King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: Here on Earth


author: Alice Hoffman


genre: fiction


published: 1997

source: purchased copy


pages: 309


first line: Tonight, the hay in the fields is already brittle with frost, especially to the west of Fox Hill, where the pastures shine like stars.

rated: 3 1/2 out of 4










Here on Earth is one of those books that I enjoyed reading but disliked most of the characters within the story. It is also reminiscent of Bronte's Wuthering Heights.





March Murray returns to her hometown in New England with her fifteen year old daughter Gwen. Her childhood housekeeper and nanny Judith, has passed away and March comes back to her hometown for the funeral and to get Judith's affairs in order.
March's scientist husband Richard, who is from the same hometown, stays behind in California unable to come on the trip due to his work.



When she arrives at her childhood home, old memories resurface and March begins to think about her first love, Hollis. She wonders if she will see him again now that she is back in town.





As a child, Hollis was rescued by March's father and brought to live with her family. Hollis was destitute and March's family became his own. However, Hollis was always withdrawn and sullen, only getting along with March and her father and becoming enemies with March's bother, Alan.
As time passes, Hollis and March fall in love.





Jealously and resentment mostly on Hollis' part, broke the two up when March was just eighteen and Hollis ended up leaving town with no word on his whereabouts. He left March depressed and heartbroken, often staring out her bedroom window in hopes of seeing Hollis return. The two never forgot each other. Three years later, Hollis returns to town a wealthy man, but March has already married Richard and moved to California. Hollis winds up marrying Richard's sister.


Does it remind you of Wuthering Heights yet?





Now that March is back in town she is desperate to see Hollis. And when she does, old flames reignite and the two are once again inseperable.









Like I said I enjoyed reading Here on Earth. It's got an interesting storyline, and Hoffman's writing is lyrical as usual. The sleepy town in New England almost has a haunting air about it, especially when the author describes the woods and the towns history.

A person could get lost up here. After enough wrong turns he might find himself in the Marshes, and once he was there, a man could wander forever among the minnows and the reeds, his soul struggling to find its way long after his bones had been discovered and buried on the crest of the hill, where the wild blueberries grow.

On the other hand, I couldn't help but be judgemental with the characters choices and thought processes. Hollis, modeled after Heathcliff, was too selfish and sulky for my taste, plus a tad disturbed. He was also very 'full of himself', always expecting March to come looking for him.


There's a part in the story where a very pregnant March calls Hollis on the phone and he insists she leave California and her husband to come back to him. When she tells him she can't he replies, "If you loved me, you'd do it". People who utter those words need to be smacked. So as soon Hollis said that, he got under my skin.




Another thing is the infidelity within the storyline. The book mostly centers around March's being unfaithful to her husband. I kept wondering if she had completely lost her mind. At one point she even admits that all she cares about is Hollis and nothing else, not even her family. I wonder why Hoffman set out to create these unlikeable main characters? She obviously modeled these people after Catherine and Heathcliff, but when I read Wuthering Heights I didn't dislike them. March and Hollis, on the other hand...


I do think this book would make a great book club selection, there's plenty to discuss within the storyline.





So as I said, I couldn't help but be judgemental with these characters, which in turn made it impossible for me to connect with them while reading.


But then again, love can be screwed up, and people make bad choices, but life goes on. Nothing is black and white. This is what this story was about for me. These two selfish people loved each other for most of their lives, no matter how screwed up that was, they were forever connected. As self-centered as they were, I kept thinking they deserved each other.



I felt bad for March's daughter Gwen who is witness to her mother's infidelity. She watches helplessly as her family is being torn apart by March's poor choices. She plays a central part in the story and I was hoping things would turn out alright for her in the end.


I also felt bad for March's husband Richard, who she simply brushes off like yesterday's news.

One other thing I should mention is that Hoffman leaves the ending open. The reader can come up with their own conclusions.




In the midst of all these screwed up relationships and unlikeable characters, Hoffman's writing had me glued to the page. Here are a few of my favorite tidbits.

March doesn't cry now; she's far too busy for anything like that. Still, there are mornings when she wakes with tears in her eyes. That's when she knows she's been dreaming about him. And although she never remembers her dreams, there's always the scent of grass on her pillow, as if the past were something that could come back to you, if you only wished hard enough, if you were brave enough to call out his name.

p. 30

It is sometimes possible to look at a person and see inside, although this happens so rarely it's always a shock, like a form of electricity traveling from one soul to another. It can only be glimpsed for an instant, but in that instant you can see the core of a person...

p.125

Unfinished business always comes back to haunt you, and a man who swears he'll love you forever isn't finished with you until he's done.

p. 132

There is no measuring love, other than all or nothing or that space in between. This is all, she sees that in him. This is more than everything. Could she live without this, what he's offering to her? Could she turn away and settle for anything less?

p. 164

Here on Earth was an Oprah's Book Club selection in 1998. I'd also like to mention there is explicit language and a few sex scenes in the book, not that it was overly done, but I know some readers would like to know if it's in there. It is.



And on a final note, I'm re-reading Wuthering Heights as we speak. It was a favorite of mine when I first read it years ago, I wonder how I'll feel about it the second time around.

title: WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE: Vampire Hunters And Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil


authors: Jonathan Maberry & Janice Gable Bashman


genre: nonfiction

pages: 363

published: 2010

first line: To many, Cain's killing of his brother Abel was not only the first murder, but the first crime.

rated: 3 out of 5






WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE: Vampire Hunters And Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil is a type of reference guide for horror fans.


This book is full of interesting information about the paranormal, fictional as well as real life monsters, and folklore among other things. Artwork from various sources is included throughout the book.



One chapter I enjoyed in particular was 'Legendary Heroes'. They discuss several different heroes from the fictional ones, James Bond to Rocky Balboa to Indiana Jones, to real life heroes like Mother Teresa and Rosa Parks.

We all love a good hero-a champion who triumphs over obstacles, who perseveres when hope seems lost, and who manages, somehow, to emerge a better person on the other end of the struggle.


p. 100

Another interesting chapter was 'Who You Gonna Call?' which centered on ghosts and hauntings. Famous haunts such as the Bell Witch and Lizzie Borden's house are discussed as well as techniques and equipment used on ghost hunts.








There is a chapter devoted to demonic possession and exorcism and the different types of rituals different cultures and religions use to get rid of evil spirits.
Another chapter discusses weapons used to fight evil, such as amulets and charms. There are a few chapters devoted to different kinds of vampires and vampire history as well as famous vamp slayers like Buffy and Van Helsing.

It's impossible to create a definitive list of vampiric powers or vulnerabilities because they vary from culture to culture. Most vampires from folklore do not fear sunlight or the cross. Stakes won't kill them, they can cross running water, mirrors are irrelevant, and they don't have to obtain permission before entering a house.

p. 37

One chapter is about serial killers and how they are evil real life monsters. I was kind of reading this chapter with just one eye open since I was a bit squeamish about the topic. But the serial killer issue is one that is morbidly fascinating and I couldn't help but read on. They do list different serial killers and their crimes, and I was surprised to see some date back to as early as the
1700's.




I could really go on and on, this book is full of information about the paranormal, villains, heroes and monster folklore.



WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE: Vampire Hunters And Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil comes complete with a list of 100 top villains of all time. Who are the top three? 1. Darth Vader 2. Hannibal Lecter
3. Norman Bates.





I'd recommend this book to fans of horror and things that go bump in the night.

Special thanks to Janice Gable Bashman for this opportunity.

title: Silent Partner

author: Jennifer Chase

genre: thriller

pages: 308

published: 2011/ARC

first line: The rain abruptly stopped on the thirty-sixth consecutive day of torrential downpours.

rated: 3 1/2 out of 5

One Cop, One Serial Killer, One Witness
Who Will Survive?

When author Jennifer Chase contacted me about reading her latest book Silent Partner I was delighted. I'm a fan of this genre and always enjoy sinking my teeth into a good crime thriller.




When Megan O'Connell was just a child, she and her sister Teresa witnessed her father brutally murder their mother in their own home. Since then the girls were raised by their grandparents.


Now Megan suffers from agoraphobia and is barely able to leave her home. When her sister Teresa is brutally murdered in their shared home, Megan is a suspect.



Officer Jack Davis works for the Monterey County Police Dept in California.
His partner is a police canine named Keno.



