The Darkest Surrender (Lords of the Underworld)

I hate when people tell all about the story line. I just want you to know Gena is back. This book was awesome. I love the harpies. The fighting, loving, and one liners as digs against other harpies is funny and very entertaining. It is a must read for anyone who was let down with her last book in this series. This will bring you back and get you ready for Paris's book. Loved it.

Loved this book! Course I love all of Genas "Lords of the Underworld"series. Gena has a great way of bringing bits of other characters story in to the book.Without confusing you, just enough to tease you & get you ready for the next book. I am so glad I ran across this series.These books have everything for a great read: action, suspense, drama, passion,and laughter(sometimes I giggle out loud uncontrollably by situations or characters).The strength of each Lord & their "lady" is opened up in the book, making you like them and want to see what happens next.I will gladly share"The Darkest Surrender" with all my friends when suggesting a great "keep warm during the winter" book!

Mrs Schowalter is new among my favorites. I have all of the books in this series, and find her writing to be a challange. Before you get very far into the first book, you are hooked, big time. How she makes such a far-out subject plausible is a mystery to me. Great reads, and keeps you looking for the next book.

I really wanted to love this story. Strider is one of my favorite Lords, but unfortunately, the story just didn't do him justice. I got tired of the Harpy games, I grew weary of the many characters that came in and out of the story, at one point there were like over 30 people in one scene! I was especially disappointed in the three story lines at once thing, two of which were not resolved. The multiple story lines took away from the two people I wanted to get to know, Kaia and Strider. Hopefully Paris' book will be about him and only him. If not, I'm not sure I will read any more.

Disappointing. Gena is a favorite author of mine as is this series so I will buy the next installment. Maybe the series is getting old, maybe there wasn't any angst involved, the main couple didn't grab me. I had to force myself to finish to keep up the side stories leading to the Paris book.

I have read all the books in this series and loved them all. This one was a loser. I had to make myself read it and at that I could only get half way through it. There was none of the usually tension between the two characters that the other books had. The other books you can't wait for the couple to get together. The formula just didn't work. I voted for the villains to win, they were a bit more interesting.

I love Gena Showalter, especially the LOTU series. This book was good but not one of my favorites. The "Ego Check" was annoying to me and personally I thought Kaia & Strider were a little annoying at times too. Usually there is one of the two main characters that's cocky but they both were and I thought it was a little to much. Over all though I really did enjoy it and I don't regret buying it. CAN'T WAIT FOR PARIS THOUGH!!

I didn't care much for Strider early on in this series. It wasn't until The Darkest Secret that I ever really gave him much thought at all. Here, he charms me utterly with his over-inflated ego and inner dialogue. And while that may not sound all that attractive, I found him more endearing that I ever expected that I could.

As the story begins, Strider is working hard to resist his attraction to Kaia. At the end of the last book, she revealed that he is her consort, but he rejected her outright. After all, he thought he had feelings for Haidee and on top of that, Kaia once slept with Paris. What if Strider couldn't measure up to the Lord of Promiscuity? It would cause him immeasurable pain. But Kaia refuses to give up, and she forces herself back into his orbit.

In the meantime, Kaia and her sisters are summoned to participate in the Harpy Games. The last time they took part was over a thousand years ago, when Kaia made a terrible mistake that resulted in the deaths of many of her kind. Now, it's clear that the Skyhawks are targets; their lives are in danger. So Strider comes along, knowing his blood could help Kaia in the event she is injured.

The story surrounding the Harpy games is really quite good. The backstory allows you to see vulnerability in Kaia, who is overwhelmingly strong. We learn alot about the Harpy culture and the bonds Kaia shares with her sisters. At the same time, a real relationship begins to develop between Kaia and Strider. It's fun watching them challenge themselves and each other, yet somehow they each manage to put the other person first. Like in all of the Lord books, the sexual tension is uber-hot and the payoff is sooo satisfying. Win!

We're also treated to a side story with William and Kane which shines some light on Willy's background and Kane's possible future. And additional cut scenes feature Paris and his search for Sienna. Hallelujah -- Paris' story is finally up next. That poor guy really needs a happy ending. He has been miserable forever. Almost 5 stars.

This is my second time reading this book and I like it better than I did before.
Kaia Skyhawk believes Strider, keeper of Defeat, is her consort. She’s a Harpy, he’s a demon-possessed warrior, so you’d think they’d be perfect for one another. Kaia thinks so, too, but Strider is determined to keep her back even though he’s crazy with desire for her. Too bad she made a mistake a while back and he can’t get over it.
Their romance starts slow and the first sex scene isn’t until page 280-something. That’s very refreshing. Unlike some of the previous books in the LOTU series, sex doesn’t consume the storyline.
I’m not a fan of the Skyhawk sisters. They’re too bitchy, slutty, and they’re women-haters. The Harpy race is supposed to be a strong feminist race but I don’t agree. They forgive their consorts (husbands/men) for about anything and they always place the blame on another woman. For example, Kaia attacked Haidee for simply talking to Strider. She didn’t attack Strider at all for what she wrongly perceived as flirtation on his part and Strider didn’t get mad over it. He turns out to be a crappy friend to Haidee while Amun turns out to be a crappy boyfriend to Haidee for not defending her. Also, the main antagonist of the book, Juliette, and most of the Harpy race blamed Kaia for the death of their people hundreds of years ago. Juliette’s consort, Lazarus, murdered all the women and 14 year old Kaia was blamed. This un-feminist attitude really annoyed me and reconfirmed my dislike of the Skyhawks.
I’m honestly surprised by my 4 star review. I like the book as a self-contained story and I liked the Harpy Games plot, but I don’t see how the Games had anything to do with the overall storyline other than a way to find the Paring Rod, a godly artifact the Lords are desperate to own. Yes, Paris’s story is set up and we see that Kane and William are in trouble, but we didn’t get to see enough of them for their side storylines to really matter.
The link to my original review can be found here: [...]
4 Stars

Disclaimer – I bought this book for my own enjoyment. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.

4 stars

This was a very good story. I liked Kaia and Strider and was happy with how things turned out for them. TBH, I didn't like Strider much at first and I thought Showalter did a great job and making me like him as things progressed.

Kaia is a harpy and the sister of Gwen (heroine of book # 4, The Darkest Whisper). Kaia made a big mistake when she was 14 years old and even after 1500 years she still hasn't lived it down. Gwen has always wanted her mother's approval but Tabitha (her mother) wasn't exactly mother of the year and Kaia always felt lacking because she couldn't be what her mother wanted. Kaia has endeavored to get past that and be happy with the unconditional love of her sisters.

Strider is one of the immortal warriors that was responsible for opening Pandora's box and releasing the demons inside. As a way to punish the warriors responsible and imprison the demons, the Greek gods decided that the warriors should act as hosts for the demons. Strider was made the host of the demon of defeat and any time Strider loses a challenge he is crippled by horrible pain that takes a while to get over.

Ok, first of all I have to say that Strider's demon is completely stupid. Strider doesn't even have a choice about whether he accepts a challenge or not...if anyone even makes a statement around him that's slightly challenging, his demons automatically accepts any implied challenge and Strider's stuck trying to win or face horrible pain. So yeah, I feel a bit bad for Strider...however, that doesn't give Strider the excuse to be so egotistical and the consummate jerk that he was in the beginning of the story. Kaia realized that Strider is her consort (someone that's very dear and rare to a harpy) and tried to approach Strider (and in a nice way, especially for a harpy). He had reasons for turning Kaia down in the beginning but they were pretty stupid reasons and while he tried to blow her off gently, he still hurt her for no real reason.

Although Strider is determined to keep Kaia at a distance, he ends up deciding to help her out at the Harpy games but makes sure she knows their partnership is just temporary and not going anywhere. His helping ends up being a good thing because the prize for the contest is one of the artifacts that the LotU have been searching for. This does cause some strife though because Kaia and her team want to win it outright and Stider wants to find it an steal it so there's no question of getting it. It doesn't help that the contest is pretty much rigged against Kaia and her team because all the other harpies are ganging up on them in the contest. Kaia and Strider have some major issues to get past but as they work together more and more, Strider does start to realize that a relationship with Kaia might actually be able to work after all. After a lot of danger and drama, Kaia and Strider do end the story starting a HEA together.

