Review - Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6) by J.R. Ward (2/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Paranormal Roamnce
Size:  560 pages
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: June 3, 2008
ISBN-13:   978-0451222725
Stand Alone or Series: 6th book in the Black Dagger
Source: Audio book from Audible.com
Rating: 2/5 stars

This is the sixth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by Ward.  The 9th book in the series, Lover Unleashed, was released in March of 2011.  This book was by far my least favorite in this series; it tried to be more of an urban fantasy than a paranormal romance and as a result pretty much failed at being spectacular in either genre.  I listened to this on audio book, this audio book had the same narrator as others in this series.  It is an okay audio book but the narrator for these isn't my favorite.

This is mainly the story of Phury and Cormia.  Phury is fighting a drug addiction and struggling in his place as Primale to the Chosen; Cormia is trying to find her place in the world outside of the Chosen's Realm.  The story also spends a good amount of time following the story of John Mathews.  We also learn a lot more about Xhex and Rehvenge.  In addition to all of that the Lesser society is gaining strength and is featured a lot more in this story.

Okay so let's be honest, I read these books because they usually have an absolutely entrancing romance and lots of interesting emotionally damaged characters.  There aren't usually a ton of fight scenes and usually there is just enough plot to hold the story together.  Ward is good at writing that type of story and that is what I read this series for.  In this book Ward tries to do something different.  Phury and Cormia have a lackluster romance at best; much more time is spent focusing on the Lessers gaining power and on other traumatic things happening to the Brothers.  I keep waiting for Phury and Cormia to have a absolutely scorching romance, but it was more of a fizzle and a compromise.  

Ward spends so much time jumping between characters that the storyline creeps along in incredibly slow progress.  I lost track of the number of perspectives we hear the story from; it somewhere in the four to six range.  It just makes the book so long and so little happens.  I know at times I have said I would like more urban fantasy in this series, but I have to say that if this is Ward's shot at urban fantasy....well then I think she should stick to paranormal romance.  The urban fantasy parts were mediocre, they were boring and predictable.  I was just waiting for this book to end.

The story ends okay.  The Lesser are definitely gaining power and the Brothers are in a bad spot.  I did like that we learned more about the Chosen in this book.  Things get a little crazy though; suddenly Ward is introducing angels and lizard-people into the story and I was like...uh...okay what is the point of all of this?  I am sure there is a point.  But honestly I don't read these books for their complexity, I read them for fun.  There just wasn't much fun in this one, just strangeness.

Overall a very mediocre entry into this series.  The romance between Phury and Cormia is lame, it never really catches fire.  The added urban fantasy should have appealed to me, but I just found the story to be predictable, told from too many viewpoints and long.  By the end I was just thrilled it was all over; Ward is trying to tell the story of too many characters at once and it makes for a cumbersome book.  While previous books have been incredibly hard to put down, I found this book hard to keep reading.  Will I listen to the next book, Lover Avenged?  I am just not sure.  I would love to hear Rehvenge's and John Matthew's stories, but if they come packaged like this story I think I am going to have to pass.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Audio Book Challenge List

Review - Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) by J.R. Ward (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Size: 528 pages
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: September 25, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0451222350
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the BDB series
Source: audio book from audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This was the fifth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by Ward.  The most recent book, Lover Unleashed, Book 9 came out in March of 2011.  This was a decent book in the series and if you have enjoyed previous books I think you will also enjoy this one.  I listened to this on audio book; the audio book was well done.

This book focuses on Vishous.  In the beginning of the story Vishous is gravely wounded and the human surgeon Jane saves his life.  Vishous is drawn to Jane and can't imagine living without her; of course there are problems with this.  First of all Jane is human and more importantly Vishous has been designated by the Scribe Virgin to be the Primale.  The Primale is supposed to only mate with Chosen to ensure the continuation of the species.  The story also spends some time with John Mathews as he undergoes his transistion.  Ample storyline is also given to Phury as he struggles with his attraction to his brother's mate Bella.

This is definitely not a book to start the series on.  A lot of these stories are continuations from previous books.  Ward continues to develop Zsadist's storyline some as well as storylines of the other males.  There are a couple new characters thrown into the mix to keep things interesting.  This book is definitely a paranormal romance and not urban fantasy.

I enjoyed reading about Vishous and Jane as a couple; there are some more interesting sex scenes in this book and things get a little crazy at times.  Jane was the first really smart heroine we've had in this series and it was nice to see the super intelligent Vishous find someone that matched him so well.  We also get more insight into the world of the Chosen and the Scribe Virgin.

