5 STARS
You are a very, very dangerous female. But worth every wound.”
I swear, this series just gets better and better with each new installment. And this one is my favorite in the series so far. The King of Agonies delivered HARD and with a tatted surprise. Yes. Exactly the kind you're thinking. Mmm hmm. But I digress.

As a self professed Gena Showalter addict, and having read her entire backlist, I still get giddy with each new release she has. And The Wrath was certainly no exception. There's just something about this world of warlords and gods that just does it for me. And while this is a standalone in a series, you definitely want to read it in order for maximum enjoyment.

One of my favorite things about Showalters books is her witty banter and fiery sassy heroines. And boy oh boy did I love Neeka. Neeka the Unwanted is a harpy oracle and bestie of Harpy general Taliyah from The Warlord. So when Neeka seemingly turns side to work with the enemy, she has a dang good reason for it. And the reason also happens to be tall, dark, tatted and oh so dangerous.

Rathbone, King of Agonies is a god. No, literally. And look, my obsession with this book may not have something to do with him also being Hades's nephew. And I swear to you if I was rabid for Hades's book before, I'm near feral for it now. But I digress again.

Rathbone is on a mission to recover the enchanted bones of his slain wife to bring her back to life. But his plan has a small complication. Because The Astra have a new mission, and it's to revive his dead wife only so they can kill her. And the Astra assigned to the mission is none other than Azar, The Memory Keeper. A love triangle? Not quite.

When a vision puts Neeka in the center of Rathbone's mission, they form an unwilling alliance but to different ends. Because while Rathbone thinks she'll help him to revive his wife, Neeka's vision foreshadows something much darker. And she's determined to stop it.

When I tell you the chemistry between these two is instant and fiery, I mean I couldn't get enough of them. And the slow burn romance only added to the nail biting wait of when they'll finally give in. And oh my GAWD. I was turning the pages with eager glee, completely enraptured in this world and this story. The banter between Rath and Neeka was everything. And I lived for every new nickname Neeka came up with for the god. The tension, the action, the chemistry, all of it flawlessly weaved together to make one simply unputdownable read. And now here I sit, both happy because I loved it so much, but also completely devastated knowing I have to wait for the next book after the tease we get at the end. GAWD. What am I even going to do with myself until the next installment?! *cries in fan girlish anticipation*



ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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enemies-to-lovers favorite-authors pnr18 s Natalie ~ The Biblioholic2,635 1,358

Okay. Wow. I need to start this series from the beginning because I AM IN LOVE WITH THE WAY THESE BEINGS LOVE!!

Rathbone has spent centuries trying to put his wife back together. Neeka is the oracle who will help him find the remaining bones. The journey is what proves to these two that they deserve so much more than they ever believed.

Rathbone and Neeka were raised to feel wanting. He was "If Only" and she was "The Unwanted", however, together... these two finally found the one person perfect for them. It took a loooooong time to realize it and they had to jump over many obstacles to obtain their happiness, but I felt their hope for forever right from the beginning.

My copy of this book wasn't formatted, but that didn't stop me from savouring this story. I flipped pages while ignoring everything pertinent to my life. Who cared about laundry, dishes, or cleaning. Priorties!!

I do wish I had read the previous books in the series, but I was in no way lost or felt I was missing something. Reading this book only made me want to read those stories pronto. So if you paranormal romance, exceptionally oblivious but incredibly endearing heroes, fierce and hilarious heroines, and an intense plot, you'll need this book in your life.

Find more here: The Wrathdual-pov fated-mates heat-descriptive ...more12 s Teela (bookdragontee)443 54

"No consort of mine is ordering me around, especially while he's banging other chicks. I'll be his one and only, and he'll be mine, and that's that."

Something cracked inside his chest. To his amazement, yearning leaked out.

Anyone that knows me knows that Gena's Lords of the Underworld series and extended universe sits securely in my top 3 favorite book series of all time. Whenever I get to return to this world and these characters, it feels a blessing - especially when I get to spend some quality time with my faves that I haven't seen in a while. The Wrath not only gave me the opportunity to enjoy that time with Rathbone, Neeka, and Hades, but Gena gave us additional layers to their characters that satisfied something in me that I hadn't known needed satiating in the first place.

Taliyah Skyhawk has been sitting comfortably in my top favorite heroines list for years now, but after this book, her bestie, Neeka Eagleshield, has officially cracked that prestigious list. I clearly have a weakness for seers and soothsayers. I don't know what it is about them, but they are almost always instant favorites of mine - perhaps its the ungodly weight of responsibility that sits on their shoulders and the way they bear that burden; the wisdom that comes with it... and the hints of madness. The empathy, the insight, the deep well of complexities that make up their characters. Having the opportunity to spend more than a fleeting few pages and references with Neeka meant that Gena was able to ingratiate all of these characteristics and more into the harpy seer's character - but then she added all of these additional layers of vulnerability and yearning and a yawning, aching loneliness that spoke to me at such a visceral level, it spooked me at first.

On the surface, Neeks is all chaos, sass, tenacity, and madness. But being known as the Unwanted for nearly the whole of her life and the toll that's taken on her, even if she pretends it doesn't bother her... my heart broke for her on more than one occasion. Neeka is an iceberg of secrets and complexity, and after finishing this book, I couldn't help but adore her as hard as I do her best friend, Taliyah.

