
I only have two very minor complaints about this book: First, I would've liked to see a little deeper into the characters of Maddox and Ashlyn. There were times when I felt like a bit of an outsider. They're not flat or one-dimensional at all, just a little underdeveloped for my taste. I'd have liked more background and more insights into what made them tick. Second, the mythological and historical explanations at the beginning of the book are somewhat confusing and I felt like I had missed something. But, like I said, those are very minor complaints.
The Darkest Night was a very satisfying read and I strongly recommend it to paranormal romance fans.
Ashlyn and Maddox December 1, 2008
Ashlyn has been tormented all her life by hearing past conversations. Since she was five she has lived and worked for a paranormal network that appears to want to aid otherworldly beings. On her work trip to Budapest she hears a conversation about men that contain magical powers. Hoping they may be able to help her control the voices she travels to their supposed lair to seek their assistance.
Maddox, and his group of friends, are immortal roman warriors that have been cursed by the gods for releasing the demons in Pandora's box and then slaying Pandora herself. Their punishment is possession by a demon and Maddox's demon is Violence, and there is no control when the demon wants to wreak havoc.
As there has always been mystical creatures there are always groups of humans wanting to capture or kill them, so when Maddox realizes there is a human near his home he goes on the hunt. When he encounters Ashlyn her pleas for help stir something deep inside him, and his demon insists that she belongs to them. Can Maddox and Violence learn to coexist for the only woman to ever accept them both?
***I thought this book was a great start to a new and exciting series. The author paints a vivid picture of the world she has created with many unique characters. I do feel that at times there was too much going on in the story, almost as if Gena was trying to cram every single aspect of Maddox's world into this first story. I believe she would have done better to focus more on Maddox and Ashlyn, more of their world could have been revealed in the books to come. Despite this fact I do recommend this book and I am looking forward to the next in this series.
The Darkest Night November 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really liked The Darkest Night. Gena Showalter's writing keeps you hooked and the characters are likeable and interesting.
The plot is interesting and the story is well written. I am interested in the other books in this series and will be reading them as well.
Good Paranormal Romance October 30, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have to say that at first I say the cover and thought that it would be just a cheesy romance novel, the kind I don't read. After looking at it for a while, I picked it up and read the back. Sounded interesting, girl with problem of hearing voices in her head meets guy with demons of his own. OK, I'll give it a try.
Ashlyn has the ability to hear conversations from the past in whatever area they took place in if she is in that area. Maddox is an ancient warrior that opened Pandora's box and for his punishment, he has to carry around one of the demons from the box. Ashlyn learns of monks that may be able to help her so she goes and hunts down Maddox and the other warriors. In the mean time, the group that has set out to destroy all of the immortals is hunting them down and trying to find Pandora's Box, which disappeared after it was opened.
It is a good read. The story flowed really well and made sense in that paranormal way. I would recommend it to anyone that like this type of book and say "Don't let the cover stop you from reading it."
RHe Darkest Night October 13, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I loved this book, it kept me going. I started on a friday and finished on sunday. I just could not put it down. If it were not for the need of sleep and my nephews I would have finished it saturday.
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