'The Beast' Black Dagger Brotherhood #14 by J.R. Ward

From the BLURB:

Rhage and Mary return in the new novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood

His name is Rhage - the deadliest fighter and most voracious lover of all the Brotherhood, whose inner beast could never be tamed. But Rhage found his eternal love in Mary Luce, a woman who once bore a life-threatening curse, while dreaming of eternity with her vampire warrior and protector.

They've made it to hell and back. Now their story continues in a new novel sure to draw fans back into the 'frighteningly addictive' (Publishers Weekly) world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

‘The Beast’ is the 14^th instalment in JR Ward’s ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ urban-fantasy/paranormal-romance series.

Nope. I did not read 13^th book ‘The Shadows’. I saw the controversy swarming around it at the time of release, and so I stayed away – until recently, when I attempted to read, but a few chapters in I started to like Trez and Selena and so I decided to bail. Because I am not putting myself through that. There were enough in-depth romance blogger reviews for me to know exactly what happened in the 13^th book, and get the gist of the billion other storylines threaded throughout. And anyway, ‘The Beast’ is revisiting the pairing of Rhage and Mary who we first met in book 2, ‘Lover Eternal’ – so I thought I knew enough about them already to dive into a book revisiting their relationship.

I really loved Rhage and Mary – and after Zsadist & Bella, and Rehvenge & Ehlena (I know, I’m in the minority there!) – they’re probably my favourite couple of the BDB. Especially since Mary is one of the only human mates in the brotherhood collective, she reminds me of a better time in this series when it wasn’t all talk about hairless Chosen females who were verily, otherworldly and unattainably beautiful … and I thought all the sacrifices and balances to ensure Mary could stay with Rhage had just the right amount of ‘kill your darlings’ high-stakes (without going overboard, as the Warden clearly did in ‘Shadows’!)

But I gotta say, coming back into this series after not reading a book for two years … I suddenly feel like The Emperor Has No Clothes (or: The Vampires Have No Fangs, to be apropos).

I just … struggled with this one. For starters: I only read the sections pertaining to be about Rhage, Mary, Layla (freakin’ STILL!) has a story going on with Xcor, Vishous has something happening with someone – but I only read his interactions with Butch, Jane and Lassiter … I skipped over I-don’t-even-know-what with Assail, and some reporter (or was she a real-estate agent?) called Jo. The Warden used to be really good at running concurrent storylines – often of our protagonists alongside glimpses of antagonists – but as the series has blown out now to 14 books she feels the need to have about six different stories running together and I just can’t.

But the story itself about Rhage and Mary was … fine? I mean; I saw it all coming from a mile away. And everyone told me that it would work out for them, even as this book sees Rhage asking some really tricky questions of his and Mary’s relationship – I still got cut up reading their struggles and particularly as it made commentary on Mary, motherhood and what it means to be a woman. I do wish that the Warden had poured a little more salt in the wound, however – I could have done with more examination of where Mary (as a human) fits into Rhage’s life in the brotherhood, because she also can’t sustain him with her blood alone and I thought that was a pretty obvious discussion to have, on top of the other hurdles they’re facing in this one. To me, the really raw, emotional scene was pretty much over and done with when Rhage – literally – has a conflicting, rational thought to his emotions and decides ‘cool, I’m all good with this now.’

There were some nice moments in the book – lots of appearances and hints of possible future plots and pairings that I’m sure would have sent die-hard fans into conniption fits.

But suddenly – after a two-year break – I came back into these books and the BDB world and I just had no time for the “bromance” bullshit. I mean;

Manny pulled up a chair. “How we doing, young man?” 

“Hey, old fart. Where’s your better half?” 

“Payne’s having a lie-down. I tired her out, if you get what I mean.” 

The two pounded knuckles…

Ladies and Gentleman; the vampires have no fangs, because suddenly I could not stop rolling my eyes and/or physically sneering at (the many) scenes like the one above. It was when I realised what’s been in these books all along, but I suddenly have no time for – the BDB mansion is basically a frat house.

Also: the Warden’s language. We all know she has a very particular pop-culture vernacular that I’ve never been entirely convinced will stand up, in even a couple year’s time … but not reading that tonal-topical style for a couple years, then coming back into it just made me cringe. Even scenes that I’m sure she wrote to be sweet and emotional just left me scratching my head;

 Sometime later, Mary woke up after a good long rest … and smiled at her decidedly asleep mate. Rhage was out like a light, his eyes closed, one blond brow twitching, his jaw grinding as if maybe he were dreaming of an argument or a pool game. His breathing was deep and even, and yes, he was snoring. Not like a chain saw, though. Or an unmuffled Mustang revving at a red light. Or even anything close to Butch’s wounded-badger routine – which was something you had to hear to believe. 

No, the sounds her man let out were more like Krups coffee pot right as it was finishing a cycle of brewing; the kind of thing that burbled in the background, offering a comforting rhythm of patter that she could sleep through if she wanted to or stay up and listen to if she were stewing again. Come to think of it, his snores were probably the quietest thing about him, considering how heavy his footfalls were, how loud his laugh was, and how much he spoke, especially if he were giving his Brothers a hard time.

What even is?!

Look, I’m pretty sure my reaction to what should have just been a nice, easy revisit of a fan-favourite couple is probably just the signifier I needed that I’m done with this series. More fool me for not realising four or five books ago … but I am going to be a bit sad to say goodbye to this universe, which I first discovered in a haze of paranormal romance binging and once got a real kick out of.  But now, sadly, the shit-kickers are coming off and staying off. Sayonara!

2/5

'The Angels' Share' The Bourbon Kings #2 by J. R. Ward

Received from the Publisher 

From the BLURB:

Behind the glamorous facade of Kentucky's most famous family lurks a secret - one that threatens its very foundation . . .

In Charlemont, Kentucky, the Bradford family is the crème de la crème of high society - just like their exclusive brand of bourbon. And their complicated lives and vast estate are run by a discrete staff who inevitably become embroiled in their affairs. This is especially true now, when the apparent suicide of the family patriarch is starting to look more and more like murder.

No one is above suspicion - especially the eldest Bradford son, Edward. The bad blood between him and his father is known far and wide, and he is aware that he could be named a suspect. As the investigation into the death intensifies, he keeps himself busy at the bottom of a bottle - as well as with his former horse trainer's daughter. Meanwhile, the family's financial future lies in the perfectly manicured hands of a business rival, a woman who wants Edward all to herself.

Everything has consequences; everybody has secrets. And few can be trusted. Then, at the very brink of the family's demise, someone thought lost to them forever returns to the fold. Maxwell Bradford has come home. But is he a saviour . . . or the worst of all the sinners?

‘The Angels' Share’ is the second book in a new family saga and contemporary fiction series by J. R. Ward. It’s following on from the events of first book, ‘The Bourbon Kings’ – which is also where the series takes its title name.

I didn’t mind last year’s first book in this new contemporary series from J. R. Ward, who is branching out from her insanely popular romantic urban fantasy vampire series’ ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ (the 14^th book of which is also out this year), and her gritty angel series, ‘Fallen Angels’. But I was suitably forewarned ahead of my reading ‘The Bourbon Kings’, not to expect a romance. As such, I came away from that first book thinking it had a lot of problems, but had also laid some interesting enough foundations for me to come back for the second instalment … unfortunately ‘The Angels' Share’ is a hot mess. Or, rather, not even a hot mess; as the problems of the first book seem to have carried over and been exacerbated to an almost unreadable point in this second foray. Let me see if I can explain …

Partly why I was keen to come back for round two with Ward’s Bradford Family, was the hopes that the lacklustre semi-protagonist and HEA pairing in the first book wouldn’t pull such a focus in the second. Middle-son Lane and his Sabrina-esque romance with landscape gardener Lizzie was a total snooze-fest in ‘Bourbon Kings’. A lot of their romance was about alluding to their love affair of two years prior, and asking readers to believe that they really were as hot n’ heavy as they kept saying they were.

I was keen, from reading the blurb of ‘The Angels' Share’ that this second book would follow a similar series structure to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and only allow Lane and Lizzie to pop in for cameos, but would otherwise let eldest and broken brother Edward take the story reigns and so on with each subsequent instalment, alternating character-focus … unfortunately, that’s not the case. Lane still gets majority page-time, and as he’s taken over the declining family business we still get a lot of him. Except this time it’s a lot of him crunching numbers with family lawyers, blackmailing his accountant buddy from New York to keep crunching numbers, and just generally being a snooze-fest. That extends to his still lacklustre relationship with Lizzie – the two of them don’t even get sex scenes, instead they get this;

“When you and I were in my father’s office, I wanted to push everything off the top of his desk and have sex with you on the damn thing.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” He shrugged. “Depraved?” 

Lizzie considered the hypothetical with a smile. “Not really. Although I actually can’t decide whether that’s erotic or just going to create a mess on the floor that it’s going to kill me not to clean up.” 

.... Yah.

This scene ends, FYI, with Lizzie and Lane having sex (that we don’t read about) on Lizzie’s desk, but not before Lane suggests carefully placing Lizzie’s laptop on the floor instead of pushing it off in the heat of passion. Cue: missionary.

Edward’s storyline from the first book had him in unrequited love with the daughter (and CEO) of a rival business family. But when we first meet up with Edward in ‘The Angels' Share’, there’s no mention of Sutton and instead he’s playing with fire (in a halfway titillating way too!) with his new stable hand, Shelby. Unfortunately this goes nowhere, and Shelby as a character joins the rank and file of about 20 others who don’t really make a whole lot of sense in this series, and roughly 18 of them should probably vamoose off the page …

Look, I know Ward thinks she’s writing Dallas meets Downton Abbey. I get it. She even has Lizzie allude to the fact;

Lizzie looked away, her brows lowering. When her eyes shifted back, she spoke in a soft voice. “Just so you and I are clear, yes, I may be staff, but I don’t need the wake-up call that’s coming your way. I am well aware of the situation this household is in, and if it makes you feel better to play Downton Abbey with me, that’s fine. But it’s not going to change the reality that your ‘modest’ wedding reception is more than you can afford right now. And I’m not ordering so much as a dandelion head without your brother’s permission.” 

Gin felt the branches of her extensive family tree straighten her spine. “Well, I have never—”

But it’s not working here. And her trying to cover all manner of upstairs/downstairs commentary has made for a fractured series in which I don’t end up caring or even liking any of the Bradford Family, I speed-read through the scenes of Master Distiller (I’m not even kidding) Edwin “Mack” MacAllan and wonder what the heck Lane’s NY accountant buddy is even doing here if there’s not going to be an inkling of set-up for him in future books beyond a minor plot-point in ‘Angels’ Share’ …

I only slogged through reading this book (and then speed-reading a far chunk of it) for Bradford sister (and Daisy Buchanan-wannabe) Gin, and her broken romance with family friend/lawyer, Samuel T. Gin had a violent encounter resulting in rape towards the end of the first book, at the hands of the man she convinced herself she needed to agree to marry because Samuel T. wouldn’t have her, and she was running out of money. Gin’s storyline is the only one with high stakes and interest for me, and it’s not that I want to read her being repeatedly abused (the scenes are mostly alluded to in this book, not as graphic as in the first) but it’s also that she and Samuel T. have been set up with believable back-story that’s the only one I’m invested in … in the form of Gin having been a pregnant teenager, giving birth to Samuel T’s lovechild, Amelia, whom Gin seems to have neglected throughout her young life and Samuel T doesn't even know is his.

I was purely reading ‘The Angels’ Share’ in the end, to get caught up on the Gin/Amelia/Samuel T. saga. That’s it for me – and though it was especially unsatisfying in this book (again: Amelia who actually makes sense as a character loses page-time to the likes of accountant buddy, stable hand and Master Distiller) I will probably come back for the third, only in the hopes that their fractured family pull focus, and J.R. Ward at least attempts to correct the course of this train-wreck series.

‘The Bourbon Kings’ series is not good, let’s just put that out there. It’s actually pretty goddam awful … if you like the idea of a Bourbon Family Legacy in the genteel South, then I suggest you pick up Tiffany Reisz’s new book ‘The Bourbon Thief’ for a good bout of mystery-erotica too. Because right now, J.R. Ward’s ‘The Bourbon Kings’ is suffering from a lack of clear direction and an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ saga-syndrome. It’s refusal to be a romance is also clearly hindering the scope of possibility, and direction for many characters.

1/5

'The Bourbon Kings' #1 By J. R. Ward

From the BLURB:

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege - as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford façade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly's head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted - and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane's beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the iron-fisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets. As family tensions - professional and intimately private - ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.

‘The Bourbon Kings’ is the first instalment in a new contemporary series by J.R. Ward, author of the popular paranormal ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series’.

So this book came out in July and I was intrigued. Having enjoyed her previous Jessica Bird pseudonymous contemporary romance series, and firmly believing for the last two or three books now that the ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series needs to wrap up, I was excited to see Ward venture into new writing territory … there was also the fact that a wealthy family saga set in the south just tickles me pink. But as soon as the book came out in July, I started seeing many of my book review friends posting negative reviews, sharing their disappointment in the Warden’s new venture.

From glancing at those less-than-stellar reviews, I knew going into ‘The Bourbon Kings’ not to expect a romance (as many others mistakenly had, and were subsequently frustrated with the book). I had been adequately fore-warned that this new series was more women’s fiction, family saga, verging on soap-opera and seriously light on the romance … and thanks to those forewarnings, I actually found myself enjoying this book, somewhat.

It is definitely not romance, and absolutely more of a fictional soap-opera. This first book is setting up the harrowing and complicated lives of a Kentucky bourbon dynasty called Bradford … think ‘Bold and the Beautiful’ minus L.A. fashion scene, ‘Dallas’ but a bourbon empire instead of an oil one.

This book is very loosely following the story of middle-child Tulane ‘Lane’ Bradford who has been sequestering himself on his friend’s couch in New York for the past two years … avoiding a wife he didn’t want to marry, and trying to forget about the woman he had to give up as a consequence. Lane is called home when his adopted mother, and family cook, Aurora is reportedly on her death-bed and requesting seeing him. His return home throws him back in Lizzie King’s path – the Bradford family head horticulturist and the love of Lane’s life whom he betrayed two years ago. But his return home also reveals many skeletons lurking in the Bradford family closet, ready to creep out …

I will admit that a lot of this book is set-up and information-dump. Lane and Lizzie can only very loosely be called the HEA – they’re sharing page-time with just about every other Bradford sibling and a few background co-workers … Lane and Lizzie also feel less like the HEA because they’re so bad and boring. A lot of their relationship is tell not show, Ward relies heavily on them having had true love chemistry two years ago that’s barely recognisable in their current predicament. And further proof that this isn’t a romance is how lacklustre a heroine Lizzie is – she’s a complete Mary Sue and bland to boot. It doesn’t help that there’s only one sex scene between them (a shame, when the Warden excels in this area) and the fact that Lizzie and Lane’s entire relationship feels constructed so as to best set the scene and players around them … all of whom are infinitely more interesting.

He let his voice deepen. “I’m prepared to be a very patient man when it comes to you. I will seduce you for however long it takes — give you space if you need it or follow you tight as sunshine on your shoulder if you’ll let me.” His eyes locked on hers. “I lost my chance with you once, Lizzie King — that is not going to happen again.”

There’s eldest brother Edward, who is still recovering from a South American kidnapping plight that’s left his mind and body broken … coupled with the fact that he’s pining for the daughter of the Bradford family’s rival distillery. Youngest sibling Virginia ‘Gin’ has a preference for married men and an illegitimate daughter she had as a teenager, all of which has garnered her quite reputation. But Gin is pining for Samuel T. – long time family friend and lawyer, and the only man to capture her heart but whom she has been in a nasty back-and-forth battle with since they were teenagers, using sex like warfare.

Max is the one Bradford sibling we don’t meet in this book, though some of his more unusual and gossiped-about proclivities are mentioned … 

And arching over all this is William, the family patriarch and total villain to rival J.R. Ewing.

Edward and Gin’s set-up storylines saved this book for me, and ensured I’d be coming back for more instalments. And yet it was also Edward and Gin’s storylines that put this book firmly in the ‘not romance’ territory – particularly Gin’s which, fair warning, includes a pretty horrific rape scene that’s all the worse for the fall-out hinting at prolonged misery in store for Gin …

Look, this book has its faults – chief amongst them is how dull Lizzie and Lane are, that basically means the one sliver of true romance is eaten up by a lacklustre pairing. But like a good soap-opera, the satellite stories sucked me into this series and the Bradford family saga … it is so much like a soap that the Warden even includes a sneak-peak three-pages at what’s in store for the Bourbon Kings, that really did feel like a “in next week’s instalment …” ad. I really can’t think of anyone else writing a soap-opera family saga like this one, except perhaps Lisa Kleypas’s ‘Travis’ series (which is most definitely romance – so if the Bradford’s left you cold, maybe go knocking on the Travis family door?)

I can see a lot of people hating this book, particularly if they’re not aware of the whole ‘definitely not a romance!’ thing. But if people are coming into this hoping for the Warden’s Black Dagger magic being transferred into a contemporary setting, they won’t be far off! The Black Dagger series can be pretty darn bleak, and in particular Ward has often written disturbing storylines for the female characters of that series, and it’s certainly hinted that similar is in store for the women of ‘Bourbon Kings’ … so in that sense, she’s definitely following through with her bleak saga series, mixed with (hopefully!) some glimmers of HEA hope.

3/5

'The King' Black Dagger Brotherhood #12 by J.R. Ward

From the BLURB

Long live the King . . .

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father's mantle - with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything - and everyone - at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she's unprepared for Wrath's response - or the distance it creates between them. The question is, will true love win out . . . or tortured legacy take over?

 ‘The King’ is the 12^th instalment J.R. Ward’s ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series.

This book goes back to Wrath and Beth, and is concentrated on them because Xcor and the Band of Bastards have got plans in motion to de-throne Wrath, while his hellren is pleading for a baby when that’s the last thing in the world he wants.

Trez and iAm are tangled up in their past, while the beautiful chosen Selena is making Trez wish for a different future.

Assail and Sola … I dunno who these two even are. I skipped over all their parts (all the parts … so many parts – why?)

Layla has a young on the way, but is continually pulled back to Xcor and their secret rendezvous, even while he’s working hard to pull her family apart.

Wh-what did I just read?

I swear – I spent about 89% of this book in a state of “WTF?” and the other 11% wondering “is this nearly over?” I think this book actually marks the end of my time with the ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’, and I honestly can’t tell if we’ve drifted apart or they changed.

First of all, the Warden’s writing felt so bloated with pop-culture references it reads dated (even though some of these references are only 8 months old … so imagine how they’ll read years from now?)

The growl that came out of that massive chest was a reminder that her man was not, in fact, a man. He was the last purebred vampire left on the planet – and when it came to her and sex, he was fully capable of going wrecking-ball to get at her. 

And not in that stupid-ass Miley Cyrus poser-sex way – and provided Beth was willing, of course.

This never used to bug me before, but I really seemed hyper-aware of it in this book and for some reason it sounded like someone imitating J.R. Ward and forcing that prose.

 Yet here she was, head over heels with a straight-up killer who had a trucker’s vocabulary, a royal bloodline as long as his arm, and enough attitude to make Kanye West look like a self-esteem reject.

Secondly, I also seemed hyper-aware of the misogyny in this book. Granted, the parts that bugged me were mentioned when Trez was confessing his sordid (trafficking) past to Selena and he was equally disturbed by his exploits … still, my discomfort also came from the female human-hating that the Warden has been writing for the last few books now. I’ve said in the past that I miss the time when humans could be hellrens – Mary is still my favourite heroine of the series – but lately the pool of female love interests have been taken exclusively from the Chosen (those hairless specimens of perfection. Urgh. Who can relate to that?) or vampire race – these are amongst my most hated heroines (Layla and Cormia verily get on my ever last loving nerve. Truly.) In this book it’s mentioned that Trez and iAm’s culture look down on humans, and the fact that Trez has slept with so many of them (we’re talking thousands here, people!) makes him unclean – makes his very soul unclean.

… hundreds of dirty human women who hadn’t brought up safe sex or STD tests or whether or not they’d already contracted AIDS from letting sluts like him into their panties. 

Well, gee. Thanks.

I admit to liking the Trez and Selena romance and the Xcor/Layla scenes. Those worked for me, and mostly because these are two couples that have a lot to overcome and the battle ahead is fraught with obstacles that should keep things interesting. I also liked mention of iAm’s romantic background. But so much of this book was fat that needed cutting – I haven’t actually read a review yet that admits to liking Assail/Sola (or even reading all of their chapters) – why are they even in this series? When fans are clamouring for a revisit to Mary and Rhage, or Zsadist and Bella (for what it’s worth, I’d also appreciate a Rehvenge/Ehlena scene) why is the Warden focusing so much on this new pairing that it seems nobody is rooting for?

Part of the appeal of the ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ is in the feeling of family – something Beth mentions multiple times in this book – that we could revisit these characters and monitor the progression of their relationships. But we barely get a glimpse into even the more recent pairings; John Matthew and Xhex, Blay and Qhuinn or Tohr and Autumn. Why? It makes this series read disconnected from even its most recent past.

