The Darkest Promise (Lords of the Underworld, #13)

by Gena Showalter

[booksandcats]

Alright, so. I have to say, I enjoyed both Cameo and Lazarus very much in this book. I liked their chemistry, their interactions and most of their story arch. So, why didn't I give it more than three stars? Because I've got to admit, the problems of this series are just... a bit much at this point.

There are soo many inconsistencies in this book and the whole series that just so get on my nerve!

So, all it took for Cameo to be free of her demon was the cage of compulsion? Basically, every Lord who wanted to get free of their demon could hop into the cage, be ordered to be rid of their demon and survive it unharmed and all would be well? Are you fricking kidding me?? They had that damn thing since book two!! None of the problems in all the following books relating to their demons would have been necessary... So... good one!

The whole story with Pandora's box is soo inconsistent! In Torin's book it was revealed that it was William who stole it... and now it was suddenly Hera? That's just lazy writing... Like, Showalter needed a new kind of Antagonist who had something to do with the box from the beginning, so let's change the things I have just revealed and just write something that fits into this conveniently.

Hera's whole thing about Cameo and Pandora, that they were created as "whores" for the other warriors, cause Zeus was a sexist asshole and didn't believe woman to be equal to men... I mean, it's not a huge point but it still bugged me. First, according to Baden's book, there were more warriors created, he said something like 6 more brothers and 4 more sisters, or something along those lines (to lazy to go back and check), soo... Hera would surely know that and not just single out Pandora and Cameo... Second, it just doesn't make sense. Surely if that was the intent in their creation, they would have been created a little differently... like maybe more feminine, instead of with a body that is clearly described as very fit for a warrior. Whatever. I've got to say it just bugged me, because there is no need for that particular claim by Hera... it doesn't go anywhere, Cameo isn't really bothered by it, it's just unnecessary plot addition that leads nowhere and doesn't really fit into the whole thing.

There are other little inconsistencies as well, that I feel like should have been picked up at a thorough reading by publishers or whatever happens before it is releases, but I'm going to skip over that.

Now, the characters of Cameo and Lazarus and their story was the major plus for this book, however. First, I can't stand it when a H sleeps with other woman after meeting their h. Which Lazarus does, soo yeah, not too big of a fan there. I thing what made it good is that they have been built up for the last few books, so the lust and attraction wasn't as abrupt instant and made much more sense, therefore much more believable. You still find the very rational male pining and possessive "this woman is mine forever and how dare she ever leave me, I want her more than anything else... but only in my bed" in literally the first chapter, but it's slightly more bearable because they actually have a history together. Cameo was great, I loved that she wasn't the usual template of Gena Showalters females, who all seem to be Anya, but taken to a new extreme every new book, so that was good. Her logic and thinking are very confusing sometimes, but I can rationalize that with her demon, who influences her thinking a lot.

All in all, this book is definitely one of the better recent ones, but I just have to say, this series turned into a very weird, slightly confusing thing of something a thirteen year old girl would dream of and act like, mixed with very erotic and sexual desires of a grown woman... I'm still going to finish it, just because... well I'm not good with leaving things unfinished. But I wouldn't recommend this series to many people at this point.