Review: Lover Unbound

Title: Lover Unbound
Author: J. R. Ward
Publisher: Signet
Series: The Black Dagger Brotherhood #5
Date Published: September 25th 2007
Format: Paperback
Pages:  502 pages
ISBN#: 0451222350

 

In Caldwell, New York, war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers—six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now the cold heart of a cunning predator will be warmed against its will... Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time—until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her...

I know I've said this several times now, well at least 5 times, that I love J.R. Wards books and The Black Dagger Brotherhood series is my favorite. This however is my least favorite of the five I've read so far, not that I didn't enjoy reading it.

If I'm being honest, the whole time I was reading this one I wanted to scoop Vichous up and hug him.  He's been through so much. Seriously, some of the things his so called father did to him makes me want to kick the crap out of his dad.  So much abuse.  It's what makes him so messed up, have to admit I figured it was something like this though, reading how he was in the other books, I knew there had to be a really bad reason why he acted the way he did. 

I will say this as well, it was really hard to put this book down, the story was so gripping.  I think the thing I didn't like about this book was the ending, it left me growling at my book and at first I thought, I'm done with it all, but that's so not true.  I'll continue reading the series, I love it too much to stop!  It was a bit hard to push through the story. (That's the main reason I'm giving it a lower rating.  It's also the reason why my review is a bit shorter than normal.)

I would recommend the other J.R. Ward books to those who love her writing and the fantastic and hot vampires that she writes, but this is my least favorite of them so far.

 So with all of the above said, you can probably guess what I'm about to give Lover Unbound.

 Here at Ali's Bookshelf we accept books in exchange for a honest review, the book above though I bought for myself and ended up reviewing it. We also use Amazon Affiliate links at times

Review: A Shade of Blood (A Shade of Vampire #2)

Title: A Shade of Blood
Author: Bella Forrest
Series: A Shade of Vampire Book #2
Date Published:   April 8th 2013
Format: Ebook
Pages: 340 pages
ASIN #: B00C8324IS

In A Shade Of Blood, Bella Forrest transports you deeper into a unique, enthralling and beautifully sensitive story. Prepare to be lost in its pages… When Sofia Claremont was kidnapped to a sunless island, uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet, she believed she’d forever be a captive of its dark ruler, Derek Novak. Now, after months of surviving an endless night, the morning sun may soon rise again for Sofia. Something has possessed Derek’s heart and he offers her a gift no human slave has ever been given in the history of his cursed island: escape. High school, prom and a chance to move on with her life now await her. But will she be able to forget the horrors that steal her sleep away at night? … and the feelings that haunt her for that tormented prince of darkness?

In the second book of this fantastic series, we once again follow the story of Sofia and her beloved Prince of the Shade, but will is she really in love with him or does she just think she is? That's the main question that has gone through my head the whole time while reading this one.  Author Bella Forest is an author that can describe things and every time you read a word you can picture said item in your head.  For instance, the buildings/houses in the shade.  I can picture the Princes tree house in my mind clearly.  I really love that about these books, her descriptions are so vivid and come to life as you read the story. 

I'm still not sure about the Prince though, I don't want to give any spoilers away, but let's just say I was a bit more sure about what he wanted and what he was feeling by the end of this book.  Which of course made me very happy, because I wasn't so sure in the first book.  

The characters in this series are fantastic and I'm really enjoying the growth I'm seeing in each one of them.  Including all the other vampires in the Shade, you really get to know a few other's in this book, which again made me really happy.  Sophia is the one that surprised me more in this book than she had in the first.  Let's just say, she's a bit stronger than I was giving her credit for in the first one. 

Again, A Shade of Blood is told in three point of views, which at first I didn't enjoy, but now I am starting to really love.  You get to see the story from a different angle so to say. 

I was a bit taken back by a few of the new characters though and not sure what to think about them, even now that I've finished the book.  One in particular comes in at the very end and I was just staring at my Kindle like oh crap what's going to happen now? So I can't wait to start reading the next book.  So glad I already have the next and don't have to wait to read it. 

All in all, A Shade of Blood is a book that I would recommend to any of the Vampire loving Young Adult book readers out there.  I hadn't read a vampire book in a while before I started this series and now I'm head over heels for it.  The authors writing voice is perfection and even though there are so many books in this series, I'm not stopping now.  I can't wait to see what will happen and I'm pretty sure you will feel the same way.  

I have to give A Shade of Blood an Ali's Bookshelf

Here at Ali's Bookshelf we accept books in exchange for a honest review. The book above though I bought for myself, but still wanted to review it.

Review: Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward

Title: Lover Awakened
Author: J.R. Ward
Publisher: Signet
Series: The Black Dagger Brotherhood #3
Date Published:  September 5th 2006
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 434 pages
ISBN #:  0451219368

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Of these, Zsadist is the most terrifying member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society. Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…

Now I've found my favorite vampire in this series! Yes I know I say this every time, but this time I really have.  Zsadist is officially my favorite Black Dagger Brotherhood Favorite! With all of that out of the way, let's talk about Lover Awakened.

My favorite part of this book is the most saddest part.  I love hearing the vampire's backstory and Zsadist's, to me, is the most heart wrenching backstory.  I don't want to give anything away, but I cried reading everything he had been through. The whole time reading this book, I kept saying he is the most tortured soul I've ever read about and still to this day I have to agree.  My heart breaks just thinking about everything.  (If you haven't read this one, you really need to pick it up and start reading it now.) Everything he thought about himself as unworthy I wanted to hug him.

I will say this, I love who his mate ends up being, at first I wasn't sure it was going to happen.  Bella has become my favorite of all the girls in these stories. I kept asking myself if he was going to open up and let her in, or was she going to end up with someone else.

Really enjoyed all the action in this book as well, not that there was less in the other two books before this one, but I liked reading it more in this one.  It's great getting to know the other brothers in this book as well, I think that's what really drew me into this story the most.  So many different takes on everything going on and so many characters walking around, but not so many that it's hard to keep up.

I will say one thing I'm really happy about, this one didn't end in such a cliff hanger.  Sometimes too many of those can be too much.  Another thing I really enjoyed about this one is that author J.R. Ward really pushed the character into talking about his past in this book and talking to someone about it and not bottling it in any longer.  I really hate to see authors that don't mention that part of the healing process for a character with this type of backstory.

I guess I'm another sucker for the wounded character, but I just love this story and Zsadist so much.  I would suggest anyone that loves the wounded character like me, to read this book, but make sure you read the other two in the series first.  This way you can see a bit more into Zsadist first.

“I was dead until you found me, though I breathed. I was sightless, though I could see. And then you came...and I was awakened.”

As if you didn't already know...

Here at Ali's Bookshelf we accept books in exchange for a honest review. The book above though I bought for myself, but still wanted to review it. We also use Amazon Affiliate links at times