Sandy M’s review of Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6) by J.R. Ward
Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Signet 3 Jun 08

Yeah, I’m so behind in reading all the blockbusters of this past summer.  But you know what?  I kinda like that I am behind because I got to hear all the hullabaloo about what everyone thought about this book, especially the whiners out there, before I finally jumped into it.  I can tell you right now, all those whiners are so off base about this one, it’s not even funny.

I don’t know how many posts I saw all over the net that said “I’ll never read another book in this series again” after they’d finished Lover Enshrined.  Please.  If you’re a serious reader, if you’re a true fan of this series, this book is a damn good book and it stays right on course with what we’ve come to expect from J.R. Ward.  You don’t want to read another book in this series, you go right ahead, whiner.  It’s your loss.

Even the parts I thought I might not like after reading those net posts I loved.  Back then I thought I’d be disappointed that the storyline follows the three young males, John, Qhuinn, and Blaylock, more than ever before — only because I love those Brothers so.  I wanted more about them and only them, but I really enjoyed every bit in this book about those three young friends.  What’s between those three is what friendship is about.  I should never have doubted Ward for one iota of a second.   That won’t happen again, I can tell you that.

Now the lack of romance allegations.  I’ll agree with those up to a point.  The fact is Phury could not have sustained any type of love at this point in his life.  He had to straighten himself out first.  He had to do it.  Both Z and Wrath tried their way to get him back on the straight and narrow, but nothing worked; hence Wrath’s drastic measures.  And Cormia needed time on this side of her sanctuary to realize her feelings for Phury.  If they’d done anything before either of these circumstances came to pass, it just wouldn’t have worked.

I confess, I was a little upset at Wrath’s solution to his Phury problem, but Ward pulled it all together for me at the end so that my ire was calmed a tad.  I’m still not 100% that I like the new situation, but I think the next book will help me out on that better.  But it all worked because Phury did things his way and he did them the best he could considering all he’d been through over his lifetime.  In a way he’s nearly as innocent (in more ways than one!) as Cormia when it comes to life, despite all he’s lived while with the Brotherhood.  They both had a specific journey to follow and they both had to come out on the other side on their own terms to get them where they needed to be in the end — together.  Worked for me just fine.  Feel me?

I’m sure I’m part of the majority when I say I don’t care for the Lessers.  They’re just plain evil and slimy.  But I have to say that the new twist we’re given with the Omega was interesting and it gives a whole new light on upcoming books with a new and different enemy in town.  They did cause a lot more destruction in this book, but it was fascinating to watch it all unfold.

All in all, there’s not much wrong with this book.  We all have our own pet peeves about certain aspects of it, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s in keeping with the spirit of the series and the characters.  It’s pure escapism and that’s why I read.  So who gives a rat’s ass if something isn’t done in a particular “true” or “real” way as we know it in life?  Hell, it’s not real life, people!  Lighten up, sit back, and enjoy it for what it is and let go of all those hangups on what you think should be happening in the series.  Ward gives us 150% every time, and I know each one of those Brothers would agree with that.

Grade: A+

Read LauraD’s, Gwen’s, and Limecello’s reviews.  Read all sorts of news, reviews, and information by following the Black Dagger Brotherhood series tag or the Lover Enshrined tag.

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.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Tiffany Johnson!!!!

Please email me your address and I will have your books sent to you.

Limecello’s review of Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6) by J.R. Ward
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Signet on 3 Jun 08

I’ve been a huge fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books since I started reading them, and I’m curious as to where the series is going to go. I liked this book more than I expected, based on Lover Unbound. I tried to avoid reviews before I read Lover Enshrined – but I still got a sense of disappointment from readers, and it pains me to agree. For those of you who have read the series, you understand. Those of you who haven’t read it yet – I recommend reading the series and formulating your own opinion.

I like Phury – and respect him a lot. He devoted his life to finding his brother, then shot his own leg off to save them both. He’s happy to help out anyone and everyone, and is always sacrificing himself to make the lives of those he loves better. I felt that this book, unfortunately, took a little of that away from him. The fact that he’s a drug addict, and the way he reacts to his addiction makes him a rather unsympathetic character.