Phury also features a lot in this book and it was good to see his storyline start to develop; it continues in the next book in the series, Lover Enshrined.  It was also great to see John Mathews finally go through his transition.  It is clever how Ward also starts developing the storylines for her next couple in the previous books; it builds suspense nicely.

I do also have some complaints about this book though.  Vishous falls in love with Jane awfully fast; this series has never been very realistic about characters falling in love...but this book was particularly unbelievable.  Also the Lessers are conspicuously absent the majority of the book; they play a small role in the beginning and end of the story but that is it.  The result is pretty much a solid romance story devoid of action; it was a lot like reading a soap opera at times.  Given that it was still very engaging and fun to read; I never come into these books expecting a whole lot more than a fun and engaging romance with some interesting characters...so if that is your expectation you shouldn't be too disappointed.

Overall not my favorite book of the series, but I still found it engaging and enjoyed listening to it.  I am eager to hear Phury and Cormia's story in the next book, Lover Enshrined.  These books are just pure escapism, which is fine with me.  I do have to read them spread out over time because I think reading mulitple installments would get to be too much, too corny, and just boring.  The stories are always similar, but if you want a fun paranormal romance with intriguing characters this series fits the bill nicely.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Audio Book Challenge List

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge

- 100+ Reading Challenge

 

Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4) by J.R. Ward (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Size: 480 pages
Publisher:  Signet
Release Date: September 9, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0451229687
Stand Alone or Series: 4th in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series
Source: Audio book from audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  It was a decent book, but not my favorite in the series so far.  I did enjoy that the plot was more filled out and seems to be leading up to something bigger.  I listened to this on audio book and although the guy reading is sounds a little too dramatic for my tastes; he does a decent job overall.

This book tells the story of Butch and Marissa.  When Butch is captured by the Lessers and horribly wounded he ends up in Haver's clinic where only Marissa can help him fight to stay alive.  Things are complicated by Butch being a human and by some strange powers Butch has gained from his stay with the Lessers.  The story of John Mathews continues throughout this book as well.  We also learn more about Rehvenge and a lot more about Vishous and his past. 

It was great to finally get the story between Butch and Marissa; this is a story that started developing in the second book and kind of stalled in the third book.  This book had more plot development than previous books and I really enjoyed that.  Based on this book it looks like Ward is finally developing a set-up for an epic battle between the Lessers and the Brotherhood.  It was nice to have a plot that is actually a big part of the story rather than just a vehicle for the romance.

I also really enjoyed watching both Marissa and Butch grow as characters.  They change a lot throughout the book and it was fun to witness this growth; especially in Marissa's case.  The back story for Vishous was wonderful too and his powers were intriguing to learn about.  Butch developing these strange powers and the way they tie in with the Lesser prophecy made this a more interesting read than the previous books.

There was one major thing about this book that drove me crazy and that was Butch and Marissa being on again and off again so many times.  They went through the "I love you" "I hate you" cycle a couple too many times.  It got to the point where it wasn't generating tension between the characters; it was just eye-rolling and obnoxious.  It seemed like for some reason Ward drew the story out way longer than it needed to be.

Overall a solid addition to the series.  I really enjoyed having a fuller plot and including this Lesser prophecy in things makes this more of an urban fantasy type of book as opposed to a pure romance; I thought this was wonderful.  The constant on again, off again between Marissa and Butch got old and was too repetitive; but it was good to finally read the story between them.  Vishous's story was also a very interesting part of this book.  I can't wait to see if the war between the Lessers and the Brotherhood escalates in the next book, Lover Unbound.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Audio Book Challenge List
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

Review - Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3) by J.R. Ward (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Size:  464 pages
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: September 5, 2006
ISBN-13: 978-0451219367
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series
Source: Audio book from Audible.com
Rating: 5/5 stars


This is the third book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood and I listened to it on audio book.  The audio book was well done.  This was by far my favorite book in this series.  It tells the story of Zsadist and Bella.  As with many other readers of this series Zsadist is by far my favorite Brother.

Zsadist is set to rescue Bella from the Lesser that kidnapped her in the end of Book 2, Lover Eternal.  When he does Bella ends up in his room to heal.  Zsadist can't stand to touch her or be touched by her and what follows is an uneasy recovery. As Bella heals and gains the courage to leave the Brother's House things get complicated.  Zsadist and his brothers are trying to hunt down the lesser that captured Bella but aren't having much luck.  As a result Bella is forced to stay longer at the Brother's House.  Will Bella and Zsadist ever be able to get past Zsadist's dark past?  This story is intersperse with scenes featuring John Matthews as he starts his training with the Brothers, Rehvenge is introduced more fully (Bella's brother), and Phury (Zsadist's brother) also struggles with his own issues.