Jack and Megan are childhood friends and ex-lovers reunited once again due to the tragic events in Megan's life. When Jack sees Megan again after five years of separation, he realizes he still has feelings for her. He doesn't want to leave her side and hopes to help her through this difficult time in her life.



Darrell Brooks is a psycho killer who has been evading the police for some time. This sick man has his own motives for going after Megan.

When events take a turn for the worse, Megan begins to question her own sanity.



With plot twists and turns, interesting characters and a surprise ending, Silent Partner made for a great read. The ending gave me chills.


I liked Jack's character the most. He is your classic 'good guy'.

I enjoyed the role the dogs played in the story. I hadn't expected dogs to be an important part of the book, it was a nice surprise.
You really get to see how these officers had a strong connection to their dogs.



All in all, Silent Partner is a face paced thriller, I read it in one sitting. I really had to know what was going to happen next.



Special thanks to author Jennifer Chase.




about the author:

Jennifer Chase is an author, freelance writer, and criminologist. She has authored three thriller novels "Compulsion", award winning "Dead Game", and "Silent Partner". In addition, she currently assists clients in publishing, ghostwriting, book reviews, copywriting, screenwriting, editing, research, and writer's assistant.


-quoted from the authors website.

title: Twilight

author: Stephenie Meyer

pages: 498

published: 2005

genre: young adult paranormal romance

first line: I'd never given much thought to how I would die-though I'd had reason enough in the last few months-but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

rated: 4 out of 5






Ahhhhhh....Twilight. There's a little of everything I enjoy in this story. Vampires, romance, rainy days.


I thought it was about time for a re-read of one of my favorite books.



17 year old Bella Swan moves to a small town called Forks in Washington to live with her father Charlie. Bella is socially awkward, sometimes moody and unsure of herself.
When she meets the mysterious and achingly beautiful Edward Cullen, she is instantly taken by him.




As usual when I re-read a favorite book, I pick up on little details that may have escaped my attention the first time around. For instance, I never liked Bella in the series but she didn't start to annoy me until the second book. Upon re-reading Twilight, she annoyed me right away. She's very defensive, childish and way too clingy with Edward.

So why do I love this book, though I dislike one of the central characters? Edward Cullen.

He's gorgeous, rich and aloof. I like how Edward has that dangerous edge to him as well.



For me Twilight is a fun, romantic read, not too be taken to seriously or analyzed too deeply, but definitely enjoyed. It's pretty much one of my guilty pleasures. I am a Twilight fan and I will openly admit it. I like vampires who sparkle in the sunlight and have honey colored eyes dammit.

And for the record, Robert Pattinson does not look anything like the Edward I envision while reading the book. The Edward I envision is divine.




I enjoy reading Bella describe Edwards beauty page after page. Here's just a few ways she describes him:

I was in danger of being distracted by his livid glorious face. It was like trying to stare down a destroying angel.

-pp. 65

or how about:

He was too perfect, I realized with a piercing stab of despair. There was no way this godlike creature could be meant for me.

-pp.256

ok, this had me giggling like a teenager with a schoolgirl crush:

"The blush on your cheeks is lovely," he murmured. He gently freed his other hand. My hands fell limply into my lap. Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands.


"Be very still," he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen.

-pp. 275

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Edward takes Bella hiking in the woods on a rare sunny day and reveals that he glistens in the sunlight.

Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn't get used to it, though I'd been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday's hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn't sleep.


-pp. 260

So there you have it. Twilight remains one of my favorite reads. I like the romance between Edward and Bella. I also like the Edward's vampire family as well as the idea that they don't harm humans. Meyer touches on some of their backgrounds and how they came to be vampires and I always found that to be an interesting part of the series.




