ARC Review: The Phantom by Gena Showalter

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?
I've been having some trouble getting into paranormal romances. But since I already agreed to read this one, I had no choice. Let me tell you that I'm so glad about the lack of choice. I ended up loving The Phantom. It's so good and well-written. I just couldn't put it down. I know it's only been a few weeks into the new year but for me, this one going to be hard to beat. 

You've met and understand what's going on between Roux and Blythe in the prior books so this one starts off with no surprise. What is surprising is how they work out their issues. When I say issues I mean issues. These two didn't meet under good circumstances. In fact, Blythe hates Roux. 

For part of the book, Blythe actively tries to kill Roux. For the other part, they need to work together to stay alive. I really enjoyed how they worked together while trying not to fall in love with each other. Falling in love with Roux causes Blythe a ton of confusion and upset. She has trouble fighting her feelings and doesn't understand why she's having them. 

This is one of those stories in that the storyline really enhances the romance of the hero and heroine. Both things go hand and hand to make this a wonderful story. 

I love and felt so bad for Roux and all he's gone through. He keeps himself so tightly held together and you find out why as you read the story and then want to kill someone. It's a great way for us to see how much of a good person Blythe can be. She kills when she has to but would never think of hurting a child. 

You will also feel sad about some of the things that Blythe learns about her past. It breaks my heart for her but also adds to the story in a way that works perfectly. I'd so love to share more but you really need to read it for yourself. 

You can read The Phantom on its own but you might want to start the series in the beginning. All three of the books are wonderful. The Phantom is so good that I couldn't put it down. I laughed, I cried, and even yelled at the book. As I said, perfect! 




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