This was a very enjoyable story. I liked Kaia from the start...she was strong but had a bit of vulnerability that endeared her to me. After Strider's actions in the previous book and how he acted in the beginning of this book I wasn't too hot on him but he did turn it around and by the end I was good with him and liked him with Kaia. Overall, I enjoyed the story very much and liked the characters so I'd recommend it (and the series). :)

* note - I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a very good job.

"That's because I'm made of awesome."

"And dipped in awesome."

"And sprinkled with awesome."

"Gods, I love the taste of awesome."
~ Kaia & Strider ~

God, these two! Kaia and Strider have to be my favorite couple ever. They're just perfect together. I couldn't have seen them ending up with others. It wouldn't have felt... right. They wouldn't have fit with others. They're both stubborn and driven and loyal to a fault.

So. Things in the 8th book are getting more and more interesting and really, there are some loose ends you can't wait to read about, in the coming books. We find out things about William - I simply love that man, he's despicable and wicked but not heartless - and there's also a bomb dropped by the Moirai. That was awesome. Not.

"You are not Kaia the Disappointment. Do you hear me? That's what I was trying to tell you earlier. You are Kaia the Mighty. How many Harpies out there do you think could have brought down the most badass Lord of the Underworld? The same Lord who also happens to be the strongest, sexiest and smartest. And by the way, in case there's any doubt, I'm describing me."

Besides the above mentioned things, we get the start of the HEA of yet another couple. And it's one hell of a couple! A Harpy and a Lord of the Underworld. These two can conquer the world, if they want. But what they do have to do is win the Harpy Games - Kaia has a tough challenge ahead of her - and get their hands on the fourth artifact. Yes, the ones they'll use to search for Pandora's Box.

As I said, favorite couple. Strider is one of my favorite Lords, though the man is a kind of, sort of, for damn sure, bastard, at the beginning. But then comes to his senses. As for Kaia, she too needed to snap out of feeling guilty for something that had happened a long time ago.

In other words, a 5 star book. Mythology + 21st century + badass heroes and heroines = one happy lil' ole me. Really. I could read this series, this book countless times. Not that I haven't. And I cannot wait for Torin's book.

So read them. Get lost into the world of the Lords. You won't want to come out of there.

Strider just has to win. Whatever the competition--whether it be a friendly bet or a battle that sheds lives--Defeat, the demon he is plagued with, forces him to win, no matter the cost. Everything is a dangerous, vengeful, radiant, and sometimes even erotic game to Strider, which is why, naturally, he is enticed by the idea of the Harpy Games. As he gets to know Kaia and involved in the challenge she sets forth, his screwed-up personal demons will make winning harder than ever before, and they just may lead him to falling for an equally screwed-up girl. After all, she is a Harpy aka a descendant of Lucifer aka the master of all things demonic--no biggie. Yeah. He's got it bad.

The Darkest Surrender is testament to the fact that Gena Showalter is one of the leading ladies of paranormal fiction. EVERYTHING about this book is so well done--the plot, characters, romance, tone, transitional flow--all of it.

The gradual love is at once tender and entertaining; to me, it was the perfect romance because it's realistic, well interlaced with the actual story, and of course, sizzling hot. The way Strider and Kaia clash is so funny because it couldn't be more obvious how similar they are, and thus in his opinion, all the more wrong for each other. As for the relationship, it is deliciously, wonderfully bad. The thick sexual tension, amusing banter, and explosive chemistry and feuding portray their attraction flawlessly, which impressed me greatly. The fact that this book isn't just a romance definitely earns it brownie points.

Kaia's unabashed (and publicly declared) crush on Strider demonstrates the kind of girl she is: an unstoppable force, a fiery temper, passion incarnate. Strider, who's way more reserved and tormented--swoon!--wants to deny his lethal attraction for Kaia but can't seem to control himself around her--and that isn't his demon talking. His desire to dominate the one girl no one else can control, the one girl who scratches everyone else, but treats him to the tenderest of caresses, is both his sickness and cure. The way he slowly discovers how much he really needs her, and not just sexually, is heart-melting and exactly the kind of love us romance readers live to read about.

I love how Lords of the Underworld takes place in a world of various species; typically, paranormal romance series involve one type of being (vampires, zombies, etc.), but nope, here, we have Harpies, demons, Fae, Phoenixes, gods, and other creatures of Greek mythology, so in and of itself, this series is the motherlode of the supernatural. So fascinating and creative--props to Gena Showalter for developing such an elaborate, magical, livable world. How I'd love to just climb into one of her books and be one of the characters.

Not having read previous installments in the series, I was a bit confused by the Realm of Blood and Shadows and the worlds in which the book takes place, but the plot and characters are so original and intricate, that I feel The Darkest Surrender works fine as a standalone novel. That being said, the perfectly entwined storylines of the various other Lords--Promiscuity, Doubt, and Disaster, to name a few--leave room and anticipation for the next books; I'm definitely eager to keep with with and try the series from the beginning now.

I'll end on a note praising the snarky and hilarious tone, which is applicable for pretty much of Gena Showalter's novels. Her style is genius, in both the way she personalizes her characters, and the witty one-liners that deserve gold medals. Even if you don't like the story, you will fall in love with the way Showalter writes, which is why you should at least give this series a chance.

Pros: Amazing characters // Humorous, with plenty of wit and sass to go around // Complex, prolonged plot that completely absorbed me // Secondary characters' stories are just as intriguing, making me want to read the previous and next books in the series // Can be read as a standalone, although having a grasp of what the series is about may be helpful in understanding setting

Cons: Some scenes are unnecessarily drawn out // The constantly shifting stories get a little confusing at times

Verdict: This is the kind of book that will make you become obsessed with paranormal romance. From the entirely consuming fictional world constructed, to the lovable, flawed, and vibrant characters, to the unconventional romance with a sigh-worthy "ever after," The Darkest Surrender is a book will preoccupy you in the most frustrating and fulfilling way. Definitely give these sexy and tragically dark Lords of the Underworld a try; Gena Showalter does not disappoint!

Rating: 8 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): An engaging read; highly recommended.

Source: Complimentary copy provided by Romance Novel News in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Carolyn!).

This one surprised me and speaks to the talent Showlater has, in my opinion. I really liked it but I went into the book with a lot of reservations.

Strider seems to be a hard guy to like, honestly. His demon ensures that he can't ever lose and he takes everything as a challenge. He's the best (and can't stand when he isn't). At the end of the last book, Strider did some rather despicable things and I didn't like him much.

Kaia, the Harpy with deep-rooted insecurities, believes that Strider is her consort. She pursues him despite being rebuffed several times. Her strong will and love for her family make her an admirable character. Only problem is that she also has a past that I was uncomfortable with.

I wasn't sure how Showalter was going to redeem these two in my mind, but she did a wonderful job. Kaia and Strider are really good for each other and their strengths and weaknesses meld well. Kaia gets Strider and is willing to challenge him but not defeat him. And Strider supports Kaia, who she is, and her role in the Harpy community.

Their romance was combustible and their love slowly realized but all the better for it. Starting with two people I didn't care much for and ending with loving them is a real treat.

I'm not sure why I've been forcing myself to continue this series when I clearly stopped enjoying it a while ago. I'm a little hopeful again since this book was better. It wasn't quite a 4-star but I rounded up.

This is Stryker and Kaia's book. If you remember at the end of the last book, Kaia told Stryker that she was his consort but he rejected her. See, Stryker's demon is defeat, so he has to win at all things. First, Stryker had a crush on Haidee and Kaia had slept Paris--whose demon is promiscuity. Who wants to follow an act Paris when it comes to sex? Not Mr. I-MUST-WIN, so Stryker was not trying to hear it, but Kaia pulls out the stops to get her man. She begins by calling in her marker for his assistance in The Harpy Games.

