The Shadows by J.R. Ward

This is a big book. Honestly, it was a little intimidating at first, but like any other Black Dagger Brotherhood book, it's easy to read. In the last few books, this series disappointed me a little bit, but it has redeemed itself in my view with The Shadows. There's a lot of point of views in this book, which makes it a little hard to follow at times, but each point of view is interesting enough. The continuation of many story lines and the introduction of new characters keeps things intriguing and fresh.

I knew this book would be mostly about Trez and Selena but I didn't realize that iAm would also play a major part. Trez has bonded with the Chosen Selena but Trez feels like he's not at all worthy of her. He feels like he has tainted his body by sleeping around with an infinite amount of women. Selena knows she has little time left to spend with Trez. With the deadly disease she has, she might only have days left. Whether those days should include Trez or not, is an easy decision for Selena but convincing Trez might be a little more difficult. However, life isn't that simple for Trez because he has been engaged since birth to the Princess of his Tribe. As a Shadow, a superior race of vampires, everything is predestined by star charts and all sorts of craziness. And his predestined future has always been to mate with the Princess in order to continue the royal bloodline. For such a "superior" race, they're kind of stuck with primitive ideas, if you ask me.

After the failed mutiny that attempted to overthrow Wrath from his royal throne, he now rules his people as the elected leader. He has decided to take on a more active role by meeting with his people and hearing their troubles. Abalone, a respected member of the vampire society is more or less in charge of his political office, organizing meetings and keeping track of everything. Great news for the vampire society is the Brotherhood opening its doors once more to new trainees. However, now they're not only accepting glymera males, but also commoners and females. At least some vampires are willing to move into the 21st century with forward thinking and new ideals. I think it's great that Abablone's daughter, Paradise, is thinking of auditioning to train with the Brotherhood. As one of the last females of good breeding and of mating age, this is obviously taboo, but it's great to see more females willing to kick ass. This is definitely one storyline I want to continue reading!

One point of view I'm not crazy about is Assail's. The drug dealer/drug addict story is getting old. It feels like his story has been dragging on in the last few books and I just want it over with. I like his story when Sola, the human woman he's attracted to, is present, otherwise I don't care for his drug dealing life. And his involvement with the lessers? I hate that even more.

Compared to the last couple of books, it seems like there wasn't as much slang and product placement. I hate when there's too much of it. I'm all for pop culture references but when J.R. Ward trying too hard to makes her characters sound and look cool, it's a complete fail. I'm just glad she didn't try too hard in this book.

Like so many paranormal romance books, many things in this book were predictable but The Shadows also kept me on my toes. So many great things happen in this book, even though others were not so great. I have mixed feeling about the ending but I guess many J.R. Ward books end like this. Ward knows fatalistic romance and brotherly love and it definitely shows in this most recent book. Although not as great as the first books of the series, The Shadows is decent addition to the series.

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Posted by Tynga at 03:25

 Black Dagger Brotherhood, brotherhood, J.R. Ward, Library, NAL, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Review, vampires  1 Person left their mark

The King by J.R. Ward

I really love this series. Even though I have my issues with the writing and some of the stories, J.R. Ward always has me coming back for more. You're always guaranteed a 500+ page book so you definitely get your money's worth when it comes to the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I admit, some of it can be simple filler and there's a good amount of gangster talk, but I've simply learnt to overlook these things and simply enjoy the ride. Although, we didn't need that many Miley Cyrus references in this book. I'm not a fan of Miley Cyrus but I still don't understand J.R. Ward's problem with the twerking celebrity.

My only major dislike with this book is the amount of point of views. I didn't officially count them all but in my opinion, when you have more than ten point of views, it feels a little bit overwhelming. Mind you, many POVs revolved around the same story lines, but all the same, when there's a switch in POVs every chapter, it's really difficult to get into the book. It made the book feel like a bunch of short stories or novellas all mixed up and crammed together. With that many story lines, it also reduced the amount of fighting and Black Dagger Brotherhood action. Brotherhood interactions were also missing in this book since a lot of the story lines were centered around couples or characters that are not part of the Brotherhood.

For a book that I really enjoyed, this review has been pretty negative so far! On to the good stuff. One of the greatest things about this book is revisiting Beth and Wrath. The couple that started the whole series are ever present in all the BDB books but it was still nice to read more about them. It goes to show that stories don't always end up with a happily ever after and that book couples do fight after their "ending". I liked how Beth and Wrath fought about realistic problems that readers could possibly associate with. Although their circumstances may be a little different, since Wrath is the blind king of vampires, but all the same, I thought it was a great idea to bring them back. However, we still don't know why Wrath is blind, and as an Optometrist, I'm ever curious about his condition. (Unless it was mentioned and I totally missed something?) I just wished the book was centered more around them, since the book is title The King. On another note, I loved reading about Wrath's parents because not only do we get some historical background, we also see how the glymera, the vampire aristocracy, was never fond of Wrath or his father. Tension between the royal family and the glymera is ever present and for the past few books, we've been expecting something big to happen.

For some reason, I really enjoyed Assail and Sola's story line. Although I didn't care much for Assail in the previous books and I really thought he was a bad guy, he did do some pretty heroic stuff in this book (if you ignore the death that followed his wake). His old fashion attitude combined with his drug dealing business makes for a pretty interesting and original character. But what sealed it for me was his interactions with Sola's grandmother. One way to a girl's heart is to woo her only living relative whom she adores. Assail and Sola's relationship is pretty strange, but like all J.R. Ward couples, it's heavy and intense.

I won't discuss any other point of views except mention Trez and iAm. These Shadows, a different "tribe" of vampires, if you will, are well set up for their own book, which releases at the end of March 2015. I'm not overly excited about their book because I still don't understand where they're coming from. When Territory and the s’Hsibe are mentioned, there's still a lot of mystery and I don't know what to make of it. Hopefully their story will grow on me and we'll finally get to learn more about their origins.

Most fans of the series will enjoy The King if they can overlook the ridiculous amount of point of views. The book did have some flaws that I was able to overlook so some fans may not be crazy about The King, but then, if you've gotten this far in the series, you can turn around now. I loved revisiting old characters and the story development of newer ones. For future books, I say bring back more Brotherhood butt-kicking action. I need more!

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Posted by Tynga at 02:48

 Black Dagger Brotherhood, J.R. Ward, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Purchased, Review, Romance, Signet, Vampire  Leave your mark

Lover at Last by J.R. Ward

As much as I was disappointed with the previous book of this series, I really loved this one. Personally, I think J.R. Ward has redeemed herself and brought this series back to glory. I love these vampires and their culture and I just can't get enough. I would definitely recommend this series, but the books really need to be read in order. I mean it as a compliment when I say Lover at Last is a hot mess.

I'm slowly catching up with this series, and I didn't know how to approach this particular book because it's the one featuring Qhuinn and Blay. I've really been looking forward to it, but at the same time I didn't want to be disappointed. Same sex relationships are hot in erotic fiction right now and it has, to a certain point, made its way into mainstream fiction. Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all homophobic, but it kind of surprised me that the author would lead these two characters in this direction. Actually, I'm kind of surprise how much I loved reading about them. J.R. Ward achieved what she wanted to do, which is feature two hot and ripped vampire males in a romantic relationship as the main story line, and not just an afterthought story. Kudos to J.R. Ward and her publisher for breaking barriers and including this relationship in a New York Times bestselling series.

Qhuinn and Blay's story isn't a simple one and it's full of misunderstandings and fights. For those of you who have read this series, you'll agree with me when I say this has been a long time coming. J.R. Ward is pro when it comes to misunderstandings and conflicts in relationships, which ultimately allows her to write 600+ pages books. I kind of hate to say it, but if Qhuinn and Blay had been honest with each other, say in the first 50 pages, everything would have gone a little smoother for these two guys. Forget that. If they had been honest with each other many books before this one, things would have been simpler.

This book isn't just about Qhinn and Blay, although they do have quite a lot of angsty and steamy scenes. The story is also about Layla, the Chosen who went through her needing in the previous book and in which Qhuinn serviced her and possibly conceived a child. I say possibly because when it comes to these complicated vampires, nothing is simple, especially when it comes to pregnancies. They are very difficult on the females, and more often than not end up in miscarriages. It's important to note, however, that Layla and Qhuinn didn't decide to have a child together because they love each other. No, this is more out of convenience because both want a family, and figure this is the only way to do it. Like I said, nothing is simple when it comes to these vampires. And that's not to mention the fighter Layla fancies after meeting him only once, when she gave him her blood in order to save his life from mortal injuries. Still, she feels drawn to him, even after she's made aware that this fighter is Xcor, the enemy of her king. Layla is confused about her feelings, but oddly enough, the disfigured Xcor also feels the attraction, but is disgusted because he is not worthy of a female like Layla.

I told you it was a hot mess. Besides all the complicated Blay-Qhinn-Layla trio and the enemy Xcor, there is also, this random attraction between a vampire drug dealer and a private detective-like woman. The Band of Bastards lead by Xcor are also gaining some ground and planing to overthrow the current king and the Brotherhood. The glymera, the elite society of vampires, are also working with the Bastards to take over the royal family. Let's not forget the vampire's true enemy, the Lessening Society, the soul-less humans that are trying to eradicate vampires. It felt like they were missing from the previous book, but they are definitely making a come back, despite being hunted by both the Brotherhood and the Band of Bastards.

One more thing I want to mention: Plane crash. Please, try not to fly a plane without training like these characters. Piloting a plane is way more complicated than when these characters makes it out to be. This was an absurd scene but I assume the author wanted to add some action, and the characters had already totaled a Hummer. I guess the next thing on the list was a plane.

