Chelsea S. (PengQueen) reviewed on 7/23/2009 + 114 more book reviews

The first book in this series, The Darkest Night, was average. I continued with this, the second book, in hopes that the series would improve--and I was much rewarded. The background and circumstances already having been established, Showalter is able to deliver a much more compelling love story.

Lucian is the keeper of the Demon Death, and is forced to escort the souls of the dead to either heaven or hell. He is commanded by the Titan king Cronus to kill the goddess of Anarchy, Anya. Anya has been stalking Lucian for some time by this point, finding herself fascinated by him. Her past is marked by a curse and a secret gift from her father, making her existence treacherous and complicated. But her attraction for Lucian, and his for her, quickly overshadows all of that.

Lucian is a fascinating, complex, sexy character. The theme of Death is equally fascinating. Anya is the exact opposite of the typical fainting,helpless, virginal heroine. She is pushy, destructive, and fun. Their love story is hot and romantic.

The biggest problem with this book, like The Darkest Night, is pacing. The plot is well thought out but drags in some places, particularly at the beginning, then skips ahead rapidly as if in a hurry to finish. To me this is likely an issue of poor outlining on the authors part. It does not detract much from the romance, but it makes the tension level awkward.

I recommend this book to anyone who read the first--whether you liked it or not--because it is a huge improvement on the Lord of the Underworld universe.

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