Part of me thinks I liked this book because it was similar to IAD which I have been back reading because the Harpies were like the Valkyries, the Valkyries also also have a tournament, and the sarcasm reminded me of the demon Hs like Cadeon. I still prefer IAD. I now see that I enjoy this series better when I read it whereas I love IAD via audio. I will read Paris book maybe next month because we got snippets in this book, but as an ebook.
The Harpy Games is a win-win because Kaia can demonstrate how great she was (this gal has got a big ego) and Stryker can look for one of the relics the Lords are looking in their quest to get those artifacts.

This was was entertaining because Stryker obviously wants her but he is fighting it. Their banter is entertaining as they are both wise guys. I chuckled a bit and I admit I savored the inner dialogue Stryker was having with himself. I do like them together. They were good together.

RATING: 3.5

I have always loved Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series, and The Darkest Surrender is no exception. Showalter has a way with words, and can capture a reader with her creative writing style and her splendid world building with ease. This is only made better with the addition of all the action, drama, very likeable characters and sizzling romance. I was hooked from the first page.

I honestly don't know which Lord is my favourite. They all have such distinct personalities, and me being the typical fan-girl, I want them all! Strider's character is easy to fall in love with. His sense of humour, his charm and even the little annoying things about him, just add to his appeal. Despite his resistance to Kaia at first, I really enjoyed watching him fall in love and admit his feelings (let's be serious ladies, we all get a kick out of big, alpha males admitting their love to their ladies. ;p). Not to mention, his undying loyalty for his friends is easy to appreciate and admire. And did I mention, he is just too hot to resist? Well, he is. Enough said.

As for Kaia...this chick is hilarious! I love Showalter's addition of the Harpies into this series. They are such unique creatures and I always enjoy a good laugh whenever they make an appearance. Although, Kaia is tough, she has many insecurities due to her past, hence her name "Kaia the Disappointment". Her strength, love, and bravery is what made her character so endearing. She is relentless when she wants something, and I was very happy she proved her worth. She was an easy character to connect with and enjoy.

Now, we can't have a LotU book without the mythology. Showalter has cleverly crafted Greek mythology into this series, and with each book it gets better and better. There are so many intriguing legends touched upon here - from Typhon to Gorgons to Phoenixes - with a unique twist and paired with Showalter's addicting writing skill, makes for a very enjoyable read. The storyline for The Darkest Surrender, however, is slightly lacking. It is solely focused on the Harpy games and the romance, which along with the multiple point of views from Paris, Kane and William, distracts from the overall appeal of the book. This in no way made the plot boring, rather at times pointless. This is the only reservation I had about this book.

The romance...wow! Showalter has never lacked in the romance department, and this book is just more proof of that. Strider and Kaia's relationship grows steadily. It is not at all rushed, but when it does get to the peaking point, the wait made it all the more sweeter and hotter. There are plenty of smexy scenes, sizzling chemistry and banter-filled moments to keep readers fully satisfied...and even yearning for a cold shower. The romance is not disappointing, in fact, it will have you cheering for Kaia and Strider until the very end.

Overall, just like the previous books, Gena Showalter's The Darkest Surrender has earned a spot on my favourites list, and now I can't wait to get my hands on Paris' book next!

*Isn't sure her soul is going to survive reading Paris since her body was killed by Strider and she's writing this review from deep in the Underworld*

How else could I properly start this? HOW?

*Takes another moment to try and collect herself before continuing this.*

I have to say that Strider was PERFECT. P-E-R-F-E-C-T. Gena gave him the funniest, sexiest, most egotistical personality of all the Lords to date. And she pulled it off spectacularly! The poor guy is aware of it, too, and throughout the beginning of the book he's stuck "ego-checking" himself non-stop.

At first I was annoyed because he was going to end up with Kaia. Being that I have an emotional connection with Sienna and Kaia went after and slept with Paris...Well, let's just say I was on Strider's side of the equation. He's possessive as hell (yum) and because of that he is determined to not be with Kaia. After all, he's possessed by the demon of Defeat and Paris is the King of the Bedroom.

All of this doesn't stop him from wanting Kaia, of course.

Sleeping with Kaia would always be a challenge, one that would hurt him if he loses.

But then Kaia is convinced that Strider is her consort (the damned word gives me shivers :p) and she starts going after him. At which point, reservations and all, I fell in love! IN. LOVE. The woman is feisty, sexy, and violent as only a harpy can be. And she is DETERMINED. Strider is her man and she isn't going to take no for an answer.

That is, until she has to go with her sisters to the Harpy Games.

Strider finds out how dangerous it's going to be and he's well aware that Kaia thinks he's her consort. She won't be willing to take anyone's blood but his.

And yes, I find that sexy!

Strider and his demon together are bot just entertaining, their downright titillating.

FLUV Them. This book was just full of my favorite moments, and as far as the LOTU guys go, Strider definitely wins as the best so far. If you're gonna read any book in this series -and I really think you should read them all- but if it has to be just one, MAKE IT THIS ONE.

Best of all, Stridey's "I Heart William" T-shirt! I WANT ONE!!!

****WARNING: SPOILERS****

A lot happens in the newest Lords of the Underworld novel. Kaia's past comes back to haunt her when her and her three sisters are invited to compete in the Harpy Games. Known as Kaia the Disappointment to her fellow harpies, she's determined to prove her worth. Strider is forced to agree to accompany Kaia to these games as her consort. Or as he puts it, her "medicine box". His blood will heal her and she'll definitely need that. Every harpy there, other than the six on her team, are out to get her. When Kaia was still a child she had decided to steal another harpy's consort, not knowing that the second she helped him out, he would rampage their village. After that she was named Kaia the Disappointment and the harpy whose consort she had set free, Juliet, will never forgive her. Juliet is now leading the games and is determined to humiliate her with the help of none other than Kaia's own mother. How hurtful! But Kaia refuses to back down and her sisters have her back.

We discover first prize is the 4th godly artifact, The Paring Rod. Strider wants nothing more than to steal it, but Kaia insists he can't and she will win it. Through all the challenges, winning and losing, Strider's feelings for Kaia continue to grow until he wishes to remain with her no matter what and cares for her the way she cares for him. He is given the chance to get the Paring Rod and takes it. Kaia finds that she has her father's phoenix abilities to catch on fire and char her opponents. She defeats her mother in battle , finally takes Juliet out, and earns her new title: Kaia the Wing Shredder.

Meanwhile, the other Lords have news too. Paris, keeper of Promiscuity, is closer to finding Sienna, the only woman he's ever had a chance of being with more than once, whom he thought dead. And Kane, keeper of Disaster, finds out he will be the cause of the apocalypse.

Now, don't let this information overload stop you from reading The Darkest Surrender. It was awesomely written, as all Gena's books are and definitely another one I couldn't put down.

~Review by: The Beast from When Pen Met Paper

Review by Carla

The Darkest Surrender is the eighth installment in the LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series and one of the best so far. This is another of my favorite series that I have been following since the first book was released and every book just gets better and better. Every book is action packed, humorous, and full of some seriously hot romance and has me clamoring for the next release.
Strider was never one of my favorite "Lords" with his snarky comments and HUGE ego, but after reading this book he has totally won me over. His daily "ego checks" were hysterical and when he finally admitted his feelings for Kaia, there is nothing he would not do for her. Who wouldn't love a man like that? Kaia told Strider that he was her consort in the last book but he didn't want anything to do with her. He was dealing with the rejection from Haidee and was pissed off that Kaia had slept with Paris, keeper of Promiscuity. He feels he could never compete with Paris' skills and he would end up in severe pain from his demon feeling defeated. Kaia asks him to help her in the Harpy Games but he refuses. After a while he decides to go to help her and that's when things get interesting and crazy.

