Review - Mysteria Lane - Anthology

Mysteria Lane
Anthology
MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant,
Gena Showalter, P. C. Cast
Berkley Sensation
October 7, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-425-22294-2

Book Blurb:
Return to a town of bewitching seduction and sensual demons. There’s a spellbinding witch of love who wants to make one man hers; a vegan having trouble adapting to vampirism; Satan’s emissary, who is looking for steady work in Colorado; and angelic triplets feeling a wee touch of the devil.

My thoughts:
In Disdaining Trouble by MaryJanice Davidson the Desdaine triplets tend to be the terrors of the town. When a mishap sends Withering into the town’s wishing well and returns her all grown-up just a few minutes later, Thad is happier than ever that he made to choice to move back to Mysteria.

In The Nanny from Hell by Susan Grant a demon is sent to destroy Harmony and Damon’s baby boy, but before she reaches them an accident changes things. A future with Quel, the town’s demon hunter, suddenly sounds much more appealing to Shay than returning to her life ruled by Lucifer.

In A Tawdry Affair by Gena Showalter a witch who wants revenge enlists her sister’s help in providing her with a bit of magic to make a man pay for his actions. Glory’s in for a surprise when the tables are turned, and she realizes how wrong she’s been about Falon.

In It’s in His Kiss by P. C. Cast a school teacher with faulty magic returns to Mysteria with designs on a certain fairie, but meeting Colin, could change her mind. Only problem is, Summer is a vegetarian and Colin is a vampire.

In this follow-up anthology, four talented authors are brought together for another visit to the town and residents that readers were introduced to in Mysteria. With just as much humor and romance as the first, Mysteria Lane will keep readers engaged from the first page to the last. Each author provides readers with a well-detailed short story that’s filled with magic, passion and wit. I hope to see another visit to this mystical town in the future.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Pleasure
Lords of the Underworld, Book 3
Gena Showalter
HQN
July 1, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-373-77310-7

From the back cover:
He can bear any pain but the thought of losing her…

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.

Danika is on the run. For months, she’s eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won’t rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can’t forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear. . .

My thoughts:
Along with his fellow warriors, Reyes is bound by an ancient curse. As punishment for opening dimOuniak (Pandora’s box) he lives each immortal day with a demon who thrives on pain. In this third book of the Lords of the Underworld series, Reyes will do everything he can to win Danika’s trust. Her presence in his life may bring him salvation, but protecting her could bring his death.

Ms. Showalter takes readers on an engaging adventure where demons thrive on death and destruction, and hope burns eternal. From passion filled moments to visions of the gods, questions are answered while others are formed. There’s a scene in The Darkest Pleasure that may be viewed as a bit more disturbing than most, but it makes sense for this particular character. Readers should be satisfied with this installment, but will be hungry for more from this talented author.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Kiss
Lords of the Underworld, Book 2
Gena Showalter
HQN
June 1, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-373-77232-2

After opening dimOuniak (Pandora’s Box), made of bones from a goddess to hold the spirits of demons, Lucien was forced to accept the demon of Death inside himself as punishment. He’s a Lord of the Underworld, scarred from self inflicted wounds and charged with escorting souls into the afterlife. Lucien keeps to himself and is content with the negative effect his appearance has on women. Then Anya comes along, and her single minded pursuit has him rethinking his most recent orders to kill her.

Anya is the Goddess of Anarchy, and lives with a curse that has made her unwilling to do more than flirt and tease men. Her sights are set on Lucien, and there’s little he can do to deter her from her goal. While Cronus, the new king of gods, hounds her for the special key she possesses, Anya assists the Lords of the Underworld in searching for powerful artifacts that could lead to Pandora’s Box.

In this second installment of the Lords of the Underworld, readers explore Lucien’s past and changing future as Anya insinuates herself by his side. Lucien is closed off and brooding with his curse to bear. Anya is outgoing, sarcastic and desperate for Lucien’s affections. Ms. Showalter has a fabulous style all her own, and really knows how to unfold a story at a steady pace. While there were some distracting moments with Anya’s over-the-top behavior, The Darkest Kiss is well-written, entertaining and wonderfully steamy. To enjoy the full effect of this series, readers should start from the beginning.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

I've Been Tagged...

I've been tagged by Rachael at: http://booklover07202.blogspot.com/


So this is how it goes:

1. Pick up the nearest book.

2. Open to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.

5. Tag five people and post a comment to the person who tagged you once you've posted your three sentences.


The nearest book to me would have caused people to fall off of their chairs if I posted something from it. *grin* um….so, the next closest is The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter. Here are the three sentences:

All had been mortals, amusing for a little while as they showered her with the compliments she’d always craved from the gods, but most had been as forgettable as she wanted Lucien to be. The more memorable ones had become her friends, even though she had refused to sleep with them.
One by one they had died.


I tag:

1. Robert (Fantasy)

2. Scooper (Urban Fantasy/Romance)

3. Angie (Urban Fantasy/Romance)

4. jessewave (Erotic Romance)

5. Harry (Fantasy)

The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Night
Lords of the Underworld, Book 1
Gena Showalter
HQN
May 1, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-373-77246-9

Traveling to Budapest with her boss and coworkers from the World Institute of Parapsychology, Ashlyn Darrow ignores her boss’s order and attempts to gain access to the men she thinks can help her. Ashlyn can’t stand the voices in her head anymore, and for her dealing with men who are described as angels by some or demons by others is worth any risk.

Maddox and his brethren have been cursed for freeing the demons contained in Pandora’s Box. His punishment is to be possessed by the demon Violence and to be killed night after night in a gruesome manner. When he finds Ashlyn sneaking around the fortress grounds with Hunters following her every move, Maddox sees her as Bait from their enemies. Still, there’s something about her he can’t resist.

When Ashlyn is taken back to the fortress by Maddox what she learns will have her questioning the Institute’s motives and the role she was forced to play. One thing she’s sure of is that being with Maddox is the most peaceful she’s felt in her life, and she has no plans of giving that up.

The Darkest Night is the first full-length print novel of the Lords of the Underworld series. There is an ebook prequel titled The Darkest Fire. Ms. Showalter gives readers a well-built and dark paranormal world to escape to, and spices things up with a scorching tale of love. With a unique blending of myth, fairy tales and imagination, The Darkest Night will lure you in and keep you entertained to the end. The next installment, The Darkest Kiss, is due to release June 1, 2008.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews