Tag Archives: Jessica Bird

Literary Review: Lover Unleashed (Book 9) by J R Ward

Leave a reply

Ah yes, the ninth book in the series dives further into the vampire lore, in particular Vishous’ background and past when tied to his (unknown to him) twin sister Payne. Much of this information between brother and sister you could find in the Book Thingo: Black Dagger Brotherhood Cheat Sheet (Part 5)
– Vishous, son of the Bloodletter
– Payne
– Dr Manuel Manello
– Medical quirks
– The Bloodletter

One of the things I found myself thinking about this particular novel in the series was various similarities between this particular storyline and that between Vishous and his mate Jane Whitcomb in Book 5: Lover Unbound. In fact I may go so far as to say that a small part of me felt that this was like Lover Unbound only in reverse… but really that similarity is only drawn because the human mate happens to be a well renown doctor in both cases and that the vampire in both instances happen to be the offspring of the Scribe Virgin (the all mighty being of the vampire species).

However, the similarities (for the most part) end there. Dr Manuel Manello has blood ties much closer to the vampire species than Jane does… though Jane knew who her husband was to be as a child even though she didn’t really understand it much as a child.

Before I go on though:

Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, warrior cloth as her brother: A fighter by nature, and a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of Chosen females, there is no place for her on the Far Side… and no role for her on the front lines of the war, either.

When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can – and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous, secret world. Although he never before believed in things that go bump in the night – like vampires – he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.

As the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and vampire worlds collide… just as a centuries old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.

Continue reading →

Literary Review: Lover Mine (Book 8) by J R Ward

Leave a reply

Title: Lover Mine
Author: J R Ward
Series: Book Eight
Format: Audiobook

So this is a nice change, the female is more than your typical “strong” vampire protagonist from the previous books… she not only holds her own in the battle against the Lessers but she also out there fighting as hard as any other member of the Brotherhood.

How does this tip the balance of the pairing chosen for these two? Well that is difficult to say, but first:

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. Long divided as a terrifying battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown to himself and to those around him. After he was taken in by the Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was – or his true identity. Indeed, the fallen Brother Darius has returned, but with a different face and a very different destiny. As a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the heart of the war, he will need to call up on both who he is now and who he once was in order to face off against evil incarnate.

Xhex, a symphath assassin, has long steeled herself against the attraction between her and John Matthew. Having already lost one lover to madness, she will not allow the male of worth to fall prey to the darkness of her twisted life. When fate intervenes, however, the two discover that love, like destiny, is inevitable between soul mates.

So what is a “symphath”? Well… take a look at Book Thingo: Black Dagger Brotherhood Cheat Sheet Part 7, for a bit of a lowdown of not only Rehvenge and Xhex but the Symphath Culture as well…

As for a bit about John Matthew? Well you would need to know more about his “father” Darius which can be found at the Book Thingo: Black Dagger Brotherhood Cheat Sheet Part 8
– Darius, son of Marklon, reincarnated as John Matthew aka Tehrror, son of Darius of Marklon
– Qhuinn Warrior, formerly Qhuinn, son of Lohstrong, and Blaylock, son of Rocke
– Saxton, son of Tyhm
– Transition

The problem though is this: Xhex and John Matthew have both been thrown through the wringer of life not once, or twice, or thrice… but several times in their lifetimes. Xhex was let down and not just taken advantage of despite her superior than average skill set… but she was taken advantage of in such a way that it strip her almost entirely of her pride and sense of self.

John Matthew came close to that in his lifetime until he was introduced to the world that he was meant to be a part of. Not only that but he also went through so much loss that he had to find ways to recreate his life and put the pieces back together after they were callously smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces.

Life goes on. no matter what the world did to you, you could survive. – John Matthew from Lover Mine

As is the continuous underlying thread in this series:

It doesn’t have to be easy to be right. – Tohrment from Lover Mine

Granted there are times when it could be tedious and the formula just starts to become predictable… so granted when it came to this particular novel I was slowly losing interest, but as it was for all the past female protagonists there was something about Xhex that I felt a sense of kin to… and no I won’t mention what it is.

I understood what Xhex was going through when she felt herself to be at the bottom of the hole looking up and wondering if she would be able to get out of it. Going so far as to believe that there was no way she could get out of the situation that life threw her in.

But when she was finally out in the light the real battle began and who of the Brotherhood could relate to her? No one but John Matthew:

And the two of you make so much sense that you have no idea how much sense you make together. – Tohrment from Lover Mine

One of the slowly being interwoven stories within this novel was that of Quinn and Blaylock and their slowly and surely growing relationship… The separation, the hurt, pain, etc… how this trio of friends attempt to work through everything together and yet there are signs that their trio could break off and splinter because of unresolved feelings that have been growing over time:

I miss you, I miss you so fucking bad it hurts but I don’t know how to find you even though you’re right in front of me. – Quinn from Lover Mine

Looking back (since it has been at least six months since I have listened / read this particular novel in the series) this is probably one of the few novels I would consider listening to again… sure there is a slight sense of finding the princess in the tower moment, but at the end of the day the growth between these two was so extreme and so poignant and such a long, hard battle that it is impossible to understand it all in just one sitting.