So many things going on with this book that I've had a really hard time putting it all together in this review. Honestly, I really enjoyed this eleventh book of this series (hard to believe it's been going on for so long). J.R. Ward definitely knows how to keep readers coming back for more. She writes powerful romance and intense scenes that I just can't get enough of. Lover at Last is the perfect title of this book because at last, it tells the story readers have all been waiting for.

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Posted by Tynga at 01:22

 Black Dagger Brotherhood, J.R. Ward, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Purchased, Review, Signet, vampires  4 People left their mark

Lover Avenged by JR Ward

I was curious to read Lover Avenged because Revhenge has always been so mysterious and while this novel wasn't my least favorite of the series, it is far from being my favorite. Despite my curiosity, I've never been a fan of this male and I think I would've been perfectly fine seeing him evolve as a secondary character, not really getting the spotlight. To be fair though, this character does have interesting depth and I enjoyed, if not loved, his story.

Ward excel at reuniting completely opposite personalities and she worked her magic on this novel as well. Up front, Revhenge is a drug lord, pimp, drug addict, sex slaves AND a sympath. In short, no one a father would want his daughter to date. Ehlena on the other hand is a very sweet girl, a nurse sacrificing her life to care for her sick father. When they meet and start interacting though, we realize they are much more similar than one can first presume and it was nice to watch 'em 'dance' together while getting to know each other. Both have noble values, just completely different way to execute them.

I really liked the insight in the sympath community. We've heard tidbits here and there along the way but in this book everything was disclosed and it satisfied my curiosity. Not sure I would like to explore further though.

I am a big fan of Ward, but something just felt off while reading this novel and I simply can't put my finger on it. She always writes long novels, but this one felt particularly long while reading it.

In the end, I think I was more anxious to know what would happen between Xhex and John Matthews, which doesn't make sense since they are only suppose to be subplot in this novel (and there were many subplots by the way...). The next book features them though, so I guess Ward wanted to set the table for the action to come.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Adult, Black Dagger Brotherhood, J.R. Ward, JR Ward, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Purchased, Review, Romance, Vampire  13 People left their mark

Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward

To be quite honest with you, I have some mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I've been a fan of the series for so long now, that it's nice to see the characters again and to read about what's going on with their lives and their romantic relationships. On the other hand, I found some parts of the story were so repetitive that it felt like some hundred pages was saying the same as the hundred before. Needless to say, it felt like the story dragged on, and maybe it was done on purpose to show the lapse of time, but frankly, I got bored because it felt like the story was never ending.

It's the main romantic story line that feels repetitive, the one between Torh and No'One. Torh lost his shellan (mate) only a while before this novel began and it has taken him a long time to simply get back on his feet, let alone even think about getting intimate with someone else. No'One, a female of worth, has a second chance at life and believes this second chance should be spent serving others, regardless of her past. So when they are thrown together and they must face their feelings for one another, things get difficult because of Torh's mixed feelings about moving on, and No'One vulnerability because of the fact that she was raped when she was a lot younger and has never looked at a male in a romantic way. It felt like J.R. Ward was tiptoeing around their feelings just a bit too much and it felt like an endless cycle of "I want to, no I don't/can't..." Don't get me wrong, their story really is interesting but it dragged on...

One thing I'm usually not fond of is a switch in point of views because it more or less puts the main story on hold, but in this case, I really didn't mind. Especially because we got to read more about John and Xhex, who despite all odds were mated in the previous book. I love the fact that we see what happens after the supposed happily ever after and it just so happens it's not happily ever after. We also see a bit of the Quinn/Blay story which I can't wait for and is coming up in book #11.

LOVER REBORN made me realized that these brothers really are vampires. I mean, I knew they were vampires but since J.R. Ward has modified the lore on vampires in this series to the point of being really original, sometimes it's hard to remember these brothers have fangs. However, in this book, with all the blood feedings, it really hit me on how much they depend on blood to survive. The ongoing war between the Brothers and the lessers is the main reason for the blood feedings, and even if there is quite a number of fight scenes, it's hard to determine who the antagonist really is. The Brothers also have to deal with The Band of Bastards, a group of vampires that want to more or less replace the Brotherhood. It's interesting to read more about these "bastards" and it's a nice twist in the series especially since the lesser war was getting old.

The writing is typically J.R. Ward but I think she was trying to push the gangsta talk just a little too much this time around. It's one thing to have it in conversations between the Brothers but to include it in the narrative is kind of a deterrent. Personally, I don't appreciate it because it's not normal for me and sometimes I found myself rereading a certain phrase because I didn't catch the meaning. I just find it odd that it has a place in the narrative, especially since it's written in the third person. (On another note, this might just be me but I find the Brothers often say "How's it doing?" while I would normally say "How's it going?" or "How're you doing?". I don't know. I just find it strange, enough that I had to mention it. Maybe it's a regional thing...)

