Crave

Crave is the recently released, second book in J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels series.  As Jim Heron is awaiting instructions about his next soul to save, he works on a personal project - Isaac Rothe.

Isaac Rothe is an old buddy of Jim's from XOps.  Jim had called in for a favor from his old boss, Matthias.  He was given the information he requested, but in order to keep up his end of the bargain, Jim was to kill Rothe for going AWOL.  At some point, Jim decides that Isaac deserves to live, and instead of killing Isaac, Jim decides to help him hide. 

Jim is busy trying to keep Isaac alive when he becomes aware that Rothe is the next soul on his list to save.  He does everything he possibly can to keep Isaac safe from the demon, Devina, only to realize that it was not Rothe's soul that was in jeopardy.

Up Next: Unbroken

Covet

I read several reviews of Covet before actually reading the book, but I was still a little disappointed.  Because of the reviews I read, I started reading this book thinking that it was an extension of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.  It's not.  Phury makes a quick appearance, although not by name, and Trez is in this book a little, but that's about it.

Jim Heron is a former assassin who is now living as a construction worker, trying to live a clean life.  When working at his construction site, he is accidentally electrocuted, and finds out that fate has other plans for him.  He is given the opportunity to go back to his life, but he must go with a new mission in life.  With the help of a couple of fallen angels, he must save seven souls from the seven deadly sins.  If he does not succeed, evil will win.

Vin DiPietro had a poor childhood with an alcoholic mother and an abusive father, and was made fun of due to his "gift".  In his adult life, he thinks he has everything a man could want.  He's rich and powerful, lives on two floors in one of the most prestigious buildings in Caldwell, and has a beautiful girlfriend who he is building a mansion for and is planning to propose to.  Then he meets Marie-Terese, and he begins to question everything.

Marie-Terese Boudreau is a single mother running from a dangerous past and works as a prostitute at Iron Mask.  She is used to having to constantly look over her shoulder, and begins to think she's becoming paranoid when she feels that she is being followed.  After meeting, and falling in love with, Vin, she realizes there is someone after her, so she makes plans to flee with her son so they can remain safe.

When their three lives collide, the outcome is both triumphant and tragic.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Covet. If you like the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, there's a decent possibility that you'll like this new series by the same author.  The next book (Crave) is due out in October, and I hope to read it shortly after it comes out!

Up Next: A Touch Of Dead

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Mine (Book 8)

After hearing about John Matthew more and more during each of the previous 6 books of the series, we finally get to read about his story in Lover Mine.  This book begins just a few weeks after the previous book ends.  Xhex is still missing, and John Matthew vows to find her and bring her back.  We not only get to learn more about John Matthew, but we also find out a lot more about Xhex's past.

There are so many stories going on in this book that it's hard to decide which one(s) to cover in a review.  So, I'll say this:  if you're a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, you owe it to yourself to read this latest installment.  There's a lot more to the book than just John Matthew, Xhex, and Lash's fate.  We get a look back to Darius' life before and during the beginning of his time in the Brotherhood and we find out what happened to Xhex's former lover (the Brother Murhder).  We meet the Bloodletter's daughter and Quinn starts to face some repressed feelings.

Overall, I was a little disappointed in Lover Mine. We had new characters and new story lines thrown at us, and while a few stories were told, there are some that are left open.  I'd love to read more about Payne & Vishous, I'd like to see the Blay/Quinn/Saxton issue resolved, and I felt the Murhder sub-plot that was thrown in deserves more attention than it was given.  J.R. Ward definitely left many openings, and I hope that she lets us in on all the little secrets.

Up Next:  The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Avenged (Book 7)

I have to say, Rehvenge is not a character I paid much attention to.  He's a half-vampire/half-sympath who owns and operates the club, Zero Sum, where the Brothers like to hang out.  He's a pimp and a drug dealer.  He's also Bella's brother, and the one who the glymera tries to hire to assassinate Wrath.

Unlike the other books, where I read about the brothers, but skimmed over the lesser sections, I found myself doing the opposite in Lover Avenged.  The book is supposed to be Rehvenge's story, to let us get to know him and watch how he falls in love with Ehlena.  I found their story to be quite boring, for the most part.

I wanted to find out how Lash's story unfolds.  Once he becomes a half-vampire/half-lesser, he goes on a mission to destroy the vampire world.  He begins by murdering, and ordering the murders, of the glymera families.  As he begins his plans to go after the Brotherhood, Lash realizes how much easier his task would be if he could align himself with the sympath colony.  After visiting the sympaths, he decides to bring home a little souvenir.

The Brotherhood receives an email threatening to expose Rehv as a sympath, and if the Brother's don't turn him in, the fact that they knew about Rehv will also come to light. In order to keep his secret, he fakes his death and goes to the sympath colony.  When Xhex and Ehlena find out Rehv is still alive, they make a plan with the Brothers to rescue him.

The rescue mission is almost a success, and their failure sets up the storyline for the next book.  This was definitely better than the previous two books in the series.


Up Next:  The Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Mine (Book 8)

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Enshrined (Book 6)

Hmmm...

Lover Enshrined is supposed to be Phury's story, and I guess, in a way, it is.  As with my review for the previous book, I am having a hard time writing this one due to the disappointment.  Phury's story is just kind of...blah.  We follow him as he kicks his habit, and tries to begin he duties as the new Primale.  When he arrives to complete the ceremony, he sees that the Chosen, Cormia, who was picked for the ceremony, is terrified.  He decides to bring her back to the mansion with him so that she can get to know him, and help alleviate her fears.  At some point, and after much inner turmoil, he falls for Cormia, which brings on a whole new set of problems.

For me, the best part of the book was the John Matthew sub-plot.  Lash catches John Matthew, Blay, and Quinn after a training session, and tells JM that he knows all about what happened in the stairwell years before.  With the animosity that has been growing between the two, it's no surprise how John reacts to this.  He and Lash begin fighting, but when Lash pins John Matthew against the wall, Quinn jumps into the action, and the consequences are severe.

Although I found Phury's story line to be a bit lacking, J.R. Ward does keep me wanting to find out more about Lash's fate.

Up Next:  The Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Avenged (Book 7)

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Unbound (Book 5)

I have to admit that by the time I started this book, the series had begun to grow on me.  I am no longer forcing myself to finish the series just because I had added the whole thing to my list.

Of all the Brothers, Vishous is my favorite, so I was excited to read his story in Lover Unbound.  Vishous is the go-to guy in the Brotherhood.  He's in charge of the security systems, computers, tattoos, and making the daggers each Brother carries, each one made specifically for the hand that holds it.  With his amount of intelligence, wit, toughness, and talent (not to mention his unconventional personal preferences), you know that his shellan will have to be someone who is as remarkable, and as accepting, as he is.

Given all the build-up V had recieved in the previous books, I had high hopes that this would be the best in the series thus far.  I was quite disappointed.  While there were some interesting moments as we learned about Vishous' past, his journey with Jane felt like it was just thrown together.  With all that V had experienced, I find it quite unbelievable that he felt very little (if any) inner conflict when it came to falling for Jane.

I'm too disappointed with the book to try telling you what happens without spoiling the book, so below is the jist of what happens:

***SPOILER ALERT***

Vishous mistakenly brought into human hospital.  Brother's come to get him, and he insists that they take his doctor, Jane Whitcomb.  

Vishous is furious when he finds out the Scribe Virgin is his mother.  He hates her, especially when he learns he is to be the new Primale (after he had fallen for Jane).

Jane's new neighbors turn out to be lessers, but the brothers don't realize it until it's too late.  Jane is shot and killed by the lessers right in front of V, but the Scribe Virgin turns Jane into a ghost (who is usually transparent, but can turn solid when she wants to) as an attempt to show her love for Vishous.

Phury is kicked out of the Brotherhood because of his addiction, and offers to take Vishous' place as the new Primale, which sets up the story for the next book.

***END OF SPOILER***

I found the story to be quite disjointed, which just made the poor grammatical editing and product placement even more annoying than usual.  If you're a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, I would recommend reading Lover Unbound, since it is a part of the series.  Just don't expect much.

Up Next:  Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Enshrined (Book 6)

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Revealed (Book 4)

Butch is a middle aged ex-homicide detective who inadvertently hooks up with the Brotherhood. The thought of a human hanging out with, and living with the Black Dagger Brotherhood is unheard of. Most vampires who aren't in the Brotherhood don't even do that. But, Butch is different. He feels like he belongs, and his Brothers feel the same way.

Butch falls for Marissa, the vampire who Wrath used to feed from, but she doesn't seem to return his feelings. When Butch is taken by the Lessers, tortured, and is given a piece of the Omega's evil, no one knows if he'll survive. After Vishous finds him, he is taken to Marissa's brother, Havers - a vampire doctor. As soon as Marissa realizes Butch is there and is in really bad shape, she finds his room and stays with him till he heals.

During his stay at Havers', it is revealed that Marissa didn't even know Butch had come to see her before, and they confess their love for each other. Havers is appalled that his sister, a member of the vampire aristocracy, would fall for a human, and kicks her out of his home - an hour before sunrise (and we all know what sunlight does to vampires). Not knowing where else to go, she ends up at the Brotherhood's mansion.

Odd things start happening that make the Brothers question Butch's origin. Blood samples are taken and reviewed, and they find out that Butch is actually a cousin of Wrath's. (Butch's mom had an affair with a vampire, and Butch was the result.) Since most half-breeds who are going to transition do it around their 25th birthday, Vishous finds another way to start Butch's. Marissa is there to help him survive, and he becomes a full-fledged member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Up Next:  Android Karenina

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Awakened (Book 3)

Of all the Brothers, Zsadist is by far, the most terrifying. He was kidnapped when he was just an infant, and when his kidnapper died, he was sold as a blood slave. After spending more than a hundred years being violently raped and abused, his twin brother, Phury, finds and sets him free. As you can imagine those many years of torture left both physical and more emotional scars than any one person should be burdened with. He's angry and violent, hates to be touched, and has provided plenty of basis for the rumors swirling around about him.

In the second book of the series, Zsadist briefly meets Bella. Although he pushes her away and terrifies her during both of their meetings, he is devastated when she is kidnapped by the Lessers. In Lover Awakened, the Brotherhood is able to find where the Lessers are keeping Bella and come up with a plan to rescue her. After the rescue, the Brothers decide that it would be safest for her to stay with them while her family works on finding another safe house for her.

During this stay, the attraction between Zsadist and Bella grows, and the harder Z fights it, the more Bella wants him...until she has finally had enough. While they work on getting back on track, the Brotherhood suffers a crippling loss that throws them all into a tailspin.

Like the others in this series, it's an easy read that is similar to a soap opera.

Up Next:  Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Revealed (Book 4)

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Eternal (Book 2)

The second installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series tells Rhage's story. Rhage is known to be the best fighter within the Brotherhood, the one with the least amount of impulse control, and the one with the most (anonymous and random) lovers. He's also the one that carries a curse cast upon him by the Scribe Virgin.

Then, there's Mary. A woman in her early 30's who finds out her own curse is back. As she prepares to deal with that, her life gets turned upside down when she meets a mute named John Matthew and finds out her friend and neighbor, Bella, is really a vampire.

As Rhage and Mary begin to fall for each other, they are forced to not only deal with their demons, but also come to terms with Mary's immortality. Rhage has a monster inside, and starts to push Mary away, worried for her safety. When they realize that she is the one person the monster won't hurt, they receive devastating news about Mary's health. Rhage is given the opportunity to save her, but that would mean not having her in his life.

The lessers are still continuing their war against the vampires, and their lastest victim is Bella. Zsadist vows to find her, bring her back, and make those responsible pay for their crime.

I really wasn't sure about this series after I had finished the first book. While J.R. Ward includes many layers to her stories, there really isn't a lot of depth. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is like a darker, adult version of the Twilight Saga - oddly entertaining and unexpectedly addicting!

Up Next: Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Awakened (Book 3)

Black Dagger Brotherhood: Dark Lover (Book 1)

Is there a genre called "Vampire Smut"?  If so, this book definitely falls into that category.  I'm hoping that the more I read this series, the more I like it.  It's not that I hated the book, but it's not one I'd spend money on (good thing my local library carries the series).

Dark Lover is one of those light, lusty reads that portrays the vampires as the good guys.  The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a group of 6 vampires that have very little (if any) human blood in them.  They have unconventional names that kind of make you wonder if those are their birth names, or names they've given themselves.  There's Wrath, Tohrment, Phury, Zsadist, Rhage, and Vishous. 

Wrath is the leader of this group, the only purebred vampire left, and he has a chip on his shoulder.  Before his transition, he watched the Lesseners (a group of vampire slayers) slaughter his parents and servants.  His only mission in life is to wipe out these slayers.  But when one of his most trusted soldiers is killed, he feels a duty to honor his fallen brother, and not just by seeking vengeance on those responsible for the death.  Wrath is given a letter asking him to watch over the lost brother's half-breed daughter in case she transistions.  (Did I mention that the daughter grew up in the Foster care system and has no idea her father is a vampire?)

While this book is not at all a difficult read, you do have to remember a few things since you are following several different stories throughout.  You not only follow Wrath and his brothers, but also a reporter, a cop, and the leader of the Lesseners.

It appears that the Black Dagger Brotherhood series has quite the following, and if you enjoy paranormal romances, this would be a good one for you.

Up Next:  John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row"