John Matthew understood this best… the irony of life as it were:

Maybe this was just life, for everyone on the planet. Maybe the survivor’s club wasn’t something you earned but simply what you were born into when you came out of your mother’s womb. Your heartbeat put you on the roster and then the rest of it was just a question of vocab. The nouns and verbs used to describe the events that rocked your foundation and sent you flailing weren’t always the same as other peoples, but the random cruelties of disease and accident and the malicious focus of evil men and nasty deeds, and the heartbreak of loss with all it’s stinging whips and rattling chains… At the core it was all the same. And there was no opt out clause in the club’s bylaws unless you offed yourself. the essential truth of life he was coming to realize wasn’t romantic and took only two words to label: shit happens. but the thing was, you kept going, you kept your friends and your family and your mate as safe as you’re able and you kept fighting even after you were knocked down, goddammit you dragged your ass off the ground and you kept fighting. – John Matthew from Lover Mine

John Matthew couldn’t choose whom to love and whom to mate with, that much is clear. However, he can choose to either follow through or let it go and it was clear as day that there was no way for him to let go of Xhex, and refused to do so when it appeared she was lost to everyone:

Fate was not easy but it got things right, eventually everything that came to pass was exactly how it was meant to be.

So yeah… I wouldn’t call this my favorite of the series, but definitely high up that ladder. Not only that, but it is one of the series that most people might consider too fantastical to be true and yet this particular partnership happens more often than not in reality. What else can you do with life…

Don’t look backward, only forward – Tohrment from Lover Mine

This might actually one of the more thought provoking novels in the series for me… something that I relate to more than most and as thus harder to swallow on first reading (much like . However, once I managed to muddle through it would

Literary Review: Lover Enshrined (Book 6) by J R Ward

The joy of siblings… Phury has spent his entire life utterly and completely devoted to his twin brother, Zsadist believing him to be scarred beyond redemption. Even when Zsadist found his mate in Bella, Phury constantly worried over the chance and possibility that Zsadist would fall off the deep end… But what ended up happening was that it became apparent over time that it would be Phury who would not only fall over the deep end, but would be left to his own devices when everyone who cared about him gave up on him.

But before moving on you could find out more about Phury’s backstory at Book Thingo: Black Dagger Brotherhood Cheat Sheet Part 6
– Black Dagger Brotherhood: Phury, son of Ahgony
– The Primale and the Chosen
– Layla
– Selena

Well known as to be the more handsome of the two brothers, Phury felt a sense of devotion to the point of celibacy believing that as long as he felt that Zsadist was in danger of being a danger to everyone around him, Phury could not enjoy himself or live his own life. Granted spending over a century searching for his lost twin brother could do that to a guy… and feeling like Zsadist was the shadow over their family’s memory that they all but forgotten about the son that was still alive and around could do that to a guy (in the more extreme of situations).

With his fantastic mane of multicoloured hair, Phury should have been in Hollywood’s league with the ladies, but he’d stuck with his vow of celibacy. There was room for one and only one love in his life, and it had been slowly killing him for years. ― J.R. Ward, Dark Lover

So this novel became the growth and revelation to Phury as he continued to fall deeper and deeper into his own world to the point that everyone around him lost faith in him. In fact the only being that had any faith (outwardly) in Phury is the soft spoken and ethereal Cormia… his first mate from “The Chosen”.

Available Summary:

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

As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body but his heart for herself- she sees the emotionally scarred male behind all his noble responsibility. But while the war with the Lessening Society grows more grim, and tragedy looms over the Brotherhood’s mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love.

Continue reading →

Literary Review: Lover Unbound (Book 5) by J R Ward

Whoever out there has ever worked or played with an Ouija board may final the introduction to this particular book interesting… since Jane and her sister Hannah used the board to try to figure out a bit about their futures and overtime realized that it revealed more than they had thought.

Viscous – arguably the most brilliant of the Brotherhood (well in my point of view, because I just appreciate technology in general) – gets his moment in the spotlight if it wasn’t for the fact he comes equipped with his own light.

However, this guy has a hell of a past, and a hell of a way of attempting to come to terms with it. In fact I would go so far to say that by him enjoying what BDSM does in general has made me more uncomfortable than I am willing to admit in general…

Like always… for a bit of Viscous’ past just head on over to Book Thingo: Black Dagger Brotherhood Cheat Sheet Part 5
– Black Dagger Brotherhood: Vishous, son of the Bloodletter
– Payne
– Dr Manuel Manello
– Medical quirks
– The Bloodletter

So what kind of person was it going to take to crack this hell of a vampire? Well:

Available Summary:

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

Yup another incredibly strong willed and viscously independent woman. Or after the fourth book in the series… a female version of Butch, Viscous’ best friend of the gang. Does anyone feel like this was a cop out in a way? I mean really.