I might have been a tad negative with this review, but don't get me wrong! I really enjoy this series as a whole and I'm hoping this is just that odd book in a series that I had a hard getting through. Like I mentioned previously, the next book is all about Blay and Quinn and there's just something about those two Brothers together that makes sense. I'm definitely still a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and I'm ready to ignore the shortcomings of this book to keep the series going. I'm really looking forward to the next books, especially now that I've almost caught up with the series!

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Posted by Tynga at 02:14

 Angel, Black Dagger Brotherhood, J.R. Ward, NAL, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Purchased, Review, vampires  2 People left their mark

Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward

J.R. Ward keeps surprising me every time I read a new Black Dagger Brotherhood book, because I always expect to get bored with the series. On the contrary, while the main themes remain the same or similar throughout the series (love, angst, strength, good vs. evil, etc.), the actual stories and characters couldn't be more different. With this ninth book, I'm still hungry for more and I definitively need to play catch up for the release of the twelfth book early next year.

This story is mostly about the vampire Payne, a female that has been imprisoned by her mother for ages and Manny, a human surgeon who has been plagued by the disappearance of his friend Jane and by his lonely life. An unlikely pair, an impossible pair, since a vampire will always outlive a human. I'm glad the author brought it up early in the story because it makes it that much more realistic instead of having them ignore the elephant in the room and deal with the "aging differently" later on. Their chemistry seemed a little odd to me at first, especially since Manny was more or less turned on by her when they first meet and she's on a hospital bed with a broken back. Eventually, with her naivety and his constant need to help everyone, they grew on me and their attraction became relevant and intriguing. Not that there weren't any other bumps on the road because there most definitely was, including an overbearing brother named Vishous. Just a name like that would force any man to have second thoughts.

I'm pleased that this book also allowed us to revisit Vishous and Jane's story. They are obviously in love and have great chemistry, but with a troubled history like Vishous', things from the past are bound to resurface and cause marital problems. I'm glad that Vishous and Butch's friendship is also on display because it allows us to see how deeply V is affected by his past. I guess you could say that this book is really about the brother-sister twin duo because V and Payne are more or less equally represented in this one.

I can't finish this review without mentioning the Quinn and Blay saga. While I'm not usually a fan of homosexual relationship books, this is one relationship that I can't wait to read about. J.R. Ward is such a tease for making this story stretch out over a number of books, and I almost feel like skipping book 10 to jump right into their main story in book 11. The few scenes we get in LOVER UNLEASHED are exactly that, teasers that make you anticipate their own book.

There' s a reason why J.R. Ward keeps winning the Goodreads Romance Choice Award almost every year. LOVER UNLEASHED won the prize back in 2011 and that goes to show you how much of a fan base this series has. Not only do the fans love reading about the brothers, but they actually believe the brothers' stories are #1. The only reason why this series didn't win this award last year is because it had to compete with the erotica phenomena, that included E.L. James and Sylvia Day's notorious books. In my opinion, J.R. Ward is a great storyteller because her books can be read so easily and effortlessly. You shouldn't expect literary masterpieces when it comes to her books but if you haven't pick up this series yet, you're in for a treat. I've recommended this series to a few friends that never read paranormal books but love romance books, and none of them have been disappointed so far!

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Black Dagger Brotherhood, J.R. Ward, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Purchased, Review, Signet, Vampire  1 Person left their mark

Lover Enshrined by JR Ward

Lover Enshrined by JR Ward

Book Stats:
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Signet
Release date: June 3, 2008

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #6

Source: Personal Shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In this "frighteningly addictive" paranormal romance sage there's a war raging between vampires and their slayers. Here are the stories of a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. And now a dutiful twin must choose between two lives...

Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood's bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is obligated to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive, and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.

As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body, but his heart for herself. She is drawn to the noble responsibility behind the emotionally scarred male. But Phury has never allowed himself to know pleasure or joy. As the war with the Lessening Society grows grim, tragedy looms over the Brotherhood's mansion, and Phury must decide between duty and love....

Phury, Zhadist’s twin brother, as spent his whole life trying to fix what’s broken. Starting with his twin brother being kidnaped, his less than stellar parents, his job in the Brotherhood and his latest hit, sacrificing himself so Vishous could skip out of being the Primale of the race. It all looks very glorious from outside, but on the inside, not so much. How will Phury handle the mess he has gotten himself into?

I actually find it hard to write this review because I have really mixed feelings about this sixth installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I love the series, I love the progression in the story this book provided, but I didn’t really enjoy Phury’s story. Let me explain why.

I used to like Phury, he seemed all knight-like in his black leather battle gear, always ready to take a bullet for his Brother or the race, he also sacrificed so much for his twin. On a quick glance, he looks like an overall pretty awesome guy, even though he loves his red smoke. The thing is… it’s all smoke and mirrors. The guy underneath is an empty shell, scarred, half-insane and a low level drug addict. His addiction was really too heavy and too all-encompassing for my enjoyment and while I’m sure it’s pretty similar to what an actual addict lives, it was too much for me. His string of bad decision after bad decision really annoyed me and even when things kind of picks up eventually, well it was too little too late, I had already given up on the guy.

