5 STARS | The Darkest Lie by Gena Showalter

Title: The Darkest Lie
Series: Lords of the Underworld #6
Author: Gena Showalter
Age Group: Adult
Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Mythology, Urban Fantasy
Elements: Demons, Immortals, Angels, Deities
Setting Location: Budapest, Hungary | Hell | Titania | Chicago, Illinois | Greece
Publisher: HQN Books
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-0373774616
Published: June 29th, 2010
Source: Library
Events: 2013 Sexy Showalter Reading Challenge
Rating: 5/5 STARS
Series Reviews: The Darkest Night | The Darkest Kiss | The Darkest Pleasure | The Darkest Whisper | The Darkest Passion
Purchase: Amazon

Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie—until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding — or bedding — her. But he wants to . . . almost as much as he wants her.

But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free, and a future with her could mean ultimate ruin. Especially as Gideon’s enemies draw closer . . . and the truth threatens to destroy all he’s come to love . . .

As Keeper of Lies, Gideon can recognize when he's being lied to, but when he meets Scarlet, the Keeper of Nightmares, and she tells him that she's his wife, Gideon can't tell if she speaks true or false. I won't say much on the truth of the matter, but I will pose these questions: What if someone caused you to believe something so completely that there is no room for doubt? What would you do if it all turned out to be false? Where Scarlet remembers a whole life with Gideon before their possession, Gideon only remembers snippets, and none of it is what Scarlet remembers. So who's memory is correct? Even with this possible falsehood between them, Gideon and Scarlet still manage to love each other. It's a painful road they take to get to that point, but it's also beautiful. We also find out an interesting tidbit about their demons, Lies and Nightmares.

While Gideon and Scarlet's story is the main one in The Darkest Lie, there are three smaller plotlines that set up the stories for future books. One is about Amun and how he was overrun by demons while helping Aeron free Legion from Hell. The next is about Sienna and how she feels used and betrayed by Paris, but her rage at Cronus for making her the new Keeper of Wrath has her trying to escape and find Paris for help. And the final one is about Strider and how he finds Haidee, who is actually Hadiee, the woman responsible for Baden's death, and captures her to bring back to the fortress. Like I said earlier, these three plotlines will set up the next three books in the Lords of the Underworld series, so they're kinda important to pay attention to.

Some observations I noticed in The Darkest Lie are that Cronus, as his age regresses, seems more friendly than when he was first released from Tartarus. This really shows that age does make your more cranky, LOL! And another that should be watched for is that William may or may not be Lucifer's brother. He also may or may not have a connection to the Four Horsemen. Nothing about William is made clear, but we are given small nuggets to keep us guessing.

The Darkest Lie is about uncovering what is true and false. It's about finding what's worth risking everything for. It's about knowing when it's time to let go and when it's time to keep holding on. And it's about realizing that though your mind may not know the truth, your heart will always lead you true. Truth and lies were the foundation for Gideon and Scarlet's relationship, but their hearts never lead them astray. While the lies caused them untold pain and sorrow, the truth gave them unknown joy and happiness.

I can't wait to read Amun's story in The Darkest Secret. How will he rid himself of the demons overrunning his body? How can one female, hated by the Lords for centuries, save Amun in his darkest hour?

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Gena Showalter sold her first book at the age of 27 and now, four years later, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen books, with eleven more on the way in a thrilling blend of genres: breathtaking paranormal and contemporary romances, cutting edge young adult novels, and stunning urban fantasy.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, MTV, Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated in French, Italian and Korean. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.

Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2013 to my book blogs, Zodiac Book Reviews and A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books.