The opening of THE DARKEST WARRIOR reads like something out of a Grimm brothers fairy tale. Two princes in a far-off land are cruelly driven apart by a prophesy, with a magical transformation thrown in for good measure. Puck the Undefeated is an unlikely hero but very likable and lickable. After some bad stuff goes down between him and his brother Sin, Puck is still a sexy Jason Momoa doppelganger -- just with horns and hooves. Although Puck initially sets out to steal Gillian away without any regard for her feelings, his secret and fondest dream is to belong to someone and be special, and to have someone special belong to him. What's not to love?

At the start of THE DARKEST WARRIOR, Gillian is not in a great place. She thinks she's in love with William but, for good reasons, she has a fear of physical intimacy. Winding up bonded to Puck and being taken to his home fantasy realm of Amaranthia may have been the best thing to ever happen to her. Through some pretty creative maneuvering, Gena Showalter gives Gillian the time and the space to evolve into a confident warrior queen who can stand on her own, eviscerate her enemies, and accept as well as give love. This hero and heroine both come to the realization that they want to be together but trying to figure out how to do that is incredibly frustrating. Going on a quest with death and destruction a heartbeat away only cements their bond and makes them fall deeper in love.

THE DARKEST WARRIOR has a deliriously sexy hero with horns, hooves, and heart and a warrior queen who earns her happily ever after. The secondary characters in THE DARKEST WARRIOR are pretty amazing and I can't wait to read more about Winter and her brother Cameron, as well as Rathbone, and a slew of others. I look forward to what exciting adventure Gena Showalter has planned next in her Lords of the Underworld universe.

Book Summary