Now that it’s out of the way, there are multiple things I really enjoyed. There is a whole subplot about John Matthew and his two buddies and I loved watching them evolve. They all grow extremely fast due to dire circumstances and it was a pleasure to witness. I truly can’t wait to see more of those three musketeer in the following books. There was a very interesting twist in the ultimate battle between Vampires and Lessers and even though we only see the peek of the iceberg, what’s to come promises to be entertaining! We also get some news of a lost Brother *wiggle eyebrows* which pleased me to no end!

Cormia was a very positive aspect of this book. She is innocent and naive , but she’s not stupid. Her shyness bothered me at first, but once she starts getting out of her shell things gets interesting. We also get a great insight on who Rehvenge really is, along side with Xhex & Trez, and I was happily surprised with what I found out. I wasn’t particularly fond of him before, but I think he has great potential.

When I finished reading the previous book in the series, I was really excited to see how Phury would deal with being the Primale and I ended up being very disappointed in him. I was hoping for excitement, and truthfully it was quite sparse for this aspect of the book. The conclusion somewhat redeemed him, but not quite completely. I’m curious of the consequences his decisions will have onto the world though.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad novel because multiple aspect were great, but Phury definitely stole Butch’s title of least-favorite-of-mine. Which Brother is your least favorite?

Read an Excerpt

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Posted by Tynga at 07:17

 J.R. Ward, Penguin, Review, Vampire  10 People left their mark

Lover Unbound by JR Ward

Lover Unbound by JR Ward

Book Stats:
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
Publisher: Signet
Release date: September 25, 2007

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #5

Source: Personal shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In Caldwell, New York, war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now the cold heart of a cunning predator will be warmed against its will...

Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her...

Vishous has always been a sideline kind of guy and likes it that way. He lives in the Pit, outside the Brothers’ manor, keeps to himself, except for Butch and keeps his sexual life under tight lock. I guess being cursed the way he is, unable to touch anybody with his bad hand, doesn’t help at all. Keeping everyone out is a survival mechanism in his case and Fate has plans for him. Plans that will change who he is, forever.

Lover Unbound was another great installment in the amazing Black Dagger Brotherhood series! Vishous had been a very mysterious man along the series, and we started to learn more about him in the previous book, Lover Revealed, but now that he is center stage, we really get to know what he is all about. Ward sheds light on his gruesome past and allow us to understand why he came to be this way, and even though it was hard to read at times, I really appreciated that insight. We also get to discover the reason for his curse and his unknown biological mother will also be revealed. The sum of all the revelations really allows the reader to look at him with a new perspective.  Of course, the changes in him wouldn’t have happened without a little human woman called Jane and her presence really turned to magic. She was strong, steady and amazing even when everything she knew was taken from her. The two of them together turned out of be a delight.

JR Ward presented us a plotline full of flashbacks, a window to really feel and appreciate the main characters’ memories and everything flowed seamlessly and smoothly. I was extremely surprised by the direction the story took and I ended up shedding tears at one point. This book really is a rollercoaster of emotions and some characters will do immense sacrifices, surprising even themselves. This installment was filled with unexpected news and events and it’s greatly part of the reason why I enjoyed it so much.

If you’ve read Ward before, you know her books are always spiked with steamy sex scenes. I was a bit nervous because Vishous is into S&M, but the author handled it perfectly, not ruffling any of my feathers. The most hardcore scenes were mostly referred to, while the lighter ones were graphically described, keeping the delicate readers like me in their comfort zone, while staying true with the character’s habits. 

The conclusion was unexpected, to say the least, and I’m really excited for what’s to come. I think Phury will be the Star of the next novel and I can’t wait to see how he deals with his new position.

The Black Dagger Brotherhood is one of my favorite Paranormal Romance series and I would strongly encourage you to pick it up if you haven’t yet. Strong and sexy male characters fighting dirty for a greater cause, do I even need to say more?

Read an excerpt

Extremely well done trailer, but I wouldn’t watch it if you haven’t read the book because it will spoil the whole story.

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Posted by Tynga at 07:19

 J.R. Ward, Penguin, Review, Vampire  5 People left their mark

Covet by JR Ward

Covet by JR Ward

Book Stats:
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Mass Market Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Signet
Release date: September 29, 2009

Series: Fallen Angels #1

Source: Personal Shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Redemption isn't a word Jim Heron knows much about-his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charge with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option. Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he's good with that-until fate intervenes in the form of a tough- talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior. But then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart-and he has to work with a fallen angel to win her over and redeem his own soul.

Heaven and Hell have been battling in the shadows for control over humanity for centuries now, and God would like to get it over with. To accelerate this never-ending process, one soul was chosen to face seven souls standing at the crossroads. Should the Chosen influence the majority of souls he faces to take the right path, Heaven will win, if not… we will all be damned.

Let me start by saying the prologue of this book is hands down freaking amazing. The book is great of course, but it would be worth buying even if it were only for the epilogue. Really, it was that good!

Now about the book itself, The Fallen Angels series is set in the same world as the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, also in Caldwell, but the focus is completely different. There are no vampires nor lessers involved as far as we know from Covet,  but there are small references. ZeroSum and Revhenge are mentioned, Phury is also seen at some point even though he doesn’t have any active role and the Iron Mask, Revh’s goth club, managed by Trez, his best friend, is in the middle of the action. The focus though, is about a battle between Heaven and Hell, Fallen Angels and Demons, with a human smack in the middle.

JR Ward is an amazing writer and Covet was true to her writing style, which means I was in Heaven. I really like her blunt and raw story telling habits and if you’ve read the BDB series, you’ll definitely feel right at home.  The plot also unfolded in a very interesting manner. We are introduced to a bunch of characters and are left to guess which of them is the Chosen, who are the bad guys and the good guys, and in this world of shades of gray, it’s not easy to effectively identify who’s playing for which team. As the story progresses your opinion of certain characters will change and I really liked that it forced the reader to adapt, committing to the story on a higher level.

The characters themselves were great. Jim, Vin & Marie-Therese, the three main characters, turned out to be very interesting. Each of them has their own shady past, unresolved issues and messed-up present. They fight hard to stay afloat in a world determined the drown them and witnessing their struggles, failures and small victories was great. Ward really made sure she created multilayered characters that would capture our attention, and she succeeded. I also have to mention Dog (yes that’s his name), Jim’s dog. I just don’t know what’s up with the pet, but I’m sure he’ll be important at some point.

The end was an explosion of fireworks to close a crescendo of violence. Not all issues were resolved and the Chosen only took the first step in the ultimate war, but we still got a very satisfying conclusion to this first installment. I truly enjoyed this first book in Ward’s newest series and I can’t wait to start reading the second book! Good thing it’s already released =)

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Posted by Tynga at 08:46

 Angel, Demon, J.R. Ward, Penguin, Review  5 People left their mark

Daring You To Read… Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

There was a time when I stayed away from any book with a male’s chest on it because, to me, it rang like “overload of unnecessary sex scenes” and lame romance. Then I randomly received a review copy of Lover Mine, the eighth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, in the mail, sent by Penguin Canada. I honestly didn’t think I would read it, but asked questions about it on twitter. Some girls I really like said this series was awesome and that I had to read it and were squealing because they were jealous I got a copy early.  I wasn’t convinced, but the box set for the first 6 books in the series was about 30$, and I’m one to read a series in order, so I decided to give it a try. Boy did I take the right decision!

Black Dagger Brotherhood series is amongst my favorites out there, and believe it or not, I have read Lover Mine yet. Why? Because I pace myself so I can make the pleasure last! Sure I could read them all in a row, but then I would be in Brotherhood withdrawal until Ward releases a new book? No Thank you! Thus far, I read the first five books, and even if the third book (Zhadist’s book) is my favorite so far, I think the first book, Dark Lover is a great introduction to this amazing world! I even bought the books available in French for my mom because I liked the series so much =)

Now onto the book, in Dark Lover, we are introduced to an harsh world, where vampires live in secret from human society. A big difference from any other vampire novel though, is that vampires are prey in this series, to a race of undead, soulless, bastards called Lessers. They hunt on civilian vampires in hopes of exterminating the race, but The Brotherhood, a group of trained warrior vampires, won’t let that happen. Not on their shift. Each book in the series stars a different Brother, and Wrath, Leader of the Brotherhood, is the star of this first encounter. Darius, a Brother, asks him to protect his half-breed daughter Beth and Wrath can’t decline. What he doesn’t know is that he’ll fall – hard- for this half-human woman.

More about Dark Lover:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-orphaning  a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate -Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead…

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn’t there before. Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both…

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Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

The following books in the series:

How to participate?

- You choose a book you’ve read, loved and would dare your readers to read!

- The book you choose must be an older release (at least 6 months ago), because let’s be honest, we’re all quite aware of the latest releases.

- Write your own blog post, using the button and linking back to Tynga’s Reviews, inviting your readers to read your chosen book.

- Come back on Tynga’s Reviews and put your link in the linking tool.

- Browse other bloggers Dare and let them know if you’ve read their featured book, or plan on reading it.

- Super easy and an awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

Don’t forget to add your own Daring You To Read… post in the linky below.

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Posted by Tynga at 00:06

 Daring You to Read, J.R. Ward, Penguin  14 People left their mark

Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

Books Stats:
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Signet
Release date: March 6th, 2007

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #4

Reviewed by: Tynga

Source: Personal Shelf

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.

But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.