Something I found conflicting in the book was the badass seven foot tall ruthless killers, that sounded like middle school girls. The constant texting in the book was also something I could easily have gone without. Then, there was one scene that was minor, but so disappointed me – it was when a character was arrested and Mirandized. That’s not how it works, as anyone with a cursory background in criminal justice would know, which I would expect Ward as a lawyer to have.

While this wasn’t much of a romance – Phury and Cormia are both so troubled – I liked most other aspects of the book. The secondary stories, characters, and plot were almost more interesting than Phury and Cormia, which is sad, because Phury got the short end of the stick with his book. I enjoyed learning what all the secondary characters we’ve already been introduced to are embroiled in – but the storylines are getting more complicated, almost too much so.

The books are no longer stand alone – and least, not completely, in my opinion. If I hadn’t read the five previous books, I think I would have been rather lost. Too many issues were left unresolved. Not only that, but more characters and issues were brought in. The characters are more angsty than group of high schoolers a month before prom with no date. And they deal with their issues in pretty much the same way.

The focus on the younger males – John, Blaylock, and Qhuinn, was fun. I’ve enjoyed following their story since Lover Eternal.

I like the way the book was written, and how well developed it is – the descriptions of the characters emotions and experiences. The settings, atmosphere, is all well done. Ms Ward has an impressive attention to detail – as noted, with the strong focus on the younger characters, even the activities and preferred drinks in the book changed.

To be honest, when I first heard about the BDB, I mocked. ‘Come on! Characters named Rhage, Zsadist, Vishous, and Phury? Give me a break.‘ But I read the first three, and was hooked. I waited impatiently for the fourth, and then the fifth. After reading the sixth, I do plan on reading the seventh.

I’m someone who generally has to follow a series until the bitter end (which is why I’m not that into series – the potentiality for it being written into the ground is too high, as evinced by Gilmore Girls). I felt apprehensive after Lover Unbound, and started reading Lover Enshrined with some trepidation, but overall, I enjoyed it. I have to say though, I miss the stories and books from the beginning of the series. I hope the next one will be more like those.

Grade: C+

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.

Read an excerpt here.

For more reviews, excerpts, and posts about this and other Black Dagger Brotherhood books, click on the BDB tag below.

If you have been a reader of the blog for a while, you no doubt are aware I am something of a fan of Jessica Bird, a.k.a. J.R. Ward. I happen to think the author is beyond cool. I was blown away by Dark Lover and still to this day am in love with that book as well as Lover Awakened. Hey… everyone has a favorite brother.

When it came time to for Lover Enshrined I thought it would be tres nifty to have her CP, the ever nifty Jessica Andersen do the interview… we got lucky (or they gave in so I would shut up), at the end of the interview you can read how YOU can get lucky *G*

Dr. Jessica Andersen, author of the newly released paranormal Nightkeepers, interviews J.R. Ward, otherwise known as the WARDen, author of the also newly released Lover Enshrined. Read on…

Hey Duckies, author Jessica Andersen here! I don’t know where you all are at, but here in the Northeastern USA it’s hot as blazes. Hello, early heat wave! In an effort to cool things down, I thought I’d keep it light today. I’m joined by my good buddy and critique partner, J.R. Ward, and we’re going to do a little quacking about her awesome new release, Lover Enshrined, the sixth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Jessica Andersen: Hey JR, dude. Thanks for agreeing to do this mini-interview!

J.R. Ward: Actually, thank you for doing it!

JA: Staying on that ‘keep it light and cool’ theory, I thought we could do a ‘these are a few of my favorite things’ list… so here goes. As always in the BDB books, Lover Enshrined has got a ton of great zingers and one-liners among the characters. What’s your favorite line in the book, and why?