I also found that I liked Kaia a lot more after reading this book. We got to see a deeper side of her. She's a kick-ass harpy and takes no crap from anyone, but on the inside she is vulnerable and insecure. When Kaia was a teenager, she made a terrible mistake and because of it hundreds of harpies were slaughtered and she was never forgiven. Being that Kaia's mother is the most famous and deadly harpy around, Kaia always wanted to prove herself to her mom and others. After this horrific event occurred, Kaia's mom named her "The Disappointment", and the other harpies never let her forget it. She's always striving to be the best because of this. When Kaia and her sisters are invited to the Harpy Games after being banned for hundreds of years, Kaia knows that she is being set up. She will have to win at all costs or they will kill her and her sisters. Kaia's also not afraid to fight for what she wants, and she wants Strider!!
The Harpy Games were incredible. The details of the scenery let you feel like you're there with them and the fight scenes leave you on the edge of your seat cheering Kaia and her team on.
We also got to see some of the other Lords and friends in this book. Sabin, Gwen, Lysander and Bianka attended the Harpy Games so they were throughout the book a lot.

Maddox and Ashlyn are expecting the twins any time now and planning their arrival.

We get a quick visit from Amun, Haidee, Gideon, Scarlet, Lucien and Anya to help Kaia out.

William decides it's time to make Gilly's parents pay for the horrible things they did to her and goes to track them down.

Kane gets summoned by The Fates. They tell him of some devastating events that are to unfold in the future that he will be responsible for. After reading this book, you pretty much have an idea of who Kane's heroine will be and the hell he's in for.

And then we have the set up for the next book, The Darkest Seduction. After William spots Sienna and Cronus, Paris decides he's done waiting and goes into the Heavens to search for her. He will stop at nothing to save her, even at the expense of his own life.

Like all the other books in this series, I absolutely loved "The Darkest Surrender". I am counting down the days until the release of "The Darkest Seduction", which BTW is 02/28/12. Every book in the LORDS OF THE UNDERWORLD series can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading the series in order. You will fall in love with the characters and you won't want to miss a single thing that happens.

I give "The Darkest Surrender" 5 out of 5 stars

The Darkest Surrender is book eighth in the Lord of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter.

Sometime in their lifes all Harpies find their destined mate or as they call it, Consort. Kaia is sure Strider is her Consort but Strider doesn't want anything to do with her, no just because she slept with Paris but because Kaia is always challenging him. That doesn't mean he doesn't want her, he does and a lot, but he doesn't want to be challenge by her all the time and lose, because he is possessed by the demon of Defeat every time he loses a challenge he suffers extreme debilitating pain. For that reason Strider is trying to keep his distance and hands from Kaia.
If she wanted Kaia could take Strider against his own will but that will cause him a defeat, therefore unimaginable pain. She doesn't want to hurt him, so she is waiting for him to come willingly to her.
When Kaia was a very young Harpy she made a terrible mistake during the Harpy Games, a mistake that ended with the deaths of half of the Harpy population. Since that day Kaia has been known as Kaia the Disappointment and her and her clan, the Skyhaws, have been excluded of all Harpy events including the famous Harpy Games. But now, after over thousand years, they are called to participate in the Games again.
Kaia needs to do her best at these games to redeem her name. Kaia's sisters Gwen and Bianka are afraid for Kaia's life, they know the Harpies hate Kaia for what happened centuries ago and they want Kaia dead and what better opportunity to kill her than during the ruleless Games.
Gwen and Bianka are safe, not only they are not targeted, they will have their consorts with them, if they are injure their consort's blood will heal them really fast.
Gwen and her consort Sabin the keeper of Doubt, convince Strider to accompany them to the games and act as Kaia's consort. The angel Lisander, Bianka's consort will also come with them.
This year the prize at the games is one of the artifacts the Lords have been looking for. Strider wants to steal it but Kaia doesn't let him. Kaia needs to do this the right way to atone for her offense and redeem her and her clan's name. But when all the harpies are coming from Kaia's blood in and out of the games, they realize they may need to change their strategy.

I have always liked Strider and had been looking forward to his story in The Darkest Surrender. Strider is still the same egocentric man with a weird sense of humor as in previous books, but now he is also caring and a protector of his Harpy.

Harpies, what is not too like? They are hilarious and Kaia is not the exception. What I really liked about Kaia is that she is a kick ass heroine but deep inside because of her past she is also insecure and afraid of not being the best she can be. Even though she shows a tough woman façade we know she is a marshmallow in her heart, a marshmallow that could rip you to pieces with her bare hands.

At least Bianka and Gwen would be well-guarded, and that eased her stress somewhat. But if anyone so much as threatened them because of what Kaia had once done, she would turn the Slumber Party Massacre into Blood, Bath and Beyond, a documentary by Kaia Skyhawk.

Strider and Kaia attraction and chemistry is off the charts. It's funny seeing Strider trying to swim against the current and knowing there is no other option than to accept his feelings. I loved how Kaia doesn't want to hurt Strider and does her best to protect him even at very painful cost.
Kaia and her "I'm fantastic" and Strider and his "ego checks" show us that these two are not just great together they are perfect for each other.

I really loved Kaia's sisters Gwen, Bianka and Taliyah. You can see the love they have for each other and how they are willing to go to extremes to protect one and other. We also learned about Kaia's father and see more of her mother.

We see a LOT of Paris in The Darkest Surrender and here it is where I have a complaint. This book felt as much as a Strider and Kaia's book as Paris search for Sienna's book. We see as much as Strider as of Paris, the only difference was that in everyone of Paris scenes he was whoring himself for information regarding Sienna whereabouts.
We also see a LOT of Kane and William, making The Darkest Surrender almost a prequel book for Paris and Kane's books.

Don't take me wrong I love to learn about the other Lords and what is going on with their lives. I was happy with the time Sabin and Lysander had in the book and I loved to see them interact with Gwen and Bianka respectively, so I don't have a problem with that, I have a problem when secondary characters start to steal the focus from the main characters; and in my opinion this happened with Paris in this book.

The Darkest Surrender has humor, action, love, intrigues, deceptions and redemptions. In general The Darkest Surrender was a good book and a nice addition to a great series. I recommend you to read this books in order.
The following installment of this series will be Paris's book (finally) The Darkest Seduction and its release date is February 21st 2012.

Eight addition to the series featuring Strider, Lord of Defeat and Kaia the Harpy.

This couple's relationship was a rocky road of humor and battling that was a delight to follow. Strider will feel pain if he loses anything his demon perceives as a competition and Kaia feels the need to challenge and prove herself constantly. She wants Strider and he is running as fast as he can to get away from her and his reaction to her until he finds that he is the only one who can have her back in a big Harpy Olympics' like competition where winner takes all and losers may go home dead. And dead is exactly what a vengeful harpy from Kaia's past has in mind when for the first time in centuries, she and her sisters are offered the 'can't refuse or loose face' invitation to compete. What's the prize? The paring rod! Now this competition has the Lords of the Underworld's full attention too along with the Hunters.

Yes, it was one exciting read and one on fire romance. Strider and Kaia were awesome at every turn. It was fun to have some of the others make their appearances. I loved the byplay between the angel warrior men and the demon warrior men while they were on hand to support their girls.

This book had two sideline stories with Paris on his hunt to get to Siena while William is intent to destroy Gilly's horrid family. Kane the Keeper of Disaster is making his bows in this one too.

So much good stuff packed into the book and so much foreshadowed to come!

Happy to see Strider & Kaia finally together, these two are so much alike it was sad seeing Strider to think nothing of his or her feelings, while Kaia would throw herself at him and his feelings. Think the gladiators were bloodthirsty wait until til you read this book and the Harpy Games that takes place, those women are bloodbathing. Kaia and her sisters are to be pitted up again the clans of Harpys including their 'lovely' mother, to win the missing piece of the artifacts the Paring Rod, but to win this Kaia has to face up to the hatred that she dealt with since she was 14 and what she partake in to cause all the hatred. We get to see what Paris has found out to find his woman, Kane is in hell so as William, but Kane was told by the Fates that he is to start the big boom 'actually the big 'A". Something big is staring to brew.

