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Book CoverGwen’s review of Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) by J.R. Ward
Paranormal romance published by Signet 25 Sep 07

This is the fifth book in the Brotherhood series.  It’s based on a group of warrior vampires who protect their species, a species who is (we believe) secret from humans.  Who are these warriors protecting their fellow vamps from? Why, some bad guys who smell like, uh, baby powder – the Lessers.  Just roll with it, okay?  Oh – don’t read all of this post if you care about spoilers.  I have a few after the grade. 

I love reading about the Brothers.  I love that they’re giants and still have table manners.  I love that they’re the protectors of their race, but still have flaws.  I love the easy camaraderie between them.  I have loved nearly all of the Brother’s stories.  I even spent time on the BDB discussion forums – until they kept editing or deleting my not-always-PG13 posts (I know, shocking, isn’t it?  LOL).  I will probably keep reading the BDB books, but perhaps with a little less anticipation now that I’ve read LU.

I actually blame myself for this dilemma.  I have come to expect so much from a BDB book.  It would be nearly impossible for an author to consistently meet that archetype every time they step up to bat.  At the same time, there are things I really did not like about this book, and those I place squarely at the author’s feet.

Ward has not managed to create a heroine I consistently like (really in any of her books, to be honest – not as Jessica Bird or J.R. Ward).  All of her female characters have been weaklings or stricken with the TSTL curse.  This book is no exception – the heroine starts strong, but ends on a weak, confusing note.

I was glad that this book didn’t harp on the bad guys, the Lessening Society.  Those are the parts of past BDB books that I skipped or skimmed.  The only time I felt the Lessers had any true evil was in Dark Lover.  After that, they were too plastic or cookie cutter.  All they lacked was a t-shirt that said, “I’m the bad guy.”

Unlike other reviewers, I had no trouble with the unusual aspects of Butch and V’s relationship.  Complicated relationships and confusing emotional attachments are a fact of life.  For a species for whom life is on such an emotional, primal edge as these vampires, it’s not surprising that Ward felt she needed to complicate this relationship between best friends.  Complexity is a fact of life and it’s interesting to read about it – to me at least.

I had a problem with the amount of ink spent on Phury in this book.  I would have preferred to get less of his back story, and more of V and Jane.  I don’t doubt Phury’s story will be interesting to read, but I thought I was here for V and Jane.

There be spoilers ahead.  Don’t click past the grade unless you wish to read them.  For those of you who won’t be reading thru,

faye.jpgGrade: C

Summary:

The ruthless and brilliant brother Vishous possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. 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 does not include her…

Read an excerpt.

Keep reading for the rest of the review, spoilers and all…

Still with me?  Okay.

I hate what Ward did to Jane in this book.  It was tragic when Wellsie died, but it spurred an interesting storyline that I can’t wait to see how it pans out. In this book, Ward kills off another Shellan – Jane.  I was sitting there crying, almost sobbing right along with V.  Wondering what on earth would V do now, how would he survive without his mate, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT.  I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

So what was there for me to dislike, you ask?  What I disliked was WARD BROUGHT HER BACK!  She kills Jane off – unnecessary, but hey, it’s a gritty, dramatic book, so I was prepared to deal. Main characters don’t die often enough in romances, in my opinion.  There’s a whole different level of drama you get when characters have to deal with a loss like that.  BUT THEN Ward “resurrects” Jane as a spirit! It was just weird and it relies too much on “suspension of disbelief” on my part. And the whole “non-corporeal” sex thing going on between V and Jane is just odd.

rant.JPGWard had me until that happened.  I mean, there were problems with the book – what book doesn’t have a bump or two – but it was totally an A review book.  THEN SHE BRINGS HER BACK.  Arrrgh!

Who knows. Perhaps Jane’s spirit-ness will play a key function at some point in a future book. Right now? It just pisses me off.

Other books in the series:

Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover