Tortured in the fact that he thinks no woman will ever love him because of his scars. 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. It does not detract much from the romance, but it makes the tension level awkward. To me this is likely an issue of poor outlining on the authors part. 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. The biggest problem with this book, like The Darkest Night, is pacing. Anya is the exact opposite of the typical fainting,helpless, virginal heroine. The theme of Death is equally fascinating. Lucian is a fascinating, complex, sexy character. But her attraction for Lucian, and his for her, quickly overshadows all of that.

Her past is marked by a curse and a secret gift from her father, making her existence treacherous and complicated. Anya has been stalking Lucian for some time by this point, finding herself fascinated by him. He is commanded by the Titan king Cronus to kill the goddess of Anarchy, Anya. Lucian is the keeper of the Demon Death, and is forced to escort the souls of the dead to either heaven or hell. The background and circumstances already having been established, Showalter is able to deliver a much more compelling love story. I continued with this, the second book, in hopes that the series would improve-and I was much rewarded. The first book in this series, The Darkest Night, was average.

The darkest kiss by gena showalter