Summary:
Strider is the Keeper of Defeat, he has to Win! Every challenge thrown his way or he suffers debilitating pain. No one challenges him more than the harpy Kaia; the sister of Bianka and Gwen. Strider and Kaia have been thrown together in life and death situations often. Always he has been able to resist the beautiful vicious harpy, until now... Over 1500 years ago at the age of 14 Kaia made the biggest mistake of her life and let the consort of her fellow harpy Tabitha loose at the Harpy Games. In doing so there was a massacre that the Harpys had never experienced before or after. The shame got her and her family banned from the games and Kaia became the most hated Harpy in existence. Only her mother's reputation kept her from being slaughtered. Now after all these years Kaia and her sisters have been demanded to participate in the games and with all harpidom after Kaia and wanted blood Kaia need Strider more than ever. Strider doesn't like the fact that Kaia considers him her consort, all he wants in his life is a little peace and there is no way her would ever get that with Kaia, but even he isn't so unfeeling that he would let Kaia go to the games without her "consort" what's a couple of weeks as a blood donor? He can do this, and keep his hands off the delectable harpy, right? When the first prize is announced Strider realizes that more than Kaia's life is at stake but his as well as all the other Lords lives as well. Now all he needs is Kaia to stay alive and Win! This is the challenge of his life.

Review:
This was a Gena Showalter book! This is what I expect to read when I pull one her books from my "bookshelf". It was funny, action packed and steamy. Kaia and Strider keep you entertained through the whole book with their wit and battle of wills. You also get a deeper into the Harpy culture and I likes what I see, these ladies are funny, loyal and completely vicious! They will not hesitate to destroy any threat to themselves, one of their family or their consort. They can hold a grudge for centuries as poor Kaia knows from first-hand knowledge. It's not easy being Kaia the Disappointment and to be the most hated Harpy in existence all because of one teensy mistake when she was 14. Now all she has to do is survive the games. The physical and mental trails Kaia must face keep this book moving right along and having a gorgeous smart ass demon possessed man like Strider by her side does not hurt. I love how supportive Strider was of Kaia, he knows his woman is fierce and helps her believe it too. I didn't think I would like Strider as much as I did, but I was hopeless against his egotistical, smart ass charms. Kaia does a lot of growing in this book and I enjoyed the journey. I also enjoyed reading of all the sisters again. Now I really hope that the oldest Skyhawk sister gets her HEA! It's going to be fun watching the Cold Hearted fall! So I really hope she gets a book with someone! Maybe Torin?? Hmmm...

Full Review at by blog.

My Rating:4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)

The first thing I want to say about The Darkest Surrender is WOO-HOO!! I am a huge fan of LotU, and felt the last two books have been mediocre. So it is with great pleasure for me to say GENA IS BACK! Surrender gets back to the basics, and showcases all that I adore about this great series. HUMOR, check. SEXY HERO, check. KICK-ASS HEROINE, check. FUN PLOT, check. LOTS OF ACTION & SMEX, check, check! Fans of this series will not be disappointed!

Kaia and Strider are perfect for each other! Both are egotistical and funny, each thinks that they are at the top of the food chain, and both have the skills to prove it. Right from the start, I was chuckling out loud at Kaia's wit and humor. Strider is equally entertaining. He refers to his demon, Defeat, as "dude," calls himself Stridey-Monster, and makes quips like "Don't forget Mission One. The Rod -- and not the one in your pants." Together the two have amazing chemistry, and they are just plain fun.

The primary story of Kaia and the harpy games provides for moments of intense (and bloody) action. However, it also creates a platform for the reader to witness Kaia's true courage. She has been scarred by her past and abandoned by all of her kind. Although she has doubts, she manages to dust herself off when knocked down. She is feisty, but knows when to lie low - even if she chooses not to!

Darkest Surrender is a fantastic addition to one of my favorite series. Ms. Showalter does a great job of weaving a tale without telling you the facts. Although a newcomer could enjoy this as a stand alone, I highly recommend you start at the beginning!

This book (as Kaia would say) is made of awesome. And dipped in awesome. And sprinkled with awesome.

Considering the fact that Gideon is my favorite of the Lords I honestly didn't think I'd find a book in this series that I enjoyed more than The Darkest Lie. I was wrong. Guess it makes sense, Strider is the keeper of Defeat after all.

Strider and Kaia make the best matched couple yet and I loved their story. Oh and I wanna be a Harpy when I grow up. They are some ruthless, scary bitches and sooooo much fun. I couldn't tell you how many moments I cackled in amusement or how many lines I highlighted in my Nook just so I could go back and re-read them. Sabin with his laugh inducing "I'm Not a Gynecologist, but I'll Take a Look" shirt was great. This book has it all - romance, action, humor, hot sex and most importantly, we finally get a glimpse inside Disaster's head! That made me so happy; I've been wanting to know more about Kane since he was introduced. I thoroughly enjoyed the parts he was in and knowing his destiny ties in with Willie is super cool.

My favorite line in the book - "There was something so best-musical-ever when people screamed and begged for mercy, and she could listen to a good musical all day." Gotta love Kaia and her wicked sense of humor.

I can't praise Gena enough. The lady hasn't written a book I haven't become completely engrossed in and has me sucked into 5 incredible series (6 counting her part in the Royal House of Shadows). Gena Showalter is bloody brilliant and a PNR goddess; I worship at her alter.

I loved this book. It is now my favorite LORDS book for sure, moving to the top above Lucian's story.

I have to admit, I wasn't much of a Strider fan until this book. He was arrogant and kind of narcissistic. He pushed Kaia away every opportunity he had. And at the first of the book, I kept wondering how he was going to end up being hopelessly in love with her with the way he was. Gena Showalter did not disappointment me. She made him oh-so-lovable and OMG he's SOO sweet with Kaia. I loved their relationship and how they fell in love with each other. I loved that he wanted so much to protect her and she him.

Kaia was very kick-ass, too. Yet soft and lacking self-confidence. I thought they were so great for each other. How Strider made her see how strong and powerful she truly was. And her mother was just a bitch all the way around. And the love scenes were super hot!

The other thing I loved about this book was the Harpy Games. How could you not love them? They reminded me of the gladiator games.

The entire story was emotionally satisfying for me.

The last few books after Sabin's story have felt a bit unbelievable and a little more like filler leading up to this point. Galen and Amun's story seemed early and rushed since we didn't know much at all about those characters leading up to their books. It seems like Showalter's plot device is to have the hero get stuck in a bad situation as a cliff hanger ending the book (which was one of the things I didn't like about this book) and then have them be the hero for the next book. So there are a lot of side stories leading to that character's downfall- in this case the demon of disaster (oh and Paris's when will it ever end quest for Sienna...this better be worth the wait). Aside from that repetitive plot device however, this book represented a return of the awesomeness that brought me to the Lords series in the first place. I love strong heroines and strong male leads. Many authors have trouble bringing these two types of characters together in a way that seems natural or realistic. Either they really only work together in the bedroom, or it turns out the woman isn't as strong of a character as initially portrayed. Here there was initial conflict between the characters- and some hurt, but it was pretty quickly resolved so you had plenty of time to get over Strider being stupid and allow the romance to build. I hate it when the characters are in conflict the whole book and they don't get it resolved until the end. I also think the way Showalter resolved the conflict of Kaia's upbringing was done in a way that was also believable. Just as with all the other books, both the female and male leads have tortured pasts- but here the characters still find humor and fight back hard against everything done to them rather than wallowing in pain and getting on my nerves. Kaia is hilarious- and Strider is strong, and funny, and laid back enough to be just what she needs. LOVED it!

Demon of Defeat, Strider, cannot lose a challenge without suffering imaginable pain. Add in Harpy, Kaia, who loves nothing more than provoking him, and he's got himself a mess. Except he's been battling feelings for her, and now he's on a mission to protect her as she competes in the Harpy Games. Now she's got to win first prize or die, and he needs to bring home the third godly artifact to save all the Lords.

I loved this whole series, and this didn't disappoint. Strider and Kaia's story started in the last book, or hinted at it, and I couldn't wait. These two were hilarious together. Fighting, pretending, loving, fighting again. Just awesome. We also got tidbits about Paris' upcoming story, as well. Harpy Games. Brilliant. This was packed full of action, and if I may add, these Lords find the most unimaginable places to make love. Not to be missed.