I'm glad I re-read it and probably will again someday. I should also say that I enjoyed the first three books in the series, but was dissapointed by the fourth and final installment.

title: Cosmic

author: Frank Cottrell Boyce

genre: young readers age 8-12

pages: 313

published: 2008

firs line: Mom, Dad-if you're listening-you know said I was going to the South Lakeland Outdoor Activity Center with the school?


rated: 4 out of 5 stars

Liam has always felt a bit like he's stuck between two worlds. This is primarily because he's a twelve-year-old kid who looks like he's about thirty. Sometimes it's not so bad, like when his new principal mistakes him for a teacher on the first day of school or when he convinces a car dealer to let him take a Porsche out on a test drive. But mostly it's just frustrating, being a kid trapped in an adult world. And so he decides to flip things around. Liam cons his way onto the first spaceship to take civilians into space, a special flight for a group of kids and an adult chaperone, and he is going as the adult chaperone. It's not long before Liam, along with his friends, is stuck between two worlds again--only this time he's 239,000 miles from home. Frank Cottrell Boyce, author of MILLIONS and FRAMED, brings us a funny and touching story of the many ways in which grown-upness is truly wasted on grown-ups.

Liam Digby is a 12 year old in the 7th grade who looks like he's a 30 year old adult.
This can be interesting for him since he's a curious kid who tends to get himself into trouble. When adults mistake Liam for an adult himself, he tends to not correct anyone.


When his principal thinks he's the new teacher on the first day of school, Liam doesn't bother correcting her. When he goes to a car dealership with his best friend Florida, and gets mistaken for her father, then is nearly allowed to take a test drive, he doesn't bother correcting the salesman. Liam is usually mistaken for Florida's dad and the two of them just go along with the charade.



Liam always ends up getting caught in the end and drives his parents nuts. But when he somehow gets himself and his friend Florida on a spaceship, there's big trouble and he finds himself in outer space with no way home.



The story is told by Liam as he floats through outer space. He is recording himself on his cellphone on the spaceship and wondering how he will get out of the mess he is in. His dad usually gets him out of trouble, but Liam doubts his father will be showing up in space to rescue him anytime soon. He is aboard the shuttle with five other children, including his friend Florida and they were supposed to land on Earth hours ago. Liam was selected to be the only Dad on the trip. When things go awry, he tries to figure out how to get the spaceship back home safely.




The author captures Liam's voice very well as you see the story through this 12 year olds eyes.

It's supposed to be more fun being a grown-up. That's why I swapped being a kid for being a dad. What's the point in forfeiting your childhood if all you get for it is filling forms?


pp.114 Cosmic

Liam is instantly likable as is his friend Florida. Sometimes it's amusing the way adults think he is an adult, how easily they judge him on a first appearance.
Then again, you feel sad for him. He keeps being told 'You should know better, big lad like you' by adults.



I liked Liam's descriptions of being in space. There's even an appearance by astronaut Alan Bean.

There are more stars than there are people. Billions, Alan had said, and millions of them might have planets just as good as ours. Ever since I can remember, I've felt too big. But now I felt small. Too small. Too small to count.
pp.293 Cosmic

I enjoyed Cosmic. I found this to be a quick read, the writing flows and the story is charming and sweet. There are flashbacks within the story but they weren't distracting.
I'd recommend this one if you're in the mood for a light and sweet read. This is considered a book for children age 8-12, I think it's more for 10 and up.
This is also a great father/son read.

title: The Secret of the Glass

author: Donna Russo Morin

genre: historical fiction

published: 2010

pages: 372

first line: The scalding heat rose up before her, reaching deep inside her like a selfish lover grasping for her soul.

rated: 4 out of 5 stars






When author Donna Russo Morin contacted me about reading and reviewing her book The Secret of the Glass, I was tickled pink. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and I always enjoy delving into a story set in another time and place.



Set in Venice during the 17th century, The Secret of the Glass is a wonderfully woven story full of drama, romance and Venetian history.


Nineteen year old Sophia Fiolario comes from a family of glass makers, her father Zeno owns a successful glass making factory. Being the eldest of three daughters, Sophia has been taught how to make the glass and she truly loves it. However, she works in secret with her father because it is illegal for women to work the glass.



The lovely Sophia is betrothed against her will to Pasquale da Fuligna, who is cold hearted and almost twice her age. She unwillingly consents to marry him, thinking of what will happen to her family once her father dies. If all goes as planned, her husband will inherit her fathers business and 'kindly' pay to put her two sisters in a nunnery.

When Sophia meets a handsome and kind stranger Teodoro Gradenigo, there is instant attraction. However, Teodoro is headed to the parish himself. His older brother is set to marry, leaving Teodoro with no other choice.