Continue reading →

Literary Review: Lover Awakened (Book 3) by J R Ward

Title: Lover Awakened
Author: J R Ward
Series: Book Three
Format: Audiobook

The third book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series focuses on the darkest Brother of group: Zsadist. With a past that others could never conjure up in a million years and a devil may care attitude on his life and future, Zsadist appears to be the Brother for whom everyone seemed to believe redemption doesn’t exist.

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

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

When I listened to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series for the first time, Zsadist’s story was the one that I couldn’t listen to all the way through. There was just so much going on that I simply couldn’t stomach it. It wasn’t until I was listening to the series the second way through that I was able to listen through the book all the way through and I was glad that I did.
Continue reading →

Literary Review: Lover Eternal (Book 2) by J R Ward

Leave a reply

Title: Lover Eternal
Author: J R Ward
Series: Book Two
Format: Audiobook

The one thing I enjoy about the series – even though this is just the second book – is that you get a quick recap / cut to the chase with what happened in the previous book. Also, if the first book was used to introduce the mythology and background to the reader then the second book onwards lays the ground work for future books in the series for ever as long as needed. The relationship between the hero and heroine was a fairly cookie cut two people meet and eventually fall in love this particular book the hero worked hard to win over the heroine.

Available summary:

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

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

After a book that had quite a bit of action, this particular book was fairly low key in comparison. Sure there were a couple of action sequences here and there, but it focused more on the couple and their budding relationship as well as filling out some of the other characters in preparation of future books. Here you start to see the seeds of characters like John Matthew, Tohrment and Wellsie, Bella, Zsadist and Phury just being planted and nurtured for the future. This book also delves a bit more into the Lessening Society and the Lessers moving back and forth between the two societies. If anything, even though the primary story is between Rhage and Mary Luce it wasn’t the only storyline that was given special treatment here.

Rhage’s background and story can be found in more detail at Book Thingo’s Cheat Sheet below.
Book Thingo: Black Dagger Brotherhood Cheat Sheet Part 2
– Black Dagger Brotherhood: Rhage, son of Tohrture
– Reproduction and the Needing
– Tohrture

Continue reading →

Literary Review: Dark Lover (Book 1) by J R Ward

Leave a reply

Title: Dark Lover
Author: J R Ward
Series: Book One
Format: Audiobook

So, I have been listening to another paranormal romance novel, well series really… in this case it is the start of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J R Ward. Currently in its 10th novel / 11th book, it was introduced to me by a friend of mine not long ago due to our love of paranormal romance / fantasy.

Since traditional romance novels tend to be very stale and bland for me nowadays I was needing something with a little bit of spice. Did I ever… with a well thought out mythology and background this series had so much that I could totally sink my teeth into (pun totally intended). The first six books in the series revolves around the six “Brothers” of a race of vampires, whose primary goal is to protect their race from prying eyes and extinction.

The first book in the series focuses on the point of view of Wrath, the leader of the “Brothers” and the reluctant king. He has long ignored his birthright in favor of being a warrior and had always felt comfortable in that role. Also nicknamed “The Blind King”, Wrath is a male vampire completely ill at ease with his birthright and has a lot of male pride.

When his friend’s (Darius) death wish was for Wrath to watch over Darius’ half-breed daughter Beth and ease her into the possible transition of becoming a vampire, Wrath does so reluctantly only for the wheels to turn him towards his destiny. Then again Beth was very reluctant when it came to Wrath:

Perfect date material. A vampire with the social equivalent of road rage.

Available Summary:

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

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

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

I could go on and on about the series and the mythology, but why repeat through the motions when others have already done so. You could find the links at my “Literary” page under “Entertainment“. I would suggest going to Book Thingo where they have actually supplied details about each of the individual books in the series as well as extra information from the rest of the series:

Book Thingo: Black Dagger Brotherhood Cheat Sheet Part 1
– The Scribe Virgin and her single act of creation
– What is the Black Dagger Brotherhood?
– Black Dagger Brotherhood: Wrath, son of Wrath
– Class Structure and Civil Unrest
– Wrath the Fair

There are nine Cheat Sheets at the moment, one for each novel in the series (minus the Dossier). What was really nice about the cheat sheets is that they tend to follow the series in order for the most part. Giving the reader a chance to follow along and understand the absolute necessary pieces from each Cheat Sheet and building them as you read through the series.

Since the cheat sheets do a really good job of not only talking about the individual novels but the storylines of the primary characters throughout the series… the most I’ll do is introduce my own thoughts and opinions of the book in question:

Continue reading →