From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a new story in her Lords of the Underworld series¿Fox is a demon-possessed immortal with many talents.–Ability to open portals-check–Power to kill the most dangerous Sent Ones-check–Scare away any man who might want to date her-mateNow, the keeper of Distrust has been marked for death, a winged assassin with … rainbow-colored eyes tracking her every move, determined to avenge the males she accidentally decimated. If only she could control the desire to rip off his clothes¿Bjorn is a fierce warrior with many complications.–Tragic, torture-filled past-check–A wife he was forced to wed, who is draining his life force-check–Ever-intensifying desire for the enigmatic Fox-mateNever has he hesitated to exterminate an evil being. Until now. The sharp-tongued female with a shockingly vulnerable heart tempts him in ways no one else ever has, threatening his iron control.But, as Fate itself seems to conspire against the unlikely pair, both old and new enemies emerge. And Fox and Bjorn must fight to survive. And learn to love¿Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.
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Sadly, I’m behind on Gena’s novels, so I was hoping that when I read this I wouldn’t be lost. Good news! I wasn’t lost at all! Gena masterfully dropped me back into her amazing world, and all I had to do was hold on for the ride. Fox and Bjorn were wonderful characters — funny, strong, and HOT! Get this book!
Loved it!!!! I have wanted to know all about sent one and hot as f##k Bjorn since first reading about him in the angels of the dark series!!! We finally know his story and who’s been pulling his strings and litterly been sucking the life out of him. And bad girl and kick ass Fox is back!!! Living with the demon distrust has been no picnic and when she kills 10 sent ones bjorn is sent to kill her. But the attraction is instant and their be no turning back.
I love this little bad ass and was so happy that gena picked someone like bjorn to be her mate! They have unbelievable hot chemistry and when the gloves come off and desire takes the wheel it’s a steamy and sexy romp that has the bed a rocking!!! I never get tired of this series!! Gena showalter is a hell of a writer and the Lord’s of the underworld is a fabulous series!!! Until next time Luv’s
My issue with paranormal romance (PR) is that every time I choose to read it, I have to take a leap of faith. Why? Because, nowadays, the definition, rules, and characteristics of this sub-genre are no longer respected or even clear. There is a real BIG risk to find erotica, or at least an erotic romance story instead of a PR or, hell, even instead of urban fantasy! Yes, the carnal aspects are somehow (more or less, depending on whom you’ll ask) linked with the PR but they should not be the main dish. In PR, the romance plot should be strongly intertwined with the “action” plot. The explicit scenes could be forgotten, what we need is the (intense) passion and tension build on the paranormal circumstances in which the love relation starts, develops and fulfills.
Gena Showalter (I should check if Show-alter is a pen name or just a good coincidence) successfully put together a PR where the romance line is influenced and influences the paranormal happenings which are to be distinguished between the general and specific. The intrigue is developed well, on different levels, and the pace is alert. The main characters, both strong, are treated fairly and equally. There are no empty politically correct declarations or exaggerations confusing an independent, emancipated woman with a woman with loose or no morals and putting the man on an inferior position.
A major plus for the author is the way she introduced the erotic scenes in the story. “Unfortunately” for me, in The Darkest Assassin, I couldn’t skip (all) those scenes anymore… because I would have missed some information necessary for what is to come (ahem.. no pun intended… ) or at least some of the fun moments that give the whole a better flavor.
To fully enjoy the story, we should read the rest of the series. These being said, the new reader of the Lords of the Underworld will still found out that, with The Darkest Assassin, they hit a jackpot and will put the series on his/her shortest TBR list. An easy thing to do when it is a given that Gena Showalter is a PR safe choice.
Enjoy!
Now THIS is why I fell in love with Showalter and her Lords of the Underworld. This story might be short but it has all the emotion and action of a full length novel. I loved the push and pull between Bjorn and Fox from the get go. The will they won’t they was deliciously entertaining. The couple has a LOT to deal with in their few pages. Everything from him being sent to kill her to an evil ex literally sucking out his soul to a face-changing King of Hell thats hell-bent on destroying them all. It was fun and sexy and dark and dirty and I loved it. Here’s hoping Showalter gives us more more more.
Fox and Bjorn!!!
I absolutely love how the author has brought two fantastic series into one.
Bjorn in a sent one… Fox an assassin normally of bad but with Distrust now residing inside her things have gone totally off the charts and now she must face trial for her doings.
However, Bjorn doesn’t know if he can do it?
Fast-paced, action-packed, wonderful characters… Can’t wait to see who is next…
Favorite Quote:
I’m in bed with Bjorn.
I’m in bed with Bjorn, and we’re cuddling. Naked?
Bjorn, one of the Sent Ones, the One True Dread, was tasked with executing the killer who took out ten of his brethren. Fox the Executioner knew she deserved some sort of punishment for what she had done. She also believed that she should have been shown some lenience or understanding because she didn’t want to kill those warriors – it wasn’t her fault that the demon who possessed her, Distrust, went a little (a lot) nuts. Their initial meeting didn’t go as planned… she’s naked, he can’t look away from any part of her, and they’re both distracted. It made for some crazy hot reading!!
Fox always relied on money and material things because those things would never let her down. They can’t hurt her. Reality TV gives her life and her one true connection was Galen, the man who took her in when she had no one. And then Bjorn burst into her life, quickly becoming her everything, even if he planned to kill her. He was a warrior of honor, he had two best friends who were like brothers to him, and he was caught in an untenable situation he didn’t know how to get out of. Forced to wed a woman he despised, he couldn’t help but hunger for the one woman who was the exact opposite of everything he thought he wanted and yet was everything he needed.
“I’m not afraid of the dark, I am the dark.” – Bjorn
“The best way to navigate the dark? With a sword.” – Fox
Amidst the action and the underlying theme of war, a beautiful love story developed. Bjorn and Fox didn’t have many reasons to trust each other and they fought their instincts hard every step of the way, denying their feelings and causing each other pain, but somehow they were able to connect in ways no one expected. They had each lived a hard life, with painful and heartwrenching pasts, and wanted more. I loved how they were the perfect complement for each other. I loved that they didn’t take things lying down or allow the other to walk all over them. Fox was just as fierce as Bjorn and I loved how the author showed how much these characters appreciated and admired the qualities they found in the other. I found it impossible not to fall in love with these people and their story and how their love may not have come easily, but it was most definitely worthwhile.
Reading The Darkest Assassin was such an incredible experience! Bjorn and Fox shared the intense chemistry we all come to anticipate in an enemies-to-lovers story and it was beyond delicious! They were engaged in a dance of death and it was hypnotic, enchanting, and lethal. I think one of the best things about this story was the fact that I had already read Baden’s story, where he was the original holder of the demon, Distrust, and I got the chance to compare his horrific journey with the one Fox had to face. At least she hasn’t gone crazy yet, determined to die in order to escape her fate. If you want to know more about Baden, check out The Darkest Torment. As for Bjorn and Fox, their story was absolutely perfect for paranormal romance readers everywhere!
I didn’t feel as though I knew Fox very well before this story. To me, she was super peripheral until the last book, The Darkest Captive, where we got to see Baden and Legion get their HEA. I mean, until quite recently Fox was considered a “bad guy” to those of us who love the Lords of the Underworld. As for Bjorn, readers of the LOTU universe got to know him in Burning Dawn when his “brother” Thane got his HEA. I have to admit, I’ve been waiting (impatiently) for Thane’s friends to get their stories told.
From other stories in this series, it’s known that the angels are usually quite literal in how they see things. They’re also not very forgiving. Although it’s really through no fault of her own, Fox killed a bunch of Sent Ones toward the end of The Darkest Captive. She is slated to die by the hands of Bjorn, end of story. While Fox anticipates the Sent Ones will be sending an assassin for her, Bjorn doesn’t anticipate his reaction to Fox or the fact that she readily admits she did wrong and must pay for her crimes. Though Fox knows she deserves punishment, she doesn’t believe that punishment should be death and she will not go down without a fight.
The chemistry between Fox and Bjorn is great. I can’t help but love a story where the characters are obviously drawn to one another while trying to fight that attraction for all their worth. Watching their walls start to crumble is always amusing for me.
Between the price on Fox’s head, the war between good and evil that has been brewing, and Bjorn’s vindictive and much loathed wife, this duo has a lot to overcome in order to find their HEA. And while they do eventually get through everything to reach that goal (of course, because this is a romance) there are some missteps along the way. Bjorn really does a 180 at one point that had me questioning if he could be redeemed. I still don’t know if he’s really found that redemption, or if he’s just darn lucky Fox is so in love with him.
All in all, this was another fun and intense ride from Gena Showalter. Next up, William’s story! I’m so excited and a bit scared for that one. Sometimes expectations for a book are a bit too high when it’s such a pivotal character in a series. Fingers crossed…
The Darkest Assassin is everything you need in a pnr romance novella: action, angst, steam, and fabulously dirty scenes. Fox and Bjorn are opposites in many ways, but in others they are just alike. Their pairing couldn’t be better matched… other than the fact that Bjorn is tasked to kill her. But when the Sent One isn’t able to follow through with the job sexual tension sparks which eventually leads to so much more. I definitely recommend this book!