She felt his gaze first, like the brush of a butterfly's wings if they passed too close to the tender skin of her cheek, a touch that wasn't a touch at all but jarring nonetheless. She turned to it, drawn by it and saw him. His chiseled features towered over every other head in the room. He seemed to scowl at her, yet a small, almost secretive smile played upon his full lips.

Teodoro and Sophia are soon unable to forget each other, but they know it is nearly impossible to be together. Sophia is on a mission to find out if her betrothed is up to something illegal so she can report him and hopefully save herself.
To make matters worse, Sophia's father has been diagnosed with Dementia and his health is quickly declining.



Another interesting aspect to the story is Galileo Galilei and his famous invention, the telescope. He needs someone to make a special glass piece for it, and he hears the Fiolario's glass making factory is among the finest in Venice.



Author Donna Russo Morin obviously did her research and the result is a beautifully told story with vivid details of 17th century Venice and its history. I really felt swept up in this time period while I was reading.




I liked Sophia's character very much. She's a strong heroine, with a mind of her own trying to make it in a world were her options were limited.
The relationship she had with Teodoro was really sweet. I wondered how their story would end.



I also enjoyed reading about the techniques used during glass making. It seemed that Sophia had a passion for it, and truly felt free while making beautiful glass creations. Sadly enough, she had to keep her love of working the glass a secret.


I loved how the story involved different aspects of Venice and it's historical figures. Galileo is woven into the storyline seamlessly.





This was a great read and I highly recommend it to fans of Historical Fiction.
There's an interesting plot, likable characters and wonderful writing within these pages.

It is the history book writer's function to tell us where and when things happened;
it is the function of the fiction writer to tell us how it felt.
- Donna Russo Morin

Special thanks to author Donna Russo Morin for sending me a copy of her book.

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 200 bloggers take a stand to support books printed in an eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of 200 books printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using eco- friendly paper, we hope to raise the awareness of book buyers and encourage everyone to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.



The campaign is organized for the second time by Eco-Libris, a green company working to make reading more sustainable. We invite you to join the discussion on "green" books and support books printed in an eco-friendly manner! A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.




I am a proud part of the Green Books Campaign 2010. Special thanks to Raz over @ Eco-Libris for inviting me to participate. Here is my review of Valerie Martínez's fantastic piece of work, Each and Her.






title: Each and Her

author: Valerie Martínez

pages: 78

published: 2010

publisher: University of Arizona Press

genre: poetry

This book is manufactured in the U.S. on acid-free, archival quality paper containing a minimum of 30% post consumer waste and processed chlorine free.



Each and Her is a poem about the murders of over four hundred fifty girls and women in or near Juarez and Chihuahua Mexico since 1993. In spite of investigations and arrests, the murders continue. Some were students and some workers in maquiladoras which are factories or assembly plants, their murders linked with evidence of torture and mutilation. Maquiladora operators discriminate against pregnant women and demand their workers use birth control. If a worker is found to be pregnant, she is fired. These workers receive low wages and work long hours.




Some of the snippets are verses from the author, some of them are quotes and excerpts from poems or books.

no two sisters are more unlike than us




cheerleader


chubby recluse





the drag-down hair pulling fights




at night




holding the wooden handles


of a jump rope




bed-to-bed



hold tight you said




between us

-pp. 33, Each and Her



Valerie Martinez lists some of the women's names, ages ranging from 7 through 60's.

The author's voice within these verses is sad as it tells the story of these lost women. Some of the pages have a single word such as sigame, which means follow me in Spanish. I found that while I was reading, those singular words would make an impact. They were perfectly placed within the poem.

A typical maqui work schedule


60 hours per week

typical daily wage-$8.29


weekly salary-$49.74


deduction for union dues-4%


net weekly pay-$47.74


typical shared rent or contribution


to family income-$45.71




amount left over per week


for food clothes shoes


and medical attention-$2.03

-pp.36, Each and Her

About the author:
Valerie Martinez is a poet, teacher, translator, playwright, librettist, editor and collaborative artist. Visit her website here: http://www.valeriemartinez.net/

title: Pet Sematary

author: Stephen King

genre: horror

pages: 559

published: 1983

rated: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

"Sometimes dead is better...."



When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son -- and now an idyllic home. As a family, they've got it all...right down to the friendly cat.