A groan scraped his throat. He didn't understand the intensity and speed of his reaction to her. And what was this new, terrible sensation growing inside him? This... calm. As if everything was right, nothing missing, nothing broken. How was a king supposed to get anything done feeling this? He hated it. And loved it. What did it mean?

Then there's Rathbone the Only - adopted son of Hades, and a king of the realm of agonies. This shapeshifter is your classic Gena Showalter hero - morally gray, reveler of violence, dominant as hell, all with a healthy side of emotional constipation, thanks to some unprocessed trauma seated deep in his past. Rathbone hasn't had it easy - from a childhood defined by neglect and emotional abuse, all the way to being the unwitting pawn of a villain that has had their claws rooted beneath his skin for centuries... suffice it to say, our guy has a lot going on and a lot he needs to work through.

But even with his life being regularly defined by chaos and struggle, its Hurricane Neeka that gives him the sorely needed shakeup he requires to fully shed himself of the past.

The chemistry between these two from the word "go" is combustable.

"I think you're playing with fire." His gaze dipped to her lips. "Do you want to burn?"

She ran her bottom lip between her teeth. tempted to do things to this male, and not just for the mission.

"Who says I'm not already burning?"

While we still get a new challenge that the Astra Planeta have to grapple with, this time around is a little different, because Erebus' challenge is a special kind of cruel, as he pits allies against allies and unwittingly fated mates against fated mates. The stakes are high and the tension a near constant. Who will acquire all of the bones first? What happens when they finally do? Can Neeka succeed in saving all of Harpykind from the unspeakable evil failure to complete this task will unleash without dooming the Astra Planeta and losing the man she loves at the same time?

Gena's got a lot of twists and surprises up her sleeve, and each one feels more nail-bitingly stressful than the last.

He sat leaning against the wall with his knees drawn up, the mátia staring at her intently...

Shivers tumbled over her spine, but oh, she hated when he watched her this - because she loved it so much. When you spent the bulk of your life desperate to be seen rather than dismissed, such unwavering attention became your kryptonite.

Some non-spoilery notes:

Hades remains an absolute scene thief, and if this book accomplished anything where it comes to that man, it is that my need for his book has increased one hundred fold. I *NEED* it, Gena! It's not even a want at this point! But with all the hints and things we got this round, I have a sneaking suspicion his story will be on the horizon... fingers crossed!

Speaking of Hades - his relationship with Rathbone. I love getting to see Daddy Hades in action. The various relationships he has with his "children" - from William to Baden to Pandora, and now with Rathbone... I don't even know how to articulate the thoughts in my head, but suffice it to say, seeing him being a good mentor that genuinely cares, while also being shameless, snarky, and debauched - the combo works and it works beautifully.

Other relationships I adore: Neeka and Taliyah's friendship. Those two are absolutely solid, both as individual characters and as friends, and I am so grateful Gena didn't go the usual route with having the test of their friendship prove a negative. These two have been through so much over the centuries, so it was massively refreshing to have such trust there - especially when things started getting rather complicated. There's a reason why those two are my favorite harpies - and arguably my favorite ladies in the extended LOTU universe.

Also, the revelation that [redacted] has a son was such a fun twist!

And, of course, in usual Gena fashion, after that ending, I am immediately left ravenous for more! I have so many questions about how certain things played out between two specific characters in particular. A favorable resolution almost seems impossible at this point - but Gena's imagination is boundless and her twists fantastic. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!


TL;DR: if you're a fan of the Lords of the Underworld and enjoy solid paranormal romance with a healthy side of twisted humor and deliciously agonizing heat for days, then The Wrath and The Rise of the Warlords in general should be considered essential reading. The Wrath really is Gena Showalter at her finest. It encapsulates all the things I adore about her writing, from the humor, clever twists and surprises, memorable characters, and - of course - the timeless, swoon-worthy romance. The Warlord is still my favorite Gena book, but The Wrath is officially tied with The Darkest Promise for slot number two... and if you know how much I freaking ADORE that book (I mean - come on! It's Lazarus and Cameo), then you know that that is nothing to take lightly.

Seriously - READ. THESE. BOOKS.


**NOTE: I had the opportunity to help proofread the final version of this book, and am also an active member of Gena Showalter's ARC team. My immediate thoughts after my first read through (for posterity) are as follows: I fucking loved this book, Gena Showalter is a treasure, and I will never get enough of this series or these characters or this universe. Never ever ever.**favorite-books-of-all-time8 s Autumn75

I don't know how I managed to finish this but I did and it was a TRIAL. The plot was janky, repetitive, and yet somehow still inconsistent, and it was riddled with grammatical errors. The main heroine could have honestly been really fun/ charming in a different story or paired with a different love interest but God... The man is a shit show and I think this early quote really sums it up: Dudes uncle "You wed her, yet you maintain a stable of one hundred mistresses. Why is this lone female so important?"
Main dude "You answered yourself. They are my mistresses. She is my queen."

Also one last gripe!! The dude on the cover is not in the slightest accurate! Rathbone is described as having red skin and hundreds of eyes covering every inch of his skin! This is a cover for cowards!5 s1 comment Canan ^^929 62

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