Review: "Wicked Nights" by Gena Showalter

"Wicked Nights" by Gena Showalter is the first book in the "Lords of the Underworld" spin-off, "Angels of the Dark."  It was released June 26th, 2012.

      As leader of one of the most powerful armies in the heavens, Zacharel is not only fighting demons but also fighting for his salvation.  He has been on a dangerous track, risking becoming one of the fallen if he can't make his deity happy.  He has been fighting and killing demons at any cost, which lately has meant killing and injuring humans in the process.  It isn't until Zacharel meets Annabelle that he starts to learn the value of the human life.
   
      Annabelle Miller has spent the last four years in an institution for the criminally insane after being wrongly accused of killing her parents.  Unfortunately for her, she knows all too well what killed her parents and their kind have been hunting her ever since.  It isn't until Zacharel and the angels fill her in that she truly understands the danger that she's in.  Her only hope for survival may very well be Zacharel himself, but how can she trust this stone cold warrior with her life?
   
       If Zacharel isn't careful he may very well become one of the fallen, but would it be worth it to save this human?
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     For those of you that know me, you know all to well my love addiction with The Lords of the Underworld.  How could you not love these demon possessed warriors that will let nothing stand in the way of their women's happiness and protect them at all costs?  We have only gotten a few glimpses into the warrior that is Zacharel up to this point.  To be honest, I didn't have any great desire to know more about him during LOTU, maybe I was too distracted by the Lords.  However, I knew that Gena Showalter would make us love him and that she did.
 
     Annabelle Miller certainly isn't the damsel-in-distress type.  Her spunky, fierce personality is probably why she's still alive.  She has had to fight to survive for the past four years.  Fighting demons that no one else can see certainly didn't help her cause of proving that she was sane.  She didn't let this deter her nor the abuse she receives while at the institution.  Zacharel has been around for a LONG time and has certainly had to fight his own inner battles as well.  As scarred as they both are they are exactly what each other needed.  Due to the nature of Annabelle's abuse and Zacharel's lack of experience in the love and lust department, their romance is slow to build but they still had a tone of chemistry.  We also got a little peek at a few of the LOTU characters throughout the second half of the book as well which I loved.

       As usual, Gena Showalter has created a dark paranormal romance with plenty of alpha-warriors and a kick-ass heroine.  I'm anxious to get to know more of Zacharel's army!  Koldo's book is due to be released February 2013.  Personally, I can't wait for Thane's story!