We spend most of our time with the main couple, but some supporting storylines moved forward, as well. The flow of this book is better than the previous one. I prefer the stories like this one where they only play a small role. I’ll admit I get a little tired of the back-and-forth between them and the Lords. It was nice to see them doing something besides fight the Hunters. It was nice to see the guys all hanging out together, cheering on their Harpies and having a little bit of downtime (but just a little). Lysander and Sabin are on-hand to support their ladies too. Strider isn’t the only Lord of the Underworld attending the Harpy Games. The Harpies have sharp tongues and love to joke (they remind me a little of the Valkyries in Kresley Cole’s IAD series, actually) and Strider keeps up with Kaia completely. Even when he isn’t completely onboard with the whole consort thing, he doesn’t want anything to happen to her and he and Defeat are determined to keep her safe and help her win.

There is so much banter between Kaia and Strider.

But they balance out their violence with much love of all things girly and sheer joy in living. Wow, there is a lot of violence! Harpies do not pull their punches, faithful reader. Everyone – including her mother – is going to gang up on her during every portion of the Games until she is dead…or wishes she were. After all the years of ignoring her existence, they have decided to punish her for what she did as a teenager. As you might imagine, faithful reader, Strider does not like to lose.Īfter convincing Strider to accompany her to the Games (and pretending to be her consort), Kaia finds out all the other Harpy teams are out to get her. Defeat forces Strider to accept all challenges issued and rewards him with pleasure if he wins but punishes him with pain if he loses. Kaia has been in an ongoing flirtation with Strider, keeper of the demon of Defeat. Imagine Kaia’s surprise when she is invited to participate in the next upcoming Harpy Games. Her sisters (including familiar faces Gwen and Bianka) are really the only Harpies that will speak to her. Kaia hasn’t really been on good terms with other Harpies since a youthful mistake wreaked havoc at the Harpy Games. What do you get when you cross a Harpy nicknamed Kaia the Disappointment, who happens to be headed for her equivalent of the Olympics (though totally unlike any Olympics imaginable), with a warrior who is host to the demon of Defeat? A wild and crazy ride! Paranormal Romance published by HQN Books 27 Sept 11 C2’s review of The Darkest Surrender (Lords of the Underworld, Book Eight) by Gena Showalter

The darkest surrender by gena showalter