The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter-Review and Pre Order Campaign
The Darkest Touch
Lords of the Underworld #11
by Gena Showalter
Genre: adult, paranormal, romance
Release Date: November 5, 2014
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 5, 2014
From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes the long-awaited story of Torin, the most dangerous Lord of the Underworld yet…
Fierce immortal warrior. Host to the demon of Disease. Torin’s every touch causes sickness and death—and a worldwide plague. Carnal pleasure is utterly forbidden, and though he has always overcome temptation with an iron will, his control is about to shatter.
She is Keeley Cael. The Red Queen. When the powerful beauty with shocking vulnerabilities escapes from a centuries-long imprisonment, the desire that simmers between her and Torin is scorching. His touch could mean the end for her, but resisting her is the hardest battle he’s ever fought—and the only battle he fears he can’t win.
REVIEW:
The Darkest Touch starts out with Torin trapped in a cell in another realm with Mary. As we learned in the last LoTU novel, Mary had struck some kind of deal with Cronus and had agreed to go to Torin periodically, in exchange for another prisoner’s freedom. The problem with that? Sweet Mary had no idea what a liar and manipulator Cronus was. And it cost her dearly. Torin was devastated that his demon, Disease, caused Mary’s demise. But, what Torin didn’t count on was a fellow prisoner’s reaction to the death. Enter Keeley, The Red Queen and one of the strongest and most powerful beings in any realm, ever. Unbeknownst to Torin, Mary was Keeley’s bff and had helped to sooth Keeley during her long incarceration. Once Mary was dead, The Red Queen swore vengeance on Torin. Only Torin was able to escape his cell, and Keeley wasn’t. At that same time anyway.
Once Keeley manages to escape her cell, she sets out to track down Torin so that she can exact her revenge. But, as things start playing out in their current realm, she starts to see that Torin really does grieve Mary’s loss and that maybe there is more to him than she initially thought. Add to that the creatures that are stalking the both of them and they decide pretty quickly that maybe they should rely on each other to make it through this realm and the next several that they have to cross to get home. Then, what do you know? They become attracted to each other! But, can Torin, the keeper of the demon of Disease, really put himself out there and risk sickening Keeley, even though she’s totally on board? Or, will he shut her out and never experience the one thing he’s always craved? Can she truly survive the darkest touch?
To say there was a lot going on in this book would be a gross understatement. It starts with Cameo and Viola still missing after being sucked into the Paring Rod. Cameo is actually stuck in a realm with Lazarus, whom a harpy killed in a previous book. William, the Ever Randy, is still mourning the loss of one of his “kids” and still as intense as ever with Gilly. Once word gets out that the Red Queen is “out and about”, all kinds of crazies come out of the woodworks. The Unspoken Ones show up. Hades…..Lucifer…….and, yes, even Galen…… Like I said, a lot going on. A lot of surprising things that are set in motion to play out over the next several books surprised me a little, but totally works.
I’ve been anxiously awaiting Torin’s book. Out of all of the warriors, he’s been my favorite. Never being allowed to touch anyone, being totally alone. Yes, he has his friends, but even they can’t touch him. No high fives, no bro hugs, nothing………………. So, I knew that his mate would have to be someone powerful. And, boy is she! She goes to bat for him like no other ever has. And what she endures will melt your heart. He never thought he’d find someone to love him like she does, but he got waaaay lucky with her! I think that they are perfect for each other. We also get to see all of the other Lords and their crazy, co-dependent mates. There’s even a girl’s night out with a certain minor goddess of Anarchy, a harpy or two and a few others. Even though it was a bit long (496 pages), I looooved the book and can’t wait for the next!! Well done Gena Showalter, very well done!!
Reviewed by Vickie M.
Copy supplied by the publisher
“Temper much?” she quipped.
His relief was palpable. She hadn’t forgotten him! But the relief was quickly replaced by concern. “Are you all right? Did someone hit you?”
She blinked with confusion. “No. Why?” “Your lips are swollen.”
She rubbed them, color heating her cheeks. “Someone didn’t hit me, but someone sure did hit on me.”
Hit on her. As in kissed her.
Already on edge, Torin. Utterly. Erupted.
He forgot everything he’d planned to do and say and got in Keeley’s face, snarling, “Who was it?”
Her eyes widened. “Hades. Why?”
“You dare ask why? You belong to me! We agreed. You do not kiss other men, Keeley. Ever. Have you for- gotten my rules?”
Her jaw dropped, and she gasped out a few unintelligible words as if she couldn’t quite figure out what to say to him.
He stood in place, breathing too quickly, too heavily, his throat and lungs burning. He reached for her, but as so many times before, fisted his hands and dropped them just before contact. This is crazy. I’m crazy. I have to leave.
“Are you…thinking about touching me?” she asked, her eyes widening again.
No, she had to leave. He could not be in public right now. “Go shopping. Buy yourself something pretty. My treat.” He basically tossed his credit card at her. He should be calm by the time she finished. “Come back in an hour. Maybe two. Actually, we’ll reconvene to- morrow.”
“You are,” she said. “You’re thinking… Even craving me. You don’t like the thought of another man’s hands on me, and you want to replace the memory with your hands.”
That. Yes. Hades would die, and Torin…Torin would touch this woman and never stop.
He gnashed his molars. “Last chance, Keeley. I sug- gest you take it and leave.” Soon. His control was almost completely shredded.
“No way. You’re the big bad warrior, yet I’ve had to come on to you time and time again. I’ve had to battle within myself—worth the price or not worth it. Well, it’s your turn.”
“There is no damn way you just suggested I haven’t done the same. I’ve battled.”
“When have you ever caved without prompting from me? You’ve resisted me so easily, always walking away. Sure, you’ve snarled while you’ve done the walking, but still you left me behind. So, tell me. When did you ever—”
“So easily?” he roared. Had she just said so easily? She had no clue about the intensity of his need—but he would teach her better.
Torin cupped her by the nape, yanked her close and smashed his mouth against hers. The kiss was a brutal assault meant to silence her, to dominate and possess. He held her still, making her take it, take everything. But the moment she softened against him, welcomed him inside her mouth, the darkness churning inside him switched gears. From the need to punish and master to the need to seduce and please.
This was Keeley. His princess. She deserved his best. He gentled the pressure, rolling his tongue inside her mouth, learning her all over again, tasting her. Summer berries and melted honey. So sweet. And mine. All mine. He framed her cheeks, angled her head and rolled his tongue just a little deeper. This time, she met him with
a roll of her own.
That was his undoing.
-Do you find that you relate to any of your characters? Or are they inspired by someone else in your life?
I think there are bits and pieces of the people I love in all my characters—except the truly awful characters, of course.(Kind of felt like I had to add that last part orI’d run the risk of being mobbed. Because you know, everyone I love is super nice. Always.)
-What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background) did you encounter writing the series (or THE DARKEST TOUCH) in particular?
Because Torin is possessed by the demon of Disease, he is unable to touch a lover skin-to-skin without killing her and kicking off a worldwide plague. In a romance novel, the hero touching his heroine is maybe kinda sorta a wee bit imperative LOL. And I didn’t want to compromise and make Keeley the only woman in the world immune to the warrior’s demon. I saw a clear cut path to happily ever after for the pair and while it was fraught with turmoil and hardship, the light at the end never stopped shining.
THE DARKEST TOUCH pre-order campaign
About :
If the publisher reaches 15,000 pre-order for The Darkest Touch before the November 25th release date, Gena Showalter will:
-Post a never before seen excerpt from The Darkest Touch
-select one winner for a Swarovksi Two-Tone Crystal Butterfly Pendant
Necklace
-select winners for 1 of 10 signed posters of the Darkest Touch cover,
just in time for Christmas.
(prize winners announced on her website for 10,000 goal already reached!)
To enter The Darkest Touch Pre-Order Campaign, visit
http://members.genashowalter.com/page/the-darkest-touch for details.
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Gena Showalter is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author whose books have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazines, as well as Entertainment Weekly. Her novel Red Handed has been optioned by Sony Television. Critics have called her books “sizzling page-turners” and “utterly spellbinding stories,” while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise.” Her mix of humor, danger and wickedly hot sex provides wildly sensual page-turners sure to enthrall.
