This is the 5th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood telling us the story of Vishous. V was never one of my favorites. The is something slightly annoying in fact that he is better than all the other brothers. It makes him feel "too ..", too what I don't really know, but somehow when it's him it's too dark, too sorrowful, too powerful, too naughty, too smart etc. There are SO many things V is in charge of it seems if he was king, we probably wouldn't need the series with all the brothers, he would just do everything.. I think I read somewhere that he is Ward's favorite character. Well, it shows.. and having a favorite son is an OK concept if it's kept somewhat secret ;) like Tyrion being Martin's favorite (in A Song of Ice and Fire).
That being said I did love the book. This one feels a bit longer than the previous ones and we had in my eyes a more substantial part with other POVs though luckily we didn't have any lesser POVs. Actually as I've said before I don't "get" the Lessening Society part in the series. There is nothing to them and when something DOES happen it's so, well, annoying. So I was REALLY happy that there were no lessers around in this book though I thought that one of the probably 2 encounters with the lessers was a little TOO predictable. I thought it would have been better if it was played in a different way.
Well, after saying all this staff that seems a little negative to me, but really, I'm not trying to make less of this book, I DID love it! Jane is a strong woman who knows what she wants and her struggle with her attraction and interest in V was well played by her. It's no wonder V fell for a smart and sharp woman, it's exactly what he was missing. I think that those kind of strong men who are used to having the world on their wide shoulders need someone to lean on, and for V having someone like that isn't obvious at all. She has to be tough, sure, but she mostly has to be his equal mentally. Because he might be a fighter, a good one, but I think he is most skilled with computers, tech and things like that. That's his main interest. They are all very aggressive in the Brotherhood so fighting and killing is a given but I think he is the one who could have given it up to do all the things that needs to be done around. If this was a little more "high tech" played he would have been the guy behind the computer who tells everyone what the blue prints are, were are the guards placed etc in a raid :)
OK, back to the plot! V is hurt very badly and is brought to a human hospital, there he is treated by Jane. When the brothers come to rescue him he insists she comes with him. He is starting to bond with her, but above that he has a vision of her which means she is somehow linked to him. So against her will (and the brothers'), Jane is brought to the compound to stay with V. At the beginning, naturally, she isn't "pleased" with the situation but as time goes they find themselves attracted to each other, sexually and mentally. Since Jane is a human it means it's highly problematic for her to stay with him, to mate him, and V knows she can't really stay since he had a very disturbing visit from the Scribe Virgin (there's a "too..." there as well by the way..) he is destined to be the "Primale" which means - (1) Jane bye bye (2) He has to literally breed all the Chosen Females so they can bring to the world more warriors to the brotherhood.
I have to say all these old staff are really disgusting but at least now that Wrath is the king and the brotherhood are more, well, active on this ground (I mean, before it was only fighting, nothing about the race, rules and all that) things are changing, So if you want to slaughter everyone in charge of these ancient rules then wait a little and see how it all works out beautifully in the end. That being said, the Scribe Virgin and the Directrix are SO annoying. The Scribe Virgin is really the most thoughtless deity I could think of. Yeah in a way she comes though it a few things but how she behaved throughout this book made her one of my most hated characters! and not forgetting the Directrix she is a TOTAL bitch but as I said, just be patient, the brothers take their time (mostly to find out) but they take care of all this staff later on.
I feel a bit "off" today so it's kinda hard for me to write this review but since I want to continue to the next one without messing it all in my head I'm doing this now.
So were was I? Yeah, OK. So V sets Jane go, erasing her memory but erasing his joy in living as well, as a bonded male being without her hurts more than he can bare. Phury seeing his brother's ache and also considering his own (being near Bella all the time while not being able to BE with her since she is mated to his twin brother and is with child..) suggests to V that he will replace him. What a great idea! Take the celibate and make him the guy who needs to fuck about 40 females and get them impregnated! Believe it or not it actually works.. I mean, The bitch Scribe Virgin accepts. While this is a small spoiler I don't know how to refer to all the other sub-plots and things happening in this book without mentioning it. and you probably could have guessed that since this is the book of V and Jane he is NOT going to be fucking 40 females "from the side"...