JRW: Man, there are a number of them! I think my fav is when Wrath is explaining to John Matthew that the last time Lassiter, the fallen angel, was on the planet there was a plague in central Europe. Lassiter’s response: “Okay, that was SO not my fault.”

JA: Building on that idea, what’s your favorite scene in Lover Enshrined?

JRW: Lemme think… the one with John Matthew on page 497 (I’m quoting the page to avoid a spoiler) just tore at my heart, in a good way and a bad way. I also like the one with Phury on page 492… that was just a great scene (it’s the one where he emerges from the Scribe Virgin’s private quarters.) That one also leads up to my favorite line in the book: “He finally felt like the hero he had always wanted to be.” But my absolute favorite scene… was the one at the end when Z comes to Phury, with the Brotherhood. Got me all teary when I wrote it to be honest. It was so great to see the twins reunited and the Brothers all together… and yeah, that’s my fav.

JA: Thinking of the series as a whole, which of the book covers is your favorite, and why?

JRW: You know, I like them all but I think Dark Lover is my favorite. I love the red and the black, plus it was the first one and set the standard for them all. So, yeah, have to go with the king on that one!

JA: Okay, shifting the topic slightly, what’s the funniest thing a fan ever asked you, either online or during a public appearance?

JRW: Actually, I’d have to say it wasn’t a question, but how a question was raised. This lovely woman who always attends the Cincinnati signings, lifted her hand up to her face, putting it on her forehead (to indicate she had something to ask). The thing was, she had her fingers orientated so that it put a loser sign on her forehead as she looked up at me. I busted out laughing and was like, are you losering me at my own signing?! Of course everyone cracked up- she handled it very well, though. And she’s still coming to the signings!

JA: What was your favorite song (or songs) to listen to while you were writing Phury? Did you mainline the opera, or was the soundtrack straight up ZeroSum fare, or…?

JRW: Huh… well, I listened to opera a lot, yes. But as always there was rap and hip hop in my ears while I ran during the writing of the book. And when I run I plan a lot so even Phury was touched by the likes of Fifty and Pac and Kanye and Lil Jon and Jay-Z…

JA: When you’re treating yourself, what’s the treat? Chocolate? Massage? White water rafting?

JRW: Right now? Breyers vanilla and coffee ice cream!

JA: And now for the lightning round… please answer the following with a word or phrase only, no explanations:

Favorite DVD? “The Office”, any season

Favorite guilty pleasure on TV? “Flavor of Love”, any season

Favorite guilty pleasure in the fridge? Ice cream, see above

Favorite word for the Chicago Manual of Style? Okay that’s a trick question! LOLOLOL geeee I’d have to go with c***sucker.

JA: And finally, what is your favorite recent release about the Mayan 2012 doomsday and the men and women who are bound to protect us from the apocalypse?

JRW: OMG, it’s totally Nightkeepers by Jessica Andersen! Have you ever heard of her? Fabulous writer, wicked sense of humor… and excels at fondue. You.are.welcome.

JA: And there you have it, Duckies! Straight from the WARDen herself, a little light fun on a hot day.

Gwen’s review of Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6) by J.R. Ward
Contemporary paranormal romance released by Signet 3 Jun 08

I caught up to Ward’s Brotherhood when I read Lover Eternal. Loved it – it wasn’t perfect, but damn it was a good story with a very hot hero. I quickly bought and read Dark Lover – I admit I didn’t like it as well as LE, but still loved the shit out of it. I was disappointed by Lover Awakened - not sure why. Loved Lover Revealed – Butch was one hot hero. Didn’t really love Lover Unbound. Now that I’ve read Lover Enshrined and all I can say is “DAMN!” Read on to find out if that’s a good thing…

I won’t keep you in suspense – I really loved Lover Enshrined. Not so much because it was a good love story as it was just a good damn story. I feel like Ward got back to something here. I ‘m not sure if it’s the roots of the story, the original intent behind the series, or just her story-telling bones. But she got back to something here.