This was my favorite book of the series.  I love both Bella and Zsadist and loved watching them work out their substantial issues together.  You spend quite a bit of time learning about Zsadist's past and it is just as brutal and horrible as you are given to believe in previous books.  More than any of the couples featured in previous books Bella and Zsadist are on again, off again and really struggle with their relationship.

Both Bella and Zsadist grow substantially as characters throughout the book, I was impressed with the vast character development and was happy with how that was done.  Bella has got to be one of the most gracefully persistent heroines ever, and boy can she kick butt when she sets her mind to it.  I just loved her as a character.  Out of all of the books so far this one had the best and most interesting love scenes too.

The plot between the Lessers and the Brotherhood is woven throughout but definitely takes a backseat to Bella and Zsadist's story.  This book did jump around between characters more than previous books and at times that was really annoying because I just wanted to find out what Bella and Zsadist were doing!  It was nice though to have story built up around John's character, Rehvenge's character, Butch's character, and Phury's character.  The plot also had a couple of big surprises and a heart-breaker in it, so it was more engaging and entertaining than previous books.

Overall this was my absolutely favorite book in this series to date.  I have a hard time seeing how Ward will top this book in future books.  If you liked the previous two books, you will love this book.  These are definitely romance heavy books, but there were some good fight scenes in here too.  After this book I think I am going to take a little break and then pick up with the fourth book, Lover Revealed, next month.  I can only take so much romance before it all seems a bit too formulaic to me.  As far as romance goes these are excellent book though, and this was the best yet.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge

- Audio Book Challenge List

Review - Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 2) by J.R. Ward (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Size: 464 pages
Publisher: Signet
Release Date:March 7, 2006
ISBN-13: 978-0451218049
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in Black Dagger Brotherhood series
Source: Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the 2nd book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood by Ward.  I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the first book.  The characters are very engaging and there is solid world-building; although the focus is definitely romance for this novel.  I listened to this on audio book and it was very well done.

This is the story of Mary and Rhage.  Mary is fighting with Luekemia and loosing the battle; she is drawn into contact with the Brotherhood as she serves as translator for a young boy that she helped through her volunteer work for the Suicide Hotline.  Rhage is the most beautiful of the Brotherhood and is in constant battle with his Beast.  When Rhage offended the Scribe Virgin she cursed him to 200 years bound to the Beast.  Rhage is inexpilicably soothed by Mary's voice and is determined to make her part of his life.  Around these events the war between the Lessers and the Brotherhood rages on.

Ward has again created captivating characters that have wonderful chemistry together.  I did like that Mary and Rhage take a little more time to develop their relationship than the two main characters in Dark Lover did.  It made the romance between them seem a little more realistic and romantic.  Mary and Rhage have huge obstacles to overcome in their relationship as Rhage fights to control the Beast in Mary's prescence and Mary fights for her life against Leukemia.

I like Rhage as a character, he had some awful choices to make in this book and it was interesting to see him battle through them.  I wasn't sold on Mary as a character because she seemed just a bit...cold to me or something.  At points I felt like they interacted like children; they would argue about stupid things and neither was ever willing to be honest with or listen to the other.  In the end their chemistry worked, but there were points mid-book when I wanted to smack them both.

I really enjoyed how Ward started to set up the story between Bella (Mary's vampire friend) and Zsadist for book 3.  Zsadist is the most damaged (and most interesting of the brothers to me) so I am eager to hear his story in the next book, Lover Awakened.  The story between Butch and Marissa is mentioned but not really developed any more.

This book did drop a lot of the plot to concentrate on the romantic development between Mary and Rhage.  That irritated me a little.  I felt like the overall story of the battle between the Lessers and the Brotherhood definitely took a back seat to the romance; much more so than it did in Dark Lover.  I am hoping that book 3 picks up the story more and puts a little more urban fantasy into the paranormal romance.

Ward's writing is lovely and captivating.  There were a couple of eye-rolling moments for the over-the-top romantic descriptions; but for the most part the writing sucks you in.  This is a guilty pleasure and definitely more romance than paranormal.

Overall I ended up enjoying the book, but not as much as the first book.  This book definitely focuses on the romance and doesn't spend as much time developing the world and moving the plotline forward.  The characters and writing are still very engaging and the book was hard to put down.  I look forward to reading more about Zsadist and Bella in the next book, Lover Awakened.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Audio Book Challenge List