Well, that brings us to the sub plot of Phury. DEAR GOD! That guy is SO DAMN ANNOYING. I know the next book is about him and I must say though he deserves pity I can't stand his POV and everything that's going on with him. He is basically a drug addict, not accusing his brother of that and all, he is just a miserable sap! His obsession with Bella is just annoying and there is nothing in it. As she tells him it's not about her. It's about him wanting to be happy but since he isn't willing to do anything about it, he just craves what he can't have.
Cormia is another POV. She is the chosen Chosen by the bitch of Directrix to be presented to the Primale - aka Phury. She is terrified, this is the first time she meets a male and he is HUGE and also the Directrix has told her that what's going to happen between them - sex - is going to hurt. When Phury (and actually V before him) see just HOW terrified she is they try to give her time to adjust. Phury even brings her back to the compound for a little "relax" time so we have the scene from the Little Mermaid were Ariel is playing with the objects she found that belongs to the "walking world". It was sweet in a way, but I don't really like her so I wasn't into her story. She is supposed to be a kind of a rebel and there is NOTHING rebellious about her. She is just a scared little mouse. The next book will be of her and Phury. the best match EVER. Two extremely boring characters brought together. Like this book have been of two smart and strong persons only in a bad way :D
Something I forgot to mention, yeah, I'm all over the place today.. I though this book have been REALLY dark, more than before, V's story is hard, in a way worse than Z's was and that's kind of impossible (but that's how it goes with favorite sons, right?) we have everything that happened to him in the camp, his father The Bloodletter, his mother which is a total and absolute BITCH! Cormia's story with how the Directrix treats her, Layla with what she endures (which isn't much but it just adds up), also JM and what happens between him and Layla and in general him dealing with missing his parents, and how Jane and V's story ends is a little "bittersweet" as well. I don't know I felt that the book in itself was really sad.
That being said we finally have John's transition! Which was great!!! I love JM and I love his connection with Z (yeah, no surprise here!). Z really helps him out in his own way. He isn't the one to "talk it through" and yet he is exactly what JM needs. There's this heart breaking scene (in chapter 31) were Z tells JM it's not his fault what he went through and I just felt my entire heart crush.
We also see a love interest or rather sexual interest for him - Xhex! YAY!
He keeps quarreling with Lash (who wouldn't?) and him, Quinn and Blay are best friends in the most loyal way. They are the future brotherhood, that's for sure!
Since I'm listening to this one for the second time (first time being an ebook) I want to refer also to the narration. As I've said before I don't like it. Don't like the fact that all characters sound the same - male and female - alike. I think that in a way he IS getting better in the narration as the series progresses but I won't recommend it anyhow. I feel there is something too dull about his reading.
I think I've said it all somehow :) I did love this book, a lot going on! but I didn't absolutely love it. It's a little about me not liking V that much and a lot about me not getting Phury and his shit. No one loved a cry baby and that's what he is.. I really hope that his book will bring me closer to him. I don't really remember so many details of the books I probably read them like two years ago if not more so a lot of books went through my hands and though I remember a lot from the series a lot is knowledge without a placement into a certain book. Next books in the series after Phury is Rehv and JM so I'm REALLY looking forward to them!
Additional Details: Audiobook, 17:21 Hours, 16-19 March 2014 / On GoodReads
ABOUT THE MCs
Vishous
Son
of the Bloodletter, is the most intelligent Brother, and the one who is
specially gifted/cursed. Tattooed on his face, genitals (which are
scarred because his father tried to castrate him), and one hand, he has
the gift of psychometry. His curse is his ability to prognosticate: He
sees the future, though not the 'when' of events, so he is plagued by
his inability to save those he loves from danger. All of this was
inherited from his mother, the Scribe Virgin. Long attracted to both
males and females—particularly Butch, his fellow Brother—he eventually
falls in love with a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb. Their story is
told in Lover Unbound (BDB #5).