Enshrined contains the Phury-Cormia love story, but it also contains so much more. It’s a true telling of the story of this race that inhabits Ward’s other reality. It’s multi-layered, peopled by a large and fascinating cast of secondary characters, and even has interesting bad guys once again. (I felt like the Lessers got very uninteresting in Awakened and didn’t make it out of that hole until now.)

When I read Enshrined, I felt like I was reading everyone’s story. By “everyone” I mean the males. In my opinion, Ward’s books focus primarily on the males. I suppose that’s why we don’t get too many interesting females in the stories, and we still don’t with this entry, though Cormia is no less interesting than the other heroines. I still like Bella best, but I think that’s because I got to know her very well in both Eternal and Awakened. We see a bit of her in Enshrined, and she’s still a lovely person. There’s one brief scene with Beth and a few scenes with Jane – not a hide nor hair is seen of Mary or Marissa – but Jane’s are perfunctory doctory scenes with no real interaction between her and others on a personal basis. Bella befriends Cormia and they have a couple of nice friendship scenes unfortunately with “Project Runway” in attendance, but at least Ward avoided the cliche of “Sex and the City.”

In Enshrined we learn quite a bit more about Rehvenge, the Omega, John Matthew, Blaylock, Qhuinn, Xhex, and, of course, Phury and Zsadist. This character development was fascinating to me. There was so much “other” story in this book, I even hesitated to call its genre “romance,” though there is undoubtedly romance in it. The scenes without the hero or heroine in them are incredibly interesting, even the ones with the Lessers (huge concession on my part – I used to skim over the Lesser scenes before and I didn’t in this book).

We get a full, well-rounded story in Enshrined. Ward digs deeply into Phury’s psyche and delves into the nature of his addiction. She does not “prettify” drug addiction or smooth over the turmoil it can cause within a family and friends. You get a raw, unvarnished depiction of where it comes from for Phury and how he strives to overcome it. It was really quite fascinating.

I could go on with what I liked about this book, but I don’t want to ruin it for you. You’ll just have to read it. If you’re a fan of Ward’s BDB books, you can’t miss this one. Enshrined is the beginning of something very different for the Brothers and for their society – both good and bad, I think. I can’t wait to read the next book. If you’re a fan of paranormal novels, I think you’ll like this one, but you may be a bit at sea with this complex world Ward has built – reading one or two of the previous books is recommended.

Lover Enshrined is paranormal storytelling at its best. Plus it has the spice of romance, sensuality, and action we have all come to expect from Ward. I highly recommend this book.

Grade: A

Blurb:

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. And now, a dutiful twin must choose between two lives…

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.

No excerpt is available yet.

Other books in this series:

Coming 7 Oct 2008, The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider’s Guide.

Click on the Black Dagger Brotherhood tag below to read reviews, posts, and more about this and other BDB books.

LauraD’s review of Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6) by J.R. Ward
Paranormal romance released by Signet 3 Jun 08

Full disclosure: I am a J.R. Ward fanghirl. I have smoked the crack, I have consumed the KoolAid. However, I think I’m still capable of being honest about the good/bad/wonderful fraternal shift that is Lover Enshrined.

First of all, if you haven’t read any of the other Black Dagger Brotherhood Books, don’t start with this one. Ward doesn’t even try to give enough backstory to make sense of the multiple storylines making up the current book-you need to be familiar with the characters, their histories, and the world of the Brotherhood. In theory Lover Enshrined is the romance of Phury, the Brotherhood’s sensitive and drug addicted soul, who has been named Primale of the vampire race; and Cormia, who was named First Mate of the Chosen(a sort of pure vampire breeding pool).

However, as in Ward’s last book, the romance really takes a backseat to several other storylines-which is fine with me, because the continued development of John Michael, Quinn, and Blaylock, is obviously the future of this series. Three young warriors-in-training, great friends with a bond that will be both strengthened and tested. All three undergo separate rites of passage, and I can’t wait to see what happens to each of them next. For me, these guys were the strength of the book

The Lessening Society returns, and is a major part of the plotline. I’m not a big fan of the Lessers, I think they’re boring and they’ve never seemed to be much of an obstacle to the Brotherhood. There is a major plot twist involving the Omega, and readers do get a much better idea of where the Society came from and why they hate vampires.

