Meet the Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter

I’ve recently started a new series: The Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter and I have fallen…hard for them! I can’t put the books down and I’m already at book 3 in the series.

Before I start the reviews going, here is a little intro to each warrior and the series.

As we saw in the prequel – The Darkest Fire (see my review here) – Kadence, the goddess of Oppression was killed in her quest to keep several demons from escaping hell. She had great powers – one of them being able to control demons (which she learned too late to use).

After Kadence’s death, the gods (Zeus, etc.) fashioned a box with her bones in which they entrapped all the escaped demons. The gods had several immortal warriors they created and entrusted the box to their fiercest female warrior – Pandora.

Maddox and his fellow immortal warriors were outraged Pandora had been chosen over them. They set out to take the box from her and open it, proving to the gods that Pandora was a inadequate guardian of a such an important artifact.

However, when Pandora’s box was opened, the demons inside – Wrath, Violence, Death, Promiscuity, Pain, Disease, Doubt, Lies, Misery, Secrets, Defeat, and Disaster – inhabited the surrounding immortal warriors, marking their bodies with a butterfly tattoo wherever they entered the warrior.

Maddox, who was overtaken by Violence, kills Pandora. The gods contain the situation, and as punishment, entrap the demons inside the warriors for all eternity, marking them as Lords of the Underworld (LOTU). Though they are immortal, the LOTU can be killed and if this comes to pass, the demons inside them will be free to roam the earth and cause havoc under their namesake.

The books deal with the daily battle the LOTU undertake to control their inner demons and how they avoid capture by an organization that is dead set on their annihilation – The Hunters. Each book deals with a warrior meeting their mate, and how they all must come together and defeat the new management who have overtaken the gods.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lziib9B4ma1r4pxxto1_1280.jpg

 

Here is a list of the Lords of the Underworld: (information taken from The Darkest Facts book):

 

 

Maddox (Demon: Violence)
Height: 6'4''
Hair: Black
Eyes: Violet ( Note: eyes glow red when angry)
Butterfly tattoo: Upper left shoulder, wrapping around to his back

Other distinguishing marks: Demon's skeletal face becomes visible through subject's skin when subject is angered.

Notable background: Curse resulting from Pandora's slaying caused the subject to be killed each night and resurrected each day for centuries. Subject still erupts into fits of violence and should be presumed volatile and highly dangerous.

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/170/e/5/maddox_by_smvgrey-d3jdkuh.jpg

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Lucien (Demon: Death)
Height: 6'6''
Hair: Black, shoulder-length
Eyes: Mismatched--one brown (normal eye) and one blue (believed to allow subject to see into the spiritual world)
Butterfly tattoo: Upper left shoulder, front of chest

Other distinguishing marks: Face and body are covered in scars. Subject emits an odor of roses presumed to be linked to his demon.

Notable background: Subject is believed to have disfigured his own face and body centuries ago in a fit of rage, indicating an unstable temperament and a harmful nature. Subject can travel outside his body and has been known to transport himself from one location to the next faster than the eye can see, making him a unique threat.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e222/giirlnextdoor/LOTU/Lucien2.jpg

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Reyes (Demon: Pain)
Height: 6'5''
Hair: Dark brown
Eyes: Brown
Butterfly tattoo: Chest and neck

Other distinguishing marks: Deeply tanned skin; frequently sports scabs caused by self-mutilation

Notable background: Subject has been witnessed going to excruciating lengths to cause himself pain. Jumping off rooftops and cutting his flesh are among his pastimes.

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Paris (Demon: Promiscuity)
Height: 6'8''
Hair: Varying shades of brown and black
Eyes: Blue
Butterfly tattoo: Lower back

Other distinguishing marks: Subject is widely regarded as the most physically appealing of all the Lords.

Notable background: Subject weakens without frequent physical release and cannot have sexual relations with the same woman twice. Subject has been known to seek out male partners as a last resort if no women are available, though he does not appear to enjoy such forays.

