ARC Review: The Phantom (Rise of the Warlords #3)

The Phantom (Rise of the Warlords #3)

Gena Showalter

Blurb:

As the son of a war god, Roux Pyroesis has suffered unending pain—he’s caused it, too, dispatching his foes with alarming ease. Now he’s tasked with cutting out the heart of a powerful queen who rules an ancient prison realm inhabited by the most vicious immortal females in existence.

Blythe the Undoing is a decorated harpy warrior determined to annihilate Roux, the invader who killed her beloved consort. Nothing will stop her. Even if she must trap herself for eternity by sneaking into the brutal realm and taking the crown, pitting herself against the merciless male she’s sworn to despise.

Having never known desire, Roux is ill prepared for the stunning beauty who challenges him at every turn. For the survival of his army, duty comes first. Always. But what happens when the flames of Blythe’s hatred burn out and she craves him, too…but only one of them can live?

Themes:  Paranormal

Rating: 4.5 stars

Heat Rating:  

Review:

Well as usual this story was one for the ages, one that will leave you in tears, laughter, and wondering why you and your mate didn’t have a game off “how many organs can I steal from you” during your courtship. There is truly nothing like a Showalter story when it comes to the unique and interesting ways that she brings her lovers together, even against the most outlandish and unbelievable of odds.  With enemies at every turn you wonder how the hell she could ever get these two from death and torture to the love that will change a universe and tip the scales of an epic battle for the fate of the gods. This series is not for the faint of heart to be sure, with gruesome details, heartbreaking tragedies, and the outlandish and terrifying habits of some creatures that make you wonder if they are psychotic or just a little quirky. That said I haven’t read a single story that I haven’t loved and that hasn’t left me dying for the next in the series, so if you want a wild ride filled with action, passion, twists and turns, reach no further than The Phantom.  

Blythe the Undoing is on a mission, one that she refuses to rush and one that she relishes completing; she is out to torture and kill the male that ended the life of her beloved consort, the father of her precious child, and she doesn’t care what it costs the world in the end (mostly).  When the Astra invaded her world, cutting down her lover and changing her life forever she knew that she would spend the rest of her existence if need be seeking vengeance and her chance finally comes.  Roux, son of Mars, regrets greatly that he cut down Blythe’s consort, taking her little one’s father, but there is no changing the past, and as she won’t let him make amends, there is nothing he can do except work his hardest to complete his task when it is his turn.  Tasked with something seemingly too easy, Roux travels to a land of deadly and dangerous women determined to finish and return quickly, but Blythe follows him there and they soon find themselves entangled in a dangerous game where they need to work together in order to survive.  He needs to win his task and she needs to survive to return to her daughter, but it seems again and again they are at cross-goals, but the passion that sparks between them is undeniable and though it doesn’t seem possible they come to understand that their fates have been intertwined from the very beginning.  Can they trust one another enough to beat their enemy once and for all, or will their past keep them from accepting the greatest gift they’ve ever been offered—Love?

I positively loved these two characters, both individually and together.  Blythe was such a dichotomy with the strength of a goddess and the vulnerability of a woman in mourning, the fears of a woman in the blush of new love and the might of a mother separated from her child.  I truly think Blythe was the best heroine in Gena’s books to date (and I’ve read them all!) and there is no doubt in my mind that she will remain one of my favorites of all time.  Her sass and sarcasm in the face of her pain as she mourned the loss of her consort and battled to avenge him made her hilarious, but I loved how she cared for her daughter and sister even through all that. It is obvious she is a skilled and deadly warrior and that nothing will stop her from reaching her goals when she sets her mind to them, even if that goal was simply making the man she thought was her enemy fall for her. While it definitely broke my heart to see her confusion and heartbreak as she fell in love, letting go of her past and accepting her future, I loved her all the more for accepting that fate and understanding that sometimes we don’t get to pick who we love, love picks us.

Roux is an odd duck, one that makes you want to cry for him, while at the same time hug him until he finally lets go of all his pain.  I enjoyed getting to see into his brain, emotions, and past, and of course seeing him putting the immense effort into wooing his woman.  It was as entertaining as hell to see him losing his heart (among other organs) to the Blythe without fully understanding why and how she affected him so, but being just as determined to do everything in his not inconsiderate powers to keep her safe and by his side.  His strength, dedication, power, and heart were metered by his sweetness, vulnerability and possessiveness.  Some of my favorite moments were when he was humoring Blythe’s daughter and while it might have made him look foolish to his friends, he did everything he could to show the girl that she meant the world to him.  That protective streak and his strong conscience made him a perfect match to Blythe’s out of control craziness and the two of them tempered one another beautifully.  I loved seeing him come to terms not only with his past and his future, but with himself and his own fears, with the help of his girls.

There is always that bit of speculation when I begin a Gena Showalter novel—will she pull out that HEA?  This novel I truly wasn’t sure how she was going to manage it.  Obviously if you’ve read previous novels in the series you’d know the chips were already stacked against them, but then reading the blurb it just became less and less likely in my mind.  But thankfully Gena again pulled out a miracle and we got not only a stellar ending with an HEA, but a story filled with plots twists to rack the brain, epic danger and action, and two people so obviously in love that you wonder why we didn’t see it sooner.  Blythe was the kind of woman that you want to be friends with just because you always wanted someone to get into and out of trouble with.  Strong, sassy, deadly, and loving she is the ultimate female warrior and one you want on your side for sure but definitely NOT as an enemy. On the other hand, Roux is the kind of male that you wonder how the poor guy ever ended up in his life.  It’s obvious that while he is a skilled warrior he truly doesn’t have the heart or mind made to be a killing machine, and he is far from the sociopathic male that we might think he is in the beginning.  I loved seeing these two circle one another and fight their way (and fight each other) through the trials and dangers of their courtship to the passionate mating that they should have always had.  I am DYING for the next book in the series, though I know I’ll have a bit of a wait and I know that whatever comes next for these Astra warriors and the sexy harpies in their midst it’s gonna be one hell of a ride!

*eARC provided by the author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.