Overtime, Butch O'Neil, human, once-cop, became the Brothers’ protégé and it’s now his time to shine in this novel. He lives with the Brothers, they pay for his clothes, his food and won’t let him fight with them: he feels like a well kept human pet, like a loser. On top of this, the woman he wants, the stunning Marissa, high class vampire, doesn’t want anything to do with him. But honestly, why would she? Butch decides to take matters in hands when he stumbles into a party of Lessers attacking a vampire civilian. Not everything went as expected though…

Lover Revealed was a very exciting read and I really enjoyed it, even though Zhadist’s book remains my favorite. Butch isn’t one of my favorite male in the series but I liked to discover more about him. We learnt a lot about his past and his courage and determination shone. His human actions are often misinterpreted by Marissa and it spiced-up the plot. Marissa is a lovely bright female who’s unfairly shunned-out by the high society and she will fight hard to earn what she deserves.

My favorite aspect of this novel was, by far, Vishious’ turmoil. He lost his ability to see the future and it drives him nuts. He is also hunted by recurring nightmares and he is very unstable. His relationship with Butch is also very special and I hope we’ll get to the bottom of things. I honestly can’t wait to read Vishious’ book!

Even though Lover Revealed is my least favorite of the series, the book was really hard to put down due to high-running emotions and action-packed plot. What happened in this round will change all the rules and I’m really excited for what’s to come.

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Posted by Tynga at 10:36

 J.R. Ward, Penguin, Review, Vampire  5 People left their mark

Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward –Discussion

*** THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK***

Ok I wrote my review but I still have more to say, and I couldn’t do it without spoiling things…so this post was created! Ok this is just a jumble of thoughts and feelings, I’m not gonna win a literary prize here, but let’s have a fan-girl/boy moment together!

OMFG THIS BOOKS WAS AWESOME!

Ok ok I knew Zhadist had to be cool for all is wild, dark, anti-social exterior and I LOVED getting to know him! All the scenes with Bella, the way his was fighting with himself because he wanted her, but thought he didn’t deserve her. That she should have a better man than him. Geez it killed me. The guy have a very strange way of seeing the world (but can we blame him really?) but he is so sweet in his own awkward way. And really I doubted a few times they would end up together. I just wanted to yell at the both of them at some point and knock some sense into them oh god! The whole thing was just SO good!

Then there’s the not so good. WHY KILL WELLSIE? OMG! So cruel! She was so sweet and loving and amazing and now we won’t get to know more! Why??? I’m really sad about it, but totally respect the author’s balls. Hopefully, Tohr will works through it but GOD, when O pulled the trigger I was like NOOOOOO. Put down that book, walked in the house for like 2-3 min not wanting to believe he shot Wellsie, hoping she would just be injured. And I was so disappointed when I finally picked the book again, and Tohr felt this pain in his chest… I knew it was over.

And to kill Sarelle to? John and her were so cute. I was hoping they would save her. Now John is all alone with Tohr who vanished. I really love the kid =(

Geez the whole thing was so cruel and broke my heart. I really hope everything will get better!

O is one bastard I’m not sad to see go. Bella was so courageous! I hope he won’t come back from the grave again.

Phury was also quite a revelation. I really feel for the guy. The way he suffers quietly for all his brother has suffered. I really hope he gets a happy ending to. I was glad he didn’t start the heroine at the end. I was like c’mon man, don’t do that!

And Rhevenge is the Reverend WAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I DID NOT see that one coming. I thought he was a sympath too because of the drugs and how Marissa tasted something in his blood, but stupid me I never did 1+1 lol Now that I know, all the hints were there. But boy, I really didn’t see it coming. Am I the only one? lol

So glad Zsadist turned his life around and is improving, and is now involved in recruit’s training. I really can’t wait to read the following book! I’m gonna wait a bit though before I pick up the next one, because I wanna make the pleasure last haha

Alright now that I’m done rambling, please let me know what you think!

***Please refrain from giving spoilers from the next books, I haven’t read them!***

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Posted by Tynga at 00:45

 J.R. Ward, Vampire  11 People left their mark

Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward

Book Stats:
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Signet (Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages)
Published: September 5, 2006
ISBN-13: 978-0451219367

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #3

Reviewed by: Tynga

Book Source: Personal Shelf

Purchase: Amazon | Amazon Can | Book Depository

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Of these, Zsadist is the most terrifying member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…

 

The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a group of six very powerful warriors, respected and feared by civilian vampires: their role is to protect them. But one of them drastically stands out. Even his brothers fears him: Zsadist. After centuries of slavery and abuse, the male is damaged. Pain is his deliverance. Starving himself of both food and blood, scarred with soulless eyes he is a tremendous fighter because he has nothing to fear. What are you scared of when you’ve been to hell and back? But maybe, just maybe, he has a chance for redemption. He feels an inexplicable attraction for Bella, a civilian female who’s been kidnapped by lessers. He saved her, but can she save him from himself?