*Sigh*. I used to really enjoy these books, but now I’m feeling myself cringe while reading. This is not a good sign – I might try the 13^th instalment, but it’s seeming more and more likely that I’ll just cash in my good reading memories now and leave while the going is still somewhat good.

2/5

'Lover at Last' Black Dagger Brotherhood #11 by J.R. Ward

 Received from the Publisher 

From the BLURB:

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another....

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: The male has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young—just as Qhuinn has always wanted for himself. It’s hard to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. As he’s learned firsthand.

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions... but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together... finally become one.

There has been a romance brewing in the Brotherhood mansion for many years now . . .  it started as friendship, progressed to unrequited love, fitful lust and finally, brutal rejection. Now the bonds that tie these two are all but irrevocably broken.

Qhuinn is the young star of the Black Dagger Brotherhood – a dedicated bodyguard to his best friend, John Matthew, and one fighter who isn’t afraid to risk his life for the cause. He’s rapidly on his way to becoming an indispensable warrior, even if he isn’t officially part of the Brotherhood, and could never be, because of the heterochromia that marks him as inferior. Qhuinn has been shunned his entire life for his physical defect, and has never known a family’s love – so he’s making one of his own. The Chosen Layla is pregnant with Qhuinn’s child, a daughter he saw in a near-death vision. And while this child was not conceived in love, or even lust, both Qhuinn and Layla are excited to meet their young. 

The warrior Blaylock, meanwhile, is still coming to terms with the knowledge that the man he professed to love is moving on and starting a family, with a woman . . . It wasn’t that long ago that Blay was admitting his true feelings to his best friend and fighting partner, and having Qhuinn twist a dagger in his heart when he replied that he could only envision life with a female. Now Blay has moved on with Saxton, Qhuinn’s savvy and sophisticated cousin, and he’s trying to love the man who is his first true lover . . .  but Qhuinn still comes between them, even if Blay struggles to admit that the feelings he so wishes were buried are anything but.

While Qhuinn and Blay dance around one another, both desperately trying to come to terms with their true feelings and loving limitations, a coup is brewing. . .  Xcor, leader of the Band of Bastards is working to overthrow King Wrath. And while one revolution brews, a royal wedding is being postponed by the Shadow Brothers, Trez & iAm, who are both going on the run so that Trez doesn’t have to enter into an arranged marriage that would make him King’s consort. 

‘Lover At Last’ is the much-anticipated 11th book of J.R. Ward’s tremendously popular ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series.

This is the one we’ve all been waiting (and hoping) for – ever since Blay & Qhuinn’s true feelings were made manifest, fans have been eagerly crossing their fingers for the Warden to dismiss mainstream paranormal romance conventions and write the M/M (male/male) romance we’ve all known has to brew between these two . . .  and now she’s done it! Qhuinn and Blay’s romance is glorious – a heartwrenching, arcing story that takes them both to their lowest lows and triumphant highs – and leaves fans utterly replete. Less successful in this 11th instalment is the many overcrowded secondary character stories; but I’ll get to that.

First – the good . . .  and Qhuinn & Blay are *so* good! These two have been on a romantic rollercoaster for many books now. Between Qhuinn’s rakish thirst for sexual connection with anyone and everyone (except his best friend, Blay) and Blay’s painful love from afar, and consequent rejection – these two have had a monumental love story brewing that’s had fans gushing and fuming in equal measure. There’s a lot riding on ‘Lover At Last’, because while the majority of fans have known for a while now that only a full-fledged book would appease the Qhuay romantics, some small-minded fans have been adamantly put-off by the thought of a homosexual Brotherhood coupling. To them I say – nothing – because I won’t waste my time. But to those who have been eagerly anticipating Qhuay I will say that the Warden holds nothing back – this is an M/M worthy of Josh Lanyon, and it’s among the most romantic of all the Brotherhood mating stories.

“I have loved you for years. I have been in love with you for years and years and years ... throughout school and training ... before transitions and afterward ... when you approached me and yes, even now that you're with Saxton and you hate me. And that ... shit ... in my fucking head locked me down, locked everything down ... and it cost me you.”

But, fair warning, the Warden drags these two through the emotional pits before she can even begin to start building them up – she has to examine why Qhuinn has never admitted his true feelings for Blay, and why Blay could never let Qhuinn go even while he’s been in a loving relationship with Saxton. And, to that end, I hope we haven’t seen the last M/M Brotherhood pairing with Qhuinn and Blay – because Saxton proves himself to be a rather enigmatic and worthy male in this book, and I'd love to see him get a happily ever after. 

Now on to the not-so-good . . . and, actually, these are complaints that have been brewing for the last three books or so. Number one is that the Warden no longer seems to touch-base with past characters quite so much. This has been a common complaint for a few books now – fans have often pointed to the lack of Rhage & Mary updates, these two seeming to have fallen by the wayside pretty much since their book ‘Lover Eternal’ (despite being one of the fan-favourite couplings). But more recently fans were disappointed to not have a touch-base on John Matthew and Xhex’s relationship. And it happens again in ‘Lover At Last’ –we don’t get any scenes between the latest coupling of Tohr and No’One, which is especially disappointing since it felt like their coupling at the end of ‘Lover Reborn’ was still a work-in-progress, and something the Warden would monitor with updates in subsequent books. 

It used to be that the Warden was quite good at keeping readers in-touch with past couples of the BDB world. Zsadist and Bella were frequently revisited in side-stories, as are Beth and Wrath (who, consequently, are set-up to be the focus of 12th book ‘The King’ in 2014). But now instead of feeding fans’ curiosity about the goings-on of mated Brothers and their Shellans, the Warden has been introducing new characters and side-stories . . .  like that of Assail and Sola in ‘Lover At Last’. Sola being a human sent to spy on lone-wolf Assail, who gets more than she bargained for when her spying is detected – and Assail’s animal instincts piqued by this curious human female. 

Now, in theory I like Assail/Sola – especially because it’s a human/vampire pairing that we haven’t had since Butch and Marissa (or, more technically, Rhage and Mary!). But I found myself frustrated whenever the Warden cut to their story, because I wasn’t as invested in them as I was more established characters – like Trez, iAm, Xcor, Qhuinn, Blay, Wrath, Beth etc, etc, etc. Especially when Wrath and Beth’s ongoing story was set-up in this book, as was Trez’s, not to mention Xcor and Layla . . .  adding Assail and Sola to the pile was one too many. 

The more successful side-stories were that of Trez & iAm – Shadow twins who have apparently been hiding quite a bit from the Brotherhood and fans alike. I’m not thrilled that another Chosen is set-up as Trez’s potential love interest . . .  but I am thrilled that it seems a done-deal that Trez and iAm will both be getting books.

And then there’s Xcor – the ugly, scarred leader of the Band of Bastards, and possibly the only thing saving Layla from being universally despised by BDB readers. Perfect, verily beautiful Layla being paired with the scarred and despised Xcor is actually sort of genius – and while I’m still not invested or enamoured of her, I appreciate that her previously sickeningly Mary-Sue life is becoming layered, messy and complex . . .  and I’m liking that, a lot.

All in all; ‘Lover At Last’ is a most satisfying book for those who have been Team Qhuay and had their fingers-crossed for a book that does them justice. ‘Lover At Last’ is that book – a perfect love story for two of the most popular BDB characters in the series. And while I wish previous characters would get more love from the Warden (while newer secondary characters could be hustled away) stories like Xcor and Layla’s, Trez and iAm’s would suggest that this is a series that still has a lot to offer . . . 

3.5/5

'Rapture' A Novel of the Fallen Angels #4 by J.R. Ward

 Received from the Publisher 

From the BLURB:

Mels Carmichael, reporter for the Caldwell Courier Journal, gets the shock of her life when a man stumbles in front of her car outside the local cemetery. After the accident, his amnesia is just the kind of mystery she likes to solve, but she soon discovers they're over their heads with his past. Over their heads with passion, too...

As shadows walk the line between reality and another realm and her lover's memory begins to come back, the two of them learn that nothing is truly dead and buried. Especially when you're trapped in a no-holds-barred war between angels and demons. With a soul on the line and Mels' heart at risk, what in heaven - or in hell - will it take to save them both?

** This review contains spoilers of all previous books in the ‘Fallen Angels’ series **

The odds are in their favour, but Jim Heron and his last remaining angelic aid, Adrian, are still fighting hard in the war against Good and Evil.

This time the soul in question belongs to Jim’s old XOps boss, the pathologically cruel Matthias who was a previously lost cause.

Matthias is back from hell and upon his return he’s involved in a car accident with Caldwell Courier journalist Mels Carmichael. Mels can’t forget about the John Doe she hit with her car and when the limping, scarred man admits to her that he has amnesia, he also asks for her help in finding who he is. Mels finds that she cannot refuse him, and it’s not just her guilty conscience pushing her to stay close to Matthias . . .

Meanwhile, evil beauty Devina is still rampaging mad that Jim duped her in the last souls round, and her payback will involve poking at the open-wound that is Jim’s little lost, virginal soul, Sissy. . .

‘Rapture’ is the fourth book in J.R. Ward’s ‘Fallen Angels’ series.

I swear, this fourth book in the ‘Fallen Angels’ series feels like a giant step back . . . which is such a shame after the four-star glory of third book, ‘Envy’. I have not been an easy fan of this series, but I will admit that the books had been getting progressively better from the lacklustre two-star first book ‘Covet’, each new book gaining a one-star improvement. But here we are with ‘Rapture’ and we’re backtracking. It was a mixture of slow plot, a too quick romance and the Warden yet again dragging her pen on the slow-as-molasses developing plot of Sissy and Jim that really put me off this book.

First of all, it felt like the Warden was not-so-subtly reminding fans of the ‘Fallen Angels’ timeline throughout this book. I marked the four odd times that characters alluded to the series timeline – from ‘Covet’ through to ‘Rapture’ – revealing that there has been only a span of about two weeks. A couple of weeks. That’s it. The Warden mentions it when Mels and Matthias investigate the electrocution/shooting death of Jim Heron – the fact that he has been dead for a little over two weeks. Now, I think part of the reason that the Warden made it a point to put a mark on the ‘Fallen Angels’ timeline is to reveal the real urgency in the Heaven vs Hell competition. This urgency is actually part of the reason I have never really enjoyed the romances in the ‘Fallen Angels’ series – because they are very quick; Jim and Devina are fighting tooth and nail for these lost souls, and that urgency translates to all of the romances in which the men need the love of a good woman to save their soul.

Luckily the Warden has shied away from out-right ‘love at first sight’ clichés, but it has been a close thing. With Matthias and Mels, for example, he feels a stirring for her when she comes to visit him in hospital – but it’s more seeing her head-strong journalist self that really turns him on. But, all in all, the quick-fire romances have never really worked for me and that’s again true with Matthias and Mels. Never mind that following the same tropes in every single book is growing a wee bit old – lost guy’s soul needs to find his one true love to get a win for heaven. Slight yawn. Bigger yawn in ‘Rapture’ because Matthias and Mels’s physical relationship has strong echoes of Rehvenge and Ehlena’s romance in ‘Lover Avenged’ – particularly because battle wounds have made Matthias impotent (and where Rehv was a bad-ass nightclub owner/drug dealer, Matthias was a bad-ass XOps leader). The scene in which Matthias and Mels find ways around sex without penetration read like déjà-vu for the same exchange in ‘Lover Avenged’.

Jim cleared his throat. Twice. “Ah, you’re back because we need you to make the right choice this time.”
“Choice?”
“At the crossroads.” Jim prayed he was going to make some sense. “You’re, ah, you’re going to come to a moment where you need to choose, and if you don’t want to go back where you were, you have to pick the righteous path, not . . .  what you’re used to.”
“So it’s true? About Heaven and Hell?”
“And you’ve got a second chance.”
“Why?”
“The devil cheats.”

Part of the reason I’m actually really impatient for Sissy to hurry the heck up and get a bigger role in this series is because I like the build-up for her and Heron. Whereas all the other romance focuses in the series have followed the lost soul’s romances, and have been very quick developments, Jim and Sissy’s potential romance is the only one that has roots going back to book one and a bit of history behind it. But we’re in book four now, and Jim’s occasional slip-ups of “his girl, Sissy” are quickly becoming not quite enough to keep me on the hooks with this romance. And I’m also becoming concerned that the Warden is writing Sissy into a Mary-Sue type of role, a girl who can do no wrong who, we are always reminded, was a beautiful blonde-virgin-smart girl before Devina killed her. Jim is building her up waaaaaay too much, and as a result Jim’s holier-than-thou thoughts of her are off-putting to the reader. It may have helped if the Warden had given us the occasional POV chapters from Sissy? – yes, she is stuck in a wall of souls, but maybe if we were there with her, experiencing the horror or reading how she’s keeping herself psychologically strong, then we’d be a bit more sympathetic towards her. As it is? I really feel like ‘Rapture’ should have been the book in which Sissy steps into the spotlight, because as of this book the romance I was looking forward to is rapidly losing my interest and patience.

Another reason I think the Warden mentioned the two-week timeline is to remind us that it wasn’t all that long ago that Jim Heron was getting down and dirty with Devina in ‘Covet’ . . . because there is quite a big focus in this book, on Devina’s growing infatuation with Jim. Actually, there’s also a growing focus on Devina as a multifaceted villain, complete with OCD quirks and job pressures. I’m not so sure how I feel about this; on the one hand, I always love a bad guy with shades of grey. But on the other hand, I have been enjoying Devina’s truly heinous self . . . and I’m not entirely certain that the Warden won’t continue to give Devina more emotional depth, and possibly push her towards Jim. I really, really hope not. Because that’s creepy. Although, I think it may help to throw a spanner in the Sissy/Jim romance if Devina is in a viable love triangle with them – and I'd be interested to see how it plays out, if Jim (the veritable balance in this whole game) has to choose between the evil Devina, and the innocent Sissy.

All in all, I think this series is going a little wonky. We’re four books in now, and Sissy is still being alluded to as the ultimate Mary-Sue, we’ve been reading the same guy-needs-true-love-to-make-a-win-for-heaven storyline and Devina has only just started to become more multifaceted. *Sigh*. I’m struggling with this series, I really am.