Strider is one of my favorite Lords. I just love his bad boy persona and who better than the resident bad girl harpy Kaia to be his lady love. Talk about entertainment, watching Kaia pursue Strider was so much fun and even more hilarious was him trying to resist her. I couldn't stop laughing.......The Darkest Surrender was just that-Strider's surrender and I loved seeing another side to the competitive, conceited, tough ass nails warrior. Kaia brought out all his best qualities and he turned out to be very loving and caring. I am not even going to get started on the fact that he had to out do Kaia's previous lover Paris, who's demon is sex. Um, Um, Um, what a sex scene that was. Definitely, one of my favorite stories.

I have loved this entire series, but have liked some characters more than others. I was not a Strider fan, at all, until this book. What!!!! I am now soooooooooooooo in love with him! I was just reading this to keep up with the series but I was thrilled with the character developments and the funny lines. If you've read the other reviews, you should have an idea about the book. I just wanted to let everyone know how much I loved it and get my five stars on this one. I am still waiting for Paris' story and hope I am not building myself up for a fall. I recommend reading the series and for the record would welcome a collaboration between the Showalter and Kreseley Cole series, but later. Having too much fun with the current characters.

Pretty disappointed with this book, especially considering Strider is one of my favourite characters (Reyes, the Keeper of Pain, beating him to the number one spot and Paris tying in at number 2). Plus, I like Kaia, so I thought I was in for a good read. Nope, there may have been highlights in this book, areas that I really liked, but the downsides far outnumbered them. There was a lot of waffling as well as repetitive and unnecessary thoughts. There was one example where I had to read two pages of thoughts that just made me groan and say get on with the bloody story. At one point I almost felt like not finishing it. I think what this book lacked was a plot, where the writer tried to use thought to fill the gaping holes. Maybe I've outgrown this series, because I didn't like Amun's story either. But with Amun's one, I couldn't stand Haidee, thought she was incredibly whiny, but in Strider's book all the main characters were good, so there was no excuse. Also, using the name Lazarus ... come on, really! By using this name I'm guessing what the author intends on doing with him. If anyone is aware of Christian history you've got to be deaf, dumb and blind not to know he's being brought back from the... *Rolling my eyes* ...for another book.

Another thing that annoyed me about this book was that the plot (again, what little there was) kept getting diverted to other characters, taking my attention away from Strider and his moment. So, this book is lucky to even get a 3, Strider being the only one that brought it up from the depths of a 1 or 2.

I've already bought Paris's book, so his story better make up for the last two doozies. Lucky I read so many prior to these two books (ones that I actually liked) that I will give the series another chance. Hopefully it'll be third time lucky and not a third strike.

Update: Have read Paris's book now and it's the best.

Really like this series and this book was no exception, Strider and Keria make a great team. Keria is a kickass character. If course I will be reading more of this series. Keep up the great work Gena!

The cover sucked me in, with the butterfly-ish tattoo, as an impulse buy. Besides I've been meaning to read some of Ms. Showalter's books for a long time.

This is number eight of an ongoing series of thirteen, and that's one of the hardest challenges as an author. Draw in the reader who simply picked up THIS book, first, while not boring those who've been following all along.

She didn't quite manage it for me. Despite a very convoluted first third or so of the book, I was very confused. Too many characters, too much backstory, and yet I still didn't understand this Universe or its rules or what the point was to the Harpy Games. I liked the hero, Strider, much more than the heroine. Until well into the book, I thought Kaia was an unlikeable brat.

That said, by the middle of the book I was rooting for Kaia to succeed, and by the end I was very invested in Kaia and Strider's romance and challenges. I loved the Alaska references, and the sisterly support of the other Harpies for Kaia.

Lesson learned: Showalter is a masterful writer, but I won't impulse buy any of her other books unless I know I'm picking up a standalone or the first one in a series.

I was really excited about Kaia and Strider finally getting together. I thought the book moved quickly and was definitely hot. I liked all the characters there were added to this one, William, Kane, Paris and in a small way Lazarus. I didn't like focusing on the Harpy story much and didn't like the Immortals After Dark references. Since I read that series before this one it seemed more like a cheat rather than an integration. I think that is best in an anthology book, not a stand alone series. But as another progression in the story, I did like this story and am glad that Kaia and Strider got their HEA.

I didn't enjoy the Harpy games at all! I did however love Strider! Woohoo!!! His devotion to his girl was awesome I'd take him any day . At first I didn't like Kaia at all, but eventually she grew on me. As always I enjoyed how all the characters are in all the books with different story lines going on at the same time. I wish that these books had been numbered so that they could be read in order. Oh well they're still very entertaining. On to the next one...out of sequence I'm sure! Ha ha

Loved every minute of it. Poor Kaia kept getting rejected by Strider. I swear I wanted to put my hands through the book and strangle him. Well at least she finally got her man for life. Took Strider long enough to grow a pair and claim his woman. Well after she got beaten around a fair bit. Ahhh LOVE

I love this story my only problem was that it ended :( The Hero, Strider, was funny and sexy. Kaia, she was a badass with a softspot. What I liked about the Darkest Surrender was that Kaia was willingly to fight for Strider and show him how stupid he was for trying to resist her. I also liked that she is not protrayed as some weak damsel in distress. She fights by his side. Their chemistry was great. I liked how their relationship was developed. I especially liked that their issue was not something as serious as "you killed ____" it was something that they could work on. Great job Gena

I really enjoyed this installment in The Lord's of the Underworld series. I, like many others, never really liked Strider that much in previous books but in this one he came alive for me and I simply couldn't get enough of him. He and Kaia flirted thruout the entire book and I found myself laughing and grinning often. I loved the storyline involving the Harpy games and enjoyed revisiting some of the characters from previous books (Gwen, Bianca, Sabin, Lysander). I can't wait for Paris' book. I just hope that Gena is able to make Sienna a little more likable. She was NOT my favorite and I had hopes that Paris would find his mate elsewhere. I also wonder will Zacharel get his own book at some point, maybe in an anthology like Lysander did. He's kinda yummy too!

I have read the entire series and this is not by far my favorite book, but ti was still enjoyable. I really liked Kaia, she was a spunky spit fire, but at times I wasnt sure that Strider was her match once or twice he seemed just a bit whiney. I liked Kaia's internal conflict as she struggled to overcome her short comings. Fair warning, this book deviates from the previous books in that certain aspects, such as the battle with the hunters and search for pandora's box, seem to happen more in the background but I still enjoyed the exploration of the Harpy culutre and I am looking forward to the next book.

This series keeps getting better and better. The witty personas make it funny and the gritty women make it worth while to read. It gets tiring to read about whiney fragile women. These characters have class, beauty, gentleness, and smarts with a little bit of GRIT thrown in. Way to go Ms.Showalter

Gena....Girl I so love all of your series!!
Kaia & Strider are a perfect match!!...forget what cha heard!....ha,ha,ha
Kaia's imperfect sassiness with i'll scratch your eyes out if you look at me wrong attitude was just what the doctor order for the all challenging Strider!!
If my fellow readers enjoyed Gena's previous Lords of the Underworld books, you will enjoy this one as well!!
~~ Happy Reading ~~

I love this whole series. But. I can honestly say that this is a book you could skip. Move on to the rest of the series without reading this one. Its contribution to the overall story arc is minimal. The characters are sucked away from the fortress for events that basically take place in a vacuum, and the three sentences it would take to summarize the important plot points that you'll need to know in the future are undoubtedly going to be in the next novel anyway. The only reason to read this book would be to savor the experience and the particular details of how things unfolded, and you can't do that with this book because if you try to savor the details you'll be disappointed. The plot is there, but the details are lacking. I would suggest NOT buying this book. Wait for the next one, and buy that one instead. Just skip this one.

I think G. Showalter is a fantastic writer. But. Reading this novel was like reading the rough draft of what was going to be a spectacular novel, after the editors had helped her clean it up. Only, nobody ever cleaned it up. I say that because there were a lot of ideas just thrown onto the page (especially in the last 1/3 of the book) without being really incorporated into the story. The old rule of writing: "Show us, don't tell us," was being violated left and right. There was a lot of summary, a lot of shorthand, a lot of interactions that were cut really, really short; almost like a topic sentence for a scene was just included in the book AS the scene. Instead of seeing things happen, we 'saw' a character summarize what happened, after the fact. This distanced the reader from the tension, action, and passion, and made the novel seem... halfhearted. Unfinished. Pale. Lacking.