Dr. Jane Whitcomb
A
brilliant trauma surgeon who operates on Vishous after he is shot in
the chest. She also helps "V" manage issues connected with his troubled
past. After Jane is shot and killed by a lesser, Vishous attempts to
bring her back by using his blood and the heart of a lesser but is
stopped by his mother, the Scribe Virgin, who turns Jane's body into
ash. Later on, after mustering up her deeply buried maternal side, the
Scribe Virgin decides to sacrifice her love (her birds), in return for
Vishous' (Jane). Jane then returns to him in a new form that allows her
to go from corporeal to non-corporeal at will, enabling Vishous to touch
her through his curse. Their story is told in Lover Unbound (BDB #5).
She is the Brotherhood's private surgeon. ABOUT THIS SERIES
The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a Paranormal Romance by J. R. Ward.
This was actually the first PNR I've read. I've been a HUGE vampire fan
most of my life, but I used to read Fantasy and Urban Fantasy. When I
fell upon this series I've realized adding the romance "bit" is the best
thing ever!
This
series have been one of my most favorite for a long while. I really
liked the way Ward built the world of the Brotherhood and in general the
"Breed". They have been living besides humans but they are not a threat
as they feast from their mate (partner) and anyhow human blood isn't
potent enough for them. They mostly act human but as expected they have
special abilities and animalistic behaviors.
The
series follows the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a contingent of vampire
warriors in charge of protecting the "Breed" (Vampires) against their
mortal enemies the "Lessening Society" which are a group of ex-humans
transformed into soulless being with the sole purpose of harming the
vampire race. The head of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Wrath, is also
the King of the race but he was trying to run away from his duties
leaving in his stead a group of vampire aristocrats called the Glymera.
My
main issue with this series comes from the longgggg novels with many
POVs and sub-plots. Sometimes it feels like everything is happening
while there is nothing to actually move the plot. I guess it's very
character driven and there is a lot of shenanigans between the
"Brothers" which makes this read a fun one. This is a series to anyone
looking for an action packed novel with tender romance and a lot of
"bro" attitude. In each book one of the brothers gets his own HEA. There
are interesting coupling, not what you'd expect (or the men themselves
expected) but each woman helps her Breed male find his own happiness as
they are all damages in their own way.
I've
been a huge fan of the series till the 13th novel - "The Shadows", it
has been a breaking point for me, because it was different (and many
reading complained about it) but also because I somehow felt I've had
enough. I still highly recommend this series, It's one of the best in
the genre IMO.
If
you love these kinds of series I'd also recommend "Midnight Breed" by
Lara Adrian. There is a few similarities (mainly in the first
books) bit it takes a totally different turn. I actually enjoy it a bit more than this one.
YEP, RECOMMENDED!
Books:
1. Dark Lover [Wrath & Beth] (published 6 September 2005) ★★★½
2. Lover Eternal [Rhage & Marry] (published 7 March 2006) ★★★★½
3. Lover Awakened [Zsadist & Bella] (published 5 September 2006) ★★★★★
4. Lover Revealed [Butch & Marissa] (published 6 Match 2007) ★★★★½
5. Lover Unbound [Vishous & Jane] (published 25 September 2007) ★★★★
6. Lover Enshrined [Phury & Cromia] (published 3 June 2008) ★★
--- An Insider's Guide (Including "Father Mine") (published 7 October 2008 ) ★★★★
6.5 Father Mine [Zsadist, Bella & Nalla] (published 7 October 2008) ★★★★★
7. Lover Avenged [Rehvenge & Ehlena] (published 28 April 2009) ★★★★★
8. Lover Mine [John Mathew & Xhex] (published 27 April 2010) ★★★★★
9. Lover Unleashed [Payne & Manny] (published 29 March 2011) ★★★★½
10. Lover Reborn [Thor & Autumn] (published 27 March 2012) ★
11. Lover At Last [Quinn & Blaylock] (published 26 March 2013) ★★★★½
12. The King [Wrath & Beth revisited] (published 1 April 2014) ★★★½
13. The Shadows [Trez & Selena / iAm & Maichen] (published 31 March 2015) ★★★
As I've mentioned there are more books published in this series but I've stopped after the 13th one.
No comments:
Post a Comment