But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth -- more terrifying than death itself...and hideously more powerful.

While reading the introduction of this edition of Pet Sematary I learned two frightening facts. One being that author Stephen King thinks that this is the scariest book he has ever written. And secondly, this book was inspired by true events. So just reading the introduction creeped me out a bit even before I read the story. Apparently when King first moved with his family to a rented house in Maine, they lived right off a busy road where his daughters cat was hit and killed by a truck. And she did cry out 'Let God have his own cat!', which is a line that made it into the book. The cat was buried in a pet cemetery not too far from the house. He also says that after writing Pet Sematary, he put the manuscript away in a drawer because he felt he'd finally crossed the line. He was scared by what he had written.





The Creed family makes a move from Chicago to Ludlow, Maine. Louis, his wife Rachel, their 5 year old daughter Ellie and 2 year old son Gage, along with the family cat, Winston Churchill, move into a nice house, right along a dangerous road where trucks tend to fly by at high speed. Just up the road, conveniently, is a pet cemetery. Louis is a doctor and his new position running the University of Maine's infirmary is the reason for his family's recent move.




Louis and his elderly neighbor Jud Crandall become instant friends.
Jud takes the Creed family on a little outing one day, to the woods behind their home. He shows the family the pet cemetery which was created over the years by children who wanted to bury pets that had been killed on the busy road.






Just beyond the cemetery is something else, further into the woods, an ancient Indian burial ground. There are large tree limbs, thorny vines and poison ivy blocking the entrance way.



There's all kinds of unsavory rumors, mostly known by the older residents of the small town, about the old Micmac Indian burial ground. Rumor has it, whatever you bury up there, returns.








Disaster strikes the Creed family and Gage is hit and killed by one of these huge tanker trucks on the road. A grief stricken and half mad Louis does the unkthinkable, he buries his toddler in the Indian burial ground, wanting to bring his son back from the dead.





I wanted to get into a really good old fashioned King read, and this book was it. I was scared silly while reading. As usual when I'm reading a scary S.K. novel, he has me so drawn into the story that I don't realize how creeped out I am until later on when I won't want to go into my basement to do laundry alone. Without a doubt, I can say that this is the scariest book I have ever read.



Pet Sematary is definitely a disturbing read, not for the faint of heart. I had a hard time getting through the description of Gage's death as well as Louis' grave robbing.



The one part of the story that was really creepy was Rachel's deceased sister Zelda. After suffering a long time with Spinal Meningitis, Zelda died while a horrified 8 year old Rachel watched on. The description of Zelda and her long time suffering was nightmarish. I couldn't get the image out of my head.




Another aspect of the story that was really scary was how the burial ground itself kind of took hold of events. There was a supernatural force that made Jud tell Louis about it's power, it made the truck driver drive at unsafe speed as soon as it got on the road where the Creed family lived. Later, this unseen force made Louis bury Gage up there. There's an evil presence surrounding the Indian cemetery that partly orchestrated what was going to happen the entire time.



With a horrifying plot and well written characters Pet Sematary had me hooked from the start. S.K. makes this story almost believable, I think that's what makes it so terrifying. Turning the pages felt scary to me, I feared what was next while reading this book, but I just couldn't stop reading.



This is not just a story about blood, ghosts and reanimated corpses, there's a family within the story that you can't help but like. It's about what this father and husband does at his most desperate hour.

As sick as Louis' actions were, as mad as he slowly became, I pitied him. In his mind he kept rationalizing what he was doing. When his mind finally snaps and he loses his sanity, he realizes that as well.

His screams echoed and racketed shrilly through the house where now only dead lived and walked. Eyes bulging, face livid, hair standing on end, he screamed; the sounds came from his swollen throat like the bells of hell, terrible shrieks that signaled the end not of love but of sanity; in his mind all the hideous images were suddenly unloosed at once.

The film version of Pet Sematary scared me badly when I was young. After reading the book, I do think they adapted it as well as they could for the big screen. However, the cutesy Gage in the film is nothing like what comes back from the dead in the book. Of course, the book is better. You get to see why these characters did these things, why Jud told Louis about the Micmac burial ground in the first place, because he simply had to.

title: The Darkest Pleasure Book 3 in the Lords of the Underworld Series

author: Gena Showalter

genre: paranormal romance

published: 2008

pages: 374

first line: Reyes stood on the roof of his Budapest fortress, five stories up, his feet balanced precariously on the highest ledge.


rated: 3 1/2 out of 5

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.…

The Darkest Pleasure is book 3 in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld Series. In this series, after opening Pandora's Box, a group of immortal men have been cursed to house demons for eternity. They live in a remote castle in Budapest.