I was intrigued by Kaia in the previous books, and wanted to read her story. The heroine's pain over being rejected resonated with me (haven't we all had our hearts broken once?) and I wanted to stick it out for her, but the writing deteriorated as the story went on. The passion and romantic tension and fear of rejection and everything that would have made this story exciting, and touching, and emotionally alive, was so washed out and dead that it wasn't satisfying to read her story after all. I would have been better off just imagining how they got together, and skipping this book.

The thing that really bugged me the most - the thing that crossed the line between 'Not the best' and 'Have to warn other people to skip it' - was that a bunch of new things were just thrown into the story at the end without any warning. Events that we hadn't 'seen' in the story were thrown in afterwards as a really cheesy, clumsy way to resolve issues that had come up. Like: "Oh, I forgot to tell you about this inheriting magical abilities thing that never came up before... Oh, I forgot to tell you about my dad, it's actually really important... Oh, I forgot to tell you, that guy who tried to kill you is actually a really nice guy... Oh, I forgot to tell you, I knew that these bad guys were following you, so I took care of it already.... Oh, I forgot to tell you, we got married, a few pages ago, while you were unconscious... Oh, I forgot to tell you before, but I already figured that out before now, because I didn't tell you about it, but I felt this memory... Oh, I forgot to mention, but I knew all along that they would kidnap me.... Oh, I forgot to tell you, you were given a magical potion when you were a baby that somehow solves about five issues you were having with your dad, so, don't worry about being kidnapped! This magic potion also solves the magic abilities issues people were asking about! Great potion! No idea what it was ...Oh, I forgot to tell you, this was really all part of my plan all along, and I arranged everything... Oh, I forgot to tell you, there are magical guards stationed all the way around us, at a distance of several miles, so we are both utterly isolated and utterly safe... Oh, I forgot to tell you, I'm fireproof... Oh, I forgot to tell you, you were actually so badly wounded you were dying, back there.... Oh I forgot to tell you, I was on fire a few pages ago, but I didn't give up, because I love you enough to burn for you... Oh, I forgot to tell you, I took control over the Hunters, for no good reason, at the beginning of the book." These are people who have been hanging out together, without full time jobs, for hundreds of years. And apparently, in all that free time, they never mentioned a LOT of stuff.

One or two revelations would have been fine, but it was like every issue that they had in the last 100 pages was being resolved in this really lazy, clumsy, repetitive way: "Oh, I took care of that a while ago..." It wasn't even exciting. Some of it didn't even make sense. Reading the last 1/3 of the book was like reading the SUMMARY of the book. It was driving me NUTS! Especially since some of the scenes that were skipped over would have been really great emotional romantic scenes if they had been written out and included in the storyline at the time they happened. Like when he was burning, but loved her enough to endure it? Why couldn't we see that happen? It would have taken three sentences at the end of the scene we already had in the book. Instead, it is tacked on 20 pages later as a 'by the way, back when that happened? I was burning.' Compare "She was badly wounded, she fell asleep." And then later "By the way, I saw that you were dying, so I married you to save your life," with what we COULD have had, if the author had pulled out all the stops and written the scene as it happened, with the girl passing out, and the guy realizing that she's dying, and despite his earlier hesitations about an immortal commitment he can't live without her, and he slashes himself open and holds her to him, and it's not about sex, it's about love, and he has to give her some of his strength and tie them together forever. I know this author could write a blockbuster scene, because she's done it before, so why didn't she do it? And it would have been so much better than surprising the reader later with a quick throw-away line "By the way, back when you were injured? You were actually dying, so, we're married now." What was that?! Give us the goods!

The other thing that bugged me - and this was also a 'rough draft' issue - was that sometimes the heroine or her narration would say things about harpies in general that are not consistent with what we know about harpies from previous books. Like "Harpies couldn't fly, they could only glide, so she would have to climb the cliff hand over hand, exhausting herself," or "The men were on the other side of the room, whispering, so she couldn't hear what they were saying," or something like that - where a limitation on her abilities advanced the plot - but from previous books we know that harpies CAN fly several miles, up a mountain, while carrying two people at at time, and harpies CAN hear your heartbeat from outside your house if they listen for it. I know LOTU is a big universe and sometimes details get lost, but this is annoying because several times these mistakes about harpy abilities are a central part of a necessary plot device, so the plot ONLY works because of this mistake on the author's part.

Everything taken together makes this feel like an unfinished novel, or a rough draft. Don't bother reading it for the plot - because what little you need to know will be in the next book anyway - and don't bother reading it to experience a richly drawn story, because the details aren't there. This is the only LOTU book you can skip, and I suggest skipping this book to save yourself the frustration and disappointment.

I liked this book but I didn't love it. Strider was typical in being in lust with girl but won't have her b/c he doesn't think he can compare to Paris' techniques which would be viewed as a challenge by his demon. Kaia who's a harpy long viewed Strider as her consort. Only when there is a risk to him losing her (Harpy games) does he find his heart. To tell you guys the truth I read it in one day and forgot about it by the next. But I did enjoy it.

The Darkest Secret was somewhat of a disappointed, but she brought it back with The Darkest Surrender. I was sucked in from the very beginning and adored the main characters. The humor in each of their thoughts was fun, but it also set them apart from some previous characters. Even personality wise, they were different. I am happy this book came out so well and can't wait for Paris'.

Love this series! These books are the reason I started reading paranormal romance! Out of the ordinary with an exciting plot line. You even learn a little mythology! From vampires to werewolves this is the series to read!

Fifteen centuries ago, fourteen years old Kaia Skyhawk wants to be known as the strongest harpy. Her only rival at the Harpy Games is Juliette the Eradicator. Juliet captured a male but her new consort remains defiant. Thinking she can make this warrior obey, Kaia, ignoring her mother's admonition about men, frees him. He goes on a rampage killing many harpies. It is fifteen hundred years later and everyone especially her mother blames Kaia the Disappointment for the massacre; she and her sister Bianka have been banned from participating in the games ever since.

For the first time since the disaster, the Skyhawks sisters are invited to the games. Bianka and Kaia know someone is setting them up for something though it could be Juliette or even their mom, but each agrees they must attend. She also tells Bianka that she believes Strider is her soulmate, but he and his demon Defeat refuse to accept their attraction to the notorious harpy. However, he reconsiders his position of keeping his distance when he learns first prize at the games is the dangerous ancient Paring Rod that could kill him and his Dark Lord peers.

The latest Lords of the Underworld romantic fantasy (see The Darkest Secret) is a terrific refreshing entry due to the macabrely humorous yet lunatic Harpy culture. The story line is fast-paced from the opening fiasco and never slows down as Kaia who tasted defeat refuses to accept it again except as the demon accompanying her Strider. Madcap, the zany Harpy Games is fun to attend.

Harriet Klausner

While (initially) I adored LOU and still read the books, and planning on reading (when bored to death), A LOT has changed after the newness of Maddox book, or the absolute thrill of Lucian's. And for a while I couldn't place my finger on the real problem. I simply knew there were some. It took me ages, it seems, but I finally know what bugs me about this series.
1.With every book GS is more and more encroaching into IAD world. Not only some characters remind me of Kresley Cole's heroes, the characteristics of the world also changed so much it's like a copy, only a copy much worse than the original.
2.While LOU started as an individual and interesting world, with strong badass warriors who cared about saving the world and fighting with hunters, it turned into to a non-stop introspecting and constant whining. With warriors calling each other names such as Stridey-man and only occasionally actually behaving like warriors.
3.The girls were downgraded from strong, capable women (even if vulnerable in their own way) into a adolescent brats with an IQ of 60.
4.The jokes are repetitive and doesn't get better with each book. What more - the language pattern of different heroes and heroines are so similar it's hard to think them as real, unique and 3D characters. I mean how many characters of GS use phrases such as "I'm made of awesome", etc?
5.Male heroes don't sound manly at all. And their thought pattern, with going round and round the circles (reminds me of Mexican telenovelas with a constant he loves me, he loves me not dilemma), is 100% girlish.
6.Very often, in the end, GS uses third party solutions to finish the book. As if saying her main characters are not capable of achieving their HEA ( Zachariel saved Haidee in previous book). And though this time the heroes fought themselves, it still felt too rushed.
7.Actually, sometimes it seems that no matter the potential of the story, which I would love to read, GS focuses on lust and sex and internal mulling of what-if's, instead of telling the story. Everything is simply left in the background and the once intricate world is being diminished each time.