Then of course, there are Rehvenge and Xhex, the sympaths. Rumor has it that the next BDB novel will be Rehvenge’s, and he certainly shows us something….new. And kinky. I kinda liked it. Xhex and John Michael manage to win hottest couple, without ever really touching — I’ll be looking forward to that book, and hoping Ward gives them plenty of private time.

Phury. Poor Phury. His romance got short shrift; he spent more time getting high than he did with Cormia. I can see Ward’s dilemma: she has to cure his addiction before he can get the girl. Unfortunately, he was so busy getting high and feeling guilty he never spent any time with Cormia. She is a typical BDB heroine; very bland. Their attraction felt very forced, and the ending of the whole Primale situation just didn’t feel right to me.

Some readers will be disappointed at the absence of old favorites. The Brotherhood Warriors make cameo appearances only, with the exception of Wrath. Shellans Beth, Bella and “Doc Jane” make appearances, and Jane still bugs me. Ward’s “cellies” will be excited to see a character that has existed on her messageboard for some time finally appear as part of the book mythology.

Overall, I gave Lover Enshrined a B. Yeah, the romance was weak. But I was invested in almost every character, lovedlovedloved the 3 young males (does that make me a vampire cougar?), and cannot wait to find out what happens next. More KoolAid, please!

Grade: B

Blurb:

As Primale of the Chosen, the fiercely loyal Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of his race. But his first mate, the Chosen Cormia, wants not only his body but his heart for herself. As tragedy looms over the Brotherhood’s mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love…

Read an excerpt.

Lucky Gwen.  I have no clue what all she took with her as I was too busy petting the cover of the Ward book I just got in the mail.

FYI THIS IS BEING POSTPONED DUE TO THE IMPENDING ICE STORM IN THE LOUISVILLE AREA.

It will be rescheduled for later….

Anyone out there live in the greater Louisville area? Because we have received notice that J.R. Ward will be giving a romance writing workshop at a Louiville Barnes & Noble this Thursday, 21 Feb.

Yes, J.R.Ward, the woman who took shitkickers, gangsta rap, fated mates, vampires, and the letter “h” and swirled it all together to make enslaved fangirls of us all (or most of us anyway). Well worth the time for any aspiring writer or fan.

The following announcement went out to Ward’s Yahoo Group:

     Hi there! I just wanted folks to know that I’ll be giving a talk on writing romance this Thursday, February 21 at 7 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble at The Summit (4100 Summit Plaza Dr. Louisville, KY, 502.327.7440.) It’s part of a series on genre writing that the store is doing. If you all have a little free time and are in the area, I’d love to see you!

     And I r alive!! Just finishing up Phury by going through his copyedits! Only ten more days and he is done, done, done!

     MUUAH! The WARDen

Didja see the bit about Phury? Didja? Man, if I lived within two states, I’d go. Clutching my little notebook and copy of Lover Eternal, bouncing in my seat like a twelve year old at a Jonas Bros. concert. I imagine the chances of Ward coming to Lawn Guyland are slim. Sigh…

Here’s the official blurb for Phury’s book:

     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. And now, a dutiful twin must choose between two lives…

     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.

Looks like Phury’s book Lover Enshrined, is being pushed back. It will hit the shelves on June 3, 2008 now (it was April 2008).

I am not sure if this is because of the reaction to LOVER UNBOUND, the new series J.R. Ward is starting, or the current SSE series she is doing (which rocks) . The BDB Compendium is still on schedule for Fall 2007. (Doesn’t Kenyon have one coming out too? Or is that this fall? I forget.)

Personally, I hope this means LOVER ENSHRINED will be great. Maybe the quick publishing schedule played into LOVER UNBOUND not being the best it could have been. What do you guys think?

If you register for J.R. Ward’s Yahoo Group or Message Board I am sure there will be more info.