Just to name a few, Maddox is the Keeper of Violence, Paris is the Keeper of Promiscuity, Reyes the Keeper of Pain and Lucien is the Keeper of Death.




Each one of these immortals keeps these demons inside himself, the demon always part of his thinking and awareness, almost like an inner voice. These demons make life for these men nearly unbearable and love almost impossible.
Each book in the series involves all of the immortals, but centers on one in particular and adds a heroine to the mix.



Book three centers on the immortal Reyes, the Keeper of Pain. I've actually been interested in reading Reyes story since I read the first book in the series.
Reyes houses the Demon of Pain which will not rest until Reyes injures himself, badly. *see the first line quoted above* His demon craves agony and Reyes finds himself craving it as well. It's almost like an addiction. He'll injure himself, heal quickly, only to have to do it again and again, for all eternity. Small injuries don't please his demon. Reyes jumps off buildings, shatters bones, has his spleen removed, stabs himself...stuff like that. If he doesn't injure himself on a regular basis, Reyes will have to injure others.




Reyes falls for Danika Ford the first time he sees her, in book 1. Danika and her family are on the run after being held captive by the Lords themselves.



One of the Lords, Aeron, has been ordered by the Titans to kill Danika and her family. Aeron however, does not want to kill the family, but his demon is craving it. He begs Reyes to trap him deep underground, near Hades, where he won't be able to do harm. This is where the storyline with Danika and Reyes begins in book 3.


Danika also finds herself unable to forget the beautiful and haunted Reyes since she first sees him. She is confused however as to whether the Lords are friends or enemies.





While on the run and in disguise, Danika is captured by Hunters, humans who dedicate their lives to finding and capturing the Lords of the Underworld. However, these Hunters use extreme measures and aren't in their right minds themselves.


When Reyes finds out Danika has been captured, he goes to save her.
Danika and Reyes are instantly drawn to each other when they reunite but Reyes wonders if Danika is secretly working with Hunters to bring the Lords down.
He also wonders if his 'angel', which is what he calls her, can truly love him despite his demon constantly craving physical pain.



As the story unfolds the Lords discover that Danika has a special power of her own.

He was right and wrong wrapped in the same sensual package, with a kiss and flavor that transported her at once to the heights of heaven and the depths of hell.




He had sprung from her nightmares, yet he had become her fantasy, weaving gossamer wings of desire through her every cell. He was the only thing she wanted and everything she shouldn't have.

I like how Gena Showalter gives her heroes heart and soul and makes her heroines smart and sassy. These reads are fun. Plus I'm a sucker for Alpha males. Funny enough I don't read many paranormals, but this author has become a favorite.






I read and really enjoyed the first book in this series, The Darkest Night. I stumbled upon it at the bookstore one day and am very glad I did. The second book is called The Darkest Kiss, and was so-so for me mostly because of the influx of different characters and a plot that was a bit too busy for me. I didn't want to give up on this series and have been meaning to get back into it. I am glad I finally did.



I liked reading about Danika and Reyes and I wondered how these two would work it out. The love scenes were well written, thankfully they weren't 'over the top', considering Reyes loves pain. The author found a way for these two characters to be together despite the violent demon Reyes houses.


I liked how Reyes was torn between his love for Danika and just leaving her be. He's a great hero, tormented and sensitive. He didn't want to corrupt Danika, he considers her an angel.

The storyline was fun, the writing was fast paced and I do look forward to the next book in the series. I also liked how the author weaved in other characters to the plot, new and old. It wasn't overwhelming. One thing I disliked was the length of the book, I felt like it could have been 50 pages or so shorter. Other than that, this was a good read.




If you enjoy paranormal romance, Alpha males and lots of action, you might like this series. I recommend reading them in order though.


Next in the series is The Darkest Whisper, which centers on Sabin who houses the Demon of Doubt.










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