This review will be challenging to write because I LOVED this book so much I’m not sure my words can really capture the way I feel about it. Since the first book in the series, Dark Lover, I was anxious to discover more about Zsadist because I had a feeling his story would be interesting. Boy did Ward deliver! Lover awakened was dark, intense, stressful, passionate and oh so amazing! It took me over a week to read it because it was too good. Say what? It was so high in emotions I ended up putting the book down many times because I couldn’t handle it anymore lol I wanted to know what would happen next, yet I was so scared I couldn’t keep on reading. Call me crazy, but that’s how I felt hehe

I LOVED to finally discover the man this harsh exterior hid and glad we finally got to know his story. He had a gruesome past, no wonders he can’t handle emotional and physical contact. He was used in the worst way and left scarred (both literally and metaphorically) for life. Bella eventually becomes his reason to breath, but he feels unworthy of her and keeps pushing her away. Their relation is amazing and heart-shattering. Ward couldn’t possibly have told a better story. Consuming, overwhelming, their love for each other tore ‘em apart. Attracting yet repulsing each other like magnets, the whole story was a rollercoaster of emotions.

Zsadist & Bella’s isn’t the only tragic story though. Ward will kill a handful of characters in this book and I felt the lost right along with the survivors. I grieved for those characters and I was fond of them, one especially, and I wanted to throw my book away when she killed him/her. I also feel a lot of affection for the young John, and I really hope we’ll get to see him after his transition. His true identity was revealed in this book, but with everything going on, we didn’t get to see the consequences.

I won’t talk about the ending because I don’t want to give anything away, but let me tell you this: Right after finishing the book, I wanted to read it all over again. That’s just how good this book is. If you haven’t started the Black Dagger Brotherhood series yet, please do yourself a favor and by them. All of them, because one you finish one, you’ll want to read the next one right away. Trust me.

Read an excerpt

If you read the book, I would like to invite you to join the discussion I posted!

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Posted by Tynga at 00:37

 J.R. Ward, Penguin, Review, Vampire  1 Person left their mark

Lover Eternal by JR Ward

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He’s the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover—for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships, is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage’s protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. Her faith in miracles was lost years ago. But when Rhage’s intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves…

Lover Eternal is the second book is the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and I think I liked it even better than the first one. This second installment features Rhage, one of the brother who is cursed and as to rely on sex and fights to keep The Beast (yes literally) from coming out and Mary a human girl who’s got cancer. I can see the gears in your head, you’re thinking with an introduction like that it must be cheesy, well it’s not! There are multiple plot lines going on, but I’ll try to resume as best as I can without spoiling anything. Mary is a simple girl, volunteering in a suicide phone line and that’s how she meets John, a young mute vampire who doesn’t know what he is. She also happens to befriend Bella, who’s also a vampire and recognizes John right away. That’s how Mary finds herself mixed up with the Brotherhood in the first place, and how Rhage got nuts for her. There’s something about her that speaks to Rhage’s soul but his perusing her puts her in danger from Lessers: the spark that will start their rollercoaster ride relationship.

I just really loved the interaction between the main characters. Mary might be sick, but she has a warrior spirit and her mind is set to fight, plus she’s not impressed by the six and a half feet tall piece of a man Rhage is. She confronts him, and the beast, heads up. Rhage is not only incredibly sultry, he is also multi-layered and the perception you have of him after the first book is  completely crushed in Lover Eternal. Their relationship goes through many phases and I’ll admit it, I shed a few tears near the end!

One of the other characters to grab my intention was Zsadist, he is dark, dangerous, out of control and has his twin puts it, he is ruined. His interactions with Bella though leads me to believe there is much more to discover about this broken man, and I can’t wait to learn more about him.

The conclusion of this book took very surprising twist promising some very interesting plot lines for the next book in the series.

If you haven’t discovered The Black Dagger Brotherhood series yet, and you love Paranormal Romance, then you must get your hands on that series. It’s dark, sexy, sultry yet not overloaded with sex. Just the right amount of action, passion and carnal pleasure to get you addicted and craving for more!

Read Excerpt

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

 

 

Black Brotherhood Series:
Dark Lover
Lover Eternal
Lover Awakened
Lover Revealed
Lover Unbound
Lover Enshrined
Lover Avenged
Lover Mine

Book Stats:

Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages

Publisher: Signet (March 7, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0451218043

ISBN-13: 978-0451218049

Book Source: Personal Shelf

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Posted by Tynga at 13:25

 J.R. Ward, Penguin, Review, Vampire  4 People left their mark

In My Mailbox - Vlog

Before getting to serious business, I would like to thank The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every weeks =)

 

 

Books mentioned:

For Review:

Taken by the Others by Jess Haines (Thank you Jess!)

Kisses from Hell Anthology (Thank you Harper Collins)

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (Thank you Big Honcho Media & Harlequin)

Bought:

Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward

How was your week?

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Posted by Tynga at 00:10

 in my mailbox, J.R. Ward, Jess Haines, Julie Kagawa  15 People left their mark