Review: Dark Beginnings by Gena Showalter

Dark Beginnings

by Gena Showalter

(Lords of the Underworld # 0.5, 3.5 & 4.5)

Paranormal Romance
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The Darkest Fire  LOTU # 0.5

3 Feathers

Bringing you back to where it all started in a way. However the Demon Lords as we now know them are really not in this story. This is the story of Geryon, Guardian of the Gates of Hell, and Kadence, Goddess of Oppression.

He is not beautiful, how could a true beauty like Kadence want to even look at him. He feels like this from page one. Always beneath everyone, considered as low as a dog. With his almost demon-like appearance he can only watch the Goddess from afar, and dream.

Kadence has also her own cross to bear. She is tied directly to the Wall that keeps the demons inside. She cannot go far from it or the wall weakens. But what of her own weakness? How could she resist the tender soul in Geryon?

The Beauty falls in love with the Beast. This story is short, quite steamy, but will give you no more information on the LOTU storyline.

The Darkest Prison  LOTU # 3.5

4 Feathers

This was a very entertaining story in the LOTU world. Even though we get a glimpse of Reyes and Danika at the beginning, it is only to give us an insight into what is happening in Cronus's side.

Atlas was held captive many years ago, and had tried to seduce all female guards to get someone to release him. Except even then, one of them had been special to him. It wasn't the prettiest girl of the bunch, no, it was Nike, with all her strength, and the way she made him feel. Except before she went against her people and released him, she found out about his other relations with other guards, and thought she was just a means to an end to him. Of course she should've known better. Why would a beautiful man like him want a woman like her. And to punish him, she carved her name on his back.

Now, years later, the positions are reversed, Nike is the slave in the cell, and Atlas wants revenged, he wants to see his name on her skin, but he didn't expect to feel possessive of her, he didn't expect that he would want no other man near her, touching her. She was his. But what future could they have together?

Sienna and Cronus make a small appearance as well, and the Lords are briefly mentioned, but other than that, this novel has nothing to do with the Lords and their continuing storyline. However it was a very entertaining short read.

The Darkest Angel  LOTU # 4.5

5 Feathers

This was the only story in this book that is directly related to the Lords and/or characters from the LOTU books.

The harpies are my favorite females in this series, well with the exception of Anya, of course. The Darkest Angel is the story of how Bianka and Lysander got together. We've known from the books they are a couple, but how did a harpy manage to get with an Angel?

I think these two could've gotten their own book, they were certainly amazing together and I would've loved to see their relationship more developed. But what we got was full of humor, tensions, battles of will and naughtiness.

Lysander wants to convert Bianka from her evil and impure ways. So he decides he will kidnap her and bring her to his home, in a cloud, keep her there, and teach her how to be good. Not counting on the fact that he wants her too much, and he can't help it if she affects him in ways he doesn't even understand. What are these feelings? How can he deal with them? Well, maybe he shouldn't. And he leaves her alone in his house for long periods at a time.

This just makes Bianka furious. Doesn't he know that a harpy can't even eat or drink unless she steals! There's nothing for her to steal, how is she going to survive? And why is her traitorous body warming at the mere sight of the Angel.

Funny, yes. Cute and romantic, yes. HOT, absolutely. And ... totally memorable. Let's just say if you've ever though about Paris half naked in a mud fight with another hot half naked guy, then you have to read this story!

Favorite Quotes:

"Would you rather be a bridesmaid or be hit by a bus?"
"The bus. No question. That, I'd recover from."
"Agreed."

"Her motto: if it's unethical and illegal and you've got the cash, I'm your girl."