I was hoping i could give this book a good review...seemed like..."how can you NOT like Strider"??? Well, these 2 (Kaia & Strider) are just weird!!! The romance between them is odd and really nothing, (nothing-romance; nothing-excitement)really happens most of the book. They didn't even kiss before somewhere around page 250 (of 346 pages). Strider was more interesting in Amun's book. I struggled to get through this book. Good luck with your read.

I'm extremely disappointed in the love interest chosen for Strider. This is the 2nd harpy/lord story and the harpies are irritating to begin with-Kaia most of all. This story centered 95% on Kaia when its supposed to be Strider's turn. He became a secondary character in his own story. So all of a sudden Strider 'notices' her? C'mon. I don't believe that a harpy is stronger than a goddess (and they shouldn't be compared). Sorry, but Kaia can never be Anya-no matter how much she tries to imitate her & Anya I like. I went into the Lords of the Underworld series truly loving the stories (my fave is The Darkest Kiss, The Darkest Passion & The Darkest Lie). What happened to Cameo in all of this? If there is 1 more harpy story I'm gone. Gena's an excellent writer but Strider deserved better than Kaia.

I already knew that The Darkest surrender would be awesome. It's by Gena. She never fails to write a great story. It makes you smile, laugh and heart race with edge-of-your-seat action. And let's not forget steamy love scenes. Down fall- I gotta wait forever for the long awaited story, PARIS. sigh)..lol. If you havent read Gena's Lords of the underworld? You must, you will NEVER be disapointed. :)

That is pretty much what I want to say to Showalter after reading this book. I had so many WTH moments that after a while I lost count. The entire time I am alternatey reading and putting down this book I kept getting the feeling as if something was off-I couldn't name it but it was on the tip of my tongue. And then, my moment of clarity. After reading the very last torturous page it hit me-the lack of maturity within the characters. At times it felt as if Showalter was so caught up in creating these ego maniacs that their tendencies shown through and seeped her writing. If the only words the main characters know are stupid/dumb (Kaia) and ego-check/pat on the back (Strider), then I can safely say I had a drop in IQ.

Since my fellow reviewers have gone into detail about this book I will not bore you and do the same, but warn you. This book does not read like a Lords of the Underworld book. It was lost and confusing. Major characters within the story barely made an appearance, and the love/lust/battle between Strider and Kaia and the Lords and the Hunters felt thin (kind of like string cheese that is about to break at any moment). And to make it worse, the primary reason I believe most read this series is because of the relationship between the Lords and their demons. Sorry to say this, but you will not get it in this one-defeat only know one word-WIN. Another drop in IQ points. And Showalter's excuse for defeat's lack of character and vocabulary-he has always been that way.

If you are like me and are disappointed in Showalter's 50/50 performance-Love It!/It Sucks! mentality, I highly recommend Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series. You will meet a group of people who you will just be happy to read about. Domineering men and strong women, their love interests who drives them crazy and moments where you have to keep yourself from crying in public.

I have to say that Gena puts out hit after hit with the LOTU series. It's as interesting as the first book and that's hard for an author to do and when it's done that's when you have to commend them for that.

I am not going to get into details about the book. I am sure many reviewers will. So just a little blurb to say Gena, you have redeemed yourself! I was somewhat dissapointed in the last book, The Darkest Secret. The book was dry and filled with recap after recap resulting in a whole lot of boring. There was some unnecessary recap in this book as well,( which i skipped over, reasons for a 4 not a 5) but overall, a good storyline giving me a great escape. Strider's ego was lol!!!

I loved this book! I love anything that Gena Showalter writes though. In this story Strider finally hooks up with the harpy Kaia. Lots of push and pull w/ the love story part which I love. Lots of danger and adventure through out!!

So I love Strider, he is a kick. On the other hand Kaia is a female version of Paris and does not have a demon to make her such. Unlike Anya who dresses like a "hooker" and gets away with it, Kaia doesn't. I would've picked someone else for Strider but it is what it is. On to the romance, oh wait there are just really really graphic sex scenes. I want true love, not sex, all the time. Oh well, on to the next.

Lately, I've been wondering what has happened to this series. What made me first fall in love with this series, the darkness and intensity seems to have been drastically watered down. I won't go into too much detail, as many other posters have already done that. Instead, I'll highlight my issues with this book, and the more recent books in general. Any huge fan of Gena's knows about her close friendship with author Kresley Cole. Frankly, if I was Cole, I'd be a little irritated with Showalter. More and more, Gena seems to be trying (key word, trying) to imitate Cole. She's failing. From the Harpy Games/Hie Games, to the Harpies/Valkyries, to the immature dialogue/witty dialogue, Gena is not pulling it off.

- Instead of an interesting plotline of this huge contest, it's used as a boring backdrop that serves only to occasionally pop up to keep the story going.

- Her characters are increasingly getting more and more irritating. They're vapid, immature, and very not funny (no matter how hard Gena tries to make them appear). These characters have lived for centuries, huh?? I sometimes have to step back and question if I'm reading a Young Adult novel, it's that bad. I know Gena writes YA, so perhaps her universes are mixing in some ugly way...? It's either that or it's, once again, a mutated version of Cole's work. Cole's characters are actually funny, and yes, they may seem immature at times. But Cole manages to pull it off with revealing inner dialog and detailed character building. Her characters have lived for centuries, and you can tell.

- Dialog. A huge pet peeve of mine is how similar each character speaks. I mean, honestly, how many character have the same wince-worthy unfunny saying? (I'm made of awesome). No. You're not. You're made of the same lackluster character building as the rest of your lot.

Basically, this book was a huge let down. I didn't feel that Kaia and Strider were a good fit. It took them this long to get together, when they're around each other constantly? And Kaia and another lord slept together. Ew. Honestly, I loved the buildup between Strider and Haidee. Just not a huge fan of their match. I can only hope by the time we finally get around to my favorite characters, the books aren't completely down the toilet.

I'm a pretty flexible reader and can pretty much become absorbed in the worst story lines, however this was not the case with this book. I was unable to enjoy reading this book, I usually try to give the story a chance to pick up, but I really couldn't do it this time. Maybe it's just not for me.

I love Gena Showalter,love the Lords of the underworld, all of the lords are bad boys but Strider and William are my favorite, even if William is not a lord.This book is about anticipation and self-deprivation.Loved this book!!!

i will continue to buy her books and this is the first bad review i have ever given, but i need to say that i was hugely dissapointed with this story. Bring back the dark brooding and tortured hero. a joke here and there is great but the whole book? this was too juvenile for me. The lords deserve better. I was embarresd for them and it read like we were watching them while they were all in high school. I love all her charecters, espcially the harpies,but it was like i was reading another author. :(

I love Gena Showalter and I will always will. But this book and the one with Olivia sucked. So sorry to say that. I really do love ya Mrs. Showalter. What for me sucked was the heroine. I just want to say that I hate Harpies and hope never to read about them again. Poor Strider. He loved him in the other books until he got his own book and he lost his personality that I grew to love. He is not the same Strider from the previous books. I gritted my teeth through the whole book. Hate is a strong word but that is how I feel about Kaia.

I am a big fan of Gena Showalter's LOTU series, and I must say, this surpassed all the books I've read prior to this one.

I never thought I'd love Strider more than I already did, but Gena Showalter changed that. I love Strider EVEN MORE now, which is saying something in itself. This was a great read, and the concept of The Harpy Games was fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.

Buy it, Love it, Devour it. TOTALLY worth it. :)