2/5

'Heart of Gold' by J.R. Ward writing as Jessica Bird

From the BLURB:

She has a chance to find something more precious than gold, if she’s brave enough to trust her heart. . . .

Her intense passion for unlocking the secrets of the past is what made Carter Wessex an archaeologist. Now she’s been given a chance to dig on Farrell Mountain where a doomed party of minutemen lost their lives—as well as the gold they were carrying during the Revolutionary War. Carter refuses to let the mountain’s owner, Nick Farrell, rattle her, even though she’s all too aware of his sexy yet sardonic presence. Her work on the mountain could be the most significant find of her career . . . if she can pull herself away from the smoldering attraction that is undeniably growing between them.

Beneath the steely façade Nick Farrell wears like a well-cut suit, he is a man of hidden tenderness. From his first meeting with Carter, there’s an immediate flare—hotter than he has ever experienced before. But no one is more surprised than Nick when his desire for her deepens into something enduring. Now Nick must find a way to convince Carter that the real treasure to be found on Farrell Mountain is a true and lasting love. . .

Carter Wessex has just had the dig of a lifetime dangled before her. A promising young archaeologist, Carter loves a good mystery and a challenge. But she’s going to get both, in spades, with Nick Farrell.

Nick owns a good parcel of land, including Farrell Mountain which, legend tells, is the final resting ground of Revolutionary War soldiers and the gold that got them killed. But Farrell, a renowned businessman, has never given permission for authorities to dig on his mountain. He has even gone so far as to chase money-grubbing archaeologists off his mountain, with the help of his gun-wielding grounds keeper.

But recent evidence has, illegally, come to light confirming that Farrell Mountain holds the key to a Revolutionary mystery and possible gold, and Carter Wessex is determined to dig.

Normally Nick Farrell would flat refuse any offers to dig on his mountain – but Carter Wessex is the estranged daughter of one of Nick’s business partners. Not to mention she’s also disarmingly beautiful, and not afraid to put Nick in his place. He is intrigued and willing to let Carter and her team dig on his mountain if it means getting to the mystery of her. . .

‘Heart of Gold’ was the 2003 stand-alone romance novel written by J.R. Ward (under the name Jessica Bird) which has recently been re-packaged (along with ‘Leaping Hearts’), following the crazy success of her paranormal ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series.

Before the crux of the plot starts to unwind, Bird introduces readers to two fairly complicated individuals in Carter Wessex and Nick Farrell.

Carter is a smart and gutsy archaeologist, one of the youngest and most celebrated in her field. She can usually be found knee-deep in dirt, wearing tatty clothes and jet-setting all around the world – if only to avoid her estranged father’s pleading devotion. Carter and her father have not spoken since her mother’s death, and while we don’t know the reason for the prolonged silence, Carter is adamant that it’s all her father’s fault. When the gold on Farrell Mountain is dangled before Carter (though she’s far more interested in the bones of the Revolutionary soldiers) she is reluctant to follow the dig, for more than just the reasons of Nick’s infamous refusal to permit people on his mountain. She knows that Nick and her father probably travel in the same business circles, and she cringes at the idea of bumping into him. But the bones on Farrell Mountain call to her, and Carter takes a chance. . .

Nick Farrell, meanwhile, is at the end of this tether. His young sister died a few years ago, leaving Nick as the sole guardian of his teenage nephew, Cort. The boy has some medical problems and unaddressed issues concerning his parent’s death. But worst of all, Cort is a teenager and rebelling against his uncle seems to be his number one hobby at the moment. The two of them seem to constantly be at loggerheads, at a perpetual impasse. But when Nick decides to let Carter Wessex and her small team dig on his mountain, the experience of helping out on the dig opens Cort and Nick’s struggling relationship up and gives the boy a new purpose over the school holidays.

Nick’s motives for letting Carter dig are somewhat selfish. Yes, she is beautiful and feisty and he is intrigued – but Nick is also thinking of business prospects with her estranged father, if he can be the peace-maker that brings these two together again, surely the old man would owe Nick a favour or two. . .

She took a deep breath, wrapping her arms around her body. “So I’m supposed to believe you’ve asked around, read my curriculum vitae, and suddenly decided the sum of my virtues is sufficient to justify changing your mind? I don’t get it.”
“Perhaps conversions happen,” he murmured, “even in people like me.”
“I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Maybe you just need to get to know me better. I could have a heart of gold under this gruff exterior.”
“That would be fool’s gold, no doubt.”
He laughed, a low, husky sound.

I bought this book on a whim – curious to read J.R. Ward when she was Jessica Bird and before her 'Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series. I read her ‘Moorehouse Legacy’ series and ‘The Billionaire Next Door’ book for the same reason, and got some enjoyment out of them.

‘Heart of Gold’ is just ‘okay’ by comparison. The entire storyline is pretty predictable from the blurb alone, and as far as the sexy stuff goes – this is probably the tamest Warden book I've read.

Carter and Nick’s romantic appeal rests in their sparking chemistry and witty parrying. It’s there, but it’s not particularly clever and reads sort of like paint-by-numbers for romantic conflict and tension.

Actually the most interesting thing about this book is reading the escalating drama, when a rival archaeologist called Conrad Lyst starts making trouble on the mountain, and threatening Carter. The storyline is as outlandish as it sounds, and I didn’t find it interesting so much for the cheesy plot-twists, but because I really started to see how Jessica Bird could be slowly drawn more towards the urban fantasy/paranormal romance side of things . . . I really felt like ‘Heart of Gold’ started out as a stock-standard romance. Rich millionaire who can’t commit is intrigued by a made-her-own-way millionaire’s daughter who likes to (literally) get down and dirty. For a little while Bird follows the suspected trajectory – but then she seemed to get a bit bored. She threw a spanner in the works with Conrad Lyst, and suddenly there were threats and kidnappings. The plot just seemed to suddenly explode into this completely different action book. With the BDB series in the back of my mind, I thought I could definitely see why the more outlandish paranormal romance genre would appeal to the Warden – because I truly felt like she wanted to stay with the fast-paced and dangerous kidnapping/action plot for longer.

All in all ‘Heart of Gold’ is so-so. If you’re reading this hoping to fill the ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ void between releases, you’ll probably be disappointed. This is thoroughly contemporary romance, and while the Warden (as Bird) herself seemed to be a bit over the strictly lovey-dovey stuff, judging by the sudden careening action plot-twist, fans of her paranormal work will probably just be bored. As a contemporary romance it’s okay – not great, not terrible, but if this had been my first encounter with Jessica Bird I probably wouldn’t have been moved to read through her backlist.

2.5/5

'Love Reborn' Black Dagger Brotherhood #10 by J.R. Ward

 Received from the Publisher

From the BLURB:

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. The city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Now back in the Brotherhood – and unrecognisable as the vampire leader he once was – Tohrment is physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair. When he begins to see his beloved in his dreams – trapped in a cold, isolating netherworld – Tohr turns to a self-serving fallen angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. When he’s told he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed . . .

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the  esser, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past, and a very hot, passion-filled future . . . but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

** WARNING: This review contains 'Lover Reborn' spoilers, and spoilers of all other BDB books. Don't read if you haven't read 'Reborn' yet! **

In-Between

‘Lover Reborn’ is the tenth book in J.R. Ward’s paranormal ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series . . .  ‘Reborn’ is one of the most-anticipated books of this long-running series because it is Tohrment’s story, and it has been a long time coming.

One year ago Tohrment’s life was ripped apart. His pregnant shellan, Wellsandra, was murdered by the lesser society and Tohr has been mourning her and their young ever since. Immediately after her death he took himself away from the Brotherhood, but was dragged back by the angel Lassiter whose job it was to see Tohr through his dark time.

For many books now, Tohr has been a shell of his former self. He has watched his brothers find their own shellan’s, as he grows embittered by empty memories of his two-hundred-year mating with Wellsie. Recently, Tohr’s adopted son, John Matthew, found his own shellan in the form of half-sympath vampire, Xhex. But Xhex hasn’t been the only new female addition to the Brotherhood mansion . . .  following the events of ‘Lover Mine’ which revealed Xhex’s origins, her long-lost mother also came to stay with the Brotherhood.

Rosalhynda was a female of worth, once upon a time. Until a sympath kidnapped and raped her, and impregnated her during her needing. Hundreds of years ago Tohrment and his mentor, Darius, rescued Rosalhynda and spent months keeping her safe during her pregnancy. . .  but after giving birth to Xhex, Rosalhynda took her own life with a dagger to the gut – so full of shame for her fall from grace, she could not go on living, not even for her young.

Unbeknownst to Tohr and Xhex, Rosalhynda did not go into the Fade. Instead she went to serve The Chosen and Scribe Virgin, going over to the other side and renaming herself No’One – donning a hooded robe and dedicating herself to a life of servitude as penance for her sins.

Now No’One is back, and living in the Brotherhood Mansion with orders to serve the Chosen female, Payne, but also to reconnect with her estranged daughter, Xhex.

But No’One’s presence is rubbing salt in Tohr’s wound. No’One has seemingly returned from the dead, permitted to have another life on earth . . .  yet his Wellsie and their young are gone forever, lost to him in the Fade. Or so he thought.

Lassiter finally decides to break his silence and explain to Tohr that Wellsie and their son have not migrated to the Fade – they are not in peace. Instead, they are in-between. Neither here nor there, in a barren grey landscape, tethered only because Tohrment cannot let them go.

If Tohr wants his family to find peace in the Fade, he must find peace here on earth. And he might just find it in the most unlikely of places, with No’One.

Autumn

J.R. Ward had such a big task on her hands, writing Tohr’s story. She had a lot of balls to juggle in getting his HEA just right, and that’s partly why his story has taken so long to write. The Warden had to ensure that enough time had passed since Wellsie’s death, before Tohr’s moving on could be told with any credibility. And I think now is the right time. This is book ten, and it feels definitely like Tohr is due his healing.

It was obvious in ‘Lover Mine’ that No’One would be taking on the difficult role of Tohr’s soon-to-be chosen female. A tough task, since the Warden herself admitted that within her series universe, hellren who lose their shellan’s don’t mate again. They get one chance at happily-ever-after, and that’s it. But the groundwork for Tohr and No’One’s HEA was laid when the Warden revealed that they’d had a connection some two-hundred-years ago, before Tohr’s mating to Wellsandra, back when No’One was Rosalhynda.

When ‘Lover Reborn’ begins, No’One has been in the Brotherhood mansion for some time, but hasn’t settled in. The Doggen (servants) treat her like a female of worth, but she has spent the last couple hundred years in a designated role of servitude to the Chosen females, and she’s uncomfortable being the mother to a Brother’s shellan, and therefore treated better than she thinks she deserves.

No’One has also found it difficult to assimilate in the Brotherhood mansion because of Tohr. She feels his anger towards her, but doesn’t quite know why he’s casting her glacial looks at Last Meal. Tohr, of course, sees No’One’s very presence back on earth as an affront to his dead shellan. The Scribe Virgin permitted No’One to return from death – heck, the Scribe Virgin also saved Rhage’s Mary from death, and bought Doc Jane back as a ghost for Vishous. But Wellsie is dead and gone. It’s not fair, and it’s part of the reason that he’s finding it so hard to move on.

But when Lassiter comes to Tohr with the horrifying news that Wellsie is not enjoying peace in the Fade, that she is in fact stuck in the barren wasteland of in-between, Tohr is spurned into action. . .  and intent on ‘moving on’, if only to save his shellan.

Lassiter has grand plans, for Tohr and Wellsie, but also for No’One. The way Lassiter sees it, the wheel of fate started turning two-hundred-years ago when Tohr had to bury Rosalhynda beneath an apple tree after she took her own life. . .

As he smiled at her, his expression was that of a holy man. “My name’s Lassiter, and I’ll tell you all you need to know about me. I’m an angel first and a sinner second, and I’m not here for long. I’ll never hurt you, but I’m prepared to make you pretty goddamn uncomfortable if I have to, to get my job done. I like sunsets and long walks on the beach, but my perfect female no longer exists. Oh, and my favourite hobby is annoying the shit out of people. Guess I’m just bred to want to get a rise out of folks – probably the whole resurrection thing.”
No’One’s hand crept up and held her robe together in a tight grip. “Why ever are you here?”
“If I told you now, you’d just fight it tooth and nail, but let’s just say I believe in full circles – I simply didn’t see the one we’re in until you came along.” He gave her a little bow.

I really liked Tohr and No’One. There’s lots of talk in this book about Wellsie being in the ‘in-between’, neither here nor there, stuck in limbo. And that’s also true of Tohr and No’One. All these players are stagnate – stuck in their respective black holes. It’s only when Tohr and No’One connect that they find a tether in one another, and are able to pull themselves out. . .

I liked that Tohr and No’One had a slow-burn romance. They had a lot to contend with; Tohr’s grief and the fact that he’s still very much in love with Wellsie. And No’One martyrdom, her thinking that she’s unworthy because of her past. It is a very slow, meandering romance – but when things start to heat up, J.R. Ward brings the romance. And it’s lovely and heart-warming to read Tohr getting a little slice of happiness after being miserable so long.

That’s not to say Tohr and No’One’s romance wasn’t without fault. I, personally, think that their HEA was rushed towards the end. At one point Tohr absolutely blasts No’One – he accuses her of martyrdom and being in love with him only because she knows he won’t ever love her back. He yells at her for punishing herself again and again and again, and claims that their romance isn’t healthy for either of them. And, you know what?, I agreed with every single word he said. I had been thinking all those things about Tohr and No’One’s HEA from the beginning – and I was head-nodding throughout Tohr’s grand, vicious speech.

No’One leaves to lick her wounds, bunking with Xhex while she sorts her life out. It’s during this time that she decides she won’t be a martyr anymore – but if she doesn’t want to be a society princess ever again, and she doesn’t want to serve others, what can she do? Xhex, wisely, counsels that she’ll have to figure out what she wants to do. YES! It was at this point that I despaired to see the end was so close. . .  because it was at that *exact* moment, that I wanted another 200 pages. I wanted to read about No’One being by herself in the real world for a little while – going to University perhaps? Joining Marissa at the women’s shelter, maybe? I wanted Tohr to take some time to accept his new level of acceptance with Wellsie’s death (and even take some time seriously making amends to No’One). Instead, the Warden writes a race to the finish. . .  