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Aeron (Demon: Wrath)
Height: 6'6''
Hair: Military-cropped, brown
Eyes: Violet
Butterfly tattoo: Middle of back

Other distinguishing marks: A pair of black gossamer wings hidden by slits in his back when not in use. Face and body are covered with tattoos of war scenes, weaponry and the demon's victims. Two eyebrow rings.

Demon culpability: Wrath ostensibly preys only on victims it considers deserving of punishment.

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Torin (Demon: Disease)
Height: 6'5''
Hair: White, shoulder-length
Eyes: Green
Butterfly tattoo: Stomach

Other distinguishing marks: Always wears long black gloves

Notable background: Subject is unable to touch another living being skin-to-skin without infecting it with disease; subject wears protective clothing at all times and maintains his distance from others to prevent such an occurrence.

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxrfgdKbXn1r4pxxto1_500.jpg

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Sabin (Demon: Doubt)
Height: 6'7''
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Gold-brown
Butterfly tattoo: Right ribcage and waist

Other distinguishing marks: Wears a necklace believed to be a gift to him from his deceased friend, Baden, demon of Distrust, the Hunters' first victim.

Demon culpability: The vilest of all demons whispers insecurities into the ears of anyone within reach and causes crippling, at times life-threatening self-doubt.

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Gideon (Demon: Lies)
Height: 6'3''
Hair: Dyed Blue
Eyes: Blue, kohl-rimmed
Butterfly tattoo: Right thigh

Other distinguishing marks: Multiple piercings and general Goth appearance

Notable background: Subject is unable to tell the truth without
experiencing terrible pain. {So everything he says has the opposite meaning}

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Cameo (Demon: Misery)
Height: 5'7''
Hair: Long, black
Eyes: Silver
Butterfly tattoo: Lower back, wings spreading around to both hips

Other distinguishing marks: Her voice is enough to make you want to kill yourself. Earplugs are needed when around her.

Notable background: Subject causes profound emotional anguish in everyone around her. Additionally, subject was, until recently, believed to be the lone female Lord of the Underworld. New events suggest that additional female Lords might in fact exist.

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Amun (Demon: Secrets)
Height: 6'6''
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Butterfly tattoo: Right calf

Other distinguishing marks: Dark skin

Notable background: Subject is unable to speak without the secrets of the world pouring out of his mouth. Also of note, when he speaks, you hear the voice of the person whose secret he is revealing.

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Strider (Demon: Defeat)
Height: 6'5''
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Butterfly tattoo: Left hip

Demon culpability: The demon of Defeat is determined to win at all costs and will do whatever it takes to ensure victory.

Notable background: Subject cannot lose an argument or battle without succumbing to intense physical agony and prolonged sleep.

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Kane (Demon: Disaster)
Height: 6'4''
Hair: Mixture of brown, black and gold
Eyes: Hazel
Butterfly tattoo: Right hip

Notable background: Subject is unable to move without causing ceilings to collapse, vehicles to explode and other assorted catastrophes to occur. Miraculously and despicably, subject seems to escape injury from such incidents, but those around him are less fortunate.

 

 

 

 

What I’m Enjoying:
I’m loving this series and can’t wait to continue reading. I’m currently on Book 3: The Darkest Pleasure and so far the story reads as a continuing storyline – and not one in which we see one couple per book and they are never seen in the series again.

I’m enjoying that the author doesn’t single out one person from the organization pursuing the LOTU and subjects us to an ENDLESS AMOUNT of background on how they came to join and why they are evil *rolls eyes* only to have them die at the end of the book, and then we are subjected to ANOTHER ‘similar’ background for the next villain who takes command.

My Expectations:
I’m really hoping the story continues the way it’s going now, and we still get to see all the characters we’ve come to know and love – otherwise I will die a little inside *sad panda* if there is an endless stream of new characters.

Now that you know the backstory of the LOTU, get ready for my book reviews – coming soon! Here is a fan-made book trailer of the series. Enjoy!