Loved it
Felt like it was rushed to get a book out. Never finished it
I enjoyed The Darkest Assassin, Bjorn and Fox were great characters and the storyline was engaging throughout.
OMG! Another book in the Lords of the Underworld series. Lord help me! I have loved this series from the beginning and I’m agog that at even this far into the series, Gena is still able to fully captivate me.
From page one, we are brought into Fox’s hell. She’s has always been happy as an assassin who kills the scum of the earth: Murderers, abusers, cheats and liars. She is in her element, never failing to complete a job. However, on this day, she has unwittingly killed ten Sent Ones. All of them innocents. This on the heels of accepting the demon of Distrust’s possession over her to extend her life and become immortal.
For all her effort, she may just lose her life as there will be a fatal punishment for her crime.
Bjorn is sent to kill Fox in the wake of her massacre. He doesn’t care about motives or intent. Just that the deed is done.
But beneath all their fight is undeniable passion. They say there is a fine line between love and hate. Will they breech that line into something more?
What an absolutely thrilling read. From heart pounding action to shedding tears, there was no part of this story that did not titillate me.
Read in one sitting, I kept reading. I not only wanted to know what happened next, I NEEDED to know-desperately.
This is a fast-paced story that will hit you will all the feels. For avid readers and lovers of the series, it will not disappoint. For newbies to the series, this can definitely read as a standalone, although I have to beg that you start from the beginning. The series is THAT good!
I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Fox had had a long, long life full of hardship and loneliness. The only person she trusts is Galen, maybe Legion. So when an epic mistake on her part leads to her capture and imprisonment by Bjørn the Sent One, she finds herself baffled by her attraction to him. From the very first moment she met him her attraction has been hard to ignore. And when they give in to it all bets are off. Steamy and exciting this is another epic love story of opposites finding their soul mates in the unlikeliest of places, learning to trust and giving oneself to another without fear. I loved every minute of Fox and Bjørn and William and Sunny cannot come soon enough!
Fox is an immortal with many talents and she’s possessed by the demon named Distrust that caused her to kill ten of Bjorn’s men. Bjorn is charged with her execution for the deaths of those men. His only problem is he’s discovered she is his mate and the attraction between them. These two will have to fight for their very survival when enemies seek to take them down. A great read in this series.
I enjoy everything written by Gena. This story was no different. It had suspense, humor, steam and everything in between. Novellas are not usually something I enjoy because the story moves quicker than I prefer. This one didn’t have that problem. With this read, I want to start the Lords of the Underworld series over and enjoy them again.
BRAND NEW RELEASE
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a new story in her Lords of the Underworld series…
What happens when a ruthless winged warrior falls in love with the demon-possessed beauty he’s been ordered to kill?
THE DARKEST ASSASSIN is available now!
Purchase Now: https://amzn.to/2EhKpry
Watch the Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/35g4nh3
*REVIEW*
I will admit I have not read the entire LOTU series-yet. This little detail did not hinder my enjoyment of The Darkest Assassin. This story is a novella in the 1001 Dark Nights Series, so get your copy to add to your collection. Fox and Bjorn are supernatural creatures, and they are at war with each other. Bjorn is tasked with killing Fox because of something bad she did. Instead, Fox becomes his captive. The more time Bjorn spends in the presence of Fox, the less he wants to kill her. Will Bjorn complete his task? Will Fox escape captivity?These two are drawn to one another with a burning desire. Act upon this or ignore it? They are supposed to be enemies, but attitudes can change. Getting to know someone can greatly alter perception and preconceived notions. Maybe Bjorn and Fox are wrong about the idea of being enemies, or maybe they are maliciously using each other and lying.I like the enemies to lovers trope, and this is definitely a different take on it. I like the characters because they are interesting, unpredictable and bizarre. Strange works in this story. Although it is a shorter length novella, I felt like I spent a long time in this world-in a good way. I was totally absorbed in what was happening. This is a compelling and unique read, and I recommend trying it, even if you are not a paranormal fan. Now, I must go back, and read the entire series!
Thank you Inkslinger and the author for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Gena Showalter heats things up with The Darkest Assassin (Lords of the Underworld #14.6). In this story, Elite 7 member Bjorn is sent to assassinate Gatekeeper Fox, who is possessed by the demon Distrust. The two are instantly attracted to each other despite literally trying to kill each other. This contemporary paranormal romance is suitable for adult readers.
I adored this story. Gena Showalter did an amazing job. The Darkest Assassin was original and exciting throughout. There were unexpected twists and interesting outcomes. The characters have a lot of dimensions and grow throughout the story. Fox was raised by Galen (The Darkest Captive #14.5). I loved hearing her story. I enjoyed the banter between Fox and Bjorn. The two had amazing chemistry. I love how they help each other and develop a relationship.
The Darkest Assassin is an excellent addition to the Lords of the Underworld series. I appreciated the plot and how Fox and Bjorn interacted with the other characters in the series. I recommend this story to people who enjoy enemy to lover paranormal romances and to followers of the Lords of the Underworld series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Another excellent Lords story with fantastic characters in Bjorn and Fox. Both are deadly otherworldly fighters that start out on opposite sides of a dastardly deed only to end up as fierce lovers and defenders of each other. This packs a punch for a novella with a white hot romance and a gathering of warriors to battle Lucifer. It’s everything you expect from this fabulous author and her spectacular storytelling in this outstanding world she’s given us. So many types of otherworldly creatures with special talents, magically weapons and deadly opponents to match. As the Sent Ones prepare for battle, Bjorn is fighting to rid himself of a problem not of his making and save Fox at the same time. And Fox is contending with her demon Distrust that she inherited from Baden and as the name indicates it’s not easy for her to trust with the evil demon in her ear with all the reasons she shouldn’t. It’s suspenseful and full of danger as Bjorn and Fox team up to fight on several levels all the while falling in love. Lots of twists and turns with subterfuge and betrayal that left me wondering if these two would make it through the madness. I love a strong female and Fox is terrific. A strong sexy fighter and a wonderful counterpart to the superstar hunk Bjorn with his rainbow eyes. Loved it! I can’t wait for the next installment in this fantastic series. I hope the scary Xerxes is next. Red eyes, white skin and tons of scars. Yes!! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
OMG! This book! Bjorn and Fox were insanely good!
This enemies-to-lovers romance was fabulous, thrilling, sexy, fun and utterly romantic as all the other stories in the Lord of the Underworld series. Bjorn’s mission was to kill Fox, The Executioner, a demon-possessed warrior and the host of Distrust. But since their first encounter there’s an intense chemistry, a pull, between them. Something hard to fight and that most likely will put both of them in danger.
I loved reading about Bjorn and Fox, and smiling every time I caught a glance of previous (and dear to me) characters. Fox was a strong and determinate female character. She’s a badass! And it’s impossible to not love her. Bjorn is an amazing character as well. He’s sexy and driven, and wonderful friend to Thane and Xerxes. But he has this other side, not extremely soft but definitely different, when he’s around Fox and that’s pretty interesting to see. Both characters were somewhat broken, but their pieces seemed to fit together turning them into the perfect couple.
The Darkest Assassin was a wonderful read. It was steamy, well written, fast paced and addictive, with intense scenes, lots of action and fantastic dialogues. But also it was a perfect follow up to an amazing series (my favorite Paranormal Romance series, now that we’re being honest and all that), and I can’t wait to see what’s next in this fantastic world created by Gena Showalter!
As usual, I fell in love with a Lords of the Underworld story. It’s odd because it has only been a year since Gena put out a LotU novel but as I was reading this one I just felt like it had been forever and I was so happy to be back with the ‘gang. It felt refreshing.
Fox is a force of nature, I loved her when she was protecting Galen, I love her, even more, when she is trying to protect herself. Her snark, her blood-lust, her chaotic mind, she is just plain fun to ‘watch. The only thing that I could ask for is for her to not be so ‘childish’ in her speech if that makes sense. It’s not uncommon in this series, and I guess that is probably what put me off a little, I’ve heard it too much. Snark doesn’t mean idiotic, which I am not saying Fox is, she just sounds that way at times and it kind of grates. It’s a small thing really, it would ever put me off from reading or enjoying an LoTu story, I always will want more, it is just kind of cringy.
Bjorn is amazing, as we expected from seeing him in the previous ‘Angel’ stories, his bromance with Thane and Xerxes is one of my all-time favorites, I could have totally used an entire book of just that relationship. I love 1,001 Dark Night novellas because they are the perfect gate-way book for new readers, but I almost wish Bjorn had been given a full-length novel so I could have had more of the boys! His relationship with Fox was well done, nothing felt forced even though it was a quick romance, their distrust (ha) of one another and eventual relationship is exactly what I needed out of this story!
There is a great lead up to William’s story, I am so curious as to how Gena is going to handle this ‘hot-button’ book, and if the glimpse we got of Sunny says anything, we are in for quite an adventure. I am also excited to see more of the Sent Ones stories, especially, of course, Xerxes, but I hope their stories don’t end with him.
All in all, this is a great addition to the LotU storyline, if you are an avid long-time reader this will be just the little taste you need to hold you over until Darkest King, if you are new to this world, welcome to the ride, it’s an exciting one and while this is a good place to start get ready because you are definitely want to go back 14 books and start at the beginning, you won’t regret it!
~ HAPPY READING ~