High in the mountains of Budapest there is a hidden fortress that houses immortal men who also happen to be demons – demons who strive to make a life for themselves while remaining inconspicuous and unknown to mortals and enemies alike.  Maddox is such a man but so much more – he is a Lord of the Underworld and his curse is Violence.  Thousands of years ago, Maddox was a prized warrior for the gods and because of this, he became angry at the female warrior Pandora because she was given the task of guarding the dimOuniak instead of him.  Jealousy ate at Maddox until he was unable to stop himself from destroying Pandora and opening her box of mayhem.  In this one act of violence, Maddox was doomed to eternally suffer the same fate that he awarded Pandora – death. 

Institutionalized since she was five, Ashlyn Darrow has spent her entire life hearing voices in her head.  If someone talked in the same spot as which Ashlyn stood, she is able to hear their conversations in her head and it is making her crazy.  She is never allowed a minutes peace and has been treated as if she is a freak of nature her entire life.  Hearing about a hidden fortress in the mountains of Budapest is like a dream come true because if what the locals are saying is true, then Ashlyn might be able to get help with her curse.  With this in mind, she sets out in the dead of winter to climb the mountain where the sanctuary is said to be hidden.

The Darkest Night is paranormal romance at its best.  It is dark, gritty, and it is emotional.  Maddox is the epitome of a tortured soul – and he was remorseful for his past deeds.  Unable to fathom why he wanted Ashlyn, this immortal was very much aware of how precious she was and I found his treatment and protection of her extremely romantic.  The character of Ashlyn surprised me.  With my first impression I found a very strong heroine.  Just how strong I would find out as I further read The Darkest Night. Ashlyn was willing to stay by Maddox’s side every night just for the chance to love him.  And love him she did. 

The Darkest Night had me instantly hooked on this brand new series.  I found myself on the edge of my seat and could not put The Darkest Night down. I had to know what was going to happen and more than once I had to gasp for breath when nuances of the plot started to unfold.  If The Darkest Night is any indication of Gena Showalter’s writing ability then I need to go back and buy everything she has ever written.  I am just that impressed and can’t recommend The Darkest Night enough.  In fact, raise your right hand and repeat after me, “Joyfully Recommended!”