Book Shelf: Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark #1) by Gena Showalter

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless -- and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions at any cost…until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.

Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation -- or her ultimate damnation?

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Review:


Drawing us into her new world of tormented angels and strong heroines, author Gena Showalter begins her new Angels of the Dark series with a spellbinding tale that showcases everything that makes her PRN novels so great and utterly addictive!

Alright, so to say I was excited to finally get to read this book is an understatement. I absolutely adore Gena’s books and count them amongst my faves. There’s nothing of hers I’m yet to read that I haven’t loved and devoured and I find that her writing never fails to entertain and her stories to enthral. Wicked Nights kick-starts Showalter’s new Lords of the Underworld spin-off series feathering some of the angels seen in LOTU and others we’ve yet to meet.

As with her LOTU series, her characters are tormented and somewhat broken, with harsh, painful pasts; all shrouded in mystery and secrets. While this novel does feature cold, emotionless leader Zacharel and his lady love, Annabelle as our main characters, we are also introduced to the other rugged angels that make up his army. Thane, Xerxes, Bjorn, Kolodo, and the female Jamila are standouts and feature Showalter’s trademark anguish and misery and are clearly haunted individuals all with unique back stories that are yet to be told. The small glimpses that we have of them throughout the book already point to strong, powerful stories of their own, as seen with the Lords of the Underworld books and I for one cannot wait to learn of their lives.

Our main hero in Wicked Nights is Zacharel, the strong, but emotionless angel we first met in LOTU. Finally allowing him to have is own tale in Angels of the Dark, Showalter tells of his guilt and pain at the loss of this brother and the events that fuel his actions now, along with the choices that will ultimately be his salvation or destruction. Zacharel is far from perfect. Even throughout this book his makes mistakes as he learns of his feelings for Annabelle and what it means for him. Actually feeling and desiring is new for him and while instinct rules him for the most part, he’s not without his faults and bad choices. And I liked this. It’s always lovely to see a character such as Zacharel learn and grow so much.

One of the best parts of the novel was our heroine Annabelle. While I did love Zachie, Annabelle is the kind of power-rocket heroine I’ve come to love from Gena, with all the flair, vulnerably and strength I adore. Having witnessed her parent’s deaths and then having been blamed for the, the attitude she took during her horrific incarceration managed to keep her going. So many people would have given up, but Annabelle fought the demons constantly and even the atrocious humans who thought to harm her. It’s amazing that she managed to remain so unbroken aside from some understandable trust issues and fear when men were concerned.

In typical Gena Showalter fashion, this book is action and danger packed while also featuring the romance and sensual love scenes you expect from one of her passionate books. From beginning to end this is an enjoyable read that every PRN should give a go. As the first book in the Angels of the Dark series, and even though it features no horrible cliff-hanger ending, Wicked Nights left me desperately craving the next story and eager to devour the entire series!

Rating:
Source: I bought it myself.
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Booktopia | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
Recommendation: PNR fans, especially those who already love Gena will adore this.
Cover: I love it--like how it follows the LOTU books
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Absolutely!