Meet the Maker

Straight up – I hated the ending. I thought the Warden wrote a total cop-out by turning to celestial hocus-pocus waffle regarding Wellsie’s Fade ceremony. This isn’t the first time I have rolled my eyes at the Warden writing a quick ethereal scapegoat to wrap up her book. I wasn’t overly thrilled with the Scribe Virgin’s quick-fix of Mary in ‘Lover Eternal’. And I hated the Casper magic she weaved on Doc Jane in ‘Lover Unbound’. The end of ‘Reborn’ was more convenient plot scapegoating, in my opinion. And I can’t help but think Tohr would have questioned, again, why No’One was bought back but his Wellsie was definitely relegated to the Fade. . . ?

So, I did like Tohr and No’One. But I felt like their relationship didn’t really hit an emotional and truthful stride until the end. . .  when I wanted more proof from Tohr that he was wanting to move on, and had enough room in his heart for a second shellan (and I would have really appreciated a mating ceremony on top of that!). I would have liked another season in which No’One took proper command of her life, for the first time, and spent time with her daughter figuring out who she is and what she wants to do with herself. And I would have *really* appreciated a non-sucky finale that didn’t rely heavily on transcendence wackiness to explain everything.

What I didn’t like about this romance, however, was made up in the form of Lassiter. He has a starring role in Tohr and No’One’s romance and he is divine. Literally! I can’t wait for him to get his own HEA, because hints are dropped in this novel about his one-and-only and never again love that had me raising my eyebrows. Not to mention he’s so downright funny and lovely and I just want him to meet someone and fall in love!

Band of Bastards

I really hated ‘Lover Unleashed’, but one good thing to come out of that book was the introduction of the Band of Bastards – a group of vampire warriors (trained by the Bloodletter) who have moved from the old country into Caldwell, with every intention of overthrowing Wrath and taking control of the glymera.

I love, love, loved the introduction of these fresh characters. I admit, beyond Tohr and Qhuay’s books, I didn’t quite know where the Warden would take this series next. . .  but I was so happy to read so much potential in the Bastards.

There’s Zypher, a handsome vampire who gives Rhage a run for his money in the ‘hottie’ stakes. Throe was a son of nobility, now unlikely second-lieutenant in the Bastards. And their fearless leader is Xcor – a vicious fighter with scarred face and black soul who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. And on the sidelines lurks Assail, a well-to-do vampire who is moving in on Rehvenge’s old drug territory, for reasons unknown. . . 

The Bastards are here, and their scenes have taken over from the old lesser point-of view chapters (something I only ever skim-read!). These are some mighty-fine bad guys. . . mainly because (unlike the lessers) they each have room for redemption. I always hated the lesser POV chapters because they were just bad guys – with no wriggle room. With the Bastards, half the fun will be falling for them while they butt heads with our beloved Brothers. I can definitely envision the Warden pulling fans in all different directions with these Bastards, and I can’t wait.

My only complaint with the Bastards is their similar characterization to the Brothers we’ve already read. Assail is a Rehvenge-type anti-hero (and many characters draw this comparison throughout ‘Reborn), while Zypher is another warrior cursed with good looks, like Rhage. Xcor has a scarred face like Zsadist, and a similarly mean outlook on life. I hope these are only superficial similarities – and not just regurgitated character arcs.

The Iron Mask

A big portion of ‘Reborn’ is also dedicated to Xhex and John Matthew, and their trouble in paradise. John isn’t coping well with Xhex’s warrior status in the brotherhood, and Xhex can’t envision their mating continuing as it has been. . .

I was really happy to revisit this couple, particularly because it made sense that they had a starring role in Tohr and No’One’s book (Xhex being No’One’s daughter, John being Tohr’s son). Xhex and John definitely have unique hurdles to overcome in their mating – and it’s something no other Brother has had to deal with, which makes it so interesting (and somewhat heartbreaking). These two are still great, and reading about them was a nice revisit.

The Chosen

Verily, I have hated Layla for a long time. I have made my feelings absolutely clear about this Mary-Sue too-perfect-to-be-likeable Chosen female. I still don’t like her after reading ‘Reborn’, but I like where her story is going. . .

Layla meets both Throe and Xcor from the Bastards – and she feeds both of them with the best of intentions (and thinking them to be members of the Brotherhood). Both Throe and Xcor are enthralled by Layla (because she’s so stunningly beautiful, face like the sun. . .  yadda, yadda, yadda). And Layla is equally intrigued by Xcor, a male she is oddly drawn to. . .  until she learns the truth about him and the Bastards.

Thank God for the Warden – she’s taking a fairly disliked character and giving her an intriguing storyline and potential HEA. I particularly like the Layla/Xcor possibility because of the Beauty and the Beast connotations. But while I like where Layla’s *story* is heading, I still don’t like her. In ‘Reborn’ she again comes across like a smiling idiot whose value is only skin-deep. But you know what? With such a good story for her in the works, I want the Warden to prove my assumptions wrong. I want Layla to be totally misunderstood and more than just a pretty face – because now her story demands it.

On that note. . .  I feel like I again have to say I’m a little over all the Chosen/vampire females who have been overpopulating this series. I said it in my ‘Lover Unleashed’ review, and I’ll say it again. I miss the human female love interests! I am *dying* for Rhage and Mary’s short-story and I am desperate for a Brother to have a shellan who isn’t vampirically beautiful, hairless and all-round perfect. I am so keen for a human female to come in who’s real and relatable and has as good a romance as Mary did with Rhage. Seriously! Enough of the hairless vampire Glamazons – I want a down-to-earth human chick to get some Brotherhood booty! 

Qhuay

Get ready to squeal because. . .  it’s happening! Definitely. Irrefutably. I am 99% sure that ‘Reborn’ is the book before Qhuay. . . and, guys, it’s going to be goooooood. Warden promised us bumps in their road to happily-ever-after and she delivers them in ‘Reborn’. Qhuinn is tangled in new family matters, and Blay is coming to terms with his never-gonna-die feelings for his best friend. Warden absolutely, positively sets these two up for a glorious HEA.  Get ready, because theirs might just be the most anticipated Brotherhood book of all!

Brotherhood

The Warden definitely makes up for the lacklustre ‘Unleashed’ with Tohr’s ‘Reborn’. It was wonderful to finally read Tohr get a little slice of happy, and with a female who was equally deserving of a little bit of peace. Lassiter shines in his heavenly role, and I think after Qhuay, fans will be clamouring for his HEA. Speaking of Qhuay. . . it’s freakin’ happening and I couldn’t be more delighted! The Band of Bastards are an intriguing lot of anti-hero’s who will be devilishly delicious to read about. . .  particularly for Xcor and Layla’s possible HEA. ‘Love Reborn’ is another wonderful, rip-roaringly exhilarating instalment in J.R. Ward’s superb ‘Black Dagger Brotherhood’ series.

4/5